Rhinoa's Ramblings

Dragon Wytch - Yasmine Galenorn

2012-01-24T09:21:00.000Z

Rating : 3.0/5
Number of Pages : 294
Series : #4 Otherworld/Sisters of the Moon
Format : Urban Fantasy Novel
Reason for Reading : To continue with the series, 12 in 12 Challenge

I went straight into the fourth book after reading Darkling and this time the story is narrated by Camille. She's a witch dedicated to The Moon, but as she's half human her spells have a tendency to backfire. Her story is a little complicated as she is a little free with the men. Her main partner is Trillian who is absent on a dangerous mission for the majority of the book. Along with Trillian she has a triad with Morio, a fox demon. Her third lover is Smokey who shifts into a dragon with whom she has a pact. In this instalment he finally claims his first night with her and she gets to "ride a dragon"!

The main plot centres around Camille receiving a visit from a unicorn and the legendary black unicorn horn to help in the fight against Shadowing (the main over arcing villain) and a powerful Earthside demon named Karvanak who is after a newly surfaced spirit seal. Also in the background you have Morgaine trying to resurrect the Faerie Courts and become Queen herself. If it sounds complicated, it is. This was one thing I disliked about the novel, there was too much plot and not really enough time to sort through it all.

Camille is my least favourite of the three sisters. I don't really get where she is coming from which I think is part of the problem. She is half strong and powerful, owning her sexuality. On the other hand she seems quite happy to let her men control her and tie her down. Every now and then she will throw a hissy fit and one will be there there little Witch, don't get your knickers in a twist. On the plus side the book had a unicorn in it (he could have been in it more though, again too much plot and not enough time to spend with the characters besides Camille) so I'm sold!

Darkling - Yasmine Galenorn

2012-01-22T08:59:00.004Z

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 290
Series : #3 Otherworld/Sisters of the Moon
Format : Urban Fantasy Novel
Reason for Reading : To continue with the series, 12 in 12 Challenge

The third novel about three sisters who are half-fae and half-human. Camille is a witch with malfunctioning magic, Delilah shifts into a tabby kitty (and now sometimes a black panther) and Menolly was turned into a vampire. The series is written (so far at least) with a different sister narrating the story. This time it's Menolly so there is a vampire focus throughout and her vicious sire Dredge looks to be back ready to inflict more torture, pain and death to those she loves.

See this isn't your Twilight kind of tale. When Menolly was turned she was caught spying on Dredge and his cronies for the powers that be in Otherworld. Instead of just killing her, he subjected her to life scarring mutilation all over her body excluding just her face, hands and feet. He then raped her repeatedly and as she was on the brink of death he made her drink his blood. Returning to her unlife full of violence and blood lust, Dredge then sent her home to feast on her family. Luckily she had enough wits about her to hide and begin the slow process of regaining her shattered mind.

Of the three sisters, so far I have warmed to Menolly the most. She's quite cold and shuns physical relationships (partly due to her new vampire nature and partly because of her horrific past), but I still wanted to get to know her. She didn't get much air time in the previous two books either. As part of her challenge in destroying Dredge she has to relive her turning so she can understand and heal what was done long ago which was pretty harrowing.

One thing I wasn't sure about is that she has two sexual experiences in the short space of this novel after giving up sex for many years. It seemed a bit much but then I suppose she is supposed to be healing from all old injuries caused that night, but still it didn't sit quite right. The first one made complete sense in the context of the story, but not really the second one which seemed more just to titillate readers and it didn't feel right for the character to me. Overall though an enjoyable read and I can't wait to get back to Menolly's story again in the series.

Personal Note

2012-01-06T09:52:00.003Z

Morning blogging world. I thought I would share a personal note with you all today. After a lot of deliberation I signed up for a distance learning degree course and my course materials all arrived today. I'm really excited and keen to get stuck in. It will mean less reading as it will take up 8-10 hours each week for the foreseeable future, but I aim to still complete the challenges I am signed up for. You may notice a change in the type of books I read and review outside of challenges but I hope that's ok.

Halting State - Charles Stross

2012-01-04T19:53:00.004Z

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 376
Series : #1 Halting State
Format : Science Fiction Crime Novel
Reason for Reading : Recommendation from my husband

In a nutshell it's a science fiction crime drama about a robbery in a virtual MMO world. Unexpectedly a bunch of Orcs storm the main bank in the game and make off with €26 million worth of items which is supposed to be impossible. Sorting out the mess is Scottish Police Sergeant Sue Smith, Forensic Accountant Elaine and Programmer and Gaming Expert Jack. It's their job to find out what happened, track down the items and generally save the day.

It's set about 10 years in the future from now. Technology is similar to what we have now but just taken to the next level. People use their phones to order taxis, get around and many other useful tasks. They also wear glasses that enhance their vision and connect them to the technology grid. You can totally see a lot of the ideas coming true in a few more years. Anyway, back to the plot. It seems there is much to the robbery than the item theft. Could it be a cover up of a much larger conspiracy? How far does said conspiracy reach?

It took me a little while to get into the novel as it's told completely in second person e.g. you enter the room and in front of you is a white desk with a computer monitor on it type stuff etc. It reads like either a choose-your-own-adventure or an episode of Knightmare (anyone else remember this awesome tv show?). Once I did though I actually enjoyed it much more than I was expecting. The characters (especially Elaine and Jack) were really well developed and I cared about what happened to them. The plot was quite complex but to be fair it wasn't solving the crime that kept me hooked. It was more getting caught up in the world and the techno speak. A lot of it went over my head, but some of the references to geek culture were awesome! It made me feel more intelligent just reading it.

Challenges Completed in 2011

2012-01-03T13:13:00.001Z

It was a good year for reading challenges. I completed all of them yay! The only one I formally wrapped up was the RIP V Challenge here

Challenge runs throughout 2011 and is to read 6 mangas.

~~1. Bizenghast v7 M Alice LeGrow~~
~~2. Wicked Lovely Desert Tales v1 - Melissa Marr~~
~~3. Wicked Lovely Desert Tales v2 - Melissa Marr~~
~~4. Wicked Lovely Desert Tales v3 - Melissa Marr~~
~~5. Legends of the Dark Crystal - Barbara Randall Kesel~~
~~6. Death Note v9 - Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata~~

Runs throughout 2011. Read/watch any combination of original tales, modern tales, or films, resulting in 12 total selections.

~~1. The Happy Prince and Other Stories - Oscar Wilde~~
~~2. Foiled - Jane Yolen~~
~~3. Alice - SyFy Mini Series~~
~~4. Tangled - Disney Film (Rapunzel)~~
~~5. Fern Gully - Film~~
~~6. The Last Unicorn - Peter S Beagle~~
~~7. The Last Unicorn - Film~~
~~8. Fairest of All - Serena Valentino~~
~~9. My Neighbour Totoro - Film~~
~~10. Red Riding Hood - Film~~
~~11. Beastly - Film~~
~~12. Arriety - Film~~

Runs from 1/1/10 - 31/12/11. Finish the following series:

~~1. Shadow Dragon - James A Owen~~
~~2. The Dragon's Apprentice - James A Owen~~
~~3. Silver Borne - Patricia Briggs~~
~~4. River Marked - Patricia Briggs~~
~~5. Twilight's Dawn - Anne Bishop~~

Read 3 books in 2011 suggested by Nymeth.

~~1. Passion - Jude Morgan~~
~~2. Tooth and Claw - Jo Walton~~
~~3. To say nothing of the dog - Connie Willis~~

Challenge with Mariel

Read 3 books in 2011 suggested by Mariel.

~~1. The Book of Flying - Keith Miller~~
~~2. The Eyre Affair - Jasper Forde~~
~~3. The Vinter's Luck - Elizabeth Knox~~

Read 3 out of 4 books suggested by Kailana in 2011.

~~1. Black Hole - Charles Burns~~
2. Fingersmith - Sarah Waters (alternatie I'm aiming to read in 2012)
~~3. Graceling - Kristin Cashore~~
~~4. The Forest and Hands and Teeth - Carrie Ryan~~

Runs throughout 2011. Expert level, read 10+ graphic novels.

~~1. Doctor Horrible and Other Horrible Stories - Zach Whedon~~
~~2. The Guild v1 - Felicia Day & Jim Rugg~~
~~3. House of Mystery - Bill Wilingham~~
~~4. Nemi IV - Lisa Myhre~~
~~5. Hatter v3 - Frenk Beddor~~
~~6. The Book of Biff - Chris Hallbeck~~
~~7. Fables v13 : The Great Fables Crossover - Bill Wilingham~~
~~8. Fables v14 : Witches - Bill Wilingham~~
~~9. Fables v15 : Rose Red - Bill WIllingham~~
~~10. Buffy 8 v8 : Last Gleaming - Joss Whedon~~

Challenge runs throughout 2011. Read 10 witchy, were, vamp and fae books.

~~1. Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead~~
~~2. A Touch of Dead - Charlaine Harris~~
~~3. Frost Bite - Richelle Mean~~
~~4. Marked - PC & Kristen Cast~~
~~5. Betrayed - PC & Kristen Cast~~
~~6. Shadow Kiss - PC & Kristen Cast~~
~~7. Chosen - PC & Kristen Cast~~
~~8. Untamed - PC & Kristen Cast~~
~~9. Hunted - PC & Kristen Cast~~
~~10. Tempted - PC & Kristen Cast~~

Runs throughout 2011. Read books in the following categories:

Non Fiction

~~1. Shakespeare - Bill Bryson~~

Mind Body Spirit

~~1. The Spirit of Hare - Karen Cater~~
~~2. The Ogham Sketchbook - Karen Cater~~

My Friend Says

~~1. Courtney Crumrin and the Coven of Mystics - Ted Naifeh~~
~~2. Courtney Crumrin in the Twilight Kingdom - Ted Naifeh~~
~~3. Courtney Crumrin's Monstrous Holiday - Ted Naifeh~~

Eh Aboot

~~1. The Summoning - Kelley Armstrong~~
~~2. Angelic - Kelley Armstrong~~
~~3. The Awakening - Kelley Armstrong~~
~~4. The Reckoning - Kelley Armstrong~~

We've Been Waiting so Long

~~1. Xxxholic v1 - Clamp~~
~~2. Xxxholic v2 - Clamp~~
~~3. Xxxholic v3 - Clamp~~
~~4. Xxxholic v4 - Clamp~~
~~5. Xxxholic v5 - Clamp~~

The Tube

~~1. Demon Dopplegangers - Greg Elliot (Charmed)~~
~~2. Hurricane Hex - Diana G Gallagher (Charmed)~~
~~3. As Puck Would Have It - Paul Ruditis (Charmed)~~
~~4. Sweet Talkin' Demon - Laura J Burnes (Charmed)~~
~~5. House of Shards - Micol Ostow (Charmed)~~
~~6. Phoebe Who? - Emma Harrison (Charmed)~~

When I Wish Upon a Star

~~1. Ink Exchange - Melissa Marr~~
~~2. Fragile Eternity - Melissa Marr~~
~~3. Radient Shadows - Melissa Marr~~
~~4. Darkest Mercy - Melissa Marr~~
~~5. Godmother - Carolyn Turgeon~~
~~6. Shoulder-a-coffin v1 - Satako Kiyuduki~~
~~7. Shoulder-a-coffin v2 - Satako Kiyuduki~~

Fantastical Realms

~~1. Poison Study - Maria V Snyder~~
~~2. Magic Study - Maria V Snyder~~
~~3. Fire Study - Maria V Snyder~~
~~4. The Dark Mirror - Juliet Marillier~~
~~5. The Safe Keepers Secret - Sharon Shinn~~
~~6. Storm Glass - Maria V Snyder~~
~~7. The Truth-Tellers Tale - Shannon Shinn~~
~~8. The Dream-Makers Magic - Shannon Shinn~~

Just Beause

~~1. Blackbird House - Alice Hoffman~~
~~2. Four Years, Five Seasons - Peter S Beagle~~
~~3. Garden Spells - Sarah Addison Allen~~
~~4. The Beach - Alex Garland~~
~~5. One Day - David Nicholls~~
~~6. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World - Haruki Murakami~~
~~7. Yellow Blue Tibia - Alex Roberts~~
~~8. When God was a Rabbit - Sarah Winman~~
~~9. The Luck Factor - Richard Wiseman~~

Too Young to Know Better

~~1. Green Witch - Alice Hoffman~~
~~2. Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters - Rick Riordan~~
~~3. Incantation - Alice Hoffman~~
~~4. Ember Fury - Cathy Brett~~
~~5. Immortal Beloved - Cate Tiernan~~
~~6. Scarlett Dedd - Cathy Brett~~
~~7. Burned - PC & Kristen Cast~~
~~8. Spirit Bound - Richelle Mead~~
~~9. The Dead-Tossed Waves - Carrie Ryan~~
~~10. The Dark and Hollow Places - Carrie Ryan~~

1,2,3,4 Can I Have a Little More

~~1. So Mote it Be - Isobel Bird~~
~~2. Merry Meet - Isobel Bird~~
~~3. Second Sight - Isobel Bird~~
~~4. What the cards said - Isobel Bird~~
~~5. In the Dreaming - Isobel Bird~~
~~6. Ring of Light - Isobel Bird~~
~~7. Blue Moon - Isobel Bird~~
~~8. The FIve Paths - Isobel Bird~~
~~9. Through the Veil - Isobel Bird~~
~~10. Making the Saint - Isobel Bird~~
~~11. The House of Winter - Isobel Bird~~

Books Read in 2011

2012-01-02T12:07:00.006Z

As you can see it was a great reading year, but not many have links to reviews. I have so many favourite books from 2011 and one that I really didn't like at all.

Favourite Overall Book in 2011 :

Favourite Series : A toss up between Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr and Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Favourite Graphic Novel : Fables v14 Witches - Bill Willingham

Favourite YA Book : Immortal Beloved - Cate Tiernan

Worst Book in 2011 : The Luck Factor - Richard Wiseman

1. Ink Exchange - Melissa Marr
2. The Summoning - Kelley Armstrong
3. Angelic - Kelley Armstrong
4. Blackbird House - Alice Hoffman
5. Green Witch - Alice Hoffman
6. Courtney Crumrin and the Coven of Mystics - Ted Naifeh
7. Doctor Horrible and Other Horrible Stories - Zach Whedon
8. Bizenghast v7 - M Alice LeGrow
9. So Mote it Be - Isobel Bird
10. Poison Study - Maria V Snyder
11. Four Years Five Seasons - Peter S Beagle
12. The Happy Prince and Other Stories - Oscar Wilde
13. Fragile Eternity - Melissa Marr
14. The Awakening - Kelley Armstrong
15. Demon Dopplegangers - Charmed
16. The Reckoning - Kelley Armstrong
17. Foiled - Jane Yolen
18. The Book of Flying - Keith Miller
19. Garden Spells - Sarah Addison Allen
20. Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead
21. Merry Meet - Isobel Bird
22. Shakespeare - Bill Bryson
23. Hurricane Hex - Charmed
24. Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters - Rick Riordan
25. Radient Shadows - Melissa Marr
26. Wicked Lovely Desert Tales v1 - Melissa Marr
27. Wicked Lovely Desert Tales v2 - Melissa Marr
28. The Guild v1 - Felicia Day & Jim Rugg
29. The Dark Mirror - Juliet Marillier
30. Wicked Lovely Desert Tales v3 - Melissa Marr
31. Graceling - Kristen Cashore
32. The Beach - Alex Garland
33. Incantation - Alice Hoffman
34. The Last Unicorn - Peter S Beagle
35. Magic Study - Maria V Snyder
36. Fire Study - Maria V Snyder
37. A Touch of Dead - Charlaine Harris
38. Second Sight - Isobel Bird
39. Twilight's Dawn - Anne Bishop
40. House of Mystery v1 - Bill Willingham
41. Ember Fury - Cathy Brett
42. Nemi IV - Lise Myhre
43. Xxxholic v1 - Clamp
44. Xxxholic v2 - Clamp
45. Frost Bite - Richelle Mead
46. One Day - David Nicholl
47. Hatter M v3 - Frenk Beddor
48. Baba Yaga Laid an Egg - Dubravka Ugresic
49. Fairest of All - Serena Valentino
50. As Puck would have it - Paul Ruditis (Charmed)
51. Return to Labyrinth v4 - Jake T Forbes & Chris Lie
52. Legends of the Dark Crystal v2 - Barbara Randall Kesel
53. The Young Merlin Trilogy - JaneYolen
54. The Book of Biff v1 - Chris Hallbeck
55. Marked - PC & Kristen Cast
56. Immortal Beloved - Cate Tiernan
57. Betrayed - PC & Kristen Cast
58. What the Cards Said - Isobel Bird
59. The Safe Keepers Secret - Sharon Shinn
60. Silver Borne - Patricia Briggs
61. Howl's Moving Castle - Dianna Wynne Jones
62. Shadow Kiss - Richelle Mead
63. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World - Haruki Murakami
64. Fables v12 : The Dark Ages - Bill Willingham
65. Fables v13 : The Great Fables Crossover - Bill Willingham
66. Fables v14 : Witches - Bill Willingham
67. Chosen - PC & Kristen Cast
68. Darkest Mercy - Melissa Marr
69. Untamed - PC & Kristen Cast
70. In the Dreaming - Isobel Bird
71. River Marked - Patricia Briggs
72. Courtney Crumrin in the Twilight Kingdom - Tef Naifeh
73. Courtney Crumrin's Monstrous Holiday - Ted Naifeh
74. Storm Glass - Maria V Snyder
75. Scarlett Dedd - Cathy Brett
76. The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde
77. Fables v15 : Rose Red - Bill Willingham
78. Ring of Light - Isobel Bir
79. Hunted - PC & Kristen Cast
80. To Say Nothing of the Dog - Connie Willis
81. Death Note v9 - Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata
82. Blue Moon - Isobel Bird
83. Buffy 8 v8 : Last Gleaming - Joss Whedon
84. Tempted - PC & Kristen Cast
85. The Shadow Dragons - James A Owen
86. Xxxholic v3 - Clamp
87. Xxxholic v4 - Clamp
88. Xxxholic v5 - Clamp
89. Burned - PC & Kristen Cast
90. Yellow Blue Tibia - Adam Roberts
91. The Truth Tellers Tale - Shannon Shinn
92. Awakened - PC & Kristen Cast
93. The Five Paths - Isobel Bird
94. The Dream Maker's Magic - Shannon Shinn
95. When God was a Rabbit - Sarah Winman
96. The Forest of Hands and Teeth - Carrie Ryan
97. Godmother - Carolyn Turgeon
98. The Dragon's Apprentice - James A Owen
99. Blood Promise - Richelle Mead
100. The Luck Factor - Richard Wiseman
101. Enthralled - Various
102. Spirit Bound - Richelle Mead
103. The Dead-Tossed Waves - Carrie Ryan
104. Graveminder - Melissa Marr
105. Tooth and Claw - Jo Walton
106. I Luv Halloween Ultimate Edition - Benjamin Roman & Keith Giffen
107. Sweet Talkin' Demon - Laura J Burnes
108. The Dark and Hollow Places - Carrie Ryan
109. The Last Sacrifice - Richelle Mead
110. The Witches - Roald Dahl
111. House of Shards - Micol Ostow
112. Shoulder-a-coffin v1 - Satoko Kiyuduki
113. Shoulder-a-coffin v2 - Satoko Kiyuduki
114. Phoebe Who? - Emma Harrison
115. Dark and Stormy Knights - Various
116. Spirit of the Hare - Karen Cater
117. Through the Veil - Isobel Bird
118. Red Glove - Holly Black
119. Making the Saint - Isobel Bird
120. The Vinter's Luck - Elizabeth Knox

New Year, New Layout

2012-01-01T21:38:00.003Z

Happy New Year everyone! I decided that this year I would have a drastic template change and move away from the black background I have had since I started at blogger a few years ago and give a white background a go. The last two years I have been pretty crappy at blogging and one of my resolutions is to blog about every book I read in 2012 as well as to make a concentrated effort to keep up with my reader feeds. Yes I know I said the exact same thing last year, but this year I really mean it...

I will wrap up last year in my next post and start back again at the beginning for 2012. I will be updating more of the blog soon and changing how I do things. I hope to put my challenge books on a separate tab as well as my yearly reading and keep the front page much cleaner. I will also be keeping this just to books and films as I have another blog for randomness. Despite being a rubbish year for blogging, 2011 was a great year for reading. I read over 120 books and had my best year of reading yet despite all the other stuff going on in my life. This year though may see a massive decrease as I am contemplating doing some studying and if I decide to go ahead with it, it will take up a large amount of my free time as I work full time.

I hope everyone had a great 2011 and I look forward to reading all your blogs in 2012!

12 in 12 Reading Challenge

2011-12-09T14:19:00.002Z

I've been thinking about this challenge for a little while and what I want to do about joining. It's hosted at LibraryThing here and I really like that you can pretty much do whatever you want structure wise. I looked at a lot of interesting challenges and figured the best thing to do would be combine all of them in this one sort of...! What I am proposing to do is read 12 books in each of the following categories :

1. Vampires
2. Werewolves
3. Witches/Sorceresses
4. Faeries/Fair Folk
5. Wizards/Mages/Magician's
6. Other Shapeshifters excluding Werewolves
7. Angels and Demons
8. Steampunk
9. Ghosts and Spirits
10. Humans with Special Powers e.g. telekinesis, mind reading etc
11. Psychics/Clairevoyants/Mediums
12. Other Supernatural eg Succubus/Incubus etc

The twist will be that a single book can fit into more than one category. For example a Sookie Stackhouse book could potentially fit into 1, 2, 4, 5, 10 and 12. Some books will only fit one category, but others could potentially be all 12. This means I will be reading anywhere between 12 and 144 books. Make sense? I am also not going to pick out what I read beforehand, just see where my supernatural reading takes me.

Anyway I'm looking forward to starting in January once I finish up a couple of challenges this year. I have one more challenge book and then I'm all done for 2011.

Three Book Reviews

2011-12-04T21:32:00.005Z

Rating : 3.5/5
Number of Pages : 341
Series : #1 Xas
Format : Novel
Reason for Reading : Challenge with Mariel 2011

Sobran Jodeau is a vinter living in France when one year he meets an Angel named Xas. The novel begins in 1808 and follows up every year charting Sobran's life as well as those around him including his yearly visits from Xas. Sobran takes over the family vintner business making wine and selling it. On the advice of the angel he begins to proposer and his family benefit from his success. He believes the angel brings him luck. Over the course of the book we learn more about Xas and his backstory and things are not quite what Sobran first assumed.

It took me a while to get into this book and I'm not sure why. By the end though I was really drawn in to the lives of Sobran, Aurora and Xas. Some of the twists and turns in their everyday lives were too obvious. There are some murders that occur and it was simple to figure out the truth of them for instance. What was really interesting though was the relationship between the three central characters, watching them develop over the years was fascinating. It's quite charming with beautiful language.

Rating : 5.0/5
Number of Pages : 272
Format : Fantasy Novel
Reason for Reading : Mariel Challenge 2011

Pico is a librarian who is born of the winged people but for some reason he is born with none himself. The winged live alongside those with none but the two don't really mix. He falls in love with a winged girl, but she leaves him as he isn't fully one of them. He sets out on a journey to find his wings through the Book of Flying, following whispers of legends across many different lands.

I don't know where to start with this book. I completely and utterly fell in love with it. There are some uncomfortable parts, but the magic was so beautiful. The language is so immersive and I couldn't get enough of this story. I really need to get a copy of The Book of Fire.

Rating : 2.5/5
Number of Pages : 373
Series : #1 Thursday Next
Format : Science Fiction, Crime Thriller Novel
Reason for Reading : Challenge with Mariel 2011

Part crime thriller and part science fiction novel, this is the first in the Thursday Next series. It's set in a kind of alternate reality. The Crimean War never ended and the ending of Jane Eyre is different from what we know and love in our reality. Evil genius Acheron Styx starts kidnapping characters from novels and changing their stories. It beings with a Dickens character, but his main goal is to kidnap Jane Eyre. It is up to Thursday to stop him and save the literary world.

Sadly I didn't really enjoy this. I'm not a big fan of sic-fi or crime thriller which probably didn't help. I liked the premise, but not the follow through and how it came across in print. Maybe later ones in the series are better, but frankly I'm not inclined to read further.

Spirit of the Hare in Folklore, Mythology & The Artist's Landscape - Karen Cater

2011-11-12T18:59:00.006Z

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 260
Format : Non Fiction, Folklore, Art
Reason for Reading : 11 11 11 Challenge

Anyone looking to get started in examining the folklore, mythology and meaning of the hare should start with this book. A mixture of tales, anecdotes, art, knowledge and study all focusing on the hare. The author and artist lives near a field nicknamed "Black Patches" after the black tips of the ears of hares and began studying and painting them.

There are summaries of tales from around the world, although the focus is on tales from Europe and especially the UK being this is where she is from. This worked more as a taster for me and really piqued my interest to go and do my own research. There is also a section on the anatomy of the hare and general information (I never knew makes are Jack's and females are Jill). The most interesting parts for me were the middle sections looking at the meaning of the hare. For example the triple hare is found in many churches around Dartmoor in Devon. It is possibly to represent the trinity or the divine feminine. My uncle lives by Dartmoor and I'm hoping to visit some of the churches and see the carvings for myself next year.

One of the main draws is all the artwork (see below). Karen has filled the book with many of her original pieces which she sells through Hedingham Fair online and at various events. The hare gazing at the moon below and the lunar hare jumping out of the moon as another studies it's reflection are my two favourites, although there are many more. Another aspect I really enjoyed was that she showcased other artists, authors and musicians at the end who have been inspired by hares so I have more to look into. I've only ever seen a hare in the wild once. I was visiting a long barrow near Bath and as I walked towards it with a friend, a hare jumped up from the grass and raced away just as a buzzard flew overhead. A magical day and I'm hoping to go hare spotting soon.

RIP VI Challenge Completed

2011-11-04T10:51:00.002Z

Sadly the RIP VI challenge has finished for another year hosted here by Carl V. As always it's been a fun trip into the darkness. I read 5 books specifically for the challenge including revisiting a childhood favourite that has an inscription from my mum for my 8th birthday over 20 years ago. My list of books read is :

1. Blood Promise - Richelle Mead

2. Enthralled - Various

3. Graveminder - Melissa Marr

4. I Luv Halloween Ultimate Edition - Benjamin Roman & Keith Giffen

5. The Witches - Roald Dahl

I can honestly say I loved all of the books I read. Blood Promise is part of the Vampire Academy series which I got completely hooked on after Jehera gave me the first three and this instalment did not disappoint. Enthralled is a collection of urban fantasy stories by various different authors like Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong. The connection between them is they feature travel/journeys of some sort. Graveminder is a new direction for Melissa Marr. It tells the story of two people who discover they can speak to the dead and there is a pact within the town that they are now stuck in the middle of.

I Luv Halloween collects the three manga's from the series in one ultimate edition in full colour. It was pretty disturbing actually, very gruesome despite being aimed at younger teenagers. Enjoyable nonetheless. The Witches is one of my favourite Roald Dahl books, but it's been years since I last read it. It was like a trip back to my childhood and it was even better than I remembered.

If I had to pick a favourite it would be Graveminder, but it only just beat out The Witches. My least favourite was I Luv Halloween, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it.

Readathon - End of hour 24

2011-10-23T13:02:00.003+01:00

The end of the readathon for another time. It's been a strange one for me this time around. I was so antisocial and while I read a couple of posts, I didn't comment on a single blog or do any of the mini challenges apart from the first and last meme's. I think it's due to feeling so rough with sinusitis again that made me just hole up by myself and read in between naps and cat cuddles. Hopefully next time I will be much more sociable and get more involved as that's one of the big draws to doing it with so many other people around the world.

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?

All of them this time. It was a real battle to stay awake the entire time and I had a couple of naps and went to bed in the middle for about 5.5 hours.

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?

Reading some colourful manga when I woke up was really good to get back into the swing of things. I also loved Graveminder by Melissa Marr which had a really great pace and kept me entertained.

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

No I think it's all pretty sorted now it's been going for a good while.

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?

I'm not the best person to ask as I was so antisocial. It was nice to have some positive comments though :)

5. How many books did you read?

I finished 4 books and read part of a 5th. One of the books was three books in one so not sure if it really counts as 6 completed.

6. What were the names of the books you read?

Graveminder - Melissa Marr

Tooth and Claw - Jo Walton

I Luv Halloween Ultimate Edition (3 books in 1) - Benjamin Romin & Keith Giffen

Sweet Talkin' Demon - Laura J Burns (Charmed)

Part of The Last Sacrifice - Richelle Mead

7. Which book did you enjoy most?

Definitely Graveminder. Great story, cool characters and one of my favourite authors at the moment. I hope there are more in this series soon and it wasn't a one off.

8. Which did you enjoy least?

Sweet Talkin' Demon I think. It wasn't bad, just not a great story. It was short though and an easy read which helped in the early hours of this morning.

9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?

N/A

10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?

Always up for taking part as a reader again.

Readathon - End of hour 21

2011-10-23T10:05:00.003+01:00

Morning all! I did go to bed in the middle for a while (I went to bed around 2am and got up at just before 8am again) but have been back up and reading for the last 2 hours or so. I just finished a three in one manga which was pretty gruesome - I Luv Halloween Ultimate Twisted Edition and am wondering what to start next. I have two hours left on an audiobook which I might finish or maybe start something completely new.

Readathon - Somewhere in hour 11

2011-10-23T00:40:00.002+01:00

It's now 00:40 here in the UK and I still feeling terrible but have just finished my second book. So far I have read Graveminder by Melissa Marr which was fantastic and I just completed Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton which I also really enjoyed. I'm debating whether to go to bed properly for a bit and see if I feel any better after a proper sleep, or if I should carry on and see if I can sweat out the rest of this flu thing. Either way, I hope everyone is reading books they love as much as I have been and is having fun :)

Readathon - End of hour 6

2011-10-22T19:04:00.003+01:00

This has been a bit of a fail readathon wise so far annoyingly. I read for the first few hours and then fell asleep despite it being around 4pm here in London. I woke up with a splitting headache so I've taken a bunch of paracetamol and made some dinner in the hopes it perks me up a bit. I hate being sick and hopefully this weekend will be the last of it.

The good news though is that the book I am reading is awesome! I'm just over halfway through Graveminder by Melissa Marr and love it so far. Great characters and an unusual story which is perfect for this time of year and the RIP challenge. I hope everyone is doing better than me...

Let the Readathon begin!

2011-10-22T13:01:00.004+01:00

1)Where are you reading from today?

My house just outside London, England surrounded my my four cats.

2)Three random facts about me…

- I will be wearing fluffy purple penguin PJs for the readathon

- My natural hair colour is blond although you would never guess if you met me...

- To annoy my husband I have started collecting anything with unicorns on them

3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?

I Have a whole stash of books next to me (9 total) which includes two I am halfway through and a couple of manga for the early hours of tomorrow morning.

4)Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?

This year no. I have been horribly sick all week so will not be doing many updates or keeping track of so much. I thought I would try and relax a bit more this time and just where my reading takes me without the pressure to reach a page or book count.

5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?

Lots of mini breaks and graphic novels/manga are your best friends when you start getting tired. The visual style is great for the early hours.

Two books by James A Owen

2011-09-06T14:51:00.004+01:00

Rating : 2.5/5
Number of Pages : 417

Series : #4 Imaginarium Geographica
Format : Teenage Fiction Fantasy Novel
Reason for Reading : Series Challenge 2011

The Caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica return to to go to war with a set of defectors who have joined forces with the Shadow of the Winter King. He is armed this time with the Spear of Destiny as well as the renegades and is looking to build an even more terrifying army of Dragons. World War II has begun in our world (the Summer Country) which seems connected to the war in the Archipelago and chaos is breaking loose everywhere.

Some new characters like Don Quixote join the Caretakers as they sail over the edge of the Archipelago to find an ancient sword that can defeat the Shadow energy. Definitely the weakest of the series though. I found the plot hard to follow and I'm frankly bored of them fighting the same energy in different forms again and again. It's like the boss battle at the end of a Japanese RPG game where you defeat it and then it goes ha ha ha and morphs into another form. Only this is the fourth book now and it's like there no original ideas...

Rating : 3.5/5
Number of Pages : 376

Series : #5 Imaginarium Geographica
Format : Teenage Fiction Fantasy Novel
Reason for Reading : Series Challenge 2011

Another adventure for the Caretakers. This time the Summer Country has become disconnected from the Archipelago and there is a rift in time. Their time travelling watches and the Trump Cards are no longer working and they must do what they can to save both worlds and create a new zero point. The Dragons are gone, but they are tasked with finding their last remaining apprentice who is still somewhere in the world. A band of select representatives of the Caretakers and the new faction must once again set forth and fight the new enemy.

Finally a new enemy! This book is mostly filler and annoyingly doesn't tell you if the final sacrifice worked or not after the fire. It sets things up for the next book (any word on when this will be out yet?), but I did enjoy this significantly more than the previous instalment. It seemed like James A Owen has a new direction and although it was still a bit overcomplicated, it has renewed my faith in the series. I only hope the next one keeps the same momentum.

Godmother - Carolyn Turgeon

2011-09-03T14:08:00.003+01:00

Rating : 5.0/5
Number of Pages : 279
Format : Alternative Fairy Tale Novel
Reason for Reading : 11 11 11 Challenge

Lil is an old woman living in New York. Her day job is in a second hand book store owned by newly divorced George. They specialise in finding old and first editions of books and Lil has always ben drawn to fairy tales, in particular Cinderella. You see Lil is a fairy godmother, none other than Cinderella's fairy godmother. She was flattered at being chosen to help Cinderella reach her destiny, she is to marry the Prince and become Queen. The problem is that Lil goes to take a look at the Prince herself and falls in love with him. She takes Cinderella's place at the ball and is then banished by the Elders to live in the human world.

Lil thinks that after three hundred years she has finally found a way to go home. She sees her sister in the corner of her eyes often in the light as it dances and longs for the fairy realm below the water. One morning Veronica enters the book shop with a book of the Cottingly fairies and Lil sees her sister and friends in the pictures. This is surely a sign that her time with the humans is almost over. Veronica is young and vibrant and would be just the thing for George who has withdrawn into himself. If Lil can make a match between them, surely she can repair the damage with Cinderella and atone for her past mistake.

Of course the story is not quite so simple. It looks into human pain and suffering that occurs from loss. We start to question Lil's story and wonder what the reality of her past is. It's a beautifully told story that really captured my imagination and attention. Of course I am slightly biased as I love alternative versions of fairy tales, but this really stood out as being in the same league as Briar Rose by Jane Yolen which I thought was amazing.

I can't remember who recommended this to me, but you have my hearty thanks. I loved this book so much. The characters were so alive somehow and the tale was told with care and attention to detail. I loved that Veronica kept her journal online and Lil was able to learn a great deal about her life. She is someone I would really like to befriend, she seemed like a lot of fun. My only tiny niggle was that we didn't get to spend more time getting to know George as well. Another 50 pages would have been even better.

RIP VI Challenge

2011-09-01T08:08:00.002+01:00

It's finally here, RIP VI Challenge hosted by Carl V at Stainless Steel Droppings (full details here). A time to read books that fall under any or all of the following categories :

Mystery

Suspense

Thriller

Dark Fantasy

Gothic

Horror

Supernatural

There are a number of options for those taking part in the challenge (cleverly titled Perils) and I am opting for at least Peril the First. This means reading 4 books that fit into the genres above. Depending on time I may also add the Short Story and Film Perils as well.

Usually I have at least a rough idea of a pool of books, but this year I have so many things to read I don't know where to start. I am hoping to do the Readethon in October and read the same book as my friend and fellow blogger Jehara and we plan on reading Graveminder by Melissa Marr which will be for this challenge. Beyond that I have so much to choose from!

One thing I still plan on doing is mixing up the types of book I read. I try and cover fiction, graphic novel and manga formats to mix things up so expect me to stick with that idea again this year. All I know is I can't wait to get started. September 1st to October 31st is one of my favourite times of the year.

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The Safe Keepers Secret Trilogy - Sharon Shinn

2011-08-19T14:46:00.001+01:00

Three beautiful books set in the same fantasy world that weave stories of magic and hope. The first is The Safe Keepers Secret about a Safe Keeper (one who hears secrets and keeps their confidence) who is about to give birth. On the night she goes into labor, a stranger arrives and hands over another baby born that night to parents unknown. He whispers the secret of the child's parentage to another Safe Keeper and is found dead the next day so no one else can uncover the secret It is rumoured the baby could be of Royal birth, but without a Truth Teller who can say. Fiona and Reed both grow older with Fiona trying to follow her mothers footsteps and become a Safe Keeper and Reed not quite finding his place.

The Truth-Tellers Tale follows mirror twins Eleda and Adele, one a Truth-Teller (who always knows the truth and can never lie) and the other a Safe Keeper respectively. Eleda tells their story and the consequences of what happens when the local townsfolk and visitors mistake them for each other. For two very different girls, they are surprisingly close. Truth-Tellers often have trouble making friends as not many always seek to know the truth always so it's good that they always have each other.

The final book is The Dream-Makers Magic. In all the land there is only ever one Dream Maker. Their life is filled with misery and pain while they bring the fulfilment of dreams to those around them. It is a fickle power as the Dream Maker cannot chose which dreams to grant however. Here we meet Kellan, a girl brought up as a boy when her mother is convinced that's how she was born. She enters school and meets Gryffin, a crippled boy with a strong will and personality. They quickly become friends and their lives intertwine with each others until a Dream Maker changes everything.

I became quickly absorbed in each set of stories quickly and really felt I knew the chatacers by the end of each book. All three were excellent, but I think I enjoyed The Dream-Makers Magic a touch more than the other two. It left me with such a feeling of hope and joy by the end. Although each set of characters faces hardships in all three books, the message of strength and determination prevails.

These books are classified as YA fantasy, but they seem to me to be more like Alice Hoffman's magical reality as they are much more about people and relationships than anything fantastical. They would appeal to anyone who loves character driven stories and can be read in any order, please don't be put off if you don't normally read YA fantasy. I'm not sure who recommended these, but thank you whoever it was. If the rest of Shinn's books are as good as these I will be reading all of them!

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Fairy Tale Films

2011-08-13T12:52:00.004+01:00

I’ve been doing the Fairy Tale Challenge which was to watch or read 12 fairy tale inspired books or movies. I ended up watching quite a few films for this and thought I would do a quick review of them all here

1. Alice - A television drama shown on SyFy based on Alice in Wonderland

An original mini series where Alice is a young woman who follows her boyfriend into a fantasy world and discovers Wonderland is not what we remember from the children's novel. I thought this was really imaginative and I hope it's repeated again. It was a fun mix of sic-fi and fantasy and a new twist on a well known story.

2. Tangled - Disney film based on Rapunzel

The question is how to make Rapunzel a Disney Princess and this was achieved by having her stolen from her parents, the King and Queen, as a baby by Mother Gothel. Her hair has magic powers that restore youth and beauty which is why she was taken. Awesome film, I loved the humour and that Rapunzel is a heroine able to look after herself for the most part.

3. Fern Gully - Animated film looking at pollution in forests

Human Zak gets shrunk while cutting down trees in the forest and meets fairy Crysta and they band together to defeat the evil Hexxus (a monster made of pollution). Fairy magic must prevail I can't believe this was the first time I watched this. A delightful film and I love that Tim Curry is the voice of Hexxus.

4. The Last Unicorn - Based on the book by Peter S Beagle

My favourite all time film. Peter S Beagle wrote the screenplay too and it follows the last Unicorn in the world as she searches for what happened to the rest of her kind. Magician's, a Witch, mythical creatures, a Hero and an evil King. This has everything you need if you are a fairytale addict. Watch the film and read the book immediately.

5. My Neighbour Totoro - Ghibli anime about two young girls and a nature spirit

When Satsuki and Mei's mother is ill they move into the countryside with their father. Mei meets nature spirit Totoro and they have adventures on a Cat Bus. One of the most adorable films ever.

6. Red Riding Hood - Based on the fairy tale of the same name

Twilight director turns her hand to Red Riding Hood and puts her magic love triangle to the more traditional tale. The wolf is a werewolf that raids a forest village and when Valerie's sister is killed things really get going. I really liked it, it's dark and moody and I didn't figure out who the werewolf was which is very unlike me.

7. Beastly - Based on Beauty and the Beast

Terrible terrible modern take on Beauty and the Beast, Avoid at all costs!

8. Arrietty - Ghibli film based on The Borrows by Mary Norton

The newest Ghibli film which makes The Borrowers Japanese and English at the same time. The Borrowers are little people living under a house in the country and when Sho goes to stay with his grandmother (he is ill with a heart problem) he discovers them. Unfortunately he isn't the only one.

Bookish Haul

2011-07-09T13:39:00.001+01:00

I popped into town today for Harry Potter day to pick up a goodie bag (yes Mariel I got you one too) and took a detour to the book shop oops.

I got :

Finding Sky - Joss Stirling
Anno Dracula - Kim Newman (with a recommendation k. The spine from Neil Gaiman)
The Scarletti Curse - Christine Feehan (I really liked the cover and the blurb sounds interesting)
The Reluctant Mage - Karen Miller
Dark Heart Forever - Lee Monroe
Dark Heart Rising - Lee Monroe

Looking forward to getting stuck in!

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House of Night #1-6 - PC & Kristen Cast

2011-07-08T16:24:00.005+01:00

Format : Teenage Fiction, Urban Fantasy
Reason for Reading : iChallenge

Zoey is a normal teenager in highschool with a drunk boyfriend and regular BFF. Her life changes when she is marked by a vampyre tracker making her a fledgling vampire. No one knows why some people are marked and not others, but once you are you must move to the closed House of Night run by adult vampires. Fledglings get ill if they are away from adult vampires and if their body does not reject the change, they eventually transfrom into vampyres at some point themselves too (like a second pubity).

The series follows Zoey as she makes new friends and enemies, begins her worship of the Vampire Goddess Nyx and juggles a variety of different boys and men. Below is as vague a description of the first six books as I can manage to not give away any major plot or storylines.

Marked - 4.5/5

The main purpose is to introduce all the main characters and the House of Night including the rules, customs and set the main plot in motion. Zoey meets Stevie Rae who is to become her best friend and the bitchy Aphrodite. Aphrodite is immediately jealouse of Zoey and sets out to make life as difficult as she can for her. Zoey also finds out she has some unique powers.

Betrayed - 4.5/5

A series of murders has started happening and the victims are all people Zoey has a connection with from her old school. Zoey also starts to figure out what Nyx meant when she said all that is light is not good and all that is dark is not bad.

Chosen - 4.5/5

Things have taken a turn for the worse and Zoey struggles to help her best friend. She has three guys fighting over her and things between the vampyres and humans are starting to turn really nasty. The People of Faith (a right wing religious group) have never been comfortable with the Goddess worship of the vampyres and it's all getting ugly now.

Untamed - 5.0/5

Zoey has alienated all of her friends by not letting them get close to her and keeping information from them. The vampyres are trying to start a war with the humans and of her two friends left one is dead and the other a strange alliance... The main plot connecting the series is finally revealed and monsters from ages past are unleashed. We learn more about Zoey's Cherokee heritage.

Hunted - 4.0/5

Zoey and her friends are on the run from an immortal being who seems to have a connectoin to Zoey. The main problem is he seems to have some kind of mind control over the other fledglings and vampyres who can't see him for what he truely is. More of the legend is revealed.

Tempted - 4.5/5

Zoey has three men in her life again and Zoey begins to worry more about Stevie Rae. Aphrodite's visions are still not looking good and highlighting the connection between Zoey and the monster. By the end a lot more plot points are revealed and this is the first one to be told from viewpoints other than Zoey.

There are a lot of things I like about this series so far. I really enjoy the Goddess worship and pagan side. It's also a fun twist on the vampyre mythology plus it works well with the teenage and school setting. The first few books are definitely the best so far in the series as they blend the vampyre myths with regular humans and family relationships. It all gets a bit too bogged down in the supernatural side later on.

It's very well thought out with lots of little snippets of storylines along the way which all tie in as the books progress. My main crisicism though is that the side characters (especially Damien, Erin, Jack and Shaunee) are not fleshed out at all. They have very limited roles and only a few personality traits that fit a couple of small sterotypes. Overall though I really love these books and am looking forward to reading more.

Books in the series :

1. Marked
2. Betrayed
3. Chosen
4. Untamed
5. Hunted
6. Tempted
7. Burned
8. Awakened
9. Destined

Novellas (forthcoming) :

Dragon's Oath
Lenobia's Vow

Bizenghast v7 - M Alice LeGrow

2011-06-22T12:13:00.003+01:00

Rating : 2.5/5
Number of Pages : 192
Series : #7 Bizenghast
Format : Manga
Reason for Reading : Manga Challenge 2011

The penultimate in the series sees the final war begin. Many surprises are in store for Dinah and her friends and unfortunately most are not good. The artwork is still stunning, but it felt like mostly filler and a stepping stone to the final showdown. I loved this series at the beginning, but have gone off it lately. The story seems stilted and like it's drawn out for the sake of extending the series. My main worry is that now Tokyopop has shut down in the USA that the final installment won't get published. I really want to see how it all wraps up, despite not really enjoying this section.

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Once Upon a Time V Challenge wrap up

2011-06-20T21:38:00.003+01:00

I love the OUAT Challenge. Any excuse to read fairy tale, fantasy, myth and folktale based books is good in my book (pun not intended). there were a variety of different challenge options as always and this time I went for a mix of Quest the First and Second. I specifically read five books for the challenge and tried to do one from each genre (although myth and folklore are hard to distinguish at times) and mix up the formats I read.

1. Baba Yaga Laid an Egg - Dubravka Ugresic (folklore/mythology)
2. Return to Labyrinth v4 - Jake T Forbes & Chris Lie (fantasy)
3. The Young Merlin Trilogy - Jane Yolen (folklore/mythology)
4. Howl's Moving Castle - Dianna Wynne Jones (fairy tale)
5. Fables v12 The Dark Ages - Bill Willingham (fantasy/fairy tale)

I loved all of them and can't pick a favourite. Book two was a beautifully drawn manga and book five a trade paperback. The first a mix of fiction and non fiction and books three and four young adult. I haven't written most of the reviews yet, but promise to do so in the near future and add them to the review site. I can heartily recommend all five to anyone who loves this challenge for when (it had better run again...) it happens next year.

As the challenge covers genres I love, most of the other books I have read for other challenges could also have been slotted nicely into the challenge. Here are some of my favourites :

Fairest of All - Serena Valentino (fairy tale)
The Safe Keepers Secret - Shannon Shinn (fantasy)
Fables 13-15 - Bill Willingham (fantasy/fairy tale)
Darkest Mercy - Melissa Marr (urban fairy tale)
Storm Glass - Maria V Snyder (fantasy)

Bring on Once Upon a Time VI already!

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Baba Yaga Laid an Egg - Dubravka Ugresic

2011-06-19T21:00:00.004+01:00

Rating : 4.0/5

Number of Pages : 327

Series : Canongate Myths Series

Format : Myth Fiction/Non Fiction

Reason for Reading : Once Upon a Time V Challenge

This is a collection of Baba Yaga myths and stories told as short stories and a letter. The first follows a writer on a voyage to Bulgaria, the land her mother is from. Her mother has recently died and she is trying to reconnect with her. The second tells of three old women taking a holiday together in a spa as we look back over some of their life choices. The final section is a letter summarising all the Baba Yaga myths and stories to an uninformed reader and it raises some very interesting questions at the end.

The book looks at growing older, femininity, the differences in the myths and stories and the unlocking of secrets long buried. I didn't know much about the myths beforehand, just the essentials that she is a witch who lives in a house with chicken legs. It was fascinating to read more and see her in a more updated setting.

This book can be read in one sitting or as three separate sections. I read it all in one go, but definitely plan on going back and reading it again (especially the final section with all the myth details). I got totally caught up in the stories and wish that all myths had such concise but incredibly detailed summaries. I love this whole series and can highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in myths and stories. It fits in really nicely with the others in the collection, it's diverse and spans many different cultures. Looking forward to continuing with more in the near future.

Readathon - End of hour 24

2011-04-10T12:56:00.003+01:00

All done for another readathon. Final figures are :

Books Read - 6
Pages Read - 259
Total Pages - 1474

Time spent reading - 165mins
Time spent in cat related activities - 5mins

Time spent blogging/online - 10mins

Total time spent reading - 880mins

Books Read :

Baby Yaga Lays an Egg - Dubravka Ugresic

Fairest of All - Serena Valentino

As Puck would have it - Paul Ruditis (Charmed)

Return to Labyrinth v4 - Jake T Forbes & Chris Lie

Legends of the Dark Crystal v2 - Barbara Randall Kesel

The Young Merlin Trilogy 0 Jane Yolen (three books in one volume)

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?

When my husband got home around hour 11/12

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?

The Young Merlin Trilogy by Jane Yolen was great. A light read with a fun story to keep you going for about 3 hours.

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

Nope

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?

I didn't do any of the mini challenges apart from the first and last as I got caught up in reading, but they always work really well and keep people focused.

5. How many books did you read?

6. What were the names of the books you read?

See above

7. Which book did you enjoy most?

I think Fairest of All was my favourite although to be honest I loved them all!

8. Which did you enjoy least?

None, they were all awesome.

9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?

N/A

10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?

I can't remember if this was my third, fourth or fifth but I would definitely sign up for another one as a reader.

Readathon - End of hour 21

2011-04-10T10:02:00.004+01:00

Currently Reading : Again not decided what to pick up next. So many fun books to choose from!

Books Read - 5
Pages Read - 416
Total Pages - 1215

Time spent reading - 105mins
Time spent in cat related activities - 5mins

Time spent blogging/online - 10mins

Total time spent reading - 715mins

Now I have finished 5 books (3 novels and 2 mangas) and am undecided again what to read next. I'm debating between The Young Merlin trilogy by Jane Yolen or making a start on Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs...

Readathon - End of hour 20

2011-04-10T07:57:00.004+01:00

Currently Reading : Not decided yet, probably a manga next but not sure which one

Books Read - 3
Pages Read - 73
Total Pages - 799

Time spent reading - 50mins
Time spent in cat related activities - 5mins

Time spent blogging/online - 5mins

Total time spent reading - 610mins

I just fininshed my third book, one of the Charmed tie in novels. Am about to start book four but haven't yet decided what to read. Most likely I will pick up a manga or gaphic novel, but not sure which one yet.

Readathon - End of hour 19

2011-04-10T07:00:00.004+01:00

urrently Reading : As Puck would have it - Paul Ruditis (Charmed)

Books Read - 2
Pages Read - 128
Total Pages - 726

Time spent reading - 115mins
Time spent eating/cooking - 0mins
Time spent in cat related activities - 10mins

Time spent blogging/online - 10mins

Time spent sleeping - 300mins

Time spent being distracted by drunk husband - 45mins!

Total time spent reading - 560mins

After my husband came home drunk and distracted me I ended up going to bed from 12:15 - 6am. Back reading again for the last hour and should be fine to continue to the end now :)

Readathon - End of hour 10

2011-04-09T22:59:00.003+01:00

Currently Reading : As Puck would have it - Paul Ruditis (Charmed)

Books Read - 2
Pages Read - 143
Total Pages - 598

Time spent reading - 70mins
Time spent eating/cooking - 0mins
Time spent in cat related activities - 30mins

Time spent blogging/online - 20mins

Total time spent reading - 450mins

Two books completed now. Fairest of All was a really interesting fairy tale told from the point of view of the Queen in Disney's Snow White. We meet her as a young girl first falling in love with the King and see her through to the end of the film. An interesting perspective.

Readathon - End of hour 8

2011-04-09T21:01:00.004+01:00

Currently Reading : Fairest of them all - Serena Valentino

Books Read - 1
Pages Read - 158
Total Pages - 455

Time spent reading - 105mins
Time spent eating/cooking - 0mins
Time spent in cat related activities - 5mins

Time spent blogging/online - 10mins

Total time spent reading - 380mins

I finished my first book and it ended fantastically. Part fiction and part non fiction looking at the stories about Baba Yaga. The book I am reading at the moment looks at the Queen in Snow White and how she becomes the Wicked Stepmother we know form the Disney film.

Two of my Readathon Hellers

2011-04-09T19:05:00.001+01:00

Loki on my lap and Eris next to me ^_^

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Readathon - End of hour 6

2011-04-09T18:58:00.002+01:00

Currently Reading : Baba Yaga Laid an Egg - Dubravka Ugresic
Books Read - 0
Pages Read - 83
Total Pages - 297

Time spent reading - 105mins
Time spent eating/cooking - 0mins
Time spent in cat related activities - 5mins

Time spent blogging/online - 10mins

Total time spent reading - 275mins

I've just about finished my first book which is a mix of fiction and non fiction.

Readathon - End of hour 4

2011-04-09T16:59:00.002+01:00

Currently Reading : Baba Yaga Laid an Egg - Dubravka Ugresic
Books Read - 0
Pages Read - 84
Total Pages - 214

Time spent reading - 70mins
Time spent eating/cooking - 30mins
Time spent in cat related activities - 10mins

Time spent blogging/online - 10mins

Total time spent reading - 170mins

Readathon - End of hour 2

2011-04-09T15:00:00.004+01:00

Approaching the end of the second hour here are my stats :

Currently Reading : Baba Yaga Laid an Egg - Dubravka Ugresic

Books Read - 0

Pages Read - 130

Total Pages - 130

Time spent reading - 100mins

Time spent eating/cooking - 10mins

Time spent in cat related activities - 10mins

Total time spent reading - 100mins

1)Where are you reading from today?

The front room of my flat just outside London. Alternating between the round chair and the sofa when the cats steal the chair!

2)Three random facts about me…

I think my middle name Jane is really boring

My natural hair colour is blonde (it's currently a purply red colour)

I am addicted to playing Pocket Frogs and this will be a real test not playing it for 24 hours...!

3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?

One novel for OUAT V challenge

One Fairy Tale Challenge novel

One 11 11 11 Challenge novel

One Manga or Graphic Novel

Anything else I have time for and takes my fancy from the stack I have compiled on the sofa.

4)Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?

As above, I want to read a minimum of three novels and a manga or graphic novel.

5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?

In the early hours try reading graphic novels and manga. It helps keep you focused as they are short and picture focused.

Once Upon a Time and Readathon

2011-04-08T17:12:00.005+01:00

It's been ages since I last updated. Work is good just very very busy. I'm reading lots though and will eventually get around to putting up some reviews. In the meantime I have signed up for the Once Upon a Time V Challenge here and am really excited to get going on my books! It runs from 21sh March until 20th June and there are a variety of different challenge options. I haven't decide which one I will be doing yet, will just see how many books and I read and slot them in afterwards. I love the genres so am sure I will read lots. I'm not yet putting together a pool, I have so many cool books I could read for this challenge, I am just going to pick what takes my fancy as I go along :)

I will make a good start this weekend during the readatho which I have signed up for again. I can't wait to get started and will put together some books tonight ready for the 1pm UK kick off (I think that's the right time. I think we are GMT+1 now because of BST).

Green Witch - Alice Hoffman

2011-02-03T21:22:00.000Z

Rating : 5.0/5
Number of Pages : 135
Series : #2 Green
Format : Teenage Fiction, Fairy Tale
Reason for Reading : 11 11 Challenge

Green returns and the story continues from where Green Angel left off. Green is still making paper and is collecting the stories of the surviving townspeople on paper that seems appropriate. She is looking for her lost love as well as Heather who also went missing and she goes to seek those five women labelled as witches who may be able to help her. These include the water witch and the sky witch. She finds they have a lot of wisdom to share and she comes a step closer to those she seeks at each turn. We learn more about what happened to the town and why and uncover more secrets along the way.

This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read, even more so than the first book. It's short, but reads like poetry despite being written as prose. I would love to get a copy of this as an audiobook as it sounds wonderful when read out loud. I will definitely be revisiting Green and her world in both tales again soon and I can't praise this highly enough.

Series :

1. Green Angel
2. Green Witch

Blackbird House - Alice Hoffman

2011-02-02T19:17:00.000Z

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 225
Format : Fiction Anthology
Reason for Reading : 11 11 Challenge

A series of short stories by the wonderful Alice Hoffman all set in or around the same isolated house. It is originally build by a husband for his wife and two sones. They plan on starting a farm and a garden when he is lost at sea along with their two young children. The youngest son's pet blackbird who refused to fly escapes and makes it back home, but has turned white during the ordeal.

The house is not the only consistent aspect in the tales as the house passes through families and generations. A ghostly white blackbird is often seen and there are themes of love and loss. Sadly many of the characters become orphans or lose their children.

They are all beautiful and moving tales. One that really stayed with me was of a woman who loses her parents and home in a fire. She takes to living on the beach until some of the local women interfere and place her with the crippled blacksmith to keep his house. As time goes by she learns to trust and opens her heart again. She is gifted with a peach tree which is another constant in the tales that follow. Very highly recommended to anyone who likes great prose with a fairy tale lilt to it.

Angelic - Kelley Armstrong

2011-01-31T19:05:00.003Z

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 104
Series : Women of the Otherworld
Format : Urban Fantasy Short Story
Reason for Reading : To continue the series

A novella following renegade angel Eve. She was a witch who dabbled in dark magic in life and in death works on behalf of the Fates. It slots into the Women of the Otherworld series anywhere after Haunted (book five) where Eve first takes centre stage. She doesn't exactly go about her new job in a conventional way (this is pretty much why she is so useful to the Fates) and this time she is out to stop a djinn and a demonic rebellion. Problem is that when she does break the rules, she is always reprimanded and she is sick of it. She has it mind that this will be her last mission for the Fates and then she is done and quitting.

Nothing is as simple as it first seems though (isn't that always the way), and soon she is fighting for her life, trying to stop a rebellion and amidst all this there is also the potential that there is a traitor in the angelic ranks. I'm still loving this series. Eve is a great character with a lot of depth and I really hope she makes an appearance in later novels. It will be interesting to see if Savanah (her daughter) gets her own tale at some point as well.

iChallenge 2011

2011-01-20T18:12:00.003Z

Argh ok just one more challenge then...! I love urban fantasy so this is ideal for me. Full details are here. Basically the aim is to read 10 witchy, fae, vamp and were books. The books can be print, ebooks or audio. Rereads are fine, but reviews must be rewritten. This one should be a lot of fun. This really is my last one for 2011 though. Honest!

The Summoning - Kelley Armstrong

2011-01-16T12:03:00.001Z

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 390
Series : #1 Darkest Powers
Format : Teenage Fiction, Urban Fantasy
Reason for Reading : 11 11 Challenge

Chloe Saunders is a relatively normal girl in high school. What makes her stand out form her friends is that she hasn't started her period yet despite being 15 and her mother died when she was still young. One day in school everything changes. She finally gets her period, but then she starts to see ghosts. She is taken to the hospital after lashing out at the teachers at school when she is chased by a ghost who died in a fire. The school won't let her back in until she has had treatment at Lyle House, a place for troubled teens.

When she gets there she is soon diagnosed with schizophrenia and told it can be managed by medication. There are five other teenagers there and it soon begins to unfold that they are all special in their own way. Chloe is still seeing ghosts and they seem to want her to find out more about the mystery of the house. Is it mere coincidence that the other teenagers are gifted too or is something more sinister at work here.

I loved this book, the first in the Darkest Powers trilogy. I have read most of her adult series Women of the Otherworld and didn't suspect until about half way through that the two series are connected which was a nice surprise. It begins as a ghost story and then turns into a supernatural drama. I can't read to read book two as there are some major plot points revealed at the end and it finishes on a cliff hanger.

Series :

1. The Summoning
2. The Awakening
3. The Reckoning

Manga Challenge update and Challenge with Kailana

2011-01-09T23:04:00.003Z

Firstly the Manga Challenge is back again in 2011, for full details please go to the blog here. Nymeth and her boyfriend have very kindly made a new button for 2011 if you want to display it on your site.

I have signed up to one more challenge, one with Kailana at The Written Word. We have given each other a list of 4 books to read and have to read 3 minimum. I have put them in my sidebar along with my other challenge lists. It's getting a bit long now...

I have also been giving my book list from Nymeth for our reading challenge which are in the sidebar and should have my list from Mariel in a couple of weeks time when we meet up to exchange Christmas gifts (hopefully over a hot chocolate and cupcake).

Ink Exchange - Melissa Marr

2011-01-09T22:17:00.008Z

Rating : 4.5/5
Number of Pages : 313
Series : #2 Wicked Lovely
Format : Teenage Fiction, Urban Faery Tale
Reason for Reading : 11 11 Challenge

The second book in the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr introduces a new set of characters into this urban faery tale. Leslie's life is falling apart around her. Her mother has left her living with her father who seems to care about nothing and her brother who has become a drug dealer and user. His moods are all over the place and he isn't above using his sister to pay for his next fix by “donating” her to his friends. She used to be able to tell her best friend Aisling everything, but lately she is changed and their bond is strained. Part of the different are the two guys Aisling is always with, Seth and Keenan. It has been made very clear that Keenan's uncle Niall is off limits to her, but no one will tell her why.

Leslie yearns for a tattoo. Something symbolic to cling to that will help her believe she can turn her life around. She longs to move away to college and has been saving up and working hard on her grades so she can escape. She finally chooses a tattoo, one with dark feathery wings and piercing eyes in the middle. Little does she know though that it will bring more than just a symbollic change as it is linked to a very powerful dark fey.

I am so in love with this series right now and couldn't get enough of this book. It could stand alone from the first one but I would recommend trying to read them in order. I loved the characters and I love dark tales with the fae in them. You are really drawn into the world of the dark fey who are misunderstood and neither as cruel or as kind as some believe. I really hope to see more of these characters, especially Niall in future books. Definitely one for anyone who likes Holly Black and her dark faery tales.

Series :

1. Wicked Lovely
2. Ink Exchange
3. Fragile Eternity
4. Radient Shadows
5. Darkest Mercy

2011 Challenges

2011-01-01T20:13:00.005Z

I decided this year to do a single challenge post for the reading challenges I want to participate in next year.

Manga Challenge 2011 - Read 6 mangas minimum throughout 2011
Challenge with Nymeth - Read 3 books chosen by Nymeth
Challenge with Mariel - Read 3 books chosen by Mariel
Fairy Tale Challenge - Happily Ever After (Level 4). Read/watch any combination of original tales, modern tales, or films, resulting in 12 total selections
11 in 11 Challenge - Read stepped books in 11 categories (1 in the first category, 2 in the second etc).
Read 120 books in 2011
Series 5 Challenge - Read a minimum of 3 books to get up to date with a series
Graphic Novel Challenge - Expert Level, read a minimum of 10 graphic novels in 2011
RIP VI - Hopefully announced in September
OUAT - Hopefully announced around April time

I hope to stick to this list unless something really fun comes along... I am a challenge addict afterall! I will be keeping an updated list in my right sidebar again as it's good to cross books off as I read them.

Challenges Completed in 2010

2011-01-01T18:24:00.005Z

I managed to finish all of my reading challenges but didn't get around to wrapping most of them up doh.

Challenge runs throughout 2010 and is to read 6 mangas and watch 3 episodes or anime films.

~~1. Death Note v5 - Tsugumi Ohba~~
~~2. Death Note v6 - Tsugumi Ohba~~
~~3. Death Note v7 - Tsugumi Ohba~~
~~4. The Tarot Cafe v5 - Sang-Sun Park~~
~~5. The Tarot Cafe v6 - Sang-Sun Park~~
~~6. The Tarot Cafe v7 - Sang-Sun Park~~

Alternatives :

~~7. The Tarot Cafe v4 - Sang-Sun Park~~
~~8. Death note v8 - Tsugumi Ohba~~

Anime Watched

~~1. Blood: The Last Vampire~~
~~2. Ponyo~~
~~3. My Neighbour Totoro~~
~~4. Howls Moving Castle~~
~~5. The Cat Returns~~
~~6. Soul Eater Episodes 1 - 9~~
~~7. Ah My Goddess Flights of Fancy~~

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Read 4 horror/urban fantasy/mystery type books between 1/9/10 - 31/10/10. Review site here

~~1. The White Cat - Holly Black~~
~~2. Shakespeare's Counsellor - Charlaine Harris~~
~~3. Undead and Unfinished - MaryJanice Davidson~~
~~4. Brody's Ghost v1 - Mark Crilly~~

Runs from 21/3/10 - 20/6/10. Quest the Second is to read 5 books covering fantasy, fairy tale, folklore and mythology. Review site here

~~1. Twilight Graphic Novel v1 - Stephenie Meyer & Young Kim~~
~~2. Ella Enchanted - Gail Carson Levine~~
~~3. I am Mordred - Nancy Springer~~
~~4. The Tarot Cafe v4 - Sang-Su Park~~
~~5. Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief - Rick Riordan~~

Runs throughout 2010. Read 5 - 10 short story collections.

~~1. Elementals - AS Byatt~~
~~2. The First Person and Other Stories - Ali Smith~~
~~3. Fragile Things - Neil Gaiman~~
~~4. Dancing Girls - Margaret Atwood~~
~~5. The Eternal Kiss - Various~~

Runs from 1/12/09 - 30/11/10. Finish the following series:

~~1. Making Money - Terry Pratchett (Discworld)~~
~~2. Unseen Academicals (Discworld)~~
~~3. Lucinda, Dangerously - Sunny (Lucinda)~~
~~4. Archenemy - Frank Beddor (Looking Glass Wars)~~
~~5. Shalador's Lady - Anne Bishop (Black Jewels)~~

Extended until the end of 2010.

~~1. Gifts by Ursula le Guin~~
~~2. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami~~
~~3. The Good Fairies of New York by Martin Millar~~
~~4. Elementals by A.S. Byatt~~
~~5. Looking for Alaska by John Green~~

Challenge with Mariel

Extended until the end of 2010.

~~1. The Gift - Alison Croggon~~
~~2. Lamb - Christopher Moore~~
~~3. The Hours - Michael Cunningham~~
~~4. The Secret History - Donna Tartt~~
~~5. Cry of the Icemark - Stuart Hill~~

Runs throughout 2010. Expert level, read 10+ graphic novels.

~~1. Fables v10 : The Good Prince - Bill Willingham~~
~~2. Fables v11: War and Pieces - Bill Willingham~~
~~3. Buffy 8 v2 : No Future for You - Joss Whedon~~
~~4. Buffy 8 v3 - Joss Whedon~~
~~5. Buffy 8 v4 - Joss Whedon~~
~~6. Buffy 8 v5 - Joss Whedon~~
~~7. Buffy 8 v6 - Joss Whedon~~
~~8. Y the Last Man v2 - Brian K Vaughn~~
~~9. Y the Last Man v3 - Brian K Vaughn~~
~~10. Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits - Garth Enis~~
~~11. The Saga of Swamp Thing v1 - Alan Moore~~
~~12. Joker - Brian Azzarello~~

Read 3 - 6 Arthurian based books between 01/4/09 - 31/3/10.

~~1. I am Morgan Le Fey - Nancy Springer~~
~~2. Isolde : Queen of the Western Isle - Rosalind Miles~~
~~3. Maiden of the White Hands - Rosalind Miles~~
~~4. The Lady of the Sea - Rosalind Miles~~

Sookie Stackhouse Reading Challenge

Read all of the Sookie Stackhouse books between 1/7/09 - 30/6/10.

~~1. Dead Until Dark~~
~~2. Living Dead in Dallas~~
~~3. Club Dead~~
~~4. Dead to the World~~
~~5. Dead as a Doornail~~
~~6. Definitely Dead~~
~~7. All Together Dead~~
~~8. From Dead to Worse~~
~~9. Dead and Gone~~

LJ Smith Reading Challenge

Read The Vampire Diaries series between 1/9/09 - 31/8/10

~~1. The Awakening~~
~~2. The Struggle~~
~~3. The Fury~~
~~4. Dark Reunion~~

10 10 10 Challenge

Runs throughout 2010. Read books in the following categories:

My Friend Says

~~1. Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things - Ted Naifeh~~

Mind, Body, Spirit

~~1. Moon Lore - Gwydion O'Hara~~
~~2. Sunlore - Gwydion O'Hada~~

Tickle My Fancy

~~1. <The Scent of Her Breath - Melissa P~~
~~2. Divine Cruelty - Lee Ash~~
~~3. Enslaving Anna - Giselle Lorimer~~

We've Been Waiting So Long

~~1. Lady: My Life as a Bitch - Melvin Burgess~~
~~2. Silent Bob Speaks - Kevin Smith~~
~~3. The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents - Terry Pratchett~~
~~4. Deriks' Bane - MaryJanice Davidson~~

The Tube

~~1. Pied Piper - Debbie Viguie (Charmed)~~
~~2. Mystic Knoll - Dianna G Gallagher (Charmed)~~
~~3. Changeling Places - Micol Ostow (Charmed)~~
~~4. The Queen's Curse - Emma Harrison (Charmed)~~
~~5. Picture Perfect - Cameron Dokey (Charmed)~~

When I Wish Upon A Star

~~1. Ash - Malinda Lo~~
~~2. Peter Pan in Kensginton Gardens - JM Barrie~~
~~3. Beast - Donna Jo Napoli~~
~~4. Touch Magic - Jane Yolen~~
~~5. Wicked Lovely - Melissa Marr~~
~~6. Kind - Holly Black & Ted Naifeh~~

Eh, Aboot

~~1. The Edible Woman - Margaret Atwood~~
~~2. The Riddle of the Wren - Charles de Lint~~
~~3. The Year of the Flood - Margaret Atwood~~
~~4. Dancing Girls - Margaret Atwood~~
~~5. The Harp of the Grey Rose - Charles de Lint~~
~~6. Living with the Dead - Kelley Armstrong~~
~~7. Frostbitten - Kelley Armstrong~~

1, 2, 3, 4, Can I Have A Little More

~~1. Death Masks - Jim Butcher~~
~~2. Dead Over Heels - Charlaine Harris~~
~~3. Shakespeare Wrote for Money - Nick Hornby~~
~~4. Hunting Ground - Patricia Briggs~~
~~5. Heart of the Mummy - Tommy Donbavand~~
~~6. The Prophecy - Lynne Ewing~~
~~7. The Becoming - Lynne Ewing~~
~~8. The Final Eclipse - Lynne Ewing~~

Too Young To Know Better

~~1. Exchange - Paul Magrs~~
~~2. Never Slow Dance with a Zombie - E. Van Lowe~~
~~3. Green Angel - Alice Hoffman~~
~~4. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - Rachel Cohn & David Levithan~~
~~5. The Third Eye - Mahtab Narsimhan~~
~~6. White Crow - Marcus Sedgwick~~
~~7. The Tarot Reader's Daughter - Helen Dunwoodie~~
~~8. Ruined - Paula Morris~~
~~9. Cosmic - Frank Cottrell Boyce~~

Just Because

~~1. Psyche in a Dress - Francesca Lia Block~~
~~2. How to Make a Journal of Your Life - D. Price~~
~~3. The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ - Phillip Pullman~~
~~4. Juliet Naked - Nick Hornby~~
~~5. Austenland - Shannon Hale~~
~~6. The Secret Scripture - Sebastian Barry~~
~~7. The Secret Scripture - Sebastian Berry~~
~~8. The Other Hand - Chris Cleave~~
~~9. Selkie Island - Jorris Spencer~~
~~10. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead - Tom Stoppard~~

Vampire Series Challenge

Read 6 books in series that have vampires as the main/key characters. Runs throughout 2010.

~~1. Undead and Unpopular - MaryJanice Davidson~~
~~2. Undead and Uneasy - MaryJanice Davidson~~
~~3. Dead in the Family - Charlaine Harris~~
~~4. The Second Short Life of Bree Tanner - Stephenie Meyer~~
~~5. Undead and Unworthy - MaryJanice Davidson~~
~~6. Undead and Unwelcome - MaryJanice Davidson~~

Cozy Mystery Challenge 2010

Aim to read 6 Cozy Mysteries between 1/4/10 - 30/9/10

~~1. A Fool and His Honey - Charlaine Harris~~
~~2. Last Scene Alive - Charlaine Harris~~
~~3. Poppy Done to Death - Charlaine Harris~~
~~4. Shakespeare's Champion - Charlaine Harris~~
~~5. Shakespeare's Christmas - Charlaine Harris~~
~~6. Shakespeare's Trollop - Charlaine Harris~~

Books Read in 2010 and Favourites

2011-01-01T18:02:00.003Z
This year was about 50 books less than 2011. Overall I read 128 books 32,036 pages. Of the books I read the following are my favourites :

Overall Favourite - Shalador's Lady by Anne Bishop. Was it the best written book? No, but it was the book I most looked forward to and had the most fun reading. I had the ebook preordered and it came out while I was in Australia and I downloaded it and read it straight away while travelling.

Favourite Graphic Novel - Joker by Brian Azzarello
Favourite Manga - Tarot Cafe v5 by Sang-Sun Park (an excellent series)
Favourite Fantasy - The White Cat by Holly Black, I can't wait to read book two of this new series
Favourite Fiction - Austenland by Shannon Hale (a good, fun, light read) and The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
Favourite Urban Fantasy - Living with the Dead by Kelley Armstrong although it was a really tough call as I loved all the Charlaine Harris and Patricia Briggs books I read too
Favourite Teenage Fiction - White Crow by Marcus Sedgwick was amazing
Favourite Mystery - Shakespeare's Counsellor by Charlaine Harris (I highly recommend the whole Lily Bard series)
Favourite Fairy Tale - Green Angel by Alice Hoffman or Ash by Malinda Lo

Books read :

1. Shakespeare Wrote for Money - Nick Hornby
2. Isolde: Queen of the Western Isle - Rosaline Miles
3. Death Masks - Jim Butcher
4. Dead Over Heels - Charlaine Harris
5. The Awakening - LJ Smith
6. Pied Piper - Debbie Viguie (Charmed)
7. Maiden of the White Hands - Rosalind Miles
8. The Struggle - LJ Smith
9. The Lady of the Sea - Rosalind Miles
10. Dead Until Dark - Charlaine Harris
11. Exchange - Paul Magrs
12. Living Dead in Dallas - Charlaine Harris
13. Fables v10 : The Good Prince - Bill Willingham
14. Fables v11: War and Pieces - Bill Willingham
15. Hunting Ground - Patricia Briggs
16. Shalador's Lady - Anne Bishop
17. Archenemy - Frank Beddor
18. Club Dead - Charlaine Harris
19. Heart of the Mummy - Tommy Donbavand
20. A Friend in Need - MaryJanice Davidson (Short Story)
21. Undead and Unpopular - MaryJanice Davidson
22. Undead and Uneasy - MaryJanice Davidson
23. The Fury - LJ Smith
24. Dark Reunion - L J Smith
25. Psyche in a Dress - Francesca Lia Block
26. Undead and Unwed : A Honeymoon Story - MaryJanice Davidson (Short Story)
27. Twilight Graphic Novel v1 - Stephenie Meyer & Young Kim
28. Never Slow Dance with a Zombie - E. Van Lowe
29. Death Note v5 - Tsugumi Ohba
30. Green Angel - Alice Hoffman
31. Dead to the World - Charlaine Harris
32. Buffy 8 v2 : No Future for You - Joss Whedon
33. Ella Enchanted - Gail Carson Levine
34. Dead as a Doornail - Charlaine Harris
35. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
36. Buffy 8 v3 - Joss Whedon
37. Buffy 8 v4 - Joss Whedon
38. Buffy 8 v5 - Joss Whedon
39. Buffy 8 v6 - Joss Whedon
40. Death Note v6 - Tsugumi Ohba
41. Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami
42. Definitely Dead - Charlaine Harris
43. The Edible Woman - Margaret Atwood
44. A Fool and His Honey - Charlaine Harris
45. How to Make a Journal of Your Life - D. Price
46. The Prophecy - Lynne Ewing
47. All Together Dead - Charlaine Harris
48. I Am Mordred - Nancy Springer
49. From Dead to Worse - Charlaine Harris
50. Dead and Gone - Charlaine Harris
51. The Becoming - Lynne Ewing
52. The Final Eclipse - Lynne Ewing
53. Last Scene Alive - Charlaine Harris
54. Death Note v7 - Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata
55. Looking for Alaska - John Green
56. Elementals - AS Byatt
57. The Tarot Cafe v4 - Sang-Sun Park
58. Ash - Malinda Lo
59. Poppy Done to Death - Charlaine Harris
60. Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief - Rick Riordan
61. The Riddle of the Wren - Charles de Lint
62. Dead in the Family - Charlaine Harris
63. Moon Lore - Gwydion O'Hara
64. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner - Stephenie Meyer
65. The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ - Phillip Pullman
66. The Tarot Cafe v5 - Sang-Sun Park
67. Y the Last Man v2 - Brian K Vaughn
68. The Scent of Your Breath - Melissa P
69. Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens - J M Barrie
70. Juliet Naked - Nick Hornby
71. The Cry of the Icemark - Stuart Hill
72. Shakespeare's Champion - Charlaine Harris
73. The Tarot Cafe v6 - Sang-Sun Park
74. Austenland - Shannon Hale
75. Making Money - Terry Pratchett
76. Y the Last Man v3 - Brian K Vaughn
77. Beast - Donna Jo Napoli
78. Lady: My Life as a Bitch - Mervin Burgess
79. The Third Eye - Mahtab Narsimhan
80. Mystic Knoll - Diana G Gallagher (Charmed)
81. The First Person and Other Stories - Ali Smith
82. Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits - Garth Enis
83. The Saga of Swamp Thing v1 - Alan Moore
84. Fragile Things - Neil Gaiman
85. The Secret Scripture - Sebastian Barry
86. Joker - Brian Azzarello
87. The Gift - Alison Croggon
88. The Tarot Cafe v7 - Sang-Sun Park
89. Shakespeare's Christmas - Charlaine Harris
90. White Crow - Marcus Sedgwick
91. Silent Bob Speaks - Kevin Smith
92. Divine Cruelty - Lee Ash
93. Changeling Places - Micol Ostow (Charmed)
94. Death Note v8 - Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata
95. The Year of the Flood - Margaret Atwood
96. Undead and Unworthy - MaryJanice Davidson
97. The Tarot Reader-s Daughter - Helen Dunwoodie
98. Touch Magic - Jane Yolen
99. Unseen Academicals - Terry Pratchett
100. Undead and Unwelcome - MaryJanice Davidson
101. Shakespeare's Trollop - Charlaine Harris
102. Lucinda, Dangerously - Sunny
103. Dancing Girls - Margaret Atwood
104. The White Cat - Holly Black
105. Shakespeare's Counsellor - Charlaine Harris
106. Undead and unfinished - Maryjanice Davidson
107. Ruined - Paula Morris
108. Wicked Lovely - Melissa Marr
109. Brody's Ghost v1 - Mark Crilly
110. The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents - Terry Pratechett
111. The Harp of the Grey Rose - Charles de LInt
112. The Queen's Curse - Emma Harrison (Charmed)
113. Living with the Dead - Kelley Armstrong
114. Buffy 8 v7 - Joss Whedon
115. Comic - Frank Cottrell Boyce
116. Lamb - Christopher Moore
117. Picture Perfect - Cameron Dokey (Charmed)
118. The Other Hand - Chris Cleave
119. Frostbitten - Kelley Armstrong
120. The Eternal Kiss - Various
121. Derek's Bane - MaryJanice Davidson
122. Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things - Ted Naifeh
123. Kind - Holly Black
124. Selkie Island - Jorrie Spencer
125. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead - Tom Stoppard
126. Sunlore - Gwydion O'Hara
127. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
128. Enslaving Anna - Giselle Lorimer

Final Mini Reviews 2010

2011-01-01T17:28:00.004Z
So 2010 is over and I somehow just managed to finish all my challenges woo! I finished the final one on 29th December and am looking forward to starting some more challenges in 2011. I will stick to around the same number as this year as I only just finished everything I think.

Kind - Holly Black

Read for 10 10 10 Challenge. The final in the graphic novel fae trilogy illustrated by the wonderful Ted Naifeh. The story wraps up nicely with the main character finding resolution that is best for everyone except perhaps herself. ****

Selkie Island - Jorrie Spencer

Read for 10 10 10 Challenge. A saucy tale of a selkie and her human lover who returns after some time away to be confronter with the truth of the woman he loves. ****

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and Dead - Tom Stoppard

Read for 10 10 10 Challenge. A play set within Hamlet following Rosencrantz and Guildenstern who are mere bit parts in the famous tale. It's full of nonsense and intrigue, I would really like to see this on the stage and have it come alive properly. ***1/2

Sunlore - Gwydion O'Hara

Read for 10 10 10 Challenge. Companion novel to Moonlore filled with myths and folktales about the sun and the gods and goddesses associated with it. ***

The Secret History - Donna Tartt

Read for Challenge with Mariel. The story begins letting you know the protagonist has been involved in a murder. It then backtracks and fills in the story with who, why and where. I enjoyed it but felt it was too long and didn't make the most of the suspense built at the end. Average overall. **1/2

Enslaving Anna - Giselle Lorimer

Read for 10 10 10 Challenge. Sexy tale about a young woman who starts a new job and is secretly taken by her boss to become a willing sex slave. Very explicit and many similarities with The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by Anne Rice. This hit the mark more than Divine Cruetly by the same publishers. ****

Mini Reviews 2

2010-12-22T13:45:00.001Z
The rest of my overdue mini reviews as promised.

The Queen's Curse - Emma Harrison (Charmed)

Read for 10 10 10 Challenge. Paige has met her Prince Charming. Literally. Problem is he's from a magical community and has to marry a magical being by his birthday or all the non magical beings in his world will die. He has fallen in love with a non magical girl but is willing to put that aside to save his world. Can Paige live with their deaths, marry the Prince or find another alternative. ***

Living with the Dead - Kelley Armstrong

Read for 10 10 10 Challenge. Robyn is a normal woman until she is wrongly wanted for the murder of her boss. Luckily her friend Hope and her boyfriend Karl are on hand to help out. They are more than they seem, Hope is a half demon who feeds on chaos and Karl is a werewolf thief. The person responsible for the murder is a clairvoyant and part of a magical commune trying to hide from the Cabals. Dark and compelling. *****

Buffy 8 v7 - Joss Whedon

Read for 10 10 10 Challenge. The penultimate graphic novel in the latest series of Buffy which carries on from where the television show finished. The identity of Twilight is revealed finally. This was pretty rubbish to be honest. The cover gives away a major plot point and I was really unimpressed. *

Cosmic - Frank Cottrell Boyce

Read for 10 10 10 Challenge. A tale of Liam, an 11 year old from Liverpool who looks much older than he is. He manages to get on a spaceship as the responsible adult with a group of children which gets into trouble. Hillarious! *****

Lamb - Christopher Moore

Read for Mariel's Challenge. The gospel according to Biff, Christ's childhood pal. What to say, it's excellent and follows Biff and Christ from infancy to the time of Christ's death. I gave it to my husband to read after I was done and I think he enjoyed it even more that I did. *****

Picture Perfect - Cameron Dokey (Charmed)

Read for 10 10 10 Challenge. The Charmed Ones attend the opening of Mural House which was a landmark building inhabited by artists with a troubled history. A love affair went wrong and William disappeared with Isobella dying not long afterwards. On discovery of a hidden mural by Isobella a new evil is released and it is up to the sisters to stop the killings. ****

The Other Hand - Chris Cleave

Read for 10 10 10 Challenge. The back of the book says not to tell anyone about the story suffice to say it involves a refugee and a couple she met in Africa. It was ok, nothing great though. **

Frostbitten - Kelley Armstrong

Read for 10 10 10 Challenge. Elena and Clay are werewolves and are sent to Alaska to track down a fleeing young rogue werewolf and investigate some potential wolf killings. Things become very complicated very quickly with wolves from Russia and something else lurking in the woods. *****

The Eternal Kiss - Various

Read for Short Story Challenge. A selection of short stories all about vampires. My favourite was The Coldest Girl in Cold Town by Holly Black. It;s about a girl who has been infected with the vampire virus. She is trying not to drink human blood for the required number of days to stop from becoming a vampire. A guy comes to her for help as his sister and her boyfriend have disappeared. ****

Derik's Bane - MaryJanice Davidson

Read for 10 10 10 Challenge. Novel about the werewolves from the Queen Betsy books. Derik is becoming an alpha and fighting with his pack leader. He is sent on a mission to save the world by meeting up with the reincarnation of Morgan Le Fey. Problem is they have instant chemistry so he may not be able to complete his mission. ****

Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things - Ted Naifeh

Read for 10 10 10 Challenge. Recommended by Darla D, this is a gothic graphic novel where Courtney Crumrin moves in with her parents to her spooky grandfathers house. Very similar to the Nightmare and Fairy Tales series. ****

Mini Reviews

2010-12-21T13:05:00.004Z
So yes I'm mega behind updating my blog. Again! I figured I would just do some mini (really mini reviews) until the end of this year just to get back up to date and then start blogging again regularly in January.

Shakespeare's Trollop - Charlaine Harris

Read for Cozy Mystery Challenge. The fourth Lily Bard murder mystery where one of Lily's clients is found dead in the woods. It looks like a crime of passion and she was known to be a little free and easy with the love. On investigating it looks like it may have been staged. ****1/2

Lucinda, Dangerously - Sunny

Read for the Series Challenge. The second book about the Demon Princess Lucinda. Great dark fantasy similar to Anne Bishops Black Jewels series. Someone is after Lucinda and she must protect her new family of mixed beings. ****

Dancing Girls - Margaret Atwood

Read for the Short Story Challenge and 10 10 10 Challenge. A series of short stories by Canadian author Margaret Atwood. Each one follows a different person and is a short snap shot into their life. Some are narrated by men but all feature women in a prominent role. ***1/2

The White Cat - Holly Black

Read for the RIP V Challenge. The first in a new series for adults which is set in our world but as if magic was real and people who are able to use it are called curse workers. Cassel is part of a family of curser workers but doesn't have magic of his own. He did a terrible thing asa child which he can barely remember and the events come back to haunt him. *****

Shakespeare's Counsellor - Charlaine Harris

Read for RIP Challenge. The final in this murder mystery series where Lily Bard finally starts seeing a counsellor for her rape, but one of the other members is found murdered and she starts to unravel the mystery. *****

Undead and Unfinished - MaryJanice Davidson

Read for the RIP V Challenge. The newest Queen Betsy book which sees the series back on form. Betsy and her sister Laura go to hell to learn more about the Book of the Dead and Laura's heritage. Lots of secrets are revealed when they meet their future selves and it ends with an excellent twist. ****1/2

Ruined - Paula Morris

Read for the RIP V Challenge. A ghost story set in New Orleans in the Garden District. I bought it while I was on holiday there and loved reading all about places I had been. Suspense with lots of twists, definitely recommended. ****

Wicked Lovely - Melissa Marr

Read for the 10 10 10 Challenge. The first in a series of urban faeries. Aislinn has always been able to see faeries but pretends not to so they don't bother her. Faeries are dark and dangerous and the Summer Prince Keenan decides that Aislinn is his new Bride and destined to help him become King. Many have gone before her and haven't been the one so have become the Winter Girl. Problem is Aislinn is in love with a mortal and doesn't want anything to do with the fey. *****

Brody's Ghost v1 - Mark Crillly

Read for the RIP V Challenge. A manga about a young bum who meets a ghost one day. She needs his help to move on and to help get over his ex girlfriend. An excellent mix of East meeting West. ****

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents - Terry Pratchet

Read for 10 10 10 Challenge. What happens when a cat and a bunch of mice can talk and become conscious in the same way humans are? This fun novel! Bits of the Pied Piper and Pratchet's usual wit. ****

The Harp of the Grey Rose - Charles de Lint

Read for 10 10 10 Challenge. The first book published by CDL. Fantasy novel where a young man falls in love with a mysterious new girl. She isn't what she seems and is taken away by an evil being. He follows after the girl and a whole new adventure begins. The story evolves beyond the typical fantasy fare, but wasn't one of my favourites. ***1/2

RIP V Challenge Wrap-Up

2010-11-01T15:45:00.003Z
The RIP V Challenge has just finished held again by Carl V with full details here. I decided to read a minimum of 4 books over mystery, horror, dark fantasy etc and I met my quota. What I haven't done yet is get around to writing any of my reviews. It's been a busy few weeks with travelling and then starting a new job, but I be back on top of things (hopefully) by the middle of this month. Anyway, back to the challenge, I read the following specifically foe the challenge and will put up reviews soon :

1. The White Cat - Holly Black (horror, fantasy)
2. Shakespeare's Counsellor - Charlaine Harris (mystery)
3. Undead and Unfinished - MaryJanice Davidson (urban fantasy, vampire chicklit)
4. Brody's Ghost v1 - Mark Crilley (ghost story manga)

I also read a few other books during the challenge that cross over to other challenges :

5. Undead and Unwelcome - MaryJanice Davidson (urban fantasy, vampire chicklit)
6. Shakespeare's Trollop - Charlaine Harris (mystery)
7. Lucinda, Dangerously - Sunny (dark fantasy)
8. Ruined - Paula Morris (teenage fiction, ghost story)
9. Wicked Lovely - Melissa Marr (teeenage fiction, dark fairy tale)
10. The Queen's Curse - Emma Harrison (Charmed tie-in novel)
11. Living with the Dead - Kelley Armstrong (urban fantasy)
12. Buffy 8 v7 - Joss Whedon etc (horror graphic novel)

Of the four books I read specifically I really enjoyed them all, but at a push would say I enjoyed The White Cat the most. It was Black's first adult novel and I liked that it still had teenage characters but was nice and dark. I'm looking forward to the second book in the series coming out. Of the other books I read I really enjoyed Wicked Lovely, Living with the Dead and Ruined. I bought Ruined while in New Orleans and it is set in one of the cemeteries there which I had visited in the Garden District which made it seem more real somehow. I can't wait for next years...!

Gone Travelling!

2010-10-08T11:14:00.001+01:00
At Heathrow airport and am off to New York for a couple of days for comicon. Then on to New Orleans where I plan on seeing Chris from Stuff as Dreams for a few more days. Finally off to Arizona to see Jehera and the Grand Canyon and back home on 19th.

Good luck to everyone doing the readathon and if anyone is going to comicon email me as I am all on my lonesome.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Undead and Unworthy & Undead and Unwelcome - MaryJanice Davidson

2010-09-24T16:41:00.003+01:00

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 285
Series : #7 Queen Betsy
Format : Urban Fantasy Novel
Reason for Reading : Vampire Series Challenge

Betsy is back and still the Queen despite multiple efforts to kill her. This time the Ant turns up which is made more annoying as she is a ghost and only Betsy can see her. Usually she has some task to help the ghost perform before they can move on, but in her usual annoying style the Ant refuses to tell her what that is.

The main story follows the Fiends though. They have gotten out and have become conscious again because Garret has been feeding them his blood secretly. They are not happy bunnies though and blame Betsy for their treatment despite her trying to explain that she has in fact saved their lives multiple times. They want her dead (what’s new) and are powerful and violent enough to possibly pull it off. Also Detective Nick Berry is also not helping by deliberately putting her in danger trying to find some rogue cops who are killing the criminals that have been let off for lack of evidence. Nick wants to catch them by conventional means, rather than murdering them even if they are guilty.

This is the first in a new plot arc and I am still stunned by the ending. Not one but two of my favourite characters seem to be gone and I keep thinking that Betsy can save them but it seems not possible. It was funny, but it did have a lot more depth to it than the previous ones in the series. I’m wondering what scrapes Betsy will get herself into next.

Rating : 3.5/5
Number of Pages : 236
Series : #8 Queen Betsy
Format : Urban Fantasy Novel
Reason for Reading : Vampire Series Challenge

After the ending of Undead and Unworthy Betsy and Sinclair need to travel to meet with the werewolves to discuss some political issues. They take baby John with them, but there is a strange vibe with the werewolves. The pack leader doesn’t seem to notice him or be aware of his existence and another seems really angry he is there. Betsy is being held accountable for the events of Undead and Unworthy and has to answer to the werewolf council. This of course doesn’t go as well as planned, but Betsy goes along with it out of a sense of guilt.

Meanwhile back at the mansion, Mark is home alone with Tina until Betsy’s half sister Laura (the daughter of the devil. No really) pretty much moves in. She has always rebelled against her mother by teaching Sunday School etc, but she is predicted to cause the end of the world. Strangers start showing up at the house having followed a star and they want to worship her. Mark tries to help but sets Laura off on a whole new tangent and perhaps the end of the world isn’t so far away now…

The series has begun a new story arc with the last book and in comparison to the first set they are a lot more serious. I’m not sure yet if this is a good or bad thing. What I really loved about the early ones were how funny and frivolous they were. The light hearted elements are still there, but they are fewer now and the focus is more on the storyline than the pithy putdowns and banter. I did like it overall and I will definitely keep reading them, but I do miss the earlier tone.

The Tarot Reader's Daughter - Helen Dunwoodie

2010-09-14T15:41:00.001+01:00

Rating : 3.5/5
Number of Pages : 246
Format : Teenage Fiction Novel
Reason for Reading : 10 10 10 Challenge

Rosa is in high school and has moved with her family from Edinburgh town centre out to the surrounding countryside. Her younger brother has asthma and when the traffic increased around their old house their parents decided that the move away was needed. Her brother is a little favoured over her, but as Rosa loves him she doesn’t let it upset her. She tries to put a brave face on things so as not to upset him and tries her best to settle in to the new house.

She explores the area and keeps seeing a strange boy about her age and a strange tumbled down old house that once would have been very grand. She is drawn to him but he seems to keep ignoring her. She also finds a pack of tarot cards when she is unpacking some of her parents boxed for them. Her mother doesn’t believe in fortune telling and goes white when she sees them which makes Rosa very curious indeed. It emerges that her mother has a secret past which Rosa is determined to uncover. Rose also has a gift for reading the cards which both interests and scares her.

This was a fun tale. I liked Rosa, her family and her friend Clara who is very bookish. On the downside the language changed quite a bit with seemingly random Scottish words thrown in a bit inconsistently. I read tarot myself and was a bit disappointed in the way there were portrayed with them ultimately causes upset and unease. Shame really as I really liked the premise of the story and the way it unfolded.

Touch Magic - Jane Yolen

2010-09-12T15:39:00.001+01:00

Rating : 3.5/5
Number of Pages : 128
Format : Fairy Tale Non Fiction Novel
Reason for Reading : 10 10 10 Challenge

I first came across this book on the recommendation of Nymeth at Things Mean a Lot a couple of years ago. It’s a collection of essays by fairy tale and fantasy author Jane Yolen. It looks at the place of folklore, mythology and fairy tale in the development of children as well as adults. There were a few quotes that really stood out :

“Literature is a textually transmitted disease, normally contracted in childhood.”

Which continues “While an occasional reader manages to get through those early years without contact with a book, most of us who are afflicted by literitis (that’s the medical term) get it early. Its symptoms are an inability to go by a bookstore without stopping in, a passion for late night reading, wrinkled skin from bathtub books, tendonitis from typing, large bottoms from all that sitting, and squinty eyes.”

Yolen also eludes to the beautiful view from the Manhattan apartment she grew up in, but that she never enjoyed it as she was always curled up with a book in her own fantasy world rather than the one outside. Another part of the book I liked was where Yolen compared the different versions of the same story (for example Snow White and Cinderella) in synopsis with the different variations. You get to see the older, more violent versions and see how they have changed over the years, the readership has changed and the effect of Disney. Shame Yolen doesn’t seem to like Disney at all, I like his versions as well as the blood and guys tales. I think it’s ok for both to exist, as long as people don’t just go down the Disney route.

There were a few great recommendations for novels to read which I am looking forward to seeking out. I also really enjoyed Yolen’s style of writing as I haven’t read any of her non fiction before. It felt at times like a conversation with lots of personal anecdotes and stories. I didn’t agree with everything she said, but it made me think and question my beliefs and why I have them which is always good.

Two Terry Pratchett Books

2010-09-09T15:34:00.000+01:00

Rating : 3.5/5
Number of Pages : 480
Series : #31 Discworld
Format : Fantasy Novel
Reason for Reading : Series Challenge 2010

This follows on nicely from Going Postal. Moist von Lipwig returns with a new challenge. He has been getting bored running the post office as things are running very smoothly. He has even taking to breaking in when darkness falls! Vertinari gives Moist the chance to work running the bank. He has to defer to a dog though when the former owner dies and the dog has the majority shares. The problem is the members of the great banking family the Lavishes all want to be in charge and Moist is definitely in their way.

Meanwhile Adore Belle Dearheart is off looking for the fabled golden golems and things take a very interesting turn when the results of her diggings arrive in Ankh Morpork. The usual side characters make small cameo’s like Angua, Carrot, CMOT Dibbler and DEATH. It is mostly led by new characters though apart from the wonderful Vetinari who I still think deserves his own novel.

This was lots of fun and sees Pratchett on fine form. I like Moist and Adora as characters and it was good to see someone else besides me want to emulate Vetinari! I loved how Cosmo’s story wrapped up and it will be fun to see which characters are in the next Discworld book. Plus the new Tiffany Aching novel is out soon. I wonder if this will be the next one to be made into a television adaptation.

Rating : 1.5/5
Number of Pages : 480
Series : #32 Discworld
Format : Fantasy Novel
Reason for Reading : Series Challenge 2010

The wizards take centre stage for the part of this tale where the Unseen University has to put together a foot-the-ball team as part of a behest. There are lots of teams around the city and they play by dangerous rules where the crowd gets involved. The Patrician uses his usual manipulating skills to set up his own rules in the end and the university take on a team full of shady characters just out of the tanty (prison) mixed with legitimate players. Ridcully is concerned as the former Dean has joined a new university and claims to be their Archchancellor and as everyone knows there can only be one.

The other storyline revolves around Glenda (a cook in the University who runs the night kitchen), her apprentice Juliet, Trevor Likely and Mr Nutt (work with the candles). Juliet is beautiful and becomes a model of micromail made by the dwarves (she has to wear a fake beard). She defers to Glenda who is like a big sister to her. Trevor’s dad used to be a famous foot-the-ball player and he has sworn never to play despite his talent and he falls hard for Juliet. They support opposing teams though so it’s a little Romeo and Juliet. Mr Nutt is another mystery and is labelled a Gnome but is something completely different it turns out.

I wanted to like this book but I really didn’t. I don’t like football so the general plot didn’t appeal to me. Plus the final match is commentated on kick by kick. Reading it was even more dull than watching a football match. I don’t really like the wizards and the only character I really warmed to was Glenda. The puns were pretty rubbish and I so nearly abandoned finishing it so many times which is nearly unheard of for me. I know there are a lot of die hard fans out there, but this was definitely a miss for me.

A Treasure Trove of Books

2010-09-07T20:51:00.001+01:00
My Gran who I love dearly and is my favourite person in the world has just moved into a nursing home. I'm sad and happy at the same time. Happy as I don't have to worry about her hurting herself alone at home but sad as it's where she will be now until she dies.

Anyway my mum and I have started to sort through her house and began with her books. She has some beautiful ones and my mum bagged a signed Rudyard Kipling first edition with beautiful illustrations as well as a first edition Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens with plates not pictures by the wonderful Arthur Rackham.

I found The Little White bird by JM Barrie which is a lovely second edition. I also discovered Gullivers Travels with Arthur Rackham illustrations. It's not the plates like my mum found but is sill beautiful.

My real treasure was finding a first edition, numbered and signed copy of A Fairy Garland illustrated by Edmund Dulac. It's in amazing condition and is a collection of fairy tales translated from the French. I can't wait to read it and will make sure it stays in the family.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Year of the Flood - Margaret Atwood

2010-09-07T12:47:00.001+01:00

Rating : 5.0/5
Number of Pages : 448
Series : Companion to Oryx and Crake
Format : Fiction Novel
Reason for Reading : 10 10 10 Challenge

This novel is set alongside Oryx and Crake with events leading up to the predicted Waterless Flood. Adam One leads the peaceful group The Gardeners who do not eat meat and work for the preservation of the land in a time where science and technology rule. Gene splicing it everywhere and people often get there looks changed as well as creating new animals like liobams (lions that have qualities of lambs). We meet Toby who works for SecretBurger (who knows what meat is in the burgers) looking for an escape from her sadist boss Blanco. Adam One rescues her and although she begins not believing the philosophy of The Gardeners, she makes a life with them and becomes a respected member and teacher (she has a good knowledge of herbs and medicines).

We also meet Ren, a young girl growing up with The Gardeners after her mother ran off with Zeb leaving her father behind in one of the scientific projects. Ren is an innocent little thing and we meet her when she works in Scales and Tails, a high end sex club. We see the paths that both women’s lives took them before and after the flood. We also see Crake before he becomes Crake and Snowman and it was fun figuring out which of the amazing cast of characters they would turn out to be.

Typical Atwood style of writing with the story jumping around in time and alternating between Ren and Toby as storytellers. I cannot tell you how much I loved this book. I got really into Oryx and Crake and thinking back I can’t decide which one of the two I like best. The characters were well rounded and I really wanted things to work out for the two very different women. Ren who manages to stay innocent despite where her life takes her and Toby who stays strong against all adversity. The ending was as annoying as Oryx and Crake with it ending seemingly mid story. I can only hope this means Atwood will come back to it and write a third novel at some point.

The First Person and Other Stories - Ali Smith

2010-09-05T12:41:00.000+01:00

Rating : 3.5/5
Number of Pages : 217
Format : Fiction Anthology
Reason for Reading : Short Story Challenge 2010

A fresh collection of short stories from Ali Smith. The first story was definitely my favourite and looked at the form of short stories set with a cancer patient as the backdrop. There is a new expensive drug that could help lots of women, but as it’s expensive is not readily prescribed by doctors. The other one that really stood out was what happens when a woman is shopping in a supermarket and when she turns back to her trolley there is a toddler in it who calls her Mummy and everyone assumes is hers. I love how she deals with the situation.

I like how most of the stories feel like they could actually have happened in Smith’s real life. She is excellent at blending reality with fantasy. Unfortunately they didn’t grab me as much of some of her other collections and stories so I wouldn’t recommend this for your first dip into Ali Smith’s world.

The Third Eye - Mahtab Narsimhan

2010-09-04T12:39:00.000+01:00

Rating : 3.5/5
Number of Pages : 248
Format : Teenage Fiction Novel
Reason for Reading : 10 10 10 Challenge

Tara and Suraj live in a small village with their father and stepmother. Their grandfather was the village healer but he disappeared shortly before a stranger turned up saying has more power than anyone else. Their mother went after their grandfather so their father remarried a cruel woman who treats his children like slaves while he does nothing but watch. The final straw comes when she tries to poison them both so Tara takes her brother and they run away to try and find their missing family members.

People from the village have been going missing and it all seems connected to the stranger. He seems to have an unnatural influence over the people and has a pulsating third eye in the middle of his forehead. He is bent on trying to destroy the siblings as only their bloodline can defeat him. Other people have been going missing from the village and other local places, something sinister is definitely going on.

Tara was a great character and has to undergo a series of trials throughout the novel which she comes through fantastically. I loved the Indian setting which made a change from many teenage fantasy books. It was set up nicely at the end for a sequel and I can definitely see myself spending time back in this world.

Lady: My Life as a Bitch - Melvin Burgess

2010-09-03T12:36:00.000+01:00

Rating : 3.5/5
Number of Pages : 197
Format : Teenage Fiction Novel
Reason for Reading : 10 10 10 Challenge

Sandra is seventeen and is out of control. She has ditched her more stable, hard working friends including her boyfriend and is having casual sex with multiple partners (hence the parental advisory sticker on the front). She’s distancing herself from her family and is still recovering from her dad moving to America and leaving her behind.

One night she is out with a guy when she stumbles into a tramp. He takes a shine to her and when she runs from him, he chases her. Suddenly her whole world is different as she has been changed into a dog. Soon it emerges that this is not the first time the tramp has changed someone into a dog and it happens whenever he gets angry. She meets other humans-turned-dogs who keep trying to get her to forget her humanity and embrace her inner dog. She begins to lose herself until she sees missing posters with her picture on them and decides to go back and visit her family. From there she has a choice to make, will she stay with them or give in to her more animal instincts.

I really liked this novel and I was in two minds whether I wanted her to stay a dog or change back into a human girl. The reader is kept guessing as well as to how it will end and I keep changing my mind if it was the ending I wanted or not! It was told really well and despite the fact that she got turned into a dog it was still somehow completely believable. I will check out some more of his novels, Junk seems to be rated pretty high.

Beast - Donna Jo Napoli

2010-09-02T12:33:00.000+01:00

Rating : 3.0/5
Number of Pages : 260
Format : Teenage Fiction, Fairy Tale Novel
Reason for Reading : 10 10 10 Challenge

A look at Beauty and the Beast where the Beast is a Persian Prince. He is making an offering of a camel but she is not pure. He decides to go ahead with the sacrifice anyway as all of the preparations have been made and there are no other camels they can use. As a result he is cursed to be killed by his own father and transformed into a lion.

He first tries to live as a lion and travels to India. He tries to fit in with a couple of different prides but he doesn’t really understand the laws of the lions. He has his own mind but in a different body. He is chased away on more than one occasion and is lucky to still be alive. From there he travels to France and the story becomes more traditionally Beauty and the Beast when a man finds the castle where he has been living and in exchange for his life he promises to being his youngest daughter to live with the Beast.

I wanted to like this but it didn’t really grab me. It was like reading two completely different books that had been sandwiched together. I know it’s a fairy tale, but I still wanted to be able to believe in the story and the characters and I really didn’t. My favourite was the little fox cub who got a very raw deal I felt poor thing. One thing I did like though was all the Persian detail and the glossary at the back of the book. A lot of research clearly went into writing it and it’s a shame it felt so short and glossed over.

Mystic Knoll & Changeling Places- (Charmed)

2010-09-01T12:28:00.000+01:00

Rating : 3.0/5
Number of Pages : 217
Series : #28 Charmed
Format : Teenage Fiction, Witchcraft Novel
Reason for Reading : 10 10 10 Challenge

The three Charmed Sisters are all in need of a holiday and Paige is desperate to get them away from the Manor for a few weeks. She wants to visit Salem and Massachusetts and eventually the Piper and Phoebe agree so they set off with Leo and baby Wyatt as long as they can spend some time on the beach. Of course nothing runs smoothly and when their flights are delayed and they follow some bad directions which leads them to stay the night in a motel in a sleepy little town.

There is a mystery surrounding the town and the motel. The owners granddaughter is prone to fits and something magical seems to be at work. Plus the sisters are not sure that her grandmother is mistreating her. Not one to shy away from a problem they all follow different routes of investigation that lead them to the nearby Mystic Knoll which magnifies power. They find out the truth behind the towns stories about the motel owners which include a bad witch who cursed her daughter and many of the townsfolk before she died. Can the Charmed Ones stop the curse from coming into effect before the granddaughter is lost forever.

Lots of drama and excitement it was nice to have an adventure away from the Manor and San Francisco. It was good to meet a character who didn’t believe in magic despite being literally surrounded by it! I like the play on taking a superstition and making it truly magical and hidden behind a wall of science.

Rating : 3.0/5
Number of Pages : 152
Series : #29 Charmed
Format : Teenage Fiction, Witchcraft
Reason for Reading : 10 10 10 Challenge

The Charmed Ones are back and this book is set shortly after baby Wyatt is born. Piper is a new mum and wants to have it all. Spend time with her son, run P3 and be the eldest sister of The Charmed Ones. Something is going to have to give though as there just aren’t enough hours in the day to do all three. Luckily Paige’s new temp job is at a day care centre so Wyatt can spend some time there and still have his aunt to take care of him leaving Piper some time to go back to work.

When Wyatt comes back from day care he won’t sleep or eat and keeps throwing tantrums. Other parents remove their babies and toddlers from the centre and Paige begins to suspect Piper’s worries about Wyatt might not be paranoid guilt from not spending her time at home with him. Could the babies have been switched and if so why and by who. No one messes with The Charmed Ones and definitely not their children…

This was fun, nothing too exciting but it was good to have one in the series where the bad guy isn’t one of the guys the sisters are dating. It’s so fun seeing how much the sisters have grown. Phoebe is now working as an advice columnist, Paige is focusing on her temp jobs and Piper has completely transformed into the ultimate earth mother. I really miss the show and it’s always fun to revisit with a new story.

RIP V Challenge

2010-08-31T21:09:00.004+01:00
Yay the fifth RIP Challenge hosted here by Carl V at Stainless Steel Droppings is here. I'm so excited as I love this challenge and the fairy tale Once Upon a Time one he hosts. I am signing up immediately for Peril the First which means reading at least 4 scary books (mystery, suspense, thriller, dark fantasy, gothic, horror, supernatural) throughout September and October.

Carl makes it easy by letting you leave open your book list and not having to decide in advance. I have a whole pile of books to choose from that I might read. My pool of books (very much subject to change) is looking like :

* Silver Borne - Patricia Briggs
* Mona Lisa Awakening - Sunny
* Blood Rites - Jim Butcher
* The Strain - Guillermo Del Torro
* 20th Centuary Ghosts - Joe Hill
* From s Whisper to a Scream - Charles de Lint
* The Awakening - LA Banks
* The Good, The Bad and the Undead - Kim Harrison
* Living with the Dead - Kelley Armstrong
* The Sandman - Neil Gaiman (need to catch up with this series in general)

Death Note v8 - Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata

2010-08-31T15:44:00.000+01:00

Rating : 3.0/5
Number of Pages : 208
Series : #8 Death Note
Format : Manga Novel
Reason for Reading : To continue with the series

Light has taken on the role of L and is now battling L’s protégés Near and Mello. Near is in charge of the SPK, a special task force in the pay of the American President. Mello on the other hand rules a band of mafia and mercenaries based out of the USA as well. Mello’s group has captured Light’s sister and it us up to him and his father to get her back without revealing the identity of L or Kira.

The usual gang are working on the Japanese task force and it becomes a case of Light’s team working with Near but still trying to find out his real identity so they can kill him. Both teams are after Mello who gets his hands on a Death Note and a new Shinigami that turns up. Misa continues to be in the story, but very much in the background.

The usual mental Olympics as all three try to out manoeuvre each other. I haven’t really warmed to Near or Mello yet but it’s interesting to see the opposite paths they have taken to try and achieve the same goal. They are battling to prove which of them is the best by bringing down Kira, while Kira is trying to defeat his two new enemies.

Divine Cruelty - Lee Ash

2010-08-31T15:26:00.002+01:00

Rating : 3.0/5
Number of Pages : 233
Format : Erotic Fiction
Reason for Reading : 10 10 10 Challenge

Rachel is a slave who reads tarot for her Master. To do this she needs to blank out all other thoughts and feelings and this is done by a mixture of pleasure and pain. She has never lied to her Master but when a slave trader named Pearl arrives she deliberately misinterprets the cards as she is worried that Pearl will cause chaos to her and her Masters world. She keeps drawing the same three tarot cards, The Lovers, The Tower and The Devil. Pearl brings some new slaves into the mix who have body modifications that mix the grotesque with the beautiful and sensual.

Meanwhile Rachel spends illicit time with her Master’s brother who has always had a thing for her. He wants to buy her and add her to his own stock and there seems to be some genuine feelings between the two amid all the bondage and pleasure parades. Not all is as it seems and Rachel in her arrogance believes she knows the motivations of her Master, his brother and Pearl but in truth nothing is as it seems.

This is slaves and masters in the erotic fiction variety of course and this is very focused on domination, submission and humiliation. Some of it was very sexy but other parts just made me say ewww. The sex was constant but there still managed to be a decent story running through it. I would say it was written for women to read rather than men just because of the language and descriptions. Oh and I hate the cover, the woman looks like a transvestite.

Silent Bob Speaks - Kevin Smith

2010-08-30T13:17:00.001+01:00

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 330
Format : Non Fiction Biography
Reason for Reading : 10 10 10 Challenge

A collection of columns for various magazines (all seem to be British) written by direction and comic author Kevin Smith. Some were written after Chasing Amy, others while Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back begins it’s casting and others while Jersey Girl is being filmed. They aren’t technical in focus, more Hollywood gossip and Smith’s musings along with a couple of emails from people who love or hate him along the way.

He’s very self deprecating and doesn’t hold back adding personal stories for example about his sex life with his wife and her wanting to get a nude portrait painted of herself. Some of the casting meet and greets with actors and actresses were really interesting and it was good to see his take on people like Shannon Elizabeth, Selma Blair and Eliza Dushku.

Some of it is a little too much information. There is a section on his bowel movements after being put on a weight loss pill and some of the crude references made even me blush! If you are offended easily stay away, there is a lot of bad language and sexual references, but it’s mostly tongue in cheek (no pun intended!) and supposed to be funny (which it was). I love his films and his comics and would definitely read more of his musings and podcasts.

White Crow - Marcus Sedgwick

2010-08-29T13:15:00.000+01:00

Rating : 5.0/5
Number of Pages : 265
Format : Teenage Fiction Gothic Horror
Reason for Reading : 10 10 10 Challenge

The latest teenage fiction novel from Brit author Marcus Sedgwick. This is his take on a gothic novel and I couldn’t put it down! Rebecca and her father move to the country for the summer after there is some media controversy over his involvement in a police case. In the sleepy town Winterfold, which is slowly falling into the sea, she meets the troubled Ferelith.

In between the modern storyline we are taken back in time to a Priest in the 1700s who is seeking the secret of life after death. A Doctor from France moves in to the Hall in town and the two put their heads together to come up with a series of horrible experiments to try to communicate with the dead and find out if there really is life after death and what it is like if so. The Priest fears for his mortal soul as he can picture Hell in great detail, but his imaginings of Heaven are lack lusture and seem fake to him.

The story jumps between the two sets of tales as they interweave. The narrative moves from Ferelith to the unnamed Priest to a look at Rebecca and they slowly all converge across the centuries. Ferelith is such a sinister character and when I finished reading this in bed I have to admit to flicking to the end to check how it ended. I was scared I would have nightmares and wanted to see it turned out ok! Very naughty I know and I can’t remember the last time I did that. It’s my favourite of his books yet and I can’t recommend it enough. Subtly building I really felt for Rebecca and there were still so many questions buzzing around my brain long after it ended.

Austenland - Shannon Hale

2010-08-28T13:13:00.000+01:00

Rating : 5.0/5
Number of Pages : 208
Format : Fiction Novel
Reason for Reading : 10 10 10 Challenge

Jane Hayes has a problem, she is secretly obsessed with Mr Darcy from Price and Prejudice. She is in her 30s and single when her great-aunt dies who was quite well off. Her aunt knew of her predilection and instead of leaving her money, leaves her a holiday in an English country manor where everything is set up as in Regency England.

At the manor there is another guest and Jane can choose her name as well as what age she wants to be. She sticks with her own identity and is excited to meet the actors playing the ladies and gentlemen at the manor. Included is Mr Nobley who plays the pride filled Darcy role. Jane can’t settle into her role and is attracted to the out of bounds gardener (ladies don’t associate with the help). Can she let go and be swept away in the story, or will she keep her walls up and not really enjoy the experience.

I loved this so much! Such a fun idea for a story and although the ending was a little cheesy, it was just what I wanted. It’s very different to her other fairy tale Bayern books, but that’s just the mark of a great writer that they can turn their hand to different styles. No one is quite what they seem and at the end the true characters emerge in a really fun climax.

The Cry of the Icemark - Stuart Hill

2010-08-27T13:11:00.001+01:00

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 511
Series : #1 Chronicles of the Icemark
Format : Teenage Fantasy Novel
Reason for Reading : Challenge with Mariel

Thirrin is a young (14 year old) warrior Princess who will lead her people after her father dies. She has grown up educated in the art of war despite her young age and it is all she lives for. She lives in Icemark which is a small kingdom in the North which has harsh winters. A mighty Southern empire (Polypontian empire based on the Romans) threatens the safety of the country and it is up to Thirrin to save her people. She has the help of Oskan, a powerful male witch who could go dark.

She discovers allies in unusual places. First there are the wolf people when she takes a chance and spares the life of one who turns out to be their ruler. The wolf people then lead her to the vampires in the Land of the Ghosts and to the giant snow leopard’s in the far north. The problem is will her allies reach her before her enemy defeats them and will they keep to their promises.

This was a lot of fun and I am looking forward to the second book in the series. I really warmed to the characters and especially loved the spoiled cat Primplepuss. Likewise I really liked the snow leopards and the differences in their impulses and the way they reacted to situations.

Shakespeare's Christmas - Charlaine Harris

2010-08-26T15:48:00.000+01:00

Rating : 5.0/5
Number of Pages : 207
Series : #3 Lily Bard
Format : Cozy Mystery
Reason for Reading : Cozy Mystery Challenge

Lily returns to her hometown for a week before Christmas for her sisters wedding on Christmas Eve. She has just started seeing detective Jack Leeds and isn’t sure quite where things stand. Due to her dark past she has a lot of trouble getting close to people and has determined not to ask anything of him. She does take the plunge and ask him to spend Christmas Day with her when she returns to Shakespeare which he accepts.

When she gets to home things are much as she left them. Her family still find it difficult to be around her, but her sister in particular is making a real effort. Lily is out of her depth having to dress up for various dinners, showers and the wedding itself where she is the maid of honour. Problem is that people are starting to die. First the local doctor and his assistant are brutally killed in their office and it looks like it was by someone they knew. More bodies begin to follow and it all seems to be linked to an unsolved case from 8 years ago. Jack turns up to work on the case and there are three main suspects, one of which is Lily’s prospective brother-in-law. They need to solve the case in 3 days before her sister marries Dill.

This was by far the best in the series so far. It kept me guessing right until the end as you don’t really know which of the three men is responsible for the murders and previous crime. Again there is lots of character development and I really like both Lily and Jack. Plus spending time with her family and old friends was interesting to see how her life was completely thrown in the air after her horrendous ordeal. I can’t wait to read the next one.

Juliet Naked - Nick Hornby

2010-08-25T15:45:00.000+01:00

Rating : 4.5/5
Number of Pages : 256
Format : Fiction Novel
Reason for Reading : 10 10 10 Challenge

Duncan is obsessed with American musician Tucker Crowe. He was best known for his album Juliet Naked which is allegedly about his affair with model Juliet. Shortly afterwards he was visiting a club to see some bands perform when he suddenly left and disappeared from the public eye not writing so much as a note since. The online community Duncan is part of has dedicated vast amounts of time to discussing Crowe’s disappearance and when a new version of Juliet is released it sends the little community into overdrive.

Duncan’s partner Annie doesn’t take to the new demos and it puts even more of a strain on their relationship. She posts her own review for the community to read after Duncan writes one that praises it sky high. Hers is less complementary. Unbeknownst to Duncan she receives an email from Tucker and after a couple of questions it seems to be genuine. From there begins a friendship that spans the globe and destroys many of the preconceived ideas and stories about Tucker as Annie gets to know the real story in secret.

This was a look at relationships, music and parenthood. The usual dry wit you associate with Hornby. I like that the story switches between the three characters narrating, mostly Annie and Tucker, so you get to read their own different takes on the situations that arise. The ending was lovely and just what I secretly wanted without being cheesy or corny. I can’t wait to see what Hornby writes next.

Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens - JM Barrie

2010-08-24T15:40:00.000+01:00

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 177
Series : Prequel to Peter Pan
Format : Children’s Fiction, Fairy Tale Novel
Reason for Reading : 10 10 10 Challenge

This was written after Peter Pan but is a prequel. There is lots of information and anecdotes about Kensington Gardens in London as well as the story of Peter Pan and how he came to be the boy who never grew up. There is a story about how prospective parents ask the birds for a child and that is why children think they can fly as they were born as baby birds.

Not all of the stories feature Peter Pan, the first half is a series of short tales about the different sights in the gardens and some of the children who have visited. It also talks about Barrie’s visits with the children to the gardens and I am ashamed to admit that while I have been living by London for nearly 10 years I still haven’t been to the gardens. I really must go and see if the monuments and sights have changed much since Barrie’s time.

This was beautifully illustrated by Arthur Rackham with over 50 full colour illustrations plus many pen drawings and this was how I found the book even existed. It was funny, sweet and makes a lovely collection to anyone’s library.

A couple of illustrations from the book :

Scent of Your Breath - Melissa P

2010-08-23T15:38:00.001+01:00
Rating : 1.5/5
Number of Pages : 119
Series : Companion to 100 Strokes of the Brush
Format : Erotic Fiction Novel
Reason for Reading : 10 10 10 Challenge

The follow up to One Hundred Strokes of the Brush when Melissa has grown up a little. She revisits some previous relationships and the narrative jumps around a little. She seems desperate to have a baby but when she miscarries it spells the end of her relationship as well. Not must of the erotic and sensual aspects of the first book, this is more inwardly focused on what Melissa thinks and feels.

I didn’t really like this. The first one was very sensual and I really warmed to Melissa. In this one I just found her really self absorbed and annoying. Luckily it was a short book or I would have tossed to aside and not bothered to finish it which is pretty much unheard of behaviour for me.

New Blog

2010-08-23T10:17:00.003+01:00
I thought I would set up a second blog to use as a journal. I wasn't sure if two would be too many to manage, but after some thinking I decided that I do want to keep my reviews seperate from my general randomness. The link is http://rhinoasadventures.blogspot.com/

This blog will continue as usual and I am nearly caught up on my reviews and should reach my goal of being completely up to date by the end of next month. I've also been keeping on top of my google reader finally.

Y the Last Man v2&3 - Brian K Vaughn

2010-08-22T12:28:00.000+01:00

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 128
Series : #2 Y the Last Man
Format : Graphic Novel
Reason for Reading : Graphic Novel Challenge 2010

Yorick and his friends are still being pursued by the Amazons which unbeknownst to him includes his sister. They are also being pursued by an Israeli squad with a secret commander. The group are forced to jump off a train and all reunite in a sleepy town Marrisville, Ohio. The town has a secret it is keeping hidden from the rest of the world and when the trio discover it, it provokes mixed responses and emotions.

The Amazon’s finally catch up with them and there is a showdown between Yorick and his sister. The art is nothing too exciting, but good enough to tell the story and serves its purpose. This is a story driven rather than artistic driven series from Vertigo.

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 168
Series : #3 Y the Last Man
Format : Graphic Novel
Reason for Reading : Graphic Novel Challenge 2010

Yorick may not be the last man for much longer. Out in space is a spaceship with three astronauts, one a woman and two men. They need to land back on earth and the question is will whatever wiped out all the men work on them or has it moved on/deactivated. No one knows or understands what killed all the males (apart from Yorick and his monkey of course) so they are going to have to risk a landing and hope for the best.

Yorick hates being the last man and is very hopeful that the two men will survive the landing and be able to take on the mantle of repopulating the world’s men. A Russian lady joins the team who made a couple of brief appearances in the second book and I really liked her. The Israeli squad also catches up with them and some more storylines are closed and new paths open up.

This series keeps you guessing with lots of twists and turns, I will definitely be reading more in the future. I love the ideas behind it and the character development so far has been really good.

The Tarot Cafe v5-7 - Sang Sun-Park

2010-08-21T12:18:00.000+01:00
Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 208
Series : #5 Tarot Cafe
Format : Manga
Reason for Reading : Manga Challenge 2010

Pamela is slowly becoming the main focus of the series and in this instalment she travels to Scotland to try and find out more information about her past. She uses a perfume that lets her relive her memories, but this is at a cost as she is forced to relive the negative and painful ones so she is stuck in a nightmare. It is up to her friends to help her, but can they get to her in time.

As always the artwork is stunning and I was mesmerised by the drawings. It continues straight from the end of volume 4 and I cannot wait to see what happens next as we are drawn further and further into Pamela’s life and her past.

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 192
Series : #6 Tarot Cafe
Format : Manga
Reason for Reading : Manga Challenge 2010

The penultimate volume in the series and it is the first one that has one continuous storyline running through it. Pamela is still learning about her past and trying to understand the work of fate. We get to discover it with her and learn about the characters right along with them. Meanwhile, Alecto delivers a surprise to Pamela which startles her. We get to learn more about Ash and his back story with some new surprises there too.

Lots of unexpected twists and it ends on quite a cliff hanger. Only one more to go and then I will have to say goodbye to Sang Sun-Park’s beautifully crafted world.

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 192
Series - #7 Tarot Cafe
Format : Manga
Reason for Reading : Manga Challenge 2010

Sadly this is the final instalment in the Tarot Café series although there is a short novel I haven’t yet read. This follows Pamela exclusively as she travels into Hell to finally confront Belial in his castle Pandemonium. She takes such a risk to save Belus who is dying back in London and she wants to end her contract with Belial once and for all.

There are some old and new characters as she travels to the heart of Pandemonium including Harlequin (I seem to be reading lots of stories with Harlequin in them lately), Chiron and some of the characters she has helped with her readings. She travels through some of the levels of Hell including Diss to get to the final confrontation where there are a few more surprises in store for Pamela which change everything.

This was much more horror than fairy tale in contrast to come of the earlier collections. I felt the series could have had more instalments and the ending was a little rushed, but then again it’ always nice to find a shorter manga series and overall I really loved it. The art was stunning as always and I definitely recommend this series even if you haven’t read any manga before.

The Secret Scripture - Sebastian Barry

2010-08-20T15:31:00.000+01:00

Rating : 2.0/5
Number of Pages : 312
Format : Fiction Novel
Reason for Reading : 10 10 10 Challenge

The narrative alternates between Roseanne’s personal testimony as she approaches one hundred and Dr Grene who runs the asylum where she was placed a number of years ago in her twenties. Roseanne tells her life story growing up with a mother who was also committed after her father died. She gets married to a Catholic despite being a Protestant in Ireland during dangerous times of unrest. There is a priest who does what he thinks is best for Rose, but his motives are questioned.

Dr Grene has his own problems. The home is being demolished and he is approaching retirement. There is not enough room in the new building for all of the patients and recent press forces him to look at if any of the patients were wrongly committed. Rose’s case is intriguing and he begins to try and question her to see if he can make alternative arrangements. Her version of events differs somewhat from those recorded in the old files.

I was very disappointed by this novel. There is a big twist, but the problem was I guessed the twist in the first couple of chapters and was annoyed that it was so simple and I was correct. I am not sure I would read more by this author as things stand.

Testing

2010-08-19T23:23:00.002+01:00
So I finally got a new iPhone recently which I have already downloaded lots of apps to. One is a blogger app and basically I'm seeing if it works! I at least included a photo of me and Eris caught snoozing a few days ago. I can't believe how big the kittens are now, but they are one now so technically not kittens anymore...

Looking forward to a fun weekend. My dad just turned 60 and me and my sister have a fun day of celebrations planned. I won't say here as he is sneaky enough to try and spoil the surprise. Tutt tutt.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ - Philip Pullman

2010-08-19T15:27:00.001+01:00

Rating : 3.5/5
Number of Pages : 245
Series : Canongate Myth Series
Format : Fiction Novel
Reason for Reading : 10 10 10 Challenge

Another in the Canongate Myths series and this time it is Phillip Pullman taking on Christianity. It is a retelling of the life of Jesus Christ with the twist that Jesus and Christ are actually twin brothers. It begins with their conception and the idea is proposed that their father is a boy from the village posing as an angel. This is left up to the reader to decide and from there the boys grow up with very different personalities.

Lots of key events from The Bible are described but with the two boys taking on different characters. It goes right through to the death of Jesus on the cross and his resurrection as Christ and puts a whole new spin on some of the most famous stories ever told. It addresses some of the issues with the way the stories of Jesus were recorded and how they are open to misinterpretation.

It was an interesting read and it’s a shame so many seem to have got bogged down in whether it is blasphemous or not. Being part of the myths series rather than in the religious section along with copies of The Bible and Qu’arn etc, I feel that it is irrelevant whether people are offended or not. It’s Pullman’s fictional take on the stories as an artist and author and it poses some very interesting questions like many good books. It’s not anti-Christian, but it is very clearly anti-Church. Sometimes you do have to wonder though has Pullman written this just to live up to his reputation of being controversial as obviously he knew the types of response such a novel would elicit.

Fragile Things - Neil Gaiman

2010-08-18T09:44:00.002+01:00

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 448
Format : Fantasy Anthology
Reason for Reading : Short Story Challenge 2010

A collection of short stories, a follow up to Smoke and Mirrors, by acclaimed Fantasy author Neil Gaiman. I won’t go through each story, just the ones that I particularly enjoyed. The first was A Study in Emerald that matches Sherlock Holmes with Cthulhu myths. Everything is twisted around in this excellent detective story. How to talk to Girls at Parties was a fun look at what happens when two human teenagers stumble into a party filled with
women not quite of this world. Teenage angst with a sci fi twist.

The Problem of Susan is a tale I had often wondered about myself and it was interesting to read Gaiman’s take on what happened to Susan after the events of The Last Battle. She isn’t taken by Aslan as she is too into fashion and make-up. Harlequin Valentine was another dark and fun tale looking at love and is included in a Lisa Snellings-Clark book inspired by her artwork. The final tale is a novella which catches up with Shadow after American Gods finishes. American Gods is my favourite Gaiman book and it was a lot of fun catching up with him again. A strange tale, but one that will stick in my mind for some time to come.

There were a couple of stories I had read before in other collections, but for the most part they were all new to me. I read Smoke and Mirrors about 8 years ago and I don’t remember enjoying it as much as this set. There were a couple I didn’t take to, but overall a fun and freaky read. Everything you would expect from Gaiman.

3 Graphic Novel Reviews

2010-08-17T11:39:00.001+01:00

Joker - Brian Azzarello

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 128
Format : Teenage Graphic Novel
Reason for Reading : Graphic Novel Challenge 2010

A one shot graphic novel after the Joker is proclaimed sane and let out of Arkam Asylum. Jonny Frost is sent to pick him up and quickly gets drawn into his world which clearly is not sane! Since his stink in Arkam the city has been split between the various mobsters and crime bosses and the Joker has nothing. He has returned to claim what is his and he isn’t of the mind to ask nicely.

A whole host of villains turn up in the story including Harlequin, Penguin, Riddler and Two Face/Harvey Dent. Batman is always in the background and only appears at the very end. The Joker makes comment though that he is always watching from the shadows. He leaves behind him a wake of death and destruction and Jonny who narrates the tale gets sucked further and further in to the madness.

Dark and very well drawn. Excellent story and I loved the twisted ending which I won’t spoil here. A classic and you don’t need to be a Batman fan or have read any of the other graphic novels to enjoy this. Although perhaps, enjoy is not the right word…

Hellblazer : Dangerous Habits - Garth Enis

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 160
Format : Graphic Novel
Reason for Reading : Graphic Novel Challenge 2010

A one shot story of Constantine. Enis was wondering what to do with Liverpudlien John Constantine who has been to hell and back. Literally. He fights demons and is a poor mans magician and con man who although he doesn’t do bad will not be going upstairs when he finally kicks the bucket. Unfortunately that day may not be too far away now.

Enis has the radical idea of killing Constantine. He has always been a chain smoker and after coughing up blood and bits of his lungs, he finally goes to see a doctor and is diagnosed with late stage, terminal lung cancer. He runs various scenarios in his head and visits the few “friends” (human and otherwise) he has left alive before coming to the conclusion that there is nothing he can do. Instead he devises a plan that just might work, a way to preserve his life and miss out on an eternity being tortured in hell. Problem is he has to die first.

The film with Keanu Reeves was based partially on this graphic novel so I knew portions of the story. This however was much more explicit, dark and dangerous. Very gripping but best not to read it right before bed like I did as it may give you nightmares!

Saga of the Swamp Thing v1 - Alan Moore

Rating : 3.5/5
Number of Pages : 176
Series : #1 Saga of Swamp Thing
Format : Graphic Novel
Reason for Reading : Graphic Novel Challenge 2010

The first volume of Alan Moore’s take on Swamp Thing. In the introduction he gives an overview of the previous comics that introduce Swamp Thing and his origin story as scientist Alec Holland who works on a plant growth promoting “bio-restorative” with his wife. His experiment is sabotaged with a bomb and he is blasted into the swamp covered in his own untested bio-compounds. And thus The Swamp Thing is born and he acquires a group of confidants including Abby Arcane, neice of his one time nemesis.

In the first few panels of Moore’s version, he literally takes Swamp Thing apart and recreated him. He kills the character and reinvents his own in a fantastic twist. Once he has established his own version of events which tie in with the previous comics, he is free to begin his new tale.

This was a dark comic and one of the best I have read in some time. I can definitely see why this is a cult classic. Written back in the 80s it looks like Moore has finally returned to the series and the collected volume two is out later this year. I loved the end twists and can’t wait to see what Moore has in store for the characters next.

The Second Short Life of Bree Tanner - Stephenie Meyer

2010-08-16T11:36:00.000+01:00

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 178
Series : Twilight Series
Format : Teenage Fiction, Urban Fantasy Vampire Novel
Reason for Reading : Vampire Series Challenge

A Twilight novella set during the time of Eclipse. We follow Bree Tanner who is a new vampire, part of the new born army that attacks the Cullens in Eclipse. We learn how she was turned and see her trying to survive her second life in a nest of cruel and violent newbies. Bella never really acts like a newborn in Breaking Dawn so it was interesting to spend time with a group of them and see why the Cullen’s are so wary of turning her and surprised with the results.

She does manage to make a friend in Diego, but unfortunately it doesn’t last as he gets in the way of Riley and Victoria’s plans. Watching her trust and get close to someone was so sad knowing it was all going to end in tears. Reading about some of the kindness between the other newbies acts of violence, killing and destruction was like a balm. Bree also befriends Fred who has the talent of being able to repel the other vampires and Bree can hide in his aura. He is the only one to make it out alive so perhaps Meyer will write another novella to continue his story.

It came out just before Eclipse in the cinemas which was excellent marketing. It’s quite sad reading it as you are drawn into Bree’s life and you know how the story ends and it isn’t happy… I actually enjoyed this more than I was expecting, perhaps because it was a bit darker than the other Twilight books. I was glad Bree found some happiness in her short second life. This was a fun visit back to the Twilight world with a twist.

Moon Lore - Gwydion O'Hara

2010-08-15T11:34:00.001+01:00

Rating : 3.5/5
Number of Pages : 187
Format : Non Fiction Anthology
Reason for Reading : 10 10 10 Challenge

This is a collection of myths and folktales featuring the moon from around the world. They are abbreviated versions from a variety of different cultures and traditions. The book has sections on the different moons throughout the year (eg. Hare Moon, Harvest Moon) and tales that correspond. Some feature the Man in the Moon and why there are dark spots, others are the various creatures and deities linked to the moon.

It was a lovely collection and introduction to myths and legends and I will definitely be following up on some of them and tracking down the original source material. It was good to read outside the usual Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Celtic and Norse tales. There is a companion volume called Sun Lore which I am looking forward to reading this year.

Dead in the Family - Sookie Stackhouse

2010-08-14T15:06:00.001+01:00

Rating : 4.5/5
Number of Pages : 320
Series : #10 Sookie Stackhouse
Format : Urban Fantasy Vampire Novel
Reason for Reading : Vampire Series Challenge

Sookie is back for book ten in the series that spawned the excellent tv show True Blood. This one focuses on the different family relationships of the various characters mostly concerning Eric. His maker (the Roman Appius Livius Ocella) arrives with his “brother” who causes a stir when it is revealed he is a famous character from history (don’t worry I won’t spoil it here).

Claude moves in with Sookie after Amelia moves back to New Orleans. She also has to look after a young family member and help him begin to come to grips with his talents. Tension is running high in the two natured community as the government is trying to make them all register which is upsetting the were’s in particular.

It’s a little lighter than the previous novel which made a nice change and was one of my favourites so far. I enjoyed looking at the different relationships. It’s less graphic on the sex and violence compared to some of the previous books in the series and you would need to read the earlier books to really appreciate this one. I can’t wait for the next in the series and see what Sookie and the gang get up to next.

The Riddle of the Wren - Charles de Lint

2010-08-13T08:52:00.002+01:00

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 295
Format : Fantasy Novel
Reason for Reading : 10 10 10 Challenge

Charles de Lint’s first novel (not his first published, but his first written) before he moved on to his Newford books. Minda Sealy has always had bad dreams in which she is terrified. One night while asleep she meets Jan (Lord of the Moors) who has been imprisoned by Ildran the Dream Master. He is trying to capture Minda and imprison her too in his rise for power. Jan gives Minda three tokens and the next morning she finds a way to flee her father and begin a journey to find and rescue Jan.

On her travels she uses standing stones to travel between different worlds. She makes many friends, some are human and others are various different fae creatures and animals who can speak. Together they must battle Ildran and the evil creatures he sends after Minda in their many forms.

De Lint incorporates much Celtic lore and mythology in this many-worlds novel which I really enjoyed. It is a story of discovery and coming of age as well. I have only read some of his Newford books and short stories prior to this and it is very different, but still has his lyrical storytelling and excellent characterisation. Recommended to all fantasy and Charles de Lint fans.

The Gift - Alison Croggon

2010-08-12T10:32:00.003+01:00
Rating : 2.0/5
Number of Pages : 494
Series : #1 Pellinor
Format : Teenage Fantasy Novel
Reason for Reading : Challenge with Mariel

Maerad is a slave after both of her parents and younger brother were killed in the sacking of her home town Pellinor. One day in the cow byre she meets Cadvan, a Bard who is fleeing from an evil who had been torturing him for weeks. He recognises in her a Gift, she too is a Bard but the gifts have not yet awoken in her. She posesses a lyre which looks to be special and left over from the Dhyllic people. He decides to take her with him on a dangerous journey which will change her life. A dark power is arising, the Nameless One is suspected to be back even though the Light had thought him defeated. Maerad may just be the Fated One to defeat him once and for all.

I'll stop here with the description of the plot as anyone who has read a fantasy novel ever has read this book before. It borrows heavily from Tolkien with a lot of scenes and events taken from Fellowship of the Ring. The author also uses The Snow Queen as the basis for the tale of the evil Ice Witch. She puts her own spin on the telling, but I couldn't help feeling I had read it all before.

There were elements I enjoyed. It was fun having a female lead character and I liked that they were Bards and there was a musical element, although they did magic pretty much like a wizard. From reading reviews and the authors comments online it seems that she pays her homage to Tolkien in the first book and the rest of the series is more her own original ideas. Part of my issue was perhaps I had too high expectations as Mariel loves this series and raves about the books constantly. I have agonised over how to rate it and have given it a really low one after much internal debate. I think I will read the next book in the series and see if it does live up to the hype as a few series I have started lately have begun weak and then from book two onwards they have been amazing. Fingers crossed...

Ash - Malinda Lo

2010-08-09T17:12:00.004+01:00

Rating : 4.5/5
Number of Pages : 304
Format : Teenage Fiction, Fairy Tale Novel
Reason for Reading : 10 10 10 Challenge

I picked this up in an airport travelling for work as I really liked the cover. It was in the teenage fiction section and in a retelling of Cinderalla. The book follows Ash after her mother dies. Her father is in a lot of debt and tricks a rich, vain woman into marrying him. She mistreats Ash though and after her father dies she becomes their slave. Her mother was linked to the fairy folk and Ash tries to keep up with the old customs even after moving into a more modern house with her step mother and step sisters.

This is where the author starts to have more fun and inject her own ideas onto the traditional story. Ash does meet the prince, but he is never really the focus of her attentions. Instead it is the Kings Huntress, Kaisa who she is drawn to. She also has much to do with one of the male fairies and there is a curse that is uncovered as the plot unfolds.

This was a lovely book and it was so refreshing to read a story where the main character is attracted to a woman and not following after the prince. There is no issue of her liking someone of the same sex, no fuss is made and it is not dwealt on, merely part of the story. At a bonfire couples pair off and there is a mix of men and women as well as woman and women couplings again with no issue made of it. It felt like a mature way to tackle the story and I would recommend this highly to anyone. One of my most enjoyed books so far this year and I am so glad the cover was pretty enough to catch my eye as I might have missed it otherwise.

Elementals - AS Byatt

2010-08-09T16:57:00.003+01:00

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 232
Format : Short Story Collection
Reason for Reading : Reading Challenge with Nymeth 2

This was my first collection by AS Byatt. It is a collection of six short stories and it is subtitled "Tales of Fire and Ice". They all have fantasy and fairy tale elements to them although "Cold" is the most traditionally fairy tale. It was also my favourite by far in the book. It follows a princess, the youngest child of the king and queen. She is loved by all but isn't very emotional and is often tired and sleepy. One day it snows and she finally comes alive and discovers one of her ancestors was a woman from the cold north lands. Her father wants her to marry (ideally from the North so she can be happy in the cold), but she chooses a man from the desert hotlands. She travels with him but begins to wane until her husband finds a compromise. It was beautifully told and mixed fantastical with cruel. It will definitely stick with me for a long time to come.

The other stories that stood out were "A Lamia in the Cvennes" and "Christ in the House of Martha and Mary". These were about a man who paints a lamia who lives in his swimming pool but tries to get out of marrying her once the painting is done. Christ is about two models who stood for Velsquez as Martha and Mary and where their lives have taken them since.

Unfortunately I wasn't so keen on the other three in the collection. They were a little dull and dragged. The three I did like more than made up for their lacking and as I said, Cold will stay with me a long time. From doing a search online it looks like this isn't the best introduction to Byatt's writing and I know I will be reading more by her in the future.

Looking for Alaska - John Green

2010-08-05T21:20:00.004+01:00

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 272
Format : Fiction Novel
Reason for Reading : Reading Challenge with Nymeth 2

Miles starts a new boarding school and makes friends with the Colonel and Alaska Young. He has a penchant for memorising the last recorded words of famous people. He led a lonely life before joinin Culver Creek and although he isn't one of the popular rich kids, he makes close friendships and finds his own place. They form their own small gang and enjoy pulling pranks on their fellow students.

There is a before and after section but I won't say why. All I will say is that it is a pivotal point in the book (it's not really a secret and is alluded to on many occassion but still) and it leads the boys on to looking into the mystery of Alaska. Miles gets the ironic nickname "Pudge" and pretty much immediately falls in love with Alaska. She is so out of his league though and has a serious boyfriend. He dates another girl Lara for a while but it is doomed for failure.

I really enjoyed this novel. It was very like Catcher in the Rye but more modern. The characters were really well developed and I enjoyed spending time with them all on their adventures and pranks. It's a coming of age novel with heart, sex, drinking, sadness and the exploits of youth. It got some negative feedback due to language and sexual content which I think is unjustified. There was nothing out of the bounds of the ordinary that I could see really happening. I look forward to seeing if they make a film version which I think is due for release in 2013.

Death Note v7 - Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata

2010-08-05T21:12:00.004+01:00

Rating : 3.5/5
Number of Pages : 208
Series : #7 Death Note
Format : Manga Novel
Reason for Reading : Manga Challenge 2010, to continue with the series

Things are getting very complicated and I am reluctant to give too much of the plot away. Basically Light gets back his Shinigami and Death Note powers and continues his games with L whose time on the investigation into Kira is now numbered. Two new characters are introduced who join the investigation, but go about their roles in very different ways. Misa continues to be a pawn in Light's greater goal and a whole new storyline opens up as a major chapter closes and a new one opens.

I really liked the first half of this manga, but events happened which I don't believe to be true (or at least I hope not). I'm not sure about the new characters but will see how things begin to unfold in the next installment. It's still very clever, but if the plot twist is true I may start to lose interest sadly.

3 x Charlaine Harris Mysteries

2010-08-03T09:25:00.007+01:00

Rating : 3.5/5
Number of Pages : 257
Series : #7 Aurora Teagarden Mysteries
Format : Cozy Mystery Novel
Reason for Reading : Cozy Mystery Challenge

This time Roe's life is turned upside down when her former lover Robin Crusoe returns to town to shoot a movie version of one of his true life crime books. It just happens that the book was based on events that take place in the first novel in the series which makes it personal for librarian Roe. She isn't sure how she feels about Robin being back in town as she is dealing with her own loss and seeing Robin is bound to bring up the past and her complicated feelings.

Robin hasn't exactly been celibate since he left town. He has been dating the actress due to play Roe in the film (art imitating life). Unfortunately though they have split up and one morning she is found dead in her film trailer. Roe and Robin are immediately on the case and looking for who the murderer was.

The story was mixed for me, I guessed correctly who the murderer was this time but didn't guess at their motives which was a nice twist. These books are more about character development and I do like Roe. It was good to see Robin return, I liked him in the first book which is probably the best in the series.

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 273
Series : #8 Auroura Teagarden Mystery
Format : Cozy Mystery Novel
Reason for Reading : Cozy Mystery Challenge

The final installment in the Lily Bard Mystery series by Charlaine Harris (best known for her Sookie Stackhouse vampire series). This time the murder is close to home for Roe. Her sister-in-law Poppy is the next to be found dead on her patio when Roe and her other sister-in-law go to pick her up for an event. Poppy was not perfect and had a series of extra marital affairs and as the story unfolds there are a few men that step out of the shadows that Roe was unaware of (they had escaped the town gossip).

Her husband was no saint either and quickly becomes a suspect in her murder. Things aren't that simple though and there are a number of people who could have done the deed. No one escapes suspicion including the police detective who has had relations with both Roe and Poppy. Roe's half brother turns up after his parents have marriage troubles and Roe has to meet her boyfriends mother and make a Thanksgiving dinner. She hasn't been feeling well though, she's tired a lot and her body aches.

Again I correctly guessed the murderer. Overall I really liked how the series ended, it felt all wrapped up and I was very happy for Roe when the "twist" was revealed in her personal life. I will miss Roe but I can always revisit her in the future.

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 214
Series : #2 Lily Bard Mystery
Format : Cozy Nystery Novel
Reason for Reading : Cozy Mystery Challenge

Back in Shakespeare a body is found by Lily in the gym she works at. It was a bodybuilder and is clearly murder when his spotter strangled him with a set of weights. It seems to have been sparked by race relationships in the small town. Much unrest is mixed up between those of different colour and Lily gets in the middle defending a young black man despite her being white and her loyalties are questioned.

One of her cleaning bosses hired Jack Leeds to identify the ringleaders in the race issue. He believes they are connected to one of the businesses he runs and Jack goes undercover to lure them out. Lily breaks his cover though when she resognises him from the papers around her ordeal and we find out Jack's own painful past. They develop a bond having had so much negative media and they may just be able to pull each other through the town's difficulties.

Lily is a very different main character to Roe who I have spent more time with. I think I prefer Lily though, she is just a little more complicated which I like. There is a bit more to her despite her sad past. This book tackles some sensitive issues and it was done well. I look forward to getting to know Lily and Jack better in more of the series.

Resolutions

2010-08-01T21:20:00.002+01:00
Since I started my job a year and a half ago I have been a poor blogger. I have barely been posting and have fallen so behind on my reader that I cleared all the posts and started again a couple of days ago. I have a new iphone (my favourite toy in the whole world!) so that when I travel I can now keep track of my google reader and rejoin the fabulous book blogging community. I am very behind on reviews and I plan on catching up completely by the end of September. I have also managed to complete a couple of challenges which I will wrap up again by the end of September.

So a review of where I am up to at the end of July :

Books Read : 13 (82 in total)

Once Upon a Time Challenge : 5/5 (Completed - needs wrapping up)
Cozy Mystery Challenge : 4/6
Manga Challenge : 5/6
Short Story Challenge : 2/5
Series Challenge : 3/5
Vampire Series Challenge : 4/6
Graphic Novel Challenge : 10/12
10 10 10 Challenge : 28/55
Sookie Stackhouse Challenge : 9/9 (Completed - needs wrapping up)
LJ Smith Challenge : 4/4 main books, no follow ups read
Challenge with Mariel : 2/5
Challenge with Nymeth : 5/5 (Completed - needs wrapping up)
Arthurian Challenge II : 4/4 (Completed - needs wrapping up)

Reviews to catch up on : 28

The Tarot Cafe v4 - Sang-Sun Park

2010-06-16T14:26:00.003+01:00

Rating : 4.5/5
Number of Pages : 184
Series : #4 Tarot Cafe
Format : Manga
Reason for Reading : Once Upon a Time IV Challenge, Manga Challenge alternative, to continue with the series

Pamela is a tarot reader to the supernatural and unusual. She is back here for another set of tales which include a spirit who wants her to uncover what happened to his abused and neglected half sister. He wants to reconcile with her before he leaves the earth for good. We also find out more about Pamela's mysterious past and meet a man who has promised his soul in exchange fo rbeing a famous musician and it turns out he wasn't the only one throughout the years...

This is an excellent series. I love the artwork and the stories remind me very much of the Nightmares and Fairy Tales graphic novel series by Serena Valentino. They combine manga with supernatural themes and are a must for anyone who loves fairy tales, mythology and beauty.

Percy Jackson and the LIghtening Thief - Rick Riordan

2010-06-16T13:52:00.003+01:00

Rating : 4.5/5
Number of Pages : 384
Series : #1 Percy Jackson
Format : Teenage Fiction/Mythology Novel
Reason for Reading : Once Upon a Time IV Challenge

Percy Jackson has moved from school to school and is finally in a boarding school where his favourite subject is Latin. He is not doing so great and when a fight breaks out on a field trip it is the last straw. Percy isn't all he seems though even if he doesn't realise it. See in the old Greek stories the gods were not exactly faithful to their partners. Many came down to earth and had children with mortal men and women. Percy never knew his father and it turns out that he is a modern day half blood. His mother is mortal and his father is one of the Greek gods, as yet undisclosed.

Percy is beset by monsters who also realise his true heritage. His only option is to race to Camp Half Blood here he meets up with two people from his former school. There he meets a series of other half blood children and teenagers with different talents. Not all of the children know who their godly parent is, they need to be claimed and Percy has no idea who fathered him. Once he finds out he sets out on a quest which will stop the gods from causing a war that will impact everyone on the planet.

This was a lot of fun and a great idea for a series. The gods were done very well and a great range filled out the story. The only thing that put me off was I listened to it as an audibook and the narrator had a really annoying way of pronouncing some of the words! I will definitely be continuing the series soon.

Ella Enchanted - Gail Carson Levine

2010-06-07T10:34:00.003+01:00

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 184
Format : Teenage Fiction/Fairy Tale Novel
Reason for Reading : Once Upon a Time IV Challenge

I read this during the last read-a-thon alongside Jehara who is based in America. We started reading it at the start of the read-a-thon and it was really fun reading the same thing at the same time as someone across the world from me. We did a buddy review afterwards and I have included both sets of answers.

1. Did you like Ella Enchanted?

Rhinoa : Yes I really enjoyed it. It was a fun and easy read and I seemed to get through it quite quickly. I like the characters and warmed to the story which was a re-telling of Cinderella.

Jehara : I loved it. I thought it was such a fun read. It was refreshing and humorous.

2. Would you read more by the author in the future?

Rhinoa : Yes for sure. I have 2 more of her books on my pile to get too soon. I would consider watching the movie adaptation as well.

Jehara : I would.

3. What did you think of the main characters and did you have a favourite?

Rhinoa : I think it has to be Ella. I liked that she was stubborn (a much overlooked quality!) and tred to stick to her guns even if it meant hurting herself and not getting what she wanted. Loved the fairy godmother, both the main fairies. Mandy was a great character keeping Ella grounded and I really liked the spin on Lucinda. I want the book Mandy gave Ella!

Jehara : I loved Ella. She was so funny. I really appreciated her efforts to overcome her curse. I loved how she would rebel against direct orders.
I thought her dad was a jerk. Mandy, her fairy godmother, was funny and cranky. She was a great comfort to Ella in the aftermath after her mother's death. I really loved the book Mandy gave to Ella before boarding school. Hattie was horrible. Just horrible. Certain segments of the book had me steaming mad, but ultimately Ella overcame the obstacles they presented and Hattie got what she deserved. Areida was so sweet. I loved the friendship between her and Ella.

4. Did you think the ending suited the book?

Rhinoa : Yes I think a happy ending was suitable in this case. It wasn't pretty girl meets handsome boy, the story was more complex than that and I was glad that Lucinda finally realised the true nature of her "gifts".

Jehara : I did. I really loved how throughout the book Ella and the prince were able to really get to know each other as opposed to most fairy tales where the main character falls in love with the prince by virtue of his prince-ness alone.

5. Would you recommend it to other readers?

Rhinoa : Yes to anyone who likes a good story or has a love of fairy tales.

Jehara : Definitely. I wonder why I waited so long to read this. It was completely delightful.

I Am Mordred - Nancy Springer

2010-06-04T14:07:00.002+01:00

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 184
Series : Companion Novel to I am Morgan Le Fey
Format : Teenage Fiction/Fantasy Novel
Reason for Reading : Once Upon a Time IV Challenge

As I am Morgan Le Fey told the early story of Morgan and some of her early experiences which formed her into the woman we know from the Arthurian Tales, this does the same for Mordred. Mordred was fated to kill his father, King Arthur. His mother was Morgan, Arthur's sister and different versions of the stories have her knowing he was her brother when they slept together and other have them both ignorant. Mordred is found by a middle aged couple who are unable to have children of their own when he washes up on the shore by their hut one night. Arthur had put all the babies born on a certain date in a boat and set it adrift in an effort to kill his illegitimate son and curtail the prophecy.

Mordred grows up not knowing who he really is until he is on the cusp of puberty. Nimue comes for him and takes him to live with his aunt Morgause and he still doesn't know the truth of his birth. Morgan keeps trying to contact him, but he is afraid and doesn't take to her at all. When he finally does learn the truth of his birth and who hhis parents are all he wants is his father to acknowledge him and make him proud. He feels like he is living under a curse and tries to do everything he can to dispel it and not live up to what is prophesised for him.

The novel though short is filled with mystery and magic. Nimue is a character I always loved despite what she does to Merlin (I always thought he was a bit too much of a know-it-all and it was good for him to be taken down by a woman!) and I love her expanded role in the story and the way the dog and falcon fit the tale. It examines whether our lives are predestined and ruled by fate or if we can change them with free will. Pretty timeless questions and I liked how Springer dealt with them.

The Becoming & The Final Ecplise - Lynne Ewing

2010-05-28T10:57:00.005+01:00
Rating : 3.5/5
Number of Pages : 273
Series : #12 Daughters of the Moon
Format : Teenage Fiction Novel
Reason for Reading : 10 10 10 Challenge, to continue the series

Tianna is the focus of this installment in the Daughters of the Moon series as the story is near to it's conclusion. She has always felt different from the other Daughters as she was not born one, she was given the honour as a teenager by Maggie. She has the power of telekinesis and had to run from the Atrox's followers as a young child. Her family was murdered when she was young and she lives in foster care with two other children. She has never really settled and is beginning to feel the need to move on despite her friends and boyfriend who she really cares about.

The other girls in the school are jealous of her immense beauty and her boyfriend is starting to get jealous when rumours begin about her being with other guys. The two Followers who have been chasing her for years, Justin and Mason, return but this time they want to warn Tianna and help her. Apparently she is Becoming and it is up to her to figure out what this means and if there is a way to stop it. Every Daughter has a dark side and Tianna feels herself changing. Is her dark side trying to take over her?

So close to finishing the series, this wraps up Tianna's story nicely. The one complaint I did feel was that it seemed that it made assumptions about Jimena that I don't remember from previous books. Tianna was never one of my favourite characters just because she wasn't one of the original daughters and we didn't get to spend as much time with her. I did enjoy it overall though.

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 265
Series : #13 Daughters of the Moon
Format : Teenage Fiction Novel
Reason for Reading : 10 10 10 Challenge, to continue the series

The final chapter in the Daughters of the Moon series. Vanessa and Serena are prisoners of the Atrox in Nefandus. The goal of the Atrox seems to be to allow their dark side to come out and overwhelm them. Vanessa is about to reach her seventeenth birthday where she must make her choice. To loose her memories of being a Goddess or to move on to something higher and leave the earth possibly forever.

Vanessa manages to escape, but Serena is left behind. Jimena warns her not to try and rescue her, but the Goddess Selene appears to her with the opposite advice. Catty is presumed dead, but the reality is much worse and Vanessa wonders if she can really trust her and Stanton in the final bid to destroy the Atrox. Catty is definitely keeping something from her, but Vanessa has no idea what it is and doesn't find out in time to stop Catty when she makes a final choice. Selene must also choose whether to continue her relationship with Stanton or return with Vanessa.

Again I felt there were some inconsistencies in the plot with some major points being missed out. Overall though it wrapped up the series very well, tying up all the loose ends. It was a fun ride with the Daughters and I liked that not everything turned out well in the typical sugar coated way.

3 Sookie Stackhouse Reviews - Charlaine Harris

2010-05-13T09:25:00.005+01:00
Rating : 3.5/5
Number of Pages : 323
Series : #7 Sookie Stackhouse
Format : Urban Fantasy, Vampire novel
Reason for Reading : Sookie Stackhouse Challenge, to continue the series

It's time for the vampire summit so off Sookie goes to Rhodes USA in the company of Eric, the Queen of Louisiana (Sophie-Anne), Bill (or he who has been adjured) plus new beau Quinn a weretiger. Sookie also gets a chance to meet up with Barry Bellboy from one of the earlier novels who is the only other telepath she has met. There Sookie finds out more about her boyfriend's past and gets herself in a compromising situation with Eric (as ususal!), but this time it will change her possibly forever.

Sophie-Anne is to stand trail for the murder of her late husband and Sookie was the only witness so she needs to be there. The main protagonist pushing for the trail is found murdered at the hotel and there is obviosuly suspicion that Sophie-Anne is behind it. There is an uncovered threat to all of the vampires and their entourage and it is up to Sookie to see if she can uncover it.

This was my least favourite so far in the series. I did still enjoy it, but I missed the human and Bon Temps elements. There is no Sam and everyone in the story is a supe or related to one which made me miss the human mix which makes it all seem to realistic somehow. The last section as always is very intense with Sookie making some new discoveries and making some difficult choices.

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 303
Series : #8 Sookie Stackhouse
Format : Urban Fantasy, Vampire novel
Reason for Reading : Sookie Stackhouse Challenge, to continue the series

Back in Bon Temps Sookie is still picking up the pieces from All Together Dead. She has housemate Amelia she is still getting used to along with the her mentor who is escaping the devestation of hurrican Katrina. There are problems with the weres as the women close to Alcide are being murdered and a hit is made on Sookie. Is Patrick Furnam, the pack leader, making an attempt to crush Alcide.

A distant relative of Sookie's makes his first appearence. Sookie thought all she had left was her brother Jason and his new wife, werepanther Crystal. Seems her family tree is a little more tangled than she thought and there is also a young child in the picture. If that was not all there is a hostile tackover planned for the vampire state and Sophie-Anne is still not in a position to defend her sherrifs which includes Eric. Looks like it is all change again in Sookie's world.

Sookie is back on form and it was good to have some of the secondary characters back in the story. I was sad to lose some, but there are still lots more possibilities for the books in the series to come.

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 312
Series : #9 Sookie Stackhouse
Format : Urban Fantasy, Vampire novel
Reason for Reading : Sookie Stackhouse Challenge, to continue the series

The weres have finally followed in the footsteps of the vampires and have gone public. The reaction initially seems to be positive, but soon after Sam has family problems when his mother is shot and then a were creature is found murdered and crucified outside the bar. The question is was it a hate crime against weres as they were partially changed, or a hate crime against the indiviaul who had their enemies.

The fey are causing problems and because of Sookie's relationships she has become a target for them as well. The fey are split between liking those who are part human and who think it is a terrible mistake with their fertility being so low. The fey are not on the list of supes who will come out in public, they are too secretive and spend a lot of time not in this world. They are deadly though as Sookie will learn.

I really enjoyed this and am very interested to see where the story takes us next. I will miss some of the characters who did not make it to the end (it seems more frequent in the latest books that many of the secondary characters are being killed off) and there is still speculation one of the vamps will survivie. Sookie again has her heart torn between two men and is back in the beginnings of a love triangle.

The Prophecy - Lynne Ewing

2010-05-05T12:51:00.000+01:00
Rating : 3.5/5
Number of Pages : 273
Series : #11 Daughters of the Moon
Format : Teenage Fiction Novel
Reason for Reading : 10 10 10 Challenge, to continue with the series

The Daughters of the Moon are back, this time without Maggie to help and guide them. The Scroll is back and has been discovered by a museum. The curse means anyone who has contact with it for any length of time will become ill and die. Two guards have died already and the media is in a frenzy. Catty is the only one who is immune to it's curse being the true heir and must find a way to steal it back.

Her father also wants the scroll and it is time for Catty to finally meet him. He is evil and is in the inner circle of the Atrox living in Nefandus. She meets Kyle who has the reputation of being a bad boy, but she is drawn to him nonetheless. He has his own secrets and is somehow linked to Nefandus. Jimena is also still in the story despite the choice she made in a previous novel. She still gets visions of the future and has strange memories trying to resurface.

A fun story with some unexpected twists and turns. I'm glad Jimena is still around as she is my favourite character. There were some hints that Tianna is not all she seems so it will be interesting to see what happens in the final two books in the series.