Wicked trip 2010

It really was a Wicked trip. We travelled down to London to see Wicked on stage at the Apollo Victoria and had a few days to dot about and do the tourist thing. What follows is what we saw with some pictures and how I liked it.

MONDAY

We arrived on Monday morning and were lucky to get checked in early to our hotel so we dumped our bags and headed off to the city.


First thing was the London Eye. It was fun and definitely something to do at least once if you're in London, the views are not something you'd see anywhere else.


Then it was onto the Aquarium. I like Aquariums and I mentioned to my partner this time that I don't know why I'm alright with Aquariums but not zoos when it's basically the same thing. Animals being put in a simulted environment for our entertainment and enjoyment.
I don't know if it's because aquariums at least try to make the environment like the real ones. Whatever it is I like visiting aquariums but absolutely hate zoos.
So yeah, the London Aquarium is worth a visit but I suppose it's the same as most aquariums.

As we exited the aquarium we were confronted by a TV showing people screaming and people covered in blood. Naturally we stopped to watch it.
It was Death Trap by the Fright Club. An interactive show where the tourists are being shown round a psychiatric hospital that is having some problems. As you enter the hospital the lights go out and you have to help the Dr find the key to get out and find the exit.
The patients are wild and will try to stop you from leaving by grabbing you or trying to scare you. It's amazing how frightening an experience it is when it's pitch black and someone grabs your ankle from behind (what you thought was) a wall.
The idea is brilliant and I definitely recommend it to anyone visiting London.


Next up was the Film Museum, also next to the aquarium. It's a trip through British film studios and also has props and costumes from well known films. There was some great things on display including a Ray Harryhausen exhibit which, unfortunately, you weren't allowed to take pictures of. A must see for any film fans out there.

That was the end of Monday, we'd been non stop for basically 12 hours by this point so we went to the hotel and chilled for the rest of the night.



TUESDAY

Tuesday has a fairly disappointing start, we went to Camden market but apparently most of the market holders don't like to get out of bed early so there wasn't a lot of stalls open.

So we headed down to Picadilly where we met a friend for lunch and bought some books then we went into Ripley's Believe It or Not.

Most people have heard of Ripley's, it's basically what would have been called a freak show in days gone by. Some really cool things on show here. The first thing you see is a hubcap gorilla then when you get upstairs there's a Mini all bedazzled and decorated with Mount Rushmore. Blingtastic!
One thing that made an impact was a very simple display. A small sink full of water that's the temperature they think the water was the night Titanic sank. It was painful after about 2 seconds and I pretty much lasted about 10 seconds before I had to take my hand out. I could still feel the pain about 5-10 minutes left.

After that we headed back to the hotel to rest a bit before we went to see Wicked!

Based on Gregory Maguire's book about the Wicked Witch of the West's upbringing and life before Dorothy cruelly killed her.
I loved this show so much. As soon as it was over I would've happily watched it again. The music was thrilling, I had goosebumps. The story adaptation was good and funny as hell. The cast was amazing, very well chosen. The sets were gorgeous and colourful, as were the costumes.
The whole show was just fantastic and a definite must see if you liked the book.



WEDNESDAY

We picked up a map at the reception and headed for the Natural History Museum.

I like museums but unfortunately we chose the same day that all the schools chose. This made for a very annoying trip as kids were everywhere and kids are noisy and annoying as all hell!

We then headed to to the Cartoon Museum but when we got there we realised it wasn't as good as it sounded so we left and went to the British Museum instead.

Not as many kids in this one so a big bonus but unfortunately after 2 whole days of walking, our feet (and my back) had decided they didn't want to play anymore! So we got about 1/4 of the way round before deciding to give up and return next time we're in London.

So we headed to the Tower of London where we were planning on joining a Jack the Ripper walk later that evening. We got there early and sat down in a wee park just to give our tootsies a rest.
The walk was fun and very informative. There was a lot I didn't know about Jack the Ripper! Our guide was very entertaining. I recommend this but go with Ripping Yarns as they have a good rep and some good reviews on their website.



THURSDAY

Thursday was home day :(
We had to check out by midday then we basically just spent all day at the airport 'cos the weather was horrible and we didn't feel like wandering about (with our cases) in the pissing rain.



And that dear readers (all 2 of you probably) was our London trip.

Dancing with the Devil by Keri Arthur

Having grown up on the tough streets of Lyndhurst, Private Investigator Nikki James believes there is nothing left to surprise her. That changes the night she follows teenager Monica Trevgard into the shadows and becomes a pawn caught in a war between two very different men. One fills her mind with his madness; the other pushes his way into her heart. Nikki knows how dangerous love can be but, if she wants to survive, she must place her trust in a man who might destroy her.

For three hundred years, Michael Kelly has existed in the shadows, learning to control his vampiric death cravings. Nikki not only breaches his formidable barriers with her psychic abilities, but makes Michael believe he may finally have found a woman strong enough to walk by his side. Will his love be enough to protect her from a madman hell-bent on revenge? Or will the secrets they keep from each other prove to be the greatest threat of all?

I know I like Keri's writing, I love her Riley Jenson Guradian series. But for some reason my reading of this book was very slow going! I don't know what it was about it that didn't grab me.

It may have been the story. It was quite slow going and sort of boring, things seemed to be repetitive and would happen again and again.

It may have been the characters. Nikki annoyed me in a way I can't describe. Her personality bugged me. Her refusal for help bugged me. Her complete distrust of Michael bugged me. I just didn't find her to an interesting character.
Michael was fairly likeable but I preferred Jake.

Not a book I'd recommend but anyone who is a fan of Keri Arthur may pick it up because they are a fan of the author, it's the reason I bought it in the first place but I really don't think I'll be reading the rest of the series, or I, at least, won't be buying it. Maybe in a while I'll get it from the library.

Rating 2.5/5


Book Depository: Dancing With The Devil
Amazon UK: Dancing with the Devil

Roald Dahl day

OK so technically it was yesterday as it's now after midnight but I was working tonight so I couldn't do anything for it.
This made me think about books I liked when I was younger, Roald Dahl or not. I still have some in my collection now. I don't know about anyone else but Roald Dahl was a mainstay in my school's library, right up to Primary 7. I highly doubt I've read all his books but I have definitely read a good chunk.

I still own George's Marvellous Medicine, Fantastic Mr Fox and James and the Giant Peach. Of the three George's Marvellous Medicine was always my favourite. I also loved BFG, The Twits, Matilda, The Witches and there was one particular compilation book I loved but can't remember what one (there must have been more than one).

Of the non-Roald Dahl books I loved as a kid, I still own Carbonel and The Chronicles of Narmo. I read all the Sweet Valley books over my lifetime and recently found out that they are being brought back out again! I also read all the point books, for example point horror, point romance etc. They were aimed at teenagers. I still own the Forbidden Game trilogy and still love Julian. I think he may have been my first literary crush.

What were your favourite books as a child?

Oh and I still love The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Alpha by Rachel Vincent trailer

The official trailer for the long awaited Alpha. The latest and FINAL shifters book by Rachel Vincent. I love this series and I'm quite sad it's ending but I suppose it's good to end it on a high rather than drag it out.

Can't wait to read it and this is a wee sneaky contest entry at the same time.

Moon Sworn by Keri Arthur

WARNING! MAJOR SPOILER FOR BOUND TO SHADOWS IN BLURB!!


Shape-shifting werewolf and vampire Riley Jenson is through with death - causing it, solving it, surviving it. Her soul mate Kye Murphy is dead - and at Riley's own hands. Not even the seductive embrace of her vampire lover Quinn can fully ease her mind, for she has begun questioning everything that makes her Riley - including her job at the Directorate.

But then ritualistically slain bodies of ex-cons start turning up. Reluctantly, Riley takes the case, but something even worse is waiting in the wings. For a vicious enemy from her past is determined to strip Riley of everything that gives her life any meaning: her lover, her twin brother - and even her own identity. Can Riley survive this ultimate assault? All she knows is, she must fight one last time to find answers, before everything goes dark for ever ...

Book 9 (and I believe the last book) in the Riley Jenson Guardian series. Ms Arthur is currently writing a spin off from this series introducing Risa as a main character.
This was a great end to a good series. I had started to lose interest in the series about 3-4 books ago because they seemed to be purely sex focused. I'm glad I hung in there and stuck with it because it picked up and focused on the story more in later books.
The only thing that put me off was all the self-loathing at the beginning and the 'woe is me, I killed my soul mate'. I get that that's a BIG thing in these books but it was kind of off putting and made me want to skip right to the exciting bits, luckily for me, Ms Arthur doesn't keep us waiting too long.

Overall, the book is funny and intriguing. Made me keep reading because I do like Riley as a character and I like reading her life and quips and relationships. Especially her relationship with her brother (who I also love). If you've read the others or even started this series and gave up, I strongly suggest finishing the series the way it was meant to be finished.

Rating 4/5


Book Depository: Moon Sworn
Amazon UK: Moon Sworn

Rajmund by D.B. Reynolds

Buffalo, New York—Thundering waterfalls, great sports teams . . . and a treacherous Vampire Lord who is slowly losing his mind.

New York City vampire Rajmund Gregor is the undisputed master of The Big Apple. He bows to no one but his Sire, the Vampire Lord Krystof, who has ruled the Northeast for hundreds of years. But when Krystof summons Rajmund to his headquarters in Buffalo, Raj finds his master slowly descending into madness and his territory crumbling around him. Raj is the only one of Krystof's children strong enough to seize power, but he’ll have to save his master before he can destroy him. Several women have gone missing and the local police are convinced a vampire is behind it. Is Krystof so lost to reality that he’s capturing and murdering human women? Is a rogue vampire moving into Krystof’s territory for the kill? Or is it something far more insidious, something that could threaten the existence of vampires everywhere?

Sarah Stratton is living a lie. Her past holds a secret she shares with no one—not even her good friend Cynthia Leighton, the West Coast vampire lord’s mate. It's a secret that could destroy her carefully constructed life as a professor at a Buffalo university. It’s also a secret that could save the lives of the missing women. To save them, however, she must enter Buffalo’s vampire community and put herself into the care of Rajmund Gregor. But can she trust Raj, the dangerously seductive vampire who wants to lay claim to far more than her secrets?

The 3rd book in the Vampires in America series.
Cyn's friend Sarah is a great character, I definitely preferred her to Cyn. I also preferred Raj to Raphael, I'm waiting until I read Duncan's book before I decide on my favourite vampire.
Good story but why do the lead characters never talk to one another? There always seems to be tension between them (Raj + Sarah and Raphael + Cyn) because they think the other hates them. I'm hoping this won't be a recurring theme in the rest of the series.

Again, if you read the first 2, you must read this one.
Rating 5/5


Book Depository: Rajmund
Amazon UK: Rajmund

Jabril by D.B. Reynolds

Houston, Texas—Cowboy boots, baseball and journeys to the stars . . . right?

Wrong. Because Houston is also home to Jabril Karim, one of the eight powerful Vampire Lords who control all of North America. And as Private Investigator Cynthia Leighton will soon discover, not all Vampire Lords are created equal. For Jabril is the face of evil in the new world, a vampire who values no life but his own, who enslaves those he desires, steals whatever he covets and destroys anyone who stands in his way.

Running from L.A. and its seductive Vampire Lord, Raphael, Cyn sees the Houston job as a welcome refuge, a place to get away and heal her broken heart. But Texas will be no vacation. For in Jabril Karim, Cyn will confront a true enemy, one who will go to any lengths to satisfy his lusts, enrich his coffers and expand his power.

Fighting for the lives of two young sisters, Cyn’s journey will take her through the streets of Houston and back to L.A., where the human police are determined to bring Raphael down for the murder of one of their own. But the danger doesn’t end there. For Jabril has set his sights on Cyn, and he will stop at nothing to have her.

The 2nd book in the Vampires in America series. This features Cyn again but with a new vampire, Jabril. Jabril is a very unlikeable character (which, I suppose, is the point) and I was glad to see the return of Raphael. Cyn kind of grew on me in this book. Plus more Duncan!
We also meet Cyn's friend Sarah in this book, setting her up for the next book.

If you liked Raphael, Jabril is a definite "To-be-read" for you.
Rating 5/5


Book Depository: Jabril
Amazon UK: Jabril

Raphael by D.B. Reynolds

Malibu, California—home to rock-and-roll gods and movie stars, the beautiful, the rich . . . and vampires.

Powerful and charismatic, Raphael is a Vampire Lord, one of the few who hold the power of life and death over every vampire in existence. Thousands call him Master and have pledged absolute loyalty on their very lives. But when, in a brazen and deadly daylight attack, a gang of human killers kidnaps the one female vampire he’d give his life for, Raphael turns to a human investigator to find his enemies before it’s too late.

Cynthia Leighton is smart, tough and sexy, a private investigator and former cop who’s tired of spying on cheating spouses and digging out old bank accounts. When Raphael asks for her help in tracking down the kidnappers, Cyn’s happy to accept. But she soon realizes her greatest danger comes not from the humans, but from Raphael himself.

Battling Russian mobsters and treacherous vampires, and betrayed by those they trusted, Cyn and Raphael find themselves fighting for their lives while caught up in a passion of blood and violence that is destined to destroy them both.

Book one in the Vampires in America series. I wasn't too keen on Cyn as a lead character but I loved Raphael and I loved the story so I could put that in the back of my head.
The story was good and the characters are likeable. I especially like Duncan and I believe he has his own books coming so I'm looking forward to that.
DB Reynolds vampires are strong, powerful and gorgeous! I'd like them to actually fight more, the fight scenes are more a pushing of power between the vampires and I can't help but have a mental image of two vampires just standing there. I know that's probably not what DB Reynolds had in mind when she wrote the scenes but it's how my mind apparently wants to see them. I tried to fix that in later books and I'm slowly training my mind to see it better.

A definite must read for all vampire fans out there.
Rating 5/5


Book Depository: Raphael
Amazon UK: Raphael

Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs

For hundreds of years, werewolves have kept their existence hidden from all but a select few humans. But, if the packs agree, the time for keeping secrets might be over.
Anna and Charles have been sent to the wolves' conclave in Seattle to keep the peace. But when Jean Chastel, the leader of the French werewolves, goes after Anna, Charles can't control himself. Chastel survives the vicious fight that ensues, but when he's discovered murdered that night, Charles is the prime suspect. And the penalty for murdering a fellow werewolf is death.
Now Anna has only days to clear her partner's name. She knows Charles is innocent, but if he didn't do it - who did?
More of Charles and Anna and even more relationship growing which I'm still loving. The thing that confused me though was that the actual storyline from the blurb doesn't happen until the book is nearly finished. For ages I thought the blurb was wrong and the story wasn't going to happen until the next book. Chastel is the typical bad guy, you love to hate him and are very pleased when he dies.
I think all women secretly want a guy like Charles who's willing to do anything to protect you and loves you unconditionally. There's a particularly nice scene where Charles shows he's willing to submit to Anna to help her overcome her fear of Alphas and deal with her wolf being able to do things that she can't do on her own.
Can't wait for more Charles and Anna.
Rating 5/5


Book Depository: Hunting Ground
Amazon UK: Hunting Ground

Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs

Anna Latham hasn't had an easy life. Turned into a werewolf against her will and forced into a life of servitude, she'd do anything to break free from her pack. So when Charles takes on her pack's Alpha, Anna finally has a chance to escape.
But now Anna's rescuer is the one who needs help. Hikers are dying and all signs point to a werewolf that's gone rogue. An injured Charles can't handle the investigation alone and soon Anna is in way over her head. Few things more dangerous than a rogue wolf, and Anna is about to find out just what they are ...
I know I already said it in the On the Prowl review but I really really love Anna and Charles. I wish I'd read these books before I read the Mercy Thompson series because the Alphas don't seen as bad in this, or maybe it was just Adam I didn't like. I don't know ... anyway Cry Wolf. Definitely worth a read, I like the Omega aspect and how everyone reacts to Anna, also how that reaction makes Brother Wolf (Charles' wolf) react to them.
Anna had a bad start as a werewolf and it takes her a while to trust Charles but Patricia Briggs writes amazingly well and with really lets you get into their heads. It's great getting both their thoughts on the matters and you can't help (well I couldn't) shouting at them in your mind that they're both thinking the same things and if they just spoke to one another they'd move forward so much quicker. But, that's why we read books, it wouldn't be nearly as much fun if the whole story was sorted out in the first chapter. Anna meets someone who knows more about Omegas and helps him, in turn he helps them with the big showdown.
Rating 5/5


Book Depository: Cry Wolf
Amazon UK: Cry Wolf