2013 Challenge #3 - Ebook Challenge COMPLETE

Last challenge for 2013 COMPLETE!

Given that I have sooo many ebooks, this year I decided to take part in the 2013 Ebook Challenge hosted by Workaday Reads, aiming to read 10 ebooks for the CD level. In the end, I managed to read 15 ebooks this year! So, more than I needed to, but not quite enough to move up a level. Ah well, maybe next year I'll be able to make it to 25 ebooks for the DVD level. 
Here's what I read throughout the year:  

1. The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald {review}
2. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carre {review}
3. Uglies by Scott Westerfield {review}
4. The Host by Stephenie Meyer {review}
5. The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks {review}
6. The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart {review}
7. Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs {review}
8. The Perks of being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky {review}
9. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin {review}
10. A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin {review}
11. The Help by Kathryn Stockett {review}
12. A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton {review}
13. Wicked by Gregory Maguire {review}
14. Eragon by Christopher Paolini {review}
15. Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi {review}

Book Review: Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) by Tahereh Mafi

Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) by Tahereh Mafi

Release Date: 5th February 2013

Publisher: HarperCollins
Format: eBook
Pages: 348
Rating: 5.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 EBC, 2013 ODY and 2013 BSR

Summary from Goodreads:

"tick
tick
tick
tick
tick
it's almost
time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life"

Review:

Usually I give myself longer to process a book before writing a review. But, 2 days after finishing this one, I need to get this review up to stay up to date with the schedule I wrote myself for the Christmas break, so here goes nothing. Unravel Me was amazing. Simply amazing. 

It's been well over a year since I read Shatter Me, but Unravel Me transported me back to that world instantly. With the unique writing style that Mafi has employed in these books, how could it not? Merely pages into the book I'm asking myself Why did I wait so long to read this? Seriously, I don't understand why this wasn't at the top of my TBR, because Ignite Me definitely is. I just love how Mafi has employed this pseudo stream of conciousness for Juliet. You really get to understand Juliet better as a character because of it. You hear everything she's thinking, feel everything she's feeling through the poetic nature of the prose, understand the thoughts she's ashamed of having as they've been crossed out. It's nothing short of genius on Mafi's part. Everything is intensified, which makes this one of those books you struggle to put down. 

Let's talk a bit about Warner, because he's one of my favourite characters by far. We learn a lot more about Warner in this novel. You get to see a lot more of the good, rather than the bad. He's very much a tortured soul - it's obvious that years of mistreatments have shaped him into who he is; there's a back story there just waiting to be told. I believe a lot more in Juliet and Warner's relationship than I do in Juliet and Adam's. Juliet and Adam always felt a bit instalovey for me; it seemed that the main reason Juliet was ever interested in him was because he was somehow immune to her touch. I think her relationship with Warner, on the other hand, shows a much more natural progression - he has to work a bit harder to win her over, so I'm much more inclined to want Warner with Juliet. Plus, that bedroom scene - lordy lordy bee. 

Overall, Unravel Me was a very solid follow up to Shatter Me. This has a strong, action filled plot, a love triangle that I didn't hate, and a lot of new and interesting personalities were introduced. Plus Kenji; lets not forget about the awesomeness that is the witty, inappropriately acting yet serious when needed Kenji. And after that intense ending, I cannot wait to get my hands on Ignite Me early next year. 

Book Review: Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle #1) by Christopher Paolini

Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle #1) by Christopher Paolini
Release Date: 1st February 2002

Publisher: Random House
Format: eBook
Pages: 452
Rating: 4.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 OTS, 2013 EBC, 2013 GVR, 2013 ODY and 2013 BSR

Summary from Goodreads:

"One boy . . .

One dragon . . .

A world of adventure.

When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself. 

Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds.Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands."

Review:

At first, this book bothered me. In fact, thinking back on it, this book still bothers me a bit. I may have loved the plot and the characters, but there were some things that hindered my reading experience.

Firstly, the writing style. It's a given that what with this being a children's book, that the writing style is going to be simplistic. And at the beginning, this was very, very obvious. I wasn't sure I'd be able to read 450 pages of short paragraphs consisting of He did this. Then he did that. Someone says somthing. Then they did something else. That's what it felt like, and it was painful. Luckily, as the story progressed and the plot became more detailed, that seemed to stop, or become less noticeable.

Secondly, I had issues with the relationship between Eragon and Seraphina. It felt like instalove. I know that there is supposed to be an amazing bond between a Rider and his dragon, what with the dragon waiting for the right person to turn up before they even hatch, but I just didn't buy it. Maybe it's because I'm still not sure over what time period the events in this book took place (was it a year or so?), so I didn't feel that there was any natural progression there. Either way, their bond annoyed me at times.

Pushing those aside, I did enjoy the plot and the characters. Although it became abundantly clear that this novel was almost entirely a set up for the rest of the series, I still enjoyed the storyline. It was a bit slow at the beginning, but I think once Brom and Eragon teamed up, thats when the plot became interesting. We learnt about the history of the Dragon Riders, we follow Eragon as he learns how to master his powers, and, interestingly, we're told the basis of the entire series storyline through a fortune teller. 

And lets not forget about the characters. Eragon at times was a bit painful, but overall I thought he was a strong protagonist. I adored Brom, even if I hated how he mysterious he was sometimes. Loved Murtagh, he's pretty cool, and I didn't see the twist involving his character coming. Any other characters who I'm sure will be prominent in the following novels appeared too late for me to form any concrete opinion about them, aside from just liking or disliking them in general. Already I like Arya, just because Eragon does, and for the same reasons I don't like the Twins. I'm interested to hear more from them as the series progresses.

Overall, whilst this was mostly filled with backstory and setup for the rest of the series, I really enjoyed it, and I'll definitely be checking out the sequel. 

2013 Quarterly Challenge Update Post #3

This year I'm partipating in five reading challenges. So far I've managed the following...

                             28/30 read for the OTS Challenge
                             34/30 read for the ODY Challenge
                                     13/10 read for the EBC
                              11/12 read for the GVR Challenge
                            25/20+ read for the BSR Challenge

Would you look at that, I've reached the levels I was hoping to reach for three of my challenges. Since the ODY is all about reading more than you did that last year, I'm keeping that one open. Technically I've finished the EBC, and I don't think I'll read enough ebooks to reach the next level by the end of the year, but we'll see. And I've surpassed the highest level for the BSR! So close with the OTS and GVR - won't be long now

Here's a list of the books I've read over the past three months, and which challenges they count for: 

24. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky OTS, ODY, EBC
25. A Game of Thrones by George R.R Martin OTS, ODY, EBC, BSR
26. Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith OTS, ODY  
27. A Clash of Kings by George R.R Martin OTS, ODY, EBC, BSR
28. Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor ODY, BSR
29. The Help by Kathryn Stockett OTS, ODY, EBC, BSR
30. A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton OTS, ODY, EBC, GVR, BSR
31. Underworld by Meg Cabot ODY, BSR
32. Legend by Marie Lu OTS, ODY, BSR
33. Withering Tights by Louise Rennison ODY, BSR 
34. Wicked by Gregory Maguire OTS, ODY, EBC, BSR

Book Review: Wicked, The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (The Wicked Years #1) by Gregory Maguire

Wicked, The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (The Wicked Years #1) by Gregory Maguire
Release Date: 6th December 2000

Publisher: Harper Collins
Format: eBook
Pages: 406
Rating: DNF

This book was read as part of the 2013 ODY, 2013 OTS, 2013 EBC and 2013 BSR

Summary from Goodreads:

"In Baum's land of Oz, animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. Green-skinned Elphaba, future Wicked Witch of the West, is smart, prickly and misunderstood; she challenges our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil."

Review:
I thought I would enjoy this a lot more than I did. Anything and everything that includes a retelling, or reimagining, of a classic story or fairytale, is something that I'm bound to love. But, I just didn't love this. And I think the problem is, when you strip this back, and take away the fact that it's set in the Wonderful Land of Oz, and our main protagonist is Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, then what you end up with is a purely political book. And thats just not something I'm interested in.

I've wanted to read this for years, ever since I read one of Maguire's book way back when I was in high school. Seeing Wicked in the theatre only made me more interested, so when I acquired this one sometime last year, I added to to be TBR and was super excited to read it at some point this year. And now that I've read about 300 pages, I'm very disappointed. The fantabulous that I was expecting, probably because I expected it to follow the same plot as the musical, wasn't there. Instead I had a really political book, with our main character Elphaba fighting for animal rights. Which is all well and good, but this isn't the story I was looking for. I was looking for the forbidden romance between Elphaba and Fiyerio (which I did get, but it was cut waaaay to short), the warring between best friends Elphaba and Glinda, the downfall of Nessarose, Elphaba's preaching sister, destined to be the Wicked Witch of the East. Maybe if I had read further I would have gotten this - but with only 100 or so pages to go, its a bit late to be introducing these storylines.

I will give Maguire credit for taking a classic evil character and showing her in a new light. Elphaba was brought to be the Wicked Witch of the West through cirucmstance - her crusade for animal rights pitted her against the Wizard, painted as a dictator leader. I'm assuming the loss of her lover, Fiyerio, also pushed her onto this path. Since I didn't finish the novel, I don't really know, but everything Elphaba did seemed to make sense, given the context. Elphaba is a human, not just an evil character.

This is the first time that I've DNF-ed a book. I've always had the view of pushing through to the end, even if I wasn't enjoying the novel, because sometimes, the best things happen at the end. But as days crawled by where I didn't even touch this book, thoughts of putting this book down and picking something up eventually came. And with that, I picked up The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. And I loved it. I flew through it in a couple of days, and so I thought of picking this one up again. But, I went for something else, and it's become apparent to me that I won't be picking this one up again.

Book Review: A is for Alibi (Kinsey Millhone #1) by Sue Grafton

A is for Alibi (Kinsey Millhone #1) by Sue Grafton

Release Date: 1st November 2005

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia 
Format: eBook
Pages: 320
Rating: 4.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 OTS, 2013 ODY, 2013 EBC, 2013 GVR and 2013 BSR

Summary from Goodreads:

"PI Kinsey Milhone, in a pretty California town, gets her first case. Laurence Fife was a slick divorce lawyer and slippery ladies' man until someone killed him. Released from jail after 8 years, his wife Nikki wants the truth. But the trail is cold, and at the end is a chilling twist - a second eight-year-old murder and a brand new corpse."

Review:

It took a while for me to get into this. I wasn't find anything spectacular in the story, and I felt that it was really just going through the motions - Kinsey was finding evidence, formulating some sort of idea as to who the killer was, but then, of course, her theory gets knocked around because things aren't adding up, etc etc. It wasn't really until at least half way through the book that things started to pick up.

Around about here was when some genuine surprises were thrown my way. There were some twists in there that I didn't see coming, even though I had some sort of inkling as to who the killer was. And it wasn't until the final 3 chapters or so that everything fell into place. Kinsey had it all figured out, there was the final showdown that I was expecting, and then very abruptly, the novel ended. Maybe it was just me, but I found that ending very quick, pretty convenient, and it prevented me from seeing some other things I wanted to see - Kinsey explaining it all to Nikki, telling the police - I just think that ending could have been longer, we could have seen some things after. 

Overall, this was a quick and easy read, and although it took me some time to get really interested in it, I really enjoyed it - my only major qualm is with the ending. Definitely something worth checking out if you're interested in a short, quick crime read. 

Book Review: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Release Date: 28th June 2011

Publisher: Baker and Taylor
Format: eBook
Pages: 544
Rating: 4.5/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 OTS, 2013 ODY, 2013 EBC and 2013 GVR

Summary from Goodreads:

"Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed."

Review:

Coming off from reading Days of Blood and Starlight, this was always going to have to fight an uphill battle. And, surprisingly, this book didn't fail to impress. 

The Help is set in the small town of Jackson, Mississippi during the early 1960s, during the time of the civil rights movement. We follow three ladies - Skeeter, a young aspiring author, and Aibileen and Minny, two black maids working for two white families - as they come together and try to make a difference, however small it may be. 

I've never read about this period of time before, so that it itself was quite interesting. The racism everywhere - from how the town is segregated into sections based on race, to Hilly's campaign to install additional bathrooms in all houses employing black maids because of their 'diseases' - it's just astounding to read that and think that people used to live like that. And nothing was ever done about it because either a) people had just come to accept the way things were (in Aibileen's case) or b) they just never thought about how wrong it all was (in Skeeter's case). Just that in itself was fascinating to read. 

I loved each of our three narrators for different reasons. Each had their own little story, and each grew throughout the novel and bridged the gap between the races. Minny grew to care for her employer on a personal level, for the first time. Skeeter grew to really appreciate her childhood maid, Constantine, and see her friends' true colours. And my favourite part by far, Aibileen decided to teach Maw Mobley, the little girl she looked after, that there was no difference between black people and white people. It may have gotten Maw Mobley in trouble a couple of times, but I loved that Aibileen taught her to see people for who they really are, not just the colour of their skin.

I loved so very many aspects of this novel, and it's a fascinating read - I'd suggest checking it out (or even just the movie, I heard that was pretty good too).    

Book Review: A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire #2) by George R.R. Martin

A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire #2) by George R.R. Martin
Release Date: 16th June 1999

Publisher: Harper Collins
Format: eBook
Pages: 752
Rating: 5.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 OTS, 2013 ODY, 2013 EBC and 2013 BSR

Summary from Amazon:

"In this thrilling sequel to A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin has created a work of unsurpassed vision, power, and imagination. A Clash of Kings transports us to a world of revelry and revenge, wizardry and warfare unlike any we have ever experienced.

A comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. And from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war. It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel . . . and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles."

Review:
**This review has spoilers! (Sorry, I couldn't help myself). Read at your own risk!**

Everything I loved in the first book is delivered in this great sequel, and so, so much more. Lets take this one step at a time.

Firstly, along with the characters we all know and love, we're given two new narrators - Theon Greyjoy (who we've met before) and Davos, a knight (?) who serves Stannis Baratheon. This takes our narrator count up to 9 (those of you who have read my review for A Game of Thrones will know we had 8 narrators in that book). The range of narrators just makes this novel so much more interesting - not only do you get to see everything, but you get to know these characters much more so than if we had one narrator. Plus, you'll come to love (almost) every character, each for their own unique reasons.

With the range of narrators, balancing how much we hear from each one can be tricky. We need to know the full story, and some parts of that can only be provided by one narrator, so the balance is crucial. I think it's done pretty well, but I do wish that we heard more for Danaerys. I want to hear more about her dragons! And I'm eagerly awaiting the day that she makes her strike and begins the war to reclaim her throne. That will be some enthralling stuff. 

The plot itself is a solid follow on from what was established in the first novel. For a rather long novel, I was surprised that I did feel like the story lagged at all; the plot itself really was quite solid. Whilst I did find that I got weary with the story the more I read, that was more to do with the length of the novel itself, rather than the plot. Whilst I wish that maybe the books were just a little shorter, I don't think that could have been achieved - I think this book covered everything it needed to, none of which could have been left out. Each character's story forged ahead at a solid pace, and I am really looking forward to picking up the third novel to see where it leads them. If the TV series is any indication, I'm going to need to prepare myself. 

Book Review: A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1) by George R.R. Martin

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1) by George R.R. Martin
Release Date: 1st December 1997

Publisher: Bantam Books
Format: eBook
Pages: 864
Rating: 5.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 OTS, 2013 ODY, 2013 EBC and 2013 BSR

Summary from Amazon:

"Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.

Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones."

Review:

It's been quite some time between reading this book and actually writing the review, so let me keep this short in order to actually get across what I really want to say.

I loved this book. I had no doubt that I wouldn't. For years I've had people telling me to read the series, or watch the TV show. I really do want to watch the show, but before I want to read at least the first two novels in the series. So I finally got around to reading A Game of Thrones, and I wish I had read it sooner.

I think what I enjoyed the most about this book was the number of different narrators it had. There were no less than eight different narrators, each having their time to shine (some more than others). Sometimes, when employing this technique you run the risk of having some chapters more interesting than others. But that didn't happen here. Everything was interesting, from Jon Snow at The Wall, to Eddard Stark in Kings Landing, even the chapters with Sansa, which I did find painful at times just because I found Sansa painful. 

I quite enjoyed everything about this book - the plot, the setting, the characters - everything! Can't recommend this book enough.

Book Review: The Perks of being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

The Perks of being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Release Date: 14th August 2012

Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Format: eBook
Pages: 136
Rating: 4.5/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 OTS, 2013 ODY and 2013 EBC

Summary from Amazon:

"The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a story about what it’s like to travel that strange course through the uncharted territory of high school. The world of first dates, family dramas, and new friends. Of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Of those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up."

Review:

For the past year or so, it's become a bit of a thing for me to go out of my way to read the book before watching the movie or tv series. So when I heard that The Perks of being a Wallflower was being turned into a movie, I added the novel onto my reading list. Finally I've gotten around to reading the book, and I found that I quite enjoyed it.

The story is told through a series of letters Charlie writes to an unidentified person. I loved this style as they allowed Charlie to really open up to us, and we learn more than we might otherwise have learnt. I like how the letters also reflect how Charlie changes throughout the year and his growth - in the beginning, is letters are jumbled and a clear line of thought is hard to come by. When something pops into his head, he just writes it down, no matter how inappropriate it might be. But as time goes on, Charlie's letters mature; they become more cohesive and coherent, and I think this reflects how Charlie grows and matures as the book progresses. 

Plus, this book deals with some pretty heavy issues, including teen pregnancy, abusive relationships, sexual identity, drug use, and suicide. Props to the author for tackling the issues that were affecting teens during his time, and still continue to affect teens today. Also, props for being able to do so in such a short novel - the version I have only has 136 pages. For such a short book, it really is able to deal with a look of issues, which are all brought together by a solid plot and great characters. Overall, it's a sad read, but one that I thoroughly enjoyed. 

2013 Quarterly Challenge Update Post #2

We're half way through the year! Is it just me, or did that go really fast? Before we know it, it'll be 2014 :O

This year I'm partipating in five reading challenges. So far I've managed the following...

                             20/30 read for the OTS Challenge
                             23/30 read for the ODY Challenge
                                     7/10 read for the EBC
                              9/12 read for the GVR Challenge
                            17/20+ read for the BSR Challenge

Just like the first three months of the year, I think my progress these past three months has been good. I've no doubt that I'll finish my challenges by the end of the year - and it won't be a mad rush like it was last year! 

Here's a list of the books I've read over the past three months, and which challenges they count for: 

15. The Host by Stephenie Meyer OTS, ODY, EBC, BSR
16. The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks OTS, ODY, EBC
17. Insurgent by Veronica Roth OTS, ODY, BSR
18. The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart  OTS, ODY, EBC, BSR
19. The Mystery of Mercy Close by Marian Keyes ODY, GVR
20. Splintered by A.G. Howard ODY, BSR
21. Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl OTS, ODY, BSR
22. Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs OTS, ODY, EBC, BSR
23. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake OTS, ODY, BSR

Book Review: Fatal Voyage (Tempe Brennan #4) by Kathy Reichs

Fatal Voyage (Tempe Brennan #4) by Kathy Reichs
Release Date: 25th June 2002

Publisher: Random House
Format: eBook
Pages: 448
Rating: 4.5/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 OTS, 2013 ODY, 2013 EBC and 2013 BSR

Summary from Amazon:

"She has a passion for the truth . . . and this time, it's taking her down.

A commercial airliner disaster has brought Tempe Brennan to the North Carolina mountains as a member of the investigative agency DMORT. As bomb theories abound, Tempe soon discovers a jarring piece of evidence that raises dangerous questions -- and gets her thrown from the DMORT team. Relentless in her pursuit of its significance, Tempe uncovers a shocking, multilayered tale of deceit and depravity as she probes her way into frightening territory -- where someone wants her stopped in her tracks."

Review:

**This review has spoilers! (Sorry, I couldn't help myself). Read at your own risk!**

These books never cease to be fascinating. Yet again Kathy Reichs has pieced together a complex murder mystery that will keep you guessing until the last page. I will admit, I was convinced that the centre of our mystery would be the place crash. We opened with it, it was established pretty early on that a bomb could have been involved, and they were following lots of leads. Then Tempe leads us to the cabin, and I was sure that whoever lived at the cabin had something to do with downing the flight. It wasn't until I was quite a fair bit in that it because pretty obvious that the cabin had nothing to do with the plane crash, but involved something else entirely. 

And boy, that storyline. I have to hand it to Reichs, she writes some of the most compelling, but also disturbing, mysteries that I've ever read. (That being said, I'm sure there's more disturbing stuff out there). This is the fourth Tempe Brennan book I've read, and I still can't figure out the ending until it happens - Reichs is good a throwing you red herrings, which send you down the wrong path. 

Whilst I immensely enjoyed this read, it was confusing at times. Lots of people involved, lots of details to remember - if too much is thrown at me at one point, I can get confused quickly. That being said, Reichs is pretty good at explaining things as she goes. Another thing that bothered me was the excessive description at times - Reichs wants to make sure that you understand everything completely, but a full description of a diner isn't really neccesary if nothing of importance if going to happen there. Also, I've read the description of the Laboratoire des Sciences Judiciaires et de Médecine Légale (where she works in Montreal) 4 times now. I guess with the books being able to be read as stand alone novels with little back story confusion, Reichs feels the need to include these descriptions everytime in case someone picks up a novel midway through the series. All the same, it bugs me. 

Overall, a strong 4th book for the series, and a really interesting read. I would highly suggest this series. 

Book Review: The Crystal Cave (The Arthurian Saga #1) by Mary Stewart

The Crystal Cave (The Arthurian Saga #1) by Mary Stewart 
Release Date: 6th May 2003

Publisher: Harper Collins 
Format: eBook
Pages: 494
Rating: 4.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 OTS, 2013 ODY, 2013 EBC and 2013 BSR

Summary from Amazon:

"Born the bastard son of a Welsh princess, Myridden Emrys -- or as he would later be known, Merlin -- leads a perilous childhood, haunted by portents and visions. But destiny has great plans for this no-man's-son, taking him from prophesying before the High King Vortigern to the crowning of Uther Pendragon . . . and the conception of Arthur -- king for once and always."

Review:
For a start, I feel like the name of this series is misleading. For a series named 'The Arthurian Saga', the elusive Arthur himself isn't even born until the end of this novel. Since this story follows Merlin, from his young childhood up until his role beside Uther Pendragon and the birth of Arthur, I feel like this series should be called 'Merlin's Chronicles' or something like that. But, maybe in the second novel, we'll have more of an emphasis on Arthur himself.

That aside, I really enjoyed this book. It took a while to get into at first - Merlin's childhood wasn't all that interesting, and I didn't feel like much was happening. When it all changed for me, I think, was after Merlin's first experience in the crystal cave and that vivid vision he had. There was action, things were happening, it was getting interesting. And then I feel that the book basically continued on the same heightened wavelength right until the end. Every little plot point was interesting, and it all tied in really well with all my preconceived ideas about the characters - I think we've all heard of Merlin before, and I found that I particularly liked the way Merlin was portrayed in this novel.

Overall, a solid read. Maybe there was a bit too much emphasis on Merlin's early childhood for me, but I do understand why it was there - we saw some interesting tidbits about Merlin's family and his powers, things that we needed to know. In the end, I felt like the story was wrapped up pretty well, and I'm not dying to get onto the next novel, but I'm sure I will at some point or another.  

Book Review: The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks

The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks
Release Date: 16th September 2003

Publisher: Baker and Taylor
Format: eBook
Pages: 288
Rating: 3.5/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 OTS, 2013 ODY and 2013 EBC 

Summary from Amazon:
"The Zombie Survival Guide is your key to survival against the hordes of undead who may be stalking you right now. Fully illustrated and exhaustively comprehensive, this book covers everything you need to know, including how to understand zombie physiology and behavior, the most effective defense tactics and weaponry, ways to outfit your home for a long siege, and how to survive and adapt in any territory or terrain.

Top 10 Lessons for Surviving a Zombie Attack 

1. Organize before they rise! 
2. They feel no fear, why should you?
3. Use your head: cut off theirs.
4. Blades don’t need reloading.
5. Ideal protection = tight clothes, short hair.
6. Get up the staircase, then destroy it. 
7. Get out of the car, get onto the bike.
8. Keep moving, keep low, keep quiet, keep alert!
9. No place is safe, only safer. 
10. The zombie may be gone, but the threat lives on. 

Don’t be carefree and foolish with your most precious asset—life. This book is your key to survival against the hordes of undead who may be stalking you right now without your even knowing it. The Zombie Survival Guide offers complete protection through trusted, proven tips for safeguarding yourself and your loved ones against the living dead. It is a book that can save your life."

Review:
This was interesting to read. It messed with my head a little bit, because it's set out like a non-fiction book, under the guise of being completely factual, that aims to help you prepare for the impending zombie apocalypse. In fact, many parts of this book are actually completely factual - descriptions of weapons, transport, and dwellings are all factual, but their descriptions are just zombified - ideal weapons for fighting zombies, ideal transport for getting away from zombies, and ideal buildings to shack up in during a zombie attack.

At first, it was a little hard for me to get into this book. Because it is written in the style of a non-fiction guide, its kinda boring at the beginning. When we started getting into detailed descriptions of different weapons and how they can be used, and then the same thing for transport, and dwellings, and areas that you might want to live or hunt in; it was just a tad boring. If you take out the minimal zombie reference, its just a description of loads of different weapons, and transport, and dwellings, etc - not the most enthalling stuff to read about.

But, I got more interested towards the end with the 'documented zombie attacks'. It was interesting, and funny, to read about all these different times in history where zombies could plausibly be added to the picture. I have to say, a lot of research must have gone into this book, and for that I have to give it props. Overall, it took a while for me to get into it, but I did enjoy it. 

Book Review: The Host (The Host #1) by Stephenie Meyer

The Host (The Host #1) by Stephenie Meyer
Release Date: 6th May 2006

Publisher: Little Brown Books 
Format: eBook
Pages: 619
Rating: 5.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 OTS, 2013 ODY, 2013 EBC and 2013 BSR

Summary from Amazon:
"Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. 

Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy that takes over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. But Wanderer, the invading "soul" who occupies Melanie's body, finds its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Soon Wanderer and Melanie-reluctant allies-set off to search for the man they both love.

Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature, THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the essence of what it means to be human."

Review:
Today I'm going to keep this review short and sweet. Put simply, I really, really enjoyed this book - waaaaay more than I expected I would (I think we can put that down to the stigma surrounding Stephenie Meyer these days). I loved almost everything about this book - the premise especially drew me it. Aliens invade earth to use humans as host bodies - what doesn't sound interesting about that?

Before starting this book, the only characters I really knew about were Melanie and Jared. I didn't know, or expect, that the story would be told from Wanda's point of view - but I really enjoyed it. It was interesting to read about how Wanda saw our world, how her opinions changed over time. Same thing with Melanie - it was interesting to have her as the complete opposite of Wanda in the beginning, and then see how she changes as the story progresses. 

One thing I feel like I need to stress is that THERE IS NO LOVE TRIANGLE. Don't be fooled by the blurbs claim, there is no love triangle, so don't decide not to read this book soley based on this reason. Also, I've heard that the movie isn't that great either. So if you were thinking of reading the book but then changed your mind after seeing the movie, reconsider - the book is always better than the movie!