News! Hot Key blogger thing and others

Yesterday's Hot Key Books/Templar Books/Piccadilly Press was awesome. Great food, and I got the chance to meet some of my bloggy friends, Georgia and Megan.

There was also a "take what you want" policy of books, so I got some pretty good things, I think. Fleeced and Tribute look especially good. The badges are really cute.  Exile came from Georgia, the rest came from the publishers. Thanks for a great day!  We also got given a bag with a Stephen King quote on it...

The Stephen King Readathon has ended! I finished off Under The Dome, and thought it slow in places, and Misery, which was great throughout. I'm about 3/4 through The Stand, which is really really long. I never got a chance to start Firestarter :(

I AM on a book obtaining ban, aren't I? (Yes, Nina,you are, I hear my mum shout) My to-read book stacks are nearly up to the (pencil) line on my wall, so yeah, I am. Because otherwise everything will fall over.

I say that as I download the complete plays of Shakespeare for 49p. Project Gutenberg, home of free ebooks, I love you, but your formatting of verse is awful. *but strokes the kindle with all of Edgar Allan Poe's stories newly downloaded anyway*

Project UKYA has a new video. Enjoy.

On Friday, the Latin students from my school will be going to Italy until next Wednesday. I have things scheduled, but until then... enjoy life! (while we're "studying" Roman things...or more likely, eating ice-cream and crepes)

Awesomeness of the week (slightly nsfw)  via s3xvoices

Read More

Book Review-Shadows by Ilsa J Bick

 

Title: Shadows

 Author: Ilsa J Bick

Series:   Ashes #2

Published: 27  September 2012 by Quercus

Length: 518 pages

Source: publisher

Other info: Review of Ashes here

Summary : Alex has escaped from Rule - but what new horrors face her in the ravaged world outside?
Tom is safe - but what will he risk to find Alex?
Chris - how much does he really know about the terrible darkness of Rule? And what are his true feelings for Alex?
Ellie - where is she? 

Review: I remember Ashes. The electromagnetic pulse, Alex with the enhanced sense of smell, the zombies/Changed and the cliffhanger of 2012. Now out on her own, and surrounded by a pack of Changed. Also, the elders in Rule may be hiding secrets and Tom is looking for Alex. Fun times!

Yeah, when I started this, I knew I had a basic rememberance of the features of Ashes. So I went into Shadows ready for action. After a bit of Tom, and then the conclusion to the cliffhanger, we follow each of the others in turn, which would be ok..but I’d forgotten most things . lots of characters turn up that I don’t remember meeting in Ashes.

In terms of plot for this, it all seemed very scattered. Normally. I like multiple perspectives, but for this one, I was lost from about page 100 onwards. We flick between groups of characters a lot, with quite a lot of smaller cliffhangers, quite quickly, and I just didn’t keep up with it all. `                       

The zombies, changed, chuckies in this got a bit more development in this one, as did the characters in Rule.

In terms of action, it was amazing. The action scenes are written  so well, you feel like you’re there with all the gory details that mean you can see it all happening in your mind.

I like the fact that humans are evil comes up in this book. It’s a good contrast to the OTT zombies tearing people apart, but just as creepy.

The writing is once again third person, but following a character at each point. the focus changes along with the switches of plot also stopped me really following this throughout. As the action scenes are  so frequent, being randomly thrown from one  to another scene, it’s confusing and slows it down for me.

Overall:  Strength 2 tea to a book with a lot of action but is one of the hardest things to follow I’ve read for a long time.

Links: Amazon| Goodreads | Author website | 

Read More

Book Review-Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

Title: Darkly Dreaming Dexter

 Author: Jeff Lindsay

Series:   Dexter #1

Published:   July 2005 by Orion (first published July 2004)

Length: 275 pages

Warnings:  graphic gore

Source: bought

Other info: This has been adapted into a fairly successful TV show. There are 7 books in the series, with alliterative names (that makes me happy, for some reason)!

Summary : Dexter Morgan isn't exactly the kind of man you'd bring home to your mum. At heart, he's the perfect gentleman: he has a shy girlfriend, and seems to lead a quiet, normal life bordering on the mundane. Despite the fact that he can't stand the sight of blood, he works as a blood-spatter analyst for the Miami police.But Dexter also has a secret hobby: he is an accomplished serial killer. So far, he's killed 36 people and has never been caught because he knows exactly how to hide the evidence. And while that may lead some people to assume he's not such a nice guy, he tempers his insatiable hunger for brutality by only killing the bad guys. However, Dexter's well-organised life is suddenly disrupted when a second, much more visible serial killer appears in Miami. Intrigued that the other killer favours a style similar to his own, Dexter soon realises that the mysterious new arrival is not simply invading his turf but offering him a direct invitation to 'come out and play'...

Review: Dexter Morgan is a serial killer serial killer. He’s also a forensic scientist for the Miami Police Departent and has a normal life outside of that. So one day, there’s a nother serial killer going round Miami, and this one is different. Instead of being one that Dexter can just take out quietly, this one wants to play.

I watched a couple of episodes of Dexter before another show took over my life, but I enjoyed what I saw, and will go back to it, because it’s intriguing, and I like reading source material of films/books that have been adapted, so I read this.

The most complex character is Dexter, a sociopath carrying a Dark Passenger. In order to sate the Dark Passenger and also to keep to his morals, Dexter follows the advice of his adoptive father, Harry, and only kills those who deserve it. I’d like to see more of him. Serial killers really should not be this likable.

Deb was my second favourite character. I like the fact that she’s really driven, and fights against the men’s misogynistic views of her, even when being put on the group of undercover police posing as hookers.

The mystery goes in lots of different directions, which I enjoy. At the end, when the reveal happens, it’s just a big… wait? Where do you come from? However, this does give  us some good backstory, and also gives Dexter an extra side to explore later.

Overall:  Strength 3 to what I hope is the start of a bloody good series.

Links: Amazon | Goodreads | Author website |

Read More

Story’s End Marissa Burt

353 pgs.

Target audience: Middle Reader

Rating: Wizard

 

In this compelling sequel to “Story’s End,” the Talekeepers’ lies are finally exposed – the lies about the Unbinding, the lies about the Muses breaking their oath, the lies about Story never having a King, and the biggest lie of all – how Tale Master Archimago defeated the Muses and saved Story. Una, Peter and their fellow rebels are working hard to educate all the characters about their true Backstory and to motivate them to fight against the Enemy, Fidelos, who has returned. Una, who was written in from the Land of Readers, has a secret of her own, one which could spell the end of all who live in Story. The Enemy is desperate to find the Lost Elements which would allow him to rewrite Story thereby eliminating all who oppose him. Fairy tales become topsy-turvy in this cleverly written fantasy. Since characters live in districts according to their genre like the Dystopians, Horror Hollow or the Romantics, there is something for everyone. The imagination  of the reader is stretched and pulled in thrilling new ways. After all, what child hasn’t dreamt of diving into a book’s story? The twists and turns, fairytale puns, overturned stereotypes will delight readers both young and old. For maximum enjoyment it is best to read “Storybound” first. Recommend to fans of “Inkheart” by Cornelia Funke. (This book provided for review by Children's Lit - www.childrenslit.com).

 

Read More

The color of rain Cori McCarthy

351 pgs.

Target audience: Ages 13-17

Rating: Wizard

Rain has lost all members of her family, taken by the authorities, except her little brother, Walker, who desperately needs a cure for the Alzheimer-like disease that’s been decimating the population of Earth City. The sick, the Touched, are treated with contempt and disgust. Rain needs to get to the Edge where the Mecs could help him. To pay for this she’d do anything, even prostitution like her friend Lo. After Walker has an accident her plea for help is answered by a charming pilot, Johnny, and Ben, his Mec assistant. Johnny offers her safe passage in return for her complete willingness. Despite Ben’s whispered warnings she agrees. Once on board, Walker is frozen in a capsule for the duration. She awakens to find dozens of girls like herself including Lo classified by color and pimped out to crew and passengers. Rain is made a red which means she’s exclusively Johnny’s girl. Fierce competition and fear keep the girls alive. Johnny’s methods are cruel and sadistic and he’s intensely possessive of his redhead. Rain is determined to visit her brother and with Ben’s reluctant help she discovers the true mission of this strange ship and what it means to the missing Touched from Earth City. This well written story is fast paced, nerve-wracking, and disturbing all at the same time. Rain is a likeable character and her plight is so horrific that the reader can’t help but root for her. The sex is mercifully not romanticized and details glossed over but the violent punishment and retribution dealt by Johnny are graphic and not for the faint at heart. Rain’s terror of what Johnny might do to her brother and her confusion about Ben's motives for helping her ring true. Recommended for older teens. (This book provided for review by Children's Lit - www.childrenslit.com)

 

Read More

 

 

Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black

369 pgs.

Target audience: Young Adult

Rating: Wizard

 

Despite the family tradition, Vanessa applies to the New York Ballet Academy because she needs to discover what happened to her sister, Margaret. She disappeared in her freshman year from the same institution after being cast in the lead role in the school production, The Firebird. It will come as no surprise that Vanessa is also chosen for the lead role by the perfectionist and overbearing choreographer, Josef. The male role is given to the gorgeous and charming Zeppelin who takes a keen interest in Vanessa despite his relationship with the senior queen bee, Anna. Another student, Justin, who’s secretive and standoffish manner keeps her from heeding his advice to avoid Zep. Along with the usual struggles against initiation rites, grueling schedules and senior cliques, she and her friends try to solve the mystery of Margaret’s disappearance. When one of her friends drops out without any obvious reason and the school seems oddly unconcerned, the girls’ research leads them to some frightening facts about the school’s bizarre reputation for student disappearances – each one cast in the lead role to perform Josef’s tailor made “Danse du Feu.” The rehearsal room with its eerie blackened wall with white dancing silhouettes, demonic summoning and ritualistic dancing take this teen romance to the next level. The story starts slow but picks up pace with the added supernatural element and becomes hard to put down. The descriptions of the ballet steps and routines are realistic and add to the believability of the plot. This debut balances teen romance, mystery and the occult well and leaves the reader anxious for more after the cliffhanger ending. (This book provided for review by Children's Lit - www.childrenslit.com)

 

 

Read More

Hocus Pocus Hotel Michael Dahl

Illustrated by Lisa K.Weber

204 pgs.

Target audience: Ages 8 to 11

Rating: Wizard

 

Today at Blackstone Middle School, Charlie Hitchcock or Hitch, like so many unfortunate souls before him, receives the dreaded summons from the school bully, the biggest boy in seventh grade, Tyler Yu. But when he meets Ty in a back alley it is not to use Charlie as a punching bag, but to make use of is famous detecting skills. Ty lives with his parents in the Abracadabra Hotel which was built as a refuge for retired magicians. The prospects of Ty using his wages to buy his dream motorbike drop when a magician disappears before Ty can collect his rent money. Other odd and spooky happenings prompt this unlikely pair to form an investigative team. Ty’s knowledge of the hotel layout and Hitch’s acute visual memory plus cryptic messages from the elevator operator ensure success.  The boys turn the hotel upside down while discovering lots of magician’s tricks as they go. Brightly colored illustrations combined with the Sherlockian notes drawn in black and white by Hitch are sure to appeal to the budding detective who can use Hitch’s diagrams to solve the mystery along with them. This delightfully funny and entertaining first volume will surely become a fan favorite. (This book provided for review by Children's Lit - www.childrenslit.com)
 

Read More