Wednesday 29 July 2009
Today's book review
Monday 27 July 2009
News
Sunday 26 July 2009
Pride & Prejudice
Pride & Prejudice
By Jane Austen
Published by Bantom Dell (division of Random House, Inc) in 1981
334 Pages
Classic Literature
Cushions: 3/5
Paperclips: 1/5
Smiles: 3/5
Tissues: 2/5
Emina’s recommendation rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ (5 hearts!)
He is the most disagreeable man! So thought Elizabeth Bennet, the second oldest of five daughters in the Bennet family. Of course, she didn’t quite know Mr. Darcy. All she knew was that he was too proud to dance or converse with anyone at balls. But, Mr. Darcy stoops to an all time low when he dissuades Mr. Bingley from pursuing Jane, Elizabeth’s sister, and urges his friend to move away from his estate, Netherfield Park, and the Bennet family.
Mr. Darcy creates a horrible reputation for himself and readers are directed to believe his pride can only be the result of an unworthy character. However, one can tell that he does indeed take a second look at Elizabeth, who’s strong personality rocks his stability.
When the misunderstandings and prejudices are set right, do Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have a chance at a happily ever after?
Jane Austen demonstrates her brilliant ability to create characters with wit, charm, and human deficiencies. (I have to say, the most comical character, IMO, is Mrs. Bennet and her poor nerves!) She weaves together relationships impacted by social standards and opinions. This enthralling classic is sure to reach and entice hearts of all ages.
I am definitely proud to say that Pride & Prejudice is never moving from it’s home of under my pillow.
Astrosaurs Academy: Deadly Drama! by Steve Cole
2nd July 2009, Red Fox (Random House imprint)
Saturday 25 July 2009
A Great and Terrible Beauty, by Libba Bray
2006, Simon and Schuster
403 pages
Library copy
Paranormal historical fantasy (YA, maybe)
Cushions: 3/5
Paperclips: 2/5 (suggestive language)
Tissues: 2/5
Overall rating: 4/5
Apologies to whoever recommended this to me, I've forgotten your name. A big thank you, because I enjoyed this a lot.
This is a cover, which, if I hadn't had a recommendation, would have had me putting this back on the shelf. To me it suggests a romantic theme, which although present to some extent, isn't the focus of the book. The book follows Gemma as she picks up her life after her mother's death in India. Escorted to England, she begins life in what on the outside looks like a very proper English school in the late 1800's. Let's just say the innocent ladies aren't so innocent. They know all about the world outside their school, and wish to find a way to influence the decisions made by their parents. Little do they know that Gemma, the newcomer, will provide that path.
It's a path that shouldn't be trodden. Kartik, whose identity remains a mystery for a while, follows Gemma around, leaving notes and verbal threats to leave alone the supernatural power that Gemma can tap into. As with most people, this is like waving a red flag to a bull. Gemma doesn't care that her own mother, from beyond the grave gives a similar warning. She goes ahead with it anyway, forever changing her own life, and the girls who spend the most time with her. I wouldn't call them true friends, not yet anyway.
I shook my head at the cruelties inflicted by the girls to their classmates. I feel this reflects how cruel girls can sometimes be as they grow up, not realising how much they hurt others. I liked the twists regarding Gemma's mother, and how we never truly know what our parents are like, even if they are still alive. Their hopes, their lives before us, will always have a shroud of mystery around them.
Pick this book if you don't mind your spine tingling in fear at the paranormal goings on at Spence boarding school, if you wish to learn what happens when Gemma plays with fire and gets burned. Will the burns leave scars? What happens when four girls can literally manipulate the world they live in?
Libba Bray has her own website here
Saturday blog post #4
The scenario: both The Preserver and The Handler return home from a hard day at the office, only to discover that their cute new kitten enjoys using books as a scratching post. The kitten is purring away among the shredded remains.
The Preserver's eyes twitch. Her hands fly up to her mouth which forms an 'o' of surprise. How could such a small, sweet ball of fur do this to a precious book? The Preserver looks at the kitten, who notices his owner is home and mews. The Preserver's eyes go back to the book. Hands trembling, she lifts it up, gasping as more shreds of paper collect on the floor. Thanks to the kitten's arrival, The Preserver's funds are a little low. Buying a new book is out of the question. Devastated over the damage, The Preserver places the book carefully on a high shelf, away from the kitten's claws. She heads to the kitchen, rattles the biscuit bowl and lures the kitten away from the scene of destruction. Distracted, she hurries back to the study, and shuts the door. This will be one room the kitten is forever banned from.
Wiping her tears, so she doesn't wet the paper shreds, The Preserver mournfully picks up all the scraps of paper, and deposits them on her desk. She picks up the book, grabs the sellotape, and begins pieceing the book back together. The Preserver may know the book off by heart, but having a few letters missing off words brings back the tears. The thought of returning the kitten crosses her mind once, but, remembering how nice it was when the little fluffball curls up by her side at night.
Scarred forever, she sets the book back in it's rightful place, where it looks normal from the outside, aside from an almost artful scratch down the spine. The Preserver will never read it again, but she can't bear to throw it away.
The Handler, in her usual casual style, upon seeing the half destroyed book, laughs. She knew life with a kitten would provide unexpected situations. She hadn't quite imagined that would run into her first love, books. Still, it shows the kitten had good taste. Why scratch a plain, wooden post when pages crammed with descriptions of other worlds will do? The kitten might, somehow, have been looking for something to read. (Yes, The Handler can be quite delusional). The Handler scoops up the kitten, not the book, and hugs him tight. "Teaches me to leave books out for you, doesn't it?" The Handler receives wet nose on her wrist as a way of reply. "Well, it'll make me head to the library more often. I guess I can do without coffee for a week, to help pay for this."
The kitten purrs in agreement, oblivious to the fact that without coffee in the afternoon, The Handler won't be eager to dangle the mouse on the string over the edge of the sofa. The Handler brushes up the ruined book, paper fragments and all, pops them in the recyling bin and sets about preparing the kitten's food. Just another blip in another normal day.
How would you react if a pet ruined a book? Would your eyes twitch? Or would you think 'never mind' and just get on with the day? Me? I'd be annoyed for a moment, but would then head to the library more often.
Thursday 23 July 2009
Author Interview with Chloe Palov
This interview is taken directly from the Penguin website. All credit goes to the (as far as I can see) anonymous interviewer at Penguin.
THE
‘. . . with the vessels of the sanctuary . . . they warred against Midian . . . and killed every male.’
‘ . . . and the wall of the city will fall down flat.’
‘ . . . there came a fire . . . and consumed upon the altar the burnt offerings.’
An intelligence threat assessment of a rogue nation’s secret arsenal? Breaking news of a horrific terrorist attack? No on both accounts. These are descriptions of the Ark of the Covenant lifted from the pages of the Old Testament. Responsible for the deaths of thousands, the Ark of the Covenant was the biblical version of ‘shock and awe.’
In my debut novel Stones of Fire, I explore the worst-case scenario – the Ark of the Covenant is found by a group of religious fanatics intent on fulfilling an apocalyptic prophecy. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
What exactly is the Ark of the Covenant?
Most people are well aware that the Ark of the Covenant was a golden chest into which Moses placed the stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments. They may even know that for forty years the Israelites carried the
How did the
No one knows for certain, the Bible rather vague with the details. Some scholars have theorized that the
Without a trace.
Never to be seen again.
Was it captured or destroyed?
The question has confounded biblical scholars, religious leaders, and armchair archaeologists alike. As with any mystery, rumors abound. It was stolen by Solomon’s illegitimate son Menelik and taken to
So, God-in-the-box or the ultimate weapon of mass destruction?
Maybe a little of both. Which is why, down through the ages, the mystery of the lost
Let the hunt begin . . . .
I reviewed Stones of Fire here
Sunday 19 July 2009
Daughter of Fire and Ice, by Marie-Louise Jensen
Silver Phoenix, by Cindy Pon
2009, Green Willow Books
Airhead, by Meg Cabot (Young Adult, 9/10E)
2008, Point (Scholastic)
Storm Glass, by Maria V Snyder
July 2009, Mira Books
Stones of Fire, by C.M. Palov
July 2009, Penguin
Spindle's End by Robin McKinley
2002 David Fickling Books
Saturday 18 July 2009
Saturday Blog Post *3
Friday 17 July 2009
That Summer, by Sarah Dessen
2009 Puffin (spine breakers)
Look what I've won! Eye of the Sun, Eye of the Moon Dianne Hofmeyr
Thursday 16 July 2009
Author Interview with Marie-Louise Jensen
I’m proud to present the author of Between Two Seas (referred to as Seas), and The Lady in the Tower (referred to as Tower), Marie-Louise Jensen!
From checking out your website, I’m glad you rediscovered your creativity. Maths is overrated! First of all, when was the moment that you thought of both Marianne and Eleanor’s story?
I had the idea for Marianne’s story in an open air museum in Denmark. I saw a book about how Danish fishermen sailed across to Grimsby to sell their catch, and immediately I thought, what if one of them had a daughter there who later came looking for him in Denmark? I could visualise Marianne at once; shy, reserved and very English. And I could imagine how she would experience Denmark. I knew I had the seed of a story.
Eleanor’s story came to me on a visit to Farleigh Hungerford Castle. I’d been there before and heard the story of how Lady Elizabeth Hungerford was locked in the tower, but that time it just came to me as a story idea. No one knows how Lady Elizabeth escaped, and I started to imagine her daughter freeing her.
The books are quite different in their style of protagonist. Seas is more character driven, while Tower has a lot of action and intrigue. What fuelled your decision to create such diverse worlds? Or, as is the case for some of us writers, did your characters march up to you, point down at the screen/paper and order ‘Write my story!’?
Between Two Seas arose from my own experiences of living in Denmark as a teenager, and everything I know about Skagen in the time I chose to set the story. I wrote it quite quickly, initially, and the whole story came tumbling out of me, some of it planned, but some of it a surprise. I was thinking more about the character and how she would experience Skagen than about the story, although there is a story there too.
Eleanor’s story came to me before I started writing Between Two Seas. In fact I had some ten chapters of it written before I put it aside to write the other. The reason this story is so much more plot driven than my first book is because when I started to research the Hungerford’s and the history of the castle and the people, there was so much that really happened or that I wanted to include. It was a very exciting period of history.
I thought The Lady in the Tower would be more like Between Two Seas when I started out, but the social setting in the castle called for quite a different style and far more interaction between characters, so it changed and changed as I wrote.
Some generic questions for you: where is your favourite place to write? Favourite time to write? Favourite colour ink/type of font for writing? Favourite snack while writing?
I work absolutely anywhere. I can work with pen and paper or use my little notebook computer. I work in cafes, in the car, on trains. I do prefer working at home at my desk when I have the chance. But wherever I start out working, I soon disappear into the world of the book.
I’m not a morning person and I tend to work from lunchtime through to the small hours. If I do get up early I go and exercise, I don’t normally write.
Favourite snack, well endless cups of tea, obviously, and when the going gets tough, the only remedy is chocolate.
How did you react when you receive ‘The Call?’
When my agent rang me to tell me I had an offer of a two-book deal from OUP, I was lying in bed with the worst flu I’d ever had in my life. I’d spent three days feeling it might be easier to die than fight the virus. I had no voice at all and could barely summon up the strength to respond. But within about an hour, the news had filtered through to my brain I managed to start feeling excited.
It’s a very strange process though. After all the initial excitement and the rewriting, there was then a two-year wait for publication where nothing at all seemed to be happening. It was, of course, but not from my point of view.
Are you a plotter, writing down the plot in detail before you commence writing, or an edge of the seat writer, having a vague idea of the plot but not committing it to paper, and just writing whatever your muse dictates.
Somewhere in between. I plot my stories out before I start and spend a lot of time thinking about them. There may be gaps, but I always know what the end point will be and some of the events that will shape the narrative. But I also have new ideas as I’m writing and sometimes I go with them. The biggest unplanned change I’ve ever made was the introduction of a character called Ragna in my next book, Daughter of Fire and Ice. She was only supposed to appear in one scene, but she wanted to stay. So I did some rethinking and rewriting to make her part of the story.
Muses take different forms. Mine is under 5 inches high, very vocal and knows how to use her feet/elbows to spur me on. What does your muse look like, and how does she/he act?
I don’t really have a muse. I have a few people that inspired characters. I’d better not give them away so publically though!
A writer isn’t an isolated person in this world (normally). A writer has family, and friends. What were their reactions to your publication?
I have two sons and they are finding the whole thing very exciting. They sometimes resent it a bit when I shut myself away to write, but they love coming with me to events, launches and prize awards (they’d probably enjoy it more if I won something!) I have a mother who’s very excited and involved too – and very supportive.
In the free time you have, apart from spending time with family and home-educating your children (a large and rewarding job), what do you like to do?
Swimming, walking, watching children’s films and reading teen books. And I love spending the summers in Scandinavia. We almost always spend a spell in Denmark, and in 2007 we spent two months in Iceland travelling, sightseeing and researching my Viking books. We camped too, the whole time, and some nights there was ice on the tents. It was an amazing summer. It didn’t get dark the whole time we were there. I love the north.
Are you able to tell us about future novels?
Daughter of Fire and Ice is publishing February 2010. This is a Viking novel and there is already a synopsis up on amazon and waterstones.com. Cover to follow soon!
I’m working on a second Viking novel now. It’s linked, but stand-alone. I’m going to research a second Tudor novel once I’m finished. Not a sequel toThe Lady – a new story.
I’ve also been working on a project with fellow OUP author David Calcutt. We’ve written a dual-narrative, futuristic book together which we hope will find a publisher soon.
Thank you very much for your time. I urge everyone to go check out Marie-Louise Jensen’s books. Be sure to schedule in a few free hours to read them. I can also add that I have a copy of Daughter of Fire and Ice, awaiting a read and a review from me. Review will be posted here!
Tuesday 14 July 2009
The Penguin Book of Classical Myths, by Jenny March
July 2009, Penguin
Paperclips: 2/5
- Creation: self-explanatory. Learn who, not what, dreams are. You wouldn't want to mess with the Furies!
- Gods: most captivating story goes to Persephone. Poor girl, doomed to spend a few months of the year in the underworld.
- The First Humans: so that's how the gold/silver/iron age came about! (the Greek version) Also included: Pandora's box-which-was-never-a-real-box.
- The Quest for the Golden Fleece: the events leading up to Jason's untimely death by a fallen beam of wood - yes, I laughed.
- Io and Argus: a maiden who sadly had a run in with the god Zeus.
- Heroes and monsters: death to snakes! Or at least to Medusa, who had a whole head of them.
- Herakles: also known as Hercules. Completely disillusioned my image of him founded on the cartoon versions. The truth of his deeds, warts and all.
- Theseus, Athens and Crete: two highly significant places in the Greek world. Move over Herakles, Theseus is the new hero in town.
- The Theban Saga: yet another significant place, including a mortal and immortal relationship whose love survives (although Kadmos and Harmonia endured many tragedies).
- The Trojan War: that wooden horse, and the woman everyone went to war over.
- Odyssius and His Odyssey: I read the story involving the cyclops' sheep in a simplified version for Greek language.
- The House of Pelops: return of the Furies (they are involved in this tale).
- Dangerous Women: Amazons (nothing to do with South America) are fantastic archers.
- Aeneas and the Destiny of Rome: Yup, a Roman chapter. This isn't just about Greece :)
- The Foundation of Rome: including the famous twins, Romulus and Remus
- Metamorphoses: I'm not talking catapiller to butterfly here - humans changing shapes due to gods.
- Myths of Love and Death: Cupid's love involves a real box (unlike Pandora's).
If I had any say on a course syllabus, I'd put this as preliminary reading. It's reminded me exactly how much I love the ancient world. Go buy a copy and absorb the rich, Grecian (and Roman) culture!
Content: two paperclips: due to the nature of life and views on relationships in the ancient world, some of the pictures and certainly a fair few of the stories deal in areas which may bring about blushes for some of my readers.
Excellent edition to the non-fiction pile on my floor (floor in no way denotes my opinion of a book).
Monday 13 July 2009
Does My Head Look Big In This, by Randa Abdel-Fattah (Children's, 11 years +, 9/10E)
Internet stopped working!
ETA: Time gremlins have speeded up time. One book review only. Sorry.
Saturday 11 July 2009
Saturday vacation post
Then, out from nowhere, two white furballs hurled towards the food bowl. I cried. Picked them up, hugged them, told them off, then let them down.
What has this to do with books? Well, there are little claw puncture holes in the bag holding my books. The books are unscathed. Last night my nerves weren't. Brain has managed to engage for a book review, but is hitting the sluggish point of the day. Next week I'll spring the three scenarios on the two types of book keepers. In light of this weekend, one of those may change.
Angel Cake, by Cathy Cassidy
July 2009, Puffin Books
208 pages
Childrens, girls
Review copy
Clouds: 3/5
Cushions: 1/5
Smiles: 4/5
Tissues: 2/5
Overall rating, 4.5/5
I think its pretty much given away by the title, and the cute cupcakes with wings on the front cover (I had one like the pink one the other day, only without silver sparkles) but this book is about cake.
No, the main character isn't a cake - that would be a strange book. But cake plays a huge role in the life of Anya and her family who emigrate from Poland to England. Life isn't paved with cake for their first few weeks in a country where people speak a different language and customs are different. At least Anya and her family can still go to church, even if it isn't as stunning architecturely as the one back home. Learning the little I did about her family in the first chapter, I mistakenly thought Anya was a good girl. She basically is, only somehow she ends up receiving the wrong kind of attention from teachers at school. Perhaps not the best start to her stay, but it improved when she sees a boy from school wearing angel wings.
Warned to steer clear of Dan, Anya's heart leads her to understanding that all families have problems. Although life is tough, she's lucky to have her parents and younger sister. She has a whole family, even if money's tight the love is there. Slowly, bit by bit she overcomes her shyness and picks friends with children of rather different backgrounds than her own. I believe this book highlights how some of our customs can seem strange to newcomers to the country, and that should keep an extra eye out to help others so they don't become victims.
Cathy captures the spirit of Anya, how she feels overwhelmed by it all. As a strong promoter, of friendship, Cathy reinforces the message that just by saying hello to someone who is new can spark a friendship which is sure to create fond memories for the future, and a comfort in the present. Just because someone is quiet doesn't mean they don't have anything to say. Equally true is that just because someone might appear rough, doesn't mean that actually are. There's a reason for everything. I would add the usual 'Don't judge a book by its cover' but clearly in this case I did. Who can refuse a cover full of flying cakes?
I haven't attempted the cake recipe at the back of the book - yet! I'll post a picture when I do. I dare anyone to read this and not want to eat cake by the end of it. The ending had me in tears at peoples' sincerity and generosity.
Cathy's fun packed website can be found here.
If you like this, try Cathy's other book aimed at slightly younger readers Shine on, Daisy Star
Friday 10 July 2009
Thursday blog post
Until I put the review up, check out my short view on titles over at Book Faire.
Wednesday 8 July 2009
The Way of the Sword, by Chris Bradford
2nd July 2009, Puffin books
Tuesday 7 July 2009
The Way of the Warrior
2008, Puffin books
332 pages
Childrens' Fantasy Japanese
Library copy
Cushions: 4/5
Daggers: 2/5
Smile: 3/5
Tissues: 2/5
Overall rating 5+/5
The moment I saw the second book in this trilogy up for grabs as a review copy I had to have it. As a Japanese fanatic, I immediately located a copy in the library. I wasn't disappointed.
There was an 'oooh, PIRATES!' moment as I read the back cover. These pirates are the evil kind. Poor Jack Fletcher, having managed to reach Japan on his father's trading ship, loses his family - both by ties of blood and ties of the sea to the ninja pirates (There was a lot of smiling here too! Even if they are evil, ninja pirates is a pretty neat concept). With zero fighting ability, Jack hides in his father's cabin with the rutter, the map which can steer anyone safely across the seas. It's priceless.
He manages to survive and ends up in the home of a famous samurai. This samuri adopts him as his second son (his first son died, and he misses him). This installment follows Jack's story as he slowly learns Japanese, the intricacies of the culture. The mysterious Akiko, who helped nurse him back to health is patient with his mistakes. Not everyone is so patient, and Jack's life isn't quiet. The ninja pirates are out for his blood, the Samurai's second son isn't happy that he's been adopted, and many at the Samurai's samurai school are displeased at a foreigner being in their midst.
I confess that while I am hooked by Jack's story, I'm following Akiko's journey. I mean, a girl who can defeat ninjas with her obe (very wide 'belt' part of a kimono) ranks high on my favourite list of characters. She isn't perfect, none of the characters are, but throughout it all she looks out for Jack.
It really shows that Chris Bradford has a background in martial arts - everything reads smoothly, its the little details about tricks, including just how much training hurts and the sheer joy that follows a successful demonstration after countless sessions of inability. This is action packed, and cleverly written. I liked it when a chapter or section of a chapter ended on a climax; the next chapter/section would start in the middle of a fight or a dramatic scene, but wouldn't necessarily be a direct continuation of the previous one. It might sound a little disjointed, but its a style of writing which keeps the reader on their toes.
It's not just me getting excited about this book, it could be made into a film
Chris Bradford's site is here.
The 2nd installment, The Way of the Sword, will be reviewed tomorrow.
Monday 6 July 2009
The Spook's Sacrifice, by Joseph Delaney
June 2009, Bodley Head Childrens' Books
Sunday 5 July 2009
The Spook's Mistake, by Joseph Delaney
2009, Red Fox
Saturday 4 July 2009
Saturday Blog Post *2
Friday 3 July 2009
Posting recommences tomorrow
Chinese Fantasy
Japanese Fantasy (seeing a theme here, anyone?)
Childrens' (with cake!!!)
YA fantasy (witches in a form I haven't seen them before)
So yeah, fantasy rich reviews coming up!