Dreaded Slumps

Book slumps are decidedly frustrating. There is no rhyme or reason as to when they happen. Perhaps the book just read or currently reading is particularly dull. For some reason, the drive behind reading and reading and reading has simply vanished.

By the end of October, I was in the middle of no less than three books. None of them were grabbing my attention and holding it. I kept putting books up and down. The sense of obligation to finish those that are started weighed heavily upon my shoulders. To date, I am in the middle of two of them still and finished the other recently.

I ventured into the adult genre, stepping outside of the young adult sphere. I was finding deliciously wonderful books to read, "Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruis Zafon and The Green Rider series by Kristen Britain.

The year began full force, averaging 5-6 books a month, it's dwindled to two. I feel like a failure. But then to remind myself that so many people read 1-2 books a year or none at all. I beat my book goal and page count goal. The end of the year seems very anticlimactic.

Hopefully 2015 will start with new goals, refreshed and ready to read, with many ideas on where to start. Cheers!

~SK

Running in Circles

The Maze Runner
By James Dashner

The Glade is home base in the centre of the maze. There Thomas awakes to a crowd of boys he does not know. They have a whole community, working together, trying to figure out why they are in the middle of a maze and looking for the escape. Who put them there? How can they figure out the maze when it changes every day?

I'm jumping on the bandwagon, wanting to know why this book is so beloved that it would be made into a movie.

A fast read, each chapter was short and almost always ending with a cliff hanger to keep you reading to the next chapter. The premise was very cool. I think if I hadn't heard such disappointing things about the next two books, I would read on.

I didn't particularly like the main character, Thomas, but he was written as a very flawed character. Sometimes in Dystopian books, the protagonist is saint-like because they are "the chosen one" - the one who will save the whole world from distraction (think "The Hunger Games"). He was intelligent, but his anger bubbled to the surface more often than not.

Certainly I liked it, but it won't stick with me as one of my favourites.

3.5/5 STARS

End of Summer Update

Been in a slight reading slump. Procrastinating writing reviews. But mostly, reading adult fiction. Giving myself a break from the Young Adult.

~SK

Bean's Game

Ender's Shadow

By Orson Scott Card

Compaion novel to the sci-fi classic “Ender's Game”, the story follows Bean, a tiny, but incredibly intelligent rival to Ender. Earth has been to war against aliens, known as Buggers. To protect Earth and humanity, the Battleschool is built. High above, in neutral territory orbit the brightest children are sent to train as soldiers and commanders. Here, Bean's tale parallels Ender's in a fully rounded, incredible story.

If you can't tell already, I loved this book. Now to create some waves. I enjoyed this book more than “Ender's Game”. Here's why:

Bean is complex and intelligent. He explains situations and works through them with you, not for you. You're in his head. Basically, you're him. His life began with difficulty and it continues, but he never gives up. Perseverance sees him through.

Ender is morose and most of the time “woe is me” attitude. He does not accept his talents and what's expected of him. Bean, most of the time, believes himself to be better suited for Ender's position.

While it's not a light, easy read, I flew through this story. Bean's voice was uplifting and confident.

One could easily read this without having read “Ender's Game”, however, reading it after will give more insight into the events of the story.

Highly recommended.

4.5/5 STARS

Classroom: Use “Ender's Game” for the classroom. This book is quite lengthy. Or, suggest it to a student who loves Sci-Fi. Introduce them to the wonderful writing of Card.

Dragons Be Everywhere

The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim

By E.K. Johnston

In a parallel world, one like our own, there are dragons. With dragons comes dragon slayers. Tales are told of these brave men and women by loyal bards, sung in halls, passed down through the generations. Present day, the dragons are threatening the normalcy everyday living especially in rural Ontario, Canada. Here, our story teller, bard-in-training, Siobhan tells the story of Owen Thorskard, Dragon Slayer of Trondheim.

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH, PERFECT! ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!

Picked this one up at the library, completely random, excited for a story about dragons. Boy, what a find. Incredible. Honestly, I swear this book was written for me - music, dragons, Canada, history with a twist.


If I could pick one problem, the choice of calling the main character Siobhan. Constantly I had to remind myself that it was Chev-onne not Sie-Oh-Ban. How many people are familiar with this name. And there's no pronunciation guide.


A potential problem, that I really, REALLY enjoyed was the alternative history lessons. Think you knew WWII, think again. A book like this I savoured and didn't mind these stops in action.


LOOOOOVED it. And, the writing was impeccable. It was like a rich dessert, one that you love but have to eat slowly to savour it. I recommend this book to ANY dragon lover, young adult or adult.


Canada represent!


5/5 STARS


Classroom: Probably not... that won't stop me from recommending it to everyone!!!

Fire Breather

Firelight

By Sophie Jordan

Jacinda is a born draki – a human that can shapeshift into a dragon. Being a fire breather, a rare anomaly in her pride, she is special and the leaders want to keep her close. She will not be made captive. When her rebelliousness nearly costs her pride, her mother decides to pack up and leave with Jacinda and her twin, Tamra. Unfortunately, they pick the town where a group of dragon hunters live. Even worse, their star hunters are in Jacinda's grade. Especially, Will ... the cute one.

Again with the mythological romance, this book was enjoyable to the last page. A page turner and a dragon book at that! I'm reading the second book, hands down. 

Jacinda, our protagonist, is selfish, does what she wants, when she wants. Unless it comes to her family. She struggles with hiding her true identity and with moving to a new town where her sister seems to be making all the friends. She is lonely and wants to go back. Sometimes characters like this can get annoying, I never once found her annoying. I loved the struggle. It felt believable.

Tamra, her twin sister, does not have shapeshifting ability. Immediately this gives us conflict between the two. I love it! Their mother is struggling to give them a better life. The reader felt for her. And the twins didn't always understand the sacrifices she was making.

For a fast, light read. By no means is this a masterful novel, but it does make reading fun. Yes please! Book two here I come. Wait, there's another after that. Ok!

4/5 STARS

Classroom: Again, not for classroom use. Dragon suggested reading for the teen.

Hood, Robin Hood

Scarlet

By A.C. Gaughen

Taken in by Robin Hood and his “merry men”, Scarlet hides her identity. No one in the town of Nottinghamshire knows she's a girl, but the select few of Robin's crew. A master thief, she is skilled with knives and steals to help those in need. When Lord Gisbourne comes to town, Scarlet fears that her past will catch up to her. Even worse, she might lose the trust of the men who have taken her in.

Told in the early days of Robin, the readers are treated to a rough-around-the-edges adolescent Robin. Not quite the legendary hero ... yet. So too, we are introduced to our main character, known in most lore as Will Scarlet. In this rendition, Scarlet is a girl masquerading as a boy.

I really liked the twist on the old tale. Robin Hood is one of those legends that if you read one, you've read them all. Gaughen shapes the story in a way that keeps it fresh and still recognizable.

If you can get past the flirting love-triangle between Scarlet, Robin, and Little John, then you get to a story of adventure, funny interactions, and tests of loyalty, friendship and trust.

There is a sequel. Shocker. Actually a trio. Not shocked anymore. Duh, do I sense an annoying trend of young adult literature today? Maybe I'll check out the second book. Though, I did feel that this novel, on its own is just fine.

4/5 STARS

Classroom: When exploring the tale of Robin Hood, market this book absolutely, however, not to use as a classroom novel.

Swim Little Fishes, Swim

Of Poseidon

By Anna Banks

Galen has been sent by the Kingdom of the Syrena to seek out the girl who speaks to fish, Emma. For Emma, her literal run in with Galen leaves her rattled. A regular day at the beach quickly turns out to be the event that brings these two together.

Gosh, this was a happy, feel-good book. So enjoyable that I read it in one day. Could not put it down. The characters are likeable and realistic, with pet peeves and irritations of their own. I thoroughly enjoyed the take on the mermaid mythology.

If you're looking for a light, fast read of a romancey-mythological story, then pick this. The main character, Emma, is not passive. She reacts like anyone would in her situation. This is why I will continue with this series. Yes, a series. There are two more: “Of Triton” and “Of Neptune”.

Fun!!

4/5 STARS

Classroom: Suggested for summer reading or any student interested in mermaids. Not for classroom use.

The Book of Sci-Fi Western

The Knife of Never Letting Go

By Patrick Ness

There are no women in Prentisstown. Todd will be a man on his thirteenth birthday, it's in a month. But before he finds out what being a man is, his guardians tell him to run away. All of the men of Prentisstown are after him, and none of it is explained to Todd. He has no idea why. Then he runs into a girl. A real girl.

Whew. Well. I wanted so badly to like this book. The language took some time to get used to. The voice of Todd is unique. This slowed my initial absorption into the book.

Not sure what it was, but I just couldn't love it. Todd was a reasonable enough character, so were all the secondary characters. What proved tough was the length. I fear this book succumbed to plot-dragging. Perhaps, it would've moved faster with passages cut out and less inner monologues of Todd coming to terms with the reality of the world he's in.

It is sci-fi, however, it has the feel of a western. Pioneers on a new planet, guns and horses. I will be trying the second book.

3/5 STARS

Classroom: Too long to be used in the classroom.

Neon Monsters

Fire

By Kristin Cashore

Fire, the name of the main character, is a monster. Monsters are animals, but with unusual bright colouring. Fire's hair is bright, bright red. Both loved and hated, she can control the minds of those around her – human and animal. Instead of abusing her power, like her father, she controls it and hides it to protect innocence being harmed. But when the King calls on her to aid in spywork, she is torn between using her abilities and harming those she loves.

A companion novel to Graceling, one can read this book without having read the first. At first, I was disappointed not to follow the characters from book one, however, I grew to love this new cast equally. Cashore has an ability to create loveable, yet complex, characters.

For the first third, I was confused. Fire's mind is difficult to understand at first because of her monster nature. The world took a while to wrap my head around. However, I devoured the book in two days.

I enjoyed the different worlds Cashore creates as well as a brief cameo by a character from the first book. Spoiler: It's not Katsa as I so wanted it to be.

5/5 STARS

Classroom: Definitely not. Recommended for the fantasy reader.

3 for 1: Eagle Glenn Trilogy

Eagle Glen Trilogy

By KC Dyer

Seeds of Time (1)

After an accident that claims Darrell's foot and her father, she's struggling to find herself again. Her mother enrols her in a summer school, Eagle Glen. The teachers encourage self-exploration, developing each students' talents and expanding their interests. Darrell is immediately taken by the history classes – then suddenly she finds herself taken back to Medieval Scotland at the time of the Black Plague.

Time travel, mystery, and history. Loved it! Darrell is a relateable character. She's going through a hard time, but she is surrounded by people that want the best for her. She is curious as well as quick thinking.

4/5 STARS

Secret of Light (2)

Darrell has found a group of friends who embrace all her flaws. Deciding to spend the year at Eagle Glen while her mother is participating in Doctors without Borders, she encounters time travel once again. This time she meets someone she idolizes, Leonardo DaVinci... as a teenager.

While I liked this story, I didn't like it as much as the first. DaVinci was grating, understandably for the time period, and his views that women can't be artists angered Darrell. It brings out good discussions.

3/5 STARS

Shades of Red (3)

By far, the best of the three. Darrell and her friends find another portal in time that takes them to the time of the Spanish Inquisition and the court of Henry VIII. Entwining many issues materfully, Dyer is able to bring up religion and beliefs in a non-alienating way. It's historical, however, she makes it human.

When revealed the reason for the title of the book, I cried. The story was compelling and real. Incredibly recommended.

5/5 STARS

Classroom: I would push this series. I might read it out loud during the year. All three. They would tie in nicely in grade 6-8 social studies and current events. And, supporting a West Coast Canadian author!

The Black Saucepot

The Black Cauldron

By Lloyd Alexander

Taran wants to be a warrior more than anything else. So when a council of kings, held by his guardian, discussing the need for destruction of the Black Cauldron, Taran is excited to join their cause. Afraid he'll never be more than an Assistant Pig-Keeper, he learns the true meaning of being a hero.

For years and years I passed by this book. I'd seen the movie. Same thing, right? WRONG. The movie takes the characters and minimal plot, chews them up and spits them up in a cacophony of story-telling vomit.

From the first page, I knew, no one writes like this anymore. It's beautiful, descriptive, and enthralling. Alexander is a master at building the world around Taran and his friends.

I especially liked the antagonist. In the movie, you think the antagonist is the Horned-King and the Black Cauldron. In the original story, the subplot antagonist is compelling and shouldn't have been cut from the story. A high born prince believes he's better than Taran because of his birth. And constantly, he insults Taran and believes he should be the hero because he's a prince and princes are heroes. It's a great topic to explore. What makes a hero?

My favourite character by far, of course cut from the movie, is Adaon. He's a Renaissance man: a wise bard, seer, and prince. He's mysterious and the best quotes are attributed to him.

I'd now like to read more of Alexander's writing.

4/5 STARS

Classroom: Absolutely I'd use this. Again, discussions on what makes a hero, class status, friendships, bullying, and self-discovery.

BookTube-A-Thon: Wrap-Up

Total Books: 8
Total Pages: 2168

Total Challenges Completed: 7

1. A book with pictures.

Drama ~ Raina Telgemeier

2. Start and finish a series.
 
Seeds of Time (1) ~ KC Dyer
Secret of Light (2) ~ KC Dyer
Shades of Red (3) ~ KC Dyer

3. A book with red on the cover.

The Black Cauldron ~ Lloyd Alexander
Shades of Red ~ KC Dyer

4. A book someone else picks for you.

The Beautiful Mystery ~ Louise Penny
Drama ~ Raina Telgemeie

5. A book from the genre you've read the least of this year.

The Beautiful Mystery ~ Louise Penny

6. A book to movie adaptation (and watch the movie).

The Black Cauldron ~ Lloyd Alexander
 
7.  7 books or 300 pages a day.

Total Books: 8



Favourite Quotes:

" ... there is greater honour in a field well plowed than in a field steeped in blood." ~ The Black Cauldron (p. 27)

"There is a destiny laid on us to do what we must do, though it is not always given to us to see it." ~ The Black Cauldron (p.71)

*Both are spoken by Adaon, my favourite character in the whole book.



From World War Z:

[In regards to Allies winning WWII] "Anyone with the most rudimentary understanding of that conflict will give you three real reasons: first, the ability to manufacture more material, more bullets, beans, and bandages than the enemy; second, the natural resources available to manufacture that material; and third, the logistical means not only to transport those resources to the factories, but also to transport the finished products out to the front lines."

[In regards to Buckingham Palace and the Queen]
"One shielded our bodies, the other, our souls."

"It's ironic that the only way to kill a zombie is to destroy its brain, , because, as a group, they have no collective brain to speak of. There was no leadership, no chain of command, no communication or cooperation on any level. There was no president to assassinate, no HQ bunker to surgically strike. Each zombie is its own, self-contained, automated unit, and this last advantage is what truly encaspulates the entire conflict."

"For the first time in history, we faced an enemy that was actively waging total war. They would never negotiate, never surrender. They would fight until the very end because, every second of every day, was devoted to consuming all life on Earth."

BookTube-A-Thon: Day 7

Total Pages Read: 316

Total Goals Met: 2. Start and finish a series,  3. A book with red on the cover,  7.  7 books or 300 pages a day.

Book Count: 8


Completed


Shades of Red ~ KC Dyer
Pages: 270
Genre: Time Travel, Young Adult, Canadian
Book #3 of Eagle Glen Trilogy

Finished: 110 - 270

Quick Review: I enjoyed this series. I forgot how much I love historical fiction. This book though, my favourite. Wrapped up all the loose ends, touched on really controversial subjects, and brought me to tears. Excellent.


5/5 STARS





Started/Continued

Fire ~ Kristin Cashore
Pages: 461
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Book #2 of the Graceling Realm

Continued: p. 34 - 190

BookTube-A-Thon: Day 6

Total Pages Read: 390

Total Goals Met: 2. Start a series, 3. A book with red on the cover, 4. A book someone else picks for you, 5. A book from the genre you've read the least of this year, 7.  7 books.

Book Count: 7

Completed

The Beautiful Mystery ~ Louise Penny
Pages: 373
Genre: Mystery, Adult, Canadian
Book #8 of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache

Finished: 168 - 373


Quick Review: I never normally read murder/mystery/detective novels. My mother challenged me, I took it. She suggested a perfect book for me - monks, music, and mysterious manuscripts. While I thoroughly enjoyed the feel of this book, it felt slow. Perhaps that was by design, to be calm and peaceful. Possibly not the most exciting book to read for a book marathon.






World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War ~ Max Brooks

Pages: 342
Genre: Apocalyptic, Adult, Sci Fi, Zoooombiiiiies

Finished: p. 301 - 342

Quick Review: Boy, was I surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. Upon relfection it might be the way the story was framed: as a multiple point-of-view account of a war, much like historical non-fiction. The terrifying thing is the zombie seemed plausible. Half of it because of the realism. Each person, recalling their war experience, had their own voices. Fantastic.





Started/Continued

Shades of Red ~ KC Dyer
Pages: 270
Genre: Time Travel, Young Adult, Canadian
Book #3 of Eagle Glen Trilogy

Started: p. 1 - 110













Fire ~ Kristin Cashore
Pages: 461
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Book #2 of the Graceling Realm

Started: p. 1 - 34

BookTube-A-Thon: Day 5

Total Pages Read: 166

Total Goals Met: 3. A book with red on the cover, 4. A book someone else picks for you, 5. A book from the genre you've read the least of this year.

Book Count: 5

Started/Continued


The Beautiful Mystery ~ Louise Penny
Pages: 373
Genre: Mystery, Adult, Canadian
Book #8 of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache

Continued: 36 - 168












World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War ~ Max Brooks
Pages: 342
Genre: Apocalyptic, Sci Fi, Zoooombiiiiies

Continued: p. 267 - 301

BookTube-A-Thon: Day 4

Total Pages Read: 212

Total Goals Met: 2. Start a series, 3. A book with red on the cover, 6. A book to movie adaptation (and watch the movie).

Book Count: 5

Completed


Secret of Light ~ KC Dyer
Pages: 245
Genre: Time Travel, Young Adult, Canadian
Book #2 of Eagle Glen Trilogy


Started: 79 - 245



Quick Review: I didn't like this one as much as the first one, however, it was an enjoyable story none the less. Leonardo DaVinci makes an appearance and I liked the angle that Dyer took with him. He was mildly infuriating; what you would expect a genius to be like.


3/5 STARS



The Black Cauldron ~ Lloyd Alexander
Pages: 178
Genre: Fantasy
Book #2 of The Chronicles of Prydian


Quick Review: I have so much to say. So much anger. I watched this movie as a young un'. Now that I've read the book, I dislike the adaptation of the story. The characters were sort of similar, but the same plot was no where to be found. All in all, I'd say experience the book and the movie as two separate entities.

2/5 STARS


Started/Continued


The Beautiful Mystery ~ Louise Penny
Pages: 373
Genre: Mystery, Adult, Canadian
Book #8 of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache

Started: 1 - 35

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War ~ Max Brooks
Pages: 342
Genre: Apocalyptic, Sci Fi, Zoooombiiiiies

Continued: p. 256 - 267

BookTube-A-Thon: Day 3

Total Pages Read: 334

Total Goals Met: 2. Start a series, 3. A book with red on the cover, 7.  300 pages a day.

Book Count: 4

Completed


Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ~ JK Rowling
Pages: 317
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult/Children's
Book #3 in the Harry Potter series

Finished: p. 67 - 317


Quick Review: When Harry's naive wonder of the magical world started to become tainted with the horrors of reality. Also, how one misremembers things because of the movie franchise taking liberty with events....

5/5 STARS




Started/Continued

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War ~ Max Brooks
Pages: 342
Genre: Apocalyptic, Sci Fi, Zoooombiiiiies

Continued: p. 249-256

Secret of Light ~ KC Dyer
Pages: 245
Genre: Time Travel, Young Adult, Canadian
Book #2 of Eagle Glen Trilogy

Started: 1-78

BookTube-A-Thon: Day 2

Total Pages Read: 317

Total Goals Met: 2. Start a series, 7. 300 pages a day.

Book Count: 3

Completed

Seeds of Time ~ KC Dyer
Pages: 256
Genre: Time Travel, Young Adult, Canadian
Book #1 of Eagle Glen Trilogy

Finished: p. 24-256

Quick Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this first book. Time travel and mystery wrapped into one. Loved the characters and the setting. Can't wait to read books 2 and 3 this week!


4/5 STARS


Started/Continued


Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ~ JK Rowling
Pages: 317
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult/Children's
Book #3 in the Harry Potter series

Started: p. 1 - 67










World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War ~ Max Brooks
Pages: 342
Genre: Apocalyptic, Sci Fi, Zoooombiiiiies

Continued: p. 233-249

BookTube-A-Thon: Day 1

Total Pages Read: 435

Total Goals Met: 1. A book with pictures, 3. A book with red on the cover, 4. A book someone else picks for you, 6. A book to movie adaptation, 7. 300 pages a day. 

Book Count: 2

Completed:


The Black Cauldron ~ Lloyd Alexander
Pages: 1- 178
Genre: Fantasy
Book #2 of The Chronicles of Prydian



Quick Review: Loved it. The writing is incredible. I have a new favourite character: Adaon, the wise-bard-prince. Having watched the movie many times, I can say without a doubt it does not do justice to Lloyd Alexander's story.

4/5 STARS






Drama ~ Raina Telgemier

Pages: 1- 233
Genre: Graphic Novel, Contemporary




Quick Review: Laugh out loud funny. Though, I'm not entirely sure I laughed at the right moments. It's a middle school drama, so lots of she likes him but he likes her, etc. I had to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all, but also because I'm guilty of the same. Loved the drawing style.

4/5 STARS




Started: 

Seeds of Time ~ KC Dyer
Pages: 256
Genre: Time Travel, Young Adult, Canadian
Book #1 of Eagle Glen Trilogy


Finished the day at page 24

Book-Tube-A-Thon TBR

Here are the books I have on my shelf ready to complete each of these challenges. As the week goes along, I'll choose based on the mood that strikes me.

TBR: 

1. A book with pictures.

The Strictest School ~ Howard Whitehouse
The Faceless Fiend ~ Howard Whitehouse
Alice in Wonderland ~ Lewis Carroll
Drama ~ Raina Telgemeier


2. Start and finish a series.

Seeds of Time (1) ~ KC Dyer
Secret of Light (2) ~ KC Dyer
Shades of Red (3) ~ KC Dyer


3. A book with red on the cover.

The Black Cauldron ~ Lloyd Alexander
The Drackenberg Adventure ~ Lloyd Alexander
Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy (1) ~ Tui T. Sutherland
Shades of Red ~ KC Dyer
Fire (2) ~ Kristin Cashore


4. A book someone else picks for you.

The Beautiful Mystery ~ Louise Penny
Drama ~ Raina Telgemeier
Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy (1) ~ Tui T. Sutherland


5. A book from the genre you've read the least of this year.

The Beautiful Mystery ~ Louise Penny


6. A book to movie adaptation (and watch the movie).

The Black Cauldron ~ Lloyd Alexander


7.  7 books or 300 pages a day.

Updates daily.




Page count and other details:

Seeds of Time ~ KC Dyer
Pages: 256
Genre: Time Travel, Young Adult, Canadian
Book #1 of Eagle Glen Trilogy

Secret of Light ~ KC Dyer
Pages: 245
Genre: Time Travel, Young Adult, Canadian
Book #2 of Eagle Glen Trilogy

Shades of Red ~ KC Dyer
Pages: 270
Genre: Time Travel, Young Adult, Canadian
Book #3 of Eagle Glen Trilogy

The Strictest School ~ Howard Whitehouse
Pages: 252
Genre: Historical, Humour, Fantasy, Children's
Book #1 of The Mad Misadventures of Emmaline and Rubberbones

Illustrator Bill Slavin is Canadian







The Faceless Fiend ~ Howard Whitehouse
Pages: 272
Genre: Historica, Humour, Fantasy, Children's
Book #2 of The Mad Misadventures of Emmaline and Rubberbones

Illustrator Bill Slavin is Canadian

Dragonet Prophecy ~ Tui T. Sutherland
Pages: 304
Genre: Fantasy, Children's
Book #1 of The Wings of Fire series

Drama ~ Raina Telgemier
Pages: 233
Genre: Graphic Novel, Contemporary

The Black Cauldron ~ Lloyd Alexander
Pages: 178
Genre: Fantasy
Book #2 of The Chronicles of Prydian

The Drackenberg Adventure ~ Lloyd Alexander
Pages: 152
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Young Adult, Mystery
Book #3 in The Vesper Holly series

Fire ~ Kristin Cashore
Pages: 461
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Book #2 of the Graceling Realm

The Beautiful Mystery ~ Louise Penny
Pages: 373
Genre: Mystery, Adult, Canadian
Book #8 of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache









Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ~ JK Rowling
Pages: 317
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult/Children's
Book #3 in the Harry Potter series

Alice in Wonderland ~ Lewis Carroll, edited by Donald J Gray
Pages: 99
Genre: Fantasy and Whimsy, Children's or Mathematician's

BookTube-A-Thon 2014

Created by BookTuber Ariel Bisset, fellow Canadian, the goal is to complete as many challenges within a week time frame. From July 15 - 21, along with thousands of others, I will attempt to complete the given challenges.

Read:

1. A book with pictures.
2. Start and finish a series.
3. A book someone else picks for you.
4. A book from the genre you've read the least of this year.
5. A book to movie adaptation (and watch the movie).
6.  7 books or 300 pages a day.

I need a few days to mull over my TBR for this coming week. Hmmmm ...

Find the challenge video here: https://www.youtube.com/user/BookTubeAThon

Pos-i-tute-ly Divine

The Diviners

By Libba Bray

1920's – There's a murderer on the loose in New York City, the curator of an occult museum is assisting in solving the case and his spirited young woman with a psychic ability has just been sent to live with him. Together, they work to track the killer. Part mystery, part ghost story this book will send you back in time to the carefree parties of the roaring twenties.

Fantastic. I was enraptured from the get-go with the setting and the plot. The main character, Evie, is grating, self-absorbed, and vivacious. She walks in a room and demands attention. Most of all, she loves telling stories. One can never tell if she's speaking the truth or forming a fantastical version of the truth. I disliked her to start and as she grew, I began to love her.

It's been a while since I've taken on a ghost story. As a child, I loved them. My love is rekindled. I'll have to find more like this novel because I loved it. Naughty John is one of the most unnerving, bone-chilling, skin-crawling villains to read. He is terrifying.

The plot moves and each character is unique and mysterious. You're left wanting more after every chapter. Of course, you have to work for the solutions to the mysteries because this book is a beast. Just under 600 pages, this is a book you'll want to invest time into. You'll love it. It's the cat's meow.

4.5/5 STARS

Classroom: Far too much of a tome to bring in, however, if you have students interested in the 1920's or possible ghost mysteries, suggest this one.

Alive and Thriving

Wither

By Lauren Destefano

Rhine lives with a death sentence – after the world is cured of cancer, the next generation born lives extremely short lives. Women live to twenty and men to twenty-five. She is kidnapped and sold as a wife to a rich young man who lives in a sheltered fantasy world. All Rhine wants to do is escape, but she is trapped in a mansion, forced to marry someone whom she does not love.

While an interesting concept, this book is limited to a singular setting – the mansion – which makes the realities of this cruel world difficult to explore. We are only given Rhine's perspective and she is someone who thinks. Perhaps I wasn't too captured by the story because it felt like her thought processes were information dumps: a great amount of back-story told at once. I admit to skimming over them often. However, when there was dialogue, I wanted to know more.

I thoroughly enjoyed the main character, she had the practicality to know that she needed to do something about her situation. It wasn't all cream puffs and pretty dresses. Her brother kept her tethered to the desire to return to home. And too, the secondary characters I enjoyed as well. This would be considered a character driven novel, as opposed to plot driven.

It moves slowly and all the same I enjoyed this light read.

3/5 STARS

Classroom: Content not appropriate.

Princesses, a Prince, and a Peasant, Oh, my!

Falling Kingdoms

By Morgan Rhodes

A high fantasy with multiple points of view, a complex world separated by differing interpretations of the same mythology, very real characters that are neither good nor bad, and plot that moves at breakneck speeds. Rhodes has written the story in such a way that we see all sides to the same story. It all depends on who sees it.

You have four main characters (as the back of the book blurb helpfully describes with my additions):

Princess – Cleiona, the most frustrating of the characters. She's a spoiled child that does what she wants. Only knowing a sheltered life of privilege until one day, things start happening. Not happy things. Her sister's health is failing, she becomes engaged to a drunk, and she is haunted after witnessing a marketplace murder.

Rebel – Jonas is enraged at the oppression of his country and people. His motives are driven by the sudden death of his brother and he finds himself sparking a revolution against the oppressing country. Blinded by anger, all decisions are vengeance based.

Heir – Magnus is rich, entitled, cold, and suffers the abuse of his father, the King of Blood. Cruelly treated since he was a child, he has become hard to bear the burden of being his father's son. The only light in his life is his sister. Wanting approval of his father, he will do anything.

Sorceress – Lucia is adopted by a royal family. Young and naive, she is the prophesied sorceress that will save the world. Of all the characters, she is the least rounded, but I assume she'll become a force in the second book.

I thoroughly enjoyed how complex Rhodes made this book. It was easy to follow, but the twists and turns made for an incredible reading experience. I admire how she was able to seamlessly pass one character's storyline onto the next without stalling the overall story. In fact, it takes real creative thinking to have these four characters encounter each other, especially being from different class systems.

Recommended to those who are wanting to delve into high fantasy, but feel too daunted by the 800 page tomes or 12 book series.

4/5 STARS

Classroom: This book could be acceptable in a classroom, however, fantasy is rarely used because of magic. Forgo this one, but recommend it to the struggling reader who wants to read Lord of the Rings or Song of Ice and Fire.

Persuade Me, Win Me

Unravel Me

By Tahereh Mafi

Earlier in the year, I reviewed the first book of this trilogy, Shatter Me. I was on the fence about reading this sequel. The first book did not capture me. I felt nothing for the characters. I liked the writing. Not the plot.

*spoilers from the first book*

Unravel Me starts exactly where we ended. Juliette just got a fancy “superhero” suit and feels, for the first time, like she's a part of something. She is accepted and loved, not feared and hated. The underground movement, Omega Point, is gearing up for a counter attack. Above ground, the Reestablishment is wreaking havoc on civilians in an attempt to find Omega Point. To top it all off, there's drama – SO MUCH DRAMA – between Juliette and her boring love interest, Adam.

Unexpectedly, I was hooked. I stayed up way too late to finish the story. It was more gripping, there were consequences, things were finally explained, characters were given more depth, and Juliette took action (some of the time).

Juliette's character does bother me. We are in her mind the whole time. The language is beautiful in her head. She cannot seem to emulate the flowery thoughts into her words. I wish she did.

The drama between her and Adam is ridiculous. It's exactly how teenage drama and miscommunication play out. However real it is, I tended to skim those parts...

The most captivating character is a tie between Kenji and Warner. I am hopeful there is more of these two in book three, Ignite Me. I will continue with the series, for these two. Most people are “Team Warner”. Kenji has my heart.

Overall, Tahereh Mafi you have converted me. I will finish the series.

4/5 STARS

Classroom: Nope. Too “girly”. Also, a little racey.

Cover comment: THIS cover is the reason why I picked up the series in the first place. Beautiful. Even the detail of the bird in the eye.