Book Of The Week: Atonement

  4 1/2 Stars

 

  Loved this novel. Absolutely loved it. Everything was very well done, developed, and things were just so well written overall. Ian McEwan knows his stuff when it comes to writing. 

  Every line has something to it, the prose..ah! It’s a lovely, lovely novel that will stick in my head for a long time to come. Brilliant, brilliant.

  I meant to read this over the summer, but instead ended up putting it away for a wile after getting a little bogged down by the start, and with little time to read it between Memoirs of Cleopatra, and this novel. Memoirs won, but I’m glad I ended up reading this one. It is a gem, and I think I will end up watching this movie pretty soon to see if the movie comes close to the novel. It has Kiera Knightly in it, so I believe it could work out well.

  Anyways, the good, the bad, the ugly.

  The good; loved it. The plot is beautiful, the narrative just brilliant, and the simplicity of it great. Loved the subtle twist at the end that changes everything.

  The bad; not much of ‘the bad’ to it, but, like all novels I read that there is not a first-person narrative, I found it hard to get into. Especially with a slower start, and a slightly confusing pace with the twirling plot at the start, it was difficult to keep going.

  And the ugly; this does bug me, personally, but be warned, there is some strong language and descriptions in this novel. I felt that it added to it rather than subtracted from it, but just so you know.

  Overall, thought it was a great read worth the time it took to get into it, and I recommend it. I will have to get back to you on the movie, and see how that works out. Fingers crossed, as it was a most excellent novel.

  Briony Tallis is a thirteen year old girl with a passion for writing. Innocent, protected, and living what seems a simple life in light of the war, she misinterprets a moment’s heated passion and crushes her sister’s newly-fledged dreams in mere minutes.

Her innocence tears the family apart at the seams, ripping a chain of events that alters’ the family forever.

In a novel that makes a distinct point, and tells of love, war, and forgiveness, this is sure to sweep you off your feet and make you think if innocence is really what it seems to be.

Author: Ian McEwan

Published: November 27, 2007

Page Count: 496

ISBN: 0307388840    (isbn13: 978-0307388841)

Mission Re-Read The YA Book Shelf: The Farsla Triology

4 ½

Well I am begining to see a pattern here. When I was reading YA novels, I tended to go for the warrior type novels. Especially if they had a strong female protagonist. But okay, I can work with that.

This part of the mission focused on the Farsla Series, by Hilari Bell. I acctually fully enjoyed this series, becuase it was written very well with few hints of the writing being for younger readers. The three way omniecent narriative was well done too, and the backstories…oh my! Everything was just so well done and done in depth! This author knows that she is doing when it comes to writing.

  What I also liked about this series was that it was all very well connected, and very little, if anything, was disjointed and confuzed. Again, it was well put together, and written extremely well.

  What I did not like? Hmmm…I did have an issue with the ending. Again. It seemed slightly random. However, I was not super dipleased with it. I just thought that perhaps it could have been a tad bit better.

  And I cannot even complain about the lack of first-person narritive, becuase it was done so well.

  So. Quick and to the point, is what this review seems to be about.

Fall Of  A Kingdom

Three people. Three different backrounds. Three different fates intertwined into one.  

The stories tell of a great hero who will come to Farsla in the time of great need. And it seems that perhaps now is the time. With an enemy greater than any enemy seen by Farsla before nibbling on the borders, the entire country is getting ready for war. Including Soraya’s father, the great commander. Including Jiaan, the illegimate son of the commander. Including Kavi, the man with the tragic past and a shadier actions.

Little do they know that they will all meet and make a difference in the looming war.

 

 

Published:January 6th 2005 by Simon Pulse (first published 2003 as Flame)

Page Count: 448

ISBN: 0689854145    (isbn13: 9780689854149)

Rise of a Hero

With the war now in full swing, and sad truths rising to the surface, fate’s wheel is now swinging down to meet the flames. Things are heating up, and the three young people’s fates are becoming more and more intertwined. Will they be able to make the change? Or will the hero be re-incarnated to save Farsla?

 

 

Published:April 25th 2006 by Simon Pulse

Page Count: 592

ISBN: 068985417X    (isbn13: 9780689854170)

 

Forging the Sword

In the last book of the series, the story becomes more knotty and action-packed. The three young people are forced their hand, and must do all they can to save their country…but at what cost?

In the final novel of the Farsla series, Hilari Bell leaves the reader wanting more and more.

 

Published:November 28th 2006 by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing

Page Count: 520

ISBN: 0689854161    (isbn13: 9780689854163)

  That’s all, folks. More is coming on my mission, I just have to make time to sit down and read it!

Book of the Week: Song of the Sparrow

4 Stars

Some people have asked me how I can call this book a novel. After all, it’s 380-some pages of poetry, is it not?

Well, um, no. While it may be in a poetic format, there are no rhymes, no set rhythm, just a story that you can read as easily as anything else.It is beautifully done, and I have to love the idea of it.

And the story is done so very well. The legend is taken on in such a way that it is absorbing from the very first page.  The poetry part at first is a tad daunting, if only becuase we are not used to reading a novel set in this way. But it was very well done, and I enjoy it very, very much.

What I liked so much was, yes, the format, but also the story line. It was different than all of the other King Aurthur novels that I tried to avoid for the reason of that they were usually really, really dumb (no offense meant).  I never have found a King Aurthur book I liked, but this was the exception.

What I did not like, was, yes, the format. Sometimes, it was hard to put down for a few minutes becuase you knew it would be hard to get back into it. I also did not like that it was a very quick read. I finished 50 pages in about 10 minutes. So it is a quick and light read.

Elaine has always been the only girl in a military camp of hundreds of men – which are now like brothers to her – ever since her mother was murdered. She admires the playful men who all treat her like a sister…and she especially admires Lancelot. But she cannot tell anybody this – especially when a beautiful maiden comes to the camp.

Filled with a strange sense of jealousy, bewilderment, and an odd sense of possessiveness, Elaine finds herself fighting her own battle. But it cannot go on any longer -or else.

A book that is different and completely well written, Song of the Sparrow is a novel that once read will be remembered.

Author: Lisa Ann Sandell

Published: December 20th 1987 by HarperTrophy (first published 1888)

Page Count: 245

ISBN:0064401871    (isbn13: 9780064401876)

Mission Re-Read The Book Shelf: The Books Of Pellinor

4 1/2 Stars Average

Here we are, yet again at another end of a series for my mission. Ha. I think I am slowly conquering my bookshelf, at least the YA series of mine.

This time, the series I read was the Pellinor series. They are The Naming, The Riddle, The Crow, and The Singing, by ALISON CROGGON. I really enjoyed this one. A lot. It was almost closer to an adult book than a YA.

I liked the format, even if it wasn’t in first person, but that’s okay. It was well done. The writing was something you could find in a myth. The story was so engrossing. The pace was well set. The idea was executed so nicely.

I remember first picking up this book in the library, because it stood out amongst the thin spines of all the other novels. It was in hardcover then, and I remember whipping through it with ease, loving the story. (I had a thing with female heroines, as I think that most girls did/do. I mean, c’mon, we are quite the species, and we don’t always need men to fight for us.) I also liked that she had flaws. Some characters in novels are polished to the point where all you see is a glowing figure ready to save the world. And is that really relateable?

I also liked that there was one big mission that had to be done. And the bad guys had a reason to be bad guys. They also had a history, a long, hard, history that gave them a reason. The idea of what they believed in was also different. Light VS Dark has been used before, but this was used in an unique way.

What I did not like. Hmm. For one, the wait for all of the novels. It took a year or two for them to be released in Canada after they were released in Australia and the US. That really bugged me, and that was something I had to fight through. Knowing that it was out there, but I had to wait to get the book.

I also think that the last book was perhaps a little rushed, and not as strong as the others, even though it needed to be stronger. After all, it is the ending to the story. Then again, it might have been me rushing through, because this is only the second time that I have read the final novel. It takes adapting for me, every time a new book that is part of a series comes out. It feels out of place, and does not seem to meld with the story. That’s okay. Third time (hopefully) will be a charm, and it will flow right in with the others.

The Naming

A slave. That is what Maerad has been for the majority of her life. In Gilman’s cot, a rough and tumble place where the only reason she has lived as long as she has is because the slaves there are convinced that Maerad is a witch…and Gilman thinks that if somebody kills her, she will haunt him the rest of his miserly life.

But that all changes in a moment. When Maerad finds a stranger in the cow byre, she finds out that she has a secret…and a choice. She is a bard. She can escape with the stranger, and live the life she was supposed to have; learn magics, cooking, music, all of the things people her age have done.  When she escapes with the stranger, she finds that this may have been more than what she was expecting…

Powerful and written with myth-like creativity, The Naming is a novel you won’t want to to miss.

Author:  Alison Croggon

Published: March 14th 2006 by Candlewick (first published 2001)

Page Count: 528

ISBN: 0763631620    (isbn13: 9780763631628)

The Riddle

Maerad and Cadvan have been able to fight through and escape the Dark’s clutches…now they are on a mission for the Treesong, which they think will lead the Light to the defeat of the growing Darkness. But all is not well with the two. After all the travel, things are starting  to get strained between them. But when a tragedy strikes, they both find out how much friendship really means, and what love can do.

Author:  Alison Croggon

Published: August 8th 2006 by Candlewick (first published August 2006)

Page Count: 512

ISBN: 0763630152    (isbn13: 9780763630157)

The Crow

Hem is a not-so-average Bard. After all, he is an orphan, had a horrible childhood, and only recently accepted Bards and the Bard that is inside him. While his sister is off searching in the north, Hem ends up with his own problems; the Dark is attacking the city, and he is watching it crumble before his eyes. But there is something he can do…at the possible expense of his life.

In the thrilling third book in the series of Pellinor, this novel will be just as thrilling as the other two.

Author:  Alison Croggon

Published: September 11th 2007 by Candlewick

Page Count: 528

ISBN: 0763634093    (isbn13: 9780763634094)

The Singing

In the final novel of Pellinor, this is the final showdown between the Light and the Dark. And it’s hard to tell what side is wining. Disaster is ravaging the country, monsters and shadows are chewing the land, and now there are only a handful of people who can save the Seven Kingdoms from a dark and devastating fate. And it all rests squarely on Maerad’s shoulders.

But she has a weapon that nobody else can play…and nobody else can save.

In the thrilling and fast-paced end to the winning series, The Singing is bound to satisfy.

Author:  Alison Croggon

Published:  March 10th 2009 by Candlewick (first published September 1st 2008)

Page Count: 470

ISBN: 0763636657    (isbn13: 9780763636654)

Alright, so now we go onto the next YA adventure…

Author:  Arthur Golden

Published: November 22nd 2005 by Vintage (first published 1997)

Page Count: 502

ISBN: 1400096898    (isbn13: 9781400096893)

Monday Mulling #4

4 1/2 Stars

Once, more, here we are at another Monday…but at least we are one more Monday closer to spring!

Again, I had troubles choosing what to mull over for this Monday, as I am half-sick of YA novel, and want some maturity in this. So hello to Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden.

This novel has been loved and hated, shelved and tossed by many. It depends on who you talk to for their perception of the book. Me? I enjoyed it.

It is a very mature book, as the practice of Geishas was seen in North Americal to be alike with being a prostitute. However, in this novel we learn what really goes on with them, and how they are seen in Japan.

What I liked about this novel was the lyrical aspect to it. The words flowed nicely, the plot and story-line was free and lovely to read. I also liked the characters, as they seemed to be very well developed, as well as well rounded. Also,  the language is eloquent, and the idea striking.

What is did not like was the occational hole in the story, where the seems ripped apart a little for me. I also did not like how it was presented as an ‘autobiography’. How does one remember from 25 years ago that she was wearing a pink komonio, said this, said that, and did this…and remember all those years in  perfect detail. Then again, I have always had an issue with that. I also did not like the lull in the middle; it seemed too forced.

Overall though, I liked the idea, the story, and the characters themselves.

Nitta Sayuri is beautiful. With her unusual blue eyes, her red lips and pale skin, she is a beauty, and everybody know that. However, She is taken from her fishing village and sold into slavery to a renowned geisha house. However, life becomes better when with the help of the house, transforms herself into one of the most famous geshias ever.

This is the story of one girl’s journey where beauty is money, virginity is auctionable, and love is an illusion. Memoirs of a Geshia is a novel that will be remembered.

Author:  Arthur Golden

Published: November 22nd 2005 by Vintage (first published 1997)

Page Count: 502

ISBN: 1400096898    (isbn13: 9781400096893)

Book of the Week: Ninteen Minutes

4 1/2 Stars

Yet another Jodi Picoult book. And this one makes the Book of the Week shelf. I absolutely love this novel, and it is my favorite Jodi novel out of the six I have read.

I love this one because of the truth behind the story, the innocencce, and the pain that floods the pages. It’s heartbreaking and utterly relevant to many teen’s emotions and needs. I read this not too long ago, after reading My Sister’s Keeper, and Perfect Match. While I thought that My Sister’s Keeper was good, I loved this book. It’s so full of raw emotion and surprises.

Again, I had an issue with the end, just because I was sad that it had to end that way, and becuase I loved the characters too much to let them go that way. But I was also happy at the end, even if it was a bitter end to the novel.

This is truly one of the best novels that Jodi has written.

In nineteen minutes, a lot can change, and quickly.

Such as having the time to pull out a gun and going on a rampage in your high school.

That is what Peter Houghton does, when he finnally snaps and lashes out against those who tormented him all his life.

This is the story of why, and what one kid did when he had enough.

Author: Jodi Picoult

Published: February 5th 2008 by Washington Square Press (first published 2006)

Page Count: 464

ISBN:0743496736    (isbn13: 9780743496735)

Heartbreaking and utterly relevant to many teen’s emotions and needs.
I read this not too long ago, after reading My Sister’s Keeper, and Perfect Match. While I thought that My Sister’s Keeper was good, I loved this book. It’s so full of raw emotion and surprises.

Mission Re-Read The Book Shelf: A Great And Terrible Beauty

Average 4 1/2 stars.

Ah, yes, I have completed yet another great YA series, this one by LIBBA BRAY. A great and terrible beauty was another one of my favorite series at the time, and even when the third and final book came out in 2007 (closer to 2008), I was very excited.

Now that I have re-read them, I think the very main reason, was, again, female empowerment. I know for a fact that I also liked the Victorian part of it, and the magic part. Mix it all up and you have a book that a young girl like me would like.

The writing is very good. Even reading it a few years later, I find I still like it, even if it is still meant to to to a younger audience. Sometimes the writing does reflect that, but for the most part the author does a great job on all three of the books.

What is interesting about this is that the book went places that the author never thought it would go…I can relate to that with my writing. She would also read it to her son each night, and he gave her feedback. Her original editor was her 10 year old son!

And with that, here are my quick synopsis.

A Great And Terrible Beauty

A mix of Victorian England, mysterious societies, and magic. Also, of course, our heroine, Miss Gemma Doyle, whose mother has recently died in the market place at home in India…of causes that only Gemma knows.  Moving to England, she is sent to a boarding school where everything deep and dark unfolds, leaving four girls to unravel a mystery beyond the walls of Spence.
Built on the idea of secret societies and tearing down expectations for women, this novel will bring everything it promises.

Author:  Libba Bray

Published:

July 4th 2005 by Simon & Schuster Childrens Books (first published 2003)

Page Count:  416

ISBN:  0689875347    (isbn13: 9780689875342)

Rebel Angels

Gemma and her friends get to leave dear old Spence during the Christmas season; but this season is not just a relaxing one. With magic unbound in the realms, and a mission to fufuill, Gemma, Felicity and Ann are never far from trouble.

Then comes Simon Middleton. Charming, handsome, rich, and in love with the wild Gemma, she has to decide her fate.

Built more on the walls of Spence, Circe, and magic, this novel will draw you in the the Victorian era that also bites.

Author:  Libba Bray

Published: December 26th 2006 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers (first published 2003)

Page Count:  548 pages

ISBN: 0385730292    (isbn13: 9780385730297)

The Sweet Far Thing

The girls are back yet again, but they have bigger problems to worry about than learning how to dance and pour tea. The Order and the Rakshanna are both pushing her hard. The creatures are becoming mangled. And Pippa…Pippa is changing. All through the realms is change, and the air is thick with magic.

In the last novel of A Great And Terrible Beauty, by the end, this novel will satisfy everything the reader has asked for.

Author:  Libba Bray

Published: December 26th 2007 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Page Count:  819 Pages

ISBN: 0385730306    (isbn13: 9780385730303)

http://libbabray.com/books.html

And, here comes the next series to explore!!!

Quick Review: The Host

4 1/2 Stars

Ah yes. A Stephenie Meyer book. One was wound up to show on this site at one point, and voilà , here one is. I know that they may be some of you out there groaning and clutching the mouse to change pages, but there had to be at least one here, as I do like Stephenie, as I was an original fan…from 2005, yes. But we won’t get into that.

This book is all about aliens, yes aliens. I know more of you are cringing already. But they are different than the little green guys that want to destroy the world; in this case, they only want to take over the word, thus effectively removing all of the violent humans. Again, it sounds cliche, but it’s better than it sounds.

This book is about a struggle for life, a struggle  to find what is right, and what is true. It is about finding yourself…and another person inside you. (Heh heh heh.)

What I did not like was the similarities to Twilight. I also was not a fan of the ‘older man, but OMG, I love you with your chiseled features and the way you move!’ Edward Cullen anybody? I also was not happy with the beginning – it took me three times to get through the first few chapters. Confusing and slow, but once you finish and read the beginning again, it all makes sense.

What I did like was the writing, and the idea, along with the approach that Stephenie took to it.

Other than that

Melanie was a normal human, with a normal human life, a little brother, and somebody she loved. That was until Wanda came in…and took over.

Wanda is part of the group of aliens that have come to take over the earth and get rid of the violence. They take the humans as hosts, taking over the body, becoming the mind, until the humans disappear.

When a rebel human is caught, she is immediately taken so that she can become a host for one of the most traveled souls, nick-named ‘Wanderer’. But the human does not fade out like she’s supposed to. She is still there, in the back of Wanderer’s  head, fighting for her body.

Soon Wanderer takes a trip that she would never dream of, and finds things she thought she would never see.

When you are the one intruding, what do you take when you have all you could want? What are the boundaries of life and friendship?

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Published: May 6th 2008

Page Count: 618

http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/thehost.html

ISBN: 0316068047    (isbn13: 9780316068048)

Quick Review: Nefertiti

4 3/4 Stars

Nefertiti by MICHELLE MORAN  is one of my favorite books; I loved it when I first read it, and I still continue to love it each time I read it.

This is a novel that I first picked up with the promise of hot deserts and polished palaces in the midst of our lovely Canadian winters. I was rewarded with a rich plot, deep characters, and a piece of work that taught me so much about Egypt and their desert. Considering that this was the author’s first book, I was impressed with it.  The book is great in that a lot of it seems historically accurate.

I also liked the first person view looking at another person. I liked that they were able to take a character that everybody sort-of forgot about in the shock and shadow of her sister and her sister’s husband; the people who left a gaping scar on the histories of the realm.

The only thing that I think I did not enjoy was the ending; it seemed too open, but, considering she wrote another novel to follow it, (which is just as good if not better; ‘The Heritic Queen’) it is okay.

Nefertiti is the most beautiful woman alive; her body is smooth and womanly, her face compelling. Her family has always known she was destined to rule by a Pharaoh’s side. Even if it was only to sturdy the Pharaoh who just might have killed his own brother. At once the people love the beautiful and ambitious Nefertiti.  But Nefertiti does the unthinkable; she supports the Pharaoh even when he banishes the gods for one god and throws all of Egypt into Chaos.

Soon only Mutnodjmet is the only person to see past her sister’s farce, and is the only one to try and convince her that plans are a foot to kill her and her husband. Soon she turns away from the royal family…forever. Only until more horror occurs, and she must rush to her sister’s side.

In a novel that is raw and a refreshing look at Egypt, told through the eyes of the sister everybody forgot, Mutnodjmet brings life to Nefertiti.

Author:  Michelle Moran

Published:  July 10th 2007

Page Count:  480

ISBN:  0307381463 (isbn13: 9780307381460)

http://michellemoran.com/books/index.html

From the moment of her arrival in Thebes, Nefertiti is beloved by the people but fails to see that powerful priests are plotting against her husband’s rule.

Mulling On Monday #1

4 1/2 Stars

All right, so for my Mulling Monday Moment, I have decided that the book I will ‘mull over’ will be a Jodi Picoult novel that I finished recently.

I promise that I will not give out any big spoilers. You may complain if I do.

For those of you who have not heard of Jodi, which would be strange as she is really big right now, she is the author of the extremely popular novel ‘My Sister’s Keeper’, which was made into a movie and was out on DVD not too long ago. She has written numerous books, all with different moral topics that keep the reader extremely interested, and really educate them. But, she is also an author that people seem to love or hate. She does have some good things going for her, yes, but she also an author that tends to be repetitive; even if the story-lines are still amazing.

Guessed the book yet? Book #1 of Monday Mulling is ‘Handle With Care’, Jodi’s sixteenth novel that has been published.

‘Handle With Care‘ was not that different from all her other novels; big issue, women takes charge to save her kid with issue, even if her decision is questionable.  Goes to court, etc. I do admit that it was not my favorite novel of all of hers, but it still was pretty good, even if she tends to recycle the same ideas over and over again.

The issue of OI, or Osteogenesis Imperfecta, was an interesting one, and the way that Jodi presented it was great. What I also liked about the book was that it was thick! I sat down all day to read it, and it took a while, which was lovely for me. What I also liked was the way she used different characters viewpoints, which were accentuated clearly by chapter change and font change.

Now. What I had issues with. I was not particularly fond of the ‘talking to Willow’ approach. I found it to be quite annoying at times, and I was really not into that. I also will say that I found the ending abrupt and, like all of her books, unexpected. But this time I did not like the twist, as it was extremely unnecessary. But no spoilers will you find here.I also found that I was more interested in the other characters rather than just Willow. Also, because Jodi tends to re-use story lines, I found this one awfully close to ‘Perfect Match’. But hey, both were pretty good.

So, a quick synopsis on the book, straight out of my own mouth.

Willow has always been breakable. From the day she was born, she was broken. More fragile than a butterfly. More delicate than spun silk.

Willow has a disease that many don’t understand. But Charlotte and Sean O’Keefe know all too well about Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or OI. This is a disease that means one wrong move could shatter bones. A sneeze, a step, a turn too quick. Over her life, Willow will break hundreds of bones, contributing to a life time full of pain and suffering.

But Charlotte thinks she has found an option to be able to support her daughter, and to pay for her medical issues with no questioning on if they could be able to eat supper. A  lawsuit could cover it all. Just two issues. Charlotte would have to get up in court without her husband’s aproval and say that she never would have had the child she loves so much had she known of her disease in advance. She would also be suing the OB/GYN – who is her best friend.

What do you do when it comes down to morals? How far do you go for somebody you love at the expense of somebody else you love? What do you give up?

Author:  Jodi Picoult

Published:  March 3, 2009

Page Count:  496

ISBN:  978-0743296410

http://www.jodipicoult.com/handle-with-care.html