Bogormen

Title: The Flavours of Love
Author: Dorothy Koomson
Genre: Chick-lit
Rating: 3/5
# pages: 448
Date read: May, 2014

"I'm looking for that perfect blend of flavours; the taste that used to be you. If I find it, I know you'll come back to me."

It's been 18 months since my husband was murdered and I've decided to finish writing "The Flavours of Love", the cookbook he started before he died. Everyone thinks I'm coping so well without him - they have no idea what I've been hiding or what I do away from prying eyes. But now that my 14-year-old daughter has confessed something so devastating it could destroy our family all over again, and my husband's killer has started to write to me claiming to be innocent, I know it's only a matter of time before the truth about me and what I've done is revealed to the world.

My name is Saffron Mackleroy and this is my story.

I had a hard time figuring out what to rate this book. I found it absolutely impossible to put it down for most of the book, but at the same time the main character drove me absolutely crazy! I kept wanting to shake her and tell her to go to the police already!

Fortunately she did in the end, and the climax was much less frustrating than I had feared - in fact, it ended up working out quite well.

Not Dorothy Koomson's best book (that's still "My Best Friend's Girl"), but she certainly kept me on the edge of my seat, as I was so keen to know what was going to happen next.

Title: Cold Fire
Author: Tamora Pierce
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3.5/5
# pages: Audiobook ~10hrs
Date read: September, 2010

Daja and her teacher, Frostpine, settle into the northern Namorn city of Kugisko for a restful winter break. Not surprisingly, their illusions are promptly shattered, as Daja discovers that the twin daughters of her host have "ambient magic." As the discovering-mage, Daja is obliged to teach the fidgety girls the rudiments of magic. Meanwhile, Kugisko seems to have fallen into the hands of a ruthless arsonist, and Daja is determined to help her new firefighting friend, Bennat Ladradun, get to the bottom of the mystery.

Whereas the Circle of Magic quartet was mostly written for a younger audience, the same definitely cannot be said about the Circle Opens quartet. Here Tamora Pierce dives into the darker aspects of life and humanity.

Daja has always been my favourite of the four, but she does seem an awful lot older than 14. I guess some of that could be contributed to her past, but still. Nia and Jory were much more believable 10-year-olds than Daja ever was. Although I have to say they drove me crazy with their obstinancy to learning meditation. I would not have been able to be as patient with them as Daja was, and think their disobedience was passed by much too easily. That bugged me.

I was fascinated by the insights into the arsonists mind - especially his absolute bafflement, that Daja could ever suspect him of being cruel or a monster - he obviously thought his actions perfectly reasonable and a natural consequence of how he was treated... probably not too far off from how real psychopaths think

Title: Daja's Book (The Fire in the Forging) Author: Tamora Pierce Genre: Fantasy, YA Rating: 9/10 # pages: 194 Date read: April 2008, September 2010, February 2025

When Daja was cast out of the Trader community, she made her own family with her fellow mages-in-training. But when danger faces the Traders, it is up to Daja to save the people who turned her away.


From the worst in the series, to the best in the series, this one is definitely my favourite. I think this is better written than the others, probably because Tamora Pierce doesn't try to do as much and keep tract of as many different plot lines in this one. I enjoy reading about Daja's interaction with the traders and her work with metals and fire fascinates me.

Book List

Title: Alanna Author: Tamora Pierce Genre: Fantasy Rating: 5/5 # pages: 216 Date read: August 2007, October 2010, September 2011, August 2014, November 2015, April 2020, July 2024

Call it fate, call it intuition, or just call it common sense, but somehow young Alanna knows she isn't meant to become some proper lady cloistered in a convent. Instead, she wants to be a great warrior maiden--a female knight. But in the land of Tortall, women aren't allowed to train as warriors. So Alanna finds a way to switch places with her twin, Thom, and take his place as a knight in training at the palace of King Roald. Disguising herself as a boy, Alanna begins her training as a page in the royal court. Soon, she is garnering the admiration of all around her, including the crown prince, with her strong work ethic and her thirst for knowledge. But all the while, she is haunted by the recurring vision of a black stone city that emanates evil... somehow she knows it is her fate to purge that place of its wickedness. But how will she find it? And can she fulfill her destiny while keeping her gender a secret?


The first quartet written by Tamora Pierce, and while "Protector of the Small" has overtaken it as my favourite series, the two first books of this quartet are definitely my favourite books. I love reading about how Alanna fits into life at the palace - her lessons and the friends she makes. I read it for the first time when I was 12'ish and have reread it regularly ever since.