On the Bookshelf

POTTERMORE

2011-06-23T21:25:00.000+10:00

It has been a very busy day for Ms Rowling. A video, a tweet, and a website update. And, of course, Pottermore.

The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate

2011-06-05T15:12:00.002+10:00

Title: The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove
Author: Lauren Kate
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: Novemeber 12th, 2009
Source: Library

Somehow I felt that The Tragedy of Natalie Hargrove may have been a better title for this book. Natalie's story struck me more of a case of tragic circumstances than one of direct betrayal. Natalie would do anything to become Palmetto Princess but a prank gone wrong results in the death of her boyfriend's competition for the place of Palmetto Prince and everything threatens to unravel - her role as an accidental murderer and the past she tried so hard to cover up. Natalie is cruel and manipulative in her need to cover up her secret past of being from the "wrong side of the tracks" from not only her peers but from herself.

I love Shakespeare influenced works but I didn't feel that the influence was very well communicated here. Kate aimed for Macbeth but the connection was only strongly apparent in the "ghost" scene. Kate could have pushed it further and taken Natalie's unraveling to greater depths. That said, I felt that Kate was much more successful in maintaining a consistent tone in Betrayal than in Fallen, a book which I felt started with so much promises only to lose that atmosphere.

There are few likable characters in The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove but that is largely Lauren Kate's intent. Natalie is a Queen Bee and a social chameleon, becoming whoever she needs to be in the moment. Focused in her determination to climb to the social peek she can be cruel and manipulative but there is some sympathy to be felt for her as she comes to conflict with her past. Her peers are very shallow and I found it impossible to relate to their vapid twittering conversations.

I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either. Give this one a go if you are a fan of Lauren Kate's other works or teen queen bee conflicts.

Also Check Out:
Fallen by Lauren Kate

Bookcase Love

2011-05-30T07:22:00.022+10:00

I love these bookshelves from Brooke. Be sure to check out her book blog Brooke Reviews too.

A little about my shelves, well, these are my authors A-S, T-Z are on another shelf not pictured. I also have separate shelves for my books for school and YA books I've collected for my future classroom. These shelves contain MOSTLY Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, and YA. I love these shelves because they are in the "sitting room", or as I like to call it, the library, right as you walk in the front door. It's the first thing I see everyday I come home, and it brings a smile to my face. However, books are starting to stack up again, so I really need to purchase a couple more Billy shelves from IKEA (my favs). I also need to get another light to go over the first shelf, but this room (and our whole house) is a work in progress. :) Eventually it'll be perfect, although it's pretty close now! lol

It looks like Brooke has such a gorgeous reading area to greet her when she gets home everyday. I also love the sleek black shelves and the lights shining down on them. You can tell these books are a well loved feature!

I want to see YOUR bookcase!

Send me a photo of your bookcase along with a paragraph or two about what you love about your bookcase, what's on there, and what it says about you! Every week (here's hoping that I get some responses) I'll feature a bookshelf and happily link back to your blog or website if you have one! Please send your submisssions to terraontheshelf@gmail.com.

Bookcase Love

2011-05-23T17:09:00.003+10:00

This week Donna of My Life. One Story On Story At A Time has brought us three delicious bookcases to love. 100 chocolate cookbooks delicious! Oh my goodness. Now that is a book collection I wouldn't mind browsing through.

My bookshelves say that I am a diversified reader and will read anything I can put my hands on. They also would tell that you that I have a chocolate obsession (100 chocolate cookbooks alone.) They would tell you I love to decorate and even though I am the most organized person I know, I still love books on organizing. They would tell you I read spiritual, self-help, romance, vampire, financial and children's books! They would tell you that I love books and that I treasure each and every one of them.

I want to see YOUR bookcase!

What's On the Bookshelf

2011-05-15T21:53:00.000+10:00

If anyone else is suffering from what Blogger is calling "The Spinning Issue" (post editor not loading, just the little spinning loading symbol going forever) switching to the old editor appears to be working for me.

Anyway, on with the good stuff!

The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

I'm pretty sure that this one speaks for itself...

A special delivery all the way from the USA!

A peek of exciting things to come!

Yay!

Squee!

!!!

I got these copies signed (!!!) by his awesome beardiness himself, Patrick Rothfuss, through The Signed Page, a service "devoted to bringing signed and personalized books to fans who are unable to meet their favorite touring writers." I would definitely recommend the service. The books arrived in excellent condition and within a week of being shipped out and Shawn kindly kept everyone up-to-date with the process of packaging and shipping the multitude of order via Facebook.

*In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren Go here to find out more.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

2011-05-15T19:21:00.002+10:00

Title: The Princess Bride
Author: William Goldman
Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
Release Date: 1973
Source: Bought

I may be one of the only people in the world who had grew up without seeing the film The Princess Bride. I finally saw it January this year - at the ripe old age of twenty-two - after being completely blown away by this book. My childhood was also void of Labyrinth which I finally saw and fell in love with in my late teens, and Dark Crystal which I am still yet to watch. I can only guess that my parents wanted to avoid a repeat of my obsession with The Neverending Story films which we constantly had rented out from the video shop when I was a child. The point is that I was able to pick up the book The Princess Bride with absolutely no idea what I was in for.

So, what is it that readers are in for that make both book and film be recalled with such fondness by so many?

"Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. beautifulest ladies. Snakes. Spiders. Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passions. Miracles." The Princess Bride promises all these things and delivers all of it and so much more. The beautiful Buttercup falls in love with the farm boy Westley. He sails away to earn a fortune upon which to build their future together only to fall prey to the Dread Pirate Roberts. A devastated Buttercup vows to never love again yet manages to find herself marrying the Prince Humperdinck. The princess-to-be is kidnapped and from there the adventure is only beginning.

Goldman interlaces the tale of how he was introduced to "S. Morgenstern's classic tale of true love and high adventure" as a child, rediscovering it in later life, and the obstacles met in abridging the "good parts", publishing it, and getting the movie made. (I should mention that I read the 25th anniversary edition.)

Only the entire autobiographical narrative is fiction too. Most importantly, there is no S. Morgenstern who wrote the original Florin classic. There is no original Florin classic. Goldman is the genuine author of The Princess Bride and he uses this fictional autobiography to help underline the wit and parody of the core story and exploration of fantasy tropes but, perhaps most importantly, to help us to believe what we all want to be true - that at some ambiguous point in time in some hard-to-pin-point-on-a-map country the events of The Princess Bride really did occur.

If, as I was, you are still living life without the joy of The Princess Bride then go to your local book shop right now and get it. You will fall in love with these characters, laugh, cry, and undoubtedly begin introducing yourself with the line "Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya; you killed my father; prepare to die."

Bookcase Love

2011-05-09T22:09:00.005+10:00

This week we're loving the bookcases of Emma of BelleBooks. I so want the Shakespeare bookcase!

My bookcases are filled mostly with Young Adult Paranormal romance books, with the odd adult and chick lit books thrown in here and there!

My first bookcase (the skinny white one) Is a recent purchase, it is from the Billy range at Ikea. I have recently re-jigged the shelves on it to make some more room for my books, which you can see by the gaps on the shelf. I haven't had the time to go back to Ikea yet to buy 2 extra shelves yet!

My second bookcase is also from the Billy range at Ikea, only this one is a special limited edition Shakespeare version which was designed for charity. It is covered in Shakespeare quotes ad I love it! I'm not sure how many of these bookcases were made worldwide, but I am sure it was not a very large number. It is a bit messy, as I tend to dump all my stuff out of my bags onto it. The first four shelves are full of books, below them is my shelf full on dvds and the shelf below that has Xbox games and my massive pile of university work.

I know my bookcases are the neatest or tidiest in the world, but I like them! Looking at my bookcases I think they would tell you that I am an avid reader (I mean I have two bookcases in my bedroom and they are both pretty much full!), I read a mix of books depending on my mood and I enjoy those extra little touches, which you can see from my Shakespeare bookcase and all my little teddies and ornaments on it.

I want to see YOUR bookcase!

Teaser Tuesdays

2011-05-03T14:04:00.001+10:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
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!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"I know delusions of grandeur are not unusual in high school, but usually they're limited to quarterbacks with God complexes - not the faculty. But after our last principal was hauled away on house arrest, Palmetto was blessed with the kind of temporary fill-in whose big dreams of sitting on the Supreme Court was smashed after, oh, the fifth time he failed the South Carolina bar exam."

From page 101 of The Betrayal of Natalie Hargove by Lauren Kate.

Bookcase Love

2011-05-01T22:18:00.059+10:00

I'm back. Hopefully for good this time. You'll notice that I am in the middle of updating the site so please forgive any broken links and odd images. Hopefully everything will be smoothed out shortly.

One exciting new development since my last post is that I bought new furniture for my bedroom.
This included a new bookcase! One thing you will notice is that the new bookcase is super skinny. At only 40cm across this Fantastic Furniture bookcase is half the width of my old one! Fortunately it is fairly deep, meaning that there is enough space to have double rows of books on most of the shelves. Rather than space, my main concern with the new shelf stability. Luckily it does come with an optional strap that you can use to nail it to the wall but so far I haven't attached it.

If this bookcase says anything about me it is that I am space poor (and that I love my jewelery as much as books to give up what little shelf space I have to one of my jewelery boxes). Upgrading from a single to a double bed gobbles up space. Which is why I also snagged this Avoca CD/DVD Cabinet. I only have one shelf worth of CDs so I used the remaining CD shelves to squeeze in more DVDs. The end result is the perfect fit for my CD and DVD collection.

I want to see YOUR bookcase!

Bring on 2011!

2011-01-01T23:11:00.000+11:00

So, I realise that this blog has gone pretty quiet the past few months and I wanted to give a brief update. 2010 was a bit of a rough year for me and my focus ended up shifting elsewhere for a time. My intention has never been to leave this blog behind and hopefully I will start getting reviews out again in the coming days.

I have high hopes for 2011. This year I want to be happy, healthy, and read a lot of new books!

I hope you all have had a fun and safe start to 2011. Happy new year, everyone!

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

2010-11-02T22:45:00.000+11:00

Title: Alanna: The First Adventure
Series: The Song of the Lioness Quartet
Author: Tamora Pierce
Publisher: Atheneum
Release Date: September, 1983
Source: Library

From the Back Cover:

Disguised as a boy, Alanna sets out to achieve her ultimate ambition: to become a knight. The struggle to prove she is as strong as the other young men demands all her determination but the need to cover her growing femininity is an entirely different challenge. And while the court magician may be her most dangerous enemy, the possibility of love may be her undoing...

My Thoughts:
This one is a reread for me as part of a recent desire to revisit some childhood favourites. I think I first stumbled upon this gem around the age of ten or eleven. It was my first Tamora Pierce book and ever since this series has remained my favourite of hers.

As a ten year old I loved Alanna and her commitment to reaching her goals and the easy to read nature of the books. As a twenty-one year old I still enjoy Pierce's writing style, world building, and characters but wish that the books were longer.

Oh, sure, maybe I do now look at The Song of the Lioness Quartet with "rose coloured glasses" so to speak. Reading this first book in the series again was most certainly a nostalgic experience and I found myself thinking "I remember this bit!" and "oh, this scene used to be my favourite!" quite often. I believe that, more than anything, it goes to show how enjoyable a read it is for the target age group and that I do consider it to be one of the influential and memorable books that I was discovering at that time. I feel that many of the books, including this series, that I enjoyed at that age had great influence on the development of my taste in fiction right up to this day.

If you have never read any Tamora Pierce then start here! If you are looking for a good fantasy series for a preteen then start here! Yes, it has its flaws including clichés and definitely a need for more detail but I consider this to be one of my treasured childhood favourites and I just have to share it. I'm not entirely sure if this is really a review or really just biased raving in disguise.

Also Check Out:

Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Terra

Dear November...

2010-11-01T22:32:00.000+11:00

Please be merciful.

Today I started my new full-time job, which I think started off well. I'll be spending the next six (6) months working in an university library so it's all very different, new, exciting, and occasionally confusing and exhausting. When I got home today I promptly collapsed in a heap on the couch and immersed myself in Battle for Middle-earth II for several hours.

As a result I have not written a word for NaNoWriMo and I have for you no witty post or insightful review planned for NaBloPoMo. November is always my favourite month for creativity but it just isn't going to happen today. In fact...

Dear November,

Would you mind maybe going away and coming back later?

Kindest, yet somewhat frazzled, regards,

Terra

Teaser Tuesdays

2010-10-19T07:15:00.005+11:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
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!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"I'm king here - more king than the man who sits atop the big hill. My people wouldn't give him a word in passing, but they follow my slightest wish."

From page 61 of Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce.

I've been revisiting some of my childhood favourites recently. I think I must have been maybe ten years old when I first read this book.

Terra

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-A-Thon: Mid-Event Meme

2010-10-10T10:25:00.009+11:00

1. What are you reading right now?

Food for Life: Lifelong health from the food you eat by Michael Van Straten.

2. How many books have you read so far?

This is my first.

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?

Probably Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets as I haven't read it for a couple of years now. Mind, I was just thinking that maybe I should add John Dies at the End to my reading list.

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?

Nope. It's a glorious work-free Sunday here.

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?

Sleep, which I learned last Read-A-Thon is important.

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?

That I have run out of pocky. Also, this post not formatting itself the way I tell it to. :(

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

More pocky. Oh, wait. You mean suggestions for the event planners? None. It's great as always.

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?

Maybe go to be sooner so that I'd get up earlier to start reading.

9. Are you getting tired yet?

Nope. I'm am now awake and refreshed.

10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered?

Sleep is important. So is pocky.

Terra

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-A-Thon: Better Late Than Never

2010-10-10T10:03:00.001+11:00

Read-a-thon! Wait for meeeeee!

Better late than never I an scrambling to get a start on Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon.

I live in Australia so the starting time was late here and I was already so tired so I figured that it was better to get some sleep. So, here I am, now awake and refreshed and ready to get some ready done.

In these last twelve hours of the Read-a-thon I will be trying to get through...

Food for Life by Michael Van Straten
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Hell Island by Matthew Reilly

If I actually manage to get through those then I will continue on with The Passage by Justin Cronin.

Terra

Feed by Mira Grant

2010-10-07T12:19:00.003+11:00

Title: Feed
Series: Newsflesh
Author: Mira Grant
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: May 1, 2010
Source: Library

From the Back Cover:

The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beaten the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED.

Now, twenty years after the Rising, bloggers Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives - the dark conspiracy behind the infected. The truth will out, even if it kills them.

My Thoughts:

Four words: New. Favourite. Zombie. Book.

Feed explores the impact of a zombie rising far beyond the initial fear and chaos, looking at the long term influence on media, politics, security, and medicine. Mira Grant (pseudonym for Seanan McGuire) shows us the world in 2040 - a whole 26 years after the Rising. The panic has passed and the walking dead wanting to take a bite out of you is just another fact of life. The Rising catapulted bloggers into the spotlight as the only reliable news resource during a time when conventional news providers where under the thumb of censorship.

I fell in love with the cast of characters that Grant put on the page. Georgia and Shaun Mason are siblings by adoption who are closer than most brothers and sisters. They run the news blogging site, After the End Times, along with their friend Georgette "Buffy" Meissonier, winning themselves the career making opportunity of a lifetime - exclusive access to Senator Ryman's presidential campaign. Georgia is the "Newsie" with a passion for truth. Shaun as their "Irwin" brings in the ratings by pulling risky stunts like poking zombies with sticks. As the "Fictional" Buffy writes stories and poems to entertain the masses. Together they create a dynamic team and I enjoyed Georgia's unique voice as the narrator.

Feed has the perfect balance of political conspiracy and zombies along with plenty of tension, action. humour, and tears that kept me up into all hours of the night unable to set it down. I eagerly await the next book in the series, Deadline.

Also Check Out:

The Zombie Hunters by Jenny Romanchuck
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Terra

Teaser Tuesdays

2010-10-06T00:17:00.001+11:00

Technically fifteen minutes into Wednesday... -_-

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
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!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Actually, I decided to skip the weapons." Picking up the other two kits, I brushed past him on my way up front. "If we meet any zombies, we'll pacify them with Hostess snack cakes."

From page 265 of Feed by Mira Grant.

Either there is an ongoing joke in the upper half of the world about the power of Hostess snack cakes to repel all sorts of things that go bump in the night, or Mira Grant listens to the Geek Survival Guide.

Terra

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

2010-10-03T23:03:00.001+11:00

Title: Life As We Knew It
Series: Last Survivors
Author: Susan Beth Pfeffer
Publisher: Harcourt
Release Date: October 1, 2006
Source: Library

From the Back Cover:

It's almost the end of Miranda's sophomore year in high school, and her journal reflects the busy life of a typical teenager: conversations with friends, fights with mom, and fervent hopes for a driver's license. When Miranda first begins hearing the reports of a meteor on a collision course with the moon, it hardly seems worth a mention in her diary. But after the meteor hits, pushing the moon off its axis and causing worldwide earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes, all the things Miranda used to take for granted begin to disappear. Food and gas shortages, along with extreme weather changes, come to her small Pennsylvania town; and Miranda's voice is by turns petulant, angry, and finally resigned, as her family is forced to make tough choices while they consider their increasingly limited options. Yet even as suspicious neighbors stockpile food in anticipation of a looming winter without heat or electricity, Miranda knows that that her future is still hers to decide even if life as she knew it is over.

My Thoughts:

Although Life As We Knew It is about the chaotic side effects of a meteor knocking the moon into orbit much closer to the Earth don't be too hasty to label it as "apocalypse" fiction so much as "survival" fiction. Much of the book is set inside Miranda's house as her family struggle to survive within without the 21st century resources that they are used to. Miranda only hears about the massive tsunamis and volcano eruptions and is spared from experiencing them. In Life As We Knew It you won't see an informed overview of the world falling apart so much as the very personal story of Miranda and her family's struggle against starvation and the cold. Some readers may be dissappointed at times to miss out on the big action but I really liked Pfeffer's appoach of focusing everyday survivalism and family.

There is one thing that I think that Pfeffer does very well and that is to make me feel hungry and then to make me feel immediatel guilty about it. It really is amazing how little people know about how to survive in an emergency situation. We all like to think that we would be prepared but in reality we are so used to depending on electricty, gas, plumbing, and supermarkets to provide us with heat, running water, and food that who among us are trualy equipped to survive long term? Especially when your home environment suddenly turns so hostile.

One of my few complaints is that sometimes, especially at the start, the writing style felt a bit much like it was listing things but it is hard to say if this was intentional as Life As We Knew It is in the format of Miranda's diary and the everyday venting of a seventeen year old girl can't be expected to always be a piece of art. I also felt like there were a few lose ends left open that I would have liked to see tied up.

That, and I am always a bit disappointed in survival stories when they scabble for can of foods to stock up and no one makes a point of saying: "Can openers! Grab as many can openers as you can!" It's just my pet survival thing. I mean, wouldn't it just suck to starve to death despite having all that food because something happened to your only can opener?

Also Check Out:

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Terra

Teaser Tuesdays

2010-09-28T12:04:00.000+10:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
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!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

It felt weird, though, seeing them all closed, the same kind of weird when you see the moon and it's just a little too big and too bright.

I guess I always felt even if the world came to an end, McDonald's would still be open.

From page 47 of Life As We Knew It by Susan Pfeffer.

Terra

What's On the Bookshelf

2010-09-27T00:08:00.004+10:00

Considering my usual reading habits, it seems strange for me that I did not get that much reading done while I was on crutches, instead I pulled out some old PC games and allowed my mind to be consumed by Assassin's Creed and Battle for Middle-earth II.

John Dies at the End by David Wong
I was thrilled when this finally turned up on my doorstep. I'd been hanging out and counting down waiting for the paperback to be released so that the Book Depository could finally ship me my pre-order. If the title sounds familiar to you it may be because it started out online as a web series. After a few years it caught the attention of indie horror publisher Permuted Press and eventually came to the attention of St. Martin's Press. Not at all bad for a story that started out online.

The Passage by Justin Cronin

Is this book in high demand right now or what! It took forever to get to the top of the library waiting list for The Passage and there are more in line behind me. I just hope that I can get through all 766 of its pages before I have to pass it along! I look forward to reading a vampire story that isn't set in the school yard.

Terra

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

2010-09-25T08:25:00.001+10:00

Title: Shiver
Series: The Wolves of Mercy Falls
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: August 1, 2009
Source: Library

From the Back Cover:

The Cold
Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why.

The Heat
Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace...until now.

The Shiver
For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human—and Grace must fight to keep him—even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.

My Thoughts:

I had recently been feeling rather jaded with YA Paranormal Romance but in one fell swoop Maggie Stiefvater has redeemed the entire genre.

Shiver is beautifully written. More than the romance, more than the unique werewolf mythology, Stiefvater had me entranced with her poetic prose. The pace is slow but steady enough that it kept me hooked. The narration passes between Sam and Grace and I came to enjoy both characters dearly. Grace is independent and level headed for her age yet a part of her still wishes for her parents to step up to the plate. The "beautiful and sad" Sam reads poetry, writes songs in his head, and struggles to come to terms with his past and impending future. Together they strike a beautiful balance. I feel like the candy shop scene captures the feel of their relationship and of this book perfectly - it's like mug of hot chocolate during the winter.

Stiefvater's mythology behind werewolves is refreshing and unique. It is the onset of winter that triggers the change from human to wolf and eventually, after a number of years of change, they will remain a wolf for the rest of their lives. Each chapter starts with the temperature. Although Fahrenheit is not used where I live, the significance of impending change was never lost on me.

I only wish that I had not waited so long to read this beautifully written book. I will not wait so long to pick up the next The Wolves of Mercy Falls book, Linger.

Also Check Out:
Fallen by Lauren Kate

Terra

Vampires Suck

2010-09-24T21:14:00.001+10:00

Title: Vampire's Suck
Director: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer
Release Date: August 26, 2010
Source: Movie Theatre

From the Back Cover:

(Or in this case, imdb.com)

A spoof of vampire-themed movies, where teenager Becca finds herself torn between two boys. As she and her friends wrestle with a number of different dramas, everything comes to a head at their prom.

My Thoughts:

I went to see this with a mixed group of people, including Twilight fans, people who think that the series is okay but are basically indifferent when it comes down to it, and myself who doesn't like the series so I feel that this review can come with the benefit of their opinions too.

Vampires Suck is brought to you by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer - the same guys behind Date Movie, Epic Movie, Meet The Spartans, and Disaster Movie. Vampires Suck is a send up of Twilight and that is the film's first flaw. Often "spoof" movies target a specific genre and make fun of a few current popular films within that genre. Vampires Suck sticks to Twilight though to the point that you may begin to feel that you have seen this film before.

I had a few problems in regards to the continuity due to how they cut up and rearranged the plot from the first two movies/books. For example, you have the scene where Edward breaks up with Becca and she begs him to change her into a vampire before James attack then after she has been bitten by James she pleads with him to suck the venom out.

I also didn't like how there were times where they just couldn't help themselves but to spell out the joke to the audience. For example, in biology their teacher tells them to pull out their copies of The Vampire Diaries and Becca asks why they are reading vampire fiction in biology class. This leads Edward in to an unnecessary and long explanation into how it is because vampires are what are in right now. Later, during the thirty or so second that she appears on screen, a poor parody of Buffy (from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer) can only be identified due to her name being printed on her chest.

On the more positive side of things, Jenn Proske as Becca Crane gets a mention for the way in which she perfectly mimics the facial ticks, excessive blinking, awkward body language, and stuttering of Kristen Stewart as Bella. On her first day of school, Becca Crane receives the kind of reception that would have actually made Twilight's Bella Swan's attitude of "woe is me" justifiable although, as she points out, despite being moody and supposedly unpopular every single guy in the school is going to lust after her.

Overall, I didn't hate the film and I will admit that it did get a couple of chuckles out of me but I think that there are vastly better parody films out there. Two of my friends, however, walked out of the theatre praising the film and pledging to buy Vampire Sucks on DVD when it is released. From this I can only gather that the movie may go down well with Twilight fans but if you haven't latched on to the vampire craze you will do just as will giving this one a miss.

Trailer:

Also Check Out:

Evernight by Claudia Gray
The Awakening by L.J. Smith
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Terra

Musing Mondays

2010-08-30T21:48:00.001+10:00

Musing Mondays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

This week, MizB asks:
"How often do you actually put into practice what you learn from reading nonfiction books (if you read nonfiction, that is)?"

Yes and no in a round about kind of way. Most of the non-fiction that I read is related to health and fitness. I get out these books specifically to study and learn the stretches within or for nutrition tips. However, I am mostly putting what I learn from non-fiction into practice when I acquire them with the intent to apply the given knowledge in my own life.

I also enjoy pop culture non-fiction but I don't think that it has as much impact on my daily practices. For example, as much as I was moved by the passion of the Sea Shepherds when I read The Whale Warriors by Peter Heller I have not stopped eating fish. (Just for the record I would never eat whale but I would hope that was considered a given.) I do not consider Mark Thomas' Belching Out the Devil: Global Adventures with Coca-Cola to be responsible for my giving up drinking all soft drink (fizzy, soda, pop, whatever people are inclined to call it in your neck of the woods) but it did come to mind when I made my decision. That decision was more financially and health motivated. (Nearly three months soft drink free now!). I had already long gone off fast food by the time I picked up Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Schlosser.

I don't think that every piece of non-fiction that a person reads needs to be personally useful or applicable to their life in some way. It can be just as rewarding to read something because you find the knowledge intellectually enriching or just plain fun or maybe you hope that it will pop up during a game of trivia sometime and you can impress everyone with your vast mental treasure trove of otherwise useless knowledge. That said, I probably should be trying to apply more of what I learn from the non-fiction. I would probably be a healthier and more environmentally friendly person if I did.

Terra

What's on the Bookshelf

2010-08-29T21:53:00.000+10:00

It has been a quiet week for me, both in terms of blogging and book collection, largely due to my recovering from recently dislocating my left kneecap. It is rather difficult to get down to the library when one has a massive brace on their leg. The good news is that I was allowed to take the leg brace off today, although I am not allowed to bend that knee much for a few more weeks but it is quite stiff anyway.

Feed by Mira Grant
More zombies this week! Look out and get your survival plans ready because the zombies are set to rise in four years time! This is the first book in the Newsflesh series. It would be great to have a really good zombie series going at the moment.

The Tudors, Season Two

I absolutely loved season one and I will get a review up of it soon. I wish that I had discovered this show sooner! In the meanwhile, I will get started nursing my wounds with the second season.

*In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren Go here to find out more.

Terra

Blogoversary + 100 Followers Giveaway Winner!

2010-08-22T13:03:00.000+10:00

My giveaway to celebrate my reaching 100 followers and one whole year of blogging has come to a close. Having used random.org to generate a winner, I am glad to be sending a copy of one of my all time favourite books, Bram Stoker's Dracula, to...

Darlyn!

Darlyn, I have sent you an email regarding your prize. Please get back to me ASAP.

Thanks go to everyone else who entered and those who swung by to congratulate me on reaching these landmarks.

Terra

What's on the Bookshelf

2010-08-22T07:47:00.001+10:00

I missed What's On the Bookshelf (IMM) last week due to the fact that I was rather busy dislocating my left patella and being taken in an ambulance to hospital to get it put back in. In case you are wondering, yes, it hurt like hell and I screamed a lot... Unfortunately, I am now stuck wearing a big brace on my left leg and may have to miss as much as a month of work! I am very much not happy. I actually like being able to go to work and I do not enjoy the idea of having to sit around doing nothing while I recover. I suppose that in the very least I am going to get a lot of reading done.

Anyway, here is the stash from the past fortnight:

Walking the Tree by Kaaron Warren
This book is by an Aussie author who I actually wasn't familiar with but the premise certainly grabbed my curiosity. From the back cover, there is an island on which grows a massive tree. At the age of 18 people leave their homes to travel around the island.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
I am pretty sure that we have all heard of Shiver. After hearing all of the hype I can only hope that it will live up to my expectations. The blurb sounds promising, though, telling of a story about Sam, the werewolf, and Grace who has grown up watching the wolves in the woods from the safety of her house. Even the blurb seems so... atmospheric!

The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman
I've been spotting this title around in the shops and have heard mention of it here and there. It caught my eye awhile ago and it sounds like exactly what I am in the mood for right now.

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
When I speak to people who loved The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss as much as I did, Martin's series A Song of Ice and Fire keeps on creeping in to the conversations. A Game of Thrones is the first book in the fantasy series.

Plague of the Dead by Z. A. Recht
I had never heard about this book before but I am always willing to give a zombie story a try. Plague of the Dead is the first book in the Morningstar Saga. I say, bring on the zombie hoards!

*In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren Go here to find out more.

Terra

Hourglass by Claudia Gray

2010-08-21T00:22:00.003+10:00

From the Back Cover:

After escaping from Evernight Academy, the vampire boarding school where they met, Bianca and Lucas take refuge with Black Cross, a fanatical group of vampire hunters. Bianca must hide her supernatural heritage or risk certain death at its hands. But when Black Cross captures her friend—the vampire Balthazar—hiding is no longer an option. Soon Bianca and Lucas are on the run again, pursued not only by Black Cross, but by the powerful leaders of Evernight. Yet no matter how far they travel, Bianca can't escape her destiny. Bianca has always believed their love could survive anything...but can it survive what's to come?

My Thoughts:
I wasn't that into the first book in this series, Evernight, but I thought that the second book, Stargazer, wasn't too bad so I started the latest instalment in the series with the hope that it would show further signs of improvement. Unfortunately that was not the case. I really had to force myself to read Hourglass through to the end.

I continue to be unable to feel the relationship between Bianca and Lucas. Having ended up accidentally inserting more chemistry in to the relationship between Balthazar and Bianca, Gray frequently has Bianca remind the shippers out there that she and Balthazar really are now just friends.

I also didn't like the pacing. Some parts dragged while the ending in particular seemed rushed. As in Stargazer, Bianca remains an irritating character by continuing to make bad choices and failing to figure out what the readers probably all figured out about a book and a half ago.

Overall, I found Hourglass to be the worst book in the series to date. My exploration of the Evernight series ends here.

Also Check Out:

Evernight by Claudia Gray
Stargazer by Claudia Gray
The Awakening by L.J. Smith

Terra

The Vampire of Ropraz by Jacques Chessex

2010-08-18T10:15:00.001+10:00

Title: The Vampire of Ropraz
Author: Jacques Chessex
Publisher: Broche; Bitter Lemon Press
Release Date: 2007; 2008
Source: Library

From the Back Cover:

1903, Ropraz, a small village in the Jura Mountains of Switzerland. On a howling December day, a lone walker discovers a recently opened tomb, the body of a young woman violated, left hand cut off, genitals mutilated and heart carved out. There is horror in the nearby villages: the return of atavistic superstitions and mutual suspicions. Then two more bodies are violated. A suspect must be found. Fevez, a stable-boy with blood-shot eyes, is arrested, convicted, placed into psychiatric care. In 1915, he vanishes

My Thoughts:

The Vampire of Ropraz is not about a literal vampire story. Rather, it is a novella about how the community of Ropraz reacts to a horrific crime.

I have seen some claims that the book is based on actual events although my little bit of research hasn't actually brought up anything to do with any actual event so I cannot comment on the historical accuracy here. That said, Chessex does a wonderful job of cementing the story in reality, of making it feel like you are reading an account of actual events. There is a strong sense of the bleakness, fear, and superstition rampant at the time and the macabre nature of the events.

The perspective in The Vampire of Ropraz seems strangely unique. It is journalistic and yet feels somehow personal, absorbing the horror of the citizens of Ropraz. It is a novella that I am sure would probably have read even stronger in its original language but is a great little Gothic piece in English as well.

Terra

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

2010-08-17T19:24:00.001+10:00

Title: The Awakening
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: May 1st 2009
Source: Library

From the Back Cover:

If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl—someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I'm as far away from normal as it gets. A living science experiment—not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a sinister organisation called the Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters, I'm a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control; I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever.

Now I'm running for my life with three of my supernatural friends—a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch—and we have to find someone who can help us before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed The Summoning, the first book in the Darkest Powers Series. The second book in the series, The Awakening, is just as strong. Kelley Armstrong is such a talented Young Adult author.

I really enjoy Chloe as a narrator. I love how she frames things with how these events would play out if she were a character in a movie. Armstrong enhances Chloe's unique character voice by giving her an interest that plays an active role in her thought and decision making process while at the same time using it to pretty much "hang a lampshade" on what conventions and techniques she plays along with and which ones she breaks away from and why.

I know that Derek has a few fans out there and they will be pleased to hear that he gets plenty of screen time (or should that be page time?) in this instalment. We also get a bit more insight in to the character of Tori but it was perhaps a bit lacking on the Simon front.

Looking back, The Awakening strikes me as a transitional book, setting things up from the major events of The Summoning for the third book in the series, The Reckoning, yet it remained well paced, action packed, and incredibly enjoyable.

Also Check Out:

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Terra

Lauren Kate Facebook Chat!

2010-08-17T18:02:00.001+10:00

Terrible news! I dislocated my left knee cap and everything hurts and I'm stuck on crutches!

Great news! Author Lauren Kate will be chatting and answering questions with fans on the Dymocks Facebook page This Friday at 10am (GMT+10)! Lauren Kate has penned hit books The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove, Fallen, and it's upcoming highly anticipated sequel, Torment. So far, I have only read Fallen but I am definitely keen to read some more of her work. You can check out my review of Fallen here.

Dymocks Booksellers is an Australian chain so I will forgive international followers for not yet being familiar with them. However, now is the time to mosey on over and "like" their Facebook page to ensure that you don't miss out on chatting with Lauren Kate!

Terra

What's on the Bookshelf

2010-08-08T22:46:00.001+10:00

Sea Glass by Maria V. Snyder
I love reading me some Maria V. Snyder. I fell in love with Snyder's Study Series and I really enjoyed the first book from the Glass Series so I am looking forward to reading this second instalment. While waiting for me to read Sea Glass, why not check out my review of Storm Glass here.

Life As We Knew It by Susan Pfeffer
I have heard some good things about this first book in Pfeffer's series. I am always up for a good end-of-the-world scenario so I am looking forward to cracking this one open.

Only Revolutions by Mark Z. Danielewski
Slenderman and Marble Hornets put Danielewski on my radar. I wanted to read his book House of Leaves but nobody around here has it but the library did happen to have another one of his books, Only Revolutions. Only Revolutions looks like it is going to be one of the more bizarre books that I have ever read.

The Tudors Season One

I know quite a few people who are already in love with this television series so I nabbed season one from the library. I started watching yesterday and I am pretty sure that you can already count me in as part of the fan club.

*In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren Go here to find out more.

Terra

Blogoversary + 100 Followers Giveaway

2010-07-29T11:13:00.004+10:00

CLOSED

WINNER TBA

Wow! A year ago today I started blogging about books. Coincidentally, today I also reached and surpassed one hundred followers! To celebrate I have installed a new blog layout but I also want to give away one of my all time favourite books.

The budget is tight and it is not a flash prize but Dracula is a Gothic classic book that I love and want to share.

Author: Bram Stoker
Title: Dracula
Publisher: CCV
ISBN 13: 9780099511229
Short Description:
A young lawyer on an assignment finds himself imprisoned in a Transylvanian castle by his mysterious host. Back at home his fiancee and friends are menaced by a malevolent force which seems intent on imposing suffering and destruction. Can the devil really have arrived on England's shores? And what is it that he hungers for so desperately?
Further details here.

How to enter:

The contest is open internationally to all countries that the Book Depository ships to. Check that your country is on this list.
Be a follower. If you are not yet a follower, find the follower button in the right sidebar and click it!
Comment below. Remember to include an email address by which I can contact you if you win.
All entries must be in by 9PM August 20th 2010 GMT+10.
It is one entry per person. You don't have to jump through hoops to enter or increase your chances of winning. You are not required to tweet, link, or blog about this contest but it is appreciated if you do.

The winner will be chosen at random using random.org and then contacted via the email address provided for a shipping address. The prize will then be purchased by me from the Book Depository and shipped to the winner.

Terra

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

2010-07-28T20:52:00.003+10:00

Title: Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side
Author: Beth Fantaskey
Publisher: Harcourt
Release Date: February 1, 2009
Source: Library

From the Back Cover:

The undead can really screw up your senior year . . .

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war — and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction.

My Thoughts:

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side is actually a YA Paranormal Romance book that gets it right. In Fantaskey's portrayal of the relationship between American Teenager (and secretly Romanian vampire princess) Jessica Packwood and the mysterious foreign exchange student (and secretly Romanian vampire prince) Lucius Vladescu there is an understanding that physical attraction is natural but actual love takes time. There is a great element of push-and-pull between them. At first Lucius pursues Jessica, feeling bound by duty to fulfil the pact that their parents committed them to, but Jessica resists. The logic loving Jessica is convinced that Lucius must be mad, vampires don't exist, and she most definitely is not a vampire princess. But Lucius can only take so much of being forced to futilely pursuing an Americanised teenage princess and as he discovers the freedom of choice he has in the United States his attentions wander elsewhere. Only then does Jessica realise her feelings of possession and attraction for Lucius, and maybe even love.

Fantaskey leads the reader to wonder whether or not Jessica and Lucius will end up together. Can the local boy, Jake, win Jessica's heart or does "nice" just not compete with handsome, brooding, vampire royalty? Will Lucius continue his pursuit of Jessica or will his new found freedom of choice prove to be all too tempting leading him to choose the likes of Faith Crosse instead?

Jessica greets the news of vampires by throwing up a wall of logic. While it was great to see a balanced and intelligent female lead who is very well grounded in reality, this also becomes one of her most frustrating qualities - that girl wouldn't recognise a vampire if one jumped up and bit her on the neck! Although told from Jessica's perspective, we get a streak of humour and a great insight in to Lucius' view via his letters home to his uncle, reporting on his progress.

Fantaskey slips in some great humour and isn't afraid to make fun of the genre that she is writing in - there is definitely a hint of satire in there - overall making for a great read.

Also Check Out:

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
Evernight by Claudia Gray
The Vampire Is Just Not That Into You by Vlad Mezrich

Terra

10% Off at the Book Depository!

2010-07-28T11:06:00.003+10:00

Closed

Who wants 10% off from the Book Depository? The Book Depository is currently celebrating its sixth birthday and to celebrate they have given people the opportunity to send vouchers for 10% off to their friends! I've decided that I would love to share this opportunity with my followers here On the Bookshelf!

I will send in for the first ten followers who leave a comment below with their email address to receive vouchers for 10% off. If you are not already a follower, please click follow down in the right side bar. Let me know if you want one by 08/08/10.

If you are concerned about spam, The Book Depository promises that once they have emailed you your voucher they will discard your email and bother you no more.

The Book Depository ends the offer on August 31st 2010.

Terra

Teaser Tuesday

2010-07-27T10:30:00.000+10:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
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!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"And it's only a matter of time before they kill us all. Mwah-ha-ha! You really do watch too many movies, don't you?"

Page 58 from The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong.

Terra

What's on the Bookshelf

2010-07-25T20:52:00.013+10:00

I am so excited about the books that I got this week - all courtesy of my library! If you aren't already taking advantage of your local library then you need to get down there right now and sign up!

Drood by Dan Simmons
I have seen some good reviews of Drood and I have high hopes for it. Drood, as I have been told, is a sort of historical science fiction-fantasy horror mystery novel starring non other than Charles Dickens. I am definitely looking forward to cracking open this one.

The Alchemy of Murder by Carol McCleary
Yet another historical novel. I am really interested in exploring historical fiction at the moment. I recently read a really good review of this book and I wish I could remember which blog it was on so I can credit the review writer. Anyway, having spotted The Alchemy of Murder while filling the new arrivals display at work, I was convinced that I should give it a try. While Drood lays claim to Charles Dickens, The Alchemy of Murder hosts in its cast of characters the likes of Jules Verne, Oscar Wilde, and Louis Pasteur.

The Desert Spear by Peter V. Brett
Happy dance time! I loved Brett's novel The Painted Man (also published as The Warded Man) and I have been keen to get my hands on The Desert Spear ever since its recent release.

In the meantime, you can check out my review of The Painted Man right here.

The Vampire of Ropraz by Jacques Chessex
Next to the other tomes that I picked up this week, this book by Swiss author Jacques Chessex sticks out as being only 110 pages. Set in 1903, The Vampire of Ropraz is not a literal vampire story but is about how a superstitious and downtrodden village in Switzerland reacts to a series of brutal mutilations of the bodies of dead women as well as the man that the identify as the "Vampire".

*In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren Go here to find out more.

Terra

Wildthorn by Jane Eagland

2010-07-25T13:25:00.002+10:00

Title: Wildthorn
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Release Date: 6th March 2009
Source: NetGalley.com

From the Back Cover:

They strip her naked, of everything-undo her whalebone corset, hook by hook. Locked away in Wildthorn Hall—a madhouse—they take her identity. She is now called Lucy Childs. She has no one; she has nothing. But, she is still seventeen-still Louisa Cosgrove, isn't she? Who has done this unthinkable deed? Louisa must free herself, in more ways than one, and muster up the courage to be her true self, all the while solving her own twisted mystery and falling into an unconventional love ...

My Thoughts:

From the very first page Wildthorn drew me in. It is an engrossing read that I had trouble putting down. Eagland draws readers in with the compelling mystery of first unravelling which is Louisa's true identity and who is responsible for sending her to Wildthorn Hall. Is she Louisa Cosgrove or is she, as she is told, Lucy Childs? Is there a conspiracy to see her locked away or is she nothing more than a paranoid mad woman?

We seek answers to these question through Louisa's memories of her past. Louisa is a complex and unconventional girl with ambitions beyond what society allows a young woman of her station. She longs to study medicine, wishes to marry no man, and struggles to come to terms with her desire for a forbidden relationship.

Louisa endures terrible conditions in the asylum and it is heart-wrenching to realise that Wildthorn only begins to scratch the surface of what horrors asylum patients would have experienced and the general ignorance of mental conditions that prevailed at the time. Louisa finds comfort in her plans to escape and the kindness of only one of the women working at the asylum. Eagland handles the tentative romance that blossoms from this kindness with a subtlety that works well with the characters and the times.

Wildthorn is a captivating historical young adult novel. Readers will be drawn in by Louisa's plight and unravelling the mysteries that surround her.

Terra

Teaser Tuesday

2010-07-20T22:34:00.000+10:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

And that is how a teenager who claimed to be a vampire came to reside in our garage at the start of my once-in-a-lifetime senior year. And not just any vampire. My arrogant, overbearing vampire betrothed.

From page 33 of Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side.

I grabbed this one at work today and am already well and truly stuck into it.

Terra

What's on the Bookshelf

2010-07-18T23:23:00.003+10:00

Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
I have finally picked up a copy of Hush Hush. To be accurate, one of my friends is about to take a holiday to Bali and I helped myself to her bookshelf seeing as she won't be needing it while she is away.

I have seen so many good reviews of this book. I hope that it lives up to expectations!

50 Facts That Should Change the World by Jessica Williams
A bit of non-fiction this week and a bit of food for thought. I grabbed 50 Facts from the library where I work. Inside is fifty facts about major issues around the world and a brief essay accompanying each one, expanding on the issue. This is the 2007 edition.

Wildthorn by Jane Eagland
This is my second read from NetGalley. I have been wanting to try some historical fiction lately and Wildthorn sounded like an excellent place to start. I've actually already finished reading Wildthorn now so look out for my review very soon!

*In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren Go here to find out more.

Terra

Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton

2010-07-14T20:16:00.001+10:00

From the Back Cover:

Teagan Wylltson's best friend, Abby, dreams that horrifying creatures—goblins, shape-shifters, and beings of unearthly beauty but terrible cruelty—are hunting Teagan. Abby is always coming up with crazy stuff, though, so Teagan isn't worried. Her life isn't in danger. In fact, it's perfect. She's on track for a college scholarship. She has a great job. She's focused on school, work, and her future. No boys, no heartaches, no problems.

Until Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives. Finn's a bit on the unearthly beautiful side himself. He has a killer accent and a knee-weakening smile. And either he's crazy or he's been haunting Abby's dreams, because he's talking about goblins, too . . . and about being The Mac Cumhaill, born to fight all goblin-kind. Finn knows a thing or two about fighting. Which is a very good thing, because this time, Abby's right. The goblins are coming.

My Thoughts:

Read this book!

I don't usually chase down e-books for review but I have been really eager to get my hands on Tyger Tyger. For you see, Tyger Tyger has something I can get really excited about—goblins!

Tyger Tyger is a refreshing and unique addition to the current selection of Young Adult supernatural fiction. In their budding yet cautious romance, Finn is protective of Teagan but without being overbearing or controlling. Teagan is a well fleshed out leading female character who is both smart and caring. The loving family dynamic is so very welcome. The relationship between Teagan, her younger brother Aiden, and their parents is one that is sweet and supportive.

The very best thing about Tyger Tyger is the goblins. Readers will be enthralled by the Celtic mythology Hamilton has used to create this rich tale. This is the kind of book I would love to see illustrated. After reading this I set to searching the internet for information on Celtic mythology and art of Fionn Mac Cumhaill, Fear Doirich, and Ginny Greenteeth. Hamilton has gotten me hooked on Celtic goblin nasties and I cannot wait for the next Goblin Wars book.

Tyger Tyger is the perfect read for young teens or even just those of us who are young at heart. Look for it on bookshelves from November 15th!

Terra

Teaser Tuesdays

2010-07-14T09:29:00.001+10:00

Surprise! I'm still alive and I've brought you a Teaser Tuesday on a Wednesday. (I'm sure it's still Tuesday somewhere in the world!) I've been rather tied up the past couple of weeks with work and more particularly family things and family always comes first. I should have time to to return to blogging now so how about a review of Tyger Tyger this afternoon too? But moving on...

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
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!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

In recent years it's become increasingly evident that certain national diets are healthier than others. Compared with British or Americans, the French have less heart disease, Greek men live longer, Japanese women have less breast cancer and osteoporosis and the Japanese don't even have a word for hot flushes.

From page 82 of Food for Life by Michael Van Straten.

Terra

Wicked The Musical

2010-06-28T20:40:00.002+10:00

About the Show:

From www.wickedthemusical.com.au
One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two unlikely friends end up as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good makes for the most spellbinding new musical in years.

My Thoughts:

If you follow this blog with any regularity then you will know that I have spent the past two weeks absolutely ecstatic to finally be seeing this award winning musical. I had very high hopes and expectations and Wicked meet each and every single one.

The musical is based on the Gregory Maguire book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. Like the book, the musical takes us behind the curtain to show us a side of Oz that Dorothy never saw. Wicked takes this politically turbulent Oz and creates a show with moments of wonderful humour and amazing drama.

The sets and costumes were all fantastic. While it is not specifically explained, people familiar with the book will realise that the great dragon over seeing the stage and the clogs and clockworks worked in to the sets imply that the story may be being told by the Clock of the Time Dragon which, in the book, was a travelling show that acted out prophetic scenes with its tik-tok puppets.

The song-writing, choreography, and singing were superb. My favourite musical acts had to be Dancing Through Life and Defying Gravity (and I bought a Defying Gravity t-shirt to show it). Including intermission, the show ran for about three hours and kept audiences riveted the entire time.

Sydney's Capitol Theatre was an excellent venue. My friends and I were all the way up on the far left of N row but we still had an excellent, clear view. I had also seen The Lion King there in the past and am very happy with the venue to see future shows there.

This exhilarating and vibrant musical is a must-see for Broadway lovers everywhere. I would gladly go see it again.

Terra

What's on the Bookshelf

2010-06-28T12:43:00.000+10:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren Go here to find out more.

As I had previously mentioned, I was in Sydney yesterday seeing the musical Wicked live on stage, so this weeks What's on the Bookshelf is being brought to you on a Monday instead of Sunday. I had a fantastic time and I will bring you a review of the musical later today and the book upon which it is based in a couple of days.

In the meantime, check out this TV Spot advertising the musical!

Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton
I don't usually try to get e-books as I prefer a physical book, but I had heard such great things about this book I just had to give it a try. Tyger Tyger is the first advance reader copy I have requested via NetGalley. At the moment I am about half-way through and I look forward to sharing both my thoughts on Tyger Tyger and my first NetGalley experience.

Tyger Tyger will be on shelves November this year.

The Divine Worshipper by Christian Jacq
I recently mentioned that I want to try reading some more historical books. I haven't read any Christian Jacq books before but I spotted this one cheap on a sales table so I decided to give it a shot. Now, it is the second book in the The Vengenace of the Gods series, but luckily my local library has the first book available so I will definitely be grabbing that soon!

Terra

Active Readers: A Glass of Fresh

2010-06-25T12:37:00.001+10:00

Soda. Pop. Fizzy. Soft drink. Whatever you are inclined to call it, in the past two weeks I haven't had a single drop of one of these sugary, carbonated beverages. It was not really part of any planned diet or anything - although I do think it might definitely be contributing to some minor weight loss - but rather after being designated driver one night out at the clubs with friends I got home and realised that while I had not touched a drop of alcohol I was so wired from the caffeine and sugar from all of the Coca Cola I had drank. I figured that could not possibly be healthy, either.

While I am also not drinking as much pre-packaged fruit juice one of my favourite ways to up my fruit intake and make sure that none of the fruit in the house goes uneaten is to make up some juice myself. Some of my favourite fruits to throw in together in the juicer are apples, oranges, watermelon, and grapes but there are plenty of other fruits you could throw in to the blend. The end result is what my mum likes to call "a glass of fresh" (a phrase I believe she has borrowed from Oprah) and tastes so much better than any bottled juice I have ever tried - not to mention the added benefit of not losing all the pulp.

Definitely one of the more delicious ways to relax on a hot day or after a hard work out!

Terra

Teaser Tuesdays

2010-06-22T19:52:00.002+10:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
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!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

At first Galinda thought what she saw was some trick of the light, a reflection off the adjacent buildings covered in vines and flatmoss. But as Elphaba moved forward, lugging her own carpet bags, it became obvious that she was was green. A hatchet-faced girl with putrescent green skinand long, foreign-looking black hair.

From page 91 of Wicked by Gregory Maguire.

My tickets to go see the musical arrived in the mail yesterday! I am so excited!

Terra

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

2010-06-22T12:44:00.001+10:00

From the Back Cover:

The Tales of Beedle the Bard contains five richly diverse fairy tales, each with its own magical character, that will variously bring delight, laughter, and the thrill of mortal peril.

Additional notes for each story penned by Professor Albus Dumbledore will be enjoyed by Muggles and wizards alike, as the Professor muses on the morals illuminated by the tales, and reveals snippets of information about life at Hogwarts.

A uniquely magical volume, with illustrations by the author, J.K. Rowling, that will be treasured for years to come.

My Thoughts:

The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a magical set of stories written for young witches and wizards. Harry Potter fans will remember that The Tales of Beedle the Bard, particularly the final story The Tale of the Three Brothers, played a significant role in the final book. Now it has been published so that we mere Muggles can also enjoy the tales enjoyed by wizard children for centuries.

In the likeness of the tales of the Brothers Grimm, Professor Dumbledore reveals to us the ways in which these stories have evolved and been watered down over time for the coddling and moulding of impressionable young ones. Readers will greatly enjoy the tales of The Wizard and the Hopping Pot, The Fountain of Fair Fortune, The Warlock's Hairy Heart, Babbitty Rabbittyand Her Cackling Stump, and, of course, The Tale of the Three Brothers.

My favourite of these fairy tales has to be The Warlock's Hairy Heart. This grizzly tale of a warlock who believed love to be foolish and that his wealth and power to be of higher value and hence turned to the Dark Arts to ensure that he would never fall in love.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard is an excellent addition to the Harry Potter collection. One word of warning, much like in choosing which version of Little Red Riding Hood to share with a child, parents may want to read ahead before sharing this book with their young children in case they feel that tales of dismembered hearts and encounters with death may rattle younger readers.

Also Check Out:

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling as Newt Scamander
Quidditch Through the Ages by J.K. Rowling as Kennilworthy Whisp
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Terra

Musing Mondays

2010-06-21T21:01:00.002+10:00

Musing Mondays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

This week, MizB asks:

"Name your two to three favourite genres (the ones that you read the most from)."

My very favourite genre is easily fantasy. Anyone looking at my bookshelf can see that the fantasy genre dominates. From pure fantasy I would then say that my next two most read genres are really more sub and/or cross genres as I also read a fair bit of young adult fantasy and urban fantasy.

This is part of the reason why I am looking to spice up my reading options more at the moment. My preferences clearly need a bit more variety injected to spice things up! I am trying to read more non-fiction at the moment, especially health and fitness books. As for fiction, I am definitely developing an interest for books with more historical elements.

Terra

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

2010-06-21T11:23:00.000+10:00

From the Back Cover:

It is the cusp of World War I, and all the European powers are arming up. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. The Leviathan is a living airship, the most formidable airbeast in the skies of Europe.

Aleksandar Ferdinand, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battle-torn Stormwalker and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, a girl disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With the Great War brewing, Alek's and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way - taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure. One that will change both their lives forever.

My Thoughts:

Leviathan is Scott Westerfeld at his absolute best. He has imagined an alternate version of the world as it was at the start of World War I. There is a rift between the Darwinists, who live their lives by the scientific breakthroughs of Charles Darwin who has discovered DNA and how to manipulate it, and the Clankers who prefer to build great and powerful machines. In reality, Darwin, of course, did not discover DNA and all of its secrets. DNA was discovered in the 1950s and we are still learning much about it today. Likewise, the Clanker inventions are far ahead of their time. We are only now developing vehicles that walk and tracked, armoured tanks did not enter battle until 1916. Westerfeld fits in his historical alterations with ease and has found a perfect Steampunk (and Biopunk - I learned a new word!) blend of past events and futuristic technologies.

The protagonists are likeable and balance well with each other albeit coming off young but learning a lot and maturing as they go. I did get a little of tired of Deryn/Dylan's frequent curses of "barking spiders" and "blisters" but understood that it was part her charade of trying to convince everyone that she was a male combined with her already tomboyish tendencies.

Readers will be blown away by Westerfeld's amazing descriptions of Darwinist airbeasts and Clanker machines accompanied by stunning illustrations by Keith Thompson. Leviathan is an engaging read full of both history and imagination. I cannot wait for the release of the next book in series, Behemoth, later this year.

Also Check Out:

Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
Peeps by Scott Westerfeld
The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld

Terra

What's on the Bookshelf

2010-06-20T23:25:00.000+10:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren Go here to find out more.

Wicked by Gregory Maguire
I'm going to see Wicked next weekend! I'm going to see Wicked next weekend! I'm excited. Can you tell that I am excited? =D

Naturally, before seeing the stage show in Sydney I want to read the book and find out Maguire's take on things first.

Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire
It's the sequel to Wicked. See above.

I really do love the rare occasions that I get to go to the theatre. I wish I could go more often.

Now excuse me while I go do my happy dance.

Terra

Alias Season One

2010-06-20T23:15:00.000+10:00

From the Back Cover:

Golden Globe Award-winning actress Jennifer Garner is Sydney Bristow. Syd's not exactly your average grad student. Her life might appear normal, but she is hiding a secret life working as a spy for the CIA.

Sydney's world is turned upside down when she learns she may work for the very enemy she thought she was fighting. Now she's entangled in a covert lifestyle where she is forced to question the allegiances of everyone, including those closest to her.

My Thoughts:

Before J.J. Abrams got us all Lost he took us undercover in the world of international espionage. Season One of Alias introduces us to Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) who works for what she believes is a black-ops division of the CIA until they murder her fiancé. She discovers that she was tricked into working for the bad guys all along and now must work as a double agent for the CIA, working to bring SD-6 down.

Watching this show a second time around, I find that I am getting sucked in just as easily as I did when I first saw it being aired on television. Alias has a unique and non-traditional episode formatting where a new story will start around middway through the episode instead of at the beginning so that each show can end in a cliff hanger. This always used to keep me hanging on waiting for a new episode when the show was first out and it made it very easy to keep watching episode after episode on DVD. One slightly off-putting aspect of the formatting is how late the opening credits play. The opening credits can play anywhere from right after the opening scene but quite often are not thrown in until fifteen (15) to even twenty (20) minutes in, as though they nearly forgot to include them at all. Watching episodes consecutively I also got sick of the introductory "My name is Sydney Bristow..." sequence that plays at the very start of each episode.

I really enjoy the plotline involving the creations of Milo Rambaldi, the (fictional) fifteenth century artist and inventor with seemingly prophetic abilities. Rambaldi adds a mystical element to the show setting it apart from other "spy-fy" dramas while remaining within believable boundaries.

The soundtrack is also of great strength to the show and, combined with Garner's snappy wardrobe, you can almost forgive that so many valuable items and secrets are kept in nightclub basements.

Terra

Teaser Tuesdays

2010-06-15T23:44:00.001+10:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
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!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

His breaths were coming too quickly, and his skin was now more pallid than mine. Of course, I had become rosy and flushed with the life I had stolen from the guy I loved.

From page 68 of Hourglass by Claudia Gray.

I will try to get up a review tomorrow. Anyone who has been following my saga of numerous injuries might be aware that I am wearing a hand brace at the moment and it makes typing a bit awkward when it is on but it's a touch painful without it hence why things continue to be so sloooow here at the moment.

Terra

What's on the Bookshelf

2010-06-13T23:30:00.002+10:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren Go here to find out more.

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
The Angus & Robertson store in town is having a big moving sale - 40 to 50 per cent off! My budget is rather tight at the moment but seeing as I had been lusting after this book for ages I took advantage of the opportunity to snag it cheap. I really look forward to reading it. The book that comes before it, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, was actually the first book I reviewed for this blog!

Alias Season One
I loved this show back when it was on the air and am really enjoying the chance to watch it again. I've basically spent the last week revisiting season one instead of my usual reading and blogging tendencies. It is just so easy to get sucked in again! Look for my review in the next day or so.

Terra

Active Readers: Why Warm Up and Cool Down

2010-06-10T22:47:00.000+10:00

In my first Active Readers post we talked about the 100 Mile Fitness Challenge but before we jump in and get exercising it is important to know how to start off your routine if you want to avoid injury. If you don't realise how important it is to warm up before your exercise routine and cool down afterward it can be pretty tempting to just throw yourself in to it and go straight for giving it all you've got. Making sure you include warming up and cooling down in your exercise routine can go a long way to helping to make sure that you avoid muscle strain and injury.

Your warm up routine should last five (5) to ten (10) minutes with the goal to slowly increase your heart rate.
The increased blood flow oxygenates your muscles and prepares them for the coming exercise. Your blood will vessels dilate which means less stress on your heart and the increased body temperature helps improve muscle elasticity. This site can give you some ideas on some easy to moderate warm up stretches to get you started.

Cooling down at the end of exercise is just as important as warming up. For something that so many people overlook, I am now finising it be one of my favourite parts of working out - a good cool down routine always leaves me feeling good! The goal of your cool down routine is to slowly bring your body temperature, heart rate, and breathing back down to their normal levels. One way to cool down is to continue with your exercise but slow it down. Then follow that up with some giving those muscles a good stretch. This site suggests some easy to moderate cool down stretches to give you some ideas.

Remember, guys, you should talk to your doctor before making any changes to your diet of fitness regime. In the meantime I hope everyone is feeling happy, healthy, and active.

Terra

Teaser Tuesdays

2010-06-08T23:32:00.000+10:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
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!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

As he was growing up, the symbol had always surrounded Alek - on flags, furniture, even the pockets of his nightgown - assuring hum of who he was. But now it only filled him with despair.

From page 218 of Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld.

Terra

What's on the Bookshelf

2010-06-07T00:02:00.000+10:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. Go here to find out more.

The Last Witchfinder by James Morrow
Not a big book week for me but this one caught my eye when I was shelving at work. Set in 1688, The Last Witchfinder promises a "showdown between old superstition and new science."

The cover also is part of what caught my eye with the quirky concept of the book details being worked into the image by having them on the book pictured on the cover.

Terra

Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them by J.K. Rowling as Newt Scamander

2010-06-03T19:33:00.002+10:00

From the Back Cover:

A copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them resides in almost every wizarding household in the country. Now, for a limited period only, Muggles too have the chance to discover where the Quintaped lives, what the Puffskein eats and why it is best not to leave milk out for a Knarl.

Proceeds from the sale of this book will go to Comic Relief, which means that the pounds and Galleons you exchange for it will do magic beyond the powers of any wizard. If you feel that this is insufficient reason to part with your money, I can only hope that passing wizards feel more charitable if they ever see you being attacked by a Manticore.

- Albus Dumbledore

My Thoughts:

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is presented as an exact duplicate of the one owned by The Boy Who Lived and is complete with cute comments doodled in the margins by the Golden Trio (Harry, Ron, and Hermione).

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is not only an A to Z guide to magical beasts, but an explanation of how they fit into the magical world and how they impact on its politics. Rowling cleverly uses this book to explore the nature of prejudice in the Wizarding world in regards to non-human sentient beings, helping further to bring the Harry Potter universe to life. The depth of the world that she is has created is really just amazing, as are the ways that she finds to express it.

This quick and funny read is a must have for all Harry Potter fans. My edition was purchased bundled together with Quidditch Through the Ages in adorable packaging designed like a book carry bag.

Also Check Out:

Quidditch Through the Ages by J.K. Rowling as Kennilworthy Whisp
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Terra

What's on the Bookshelf

2010-05-30T21:23:00.000+10:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. Go here to find out more.

Serenity: Better Days by Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews, and Will Conrad (Illustrator)
I did my happy dance when this finally arrived on my doorstep. I had issues one and three of the comic but had been able to find issue two as it was never available at Kings Comics whenever I managed to make it into Sydney. So, I finally bought the entire volume through the Book Depository. I am so happy to finally be able to put on my browncoat and sit down and finish this comic.

Hourglass by Claudia Gray
I have not exactly been a fan of the Evernight series but I said that I would give the third instalment a try if it should fall into my lap. The reservation list at the library I work at dwindled out and seeing as it showed up in the returns I decided to go ahead and make good on that promise. I am somewhat curious as to how the series wraps up.

Terra

Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris

2010-05-30T16:47:00.002+10:00

From the Back Cover:

Sookie Stackhouse doesn't have that many relations, so she really hated to lose one - but of all the people to go, she didn't expect it to be her cousin Hadley, a consort of New Orleans' vampire queen - after all, Hadley was technically already dead.

But Hadley is gone, beyond recall, and she's left Sookie and inheritance, one that comes with a bit of a risk - not least because someone doesn't want Sookie digging too deep into Hadley's possessions... or her past. Sookie's life is once again on the line, and this time the suspects range from rogue weres to her first love, the vampire Bill. Sookie's got a lot to do if she's going to keep herself alive.

My Thoughts:

Definitely Dead gives you everything that we have come to expect from a Sookie Stackhouse novel. There is action, mystery, and of course, eye candy. However, a few pages in you may start wondering if you have somehow suffered a bout of amnesia and forgotten some major plot points or perhaps somehow missed a book in the series. I can assure you that amnesia is not your problem, rather it is something called One Word Answer. One Word Answer is Harris' short story contribution to Bite (and is also now published in A Touch Of Dead, a collection of Harris' Sookie Stackhouse short stories), which also contained short stories from Laurell K. Hamilton, MaryJanice Davidson, Angela Knight, and Vickie Taylor. I cannot help but feel that if an author is going to submit a short story to another publication it should not play a major role in the readers comprehension of the ongoing series. I felt let down by the fact that Harris had been foreshadowing the introduction of Sookie's cousin, Hadley, only to allow readers to miss out on it and the events that set the scene for Definitely Dead. In the very least, the publisher should have directed us to the short stories and their place in the series inside the cover if they are going to be significant to the series. To Harris' credit, she does work these details into the story well enough that you do get the overall story in the end, but it makes it no less irritating.

Quinn, Sookie's current piece of eye candy is okay but I still prefer Eric as the more interesting love interest. I was also satisfied when my ongoing dislike of Bill was further justified in this book. There is no sex in Definitely Dead which I am going to say is not a bad thing at all - despite her complaining otherwise, Sookie tends to do a little too well in the dating department - but the dry humping scene is a bit... odd.

Also, it is just a bit weird that Sookie spends most of the book on her period and has to frequently remind us of this.

Definitely Dead is certainly not the strongest addition to the series put if you strip away its oddities and get to the core plot underneath, it is still a good story and seems like it is going to be significant in the setting up of events to come. I will keep on reading the series at this point, anyway.

Also Check Out:

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
True Blood Season One

Terra

Active Readers

2010-05-27T20:24:00.001+10:00

Active Readers is a new blog feature that I have been planning to introduce for ages. As both readers and bloggers it can become easy to find ourselves in a rut where we are doing an awful lot of sitting - sitting with a book, sitting at the computer, sitting in front of the television. The plan for Active Readers is to have an open discussion about fitness and well being.

To start with, I'll be posting this once every two weeks. Depending on how well it is received and how much time I have, posting may increase to weekly down the track. I even made a (somewhat crappy) icon - something I have not done in years. Definitely not like riding a bicycle!

For the very first issue of Active Readers I would like to help make people aware of a fantastic challenge called the 100 Mile Fitness Challenge, founded by Trish and currently being run by Allie and Jill. Head on over to the challenge blog to sign up and set your goal. Check in every week to share your progress and cheer on your fellow bloggers on their quest to better fitness!

My goal for the current round of the challenge is to complete 200 miles (approx 322km) of exercise and fitness. After taking a break for a few weeks due to injury, I am pretty far behind but excited to be getting back into it. It does seem improbable that I will reach my goal in time but I refuse to say that it is impossible! Not only will I get there but I plan to smash it! ;)

The current round ends in June so it is not too late to join in! Don't forget to join the round that follows either. It is a great motivator to know that others are striving right along side you and cheering you on!

So, what do you think about my new blog feature? Are you motivated to join the 100 Mile Fitness Challenge? Share your thoughts and comments below!

Terra

Towel Day 2010

2010-05-25T21:42:00.006+10:00

Did you know that today is Towel Day? Towel Day is an annual celebration on the 25th of May to celebrate the life and works of the late Douglas Adams (1952-2001).

Adams brilliantly wrote the famed The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Dirk Gently Series.

Today you can pay tribute to this brilliant author by carrying your favourite towel out with you with pride. Remember, as The Guide teaches us, the towel "is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have."

One of these utility towels describing the meaning of life, the universe, and everything is the perfect choice for such an occasion. (Available from ThinkGeek and, yes, I have one of these.) Or perhaps you would prefer a towel with ever solid advice for every hitchhiker, "Don't Panic", written across it. (Also available from ThinkGeek.)

Check out the Towel Day website for more information.

Terra

Fire by Kristin Cashore

2010-05-25T17:46:00.000+10:00

From the Back Cover

Fire is more than attractive,

Fire is mesmerising.

Fire's exceptional beauty gives her influence and power. People who are susceptible to it will do anything for her attention, and for her affection. If she wished, they would abuse their power, crush nations and even destroy their own kingdoms to please her.

But beauty is only skin deep, and beneath it Fire has a human appreciation of right and wrong. Aware of her ability to influence others, and afraid of it, she lives in a corner of the world away from people - not only to protect them but also to protect herself from their attention, their distrust, and even their hatred.

Yet Fire is not the only danger to the Dells. If she wants to protect her home, if she wants a chance to undo the wrongs of the past, she must face her fears, her abilities and a royal court full of powerful people with reason to distrust her.

Beauty is a weapon - and Fire is going to use it.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed reading Fire, which is often described as the "prequelish companion" to Graceling. In fact, I think that I may even have liked it more than I did Graceling.

Fire, like Katsa, is a strong female character. As she did with Katsa, Cashore once again introduces reservations about marriage and reproduction with her female lead. I felt, however, that with Fire these concepts where much better handled in the way that Fire comes to these decisions and how she copes with the choices that she makes in regards. Beauty plays an interesting role in Fire, with Fire herself losing her own breath at the site of her reflection. Cashore walks a fine line here between balancing strength, beauty, and femininity. I see Fire as a character who could have easily become a Mary Sue but I feel that Cashore has avoided this and has made Fire balanced and believable.

Fans of Graceling will also recognise a certain cross-over character. I found discovering this characters background and what lead to him becoming the person that we know in Graceling to be a really fascinating aspect of the story.

I am really excited that these books are now planned as a trilogy, The Seven Kingdoms Trilogy, with the third book tentatively titled Bitterblue. Bitterblue was a character in Graceling and I am most certainly curious as to what Cashore has in plan for her.

Fire gave the "more" that I had been wanting from Graceling and I am sure that fans of Cashore's debut book will enjoy Fire just as much if not more.

Also Check Out
Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Terra

Teaser Tuesdays

2010-05-25T17:25:00.003+10:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
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!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Leviathan's body was made from the life threads of a whale, but a hundred of species were tangled into its design, countless creatures, fitting together like the gears of a stopwatch. Flocks of fabricated birds swarmed around it - scouts, fighters, and predators to gather food. Deryn saw message lizards and other beasties scampering across its skin.

From pages 70 to 71 of Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld.

This description is accompanied by one of Keith Thompson's fantastic illustrations, showing the Leviathan in marvellous detail.

Terra

What's on the Bookshelf

2010-05-24T11:26:00.000+10:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. Go here to find out more.

From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris
So I am back reading the Southern Vampire Mysteries again. These books are so much fun. I have a review of Definately Dead on the way and went and bought the next book in the series already.

Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler
I wasn't familiar with this book but one of the local book stores is having a big moving sale and it caught my eye. An interesting (and somewhat sad) tid bit from Wikipedia, originally published in 1940, the original German story has now been lost and the current German versions are back translations from English.

Terra

Splendid Betta Splendens

2010-05-19T10:46:00.002+10:00

Yesterday I meet a new friend. My new fish is a male Betta Splenden - often called fighting fish as the males are really aggressive toward each other and will fight to the death. He is a lovely red colour (the above photo really doesn't do his colour justice) with silver flecks.

Now the tricky part has been picking his name! Kvothe is a currently in the lead. Kvothe is the awesome fiery red-headed main character from Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind. King Weasley (he never lets the quaffle in) was also up for red-haired consideration. Perhaps Wranger? ("Coz he's a wranger, Sir!")

Other suggested names include Kraken (because he is a ferocious fighting fish!), Sheldon (as in from The Big Bang Theory), and Stephen Fry (all hail the Tweet).

What names would you suggested for my delightful new fishy friend? Fish naming is serious business!

I also came across this adorable photo taken by my brother of Jasper hiding in the garden. He used to love to dig up cool spots to lie in to get away from the heat. I still love and miss him dearly but it's easier to look back now and smile instead of cry.

Any tips on caring for my new fighting fish are of course welcome. I would rather if my fish-care learning curb didn't kill the little guy. D=

Terra

Quidditch Through the Ages by J.K. Rowling as Kennilworthy Whisp

2010-05-18T17:31:00.005+10:00

From the Back Cover:

If you have ever asked yourself where the Gold Snitch came from, how the Bludgers came into existence or why the Wigtown Wanderers have pictures of meat cleavers on their robes, you need Quidditch Through the Ages. This limited edition is a copy of the volume in Hogwarts School Library where it is consulted by young Quidditch fans on an almost daily basis.

Proceeds from the sale of this book will go to Comic Relief, who will use your money to continue improving and saving lives - work that is even more important and astonishing than the three and a half second capture of the Golden Snitch by Roderick Plumpton in 1921.

- Albus Dumbledore

My Thoughts:

Harry Potter fans will be able to appreciate this delightful companion book. Readers of the series will recognise it as one of the books read by Harry Potter and his friends throughout the series, to aid them with the wizarding sport of Quidditch.

Quidditch Through the Ages takes you through the history of the sport, it's rules and regulations, and a variety of exciting and often dangerous manoeuvres. The best part of the book is where it describes various Quidditch teams from around the world. While it was great to discover that I have a local team, it is only a shame that neither Rowling nor her editor realised that it should be "Wollongong Warriors" rather than "Woolongong".

Perfect for anyone planning to convince their friends to don matching uniforms and run around the back yard on broomsticks (don't pretend that you have not at least wanted to try) but will mean little to anyone who has not yet read the actual Harry Potter series (or seen the movies).

Go the Wollongong Warriors! They'll wipe the floor with the Thundelarra Thunderers any day!

Also Check Out:

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Terra

Teaser Tuesdays

2010-05-18T16:59:00.001+10:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
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!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

'You think everyone wants to steal me,' Fire said mildly. 'If your own father had me tied up and sold to a monster zoo for spare change, you'd claim that you suspected him all along.'

From page 29 of Fire by Kristin Cashore

Terra

Musing Mondays

2010-05-17T23:03:00.001+10:00

So, I have decided to participate in just one more meme. Musing Mondays is hosted by Rebecca over at Just One More Page.

This week, Rebecca asks:

"What happens when you see a movie based on a book/story, especially one you’ve not read? Do you feel the need to track it down and read it?"

Usually when a movie takes my interest and I hear that it is based on a book I try to read the book before seeing it. The release of the movies encouraged me to finish reading all of The Lord of the Rings and I have been in love with the books ever since. In the case of The Children of Men by P.D. James, I was glad that I had read the book first as the movie absolutely butchered it. On the other hand, I had not thought that Memoirs of a Geisha would be my style but the fact that I enjoyed the movie encouraged me to give it a try and I found that I loved it.

Terra

What's on the Bookshelf

2010-05-17T11:20:00.002+10:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. Go here to find out more.

Posting is still slowish because of my back but also because of have now picked up a couple more injuries to nurse. I have been a complete walking disaster lately, I swear. Hopefully everything will heal up quickly though.

Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Tantalize caught my eye because the main female character is called Quincie Morris - a direct reference to the young Texan, Quincey Morris, who played an important role in the defeat of Dracula in Bram Stoker's famous novel. If any vampire writer wants to catch my interest, showing respect for Dracula is a good way to go about it.

The Phantom of Manhattan by Frederick Forsyth
For those that haven't heard, this is the novel that Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical sequel to The Phantom of the Opera is based upon. I will try to approach this book without too much prejudice but when Love Never Dies was announced I cringed with horror. After hearing the plot of the musical (and some of the music too) I am left envisioning a train wreck. Forsyth published The Phantom of Manhattan after discussing it as a sequel to Phantom with Webber, only for Webber to originally pull out as he felt that their ideas were too difficult to adapt to the stage. From initial reviews, it sounds like a real shame that Webber changed his mind.

Terra

Stargazer by Claudia Gray

2010-05-15T14:41:00.001+10:00

From the Back Cover
Evernight Academy: an exclusive boarding school for the most beautiful, dangerous students of all—vampires. Bianca, born to two vampires, has always been told her destiny is to become one of them.

But Bianca fell in love with Lucas—a vampire hunter sworn to destroy her kind. They were torn apart when his true identity was revealed, forcing him to flee the school.

Although they may be separated, Bianca and Lucas will not give each other up. She will risk anything for the chance to see him again, even if it means coming face-to-face with the vampire hunters of Black Cross—or deceiving the powerful vampires of Evernight. Bianca's secrets will force her to live a life of lies.

Yet Bianca isn't the only one keeping secrets. When Evernight is attacked by an evil force that seems to target her, she discovers the truth she thought she knew is only the beginning....

My Thoughts

Warning: This review contains some spoilers.

I did not dislike Stargazer as much as I did Evernight but I remain far from being a fan of the series.

In Evernight Gray tried to draw a comparison between the themes in her work, particularly pertaining to Raquel and Erich, and Bram Stoker's Dracula by having the book and it's flaws discussed in a class. This time around, they discuss Romeo and Juliet and Bianca wonders if her relationship with Lucas is the same kind of foolish love shared by Shakespeare's famous "star-crossed" lovers, risking everything for someone that she hardly knows. I came to feel that, in regards to the relationships in the book, Gray sets up a lot and then doesn't follow through. Bianca has doubts about Lucas and there is conflict between them but everything of course turns out fine between them in the end. The attraction between Balthazar and Bianca is explored but just as it seems like it might genuinely develop into something the nature of their relationship abruptly changes to make way for Bianca and Lucas to be "true loves" again.

In Evernight the twists were more difficult to guess but not necessarily appreciated for it. In Stargazer most of the twists can be seen from a mile off. One wonders why Bianca cannot figure out the obvious and when she does it is only when the information practically drops in her lap. Readers may find Bianca quite dislikable because of this and some of her poorer choices.

On the positive side, Stargazer contained much more action which was much more welcome than sitting in on more classes and cattiness in the hallways. We got enough of that in the first book. Support characters also received much more development, adding more depth to Gray's world. Vic, for example, is not just the funny guy in the group but he is actually pretty smart and philosophical.

I doubt that I will actively seek to read the next instalment in the series, Hourglass, but seeing as this book showed some improvement on the previous, in hope that the next book is improved yet again, I may read it if it shows up available at the library.

Also Check Out
Evernight by Claudia Gray

Terra

Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

2010-05-11T17:53:00.002+10:00

From the Back Cover:
In the early days of the Civil War, rumours of gold in the frozen Klondike brought hordes of newcomers to the Pacific Northwest. Anxious to compete, Russian prospectors commissioned inventor Leviticus Blue to create a great machine that could mine through Alaska’s ice. Thus was Dr. Blue’s Incredible Bone-Shaking Drill Engine born.

But on its first test run the Boneshaker went terribly awry, destroying several blocks of downtown Seattle and unearthing a subterranean vein of blight gas that turned anyone who breathed it into the living dead.

Now it is sixteen years later, and a wall has been built to enclose the devastated and toxic city. Just beyond it lives Blue’s widow, Briar Wilkes. Life is hard with a ruined reputation and a teenaged boy to support, but she and Ezekiel are managing. Until Ezekiel undertakes a secret crusade to rewrite history.

His quest will take him under the wall and into a city teeming with ravenous undead, air pirates, criminal overlords, and heavily armed refugees. And only Briar can bring him out alive.

My Thoughts:
Scott Westerfeld really did word it best when he described Boneshaker as a "Steampunk-zombie-airship adventure of rollicking pace and sweeping proportions, full of wonderfully gnarly details." I have always loved a good zombie story and I have always liked steampunk for its visual elements - the fashion and the style - but as of yet had not ventured very much in to reading the genre. For others looking to explore the steampunk genre for the first time Boneshaker is an excellent place to start.

The story passes back-and-forth between Briar and Zeke. Priest has a knack for knowing just how long to leave us following one character before the need to find out what is happening to the other becomes too overwhelming. There is at times quite a bit of walking around under the city but Priest breaks it up with interesting and well rounded characters. I found Briar a particularly fascinating character to explore with many different facets as a mother, a woman, granddaughter, and her past as a wife and then now as the widow of a notorious man. But not only were the main characters well characterised, but Priest includes a support cast of quirky and unique characters.

At the end of the book Priest admits to the warping of both geography and history to suit her story. Knowing absolutely nothing about the history of Seattle I really would not have known otherwise but I certainly do appreciate the research that went in to this and the consideration that she has put in to these changes. Also, I love her response on her website FAQs to the history in her books being inaccurate: "It isn’t inaccurate, it’s alternate."

Another really nice touch was cracking the spine and discovering the brown coloured font within. It was a nice little surprise that added a little to the steampunk feel of the reading experience.

Boneshaker is a well paced, action packed, and exciting read. It is a great place to start for those looking to foray into the steampunk genre as well as being an excellent and unique addition to the zombie genre.

Also Check Out:

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Terra

Teaser Tuesdays

2010-05-11T17:39:00.001+10:00

So, my back is just about better, which is a relief, so I am making my return. Remind me never to fall asleep on the couch while watching TV ever again. It's not worth the pain that follows. T_T

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
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!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I slid the card between the door and the doorjamb and started jimmying the lock.
Five minutes later I was still uselessly wiggling the library card around, my hands now cold, wet, and clumsy. On TV, this part always looked so easy.

From page 4 of Stargazer by Claudia Gray.

This line amused me so I decided to share it as this weeks teaser instead of choosing something at random.

Terra

What's on the Bookshelf

2010-05-02T15:37:00.002+10:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. Go here to find out more.

I've hurt my back which is why posts have been minimal over the past week and why they will probably remain so for the coming week as it is not so comfortable to sit at the computer for very long at the moment.

Fire by Kristin Cashore
I absolutely loved Cashore's Graceling so I have really been looking forward to getting the chance to read Fire. This book is set in the past of the same universe as Graceling but it sounds like it is going to be quite a different story.

You can read my review of Graceling here.

Terra

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

2010-04-28T18:20:00.002+10:00

First off, I passed the driving test today! Finally! I am a big stress head and when it comes to test conditions I tend to get all a manner of nervous. Today was my third try and I managed to keep my nerves under control enough not to stuff up too much. This is great because I can finally drive my car around without having to drag dad along and I will be able to get to work more easily. No more having to rely on over crowded and always late buses! Oh, happy days!

From the Back Cover:
Harry Potter thinks he is an ordinary boy - until he is rescued by an owl, taken to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, learns to play Quidditch and does battle in a deadly duel. The Reason: HARRY POTTER IS A WIZARD!

My Thoughts:

It had been some years since I had last revisited the book that started a literary phenomenon. Doing so now it is easy to see how this book so easily enthralled and enchanted me as an eleven year old. Now, as an adult with my decade old copy of Philosopher's Stone (or Sorcerer's Stone if you are in the USA) falling apart in my hands, I find myself falling under Rowling's spell once more.

Rowling takes classic clichés, such as the orphan child raised by cruel relatives and discovering that he is somehow special, and breathes new life into them. She creates a world that is fantastic and magical and yet at the same time convincing us that it really could all exist just outside the realm of our (Muggle) perception.

Being more recently familiar with the later books in the series of seven I had forgotten just how delightful the first book really is. While the on going dark themes of the series, particularly death and racial segregation and good versus evil, are present in this first book they are veiled by Rowling's wit and humour and the innocence of the main characters in their youth. Without wanting to get too far ahead here in terms of coming reviews of the rest of the series, I have a great appreciation for the pace at which Rowling matures the series.

While there are groups out there that want to censor the series for various reasons (and I do so very much dislike people who call for the censorship of something that they have never read or just censorship in general, really), I say that fantastical magic, dark themes, and all, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a delightful read and safe for even younger readers with progression to the later darker books under parental guidance if necessary.

I really enjoyed revisiting this book for the Harry Potter reading Challenge and Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon. I am now really looking forward to a long overdue reread of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in the near future.

Terra

Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder

2010-04-21T14:49:00.005+10:00

Is it just me or is something different here...? Hey! Lookie at that! I got a new layout! Please bare with me while things are rearranged and links are fixed. Also, please let me know what you think about the new layout by answering the poll over in the right column. Comments are also welcome.

From the Back Cover:

As a glassmaker and a magician-in-training, Opal Cowen understands trial by fire. Now it's time to test her mettle. Someone has sabotaged the Stormdancer clan's glass orbs, killing their most powerful magicians. The Stormdancers - particularly the mysterious Kade - require Opal's unique talents to prevent it happening again. But when the mission goes awry, Opal must tap into a new kind of magic as stunningly potent as it is frightening. And the further she delves into the intrigue behind the glass and magic, the more distorted things appear. With lives hanging in the balance - including her own - Opal must control powers she hadn't known she possessed... powers that might lead to disaster beyond anything she's ever known...

My Thoughts:
It made me so very happy to pick up a Maria V. Snyder book again. I absolutely adored her Study series and I have been eagerly awaiting a chance to pick up he first book in the new Glass series. I had high expectations for Storm Glass and I am pleased to say that it did not disappoint.

Storm Glass follows Opal Cowen, the young and gifted glass maker who Yelena encountered in the Study series. Opal is studying as a magician at the keep but is finding that, despite her unique magical ability with glass, she is stunted at even the most basic of magical tasks. While this is similar to what happened to Yelena in Magic Study do not make the mistake of thinking that Opal is Yelena 2.0. While both go on to discover more about their unique abilities, the journey undertaken by each is unique. Opal reacts differently to situations and has her own background and history.

You could enjoy this book without having read the Study books but having read the previous series will most certainly give you a better understanding of the world at hand and overall deepen your enjoyment. Storm Glass will also give spoilers to what happened in the previous series so I do strongly recommend reading the Study series first. Also, those familiar with the original three books will definitely appreciate the cameos of much loved characters throughout.

Complete with action, romance, and plenty of twists and turns to keep readers on their toes, Snyder fans are bound to be pleased with Storm Glass. I now cannot wait to read the sequel, Sea Glass.

Also Check Out:
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Terra

Teaser Tuesdays

2010-04-20T23:21:00.002+10:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
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!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The sound came again. There was a whistle to it, and a moan. It was almost a hiss, and it could've been a strangled gasp. Above all it was quiet and seemed to have no source.
It whispered.

From page 138 of Boneshaker by Cherie Priest.

I cheated and hand picked this teaser as it is from my favourite scene from the book so far. I would've shared more but I have already gone over the designated two sentences so you will just have to read the book yourselves for the rest!

Terra

Read-A-Thon Update: Hour 24

2010-04-11T21:29:00.006+10:00

So, I only just now got back in from my driving lesson with my wonderful dad who endures teaching me. I am still going to keep on reading for the final thirty minutes but instead of starting something new I am going to continue with Boneshaker by Cherie Priest which I am currently in the middle of.

Before that, however, I am going to fill out another survery meme for the Read-A-Thon.

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?
The second and third hours when I was the most tired (the event having started at 10PM here) and ended up falling asleep while reading then woke up just long enough to turn off the light and to move my book out of the sleep danger zone.

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
Checkers by John Marsden as it is short and yet engrossing.

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
I thought that between the memes, cheerleaders, and twitter chatter is wonderful. There was always someone reading on alongside you. (Not literally, but you know what I mean.) Just keep up that wonderful connected spirit!

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
The website with it's hourly updates with memes and activities, even if I did not always participate.

5. How many books did you read?
Four (4)

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

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling
Quidditch Through the Ages by J.K. Rowling

7. Which book did you enjoy most?
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

8. Which did you enjoy least?
I enjoyed my Harry Potter theme pretty well. While all of the companion books are relatively short, they are each quirky and unique and I was never bored.

9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?
I wasn't a cheerleader but thanks to everyone who was for all of your great encouragement!

10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
I will definitely be back for the next Read-A-Thon. Most likely just as a reader again. If I were a cheerleader I would get so absorbed in my books that I would forget to come back and cheer!

This will be my last post for the Read-A-Thon. It was a wonderful event and I am so happy that I took part. I would have liked to have squeezed in one more book but I am pleased to have gotten started on one of the challenges that I had signed up for and then neglected. I will start posting the reviews over the next few days. A big thanks also goes to all the wonderful people who make this event happen. You guys rock!

Happy reading,

Terra

Read-A-Thon Update: Hour 19

2010-04-11T16:24:00.000+10:00

So far I have made my way steadily through three books. I found that I have not grown at all bored with my Harry Potter theme having now completed Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Quidditch Through the Ages, and The Tales of Beedle the Bard. In fact, I am wondering whether or not I should just set aside my non-Rowling books and pick up Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets instead. I doubt, however that I will get it finished before the challenge ends. Dad wants to take me out for a driving lesson in a few hours and while it is much needed and definitely appreciated it does fall in to Read-A-Thon time.

Right now I am going to take a half hour or so break to rest my eyes and get in some tidying up. Next up is Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Terra

Read-A-Thon Update: Hour 12

2010-04-11T09:49:00.003+10:00

So, I may have, erm, accidentally fallen asleep. For ten whole hours. I was going to stay up until at least 1AM and sleep until 6 or 7AM but I guess my tired brain had other plans. Instead I managed to doze off while reading around eleven o'clock - only one hour in to the Read-A-Thon. I do think that I can still catch up. I am a third of the way through the first Harry Potter book and I don't see why it should take more than two hours to finish the rest. Maybe I can push for one hour?

Okay, so to get back in to the groove of things, I am going to take part in the mid-event meme - a survey!

1. What are you reading right now?

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

2. How many books have you read so far?

Just this one! T_T

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?

Getting a start on the Harry Potter Reading Challenge is a pretty good highlight for me.

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?

Nope. No work for me on Sundays so I was good to go.

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?

Falling asleep for ten hours. I'm going to read like I have never read before! After I have had some breakfast that is.

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?

I've slept through any surprises that could have happened!

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

None as of yet. Darn sleep. It looks like everything has been handled really well, though.

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?

Have a nap before the event starts.

9. Are you getting tired yet?

Noooo. I feel wonderfully refreshed after that sleep, thanks for asking.

10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered?

Read somewhere comfortable but no so comfortable that you will doze off! The comments from Cheerleaders have definitely been motivating too!

Terra

100 Mile Fitness Challenge Round 3

2010-04-10T14:43:00.000+10:00

Lately I have been doing a pretty good job at keeping up the exercise, if I do say so myself, but sometimes I still need a bit of motivation to keep me going. Especially at this time of the year as Australia leaves summer behind and the weather starts to turn cool again making it is oh so tempting to ditch the jogging shoes and curl up with a good book and a mug of hot chocolate. The 100 Mile Fitness Challenge is a great and fun way for us bloggers to motivate each other to keep healthy and active.

I participated in the first round but joined the challenge quite late and didn't manage to achieve the goal of 100 miles of exercise and fitness. This time around I am jumping on the bandwagon nice and early and have plenty of time to hopefully achieve a goal of 200 miles. Only, to not confuse my poor brain, I am setting my goal in kilometres. I think in kilometres and my exercise bike only reads in kilometres so it is a lot easier for me to track. This makes my 200 mile goal approximately a 322km goal. That's the one downfall of kilometres - it suddenly seems like a lot more exercise!

Head on over to the 100 Mile Fitness Challenge blog to learn more about the challenge and to set your exercise goal!

Terra

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-A-Thon

2010-04-10T12:44:00.002+10:00

I've just made the crazy spur of the minute decision to sign up to participate in the 24 Hour Read-A-Thon! It's not too late for YOU to sign up too!

I am hoping that this event will help me knock a few books off of my massive TBR pile. I don't have much of a plan as of yet but I'm thinking it is a good opportunity to start on the Harry Potter Reading Challeng which I signed up for forever ago and still have not started. So my vague sort-of plan looks a bit like this:

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
Winter by John Marsden
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling
The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks
Quidditch Through the Ages by J.K. Rowling

The Harry Potter companion books are not technically a part of the challenge but I had planned to read and review them anyway. Also, they are short so finishing them in between the longer books will hopefully keep me motivated. The The Zombie Survival Guide is a reread but I want to refresh my memory for review.

I have no idea if I will even be able to finish one book or all of the books. I really just plan to go with the flow. The challenge starts late in the evening here for me and I am rather fond of sleep so I'll stay up for so of it but I don't plan to remain conscious for entire event. As for snacks, I am armed with plenty of chocolate left over from Easter. I'll post some updates throughout the event but have not set myself a schedule.

Mosey on over to the 24 Hour Read-A-Thon website to learn more about the event and to sign up!

Good luck to everyone who is going to participate!

Terra

Teaser Tuesdays

2010-04-07T08:43:00.001+10:00

I haven't done one of these for a few weeks now so I thought that it is about time to share a teaser again. Never mind the fact that I am posting a Teaser Tuesdays on a Wednesday.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
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!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

A wind blew from nowhere, sweeping the sand off the floor. The granules piled together forming the shape of a woman. I gaped at the perfect construction, unable to believe what I saw.

From page 138 of Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder.

Terra

What's on the Bookshelf

2010-04-05T08:13:00.003+10:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. Go here to find out more.

This week I have two books that I am so happy to finally be reading. I've been wanting these two for quite awhile now.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
I am always happy to have more Scott Westerfeld on my reading pile. When I saw that his latest book, Leviathan, had finally made it into the library collection I did my little happy dance and snatched it straight away. In Leviathan Westerfeld delves into the wonderful thing that is steampunk, which I have so much love for right now.

Storm Glass by Maria V Snyder
I am finally getting to read Storm Glass. I am so happy to be reading Snyder's work again. I absolutely loved her Study series. The Glass series is set in the same world as in the Study series, now following Opal Cowen.

Terra

Witch & Wizard by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet

2010-04-03T15:07:00.000+11:00

From the Back Cover:

You are holding an urgent and vital narrative that reveals the forbidden truth about these perilous times...

This is the astonishing testimonial of Whit and Wisty Allgood, a brother and sister who were torn from their family in the middle of the night, slammed into prison, and accused of being a witch and wizard.

They are not alone in their terrifying predicament. Thousands of young people have been kidnapped; some have been accused; many others remain missing. Their fate is unknown, and the worse is feared - for the ruling regime will stop at nothing to suppress life and liberty, music and books, art and magic.

Most copies of this story have already been seized, shredded, or burned. Read this rare surviving edition and pass it along with care - before it's too late.

My Thoughts:

Please be aware that this review contains spoilers.

Witch & Wizard looked to me like it was being marketed to both the adult and teenage markets. As a result, and from reading the back blurb, I assumed that what I would be reading was a dystopian, supernatural adventure that would probably be comfortably labelled as Young Adult. Instead what I got was a novel that was simplistic and in many ways childish and riddled with clichés. The simplicity of both the language level and the plot is underlined by the fact that I finished all 305 pages in scarcely four hours despite the fact that I was grudgingly forcing myself to continue.

Now, I had forgotten that I had once loved Gabrielle Charbonnet's Princess series, which was her take on the classic A Little Princess, but I was only around six or seven years old at the time. However, Kathleen Duey (author of Skin Hunger) is a prime example of how an author established in writing children's books can successfully produce dark and gritty works for a young adult audience, so why not Charbonnet? Admittedly, I had never before read anything by James Patterson, but working in a library I am quite aware of the popularity of his books and just how many he has under his belt. As a result I had high expectations for Witch & Wizard but was severely disappointed,

The chapters in Witch & Wizard are very short and unnecessarily so. A scene might be spread over three chapters when it would have read fine as one and as a result the chapter breaks only disrupt the flow of reading. The perspective alternates back and forth between Whit and Wisty, which fails to achieve a whole lot as they are side by side for most of the book and there is little differentiation between their voices. Supposedly, Wisty is fifteen and Whit on the verge of turning eighteen but their attitude and language is so childish you would peg them to be younger. The dialogue is just so forced and cliché. The stereotypes when it comes to the bad guys are just awful, including ugly=evil.

Wisty, especially, is well and truly on a fast track to becoming quite the Mary Sue. Not only is she the one that pulls out all of the big magic tricks but her hair even magically changes into a colour and style that she likes much better than her previously frizzy red. Her eyes even temporarily change colour at one point. The authors were so busy super-charging Wisty that they forgot for awhile that Whit was supposed to have powers to so it was rather strange for him to be talking about his powers and himself being a wizard for ages before he ever even demonstrated any special ability.

Speaking of their powers and Mary Sue and Gary Stu like tendencies, it was really annoying how their magical abilities just suddenly switched on the night that they are taken from their homes. They have never once in their lives done anything to make them think that they could do magic and suddenly, without cause or explanation except that it is convenient to the plot, their powers just activate and they are instantly incredibly powerful and dangerous, even without being able to control their magic. It was also very annoying how Patterson and Charbonnet are among those authors who did not do the research about the religion and seem to think that "Wiccan" is just a New Age-y term for witch and then decided to give that label at least to Whit and Wisty's parents if not indicating that it is a term they may apply to all witches and wizards. I would have to read the (unfortunately) upcoming sequel to find out just how far they are going to run with the term.

Adults (even eighteen-year-old Whit uses the more childish phrase of "grown-ups") are suddenly all bad guys without any real explanation as to why but apparently it is decided that kids (because all the main characters are teens with the supposed maturity to possess strong survival and leadership skills but prefer to be referred to as "kids") should rise up against the new totalitarian regime and become the new rulers of the world because apparently they could do a better job. At this point the novel has officially crossed into the territory of cheaply produced mid-afternoon children shows about the "if their were no adults and children were in charge" scenario. No adult faction of the rebellion is even mentioned let alone stands up to take care of the rogue children. The evil New Order seized power through political means so I guess we are supposed to believe that adults were dumb enough to vote for policies that involved the oppression of everyone, the destruction of their homes, and the torture and execution of even children through cruel and old fashioned means. As most of the book is about the siblings being stuck in a cell and then escaping, we never get to see enough of the rest of society to understand why this would be accepted by everyone and what frightening catalyst would trigger people to allow such a government to come into power.

This book tries far too hard to be Harry Potter. One antagonist is clearly their version of Draco Malfoy and is even described as being "ferret faced" at one point but in the end they settle for calling him a weasel... and then proceed to turn him into one. Meanwhile, the big bad guy, "The One Who Is The One", seems like a poor attempt at coming up with a title for their looming and nameless evil to rival "He Who Must Not Be Named" and also pales as a villain in contrast. Furthermore, the "Speak love, you may enter" riddle just seems ripped straight out of Lord of the Rings. "Speak friend and enter," anyone?

This book may have been better if it had been targeted at a younger audience. As it currently stands it was pretty poor and I strongly recommend that you give it a skip.

Terra

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

2010-04-02T12:19:00.002+11:00

From the Back Cover:

A father and his young son walk alone through burned America, heading slowly for the coast. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save ash on the wind. They have nothing but a pistol to defend themselves against the men who stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food - and each other.

My Thoughts:

The Road just blew me away with its stark realism. McCarthy presents a post-apocalyptic America that is stark and desolate. The world as we know it is gone. Both the natural world and the man-made world are completely in tatters.

There are no names in The Road, driving home just how much has been stripped away. The Man and the Boy scrounge for food among abandoned houses and shops as they head for the coast. They seek to avoid other humans at all costs for many have turned to cannibalism as food is scarce. Violence in The Road is not "in your face" but what is implied and what aftermath you do see is most certainly made very graphic and haunting when combined with McCarthy's writing style.

"The world shrinking down to a raw core of parsible entities. The names of things slowly following those things into oblivion. Colours. The names of birds. Things to eat. Finally the names of things one believed to be true."

McCarthy's writing style is sparse yet somehow lyrical. It did bother me a bit trying to figure out McCarthy's ruling on punctuation, though. I could not understand why "don't" became "dont" but "it's" could remain "it's" and why sometimes he would correctly place a comma and why sometimes there would be none at all. It certainly takes some getting used to.

Punctuation aside, I found The Road to be truly moving and must confess that at the end it even got some tears out of me. Without even knowing their names I truly felt sorrow for the struggle of the Man and the Boy and horror for the things that they had encountered.

The Road is a compelling and powerful book. I can see readers either loving it for it's moving and haunting nature or in contrast growing bored with the slight repetitive aspects of the Man and Boy's journey. More than likely, however, you will be completely drawn in by McCarthy's writing style, his desolate portrayal of a post-apocalyptic America, and the heart aching plight of a father who cannot bear the thought of holding his son dead in his arms.

Terra

What's on the Bookshelf

2010-03-28T23:50:00.000+11:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. Go here to find out more.

My apologies for yet another slow week. Just as my concerns about the possibility of developing RSI eased, I managed to give my left thumb a good hard crack. I was starting to worry that I might have sprained it but there's no swelling and it's not bothering me so much today. I think I just strained it a bit. But, as you can imagine, the past few days I have not felt like doing an awful lot of typing and have mostly been wanting to continue resting my hands and fingers from the keyboard. Hopefully this week will see things settle back to normal again.

The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas
I am trying something a bit different with The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas. The Slap gives the perspectives of eight people who witness a man slapping a child that is not his own at a neighbourhood barbecue and the consequences that follow. Tsiolkas is an Australian author so I can put this one towards the Aussie Author Challenge as well!

Terra

Earth Hour 2010

2010-03-27T18:31:00.013+11:00

Earth Hour started in Sydney, Australia in 2007. That year 2.2 million people took part. Now Earth Hour is a global event with hundreds of millions of participants all over the world. Earth Hour 2010 is only a little over two hours away (for me anyway) but it is not too late to sign up and plan some great activities with your friends and family. Maybe now is the time for you to make a new resolution to help the environment and minimise your "footprint"! Fill the hour by having getting your family all together and talking about your day, perhaps play a board game by candlelight, or head outside and take advantage of (hopefully!) fewer lights running in your area to gaze at the stars.

My fellow Aussie's can click on the banner below to register your pledge to switch off all of your lights and electrical appliances around your home for the hour. If you live internationally, please go here to register. Earth Hour is organised by WWF. Go to their website to learn more about the organisation.

I hope you all have a lovely evening unplugged.

Terra

Firefly

2010-03-22T20:27:00.002+11:00

From the DVD Cover:

Five hundred years in the future there's a whole new frontier, and the crew of the Firefly-class spaceship Serenity is eager to stake a claim on the action. They'll take any job, legal or illegal, to keep fuel in the tanks and food on the table. But things get a bit more complicated after they take on a passenger wanted by the new totalitarian Alliance regime. Now they find themselves on the run, desperate to steer clear of Alliance ships and flesh-eating Reavers who live on the fringe of space.

My Thoughts:

Joss Whedon's Firefly is quite possibly the single greatest show ever made. There. I said it and I am going to stand by it. It is also possibly the greatest tragedy in television history that it only lasted for fourteen episodes. If you can watch this show and not fall in love, I am telling you that you have no heart - FOX, I am looking straight at you.

FOX, it would seem, had a vendetta against Firefly from the very beginning, even choosing to skip airing until later the pilot episode which sets up the entire story. However, during it's brief run Firefly earned itself a passionate and dedicated fanbase. So outspoken were the fans over the shows cancellation that they achieved having the show resurrected in the form of the sequel movie, Serenity.

Firefly is a space opera with a western twist, a concept that fans of the anime Cowboy Bebop will be familiar with. Five hundred years from now Earth is all "used up" and humanity has spread out into the 'verse to find a new habitable home. Planets were terraformed for habitation. On the central planets live the wealthy privileged in a society that is, at least on the surface, a utopia. On the outer rim live the poorer folk, farmers and miners and the like. Not all of the outer planets terraformed quite right. Some of them have quirks and some of these quirks can make people sick. Out on the edge of the black the Reavers hunt.

The most endearing quality of Firefly is the characters. Ship captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) is an ex-soldier who fought on the losing side of the war but still is not convinced that it was the wrong side. As a result he has no problems with doing things that might rub the Alliance the wrong way which is lucky for one of his newest passengers, Simon Tam (Sean Maher), who has just rescued his younger sister River (Summer Glau) from an Alliance experiment and is now on the run with her. Zoe (Gina Torres) is Mal's loyal second in command who fought alongside him in the war and is married to the ship pilot, Wash (Alan Tudyk), who likes to play with the toy dinosaurs that sit on the ship's dash. Jewel Staite is perfect in the role of Kaylee the ship mechanic, who, despite getting around in overalls and engine grease, is a girly-girl at heart. Jayne (Adam Baldwin) is the muscle of the crew despite having a girls name. Morena Baccarin is just unfairly beautiful in the role of the companion (read legal and high class prostitute), Inara. Book is a shepherd but there are hidden mysteries in his past. Finally there is the ship itself, Serenity, with whom you will surely fall in love. With each episode we learn more about these characters and the growing and changing relationships between them.

Even the opening theme is so addictive that is likely to crawl into your brain and stay there

There is the usual quirky language that people who have seen Buffy the Vampire Slayer might expect to see in a Joss Whedon creation. "Shiny" is the new way of saying that all is good and, well, shiny. "Gorramit", as you might guess, means "God damn it." In a unique twist, when everything fell apart on Earth That Was the last two super powers left standing were the United States of America and China, as a result even the most uneducated of people out in the 'verse can speak both English and Chinese. Whedon and his writers take full advantage of this fact to give out some of the most ridiculous swears and insults in Chinese, hence I was disappointed when I switched on the subtitles on my DVD and was given the line "speaks inter-galactic language." Nothing important and that you cannot guess at the meaning and intent of is ever said in Chinese so don't worry if you don't want to spend the time looking up the translations online.

Regardless of whether of not you have liked Joss Whedon's other projects, you must give Firefly a try. I promise that it is time well spent.

Also Check Out:

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Terra

What's on the Bookshelf

2010-03-21T23:18:00.005+11:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. Go here to find out more.

Hi, all. So, I fell of the map over the last week or so but I am still here. I needed some break time from the computer as I was having some concerns about a bit of pain in my left hand and was worried that it may be related to my recent computer use. Ergonomics guys! Very important. So, I took things easy for a bit and everything seems pretty good now. Unfortunately, I did not get much reading done in this time but I did get to see Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland in 3D and mull over some blog related ideas and plans!

Stargazer by Claudia Gray
Admittedly, I was not all that fussed with the first book in this series, Evernight, but I recognise that this series seems pretty popular at the moment and I am all for second chances.

In the meantime, if you missed my review of Evernight you can read my thoughts on the young adult vampire romance novel here.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
I have heard some great things about The Knife of Never Letting Go and I am just super excited to be able to add it to my reading list.

It follows Todd who lives in Prentisstown, a place where everyone can hear everyone's thoughts. Until Todd stumbles upon a silent spot.

Sacred Scars by Kathleen Duey
I absolutely loved Skin Hunger so I am bumping this sequel right to the top of my to-read list. The first book in the A Resurrection of Magic series was just fantastic and delightfully dark for Duey's first venture into young adult fiction.

Read my Sacred Scars review here.

Terra

True Blood Season One

2010-03-12T19:12:00.003+11:00

From the DVD Cover:

Vampires have come "out of the coffin" and are now living among us. Surviving on synthetic blood, they no longer need human blood to survive. Or so it seems...

The small town of Bon Temps, Louisiana boats a wide array of colourful locals. Meet Sookie Stackhouse, a sweet and innocent waitress who hides her powerful ability to read minds; Bill Compton, a 173-year-old vampire who's just moved back to town; Sookie's brother Jason, a ladies' man who can't seem to stay out of trouble; tough-as-nails Tara, Sookie's loyal best friend; Sam, the owner of Merlotte's who tries to keep his feelings for Sookie to himself; Lafayette, a man about town who's always cooking up a something illicit and "off the menu" and a quirky cast of characters who each hide their dark secrets in the shadows of night in this series that's like no other.

My Thoughts:

Ages ago, I said that once I had the chance to watch the season through with the commentaries then I would post my thoughts on True Blood. I finally did get the chance to do so and was glad to find that I enjoyed the show a second time through just as much as I did the first.

For those who are possibly not in the know, True Blood is based on a series of novels by Charlaine Harris called The Southern Vampire Mysteries, or sometimes simply refered to as the Sookie Stackhouse series. There are currently ten books in the series with the eleventh expected to be released later this year. Season one of True Blood follows the story of the first of these books, Dead Until Dark, where telepathic waitress Sookie (Anna Paquin) meets the vampire Bill (Stephen Moyer) and realises that she cannot hear his thoughts. The two form a romantic relationship (and interestingly enough are in fact married in real life) but Sookie comes under threat when a murderer begins to target women who have been involved with vampires.

At times the acting did need to be stronger. At one instance my mother walked in and complained about Anna Paquin's underdone reaction to something instead of complaining that I was "watching more vampire rubbish" as she normally would. Nelsan Ellis, however, is consistently fantastic in the role of Lafayette. I also really enjoyed Alexander Skarsgård as Eric.

The show is faithful enough to the books to please fans while at the same time creating original material and throwing in enough twists to keep those of us who are familiar with the books guessing. On the television screen the lives of characters who only existed in the background on the page are now fleshed out and become their own fully developed plot lines that are just as enjoyable to follow as that of Sookie and Bill. Tara, for example, now becomes an African-American and cousin to Lafayette. An entirely new twist is placed on her character and it works to the strength of the show.

Full of mystery, sex, blood, and fun True Blood is a must watch. Keep in mind that it is pretty graphic in terms of both sex and gore so make sure any little ones are out of the room before you put this one on.

I will be reviewing season two whenever the DVD happens to come out in Australia. *Sigh*

Also Check Out:

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Terra

Who Loves You Baby!

2010-03-11T19:48:00.003+11:00

A big thank you goes to Jessica who ran a Booklover's Diary and Velvet from vvB32 Reads for this award.

The idea of this award is to pass this on to all the wonderful people out there who have awarded you in the past. Hopefully I haven't missed anyone.

Books and Things
Between the Lines
Emma Michaels
Mindful Musings
Books, Books Everywhere
Fiction Fanatic
My World
The Book Nerd Club

My goodness, I think that we have actually reached the end of awards to hand out and so have reached the end of the awardathon! Thank you so much to all the wonderful people out there who make blogging fun and contribute to the book blogger community. With so many awards handed out it got a bit hard to keep track but I tried to fairly distribute them. Regardless of whether or not I was able to pass an award on to you, I think that you are all the most awesome people in the world.

Terra

Beautiful Blogger Award

2010-03-11T18:46:00.001+11:00

I was going to post this yesterday but it just didn't end up happening. Instead, today there will be two awards given out. If everything goes to plan anyway. Keep an eye out tonight for the final award of the awardathon!

A massive thank you goes to Kel of Between the Lines for this award! Thank you so much for thinking of me!

Now, on to the rules!

Thank the link to the person that gave you the award
Pass this award on to 7 bloggers you've recently discovered and whom you think are fantastic
Contact said Blogs to let them know they've won
State 7 Things about yourself!

Okay, so seven things about myself... Let's see now...

My new favourite book is The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.
I am lead to believe that I am apparently the only person who has never read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.
I have only just recently discovered what an awesomely good show The Big Bang Theory is.
I am not a very good cook but I am trying to get better.
The Phantom of the Opera is my favourite musical.
I sing along to albums from musicals. Loudly.
I just went and squandered all of the exercise I did today by inhaling a box of pocky. It was delicious. I have no regrets.

And now to pass it on to seven others!

Terra

Evernight by Claudia Gray

2010-03-11T12:01:00.002+11:00

From the Back Cover:

Bianca has just left the small town where she's spent her whole life. She's a new student at Evernight Academy, a creepily Gothic boarding school where her classmates are somehow too perfect: smart, sleek and almost predatory. Bianca knows she doesn't fit in.

Then she meets Lucas, another loner, who seems fiercely determined not to be the "Evernight type." There's a connection between Bianca and Lucas that can't be denied. She would risk anything to be with him—but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart... and to make Bianca question everything she's ever believed to be true.

My Thoughts:

Some people may not be pleased to hear that I came away from finishing this book with mixed feelings about it. Evernight has some good qualities while at the same time having other qualities that I really did not particularly like.

I started reading Evernight without really knowing anything about it except that it was a vampire story. This proved important to my enjoyment of the book as Gray has woven in some great unpredicatble plot twists that caught me completely off guard. On the downside, the major twist also reveals Bianca to be an unreliable and inconsistant narrator. While this was the intent of the author, I found it an annoying quality, particularly because after this event Bianca now thinks about the issue all the time whereas previously it never once came up.

I also disliked the way Gray handled the romance between Bianca and Lucas. At first it seemed like she might start with a normal teenage crush and progress from there only to instead quickly degrade into yet another desperate star-crossed true love. What really confuses me in these kind of novels is why the author always makes the romantic competition so much more likable. His name aside, Balthazar is made out to be the far better choice and Bianca even disregards a warning from a friend that Lucas sounds like he would be an abusive partner.

It was disappointing to see that Gray had given herself this great gothic setting but did not utilise it better. Between both the setting and certain plot points Gray could have created a wonderful gothic tone. The setting up is there but the tone wasn't really achieved, especially when you throw into the mix a lead character who pokes her tongue out at the stone gargoyles. As a result, Evernight Academy rarely seemed "creepily gothic" as opposed to just an old and snooty boarding school.

One more thing, why would hundreds-of-years-old vampires tolerate consenting to curfews and pop quizzes? Why would they enroll in high school when we are even told that there are (nicer sounding) options out there for them to achieve the same goals?

Give it a try if you have enjoyed other stories of irrational teenage supernatural love but overall I found Evernight to be a bit hit and miss.

Also Check Out:

Fallen by Lauren Kate
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Terra

Teaser Tuesdays

2010-03-09T23:03:00.000+11:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
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!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The two weeks between Balthazar's invitation and the ball were confusing for me, because my emotions kept tugging me in a thousand different directions at once. I could look at dresses in a catalogue with my mother, happily picking out favourites, and within the next hour be so lonely for Lucas it felt like I could hardly breathe.

From page 120 of Evernight by Claudia Gray.

I have finished reading this now. My review of this one will be up pretty soon.

Terra

Bliss (Happy 101) Award Award

2010-03-09T20:00:00.000+11:00

Thanks go to Emma Michaels for this award. Doesn't look just delicious?

Now, to list ten things that make me happy and then to pass this award on to ten sweet-as-cupcakes bloggers!

A hot cup of tea
Chocolate
A good book
Listening to Nightwish
Joss Whedon shows
Bangles! One of my all time favourite accessories!
Sleeping in
Or in contrast... an early morning walk!
My awesome friends
My wonderful family

I am passing this sugary sweet award along to:

Terra

Honest Scrap Award

2010-03-08T20:13:00.008+11:00

Okay, a massive thanks goes to Nicole from Books, Books Everywhere, Jamye from Fiction Fanatic, Melissa from My World, and Mummazappa from The Book Nerd Club.

This award asks that we reveal ten honest things about ourselves before passing it on to ten other people.

I am terrified of cockroaches
I like to keep a stash of chocolate in the top drawer of my bedside table. (If any goes missing I will know that it was one of you guys who took it!)
I think that Tuomas Holopainen is a genius.
I spend way too much time and money down at my local bookstore.
And even more time and money at my local music store.
My real name is Rebecca. It seemed like there was already plenty of Rebeccas out in the litereary blogosphere so I chose to blog under the name Terra, which has already been my internet alias for a number of years.
I wish that life were a musical.
I want to go to Middle-earth.
I can kill you with my brain. Okay, that is not so honest.
I am the final cylon. No, I suppose that this is not very honest either. Or is it?

I would like to pass this award on to:

Terra

Let's Be Friends Award

2010-03-05T19:45:00.001+11:00

Thank you, Velvet from vvB32 Reads!

"Blogs that receive the Let’s Be Friends Award are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to 8 bloggers."

Terra

Zombie Chicken Award

2010-03-04T08:00:00.001+11:00

Thank you, Natalie from Mindful Musings and Velvet from vvB32 Reads!

"The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken-- excellence, grace, and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all."

Terra