On the Bookshelf

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.


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

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

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?

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

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

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.

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


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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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

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

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.

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.

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



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

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 ...

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.

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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.

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!

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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.

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.

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

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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.


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.

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

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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


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.

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

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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.

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.

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
True Blood Season One

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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.


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

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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

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!

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

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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....

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.

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Evernight by Claudia Gray

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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.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

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