Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Reading Stack #28
Currently I am reading Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa and I have a little over a hundred pages left. I am also reading Red Garden by Alice Hoffman and am close to halfway through it. For my audio I am listening to Crescendo, but Nora and Patch both keep making me mad, so I am not listening to it as fast as I hoped. When February 1st rolls around I hope to start Full Moon Kisses for the Paranormal Challenge and I will have my Random Read book. I am also participating in the Review Copy Cleanup Challenge and I will be finishing up Goddess Inheritance for that. So, just a few books on my stack right now. ;) What's on your list this week?
Monday, January 28, 2013
Review Copy Cleanup Challenge 3.0
This challenge runs from February 1 to February 28 and the goal is to read books received for review. Hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebooks count. This is hosted by Vicky from Books, Biscuits & Tea and Celine at Nyx Book Reviews. You can sign up on either blog. I have requested and received many books this year and last year. Since I do all the adult book ordering, except Large Print, and all the children and teen book ordering at our library, I like to keep up with what is new. Since we are a small, rural library system, review books help me figure out what might circulate at our library and also they help me with booktalks and reading programs. I would love to read some of the books in my backlog. For more details about the review copy cleanup and to sign up click here.
I am going to try to finish Goddess Inheritance and Mind Games. If I have time I will start Prodigy, Shadowhunters and Downworlders, and Prophecy by Ellen Oh.
Winter's Respite Read-a-thon Wrap-up
I did average my 50 pages a day, although I didn't read 50 each day. I ended up with 426 pages read and only one book finished. I watched too much TV this weekend, including the Pride and Prejudice mini-series Saturday and two episodes of Downton Abbey(since I missed last weeks, I had to play catch up yesterday). I finished The Night Dance by Suzanne Weyn for my two fairy tale challenges. I am about halfway through Iron Daughter and a fourth of the way through Red Garden and Goddess Inheritance. I did not get to read any of Mind Games yet. However this is still better than I normal do in a week, so I am pleased with my progress. How did your read-a-thon go? For others wrap-ups, the wrap-ups are here. Thanks again to Michelle @ The True Book Addict and Castle Macabre for hosting!
Saturday, January 26, 2013
The Night Dance by Suzanne Weyn
I read this book for my two fairy tale challenges, The Fairy Tales Retold Challenge and the Telling Tales Challenge. I may consider this for the Classic Double Challenge too, but I will wait and see.
After his wife Vivienne leaves and does not return, Sir Ethan decides to never let his twelve daughters out of his sight. The girls grow up sheltered and eager to break out of their walled in manor house. Rowena the youngest manages to make a hole in the wall and visit the forest. While in there, she has a vision and sees a young knight fighting in a battle. Bedivere is fighting for his life, when he is temporarily transported to a forest where he sees a beautiful young woman. When he is transported back, he is the only survivor of a battle and he promises the dying King Arthur, he will return Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake. Bedivere is the last Knight of the Round Table and so he intends to fufill his vow. Rowena in the meantime finds a bowl which shows her a woman in trouble. Vivienne, the legendary Lady of the Lake, is trying to contact her daughters and save them from the evil Morgan le Fey, who wants Excalibur for herself. Can Bedivere find the Lady of the Lake and the young woman who saved his life and won his heart and will the girls find their mother in time?
This story combined elements both of the King Arthur legends and the Twelve Dancing Princesses, both stories I would love to know more about, which is why I am considering a Classic Double Challenge. However, I may read those stories and do another retelling.
I think Weyn did a great job combining the two stories in a short, concise story. Since the story was only around 200 pages, she only fleshed out a few of the characters. We only truly get to know the eldest and youngest sister, but that did not bother me too much. I thought it was a nice, sweet love story with just a little suspense. I can tell Weyn really researched the stories and the time period. This story really made me what to read the original tales. I have read several retellings of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, but I am not for sure if I have read the original. This one kept to some of the same elements as the other retellings, an absent mother and an overprotective father and one sister who is curious about the outside world. I have only watched Mists of Avalon, Merlin miniseries in the late 90s, and the Disney version of the Sword and the Stone for the King Arthur myths, so Bedivere was not present in those stories. I guess Morte d' Arthur would be the original source in the Arthur myths, but I am not for sure if there are others that would be considered original.
Favorite Character: Rowena. She was curious and refused to give up. She was loyal to Bedivere, even though he seemed just like a poor beggar.
Favorite Quote: "You went through the mystical forest that connects soul mates at the most profound level. In the bronze forest you shared your sadness and helped one another through it. When you passed that you looked to the future together. It is the silver grove of hope. In the golden forest you experienced the complete happiness of being together." That is what a relationship is sharing the good and the bad.
I enjoyed this short retelling and I love the whole Once Upon a Time series. This was not my favorite of the bunch, but it was still a good read. 4 cups of cocoa.
After his wife Vivienne leaves and does not return, Sir Ethan decides to never let his twelve daughters out of his sight. The girls grow up sheltered and eager to break out of their walled in manor house. Rowena the youngest manages to make a hole in the wall and visit the forest. While in there, she has a vision and sees a young knight fighting in a battle. Bedivere is fighting for his life, when he is temporarily transported to a forest where he sees a beautiful young woman. When he is transported back, he is the only survivor of a battle and he promises the dying King Arthur, he will return Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake. Bedivere is the last Knight of the Round Table and so he intends to fufill his vow. Rowena in the meantime finds a bowl which shows her a woman in trouble. Vivienne, the legendary Lady of the Lake, is trying to contact her daughters and save them from the evil Morgan le Fey, who wants Excalibur for herself. Can Bedivere find the Lady of the Lake and the young woman who saved his life and won his heart and will the girls find their mother in time?
This story combined elements both of the King Arthur legends and the Twelve Dancing Princesses, both stories I would love to know more about, which is why I am considering a Classic Double Challenge. However, I may read those stories and do another retelling.
I think Weyn did a great job combining the two stories in a short, concise story. Since the story was only around 200 pages, she only fleshed out a few of the characters. We only truly get to know the eldest and youngest sister, but that did not bother me too much. I thought it was a nice, sweet love story with just a little suspense. I can tell Weyn really researched the stories and the time period. This story really made me what to read the original tales. I have read several retellings of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, but I am not for sure if I have read the original. This one kept to some of the same elements as the other retellings, an absent mother and an overprotective father and one sister who is curious about the outside world. I have only watched Mists of Avalon, Merlin miniseries in the late 90s, and the Disney version of the Sword and the Stone for the King Arthur myths, so Bedivere was not present in those stories. I guess Morte d' Arthur would be the original source in the Arthur myths, but I am not for sure if there are others that would be considered original.
Favorite Character: Rowena. She was curious and refused to give up. She was loyal to Bedivere, even though he seemed just like a poor beggar.
Favorite Quote: "You went through the mystical forest that connects soul mates at the most profound level. In the bronze forest you shared your sadness and helped one another through it. When you passed that you looked to the future together. It is the silver grove of hope. In the golden forest you experienced the complete happiness of being together." That is what a relationship is sharing the good and the bad.
I enjoyed this short retelling and I love the whole Once Upon a Time series. This was not my favorite of the bunch, but it was still a good read. 4 cups of cocoa.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Jinx by Sage Blackwood
This was my Random Read for January and I received an e-arc of this book from HarperCollins on Edelweiss.
Jinx's life has never been easy. First his mother was abducted by fairies and his father by werewolves. Then he was left with his step-father who remarried and has another child and since there is not enough food for everyone, his step-father takes him off the path to leave him at the mercy of the Urwald, the magical forest with all kinds of bloodthirsty magical creatures. Fortunately and unfortunately, a wizard named Simon sees his step-father attempting to abandon him and saves the boy from trolls, trolls who abduct his step-father. Jinx is left with Simon, who uses the boy as a servant, while keeping him away from magic and books, until Simon's wife Sophie comes for a visit. Sophie lives in Samara, a place that has banned wizard, and Sophie is Simon's conscience. Sophie demands Simon teach Jinx to read, quoting the Samaran saying, "Knowledge is Power." Simon also decided to teach Jinx magic and to finally allow him to walk on the path in the Urwald. It is there they met the Bonemaster, who puts terror in everyone's minds, a terror Jinx can physically see. Jinx has two special abilities in fact, seeing people's emotions in colors that surround them, and being able to talk to the trees. The Bonemaster seems interested in Jinx and Simon seems worried. The two make a trip to see a witch Dame Glimmer and Simon barters for ingredients from her. Simon works a magical spell and takes away Jinx's power of seeing emotions and Jinx fears he has taken even more than that. Jinx decides to leave and meets two other characters, Reven and Elfwyn, who both have curses placed on them. The three decide the only one who can help is the Bonemaster, and they put their lives and possibly more on the line.
Blackwood's writing style really captures your attention. Filled with the themes of love, loyalty, and friendship, the story is magical and plays with the idea of good and evil. It reminded me of the storytelling of Harry Potter, but for a little bit younger audience. I think upper elementary and lower middle school students would love this, particularly boys. I also loved it. The characters were humorous and most were big-hearted as well.
Favorite Character: Jinx. He is loyal to Simon, even after the incident, and loyal to his two friends. He may not always be nice, but he is caring. I also enjoyed Simon and Jinx's relationship, it is not quite the conventional adoptive father and son relationship, but they care for each other in a gruff, kind of sweet way.
Favorite Quotes: "'Knowledge is Power.' She threw the three words at him like a challenge, and they hung in the air between them, hovering on an updraft of fury."
"Even us evil wizards have our good days."
"'Life is dangerous, said Simon. Young people need to see the world."
"'Faint heart never won fair lady!' 'Dead heart never won fair lady either,' said Jinx."
Blackwood has some great descriptive language in the story and I liked Jinx's dry sense of humor. This was another 5 cups of cocoa book for me! I can think of several kids and a few adults who would enjoy reading Jinx.
Jinx's life has never been easy. First his mother was abducted by fairies and his father by werewolves. Then he was left with his step-father who remarried and has another child and since there is not enough food for everyone, his step-father takes him off the path to leave him at the mercy of the Urwald, the magical forest with all kinds of bloodthirsty magical creatures. Fortunately and unfortunately, a wizard named Simon sees his step-father attempting to abandon him and saves the boy from trolls, trolls who abduct his step-father. Jinx is left with Simon, who uses the boy as a servant, while keeping him away from magic and books, until Simon's wife Sophie comes for a visit. Sophie lives in Samara, a place that has banned wizard, and Sophie is Simon's conscience. Sophie demands Simon teach Jinx to read, quoting the Samaran saying, "Knowledge is Power." Simon also decided to teach Jinx magic and to finally allow him to walk on the path in the Urwald. It is there they met the Bonemaster, who puts terror in everyone's minds, a terror Jinx can physically see. Jinx has two special abilities in fact, seeing people's emotions in colors that surround them, and being able to talk to the trees. The Bonemaster seems interested in Jinx and Simon seems worried. The two make a trip to see a witch Dame Glimmer and Simon barters for ingredients from her. Simon works a magical spell and takes away Jinx's power of seeing emotions and Jinx fears he has taken even more than that. Jinx decides to leave and meets two other characters, Reven and Elfwyn, who both have curses placed on them. The three decide the only one who can help is the Bonemaster, and they put their lives and possibly more on the line.
Blackwood's writing style really captures your attention. Filled with the themes of love, loyalty, and friendship, the story is magical and plays with the idea of good and evil. It reminded me of the storytelling of Harry Potter, but for a little bit younger audience. I think upper elementary and lower middle school students would love this, particularly boys. I also loved it. The characters were humorous and most were big-hearted as well.
Favorite Character: Jinx. He is loyal to Simon, even after the incident, and loyal to his two friends. He may not always be nice, but he is caring. I also enjoyed Simon and Jinx's relationship, it is not quite the conventional adoptive father and son relationship, but they care for each other in a gruff, kind of sweet way.
Favorite Quotes: "'Knowledge is Power.' She threw the three words at him like a challenge, and they hung in the air between them, hovering on an updraft of fury."
"Even us evil wizards have our good days."
"'Life is dangerous, said Simon. Young people need to see the world."
"'Faint heart never won fair lady!' 'Dead heart never won fair lady either,' said Jinx."
Blackwood has some great descriptive language in the story and I liked Jinx's dry sense of humor. This was another 5 cups of cocoa book for me! I can think of several kids and a few adults who would enjoy reading Jinx.
Classic Double Challenge: And Then There Were None and Ten
So this time I decided to read the retelling before the classic. I chose for my first pair And Then There Were None By Agatha Christie and Ten by Gretchen McNeil. My standalone review for Ten is here.
I tend to read Agatha Christie novels when in a reading slump and I usually chose her Hercule Poirot stories. This was the first time I read And Then There Were None and I really enjoyed the suspense of who was going to die next and how it would fit in with the nursery rhyme.
Ten strangers are invited to an island by U. N. Owen. In some letters Owen is a man and others a woman and sometimes the name is badly written, so that the person is not for sure who the letter is from. The guests include a pious woman, a judge, a fast driver, a nanny, a man with a shady past, an ex-cop, a judge, and a doctor. There is also an elderly couple who are supposed to serve as butler and cook. Their host is detained, but each guest is shown to his or her room, which has a copy of the nursery rhyme Ten Little Soldiers. After dinner, a booming voice is heard announcing that each person is guilty of a murder and the victim's or victims' names or nationality in one case is listed and all ten people on the island are considered guilty. They learn they will be asked to answer for their crimes and while in an uproar the first guest dies. The group realizes quickly that one of them is the avenging murderer and they struggle to find the culprit, before it is too late.
Christie does a great job weaving together all the various stories behind the guests' "murders," the ones they supposedly committed. I did not have a clue who would be the avenger and I was surprised in the end. Watching the descent into guilt and madness was fascinating and frightening. I wanted to read Ten first, because I thought the Christie book would give away too much of the story of Ten, but that was not the case at all. I really enjoyed both books and like I said in Ten, I thought the writing style was very similar. Both are great at suspense.
Christie's story is a little more literary. She does focus more on the psychological aspect of her characters. Ten for me was just like the Scream movies and Lois Duncan books and movies and it did have a bit of a cheesy quality to it, but I liked that. I know other people did not like that, but for me it really did remind me of high school. I also think Ten shows the effects of bullying, but I don't want to give away any of the story, so I won't go any further with that. I loved that both books wove together a separate plot with the reasons behind the ten "murders/victims."
I think Christie's characters were better developed and you both loathed their actions and felt sorry for them. With Ten, I did not get as attached to the characters and I feel that the reasons behind their actions toward a particular person were not told in enough detail.
I enjoyed both books and definitely will read more books by these authors, if Gretchen McNeil writes more, which I hope she does.
Favorite Character: I chose Meg for Ten and for me Vera Claythorne and Judge Wargrave were the most interesting. The Judge is so stubborn and a bit self-righteous, and he was the best developed character. Vera was someone I felt sorry for and repulsed by. I tried to decided just how guilty she was and I still wonder, which makes her fascinating to me.
Favorite Quote: I already chose one for Ten, so I am putting a Christie quote on this post. "Many homicidal lunatics are very quiet unassuming people. Delightful fellows." "I don't feel this one is going to be of that kind." It is always the quiet ones you have to watch out for. ;)
Both books were 5 cups of cocoa books for me! If you want psychological suspense go for the Christie, if you want a teen horror/suspense go for Ten.
I tend to read Agatha Christie novels when in a reading slump and I usually chose her Hercule Poirot stories. This was the first time I read And Then There Were None and I really enjoyed the suspense of who was going to die next and how it would fit in with the nursery rhyme.
Ten strangers are invited to an island by U. N. Owen. In some letters Owen is a man and others a woman and sometimes the name is badly written, so that the person is not for sure who the letter is from. The guests include a pious woman, a judge, a fast driver, a nanny, a man with a shady past, an ex-cop, a judge, and a doctor. There is also an elderly couple who are supposed to serve as butler and cook. Their host is detained, but each guest is shown to his or her room, which has a copy of the nursery rhyme Ten Little Soldiers. After dinner, a booming voice is heard announcing that each person is guilty of a murder and the victim's or victims' names or nationality in one case is listed and all ten people on the island are considered guilty. They learn they will be asked to answer for their crimes and while in an uproar the first guest dies. The group realizes quickly that one of them is the avenging murderer and they struggle to find the culprit, before it is too late.
Christie does a great job weaving together all the various stories behind the guests' "murders," the ones they supposedly committed. I did not have a clue who would be the avenger and I was surprised in the end. Watching the descent into guilt and madness was fascinating and frightening. I wanted to read Ten first, because I thought the Christie book would give away too much of the story of Ten, but that was not the case at all. I really enjoyed both books and like I said in Ten, I thought the writing style was very similar. Both are great at suspense.
Christie's story is a little more literary. She does focus more on the psychological aspect of her characters. Ten for me was just like the Scream movies and Lois Duncan books and movies and it did have a bit of a cheesy quality to it, but I liked that. I know other people did not like that, but for me it really did remind me of high school. I also think Ten shows the effects of bullying, but I don't want to give away any of the story, so I won't go any further with that. I loved that both books wove together a separate plot with the reasons behind the ten "murders/victims."
I think Christie's characters were better developed and you both loathed their actions and felt sorry for them. With Ten, I did not get as attached to the characters and I feel that the reasons behind their actions toward a particular person were not told in enough detail.
I enjoyed both books and definitely will read more books by these authors, if Gretchen McNeil writes more, which I hope she does.
Favorite Character: I chose Meg for Ten and for me Vera Claythorne and Judge Wargrave were the most interesting. The Judge is so stubborn and a bit self-righteous, and he was the best developed character. Vera was someone I felt sorry for and repulsed by. I tried to decided just how guilty she was and I still wonder, which makes her fascinating to me.
Favorite Quote: I already chose one for Ten, so I am putting a Christie quote on this post. "Many homicidal lunatics are very quiet unassuming people. Delightful fellows." "I don't feel this one is going to be of that kind." It is always the quiet ones you have to watch out for. ;)
Both books were 5 cups of cocoa books for me! If you want psychological suspense go for the Christie, if you want a teen horror/suspense go for Ten.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Winter's Respite Read-a-thon Goals
Thanks to Michelle @ The True Book Addict and Castle Macabre for hosting! The signup page is here.
I plan on averaging about 50 pages a day. This week it will be hard to find time to read, since I have a staff meeting, eye doctor appointment, and family and friends who are having difficulties, but I think I should be able to get around 50 pages read.
My books for this week are as follows: Night Dance by Suzanne Weyn, The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter, Mind Games by Kiersten White, The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa, and Red Garden by Alice Hoffman. I know I will not finish all of these, but I wanted a little variety for the week!
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| Simon Pulse |
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| Harlequin (ARC) |
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| Harlequin |
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| Crown |
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| HarperTeen (ARC) |
Monday
Number of Pages Read: 47
Books Read From: Night Dance-40, Red Garden-7
Books Finished:0
Tuesday
Number of Pages Read:82
Books Read From:Iron Daughter-72, Night Dance-10
Books Finished:0
Wednesday
Number of Pages Read:2 ?! :(
Books Read From:Night Dance-2
Books Finished:0
Thursday
Number of Pages Read:77
Books Read From:Night Dance-60, Iron Daughter-17
Books Finished:0
Friday
Number of Pages Read:102
Books Read From:Night Dance-50-finished, Iron Daughter-14, Red Garden-14, Goddess Inheritance-24
Books Finished:1
Saturday
Number of Pages Read:36
Books Read From:Goddess Inheritance-15, Red Garden 21
Books Finished:0
I watched 5+ hours of Pride and Prejudice instead of reading.
Sunday
Number of Pages Read:80
Books Read From:Iron Daughter-46, Goddess Inheritance-24, Red Garden-10
Books Finished:0
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