Published: November 28, 2011
How I live Now by Meg Rosoff
There is no excuse for not reading this book as Penguin has published it under their Penguin Classic imprint so it was cheap. But this is no old musty classic, How I Live Now was written in 2004. It tells the story of fifteen year old Daisy who is sent from New York to the English countryside to live for a summer. Unfortunately her Aunt Penn goes to Oslo is unable to get back as all the borders close. Daisy and her cousins are left to fend for themselves in a world gone to war. As England is occupied and the army moves closer things go from bad to worse for the cousins.
This is a classic, the characters are masterfully drawn and the world around the cousins before the change is magical. Here is the teenage problems of identity, belonging, angst, change and growing up woven into a outstanding tale mirrored by the world around the cousins falling apart. A coming of age story with a vibrant twist, old beyond it’s years.
9.5/10
Published: November 24, 2011
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
In this post apocalyptic world two children from each area are sent to fight for their lives as ‘tribute’ in the hunger games. Katniss takes the place of her younger sister and enters the games. Here she must fight and kill in order to return home and have the luxury of seeing her family never go hungry again.
The book is Death Race meets Logans Run with a touch of Survivor thrown in for good measure. It’s a well thought out plot with and interesting characters who are believable and well drawn. Although morals and the consequences of the decisions you make are the essence of the book Collins handles this adroitly. Well worth a read, a good teen/young adult book, its great for both sexes and has a gripping story line. Read it before you see the movie.
Published: November 23, 2011
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Two magicians have played a game for decades, each providing a player. This time the game arena is a circus. This is not an ordinary circus, it opens when the sun goes down and closes at dawn – it can only be the circus of dreams.
The story conjured images of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, has the same ethereal feel. The story is an enchantment, woven all around the reader. If I could wish for anything it would be to visit the circus, just once in my life. Even if you hate fantasy the story is so beautiful it will woo you.
10/10
Published: November 16, 2011
Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
Delightful concept, a real change from the normal ideas of angels. I loved this book, the main character Karou, has been raised by seeming monsters – chimera – and lives in two worlds. In our world she is a art student but in the strange shop run by Brimstone she runs errands buying teeth from hunters and murderers. Not knowing the secrets behind the teeth and living partly here and partly Elsewhere leads to disastrous curiosity, just at the time when things are starting to go wrong …
This book is light, filled with just the right combination of mystery, action and love story to keep readers engaged. It falls in the young adult section as the main character is only 17 and would sit next to books like Twilight except this book is far more sophisticated and the characters more interesting and well drawn. I can’t wait to read the sequel and see how it unfolds …
Published: November 13, 2011
Moloka’i by Alan Bennert
I was given this book to read by the book club I had just joined. It’s not something I would have picked off the shelf, a story about a leper colony is not something I expected to like being a bit squeamish about leprosy. I have seen a lot of pictures of leprosy and so I had a clear idea of what the author was describing – I think the book might , authorbe easier to read for those without a great visual imagination. That being said the book is a good work of historical fiction with an vibrant cast of characters that being to life an island in Hawaii. Although I didn’t like that it was written in the third person because towards the end it started to clunk, it was entertaining, poignant and lovely, I could almost feel the breeze blowing through the palm trees as I read.
The story is of a seven year old child, Rachel, who is sent to Kalaupapa, a quarantined leper colony in Hawaii, and follows her life and the life of the colony. The story unfolds of how inside their walls the people find how to live life to the full despite being cut off from the rest of the world. Beautifully written and imagined, worthwhile to read for just the story and then to realise that was how some people were made to live.
Published: November 9, 2011
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
I saw my first Cassandra Clare novel at the Auckland Readers and Writers Festival where I attended the Fantasy talk. Having never heard of her I was amazed to see a whole group of teen girls who queued up to have their books signed. They were obviously big fans. They were also unusual at the festival – young teenage girls don’t attend Reader’s & Writers Festivals unless the writer is very very special.
As you may have gathered if you follow my blog, I read a lot of intermediate age fiction ‘teen fiction’ – and I enjoy it. I’ve always loved these books and no matter how old I get, I still do. So I bought the book City of Bones.
It’s a refreshing setting, New York City, with an interesting premise about angels and of course demons. The characters are well drawn, engaging and the action fast paced. It’s all you want in a fantasy novel and I really enjoyed it. She comes highly recommended and I have gone on to read the whole of this series. I will be reading her prequel series as well.
Like a good novel I found myself wanting to be a Shadowhunter or to be Clary, the heroine who discovers Shadowhunters stabbing a boy to death in a nightclub, a boy who just disappears. I recommend you grab City of Bones and escape to New York to hang with Shadownhunters and see what unfolds …
Published: November 7, 2011
While I was sick during the school holidays I read all of the Sookie Stackhouse stories starting with the True Blood Omnibus of Dead Until Dark, Living Dead In Dallas and Club Dead by Charlaine Harris.
Now I love the HBO series True Blood (although I liked the first and third were better than the second season) but I didn’t love the books as much.
They start off well and Sookie is a great character but the books are just so light weight. The characters are not deeply drawn and the plots simple and uncomplicated. As you read through the book a lot of time is taken up re-introducing the characters and covering plots from the previous books. Once that was out of the way there was hardly any time to develop a plot before it all got sorted out again. But the sex was well written although there was a lot less in the book than in the series.
I actually can’t say I am a fan of the books as she kills off my favourite character – Lafayette. The series has better developed plots and the characters are more interestingly portrayed. For once my advice would be to watch the series and forget the books.
Published: November 3, 2011
The Skin Map by Stephen Lawhead
Ley lines, thunderstorms, a great-grandfather appearing in a alley are the ingredients for a treasure quest chasing a map tattooed on human skin through a world of intersecting realities and alternative past and futures. However once the Skin Map is found the quest for the ultimate prize, hidden within the maps secrets, is the real goal.
Lawhead is a master of this kind of story telling. Fast paced action with mysteries to solve by characters that are engaging and believable. I found the book very enjoyable although a little lighter on substance than I usually like. However the premise of the book is so unique and engaging I can forgive that tiny little oversight. Like his other series I will be waiting for the next book to come out with baited breath.
Published: October 31, 2011
My friend Natalie Stevens has written a movie that is entered in the competition Make My Movie and I would love to see the movie. It’s called The Effect of Bernie Crosby
Can you go along and vote for her movie by liking it -
www.makemymovie.co.nz/entry/the-effects-of-bernie-crosby/
Shelley Crosby moves her children into a retirement village to sort through her estranged fathers’ belongings. The family ruffle a few feathers however eventually win the hearts of the residents, while Shelley sees her father in a whole new light.
An unconventional decision following the death of her father leads Shelley Crosby and her unruly family to descend upon the tranquillity of Sunset View Retirement Home. Much to the dislike of long-time resident Reg Davidson the family move next door into Bernie’s unit while Shelley sorts through her estranged father’s belongings. A battle ensues that sees the family agree to help the somewhat eccentric members of the village with odd jobs in order to earn their keep to temporarily remain in the community. While Shelley discovers secrets from her father’s past, the residents gain more than they bargain for as the infectious Crosby’s teach the residents it’s not quite time to call it a day.
Shelley resented her father’s absence growing up but a discovery amongst Bernie’s effects and some home truths from his friends in the village help her to see what her old man was really made of. 15 year old Jess is a good kid but doesn’t understand why her mother won’t let her spend more time with her father. Younger brother Tim is a typical exuberant 8 year old and Shelley doesn’t hesitate to remind folk that he can be a bit hyperactive. Tim’s best buddy “Mouse” is never far from Tim’s side and has become an unofficial member of the Crosby family.
Estelle at number 50 will never lose the opportunity to declare she’s dying, but a night out with Jess and her friends shows her there’s plenty of life in the old girl yet. Reg has a secret of his own if only he can pluck up the courage to set the record straight for his beloved Dorothy… Are those pesky kids just the ticket to help Reg pull off his plan?
