tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50666382954362137082024-03-20T03:18:37.507-07:00Solace in another worldMierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5066638295436213708.post-30244623088114921342017-10-22T06:18:00.000-07:002017-10-22T06:21:03.258-07:00Jennifer Donnelly – Revolution (5/5)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<h2>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“It’s time to start the revolution, baby!”</span></i></b></h2>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Covers:</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327952212l/11743055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="310" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327952212l/11743055.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328126551l/10211578.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="10211578" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328126551l/10211578.jpg" width="130" /></a>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320530843l/7558747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="7558747" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320530843l/7558747.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Genre:</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">YA Drama</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This is the book for you if you
like: </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">- Stories
about struggling with suicidal ideation</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">- Magical
Realism</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">- Some
history infused in your fiction</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Summary</span></i></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: (blurb)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Andi is broken. She is
failing school and failing her life. Since the death of her brother, all she
cares about is music. Taken to Paris by her estranged father, she makes a
discovery there that could transform everything. Hidden in the compartment of
an old guitar case is a lost diary from Revolutionary France…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Alexandrine is a
street performer who is trying to save a young life from the devastation of
war. She writers her deepest thoughts in her diary, hoping that one day someone
will read them and understand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">These two girls,
though centuries apart, are tied together by more than just the diary. As its
words transcend paper and time, Alexandrine’s past becomes Andi’s present and
lives are changed for ever.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">First sentence: </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Those who can, do.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Those who can’t,
deejay.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Thoughts on covers: </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I love how prominent
the key is on most of the covers. I really think the third (the original) cover
misses the mark here; because while yes, this is a story about two girls
centuries apart, I feel like it’s much more a story about finding your place in
this world, finding the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">key to your
existence</i>, hence giving the key, next to having an actual role in the
story, a symbolic meaning that ties in with the whole book.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Title:</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The title was interesting
enough for me to pull the book from the shelves, so it certainly grabs your
attention. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Why did I read this book? </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I found it at a book
fair. The title grabbed my attention, and the blurb promised a protagonist struggling
with life, music and a hint of time travel. These are all things that I love to
read about, so this truly seemed like the perfect fit for me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Characters: </span></i></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Andi, our main
character, only cares about two things: music, and her mother. With the death
of her brother heavily weighing on her, it's really the only things she can
afford to care about, and even those are just barely enough to help her hold
on. It's the moments where she's playing that you can really see her character
shine through: creative, inventive, enthusiastic. She was so <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">real</i>. I felt connected to her from the
get-go.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I also really loved
Alexandrine. This Parisian heroine from the time of the Revolution has one
thing on her mind and one thing only: the boy that is locked and mistreated in
the tower. Her insistence to be there for Louis-Charles in any way she can,
even at the risk of her own life - how can someone not love a character like
that? Donnelly managed to make it make sense as well; this wasn't some random
interest in a random little boy, this was familial love without sharing the
same blood.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Setting: </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Revolution</span></i><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> starts in New York, but is really mostly set in Paris, both current
Paris and the Paris in the time of the Revolution. I don’t know anything, really,
about France at that time, and this book really managed to get me interested in
it. It all felt so real. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">General opinion: </span></i></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Donnelly has divided
the book into three parts – hell, purgatory and paradise. That ‘hell’ is the
longest part tells you all you need to know about the heavy atmosphere of the story.
Struggling with suicidal ideation myself, Revolution was an almost therapeutic
read. The despondency that is bogging down Andi is written so realistic that it
wasn't hard at all to connect to her. The way she goes from passive
recklessness to active suicidal planning was very true to life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<blockquote>
<i><p>I hear tires screeching. I turn and see a car bearing down on me.</p>
<p>Everything inside me is screaming at me to run, but I don't move. Because I want this. I want an end to the pain. The car swerves violently and screeches to a stop. I smell burned rubber. People are shouting.</p>
<p>The driver's on me in an instant. She's crying and trembling. She grabs the front of my jacket and shakes me. "You crazy bitch!" she screams. "I could have killed you!"</p>
<p>"Sorry," I say.</p>
<p>"Sorry?" she shouts. "You don't look sorry. You-"</p>
<p>"Sorry you missed," I say.</i></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This was not an easy
read, at all. Donnelly doesn't pull any punches, doesn't sugar-coat any of
this. I had to really set time aside for this, but I am so glad I did. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">While I definitely
wouldn't categorise this as a romance (the romance is really too much of a
B-plot for that), it is one of the most romantic YA novels I have ever read.
Instead of wasting time on love triangles and with only the slightest
miscommunication, the way Andi and Virgil connect and especially their late
night/early morning phone calls are one of the most romantic things ever
written.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Will I read other books from this
author?</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Definitely! This is
one of the best books I’ve read this year.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Overall rating: </span></i></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">5/5</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Mierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5066638295436213708.post-77488461042222382462013-05-24T01:11:00.001-07:002013-05-24T01:11:28.662-07:00Book Beginnings (1)<p>This meme is hosted by <a href="http://www.rosecityreader.com/">Rose City Reader</a>. </p> <p><em>Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.</em></p> <p><img style="display: inline; float: right" align="right" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327890411l/11614718.jpg" width="100" height="150"></p> <blockquote> <p><em>The most dangerous sicknesses are those that make us believe we are well.</em> –Proverb 42, <em>The Book of Shhh</em></p></blockquote> <p>Every chapter of <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11614718-delirium">Delirium</a> (by Lauren Oliver) starts with a quote from an in-world source. I really love this. It is a brilliant way to extend on the world-building as it gives you an idea of the sort of ideas that Lena grew up with. </p> Mierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5066638295436213708.post-18721964942278806492013-05-17T01:35:00.001-07:002013-05-17T01:35:12.095-07:00Richelle Mead – Spirit Bound (5/5)<p><b><i>Series: </i></b>Vampire Academy #5 <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Cover:</i></b> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-_WNmWRfmkFs/UZXrrVBww_I/AAAAAAAAAcM/0xrhPFXLSac/s1600-h/clip_image002%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image002" alt="clip_image002" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-qvPhtiyXxH8/UZXrsn-SP6I/AAAAAAAAAcU/Q5YmOxI8_Tc/clip_image002_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="160" height="248"></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-SWM9tdw_Rq8/UZXruMBR34I/AAAAAAAAAcc/tU6tOnz6E2w/s1600-h/clip_image004%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image004" alt="clip_image004" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-v3jCr-bqS7k/UZXrvbnqkdI/AAAAAAAAAck/hu_HYfZcbk4/clip_image004_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="147" height="248"></a> <b><i></i></b> <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Genre: </i></b>YA Fantasy <p><b><i>This is the book for you if you like: </i></b> <p>- The Vampire Academy series; don’t be scared off if you didn’t like <i>Blood Promise</i>. <p>- Love against the odds stories<i></i> <p>- Cliffhangers<i></i> <p><b><i>Summary</i></b>: (from author’s website) <p>Dimitri gave Rose the ultimate choice. But she chose wrong… <p>After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri’s birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir’s—and to her best friend, Lissa. It is nearly graduation, and the girls can’t wait for their real lives beyond the Academy’s iron gates to begin. But Rose’s heart still aches for Dimitri, and he's out there, somewhere. <p>She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and she knows in her heart that he is hunting her. And if Rose won't join him, he won't rest until he's silenced her... <i>forever</i>. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Thoughts on covers: </i></b> <p>As always, I just can’t picture any cover but the original VA academy covers with the fence as actual VA covers. The others just seem… wrong. To the point where I couldn’t even get myself to pick a third cover to show. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Title:</i></b> <p>The VA titles haven’t always made the most sense in comparison to the content of the story, but for a story that so heavily relies on spirit magic, I guess this one is not so bad. I always like how the titles sound mysterious, though, and make me want to read the book. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Characters: </i></b> <p>I’ve always loved Rose. I’ve even loved her in <i>Blood Promise</i>, even though she left Lissa to chase Dimitri, because I got how it was her broken heart leading her. But in <i>Spirit Bound</i>, at quite a lot of moments she’s edging the line between self-centred and selfish. It wasn’t enough to make me turn from her of from the series, but it was at times hard to cheer for her happy ending, when I wasn’t sure she still deserved one. I still like her, I just didn’t love her at every point in this book. <p>Lissa is and will always be my favourite character. In this book, too, she shows so much loyalty and strength – not physical, but spiritual and emotional. She is someone I would love to have in my life and I like every page spend with her. I’m also really liking Adrian. He seems to be so much more mature than he makes himself out to be. <p>When it comes to side characters, the return of Ambrose was very welcome and I loved the introduction of Mikhail. <p><b><i>Setting: </i></b> <p>Most of this book is set at Court, moving it from the Academy setting to another, similar setting. It worked well within the confines of the story and within what we know of the world. I think part of what made <i>Blood Promise </i>so bad in comparison to the other books is that it didn’t have such a definite sense of home, a base to return to. <p><b><i>General story: </i></b> <p>A lot happens in this book. After <i>Blood Promise</i>, after seeing that this book had a similar page count, I was afraid there’d again be a lot of senseless filler. But there wasn’t. There is a lot of action and you get sucked into the story from the first page. <p>The book seemed to be divided into roughly three parts: <p>- The first eleven chapters follow directly on Rose’s discovery in <i>Blood Promise </i>that Victor could lead her to saving Dimitri. <p>- The next fourteen chapters delve into what that knowledge might mean for Rose, for Lissa, for Dimitri, for Adrian. <p>- The last two chapters set up the scenes for the next book <p>I think it worked; every part had slightly higher stakes, both physically and emotionally. I think the second part was the most important for this book and I loved what it said. I love how the idea of being able to save Strigoi had such a wide ring of consequences, things that Rose had never even thought of in her haste to save the love of her life. <p><b><i>Will I read the other instalments in this series? </i></b> <p>I held my breath during the last thirty pages and I can’t believe the cliff-hanger of this book. I don’t think I’ve ever had this much of a “I need the next book now!” feeling as I had after reading this one. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Overall rating: </i></b>5/5 Mierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5066638295436213708.post-10662091619614461742013-04-22T05:01:00.001-07:002013-04-22T05:01:29.272-07:00Carolyn Anderson Jones – Cowgirl up! (1/5)<p><b><i>Cover:</i></b> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-tofqBm-8yDE/UXUmlI3-PVI/AAAAAAAAAbw/y4wLEPC_j8E/s1600-h/clip_image001%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image001" alt="clip_image001" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-gZo5a7yVdlY/UXUmmBn303I/AAAAAAAAAb4/c88JLdmZR3g/clip_image001_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="180" height="248"></a> <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Genre: </i></b>Romantic Suspense / Western Romance <p><b><i>This is the book for you if you like: </i></b> <p>- Jealous heroes <p><b><i>Summary</i></b>: (from author’s website) <p>Life on the Front Range of Colorado is never dull, especially with a spunky vet and a really hot cowboy in the mix. <p>Samantha Kendrick is a large animal vet in her small hometown of Fairview, and happy tending to her clients during the day and reading sizzling romance novels at night. Until Cheyenne Wells comes back into her life. <p>Samantha and Cheyenne have known each other since first grade, but it’s been a tenuous relationship that started when he yanked her ponytail and she punched him in the nose. Now Cheyenne is the head trainer and manager of the largest horse ranch in the west, and Samantha is called out to treat their prize stallion. <p>Their reunion ignites sparks of passion neither one is expecting. Though Sam resists at first, Cheyenne’s Native American magnetism draws her into his life, with some help from her mom and fate. Before she knows it Sam is drawn into a spidery web of evil. Together, Sam and Cheyenne must work to solve the mystery before it turns deadly. <p>It couldn’t get any worse for Sam, who up until then only pondered mysteries like, “Do cowboys really go commando?” <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Thoughts on covers: </i></b> <p>I actually think the cover is quite pretty! That sun-colour really catches the eye. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Title:</i></b> <p>The title is okay. I don’t really see the connection to the book, however. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Characters: </i></b> <p><i>Cowgirl Up! </i>is mostly about Samantha, Sam to almost anyone. She’s a vet who thinks she’s very plain and consistently compares herself unfavourably to every other girl she meets (Cheyenne has “a beautiful girl” working in his office, her best friend is a “gorgeous Hispanic with long dark hair, deep brown eyes and a killer body”…) <p>Then there’s Cheyenne, who is the love interest, and his characterization doesn’t really go any farther than that. His main characteristic seems to be ‘insanely jealous’, as he breaks off their relationship after Sam gets a call on her voice mail from another guy who seemed to be interested in her. <p>My favourite character just might have been Dundee, Sam’s dog. <p><b><i>Setting: </i></b> <p>Fairview, Colorado. A quick google search seems to indicate that Colorado is one of the few states that <i>doesn’t </i>have a Fairview (though it does have a Fairview Natural Area), so it’s a fair bet the town is fictional. It seems to be a pretty small town, with lots of ranches with dozens of acres. The town also have lots of immigrants who only speak Spanish. <p><b><i>General story: </i></b> <p>I really struggled through this book. <p>There is no indication about whether Cheyenne and Sam would make a great couple. Are we to assume that every vet would easily build a relationship with an attractive cowboy? There’s a lot of sexual attraction, but that seems to be all there is. We’re supposed to believe in this romance between them, but there is none actually written. There is also this guy, Luke, who tries to seduce her with a plane and with being nice to her. But he is so obviously only there to get Cheyenne jealous; when he leaves and Cheyenne saves Sam at the end of the book, Luke isn’t even mentioned anymore. <p>The writing, too, annoyed me at <i>a lot </i>of places. There were completely random shifts in perspective at times; mostly when there’s a guy checking out Sam, the writing suddenly shifts to his POV for a couple of lines, then just as suddenly switches back. There were also very detailed, boring paragraphs detailing the background of every person we meet, without giving any information that would actually be of interest. And an actual scene of men <i>walking into posts </i>because they were so impressed by Sam and Isabelle trying on clothes. <p>I am pretty sure that this book could have been twice as short without losing any information, there was so much repetition. Then there was just the actual writing style, with sentences like: <p><i></i> <p><i>“Sam sensed there were sparks flying between them because she could smell the man’s fear. It was sweat.”</i> <p>I’m pretty sure she smelled the sweat and deduced it was fear? <p><i></i> <p><i>“Have you ever seen a child’s face when he saw a gigantic sucker in a candy store, or Santa Claus at the mall? That’s exactly how Max Chandler looked when he saw Isabella. He was smitten. Sam was afraid he would stop breathing and might pass out from lack of oxygen, but she didn’t worry. Isabella knew CPR.”</i> <p>UGH! <p><i>“The voice sounded breathy and blonde.”</i> <p>How on earth does a voice sound blonde? <p>Then, the formatting was bad. There are a lot of horses in this book, and every time one of them is mentioned by name, it was in cursive. Why on earth? Because they’re not people? But every time Dundee is mentioned, his name isn’t cursive. I thought it really halting. Also, the ellipses Jones uses have <i>nine </i>dots, instead of three. Does that make them more ellipsis-y? I’m also pretty sure that “Omigod” is not an actual word. Why not just write “Oh my God”? <p><b><i>Overall rating: </i></b>1/5 Mierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5066638295436213708.post-58962634135107353152013-03-25T03:56:00.001-07:002013-03-25T03:56:39.763-07:00Suzanne Selfors – Coffeehouse Angel (2/5)<h5><b><i>Cover:</i></b></h5> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-p8OvSEuY9cM/UVAtUF2xheI/AAAAAAAAAa4/Vg9A8SPompo/s1600-h/clip_image002%25255B4%25255D%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image002[4]" alt="clip_image002[4]" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-8GCzW_GjNx0/UVAtVM4FkWI/AAAAAAAAAbA/Ukw7ivHKMVg/clip_image002%25255B4%25255D_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="150" height="228"></a><b><i> </i></b><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-XmcGWZ08RMc/UVAtWK29JwI/AAAAAAAAAbI/jproSe6ExzA/s1600-h/clip_image004%25255B4%25255D%25255B13%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image004[4]" alt="clip_image004[4]" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-sUsqebXq1wk/UVAtXVWWYOI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/8hh34ycaI-k/clip_image004%25255B4%25255D_thumb%25255B11%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="150" height="225"></a> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-VCcnpTFwLqY/UVAtYDO1TTI/AAAAAAAAAbY/xTlBsmMVFZY/s1600-h/clip_image006%25255B4%25255D%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image006[4]" alt="clip_image006[4]" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-vYYaSmyfzi0/UVAtZCNNZ3I/AAAAAAAAAbg/ZxidXf30cd0/clip_image006%25255B4%25255D_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="150" height="238"></a><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Genre: </i></b>YA Paranormal Romance <p><b><i>This is the book for you if you like: </i></b> <p>- Superficial romance stories<br>- Angel mythology <p><b><i>Summary</i></b>: (from author’s website) <p>When Katrina spots a homeless guy sleeping in the alley behind her grandmother's coffee shop, she leaves him a cup of coffee, a bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans, and some pastries to tide him over, never expecting this random act of kindness to turn her life upside down. The adorable vagrant, Malcolm, is actually a guardian angel on a break between missions, and now he won't leave until he can reward Katrina's selflessness by fulfilling her deepest desire. Fame and fortune seem like the obvious requests, but after two botched wishes, Malcolm knows Katrina is hiding something from him. But how can she tell him the truth, when her heart's desire has become Malcolm himself? <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Thoughts on covers: <br></i></b><i>Hardcover edition, paperback edition, French edition</i> <p>I really dislike the hardcover edition, but I think the angel coffee cup one is pretty cute. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Title:</i></b> <p>I think the title covers both of the important aspects of the story, so it’s fitting. It’s also different enough to attract attention. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Characters: </i></b> <p>I don’t have any real feelings towards the characters in this book. Katrina, the protagonist, is annoying in many ways, though she gets better ‘til the end. Vincent and Elizabeth are presences that don’t have much of a personality. The ones I loved the most were Malcolm – for his strange ways, his outsider status, his unintentional wit – and Irmgaard, who had the most interesting story of all and who I really wanted to get to know better. <p><b><i>Setting: </i></b> <p>The story is set in Nordby, which, in this story, is an American town that has both people with Norwegian roots as with Native American roots. It took me a while to get <i>where </i>exactly it was located, because there’s a Nordby in Denmark too, which at first seemed like the more logical location (the only question then was, why on earth would an American writer write a story set in Denmark?). I don’t think the setting does much to the story; had it just been an average town in America, with an average mix of people, the story would have remained the same. I wonder why Selfors took so much effort in describing the Old Ways, as they are called quite often in the book, without actually having them influence the story. <p><b><i>General story: </i></b> <p>I feel like this story was trying to be three stories at once, with each story just out of reach of being <i>good</i>. <p>At first glance, based on the summary and the designated genre, you expect a love story. And it partly is; there is this whole flirtation going on between Katrina and Malcolm, but for three third of the book I wondered whether maybe Vincent was supposed to be the love interest. And it’s not even like it’s set up as a love triangle either; the ending of the book makes it perfectly clear that Vincent and Katrina really see each other as friends. I don’t feel like Malcolm is enough of a presence in Katrina’s life to make this a romance story; there isn’t much of a relationship at all, actually, just attraction on her side and intrigue on his side. <p>Then, it is a story about friendship and what friends should do for each other. Katrina is very focussed on what others should do for <i>her </i>because of their friendship, but in the entire book we don’t once see her do something for either Elizabeth or Vincent. She only complains; about Vincent dating Heidi and betraying her, and about Elizabeth having so much money that she’d never understand. <p>Then, this story seems to want to give us a lesson in <i>everyone has a talent</i> and <i>be careful what you wish for</i>. It seems weird to put the first lesson in a story that has magic beans, and the second one is weird because the story ends with a wish that made everything perfect. Also, the moralising paragraphs were weirdly intertwined with the dialogue/action ones. The transitions were a bit jarring. <p>Mind you, I liked <i>some </i>of it. Actually, I liked every part that was about Malcolm’s life as a messenger. The envelope that kept getting heavier, his black notebook, his life that isn’t a life but just an existence… I feel like Selfors could have done so much with the mythology she built around him, and instead she had him around for what seemed like only half the book and spent the rest on a coffeehouse rivalry that just seemed ridiculous. The same goes for Irmgaard; she’s such an interesting character, and her story is really great, but she’s handled as an aside. I would have loved it if this story had been told from Malcolm’s perspective; that’d have been great. <p><b><i>Will I read other books from this author?</i></b> <p>I probably won’t. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Overall rating: </i></b>2/5 Mierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5066638295436213708.post-43200126802858069952013-03-19T03:53:00.001-07:002013-03-19T03:53:11.889-07:00Suzanne Collins – Mockingjay (3/5)<p><b><i>Series: </i></b>Hunger Games #3</p> <p><b><i></i></b></p> <p><b><i>Cover:</i></b></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-mA1f55QhErE/UUhDgoJoNII/AAAAAAAAAaA/UbigOBkDE4M/s1600-h/clip_image002%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image002" alt="clip_image002" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-am716N1dq1U/UUhDhWvxCJI/AAAAAAAAAaE/1oPrwoHR_Ec/clip_image002_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="155" height="240"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-nuj-FIUF1b8/UUhDidZqPvI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/VV45f_rXANM/s1600-h/clip_image003%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image003" alt="clip_image003" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-bCzUnwRaD3k/UUhDjQdNAPI/AAAAAAAAAaY/MkkRKNxeWrI/clip_image003_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="156" height="240"></a> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-VNwoz-tvmzw/UUhDkYbMAzI/AAAAAAAAAac/52eV_ETdLlI/s1600-h/clip_image005%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image005" alt="clip_image005" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-lwIuO14LVz0/UUhDlIng9WI/AAAAAAAAAao/SRm9dK0q_DU/clip_image005_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="155" height="215"></a><b></b></p> <p><b><i></i></b></p> <p><b><i>Genre: </i></b>YA Dystopian</p> <p><b><i>This is the book for you if you like: </i></b></p> <p>- The first two books in the series</p> <p>- Well written action</p> <p><b><i>Summary</i></b>: (from author’s website)</p> <p>Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.</p> <p><b><i></i></b></p> <p><b><i>Thoughts on covers: </i></b></p> <p>As with the first two books, I’m in love with the German cover. They are so gripping!</p> <p><b><i></i></b></p> <p><b><i>Title:</i></b></p> <p>I think <i>Mockingjay </i>is the only fitting title for this book, not only referencing the previous books but also Katniss’ role in this story. The German title, <i>Burning anger</i>, seems a bit misplaced to me. </p> <p><b><i></i></b></p> <p><b><i>Characters:</i></b></p> <p>Katniss, who was so great in the first book, is so, so annoying. The first couple of chapters I just wanted to scream at her. I also feel like she’s written inconsistently. Most of the time, she’s just so self-centred; she doesn’t care about other people, not really. And then there are moments like this:</p> <blockquote> <p><i>[Gale] strokes my face as the pain ebbs. “You’ve got to stop running straight into trouble.”</i></p> <p><i>“I know. But someone blew up a mountain,” I answer.</i></p></blockquote> <p>That is the Katniss I want to see! But most of the time she’s whining about how everybody is using her, while simultaneously whining that she doesn’t get to actually fight. The whole book people keep telling her that she has this air about her that makes people follow her lead, but I, as a reader, don’t feel it. I wanted her to take control, as she did in the first book – she was so kickass in the first book! – but at no point did she decide that this was her war to fight too. </p> <p>This book did introduce the one Hunger Games character I actually care about: Boggs. He was awesome, he stood by Katniss every step of the way, no matter how awful she treated him. He’s the best. I also started really liking Finnick; I would have loved to read the story of Finnick and Annie.</p> <p><b><i>Setting: </i></b></p> <p>The beginning of this story is set at Rebel Headquarters, and it ends at the Capitol.</p> <p><b><i>General story: </i></b></p> <p>Like usual, Collins’ action scenes where the best. I loved the middle of the book, I loved people trying to figure out how to overthrow the Capitol. But when it wasn’t about the main rebel plot, it was about the love triangle, and not at one point did I care – mainly because I was convinced Katniss didn’t love either of them, so her choice would never be about love and would inevitably end up hurting both Peeta <i>and </i>Gale.</p> <p>I thought the best part of this book was the middle, setting it apart from the first two that were best at its endings. Here, the first part had too much focus on a whining Katniss, and the third part had all this deaths that didn’t make me tear up so much as annoy me. I get that people die, but these felt more unnecessary than war casualties. </p> <p>I thought the ending seemed rushed a bit. I would’ve preferred to spend more time with these characters in the aftermath of the win of the rebels, instead of getting these meagre plot points. Then again, Collins’ character work has never been stellar, so maybe it isn’t that bad that she didn’t get around to it. What I did like about the ending was that it wasn’t an entirely happy ending; it held some reality. </p> <p><b><i>Will I read other books from this author?</i></b></p> <p>I might, but I won’t go looking for them.<b><i> </i></b></p> <p><b><i></i></b></p> <p><b><i>Overall rating: </i></b>3/5</p> Mierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5066638295436213708.post-23490084468389193672013-03-07T05:23:00.001-08:002013-03-07T05:23:39.639-08:00Kelley Armstrong – The Summoning (2/5)<p><b><i>Series: </i></b>Darkest Powers Trilogy #1 <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Cover:</i></b> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-RXyqoyTkMOI/UTiUyJegucI/AAAAAAAAAZI/QFYDJzZS23I/s1600-h/clip_image002%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image002" alt="clip_image002" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-dYjtgKso2Uw/UTiUy_tOb3I/AAAAAAAAAZM/Eb5xojLYOcA/clip_image002_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="159" height="240"></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ditiBXcxs_E/UTiUzmna6II/AAAAAAAAAZY/d6UwZ-z4KFk/s1600-h/clip_image004%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image004" alt="clip_image004" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-eGjlUI9XiU0/UTiU0iCWrdI/AAAAAAAAAZc/h1oNBGrdzvM/clip_image004_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="140" height="240"></a> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/--Wk1G2zWSwI/UTiU1crs16I/AAAAAAAAAZo/hbQcMEpLwII/s1600-h/clip_image006%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image006" alt="clip_image006" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-wwB4m1Ao38s/UTiU2SfIQnI/AAAAAAAAAZw/zfVjASb3Qtc/clip_image006_thumb%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="159" height="258"></a><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Genre: </i></b>YA Fantasy <p><b><i>This is the book for you if you like: </i></b> <p>- Characters discovering their gifts for the first time <p><b><i>Summary</i></b>: (from author’s website) <p>Chloe Saunders sees dead people. Yes, like in the films. The problem is, in real life saying you see ghosts gets you a one-way ticket to the psych ward. And at 15, all Chloe wants to do is fit in at school and maybe get a boy to notice her. But when a particularly violent ghost haunts her, she gets noticed for all the wrong reasons. Her seemingly crazed behaviour earns her a trip to Lyle House, a centre for disturbed teens. <p>At first Chloe is determined to keep her head down. But then her room mate disappears after confessing she has a poltergeist, and some of the other patients also seem to be manifesting paranormal behaviour. Could that be a coincidence? Or is Lyle House not quite what it seems…? Chloe realizes that if she doesn’t uncover the truth, she could be destined for a lifetime in a psychiatric hospital. Or could her fate be even worse…? Can she trust her fellow students, and does she dare reveal her dark secret? <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Thoughts on covers: </i></b> <p>I’m not a big fan of any of the covers. The first suggest the necklace is a central plot point, while it’s just something that’s mentioned in two scenes and the third one is so generic I would never pick it up. I almost like the middle cover, the German one, because I love the colouring, but I feel like the fact on that cover is weird. I don’t know. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Title:</i></b> <p>The title does a pretty good job of describing the focal point of the story, so it’s an okay title. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Characters: </i></b> <p>Where do I start? I felt like none of these characters had actual personalities, not even Chloe – and the book is written in the first POV. Chloe is just <i>there</i>; this story is happening to her and she’s trying to react to it, but she’s not really <i>doing </i>anything. I still don’t really know what her characteristics are; I would have no idea how to describe her. <p>The other people at Lyle House are, if possible, even worse; they all seem to have one characteristic – Derek is blunt, Simon is protective, Tori is a bitch, Rae is childishly excited – without any other signs of having a personality. <p><b><i>Setting: </i></b> <p>The story is mostly set at Lyle House, the centre for disturbed teens where Chloe ends up after she starts seeing ghosts. The building is a pretty generic one; a creepy basement, a creepy attic and rooms for the kids in between, boys and girls divided. It’s nothing special. <p><b><i>General story: </i></b> <p>One day, Chloe suddenly starts seeing ghosts; she freaks out at school and gets send away. Diagnosis: schizophrenia. It would have been interesting to see how she handles the diagnosis, or the confusion about whether she’s seeing ghosts or hallucinating, but we don’t get to see any of Chloe’s inner turmoil. <p>Instead, it immediately turns into a story about how Derek knew what Chloe could do and he – not very subtly – urges her to find out about her powers. Again, this could be an interesting story, but suddenly there is this conspiracy about Lyle House and its caretakers. There is little development about Chloe getting used to her powers or what she can do; she’s suddenly swooped up in the story of Simon and Derek, a story that wasn’t that interesting to begin with. <p>Chloe and Derek develop a plan for Chloe and Simon to escape Lyle House and find Derek and Simon’s father. I wish we had known more about their father and how he could help before they escaped, because now it just felt like a useless exercise – especially with the way this book ended. <p>There could be this great story here. Unfortunately, instead of focussing on the characters and their feelings, Armstrong focuses on the plot – which is, to be honest, quite predictable and thus loses most of its impact. <p><b><i>Will I read the other instalments in this series? </i></b>Nope <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Overall rating: </i></b><i>2/5</i> Mierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5066638295436213708.post-35334757065754629232013-02-21T03:08:00.001-08:002013-02-21T03:08:22.950-08:00Kate Brian – Private (4/5)<p><b><i>Series: </i></b>Private #1 <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Cover:</i></b> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6NoimMF1F2g/USYAGXKnbSI/AAAAAAAAAYM/MbPzxost9cs/s1600-h/clip_image002%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image002" alt="clip_image002" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-v5lUUhYE9Rk/USYAHPidC9I/AAAAAAAAAYU/oSp-tAbeSyY/clip_image002_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="149" height="240"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-5BcWxdR1o3Y/USYAH9uKb-I/AAAAAAAAAYc/ZTEdrgBtz-k/s1600-h/clip_image004%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image004" alt="clip_image004" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-piJHD_NWmAk/USYAIWJftVI/AAAAAAAAAYk/csYldU1ybuQ/clip_image004_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="157" height="240"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-W9bYNsLHuBA/USYAI7y264I/AAAAAAAAAYs/OU9zj2Pw70U/s1600-h/clip_image006%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image006" alt="clip_image006" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-GoWyZuy5wio/USYAJRvJeeI/AAAAAAAAAY0/8dB_FyTtf3Y/clip_image006_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="149" height="224"></a><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Genre: </i></b>YA Chick-lit <p><b><i>This is the book for you if you like: </i></b> <p>- Boarding school stories <p>- Stories about popularity <p><b><i>Summary</i></b>: (from author’s website) <p>Tradition, Honor, Excellence...and secrets so dark they're almost invisible <br>Fifteen-year-old Reed Brennan wins a scholarship to Easton Academy -- the golden ticket away from her pill-popping mother and run-of-the-mill suburban life. But when she arrives on the beautiful, tradition-steeped campus of Easton, everyone is just a bit more sophisticated, a bit more gorgeous, and a lot wealthier than she ever thought possible. Reed realizes that even though she has been accepted to Easton, Easton has not accepted her. She feels like she's on the outside, looking in. <br>Until she meets the Billings Girls. <br>They are the most beautiful, intelligent, and intensely confident girls on campus. And they know it. They hold all the power in a world where power is fleeting but means everything. Reed vows to do whatever it takes to be accepted into their inner circle. <br>Reed uses every part of herself -- the good, the bad, the beautiful -- to get closer to the Billings Girls. She quickly discovers that inside their secret parties and mountains of attitude, hanging in their designer clothing-packed closets the Billings Girls have skeletons. And they'll do anything to keep their secrets private. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Thoughts on covers: </i></b> <p>I’m actually not a big fan of any of these covers (Dutch, original cover, new cover). The new, golden cover is <i>definitely </i>wrong for this book. It speaks of glamour and self-confidence, and those things are not what this book is about. I think if I had to chose, I’d pick the Dutch cover. <p><b><i>Title:</i></b> <p>Same goes for the title; not a big fan. It’s too generic. I didn’t pick this up because of either the title or the cover (it was with my recommendations), and I don’t think I would’ve given this another glance if I wasn’t looking for it. <p><b><i>Characters: </i></b> <p>I like Reed. I hadn’t expected to like her, because she’s the prototype of the <i>I want to be popular </i>girl. I think what makes her different is that Reed, no matter how much she wants to be a Billings girl, has lines that she just won’t cross. <p>The Billings girl are all pretty mysterious and they all kinda look alike to me. It’s hard to pick someone out to like. <p>I really didn’t like Thomas, though I guess that was the point. <p><b><i>Setting: </i></b> <p><i>Private </i>is set at private school Easton Academy, a big campus with different buildings for the students. Every building has its own reputation. <p><b><i>General story: </i></b> <p>(I read this book in Dutch translation) <p>What attracted me most to this story was Brian’s writing style. Her description are vivid – I’m not even a very visual person, but it was fantastically easy to see the world Brian has painted. <p>This is a popularity story. While I’m a fan of boarding school stories, I usually can’t stand the idea that not being popular is the worst thing that can happen to someone. But what makes this popularity story different was that, to me, this group of girls isn’t all bad. Yes, they can be mean and cruel, but I can see why Reed is attracted to them. Brian does a really good job of describing the atmosphere that they carry with them. It makes it easy to see why Reed is sucked into this spiral of desperately wanting to impress them, while keeping her own identity. <p><b><i>Will I read the other instalments in this series? </i></b> <p>Yes. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Overall rating: </i></b>4/5 Mierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5066638295436213708.post-57263281543528169152013-02-21T02:03:00.001-08:002013-02-21T02:03:40.058-08:00Suzanne Collins – Catching fire (4/5)<p><b><i>Series: </i></b>Hunger Games #2 <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Cover:</i></b> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-d6Udkr2UIHU/USXw7OzIbsI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/1GyYHwGISVo/s1600-h/clip_image002%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image002" alt="clip_image002" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-GTTfM_zwvDI/USXw75FOA8I/AAAAAAAAAXY/zaMcaxDFP5Q/clip_image002_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="155" height="248"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Z2csXCzhR4o/USXw8sZQNMI/AAAAAAAAAXg/iVSRJkd_89s/s1600-h/clip_image003%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image003" alt="clip_image003" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-sbD-QfvfULI/USXw9JURdzI/AAAAAAAAAXo/sAO7sikhjg8/clip_image003_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="156" height="248"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-305ouBEVFJg/USXw-DQ-STI/AAAAAAAAAXw/0Wgw6BMv1lc/s1600-h/clip_image005%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image005" alt="clip_image005" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-_prkZRyAEh4/USXw-0Mg_gI/AAAAAAAAAX4/1Wl33nN7VIM/clip_image005_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="155" height="218"></a><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Genre: </i></b>Post-apocalyptic <p><b><i>This is the book for you if you like: </i></b> <p>- The first book of the series <p>- Stories focussed on slowly overthrowing the system <p><b><i>Summary</i></b>: (from author’s website) <p>Much to her shock, Katniss has fuelled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Thoughts on covers: </i></b> <p>Again, I prefer the German cover. I just think these covers tell a story, they’re so pretty. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Title:</i></b> <p>I love the title. It has such multiple meanings, being both a literal and a figurative expression about what’s happening in the book. Though it probably helps that the title reminds me of one of my very favourite scenes from the book. <p>I’m very confused why the German translation changed the title to “Dangerous love” – it just sounds so… boring. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Characters: </i></b> <p>While I loved Katniss after the <i>Hunger Games</i>, in this book she started to annoy me. She’s a bit too naïve, a bit too… I’m not sure how to describe it. In book one she was a real heroine, strong, a fighter. In <i>Catching Fire</i>, she’s more of a reactive presence in everything that’s happening. She doesn’t really <i>do </i>anything, and that made her much less of the strong character she was in the first book. <p>As in the first book, it’s hard to give a real impression of the other characters. Most of them are so fleetingly described that it’s hard to forge any connection to them. I liked Cinna, I’m starting to like Haymitch. I also really like Gale. <p><b><i>Setting:</i></b> <p>The first and second part are set in the districts. Both in District 12 and in the other ones during the victory tour. The third part is, again, set in the Hunger Games arena. <p><b><i>General story: </i></b> <p>I actively disliked the first part of this book. It was boring, it didn’t give me any reason to care about the story and I was ready to give up on it. But then, halfway, the story gets back its pace and sense of urgency. I was afraid that Katniss going back into the arena would make this book a repeat of the first one, but it turned out that was the strongest part of the book. <p>Contrary to the first book, which worked just as well as a standalone, this book definitely leads up to the third part. The ending is very open and cliffhangery. <p><b><i>Will I read the other instalments in this series? </i></b> <p>Yes! I now can’t wait to read the final part. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Overall rating: </i></b>4/5 Mierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5066638295436213708.post-60881120289747359092013-01-25T02:17:00.001-08:002013-01-25T02:17:45.619-08:00Firefly: The official companion, volume one (5/5)<p><b><i>Series: </i></b>Firefly companions, #1</p> <p><b><i></i></b></p> <p><b><i>Cover:</i></b></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-gcE_NZm3Kqk/UQJbbQhDCOI/AAAAAAAAAWA/xzhgq4YjXEo/s1600-h/clip_image001%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image001" alt="clip_image001" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/--uwLGIo6mMI/UQJbcUweG4I/AAAAAAAAAWE/1U8axWTH65Y/clip_image001_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="105" height="150"></a><b><i></i></b></p> <p><b><i></i></b></p> <p><b><i>Genre: </i></b>Series companions</p> <p><b><i>This is the book for you if you like: </i></b></p> <p>Firefly <i>and </i>reading scripts</p> <p><b><i></i></b></p> <p><b><i>Summary</i></b>: (from book)</p> <p>Exclusive new intereviews with Joss Whedon, the cast, executive producer Tim Minear and many other writers and crewmembers.</p> <p>Full, uncut shooting scripts for the episodes ‘Serenity’, ‘The Train Job’, ‘Bushwacked’, ‘Shindig’, ‘Safe’ and ‘Our Mrs. Reynolds’, annotated with comments from the cast and crew.</p> <p>Scores of rare and previously unpublished images, including behind-the-scenes shots, production art, and original Firefly props and costumes photographed especially for this book.</p> <p><b><i></i></b></p> <p><b><i>Thoughts on covers: </i></b></p> <p>It’s Firefly!</p> <p><b><i></i></b></p> <p><b><i>Title:</i></b></p> <p>It’s Firefly!</p> <p><b><i></i></b></p> <p><b><i>Characters & Setting:</i></b></p> <p>N/A</p> <p><b><i>General opinion:</i></b></p> <p>I’ve read a lot of companions and every one of them is different. I really, really like this one. It’s informative and also really, really pretty. </p> <p>This is basically the shooting scripts of the first seven episodes. If you don’t like reading scripts, this is not the book for you. Of the 175 pages, 129 pages are scripts. I really liked reading these. For one, the book includes the original shooting scripts, so there are scenes in there that have never made it to the screen. Secondly, every script is littered with comments from cast and crew about things that happened during filming. </p> <p>If you’re intrigued by the costume and props department, this book is awesome. Most of the non-script pages focus on this aspect of the series, as do quite a lot of the comments on the scripts. </p> <p>There are also one-page interviews with everyone of the main cast and an eight-page interview with Joss Whedon. </p> <p>This companion is definitely worth your time!</p> <p><b><i>Will I read the other instalments in this series? </i></b></p> <p>I’ve got the next one lined up!</p> <p><b><i></i></b></p> <p><b><i>Overall rating: </i></b>5/5</p> Mierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5066638295436213708.post-7876668029076988712013-01-13T02:38:00.001-08:002013-01-13T02:38:16.702-08:00Cath Crowley – Graffiti Moon (5/5)<p><b><i>Cover:</i></b> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-GBlPCenN6TY/UPKOgqlDtHI/AAAAAAAAAU0/gHuGuKUWoMc/s1600-h/clip_image002%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image002" alt="clip_image002" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-va3AmjtF9rQ/UPKOhkyuvSI/AAAAAAAAAU8/Lz0TPyZvveM/clip_image002_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="150" height="232"></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Bqc-xRoDG2w/UPKOilTyXKI/AAAAAAAAAVE/aawIiq-Q4M8/s1600-h/clip_image004%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image004" alt="clip_image004" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-CoGwDLUO0HY/UPKOjrBN9NI/AAAAAAAAAVI/FIrStr-hJn0/clip_image004_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="154" height="232"></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-nwb37iiePs0/UPKOkWrDdHI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/L61l64FVo7g/s1600-h/clip_image006%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image006" alt="clip_image006" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-_yLlVuztCM0/UPKOleeF2QI/AAAAAAAAAVc/SCs1ppn7Kqk/clip_image006_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="150" height="220"></a><b></b> <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Genre: </i></b>YA Romance <p><b><i>This is the book for you if you like: </i></b> <p>- Graffiti as art <p>- Books with switching POV’s <p><b><i>Summary</i></b>: (from author’s website) <p>It’s the end of Year 12. Lucy’s looking for Shadow, the graffiti artist everyone talks about. <p>His work is all over the city, but he is nowhere. <p>Ed, the last guy she wants to see at the moment, says he knows where to find him. He takes Lucy on an all-night search to places where Shadow’s thoughts about heartbreak and escape echo around the city walls. <p>But the one thing Lucy can’t see is the one thing that’s right before her eyes. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Thoughts on covers: </i></b> <p>The covers are, in order, the Australian cover, the American cover, the Dutch cover. I like all of them for different reasons. I like the Australian cover for the tag-line-y addition of “an artist, a dreamer, a long, mean, night”. I like the American cover because it’s just so pretty. I like the Dutch cover because it emphasizes the differences between Lucy and Ed. If I had to chose, I’d pick the American, though. <p><b><i>Title:</i></b> <p>I like the title. It grabbed my attention at first, and, moreover, it’s also a perfect rendition of the book: after all, it describes one night in which graffiti is the central point. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Characters: </i></b> <p>I liked the characters. Because it’s in alternating first person POV, you learn a lot about both Ed and Lucy. Lucy is a dreamer; she’s got this whole image of who Shadow is and who he could be for her. Ed is the more realistic – pessimistic – one; life has been hard on him. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Setting: </i></b> <p>One of the things that’s pretty special about this book is that all its events take place in <i>one night</i>. While there are a lot of flashbacks to earlier events, the book starts at late midday and ends at dawn. <p><b><i>General story: </i></b> <p>(I read this book in Dutch translation) <p><i>Graffiti Moon </i>is a love story. It’s a story about two people connecting against their own expectations. Lucy wants to find Shadow and finds Ed. Ed wants to reconcile with Beth and finds Lucy. It’s this intricate pull that makes the story so special; it’s in their love for art and the way they connect in their feelings about it. I love the way the book is written. While it’s based on a misunderstanding of some sorts (Lucy doesn’t know Ed is Shadow and Ed is too afraid to tell her), the situation never becomes annoying. It’s a very natural progress, no doubt partly due to the fact that it’s only one night until it is resolved. <p>This book has won several awards and it really deserves all of them. <p><b><i>Will I read other books from this author?</i></b> <p>I’ll definitely try and find some more books by her!<b><i> </i></b> <p><b><i>Overall rating: </i></b>5/5 Mierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5066638295436213708.post-78577366908744015272012-12-21T02:03:00.001-08:002012-12-21T02:03:49.042-08:00Terry Spencer Hesser – Kissing doorknobs (2/5)<p><b><i>Cover:</i></b> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-GZ68tsj4dNE/UNQz7cyNbMI/AAAAAAAAAT4/3UTqRb3qSec/s1600-h/clip_image001%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image001" alt="clip_image001" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-uqjq3SyuVXI/UNQz8nZkXGI/AAAAAAAAAUA/f9htXapqpOg/clip_image001_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="150" height="252"></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-s7eGdJZJ_c8/UNQz9x6ffkI/AAAAAAAAAUI/V9zS4hWciIY/s1600-h/clip_image002%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image002" alt="clip_image002" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-TJJBoJ0Cd0U/UNQz-9wLeoI/AAAAAAAAAUM/U6JjcpQEC4k/clip_image002_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="163" height="252"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-lI9pktGB-I0/UNQz_gzh8aI/AAAAAAAAAUY/J41Q-sqEi9w/s1600-h/clip_image004%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image004" alt="clip_image004" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-zDf9ryNv0Cw/UNQ0AlyZTDI/AAAAAAAAAUg/XQv_jWx-V3I/clip_image004_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="150" height="247"></a><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Genre: </i></b>YA Drama <p><b><i>This is the book for you if you like: </i></b> <p>- Books about OCD <p><b><i>Summary</i></b>: (from Goodreads) <p>During her preschool years, Tara Sullivan lived in terror that something bad would happen to her mother while they were apart. In grade school, she panicked during the practice fire drills. <em>Practice for what?,</em> Tara asked. For the upcoming disaster that was bound to happen?<br>Then, at the age of 11, it happened. Tara heard the phrase that changed her life: <em>Step on a crack, break your mother's back.</em> Before Tara knew it, she was counting every crack in the sidewalk. Over time, Tara's "quirks" grew and developed: arranging her meals on plates, nonstop prayer rituals, until she developed a new ritual wherein she kissed her fingers and touched doorknobs...<b><i></i></b> <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Thoughts on covers: </i></b> <p>They’re all pretty generic. The first, English, one is too chaotic for me and the last, Dutch, one too meaningless. My favourite of these three (or the one I dislike the least?) is the German one – at least with the numbers on it, it shows a bit about the OCD that’s the subject of the book. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Title:</i></b> <p>It’s a great title; it’s weird enough to grab your attention and it’s also a very important thing in the book. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Characters: </i></b> <p>Tara, our main character, is an 11-year old girl who’s always scared and uses rituals and prayers to deal with her fears. Aside from her OCD as a reader you don’t learn a lot about her personality, which made it hard to get invested in her story. <p>Her mother is totally crazy and abusive; I can’t believe the book actually depicts her as a normal mom who just doesn’t know how to cope with Tara. Donna, a party-girl she becomes friends with because she doesn’t care about Tara’s rituals, is your typical bad girl; she’s got no personality to speak of. This is true for the other characters in Tara’s life also: her younger sisters is a tomboy, one her friends is an anorexic model… They’re all archetypes without any true personality. <p><b><i>Setting: </i></b> <p>The book doesn’t have a particular setting; it’s set in a, probably, small town. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>General story: <br></i></b><font size="1">(I read this in Dutch translation)</font> <p>Let’s start with what I like: I like that this is a book about OCD, written for children. I think it’s important that they have a way of getting acquainted with mental illness and there is no better way than books. <p>There is, however, a better way than <i>this </i>book. Aside from my issue with the characters, this book Is structured very chaotically (in that sense the English cover fits the book perfectly); it’s like the writer picked a couple of scenes out of Tara’s life at random and decided to describe them, with no apparent reason why she picked those instead of other moments of Tara’s life. There is no logical development in it; even when she’s started therapy, it all goes in these huge steps that made me feel like I had lot parts of the book. <p><b><i>Will I read other books from this author? </i></b> <p>Probably not. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Overall rating: </i></b>2/5 Mierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5066638295436213708.post-4751460074290595532012-12-19T02:10:00.001-08:002012-12-19T02:10:35.486-08:00Johanna Thydell – Stars on the ceiling (5/5)<p><b><i>Cover:</i></b> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-1vX6SO1nVjc/UNGSeTTk0hI/AAAAAAAAASw/CHk-wUdS1bM/s1600-h/clip_image002%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image002" alt="clip_image002" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-KyLpQRQDmCk/UNGSfdetIXI/AAAAAAAAAS4/B3U7eUYhcAU/clip_image002_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="150" height="237"></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-vJ7Cvww3XKQ/UNGSgV3efrI/AAAAAAAAAS8/cPiNZlP0Xow/s1600-h/clip_image004%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image004" alt="clip_image004" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-d-AGavilvk4/UNGShhfGwHI/AAAAAAAAATI/zJR6x3ovHlc/clip_image004_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="155" height="237"></a> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ZOZQ2pkFmMw/UNGSiobqwwI/AAAAAAAAATM/YJ2PcWxdu5o/s1600-h/clip_image005%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image005" alt="clip_image005" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-MKMIH4qcyXo/UNGSkeoQVaI/AAAAAAAAATY/Qi9kTYylJy8/clip_image005_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="146" height="237"></a> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-aS6RSr0QSmg/UNGSlTPvfnI/AAAAAAAAATc/nzkei9sgFik/s1600-h/clip_image007%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image007" alt="clip_image007" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-rT8u3SijSnA/UNGSmdztxII/AAAAAAAAATk/Ud7k448dXTk/clip_image007_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="150" height="237"></a><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Genre: </i></b>YA drama <p><b><i>This is the book for you if you like: </i></b> <p>- Books about losing someone <p>- Books that make you cry <p><b><i>Summary</i></b>: <p><i>Why can’t everything just be ‘normal’? </i>This is what Jenna wonders every day. <p>A part of Jenna’s life is very normal. Just like her friends, Jenna struggles with her first crush, her appearance, friendships and school. <p>But at home the situation is everything but normal. Jenna’s single mom has breast cancer. At home Jenny cares for her mom. She has to do more and more of the daily chores. Jenna has to learn to cope with the big and the small setbacks, and this, inevitable, leads to conflict. <p><i>(Translated from the book’s blurb)</i> <p><b><i>Thoughts on covers: </i></b> <p>The covers are, in order, the French cover, German cover, one of the Swedish covers and the Dutch cover (which I think is based on the original Swedish cover). <p>I’m actually very confused about the French cover. While the German cover has lost the stars, its title has too, so I think that makes sense in a way. The French title, though, still mentions the stars, so why wouldn’t the stars be on the cover? I’m not really fond of the other two covers, either, but at least they fit the book. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Title:</i></b> <p>I’ve loosely translated the original title to ‘Stars on the ceiling’, the Dutch title loosely translates to ‘Starry Sky’. I’m not sure it’s a title that truly gets your attention, but it’s definitely a title that fits the book. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Characters: </i></b> <p>Jenna, the main character, is mostly a typical 13 year old. But even so, her mom’s cancer colours every interaction she has. <p>I think my favourite character was Tilda. While at first she seems like your typical popular teenager, she has more feelings and thoughts in her head than Jenna and Susanna gave her credit for. <p><b><i>Setting: </i></b> <p>The book is set in a small town in Sweden. The setting doesn’t really influence the story. <p><b><i>General story: </i></b> <p>(I read this in Dutch translation. The original language is Swedish; while Goodreads has translations in German, French, Danish, I don’t think there’s an English translation. Apparently, this book has also been filmed: <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1286151/">Glowing Stars</a></i>) <p>Jenna’s mom is dying. Not once in the book is there a possibility of her mom recovering, which makes it a very hard story to read. You know there won’t be a happy ending and as you see her mom getting worse and worse, you’re pulled into Jenna’s world of trying to flee away in every way she can. She pushes away the friend she had and gets caught up in a friendship with Tilda, who, in her own way, doesn’t have a mom. This friendship generates some of the most beautiful scenes of the book, especially the one just after Jenna’s mom died. <p>My favourite part of the book was at the ending, when she has to deal with her mom actually being gone. It feels like she has fled from every feeling and every fear until that very moment, when she can’t do anything but face that her mother is <i>gone. </i>I cried. A lot. <p><b><i>Will I read other books from this author?</i></b> <p>I’m not sure she has other books translated into Dutch, but if there are, I would really like to read some others. <p><b><i>Overall rating: </i></b>5/5 Mierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5066638295436213708.post-56599860151223828192012-12-18T02:05:00.001-08:002012-12-18T02:05:55.467-08:00Toni Jordan – Addition (3/5)<p><b><i>Couple of covers:</i></b> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-181OClenOjE/UNA_4EIHbcI/AAAAAAAAARo/ijEsnlJ8efc/s1600-h/clip_image002%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image002" alt="clip_image002" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-BgwPxAejG1Q/UNA_5J02ZxI/AAAAAAAAARw/-GlJuDkVfW4/clip_image002_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="150" height="238"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-UmwUR6ZFjbw/UNA_6ROqA3I/AAAAAAAAAR0/nn8hmjLUmi4/s1600-h/clip_image004%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image004" alt="clip_image004" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-XiC2wDRGzVI/UNA_7fAJUUI/AAAAAAAAAR8/ThhxvaHPNtM/clip_image004_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="152" height="238"></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-lnTFxUKO_qk/UNA_8oOGh8I/AAAAAAAAASE/j3Wi6YtPyo8/s1600-h/clip_image006%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image006" alt="clip_image006" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-owShligzKGg/UNA_9buNbzI/AAAAAAAAASM/z1d4MxHYQJo/clip_image006_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="143" height="238"></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-UW_PZqbqdwg/UNA_-RfL99I/AAAAAAAAASU/_N4te1vtwsA/s1600-h/clip_image008%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image008" alt="clip_image008" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-v5nDE4Lpk3o/UNA__i_h1VI/AAAAAAAAASg/Pg3o-C6PIIs/clip_image008_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="150" height="238"></a><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Genre: </i></b>Contemporary romance <p><b><i>This is the book for you if you like: </i></b> <p>- Books with a non too heavy view on mental illness (OCD) <p><b><i>Summary</i></b>: (from author’s website) <p>Grace Lisa Vandenburg counts. <p>The letters in her name (19). The steps she takes every morning to the local café (920); the number of poppy seeds on her slice of orange cake, which dictates the number of bites she'll take to finish it. Grace counts everything, because numbers hold the world together. And she needs to keep an eye on how they're doing. <p>Seamus Joseph O'Reilly (also a 19, with the sexiest hands Grace has ever seen) thinks she might be better off without the counting. If she could hold down a job, say. Or open her kitchen cupboards without conducting an inventory, or make a sandwich containing an unknown number of sprouts. <p>Grace's problem is that Seamus doesn't count. <p>Her other problem is...he does. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Thoughts on covers: </i></b> <p>The covers are: English version, American version, Dutch version, Australian version. <p>I like how different these covers are! I’m not a fan of the English version, mostly because the “A comedy that counts” subtitle irks me a little. The Australian version is pretty, but a bit too specific to one scene to fit on the book. I mostly prefer the Dutch version, and I don’t think it’s because that’s the version I have; I love how it shows so perfectly how <i>everything </i>has to be counted in Grace’s world. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Title:</i></b> <p>Both the English title ‘Addition’ and the Dutch title (in translation ‘Everything counts’) do a pretty good job of mixing Grace’s obsession with counting and the complication of having Seamus in her life. <p><b></b> <p><b><i>Characters: </i></b> <p>Grace is the main character and the one we get to know best; the story is told from her POV (first person, even). I like her; she knows how to not take herself too seriously, even if she takes all the numbers around her very seriously. <p>Seamus… He’s a good guy. I believe he really wants to help Grace, even if the help she eventually seeks on his insistence turns out to not be the one she needed. <p>Most of the other characters were a bit too broad for my taste, especially the shrink and the group leader. I couldn’t quite understand why Grace didn’t try and find someone who was better suited – or just plain a better therapist. <p><b><i>Setting: </i></b> <p>Melbourne, Australia. The setting doesn’t carry a lot of weight in the book though; it could have been set anywhere, anyplace. <p><b><i>General story: </i></b> <p>First time I read this, I really, really loved it. In re-read, however, it doesn’t really hold up. I still like the story of Grace’s OCD; the scenes in the book in which she is scared to death and has to count, count, count to battle it are without a doubt the best parts of the book. <p>It’s mostly the middle of the book that I have problems with. Maybe that’s part of Jordan’s plan – after all, in the middle of the book Grace is just wandering, lost without a sense of self due to all the medications she’s on. I just can’t quite seem to get why no one told her how she was changing for the worse (especially Seamus) and why she didn’t care about the one who did – her little niece. This part just drags on, without much personality in the writing either, and that made it pretty hard to finish the book. <p>I’m also not a big fan of the writing style, especially in the sexual (fantasy) scenes. It feels like they’re just thrown in there to up the rating, instead of some actual character development. <p><b><i>Will I read other books from this author?</i></b> <p>Probably not. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Overall rating: </i></b>3/5 Mierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5066638295436213708.post-79957631650744169682012-12-17T10:39:00.001-08:002012-12-17T10:39:20.997-08:00Sara Kadefors – Sandor / Ida (3/5)<p><b><i>Couple of covers:</i></b> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-I9z23o-I-2U/UM9munD9aMI/AAAAAAAAAQg/hH-jNkLeBh8/s1600-h/clip_image002%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image002" alt="clip_image002" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-1NKR5-tUznU/UM9mvv-k3SI/AAAAAAAAAQo/8N6xf6ZQJIM/clip_image002_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="150" height="241"></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-VoiQ_jm_DOk/UM9mw1Zo11I/AAAAAAAAAQs/Qh78CT4-Ldk/s1600-h/clip_image004%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image004" alt="clip_image004" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-HNIMRt6paPQ/UM9mxjCIuYI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/806mXkKdaSI/clip_image004_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="155" height="241"></a> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-719tH8AWIoU/UM9myQmJCiI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/OjzI4QP_K0Y/s1600-h/clip_image006%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image006" alt="clip_image006" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-yufLYVnPBTc/UM9mzC8MhpI/AAAAAAAAARI/ijNdHqSymUo/clip_image006_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="138" height="241"></a> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-25BANLRl2UU/UM9m0-VbHhI/AAAAAAAAARM/NpJTvqI9yF8/s1600-h/clip_image008%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image008" alt="clip_image008" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-_QPOoVf-kXk/UM9m1vjtQRI/AAAAAAAAARU/CNtPaEYWZYc/clip_image008_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="158" height="241"></a><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Genre: </i></b>YA Romance <p><b><i>This is the book for you if you like: </i></b> <p>- Books that focus on feelings instead of on action <p>- Books that constantly switch POV <p><b><i>Summary</i></b>: <p>She is gorgeous and popular. <br>He is a nobody. <br>She lives in the middle of Stockholm. <br>He in a backwards village near Göteborg. <br>She has endless talks with her girlfriends at a bar. <br>He spends all of his time dancing. <br>She has had enough of sex. <br>He has never had sex. <br>They call her a bimbo. <br>They call him a fag. <br>Her name is Ida, his name Sandor. <br>They hate their lives. <br>They meet each other in a chat room. <p><i>(Translated from the book’s blurb)</i> <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Thoughts on covers: </i></b> <p>The covers are, in order, the German cover, the Finnish cover, the Danish cover and the Dutch cover. While I like the Dutch cover, I don’t think it actually captures the essence of the book that well. I’m really loving the German one, though; I think it fits perfectly. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Title:</i></b> <p>There isn’t that much to say about a title that is “Sandor/Ida”, is there? <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Characters: </i></b> <p>Ida is a girl who flees in booze and parties, because her mom is depressed and doesn’t know how to take care of her. On the surface she seems like a girl who you can only hate, but the book actually made me feel for her. <p>Sandor has a passion – ballet – and it doesn’t make his life at high school easy. I was actually less impressed by him than by Ida, because he and his story just seem so… superficial. <p><b><i>Setting: </i></b> <p>The book alternates between Stockholm and a small village near Göteborg. <p><b><i>General story: </i></b> <p>First let me say, I’ve read this story in Dutch translation. As you can see from the covers, most of the Scandinavian countries (and Germany) have their own translation, too. Apparently there’s an American version which isn’t as much a translation as an American remake, so I’m not sure I’d suggest anyone read <i>that</i> version… <p>It’s hard to pinpoint how I exactly feel about this book. I liked Ida; her story was one of… not of constant improvement, but you could tell that was actually <i>trying</i> and when she hit rock bottom she picked herself up and tried to turn her life around. <p>My main problem with this book was Sandor’s story: he is so desperate to fit in, to be one of the group, that he’s willing to sacrifice all parts of who he is. I just can’t stand that kind of behaviour. What made it worse was that the book made me feel like I should applaud his steps toward belonging – while I felt that every step he took was a step backwards, I felt like I should have been applauding it like a step forwards. <p>Obviously, this is a book about how Ida influences Sandor in becoming more popular and Sandor influences Ida in becoming more herself, and mostly, it works. Especially when Sandor makes a couple of choices at the end of the book, they really have met each other halfway. <p>It took me a while to get used to the writing style, and I never actually started appreciating it. The book is a mixture of descriptions of their live and their actual chat or email conversations and I loved the way Kadefors used the language in the emails, but the style of the rest of the book just didn’t click with me. I did like the constant change in POV, though. <p>Another 3.5 for me, though this time, because of my conflicted feelings, I’m rounding it down to a 3. <p><b><i>Will I read other books from this author? </i></b> <p>I might, but I honestly don’t know. <p><b><i>Overall rating: </i></b>3 Mierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5066638295436213708.post-32383567835066724032012-12-03T06:55:00.001-08:002012-12-03T06:55:03.326-08:00Ally Condie – Crossed (4/5)<p><b><i>Series: </i></b>Matched #2 <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Cover:</i></b> <p><b><i></i></b><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-7nCb6R0mMAY/ULy9P-A2l3I/AAAAAAAAAQE/-7Z4aIURW3I/s1600-h/clip_image002%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image002" alt="clip_image002" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-MnZoB3jY-AQ/ULy9QqflCkI/AAAAAAAAAQM/cDwZI_3YPq4/clip_image002_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="150" height="227"></a><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Genre: </i></b>Post-apocalyptic<b><i> </i></b> <p><b><i>This is the book for you if you like: </i></b> <p>- The second half of <i>Matched </i>(if you preferred the first half, chances are you won’t like this sequel at all) <br>- Books about feelings instead of about actions <p><b><i>Summary</i></b>: (from author’s website) <p>Chasing down an uncertain future, Cassia makes her way to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky—taken by the Society to his sure death—only to find that he has escaped into the majestic but treacherous canyons. On this wild frontier are glimmers of a different life and the enthralling promise of rebellion. But even as Cassia sacrifices everything to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game once again. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Thoughts on covers: </i></b> <p>As with <i>Matched</i>, all the covers I could find where exactly this one, or a variation on it. I like this one slightly less than the first one, but only because I thought the green was prettier. <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Title: </i></b> <p>I love the title. It fits the story <i>perfectly</i>; if you’ve read the book, you’ll see that the title is the perfect summation of the book.<b></b> <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Characters: </i></b> <p>There are a couple of new characters in this book, most notably Eli and Indie. I really liked Eli, while Indie remained more of a wildcard; I think she was meant to be that, though, so it didn’t bother me. Other than that, this book didn’t change my view on the most important characters, Ky and Cassia. I think Cassia is very strong, and she’s continuing her development that she started in <i>Matched</i>. Ky is this solid, quiet rock, that is always there to change the course of everyone around him. <p><b><i>Setting: </i></b> <p>Fleeing from Society, both Ky and Cassia try to find their way, separately, in this world. Because of this, the setting is way grittier than the setting of <i>Matched</i>; no perfect illusions this time, just the harsh reality of the world out there. <p><b><i>General story: </i></b> <p>I definitely liked this one way more than I liked <i>Matched</i>. Instead of just Cassia’s point of view, we get both Cassia’s and Ky’s, which I thought brought a lot more to the story. And while Xander isn’t really that much in this book, a big reveal about him and his character is known, which makes me look forward to how this triangle will continue in <i>Reached</i>. <p>The writing is really beautiful, Condie has a way with words that really grabs me. Like in <i>Matched</i>, poetry is a recurrent theme and I really love the emotion that it brings to this story. While it’s the story of Ky’s and Cassia’s travels, not much really <i>happens</i>, but all the more is <i>felt</i>. <p>The thing that really kept this book from getting five stars was that there was no world building <i>at all</i>. In <i>Matched </i>it was subtle, but it was there, but in <i>Crossed </i>we’re only presented with the information we already got and we get nothing new. I think the Society is a really intriguing concept and I’m disappointed we didn’t get to see more about it. <p><b><i>Will I read the other instalments in this series? <br></i></b>Definitely! <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Overall rating: </i></b>4/5 Mierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5066638295436213708.post-45330823201558163092012-11-29T07:51:00.001-08:002012-11-29T07:51:49.852-08:00Ally Condie – Matched (4/5)<p><b><i>Series: </i></b>Matched Trilogy #1</p> <p><b><i></i></b></p> <p><b><i>Cover:</i></b></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-vlADIz3DP34/ULeEkFkHNPI/AAAAAAAAAPs/d7mwvrDG0MM/s1600-h/clip_image002%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image002" alt="clip_image002" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-5aXsNVUiiZU/ULeEk2vyXXI/AAAAAAAAAP0/l_j3TNGYfPo/clip_image002_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="166" height="247"></a></p> <p><b><i></i></b></p> <p><b><i>Genre: </i></b>Post apocalyptic romance</p> <p><b><i>This is the book for you if you like: </i></b></p> <p>- Really well-written love triangles</p> <p>- Post apocalyptic with subtle world-building</p> <p><b><i>Summary</i></b>: (from author’s website)</p> <p>In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die. Cassia has always trusted their choices, but she begins to question just how perfect her world really is when she notices things are not what they seem. As Cassia begins to doubt the Society’s infallibility, she is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.</p> <p><b><i></i></b></p> <p><b><i>Thoughts on covers: </i></b></p> <p>Almost all the covers I could find where exactly this one, or a variation on it. And who can blame them? To be honest, the cover was why I started reading this book. I’m absolutely, totally in love with it. </p> <p><b><i></i></b></p> <p><b><i>Title:</i></b></p> <p>The title is a good fit for the book. I like one-word titles and I think this one is different enough to grab your attention.</p> <p><b><i></i></b></p> <p><b><i>Characters: </i></b></p> <p><i>Matched </i>is written from the perspective of Cassia, so her character is the one we learn about the most. She’s a strong character and I think one who goes through quite a lot of development in this book. At the start, she’s perfectly happy where she is, content in the life the society has written for her, but, following her emotions, she starts to question the world around her. I like that she’s not exactly naïve or rebellious; she’s somehow a mix of both.</p> <p>The second most important characters are Ky and Xander; we learn more about Ky, because Cassia still has got to know him, so we learn about him, while Xander is already a known boy to Cassia. I liked Ky, he’s a really strong guy, someone who knows who he is, knows what he wants, even if his ideas and feelings go against the Society. Xander is a bit more of an enigma for me, but I really love his loyalty.</p> <p><b><i>Setting:</i></b></p> <p><i>Matched </i>is set in a future where the Society takes care of everything. The Society assigns your work positions, what you can do with your free time, where you live, what you eat and, on your seventeenth birthday, assigns you your Match. I love how this book starts with giving us the idea that the Society might not even be all that bad (for example, I really liked the idea of people being able to chose to stay Single – while they’re not allowed to have children, they are allowed to date). As the book goes on, however, you realize that aside from that, the Society also regulates everything you think and create: all the creative input is very, very limited and they oversee everything, from your conversations to your dreams. <b><i></i></b></p> <p><b><i>General story: </i></b></p> <p>The story follows Cassia, from the moment she is Matched with her best friend Xander. Due to circumstances, though, she starts getting interested in Ky and after a while, falls in love with him. While using a love triangle might just be the oldest trick in this book, Matched does this beautifully; there is no moment at all in which I thought their love story was contrived or forced. I can also see why these two people are both a good fit for Cassia, which made the choices she had to made painful to read. </p> <p>While the world-building is very subtle, especially at the beginning, once you have finished the book you feel just as Cassia does: shocked by what the Society entails and even a bit disappointed that it’s not all as beautiful as it was made out to be. The situation with Ky, together with Cassia’s grandfather, forces Cassia to see the world in a different light. There are some really heart-breaking moments in which Cassia sees her world falling apart in little ways.</p> <p>I hesitated for the longest time between 3 and 4 stars; I’d like to give out 3.5 stars. I struggled a bit with the beginning of the book, wondering why everyone was so blown away by it, but the more I read, the more I started to understand it. </p> <p><b><i>Will I read the other instalments in this series? </i></b></p> <p>I’ve already started on reading <i>Crossed</i>, because I really want to know more about this world and how it will all come together.</p> <p><b><i>Overall rating: </i></b>4/5</p> Mierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5066638295436213708.post-51583425180320343332012-01-26T09:19:00.001-08:002012-01-26T09:19:45.192-08:00REVIEW: Maisey Yates – The highest price to pay (4/5)<p><b><i>Cover:</i></b> <p><b><i><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Pkci3_gWzmQ/TyGLLjgGbLI/AAAAAAAAAPc/x2alVqhT5KY/s1600-h/clip_image002%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image002" alt="clip_image002" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-1coPFtt2sog/TyGLMPR9glI/AAAAAAAAAPg/6AJ7ZKU1rVc/clip_image002_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="150" height="241"></a></i></b> <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Genre: </i></b>Contemporary romance <p><b><i>How did I get it: </i></b>I won it via Maisey Yates’ website <p><b><i>This is the book for you if you like: </i></b> <p>- Enemies-turned-lovers stories<br>- Stories about people overcoming their insecurities about their appearance <p><b><i>Summary</i></b>: “While it has been reported that I’m missing my own soul, I have no interest in yours. This is about money.” <p>When Ella’s failing business comes wrapped up as part of Blaise Chevalier’s recent takeover, he plans to discard it – as is his usual way with surplus goods. Then he meets Ella! Cast from the same fiery mould he is, she makes an intriguing adversary. Perhaps he can have a little fun with his new acquisition… <p>As proud and strong as she is beautiful, Ella is determined to prove Blaise wrong about her business and her worth. As long as she hides her hint of vulnerability and denies the flicker of attraction between them when she catches her enemy’s eye…. <p>(from Maisey Yates’ website) <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Thoughts on covers: </i></b>I can’t help it, but I really, really hate the cover. While I love the fact that Mills & Boons wasn’t too scared to put an interracial couple on the cover, I just can’t stand the way they’re looking. Why do they look so angry? Why don’t they look at each other? And why, oh why, is all of Ella’s scarred side covered up in this cover? It’s such a big part of the book and it’s just stupid that it isn’t on the cover. <p><b><i>Title: </i></b>The title fits and I like how it’s kind of misleading when you’re reading the first part of the book. At first it’s so much about money and you think you know what the title is referring to… <p><b><i>Characters: </i></b>I loved Ella. I really, really love the fact that Yates chose a physically scarred (Ella has been in a fire) woman to be the heroine. Aside from that, Ella is a tough girl, who knows what she wants and is doing everything she can to get it. I really like that about her. <p>I wasn’t so sure about Blaise, though. The book does a great job of trying to make us see that there is more to him than meets the eye and even though I believe that he’s a good person at heart, I’m just not sure he’s the right man for Ella. <p><b><i>Setting: </i></b>Most of the book is set in Paris, which seems kind of odd to me (though that’s probably just me – I’ve got trouble picturing people in a country where they speak a different language than the language the book is originally written it). It is, of course, both the fashion and romantic centre of the universe, so in that way it makes sense. Parts of it is also set in Malawi, which was my favourite part. I love how the exotic atmosphere of that setting heightens the charge between Ella and Blaise. <p><b><i>General story: </i></b>I liked the way the story was set up; Blaise starts out to be some kind of problem in Ella’s life, but in the end, she’s made a bigger dent in his life than he in hers. I like how Blaise soothes Ella’s insecurities about her scars; those were the parts in the book where Blaise just made me melt. <p>I would have liked the book to be just a little longer; the ending felt quite rushed. <p><b><i>Will I read other books from this author? </i></b>I probably will. <p><b><i>Overall rating: </i></b>4 stars Mierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5066638295436213708.post-2285291811728954462012-01-24T00:19:00.001-08:002012-01-24T00:19:52.942-08:00Teaser Tuesday (#6)<h5> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="467"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><img src="http://shouldbereading.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/teasertuesdays2.jpg"></td> <td width="265"> <p>Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/">Should Be Reading</a>. Anyone can play along!</p></td></tr></tbody></table></h5> <h6>Just do the following:<br>- Grab your current read<br>- Open to a random page<br>- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page<br>- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)<br>- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! </h6> <p><b>MY TEASER:</b></p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="469"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="308"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><i>Oh sweet Lord in Heaven, I lifted my chin, held my ground and stood up to Nelson again. Told him I was going to meet my critique group for drinks.<br>It’s a scary move for me to make. Nelson’s dander is up, up, up about this. I’m not backing down, no matter what he says.<br>And no matter what he does.</i><br></font></p></td> <td valign="top" width="159"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13276985-you-ve-got-murder"><img title="image" alt="image" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-yjqZigp87O4/Tx5oHxD5u6I/AAAAAAAAAPU/3pAoT9086GE/image%25255B15%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="140" height="210"></a></td></tr></tbody></table> Mierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5066638295436213708.post-25879230520641504552012-01-22T03:28:00.000-08:002012-01-22T03:30:04.439-08:00In My Mailbox (#6)<p>Changing my IMM time to Sunday this year means today it’s time for “In My Mailbox"! This meme is brought to you by <a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/">The Story Siren</a> and the idea is <i>to post about books you've bought, gotten from the library, received for review... books don't have to arrive via your mailbox. </i></p> <p>As usual, I’ve been going crazy with Amazon’s free Kindle offers… </p> <p>Still available for free – the titles lead you to the amazon.com pages:</p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="475"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="149"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-SzgA0bc-TV8/Txvy9mexnvI/AAAAAAAAAMU/upxdyKzGe_k/s1600-h/image%25255B13%25255D.png"><img style="display: inline" title="image" alt="image" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-mhA3GdmBIKw/Txvy-f4p_0I/AAAAAAAAAMc/Aw6jtf2rQC4/image_thumb%25255B8%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="247"></a></td> <td valign="top" width="324"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0035N1UVM">Ice Man</a> by KyAnn Waters, the first book in the Blood Slaves series.<br><br> <p><font size="1"><em>Feeding and sex go hand in hand when you're a blood slave to a vampire. It's like a drug and Rowan is hooked. With the vampire Theron, Rowan has never wanted for more than his next fix. Until he meets Brett. Brett is hot, the sex is incredible and he's human.</em></font></p> <p><font size="1"><em>Brett is looking for kinky sex when he goes to The Catacombs, an exclusive fetish club for men. Flair bartender Rowan, also known as Ice Man, is sexy and mysterious. Brett isn't ready to complicate his life with a lover outside The Catacombs and Rowan isn't interested in club-scene sex but coming together and giving in never felt so good.</em></font></p> <p><font size="1"><em>Rowan's dark secret could destroy everything. He must never allow Brett to learn of his symbiotic relationship with the vampire. He has to choose-tell Brett the truth or remain a blood slave. He can only hope that Brett will trust in love enough to forgive him.</em></font></p> <p><font size="1"><em></em></font></p></td></tr> <tr> <td width="149"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-cxKwLpZd_9k/Txvy_lHLegI/AAAAAAAAAMk/jlmtktx7tqc/s1600-h/image%25255B17%25255D.png"><img style="display: inline" title="image" alt="image" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-GKJNIr9lm4E/TxvzAJ044WI/AAAAAAAAAMo/orG3rWZYr0k/image_thumb%25255B10%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="240"></a></td> <td width="324"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005VFEL1S">Unholy alliance</a> by Haley Yager and Lacy Yager<br><br> <p><font size="1"><em>A vampire with a conscience and a mission. The young man bound to destroy her. Forced to unite—will they open their hearts?</em></font></p> <p><font size="1"><em><br>Forever seventeen, vampire Maggie Wells has spent the last 150 years seeking redemption by helping troubled teens. Born to destroy vampires, Shane Campton is clueless in dealing with his two younger sisters, whom he is responsible for. When Maggie and Shane—who should be mortal enemies—are forced to work together to save Shane’s family, sparks fly. But will they ignite a forbidden love or incinerate both of them?</em></font></p></td></tr> <tr> <td width="149"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-HXrH5fGoCiI/TxvzAVgzyUI/AAAAAAAAAMw/U3WMcZ_dQaE/s1600-h/image%25255B21%25255D.png"><img style="display: inline" title="image" alt="image" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-IEZIhY4bZ2E/TxvzBB7gjII/AAAAAAAAAM8/D0w38h3QZzY/image_thumb%25255B12%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="240"></a></td> <td width="324"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003HS5LRO">Not what she seems</a> by Victorine E. Lieske<br><br><em><font size="1">When billionaire Steven Ashton couldn't stand his high society social life anymore, he left the stress of New York on a vacation for his soul. The need to meet real down to earth people lead him to a small Nebraska town he remembered visiting as a child. He didn't want to lie about who he was, but he couldn't exactly tell them the truth. Emily could have easily fallen in love with Steven, under different circumstances, but her past was catching up with her and she needed a new life. If the authorities found out about her, she could lose the one thing that meant everything, her four year old son. <br></font></em></td></tr> <tr> <td width="149"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-RC2lHfrVIBE/TxvzBocrI-I/AAAAAAAAANE/wWUHdbY1rAc/s1600-h/image%25255B44%25255D.png"><img style="display: inline" title="image" alt="image" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-8lufSSdVErs/TxvzCvSRsDI/AAAAAAAAANI/Po9PvuH6xvc/image_thumb%25255B31%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="231"></a></td> <td width="324"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003E35ZAA">The Emerald Talisman</a> by Brenda Pandos, the first book in the Talisman series<br><br><em><font size="1">To be normal, sixteen-year-old Julia Parker would shed her empathic gift in a second. Life has been difficult since her mother's mysterious disappearance ten years earlier - an event she witnessed, but can't remember. Julia's situation becomes more complicated after a near death experience from a blood thirsty stalker. As high school students go missing it is clear there is a connection to her own experience--past and present. Someone has to stop the madness and a chance encounter with a creepy psychic foretells that only Julia is the key to stopping the madness, but it may require the life of the one she loves.</font></em></td></tr> <tr> <td width="149"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_X_2-19diQs/TxvzDXen0gI/AAAAAAAAANQ/xGnwEwNKG7Q/s1600-h/image%25255B57%25255D.png"><img style="display: inline" title="image" alt="image" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Q4ww0DhXBW4/TxvzD3s5qdI/AAAAAAAAANY/RmU2g4R5csQ/image_thumb%25255B42%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="229"></a></td> <td width="324"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004SCSPIA">Marked</a> by Kim Richardson, the first book in the Soul Guardians series<br><br> <p><em><font size="1">Sixteen year-old Kara Nightingale’s ordinary life is suddenly turned upside-down when she dies in a freak accident, and she wakes up in a strange new world with a new career—as a rookie for the Guardian Angel Legion. Kara hurtles towards dangerous missions with the help of her Petty Officer and friend, David. <br>But when she discovers a Mark on her leg, the entire Legion accuses her of being a Demon spy. Angels are dying, and David begins to pull away from her. Can Kara prove her innocence as she becomes the Legion’s only hope? <br>It’s going to take a miracle to save the Legion, and Kara’s luck has just run out...</font></em></p></td></tr> <tr> <td width="149"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-jVCE4w8kwys/TxvzEgXQCHI/AAAAAAAAANg/SRNfhznBeIw/s1600-h/image%25255B84%25255D.png"><img style="display: inline" title="image" alt="image" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-hSqh58rVdu4/TxvzFVirQ5I/AAAAAAAAANo/0ma-Gh3jz08/image_thumb%25255B65%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="228"></a></td> <td width="324"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0051PKVS0">The ultimate sacrifice</a> by Talia Jager, the first book in The Gifted Teens series<br><br> <p><em><font size="1">Kassia is a 16-year-old girl just trying to have a normal life. This is somewhat difficult because she has the ability to inflict pain on others with her mind, which is why she was sent to a special institute for kids with various gifts. It is here Kassia met her best friend Mira. <br></font></em><em><font size="1">Their lives will change forever after Mira is attacked and Kassia finds out her talent is much more powerful when she saves her. Little did she know that this act would attract the attention of demons. Suddenly she is on the run from them with her boyfriend, Mira, and a few of their close friends. Realizing she can’t outrun the demons, she seeks the guidance of a shaman. The shaman tells her the heart breaking news that the only way to protect her friends and the institute is through her own death. </font></em></p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>Not available for free anymore:</p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="473"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="161"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-IN1gExpZ6BE/TxvzFyuhzJI/AAAAAAAAAN0/_U_4QVybcdo/s1600-h/image%25255B104%25255D.png"><img style="display: inline" title="image" alt="image" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-L5xGwELk-k8/TxvzGmmVI0I/AAAAAAAAAN4/u-BYXuk5ozg/image_thumb%25255B79%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="212"></a></td> <td valign="top" width="310"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006WXT8MK">Demon Hunter and Baby</a> by Anna Elliott, first in a planned series <p><em><font size="1">Her boss is a fairy, her ex-lover is a Knight Templar, and she spends her days fighting the demons that plague London’s streets. But what’s <u>really</u> complicating Aisling McKay’s life is being a single mother to a nine-month-old baby girl.</font></em> <p><em><font size="1"></font></em> <p><em><font size="1">Ever since the End Times, magic has been leaking into our world. Magic and demons, shadowy beings that possess humans’ bodies and destroy their souls. The Monastic Order of the Knights Templar have revealed themselves to the world as guardians and defenders of the veil between the demon world and ours. But the Templar Order is growing weaker, and the veil is starting to shred and tear. Often all that stands between humans and complete demonic possession are professional demon fighters, Hunters like Aisling McKay.</font></em> <p><em><font size="1">Aisling already has enough to handle between her day job, her (very unplanned) baby daughter, Willow—and avoiding Kieran, Willow’s father and a Templar Knight. But now a new danger is abroad in London—and facing it will set Aisling on a collision course with the past she thought she’d escaped for good.</font></em></p></td></tr> <tr> <td width="161"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-mcNK5Ee4kBo/TxvzHjEKGwI/AAAAAAAAAOE/N-woR9myGgA/s1600-h/image%25255B116%25255D.png"><img style="display: inline" title="image" alt="image" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-X73cWB3vp-Q/TxvzIct4uII/AAAAAAAAAOI/nlcFz3TJgiw/image_thumb%25255B89%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="231"></a></td> <td valign="top" width="310"><font color="#a5a5a5"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003T0G1JW">The Realms of Beliar: The Sword Myndarit</a> <font color="#333333">by Andrew Arrowsmith </font></font> <p><em><font size="1">In a world where magic rules, the benevolent Empire of old is challenged by the upstart Alliance run by greedy, bloodthirsty tyrants. Life, pleasant and prosperous under Empire rule, faces a bitter end as the Alliance closes in. But the gods are not above interfering, and four young, inexperienced people may hold the key to the continued future of the Empire – with a little help from a talking sword. </font></em></p></td></tr></tbody></table> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="475"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="147"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-duqdA4RtD7s/TxvzI_N_poI/AAAAAAAAAOU/muXaWU9dStE/s1600-h/image%25255B89%25255D.png"><img style="display: inline" title="image" alt="image" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-d3MGYrU6Li0/TxvzJv4lXBI/AAAAAAAAAOc/1YgsK3YbmMQ/image_thumb%25255B68%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="225"></a></td> <td width="326"><font color="#a5a5a5"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006O5IIXQ">You've got murder</a> <font color="#333333">by Karin Tabke</font></font> <p><em><font size="1">Six mystery writers who exchange emails, instant messages and texts discussing plotlines, sex and murder for their books, get a dose of non-fiction when one of their own is suspected of doing in a wife-beating killer.<br>The heat cranks up when another member's crooked literary agent is killed, and their newest member's husband is looking more and more like a serial killer.<br>Flesh-eating pigs, New York skyscrapers, quadruplets, a feisty grandma, a husband on Viagra and a sexy Italian detective are just part of the mix as the Shady Ladies plot like their lives depend on it… Because it does...</font></em></p></td></tr></tbody></table> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="475"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="147"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-WqfnBhMl5S0/TxvzKofMurI/AAAAAAAAAOk/ZmEChoDvPOU/s1600-h/image%25255B70%25255D.png"><img style="display: inline" title="image" alt="image" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-KG589r2UKDk/TxvzLdSctaI/AAAAAAAAAOo/bPI8an7bIKM/image_thumb%25255B53%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="200"></a></td> <td width="326"><font color="#a5a5a5"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006P5BBG6">Chosen</a> <font color="#333333">by Sheri Peckover, the first book in the Dark Girl series<br><br></font></font><em><font size="1">Hidden by a name to conceal her identity as a Child of Light, The Dark Girl bravely faces a world where light cannot be seen except through filters of refined Chandra...or can it? Meet Kamshay, a stubborn and courageous teen, as she pursues her search to save the People of Light, and in the midst of adventure falls in love for the first time.</font></em></td></tr></tbody></table> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="475"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="149"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-lie1aMC5H6Y/TxvzMGpB6WI/AAAAAAAAAO0/JmRvaAKfSak/s1600-h/image%25255B61%25255D.png"><img style="display: inline" title="image" alt="image" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Se8ENKSPcns/TxvzNOU1hKI/AAAAAAAAAO4/k2tsogBcdJA/image_thumb%25255B44%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="240"></a></td> <td width="324"><font color="#a5a5a5"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006LE44HE">The Charm</a> <font color="#333333">by Alana Siegel, the first book in the Olivia Hart and the Gifted Program series</font> </font> <p><em><font size="1">When shy, sixteen year old, Olivia Hart, witnesses the actual rainstorm her ex-boyfriend, Max Smarr, creates in her high school cafeteria, she’s convinced she’s lost her mind. Nothing will prepare her, however, for the discovery of her own special Gift. <br>Olivia Hart has always been satisfied living in the shadows of her peers, and so high school doesn’t get any easier when her charismatic brother goes off to college and her relationship with her edgy boyfriend comes to an end. When she comes across an antique charm, she finds out that she can compel people with her mind and hiding is no longer an option. With the help of her friends in the Gifted Program and each of their special Gifts, what happens next in this young love and coming of age story will force Olivia into the spotlight, test her friendships, and cause her to question her role in a society.</font></em></p></td></tr></tbody></table> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="475"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="149"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-IHA5BhrZO_4/TxvzN5R4I5I/AAAAAAAAAPE/gCwVx1GSde4/s1600-h/image%25255B34%25255D.png"><img style="display: inline" title="image" alt="image" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-BMEhCzEO1X8/TxvzOZDxzmI/AAAAAAAAAPM/UufDQ3ZG9C0/image_thumb%25255B23%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="150" height="226"></a></td> <td width="324"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0057CVROE">Broken hearts, damaged goods</a> by Jack Gunthridge <p><em><font size="1">Sometimes the people that we love the most, end up hurting us beyond repair.</font></em></p> <p><em><font size="1">When Jack and Liselle find themselves alone after having been cheated on, they decide to use each other to help get over the pain and heartache. Their plan was to make sure that nobody else would be hurt by love as they tried to rebound.<br>As they start to develop feelings for each other, they must come to terms with their past and all of the damage their exes have done to them. With broken hearts and mixed emotions, they try to put themselves together again as a lover that somebody would want. Will they be able to heal themselves in enough time to admit their feelings for each other?</font></em></p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>I’ve already started reading <em>You’ve got Murder</em>, and it’s so good!</p> Mierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5066638295436213708.post-79684189986170856152012-01-19T07:48:00.001-08:002012-01-24T00:20:36.282-08:00REVIEW: Neil Gaiman – Stardust (3/5)<p><b><i>Couple of covers:</i></b> <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-XuCn5QqfoEY/Txg7PKD5RoI/AAAAAAAAALk/ceWH-7vlfME/s1600-h/clip_image008%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image008" alt="clip_image008" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-mhbRgBFmY0k/Txg7Phs0xUI/AAAAAAAAALo/fAkqFzcOiDA/clip_image008_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="126" height="180"></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ebs54RHkeeM/Txg7QEnU3-I/AAAAAAAAALw/4P-QA5QGk_g/s1600-h/clip_image004%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 5px; display: inline" title="clip_image004" alt="clip_image004" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Z23frn8Yj0M/Txg7QpVbJgI/AAAAAAAAAL8/Hih32rbponA/clip_image004_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="116" height="180"></a><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Ioa_S7Odxcc/Txg7RvM_xWI/AAAAAAAAAMA/WBniGvuq1Bo/s1600-h/clip_image006%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image006" alt="clip_image006" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-z4LJCSBu8gc/Txg7SJibNiI/AAAAAAAAAMM/0buPlJTRwtg/clip_image006_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="111" height="180"></a></i></b> <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Genre: </i></b>Fantasy <p><b><i>How did I get it: </i></b>I borrowed it from a friend <p><b><i>This is the book for you if you like: </i></b> <p>- Original fantasy stories<br>- Love stories without an emphasis on the romance <p><b><i>Summary</i></b>: In the tranquil fields and meadows of long-ago England, there is a small hamlet that has stood on a jut of granite for 600 years. Just to the east stands a high stone wall, for which the village is named. Here, in the hamlet of Wall, young Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the hauntingly beautiful Victoria Forester. And here, one crisp October eve, Tristran makes his love a promise -- an impetuous vow that will send him through the only breach in the wall, across the pasture... and into the most exhilarating adventure of his life. <p>(from Neil Gaiman’s website) <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Thoughts on covers: </i></b>The covers are, in order, for the following editions: paperback 2009, paperback 2001, kindle. While I really love the colours of the 2009 cover, it doesn’t seem to really give you a feel of the book. I really adore the 2001 cover; I think it captures the atmosphere of the book perfectly. <p><b><i>Title: </i></b>Seeing as the star is the centre of this book, I think the title fits perfectly. More than that, I think it’s a title that easily grabs your attention and that is easily remembered. <p><b><i>Characters: </i></b>I had trouble connecting to Tristran, the main character of the book. This made especially the start of the book pretty tiresome for me. I did, however, really, really like Yvaine and she was the sole reason why I finished the book. <p><b><i>Setting: </i></b>The book is set in Fairy, a land right next to the world we know, but where everything is different. There is magic all around and nothing is anything like what we know. I loved discovering Fairy throughout the book. <p><b><i>General story: </i></b>I had a particularly tough time getting through this book, though I can't really pinpoint why. I had tried to read it once before and back then, I put it away when Tristran had just entered Fairy. I think my inability to connect to the boy was one of the reasons, as was the fact that I couldn’t stand Victoria from the moment she was introduced and it was hard for me to invest in a quest that was all for her benefit. Also, some parts of the book (especially the parts about the Lords of Stormhold, which seem to be entirely unrelated to the rest of the book until you’ve finished reading the entire story) just bored me.<br>But this time around, I did finish it. I especially liked the idea of the star being a person and I wanted to know everything there was to know about her. My favourite part of the book might just have been the part where Yvaine and Tristran are on a ship above the clouds, harvesting lightning. It had such a tranquil and lovely feel to it. I also really liked the epilogue.<br>This is actually one of those books that I would like to see in movie format; maybe it'd be one of those occasions where I prefer the movie to the book. <p><b><i>Will I read other books from this author? </i></b>I might. <p><b><i>Overall rating: </i></b>3 stars Mierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5066638295436213708.post-26538056423484400862012-01-12T06:17:00.001-08:002012-01-24T00:20:36.282-08:00REVIEW: Carrie Vaughn – Kitty and the midnight hour (5/5)<p><b><i>Series: </i></b>Kitty Norville #1 <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Couple of Covers:</i></b> <p><b><i><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-68Ris8mzT8E/Tw7rhnEmm6I/AAAAAAAAAKs/kTpWw4BSjxk/s1600-h/clip_image0025.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image002" alt="clip_image002" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-JYoXo_qg8FY/Tw7riFetUdI/AAAAAAAAAKw/CTAq6cF3QPs/clip_image002_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="117" height="190"></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ca0k_l6m-n0/Tw7rigP0ZYI/AAAAAAAAAK8/RATt0VTIGro/s1600-h/clip_image004%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image004" alt="clip_image004" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-2Nf4YAv5dww/Tw7rjmgHjyI/AAAAAAAAALE/tR7P3bzCJAQ/clip_image004_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="123" height="190"></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-bakCz1Xgqlk/Tw7rkEJCmGI/AAAAAAAAALI/fHizNKKOd4g/s1600-h/clip_image006%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image006" alt="clip_image006" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-d7E9CBDhrkw/Tw7rkg4CU-I/AAAAAAAAALQ/gBrgIi20iUw/clip_image006_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="124" height="190"></a></i></b> <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Genre: </i></b>Urban Fantasy <p><b><i>This is the book for you if you like: </i></b> <p>- Kickass heroines <br>- Werewolves <br>- Kim Harrison’s <i>The Hollows</i> series. <p><b><i>How did I get it: </i></b>I got it via <a href="http://bookmooch.com">Bookmooch</a> <p><b><i>Summary</i></b>: Kitty Norville is a midnight-shift DJ for a Denver radio station - and a werewolf in the closet. Her new late-night advice show for the supernaturally disadvantaged is a raging success, but it's Kitty who can use some help. With one sexy werewolf-hunter and a few homicidal undead on her tail, Kitty may have bitten off more than she can chew? <p>(from Goodreads) <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Favourite cover: </i></b>The covers are, in order: Paperback cover, German cover and Kindle cover. I really dislike the Kindle cover (even if I do like that font), though that’s probably at least partly due to the fact that I don’t really like to see faces on my covers – I feel like it forces some kind of imagination upon me. I don’t seem to have that same trouble with backs, however, as covers like the paperback cover, which show a girl from behind, really <i>do </i>grab my attention. I also really love the details in the paperback cover, like the small patch of red in the ribbon in her hair. But I think I like the German cover best; it breathes such a mysterious atmosphere. <p><b><i>Title:</i></b> For some reason, titles that have this template, of [Name] and [Actual Title] sound a bit like child’s books for me. But apart from that, The Midnight Hour seems to fit both because Kitty’s show has that name and because it sounds fantasy-heavy to my ears. <p><b><i>Characters: </i></b>I love Kitty. She’s exactly the type of spunky heroine that I like; she was thrown into this life, but she has decided to make the best of it. I love how she has the guts to go on with her late night talkshow, even if the entire paranormal society is against it. She fights for the ability to have her life as she wants it and I like that in my heroines. <p>Cormac is such a delightful mix of badassness and a well-hidden heart. I really look forward to exploring him and his relationship with Kitty more. <p>There were quite a few minor characters in this book, but I felt like I got to know them all, at least a little bit. I really love Matt, her assistant at her DJ job. I also have a soft spot for TJ. <p><b><i>Setting: </i></b>The story is set in Denver, a city with a pretty big supernatural population; both werewolves and vampires roam the town. <p>The integral part of the setting was the radio station where Kitty hosts her late night show. I really love the fact that it’s based on this show and that we get to see a lot of it. Too often a book starts with such a great premise and then lets it go in favour of all the excitement or romance, but this book really went back to that radio station. <p><b><i>General story: </i></b>I <i>loved </i>this book. I devoured it. <p>I have to admit, I’m usually more of a vampire kinda girl. Werewolves have never really been able to interest me and more often than not, when I read a book about werewolves, I walk away with a feeling that it reaffirmed my preference for vampires. <i>Kitty</i>, however, is a book about werewolves that grabbed my attention and didn’t let it go again. The werewolf hierarchy is a big part of the book, but in a way that had me emotionally invested. I really liked the way the scenes in which Kitty was a wolf were described: not only were they in italics, they also were from a third-person point of view, while the rest of the book was in the first-person point of view. <p>At no point in this book was I bored or thinking that it should have been written differently. I liked the mystery in finding out who the rogue was, I loved the scenes in the studio, I liked the cult-like story of Elijah Smith, I loved how high the excitement was in the final part of the book. <p><b><i>Will I read other books from this author? </i></b>Yes. <p><b><i>Will I read the next instalment in this series? </i></b>Definitely. <p><b><i>Overall rating: </i></b>5 stars</p> Mierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5066638295436213708.post-65874901012597635482011-12-16T02:53:00.001-08:002012-01-24T00:20:36.282-08:00REVIEW: Martin C. Sharlow – Storytellers (3/5)<p><b><i>Series: </i></b>Storytellers Saga #1 <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Couple of Covers:</i></b> <p><b><i><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-vjmgmeanUR0/TusjGiAh_uI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/xc3_kJ3Q33M/s1600-h/clip_image002%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image002" alt="clip_image002" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-aD5Fhr2rRw0/TusjHSyqq_I/AAAAAAAAAKA/HrXsQ8Z2REY/clip_image002_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="139" height="190"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-UqONWMNkjKM/TusjH2RpuAI/AAAAAAAAAKI/swsxvCmM5lE/s1600-h/clip_image004%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image004" alt="clip_image004" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-bP0Km4o2HHM/TusjIcFMgBI/AAAAAAAAAKM/xfjqD2AmuI4/clip_image004_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="127" height="190"></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-b3cvLbFtB5o/TusjI3FqY3I/AAAAAAAAAKc/Ua51Gk9RAOE/s1600-h/clip_image006%25255B19%25255D.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 5px; display: inline" title="clip_image006" alt="clip_image006" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-GHMVstSpDPQ/TusjK2_LcUI/AAAAAAAAAKk/0VQruCxb4Mk/clip_image006_thumb%25255B16%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="127" height="190"></a></i></b> <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Genre: </i></b>Young Adult, Fantasy <p><b><i>This is the book for you if you like: </i></b> <p>- Books about books<br>- Friendship stories <p><b><i>How did I get it: </i></b>Free via Smashwords <p><b><i>Summary</i></b>: Thousands of years ago, the great Sage Montok Waynew signed the Book Accords, in which it was declared that all books must edify and instruct for the good of all mankind. Created in the hope to end the tyranny that had come into existence in their time, it was widely received and ratified by all living Sages as a good thing in the wake of the last great Story wars. So it went, that those books that were not found desirable were burned or destroyed, to protect all future generations. <br>Gailen, Alena and Targ find this peace is about to end. In a world where Sages can summon stories to life to do their bidding, these three apprentices must find where they belong, when the laws of the past seem to no longer exist. <p>(from Goodreads) <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Favourite cover: </i></b>The covers are, in order: Kindle cover, paperback cover, which apparently had a different title and another cover (I always use goodreads for these covers, and I can’t find the edition that used this cover). <p>I really loathe the Kindle cover; I don’t get why it was necessary to put an almost naked woman on the cover of this book. It has no connection to the story at all. The paperback cover is really sinister, which fits a bit more, because parts of the book were pretty creepy. I, however, much prefer the unknown edition cover, because I think it uses the most important part of the book: how stories can come out of their books. <p><b><i>Title: </i></b>Storytellers fits the book perfectly, especially because it is the name of their specific talent/ability. I don’t get why the paperback version used Storyweavers, because that’s just at odds with the story itself. <p><b><i>Characters: </i></b>I love Targ. He finds himself in a world where he doesn’t understand anything and he’s so desperate to find his way and to find out who he is. It’s easy to get into his mindset, because as a reader you don’t know anything about the world either. Alena was at times annoying, and at times I really liked her. Gailen got really annoying towards the end of the book, but I believe that was kind of the point. <p>Maybe Darrius is the most intriguing character of all. One of the last sages left, he has to try and do what he can to save what can be saved of the Storytellers Council. He is really young and has always been a bit controversial in his ideas how stories should be used; now he doesn’t have any elders left to turn to. I especially want to know how his story progresses in the next part of the series. <p><b><i>Setting: </i></b>The world this story is set in, doesn’t have a name, but we get to see quite a lot of it. It’s a huge world, with lots of rough nature. All the villages in this world have their own Storyteller, who makes sure the village is defended and that the villagers have enough food. They do this by bringing stories they know to life. <p><b><i>General story: </i></b>I really like the world-building; I love the idea of people who are able to bring stories to life and my favourite parts of the book were the parts where it was described how the Storytellers thought of the right story to use and how to use it. I also really like the idea that people were so scared of how sad stories with violence could affect their world, that all non-happy books were banned and outlawed; this went so far, that Gailen and Elena don’t believe Targ when he talks about a book that doesn’t end well. <p>Because the book alternates between the story of Targ, Gailen and Elena and Darrius’ story, at times I found it a bit hard to follow. Especially in the beginning of the book, when there is no sense of connection at all between the stories, it was hard to be equally invested in each of them. This, however, got a lot better towards the end of the book. <p><b><i>Will I read other books from this author? </i></b>Yes. <p><b><i>Will I read the next instalment in this series? </i></b>I might. <p><b><i>Overall rating: </i></b>3 stars Mierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5066638295436213708.post-38675804241484099182011-11-19T02:49:00.001-08:002012-01-24T00:20:36.283-08:00REVIEW: Z – The gossip ghouls: Zombies and Lipstick (3/5)<h5><i>Series: </i><font style="font-weight: normal">Gossip Ghouls #1</font></h5> <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Cover:</i></b> <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ZjsWG5EPF9c/TseJpoDKJnI/AAAAAAAAAJM/SzzY9bB__ig/s1600-h/clip_image002%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: inline" title="clip_image002" alt="clip_image002" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ijkeUPUpcGU/TseJqPZ6uhI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/tw9kiHLOFIQ/clip_image002_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="150" height="199"></a></i></b> <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Genre: </i></b>Young Adult, Fantasy <p><b><i>How did I get it: </i></b>Free via Smashwords <p><b><i>This is the book for you if you like: </i></b> <p>- High school stories<br>- Cecily Von Ziegesar’s <i>Gossip Girl </i>series <p><b><i>Summary</i></b>: Zombie punk Z wakes up in her designer coffin to learn that Vampie, the undead Paris Hilton wannabe, killed her. At first, Z believes this attack stems from Vampie’s jealousy over Z’s boyfriend. Soon, Z learns Vampie's master plan: stealing Z's boyfriend while eliminating werewolves and zombies altogether. Z decides to pose as Gossip Ghoul to get revenge on the billionaire vampress. Impersonating Vampie’s party girl cousin, Z enters the world of the super wealthy, of birka bags and designer fangs, of Parisian shopping sprees and lavish parties. Will Z be exposed before she texts Vampie's scandalous secrets to the undead world? Or will Z vanquish Vampie to once again make the high school of the living and the undead a safe and fashionable place for all? <p>(from Goodreads) <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b><i>Thoughts on cover: </i></b>The cover is mostly focused on the gossip aspect, which was part of the book, but I wouldn’t say it was the important part. And even after reading the book the two lighted girls seem like random people instead of characters out of the book. So I’m not really liking the cover. <p><b><i>Title: </i></b>I like the title. I think “Gossip Ghouls” is a pretty obvious reference to “Gossip Girls”, which the book does deserve. The updates on the Gossip Ghoul blog are <i>really </i>similar to Gossip Girl’s blog, style-wise, which I was pretty impressed with. “Zombies & Lipstick” is a title that, because of its wackiness, works really good in drawing attention to the book. <p><b><i>Characters: </i></b>Even though there are more characters in this book than just Z, I thought she was the only one we really got to know. Sure, there is Vampie, the villain, and Brent, the love interest, but both of them seem really one-dimensional characters. Z, on the other hand, is a girl who was not asking to be drawn into this world of zombies, vampires and werewolves, but is willing to rise up to the challenge and get back at them all in their own way. I really liked that about her. <p><b><i>Setting: </i></b>The book is set in Auburn Heights, a small city in Michigan, USA and in a couple of other places around the world. Auburn Heights is a convergence point for all kinds of supernatural creatures: werewolves, zombies, and vampires, who are the main rulers of the Auburn Heights High <i>and </i>of the entire town. <p><b><i>General story: </i></b>I <i>loved </i>the first couple of pages. I really, really loved them. I laughed out loud and couldn’t help but keep reading sentences aloud to my girlfriend. That style seemed to be gone after a few pages, though, and while I liked the story, I was sad that feeling didn’t come back. <p>I have to be honest, I still have trouble seeing how a zombie could ever be anything but gross or scary. So it was hard to accurately picture Z, but I really liked the mythology in this book; zombies aren’t flesh-eating mindless corpses at all, just a different kind of supernatural creatures with their own abilities (like shape shifting or teleporting). <p><b><i>Will I read other books from this author? </i></b>Yes. <p><b><i>Will I read the next instalment in this series? </i></b>Probably. <p><b><i>Overall rating: </i></b>3 stars</p> Mierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5066638295436213708.post-50106422071021605122011-11-15T07:10:00.000-08:002011-11-15T07:10:34.870-08:00Teaser Tuesday (#4)<table><tr> <td><img src="http://shouldbereading.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/teasertuesdays2.jpg"/></td> <td><font size="+1"/>Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/"/>Should Be Reading</a>. Anyone can play along! </font></td> </tr>
</table><br />
Just do the following:<br />
<br />
- Grab your current read<br />
- Open to a random page<br />
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page<br />
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)<br />
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!<br />
<br />
<center><b>MY TEASER:</b></center><br />
<br />
<table><tr> <td><i><font color=red>Tristran lay beside the huge bulk of the unicorn, feeling its warmth radiating out into the night. The star was lying on the other side of the beast. It sounded almost as if she were murmuring a song to the unicorn; Tristan wished that he could hear her properly.</font></i></td> <td><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222063.Stardust"/><img src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1303000954l/222063.jpg" width="100"/></img></a></td> </tr>
</table>Mierkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.com1