Hodd – Rinn Reads

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Welcome to my regular Thursday feature, Turning off the TV! In this feature I recommend books similar to TV shows or films you may have enjoyed, both series and specific episodes.

The TV series this week is: BBC’s Robin Hood.

After 5 years of fighting in the crusades, Robin returns to England and leads a band of outlaws to outwit the Sheriff of Nottingham.

I’ve not watched this one properly (my sister loved it when it came out and she has the DVDs), but I’m planning to! It’s part of my very long Netflix queue… The actor who plays the Sheriff of Nottingham (Keith Allen, father of Lily and Alfie Allen) lives nearby, and literally everyone in my family has met him… except for me. My dad has even played golf with him!

Hodd by Adam Thorpe

Hodd by Adam Thorpe is a dark version of the more traditional tale of Robin Hood, and is written by a monk who was part of Hodd’s band as a young boy. Don’t go into this one expecting anything like the legend, and especially any similarities to the Disney version…

Scarlet & Lady Thief (Scarlet #1 & #2) by A.C. Gaughen

The Scarlet series by A.C. Gaughen is a retelling with a twist. The story focuses not on Robin Hood himself, but around a young woman called Scarlet, who is part of Hood’s band. Disguised as a boy, she helps the people of Nottingham and protects them from the evil Sheriff – but it’s not only her real identity that she’s hiding. I requested the second book from Netgalley last month, but was rejected as it was US only, boo hoo! Although looking at my ratio, that’s most likely a good thing…

The Forest Wife Trilogy by Theresa Tomlinson

A brilliant retelling of the classic story from Marian’s point of view, The Forest Wife Trilogy by Theresa Tomlinson is an action-packed novel that portrays Marian as more than just a damsel in distress. I read this one when I was about 14 and really loved it.

Are you a fan of BBC’s Robin Hood? Do you have any recommendations to add?

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My ‘Weekly Roundup’ is where I share the books I have received in the past week, whether bought, gifted, borrowed etc. This is a couple of weeks worth of this feature – apparently I haven’t posted one since October, what with Sci-Fi Month in November and then the blog migration to WordPress in December.

Gifted

Lonely Planet: The Netherlands – I received this for Christmas from my parents, as I’m off to the Netherlands for my Masters this year. Even though I’ll be studying, I’ve got to make the most of my year abroad (although I’m hoping I’ll stay there a bit longer if possible) and I want to visit as many places as possible!
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon – I’m sure you’ve seen this one all over the blogosphere. Samantha Shannon has been pipped as ‘the new J.K. Rowling’, and has signed a seven book deal, as well as the film rights to the series – and she’s a year younger than me. Urk.

Bought

Hodd by Adam Thorpe – this is a sort of alternate version of the traditional Robin Hood story. I kept seeing it in my local charity shop, and eventually picked it up – it’s practically brand new. This is one of my planned books for the Avengers vs. X-Men Challenge.
The Dinner by Herman Koch – I first heard about this book when I read Kelly’s review of it. It’s the sort of contemporary/adult fiction novel I like – with something just hidden below the surface. Plus it’s set in Amsterdam, and I want to read more books set in the Netherlands!
The Science of Doctor Who by Paul Parsons – um, how was I ever going to spot this in a charity shop and NOT buy it?
The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan – I’m interested to see how this one plays out, as it’s co-written by a film director – although it’s definitely within his genre. This is another one I’m planning to read for the Avengers vs. X-Men Challenge.

For Kindle

Ever since I got my own Kindle, I’ve gone kind of crazy. All these 99p deals on brand new books! And the classics, which I’ll mention but not bother with covers: Popular Tales from the Norse, The Babylonian Legends of Creation, Lysistrata, The Birds, The Frogs, The Eleven Comedies, Travels in West Africa, The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, Vanity Fair and soooo many more… (I started listing them then realised exactly how many I had downloaded…)

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

Raising Steam (Discworld #40) by Terry Pratchett – new Discworld novel? For 99p? Yes, yes I will buy it.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman – short adult fiction by Neil Gaiman. I’ve only read his books for younger readers, so I’d like to see how different his adult writing is.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt – Donna Tartt’s The Secret History is one of my favourite books, and when I spotted this new release of hers for 99p I thought I’d give it a try.
The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith – written by J.K. Rowling under a pseudonym, I’d love to see how this differs from her usual writing style.

Netgalley

So one of my Bookish New Years Resolutions was to get my Netgalley ratio up to at LEAST 50%. So naturally, at the beginning of the year I requested a whole load of new books from Netgalley. The cover links to the Goodreads page.