This year I attempted the 2013 Off the Shelf Challengehosted by Bookish Ardour, aiming to Make a Dint and read 30 books. And, as of yesterday, I reached that goal! Here's the list of what I read:
1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald {review} 2. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel {review} 3. The Host by Stephenie Meyer {review} 4. The Help by Kathryn Stockett {review} 5. Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs {review} 6. Divergent by Veronica Roth {review} 7.Insurgent by Veronica Roth {review} 8. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John Le Carre {review} 9. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky {review} 10. The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks {review} 11. Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame Smith {review} 12. Ingenue by Jillian Larkin {review} 13. A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton {review} 14. Uglies by Scott Westerfield {review} 15. Eragon by Christopher Paolini {review} 16. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor {review} 17. Legend by Marie Lu {review} 18. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake {review} 19. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl {review} 20. Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl {review} 21. A Game of Thrones by George R.R Martin {review} 22. A Clash of Kings by George R.R Martin {review} 23. The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart {review} 24. The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross {review} 25. The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin {review} 26. Wither by Lauren Destefano {review} 27. Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon {review} 28. The Enchantress by Michael Scott {review} 29. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare {review} 30. Wicked by Gregory Maguire {review}
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.
The Enchantress (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flammel #6) by Michael Scott Release Date: 22nd May 2012
Publisher: Random House Format: Paperback Pages: 509 Rating: 5.0/5.0 This book was read as part of the 2013 ODY, 2013 OTS and 2013 BSR Summary from Goodreads:
"The two that are one must become the one that is all. One to save the world, one to destroy it. San Francisco: Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel have one day left to live, and one job left to do. They must defend San Francisco. The monsters gathered on Alcatraz Island have been released and are heading toward the city. If they are not stopped, they will destroy everyone and everything in their path.
But even with the help of two of the greatest warriors from history and myth, will the Sorceress and the legendary Alchemyst be able to defend the city? Or is it the beginning of the end of the human race?
Danu Talis: Sophie and Josh Newman traveled ten thousand years into the past to Danu Talis when they followed Dr. John Dee and Virginia Dare. And it’s on this legendary island that the battle for the world begins and ends.
Scathach, Prometheus, Palamedes, Shakespeare, Saint-Germain, and Joan of Arc are also on the island. And no one is sure what—or who—the twins will be fighting for.
Today the battle for Danu Talis will be won or lost.
But will the twins of legend stand together?Or will they stand apart—one to save the world and one to destroy it?"
Review:
What a fitting end to this series. It was action packed, it had twists and turns, and everything came to a head. The prophecy was fulfilled, our questions were answered, and everything wrapped up pretty well. When it comes down to it, this was just a solid ending to a series I was well invested in.
When it comes to this novel, what I've said in the reviews for the preceding novels in the series still applies here. The story is action packed, the chapters are short and to the point, and the constant change in POV keeps you interested. Our character's are still the character's that we know and love, but they've grown and matured, and they're finally here, at the end, playing their role in fulfilling the prophecy.
And that ending. It was perfect. And, I totally wasn't expecting it. Yes, I knew that the prophecy would be fulfilled - that we'd have one twin to save the world, one to destroy it. We've known that the entire series. But then, WOAH, DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING. If you've read the book, you'll know what I'm talking about. I think the whole issue with Sophie and Josh's parents distracted me from thinking about that character, and how they'd play them into the story. Kudos to Scott - you played that one well. When it comes down to it, this is a solid end to a solid series. It had all the elements we loved in the first 5 novels, answered all our questions, and also didn't have a cop-out ending where everything ended hunky-dory for everyone - we had a solid, and unexpected, ending, which I'm still thinking about days after reading it. I know this review may not be the most insightful thing, but if you haven't read the series, read my (short) review for The Alchemyst, and then see if you'd like to give it a go. And if you're midway through the series, and aren't sure about sticking with it, hopefully this review convinced you to keep at it, because I really think this final instalment is worth the read.
Afterthought: Who exactly was the Enchantress? Each book was title referred too one of the main characters, but I couldn't figure out who the Enchantress was supposed to be. My first thought was Perenelle, but she's the Sorceress. Was it Virgina Dare? Any ideas?
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 MartinOTS, ODY, EBC, BSR 26. Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith OTS, ODY 27. A Clash of Kings by George R.R MartinOTS, 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
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.
Legend (Legend #1) by Marie Lu Release Date: 29th November 2012
Publisher: Baker and Taylor Format: Paperback Pages: 308 Rating: 4.0/5.0 This book was read as part of the 2013 OTS, 2013 ODY and 2013 BSR Summary from Goodreads:
"What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbours. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets."
Review:
To be honest, I thought I'd like this a lot more than I did. I don't know what it was - maybe I had set my expectations too high because of all the hype - but I just wasn't wowed by this. But, I think this has done just enough to get me interested in reading book 2...at some point in time. Legend conforms to everything that's the rage at the moment - set in a dystopian future, we follow a boy and a girl from two vastly different upbringings on their quest for the truth. As the blurb says, Day is the country's most wanted criminal, June is the country's biggest success story. Each are searching for answers, and for both, one wrong move would mean certain death. Legend has the premise, and it even pulls it off - this is a well done book with a great, fast moving plot, with plenty of twists and turns.
And the characters are great too. Day and June are just the right mix of fight and vulnerability. Tess and John seem like lovely people, although my feelings for either of them weren't particularly strong. Thomas intrigued me - he's a ruthless soldier, following his orders no matter what they may be, but his pursuit of June reminds us that he is human. And Commander Jameson is brilliant - the complete opposite of June, her antithesis. If June had followed her orders exactly and never stopped to think, she could have ended up just like Commander Jameson, and boy, are we glad that she didn't. Maybe I'm just a bit over the dystopian genre at the moment, because I just can't seem to pinpoint anything in particular that I disliked. I liked everything, but just not enough. It's probable that I will read Prodigy, but maybe I'll take a look at some reviews first.
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.
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).
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.
Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame Smith Release Date: 19th April 2011
Publisher: Allen & Unwin Format: Paperback Pages: 352 Rating: 3.5/5.0 This book was read as part of the 2013 OTS and 2013 ODY Summary from Amazon:
"Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother's bedside. She's been stricken with something the old-timers call "Milk Sickness."
"My baby boy..." she whispers before dying.
Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother's fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire.
When the truth becomes known to young Lincoln, he writes in his journal, "henceforth my life shall be one of rigorous study and devotion. I shall become a master of mind and body. And this mastery shall have but one purpose..." Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.
While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln, and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years.
Using the journal as his guide and writing in the grand biographical style of Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough, Seth has reconstructed the true life story of our greatest president for the first time-all while revealing the hidden history behind the Civil War and uncovering the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of our nation"
Review:
I have mixed feelings about this one.
On the one hand, I enjoyed how smart this book was. It was very clever to intertwine Abraham Lincoln as a Vampire Hunter with historical events such as the Civil War and the abolishment of slavery. And it's done brilliantly. It all makes perfect sense, and it really makes Ab Lincoln a more interested character - literally everything he does is influenced by vampires - his entire life is re-imagined. For that I have to give the book props.
On the other hand, it wasn't until the last third of the book or so that I actually really got into it. Until then, the book was plodding along, but I didn't find anything particularly thrilling about it. It was more like one account of a vampire killing after another, and that didn't particularly pull me in. Also, I have issues with the ending, major issues.
Overall, the last third of the book or so really made it for me. The way that vampirism was worked into the life and history of Abraham Lincoln was done so well, that you could almost finish the book believing that this all actually happened. I've no doubt that many, many people would enjoy this read.
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.
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.
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...
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
Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna #1) by Kendare Blake Release Date: 30th August 201
Publisher: Tor Teen Books Format: Paperback Pages: 316 Rating: 4.0/5.0 This book was read as part of the 2013 OTS, 2013 ODY and 2013 BSR Summary from Amazon:
"Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.
So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.
When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.
But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life."
Review:
It has been quite some time now since I read this book - a couple of weeks in fact. But I still remember what happens, and what I liked...and didn't like so much. So our story centres on Cas, at 16-ish (I can't remember what his actual age is) boy who happens to hunt down murderous ghosts. One day he is told about Anna, who will prove to be the most challenge - not just because she is insanely powerful, but because Cas and Anna develop a connection.
Ok, so going into this book, I was excited to read about the murderous ghosts. This is what first piqued my interest in the novel - everything I had heard and read about the novel told me that this was a YA horror book, and the opening scene had me convinced that I was in for some good killings. And don't get me wrong, there were killings in there. And the story of how Anna became such a murderous monster in the first place was quite intriguing. I wanted to know how Anna died, and storyline was so tragic and interesting. These parts I enjoyed.
And then comes the love aspect. I guess I should have seen it coming. Anna does spare his life, even though she's compelled to kill every person who enters her home. And my novel does say this is a 'boy-meets-girl' story, but I was still surprised when it came up. It just seems so damn ridiculous to me. She's a ghost Cas - she's dead. You can't be with her, she's dead. Did I mention that she's dead. Plus, have you not made it your mission in life to hunt and kill these ghosts because of what happened to your father? You have a pretty good reason to hate all ghosts. You shouldn't have been having nice little conversations with Anna, you should have been fighting her!
I guess I was just expecting more killing and gore. There was enough to keep me satisfied, but I just felt that a romance got in the way and really wasn't needed. Regardless, this was a book I enjoyed - it had interesting (and funny) characters, some solid plot points, and everything went down in an interesting way.
