| The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon |
[10 Nov 2009|09:42am] |
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Anyone else here read this? I'm halfway through and it's a delightful read! To me, it seems like a strange cross between young adult fiction and regular grown-up fiction, as in either of those age groups could probably enjoy it. It's been a while since I've read anything like that, so I did some research on the author too. It was interesting to find that he used to be a film screenwriter before, and derives a lot of inspiration from cinematic as well as literary works for his writing. I'm curious to read more by him now. Can you guys tell me about any of his other books??
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| Peter & Max: A Fables Novel by Bill Willingham |
[08 Nov 2009|03:55pm] |
 You don’t need to be a fan of Bill Willingham’s Fables comics to like this book--you don’t even have to know what they are to understand Peter & Max. This is a re-telling of the Pied Piper of Hamelin story from a different perspective, one of those “what really happened” kind of tales. For every other character or event that might confuse the reader, Willingham explains the course of the comics in a few words and lines that, if anything, spoil crucial points of suspense that have navigated and pushed Fables over the years. But don’t let that discourage you at all if you’re a new fan. What I like the most about the comics and this book, is Willingham’s grasp of consequence and reality. To validate these fairy tales with contemporary ideas, Willingham is always examining the life of our favorite heroes and heroines in the unwritten pages after their most famous moments. Away from the storybook and our imaginations is a far removed perspective that pulls gently in our direction--here is more, it says to us; the story continues; life goes on.
For the folks in fairy tales--Fables, they call themselves--reality is about as pragmatic and mundane for them as it is for us. Forced to flee their fairy tale homes and find refuge in an enchanted portion of New York City’s Upper West Side, the Fables remind us that we know of only a tiny period in their lives; in our world they must learn to coexist in very human ways, without magic or magical objects that would draw attention to themselves. Yanked out of context of course it’s easy to imagine all sorts of wonderful, magical settings that make romantic adventures out of very real, scary episodes. Despite still writing in “happily ever after” endings, Willingham’s come a long way to revolutionize what’s been handed down to us for so long and in the same form.
Peter & Max is about the Piper family (a band of traveling minstrels), two brothers (Peter and Max), and the innocent Peep family who gets caught in the middle of fraternal jealousy and revenge. Like all such things, a combination of skewed perspective and hurt feelings tips the scales of envy towards violence. What begins as an ominous and mysterious set of flashbacks and present-day events, the story gradually finds promise in its most haunting thread: who is the true Pied Piper? Peter or Max? Peter is a sweet boy, always managing to do what’s right and do it well; Max is his older, but less talented, brother who snaps at the slightest attempt to undermine his authority and right as the eldest Piper child. It’s almost impossible to imagine the sweet-tempered Peter luring unsuspecting children out of their beds and away from their homes, but too predictable to assume the blame lays somewhere outside, somewhere obvious.
( Read the rest! )
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| Volunteers wanted to read a book so that it could be published |
[08 Nov 2009|10:25pm] |
Hello, booklovers. I have a feeling that mine is not an altogether right way of stepping here, but I do need some help from people who might be willing to provide it.
The thing is I have written a book. Yes, yes, I’m laughing myself. Nonetheless, please, do save your sense of humour for when you start reading it. Being a self-publishing writer, however – atrociously sad world, this one! – I am currently looking for several volunteers to proofread what my insolence considers as a work a merit. Don’t let the word “proofreading” scare you though. I don’t mean ‘editing’ it professionally, just seeing that the wording is in conformity with standard British English.
I hope my appeal for help does not hurt anybody’s feelings. If it does, I sincerely apologise.
For the same reason of being a self-publishing comrade, the only remuneration I am able to offer will be a free copy of the book along with your name in its Special Thanks list. Not very much, I know. I would LOVE to pay for proofing services, but self-publishing means you put your money into having your work published, but you very seldom make profits. I haven’t been one of those lucky guys.
If you’re curious, intrigued and tickled by any other feeling, you are more than welcome to visit the homepage of the future book, ‘The Red Britain Chronicles, or 4891: Comrade Cat, the Macho Axe Effect and the Human Gramophone’ at
http://sites.google.com/site/theredbritainchronicles/
where you can read sample chapters hereof and decide if you’d be tempted by my unappealing offer, or not really. I would even go as far as advising you to get acquainted with the sample chapters in the first place so that, one day soon, you do not find yourselves wondering how you could have accepted to proof a book which is poor or not exactly to your taste.
British English as your mother tongue would be sort of a plus in my case. (apologies if I sound in any way condescending or arrogant - I did not mean to sound this way at all!!!!!!!) Thank you for your patience and attention! And an excellent day to everyone!
Alexander
ps. May I ask you to respond to this post by sending me a private message (or ideally reply to my email - theredbritainchronicles@gmail.com ), instead of posting comments? I haven’t figured out yet how I can follow posts on this site. Thank you!
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| Catacombs by John Farris |
[08 Nov 2009|01:04pm] |
Ladies and gentlemen, if this book had a penis, I would kick it. It lies. This book is not just deceptive, it outright lies.
A demon trapped in a red gem. Spooky, but it could be just a metaphor. Let's check the backcover.
The Evil Masters. Imprisoned in bloodstones, buried in the catacombs, hidden vaults deep in the volcanic bowels of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Now they are unearthed by archaeologists, freed to work their evil on an unsuspecting humankind.
Bullshit!
Their blood-curdling orgy of nightmare-horror spans continents, crosses oceans, and finally plunges straight into the blazing volcanic maw of Kilimanjaro itself!
THAT SHIT DOESN'T HAPPEN!
As I was reading it, I kept filing away these comments for my review. Like, "two hundred pages and no blood-curdling orgy of nightmare horror." But I thought, okay, it's just the set-up. The blood-curdling orgy of nightmare horror is coming. Then "four hundred pages and no blood-curdling orgy of nightmare horror". I checked the last page. 520. So maybe the blood-curdling orgy of nightmare horror is the climax. Dishonest, sure, but okay. Then I got to the end of the book.
No blood-curdling orgy of nightmare horror. Not one.
You want me to tell you what it is about? Well, really, I have no fucking idea. I think it's part of a series, because it starts off with these archaeologists in trouble like they just escaped from some horrifying situation, but it's not the cryptic kind of mysterious, it's the 'you should know this already' kind of mysterious. Now look up. Did you see anything in the backcover description to make you think this was part of a series? No! They just sell it as a standalone so you buy it, then you realize it's a sequel and you have to give them more money to know what's going on. I hate when they do that! I'm looking at the book and there's no way to know what the prequel is or if there even is a prequel! I looked it up on Wikipedia and it doesn't even have a Wikipedia page.
( A tl;dr rant about a tl;dr book. )
But hey, maybe the prose is good? Shit plotting can be redeemed by dialogue and description sometimes, right Joss Whedon? No?
( The goofiest rape scene outside of a Gor book. )
( Did I mention Jade's sidekick? He's pretty light on his feet. )
( Sky-diving! )
( More of the romance between Raun and Jade, who are shockingly not Star Wars characters. )
( No, really, Jade has superpowers. )
( But it's not all fun and games. Jade has a nemesis, the mad Russian Belov, who runs into that girl who got raped? You remember, with the rhino? )
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| Ten Thousand Lovers |
[07 Nov 2009|04:30pm] |
 Ten Thousand Lovers by Edeet Ravel
Tel Aviv Trilogy #1
Review 2003
373 pages
Fiction
This was a random buy the other week; the author's new book caught my eye and since it was the third book in a sort-of trilogy, I picked up the first one, this one, and was interested enough to take it home with me. For some reason, it was just begging to be read, so it didn't have to wait the usual waiting period of books I take home (which is anywhere between five months and five years). However, now that it's time to write the review, I find myself stuck. Every time I try to summarise it, it just doesn't sound right. So I'm ditching my usual review structure and will just talk about the book, revealing necessary bits of the plot-light story as I go.
The premise, in brief, is about a young woman, Lily, studying linguistics and language at the university in Jerusalem who meets a man, Ami, who works as an interrogator for the army. It is a story of their love for one another, a story of horror and heartbreak in a war-torn country, of a people persecuted - and I'm not talking about the Jews here. It's a powerful story, set in the 70s, that is inherently relevant today.
( Read on... )
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| The Perfect Christmas Gift? |
[07 Nov 2009|10:07am] |
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Hi guys.
What I'm going to ask, is perhaps today's most idiotic question, but I'll ask anyway.
I'm working at a bookstore (in Norway) and I'm wondering if anyone of you have any good tips on books that can be given as Christmas gifts? Mainly because I've got the feeling that "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown is going to be the Christmas hit this year and I want to give the costumers good recommendations except for the "regular" best selling books.
Thanks in advance.
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| Review: FIRE by Kristin Cashore |
[05 Nov 2009|08:58am] |
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Title: Fire
Editor: Kristin Cashore
Format: TC
Available Formats: Kindle, Sony eBook, Audio Download, Audio CD
Page Count: 461
Genre: Fantasy/Young Adult
Publisher: Dial
Pub. Date: October 5, 2009
ISBN-13: 9780803734616
Series: A novel in the Grace universe
Rating: 10 of 10 |
Summary:
Fire gets her name from her hair. After all, the shade of her hair contributes to her terrible beauty. Fire is a monster and her unnatural beauty and coloring comes from that fact. Being a monster also ostracizes Fire from society. Of course, it doesn't help that her father was one of the most feared men in the kingdom, Cansrel. He had the ability to enter the minds of others and twist them to his own devices. So can Fire. But Fire does not want to be a second Cansrel...
TL;DR Version:
Anyone who loves unique, strong female protagonists must read this book. Both Graceling and Fire have raised Kristin Cashore up into my favorite authors because of her beautifully rendered protagonists (each unique from the other, both strong in their own way) and interesting world. Do not hesitate to read either book. Although, if pressed, I'd say Fire is a bit deeper than Graceling, I'd recommend reading in order all the same.
( Read the rest at Book Love Affair? )
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| Novels about nightlife/nighthawks/nightowls |
[04 Nov 2009|12:43am] |
Can anyone here suggest me novels and short story collections where the theme and/or subject in nightlife, or the protagonist is a nighthawk (aka nightowl?)?
Examples of what I mean (in case Im being too broad):
Anything by Charles Bukowski
City of Night by John Rechy
Last Exit to Brooklyn by Herbert Selby
Anything by Jack Kerouac (espically On The Road)
Anything particually "Beat"
Thanks everyone! First post!
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| childrens book about an older brother turning to stone and a younger sister saving him |
[03 Nov 2009|11:07pm] |
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Summer Fields - Fable OST |
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Dropping this here as well as at ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) whatwasthatbook.
FOUND! it's The Tunnel" by Anthony Browne..
____________________________________________________
There's a children's book, about eight inches tall and twelve wide - landscape format. Hardcover, when I read it. On the inside covers were patterns of bricks.
A girl and her older brother were playing (with a soccer ball, I think?), but the brother was mean. He ran away, and she got worried after a while and followed him.
There follows several pages where there are no words, I think, and she goes through woods and things and maybe a brick wall. Or around one. She finally finds her brother somewhere, turned to stone. I think she hugs him back to life. Then they go home and are happy.
I vividly remember the pictures - dark woods, bricks, the brother and his soccer ball turned to stone - but I can't for hte life of me remember title or author.
Anyone know this book?
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| REVIEW: Kristin Cashore's GRACELING |
[03 Nov 2009|08:58am] |
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Title: Graceling
Editor: Kristin Cashore
Format: TC
Available Formats: TP, Kindle, Sony eBook, Audio Download, Audio CD
Page Count: 471
Genre: Fantasy/Young Adult
Publisher: Graphia
Pub. Date: September 7, 2009
ISBN-13: 9780152063962
Series: A novel in the Grace universe
Rating: 9 of 10 |
Summary:
Katsa accidentally killed her cousin when she was 8 years old. This is her "Grace"--a talent above human abilities--that manifests physically in her the two colors of her eyes: one green and one blue. Unfortunately, because she is the orphan niece of the king, she is forced into the role of carrying out the king's dirty work. Often Katsa is treated no better than an attack dog. However, this is not the life Katsa wants and when she befriends a prince Katsa begins to realize that she can make her own choices after all.
( Read the rest at Book Love Affair?)
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| ”FLASH FOR FREEDOM!” (1971) Book Review |
[02 Nov 2009|06:54pm] |
”FLASH FOR FREEDOM!” (1971) Book Review
I wrote this REVIEW of George MacDonald Fraser's 1971 novel, "FLASH FOR FREEDOM!". The third in the author's The Flashman Papers series, it told the story of Harry Flashman's experiences with the Atlantic Slave Trade and slavery in the antebellum South.
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| October Books |
[02 Nov 2009|08:25pm] |
Books Read in October
Quite a few 5 and 4 star books this month - which merely means I loved most of the books I read in October, which doesn't often happen.
# books read: 16
# books read to date: 149
Most enjoyed: Sister Wife; The Thirteenth Tale; The Society of S; Doubleblind; To Seek a Master; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Least enjoyed: How I Live Now and Seduced by Shadows
Links go to full reviews on my book review blog, ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) giraffedays.
The List:
Something Reckless by Jess Michaels
(Historical erotic romance: 264 pages) 4/5 stars
Joe Speedboat by Tommy Wieringa
(Fiction: 319 pages) 3/5 stars
Seduced by Shadows by Jessa Slade
(Paranormal romance: 378 pages) 2/5 stars
Doubleblind by Ann Aguirre
(Science fiction: 302 pages) 5/5 stars
To Seek a Master by Monica Belle
(Erotica: 242 pages) 5/5 stars
The Child Thief by Brom
(Fantasy: 481 pages) 4/5 stars
Sweet Restraint by Beth Kery
(Erotic romance: 326 pages) 3/5 stars
Flashforward by Robert J. Sawyer
(Science fiction: 319 pages) 4/5 stars
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
(Fiction: 408 pages) 5/5 stars
Witch Blood by Anya Bast
(Paranormal romance: 275 pages) 4/5 stars
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
(Children's: 155 pages) 5/5 stars
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
(YA fiction: 194 pages) 2/5 stars
Soulless by Gail Carriger
(Fantasy/Horror: 357 pages) 4/5 stars
The Society of S by Susan Hubbard
(Fiction: 304 pages) 5/5 stars
The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines
(Fantasy: 344 pages) 3/5 stars
Sister Wife by Shelley Hrdlitschka
(YA fiction: 269 pages) 5/5 stars
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| Sister Wife |
[01 Nov 2009|12:43pm] |
 Sister Wife by Shelley Hrdlitschka
Orca Book Publishers 2008
269 pages
YA fiction
All her life, Celeste has practised purity and obedience in order to be a fitting sister wife. Now, with her fifteenth birthday approaching, it will soon be time for the Prophet to announce which man God has assigned her to. This will be the man she will belong to for life and eternity in the Kingdom of Heaven. It is only through having many wives can a man enter God's kingdom, they believe, and those wives must be pure of thought and obedient to their husbands in order to belong to him there, as well.
Growing up in Unity, the settlement where the members of the Movement live, has been a simple, happy time for Celeste. She lives in a big house with her father Kelvin and his four wives, including her own mother Irene and her six other children - Celeste is the oldest. But even after all the housework and time spent looking after the children, and despite her attempts to be obedient, Celeste has impure thoughts: she doesn't want to marry, she'd rather do something with her life, like be a vet. And she thinks about Jon Nielsson, a boy who lives nearby with whom she's merely exchanged eye contact. She knows it's wrong, but she can't stop thinking and questioning the things she was raised to believe in.
Confiding in her younger sister Nanette turns out to be a mistake: Nanette is a firm believer in her place in the world and is shocked at Celeste's disobedience. Taviana, a slightly older girl who, over a year ago, was rescued from a life of living on the streets and selling her body by one of the members of the Movement, understands better and the two become even closer. Celeste is also drawn to the river, where she saw a young man build an inuksuk - a body made of carefully balanced rocks. She makes her own, and when she visits later she finds a third - so begins a community of rock people, the first creative thing she's done in her life and one that brings her joy and calm.
But it is like the calm before the storm, and everything in Celeste's life starts falling apart. Her secret meetings with Jon have been discovered by Nanette, who tells their father. Soon after, the Prophet assigns Celeste to Jon's father, Martin Nielsson, a much older man who already has five wives - but not before Jon leaves Unity, bringing shame on his family. He wants Celeste to come with him, but Celeste can't, she can't do that to her own family. She doesn't want to marry Mr Nielsson and become like all the other women in the Movement, like her own mother who, now in her eighth pregnancy, is having complications. But she can't do that to her mother, or her father. She can't bring shame to them.
Celeste, Nanette and Taviana must each find their way, reconciling their hearts and their beliefs, their upbringings and their instincts, their needs and their repressed desires.
( My thoughts )
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| books read in October |
[01 Nov 2009|12:46am] |
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1. Mason - Thomas Pendleton
2. Prom Dates From Hell - Rosemary Clement-Moore
3. Wild Orchid - Cameron Dokey
4. Cracked Up To Be - Courtney Summers
5. Hell Week - Rosemary Clement-Moore
6. The Summer of Naked Swim Parties - Jessica Anya
7. Highway to Hell - Rosemary Clement-Moore
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| The Hunger Games |
[31 Oct 2009|04:19pm] |
The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins
YA fiction; fantasy; series
374 pages
Sixteen-year-old Katniss is smart, athletic, and fast. She can take down a rabbit with a bow and arrow, hitting it straight through the eye. Will these skills be enough to survive the Hunger Games?
Suzanne Collins, the author of the middle-grade fantasy series The Underland Chronicles begins anew, exploring a future landscape that will be familiar to devotees of science fiction's dystopic strain. In a nation called Panem, which occupies the landmass that is the present United States, a parasitical fascist Capitol dominates 12 conquered districts. There was a thirteenth district but it was obliterated during a rebellion. The totalitarian government keeps the subjected populations in line by threatened devastation, starvation, and brutality.
I found this book and concept to be utterly fascinating. I love the post-apocalyptic feel that was conveyed throughout the entire book. It is interesting that this country, Panem used to actually be the United States and the history of what happened because of the country's rebellion against the Capitol was interesting as well. I thought that the characters and the plot were astounding. I really felt for Katniss throughout the book and I cannot wait to read Catching Fire soon!
**There are some things that I would love to talk about in the book and even one thing that I didn't like, but I feel that it is spoilery, and so if you have read the book and wish to discuss it, please do so with me in the comments. Thank you!**
Books read this year: 44/50.
Pages read this year: 14843/15000
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