2017 Love-a-Thon: X Meets Y

The Love-a-Thon is hosted by Alexa of Alexa Loves Books, Cee of The Novel Hermit, Kristin of Super Space Chick, and Mel of The Daily Prophecy. Follow along on social media using the hashtag #LoveaThon

My Love-a-Thon posts so far:
Introduction
Mad Libs: Fairytale Edition
Mix and Match Challenge

Book Spine Poetry

Sweethearts Candy Messages

Other places to find me this weekend:
Bookstagram
Twitter

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The idea for this challenge is for us to combine the books and TV shows/movies we love in some way, in order for other people to find new recommendations for things to check out.

I took three of my favourite TV shows and paired them with three awesome books with similar themes or characters.

If you like Doctor Who, try Jackaby by William Ritter. When it first came out, it was being advertised as 'Doctor Who Meets Sherlock', which a) excited me because I love both, and b) made me slightly wary since those are two popular shows and books advertised that way often don't like up to their hype. However, this is one of those books that totally does live up to it. It definitely has a Doctor Who and Sherlock vibe with its own unique elements and characters. 

If you like Sherlock, try Every Breath by Ellie Marney. The premise of this one is 'What if Sherlock Holmes was the boy next door?' and it is SO. FREAKING. GOOD. Set in Australia and featuring a female 'Watson' character, this is one of my absolute favourite Sherlock-related books.

If you like Supernatural, try Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake. This book is so spooky and creepy, and is totally the type of thing you'd see Sam and Dean dealing with in an episode of Supernatural.

Do you watch any of these shows? Have you read any of these books? Are there other books you'd pair with my choice of shows?

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Review: Beastly Bones by William Ritter

Beastly Bones by William Ritter 
Series: Jackaby #2
Published: September 22nd, 2016
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
296 pages (ebook)
Genre: Young Adult Historical Fiction/Fantasy/Mystery
Acquired this book: Won
Warning: May contain spoilers
{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon || Chapters/Indigo}

 In 1892, New Fiddleham, New England, things are never quite what they seem, especially when Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, R. F. Jackaby, are called upon to investigate the supernatural. First, members of a particularly vicious species of shape-shifters disguise themselves as a litter of kittens. A day later, their owner is found murdered, with a single mysterious puncture wound to her neck. Then, in nearby Gad's Valley, dinosaur bones from a recent dig go missing, and an unidentifiable beast attacks animals and people, leaving their mangled bodies behind. Policeman Charlie Cane, exiled from New Fiddleham to the valley, calls on Abigail for help, and soon Abigail and Jackaby are on the hunt for a thief, a monster, and a murderer.

 

Two years ago when Jackaby came out, it was being promoted as 'Sherlock meets Doctor Who'. Now, for someone who loves both those things, that was setting the bar pretty high. From my experience, comparing a book to another book/TV show/movie is rarely a good idea because it often sets impossibly high expectations for diehard fans. I was relieved and thrilled when I read Jackaby and discovered it was very much Sherlock meets Doctor Who, with its own unique and fun premise and characters. I was excited to carry on with the series and went into Beastly Bones with high hopes. While the book was mostly entertaining and had quite a bit going for it, I was disappointed.

Where Jackaby was fun, quirky, and fast paced, I found Beastly Bones dragged quite a bit. It started out well; the story picked up right where the last one left off, and we’re thrown into a world - Jackaby’s world - where paranormal happenings are commonplace. Abigail was getting used to her boss’s peculiarities and to the fact the world holds much more than most people are aware of. I still enjoyed Abigail’s voice and her observations, and thought she was a great match for Jackaby. There were some new character additions too, and they added a lot to the story.

There was nothing ‘wrong’ with Beastly Bones. The characters, plot, and premise were all great. There was just something about it that was underwhelming. The entire middle of the book dragged. Things happened at a very...slow...rate. There was too much technical talk. I kept thinking of it as ‘dino talk’ or ‘science talk’ - either way, it had my eyes glazing over more than once. There was also something lacking when it came to Jackaby himself. As I said before, as a huge fan of both Sherlock and Doctor Who, Jackaby appealed to me because he was a mixture of the two, with his own special, unique quirks thrown in. His social awkwardness and chaotic energy made for some hilarious dialogue, and I liked that he was a bit of a mystery. Those things were still the same, and while he did have some amusing remarks and observations, I didn’t find myself laughing as much or feeling as engaged or curious.

Overall, Beastly Bones was good but not great. With a bit more action, the book could have been great, but the sluggish pace affected my overall enjoyment. This could be solely a ‘me’ thing though, so I’d recommend reading it if you enjoyed Jackaby, and I’ll definitely be reading the third book, Ghostly Echoes. There was fantastic set-up for the third book throughout Beastly Bones, so I’m hopeful that it’ll have the magic and that special something that made me love Jackaby.  

 

{My review of Jackaby by William Ritter}

Have you read Jackaby or Beastly Bones? What did you think? If you haven't read them, do you plan to? How do you feel about books being compared to other books/movies/TV shows? Can you think of any examples where the comparisons were warranted?

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Book Review: Jackaby by William Ritter

Jackaby by William Ritter

Series: Not that I can see on GoodReads, but it definitely has series potential!

Published: September 16th, 2014

Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers

304 pages (eARC)

Genre: Young adult historic fiction/paranormal/mystery

Acquired this book: From the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Warning: May contain spoilers

{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon || Chapters/Indigo}

“Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,” Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the illusion--and there are many illusions. All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.”

Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.

Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre.

 

I knew I had to read Jackaby from the moment I saw the cover. Then I read the synopsis, which touted the book as ‘Doctor Who meets Sherlock’. After my initial squee-fest, I realized that was a pretty bold statement, especially considering the number of die-hard fans of both shows (including myself). Well…I’m pleased to say Jackaby didn’t disappoint. It definitely had a very strong Doctor Who/Sherlock vibe, with its own unique twists and characters.

Jackaby is a fast-talking, intelligent yet scatterbrained detective who has the unique ability to see things others don’t. When Abigail Rook arrives in New Fiddleham in search of a job and a place to stay, she starts working for Jackaby, despite people’s warnings to stay away from him. A lady in a previous life, Abigail is in search of adventure, and she finds that in the employ of Jackaby.

This book had me laughing within the first few pages. Jackaby definitely reminded me of a combination of Sherlock Holmes and the Doctor - slightly manic, brilliant, and eccentric, with the tendencies of a sociopath. I was fascinated by him, and the wonderfully bizarre things he said and did. His physical description made me think of him as a combination between Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock and David Tennant’s Doctor - lanky, unruly hair, basically ridiculously sexy in an unintentional way. How could I not love him? Abigail is a combination of John Watson and one of the Doctor’s companions - she’s along for the ride in a lot of ways, but she’s also intelligent and quick-witted and can definitely hold her own. 

I loved the paranormal aspects of this book. Besides Jackaby’s ability to see things nobody else can, we got to see creatures that aren’t often written about. I won’t give any specifics because it gets into spoiler territory, but I think Ritter did a fantastic job. The mystery was also well done - there were enough twists and turns to make the ride exciting and keep me guessing.

Ritter has the ability to weave a story that’s both completely ridiculous and yet somehow believable, with characters you can’t help but love, and creatures you want to shrink away from. Laugh out loud funny, full of great characters, fast-paced, and wonderfully strange, Jackaby is a must read, whether you’re looking for mystery, paranormal, or historical fiction. 

 

Have you read Jackaby? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Do you like Sherlock and/or Doctor Who? How do you feel about books being compared to other books, TV shows, movies, etc? 

 
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