Jules' Book Reviews

Book Review: Crazy Heart

2012-05-29T07:12:00.003-04:00

Title: Crazy Heart

Author: Thomas Cobb

Pages: 248

Summary: At the age of fifty-seven, Bad Blake is on his last legs. His weight, his ticker, his liver, even his pick-up truck are giving him trouble. A renowned songwriter and “picker” who hasn’t recorded in five years, Bad now travels the countryside on gigs that take him mostly to motels and bowling alleys. Enter Ms. Right. Can Bad stop living the life on the country-western song and tie a rope around his crazy heart?

My Rating: 6.5/10

What I liked/disliked about the book: This wasn't necessarily a bad book, it was well written and had some good characterization and development of its characters, it just wasn't my cup of tea. It was a genre, modern country-western, that just isn't my genre. So it wasn't a book I could really get into and enjoy.

The main character was particularly well written, although somewhat cliché, old and busted country western singer, the author did do a good job at creating this character. He was realistic and his development throughout the story was natural. I think if you enjoy this genre, than this would be a great read, but, it just didn't reach me. It wasn't boring, it wasn't gripping, it was just not my type of book.

Would I recommend it to read: If you enjoy country-western themed stories than yes. As I said above, it was like a country western story. There was nothing bad about the story, but it wasn't my genre, so it didn't grab my interest.

What to read next: The Sisters Brother is the only book that comes close to mind. Although the main character often reminded me of Jonny Cash, so there may be something from that too.

Challenges: 12 in 12, 100+ Challenge, Mount TBR Challenge, New Author Challenge

Book Review: Frostbitten

2012-05-29T06:37:00.000-04:00

Title: Frostbitten

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Pages: 352

Summary: Elena Michaels knows that being the world's only female werewolf has its advantages - like having her pick of the Otherworld's most desirable males - but it's also a lot of work. There's nothing the werewolf community dislikes more tan calling attention to itself, so when a pair of rouge man-eaters begins hunting humans outside Anchorage. Elena and her husband, Clay, journey to Alaska in the dead of winter in order to hunt down the dangerous predators. The northern wilderness is a harsh landscape in the best of conditions, but with a pack of wayward werewolves on the loose, it's downright deadly.

Trapped in this savage, untamed winter realm, plagued by ghosts from their past, Elena and Clay learn more than they bargained for about their own beasts within. And their bond will be put to the ultimate test as they follow the bloody trail of gruesome slayings.

My Rating: 7.75/10

What I liked/disliked about the book: This book was enjoyable, slightly darker than some of the others in the series, but it was good addition to the series. Elena and Clay are one of my favourite couples in the entire series, and while I think some aspects of their relationship are repetitive throughout the books, I found it to be fun to read nonetheless.

This was a darker book than some of the others, and I enjoyed the setting and some of the other supernatural beings that we meet in the novel. I wished we could have learned more about these shape shifters, as it was an interesting addition to the plot - I hope we see more like them in the series. There were some classic Elena and Clay moments, and the authors humour and voice shine throughout the novel. I also enjoyed the overall plot in this book, it was written more naturally than some previous books and it wasn't too over the top.

I did find that this book had a lot of repetitive interactions and scenes than in previous books. Elements of Clay and Elena's relationship for instance. After awhile, their hunger for food and each other and how it's described can get old. I also found the reoccurring theme of attempted rape to be repetitive and unnecessary to be reused against the characters as much as it was. While it helped move the story along and gave some good development to the characterization, I found it to be overused - and frankly caused me not to want to continue on with the book because of that. Otherwise, I did enjoy the book, and looking forward to the next installment of the series.

Would I recommend it to read: Of course! It, like the rest of the books in the series are well worth reading.

What to read next: Waking the Witch

Challenges: 12 in 12, 100+ Challenge, Canadian Reading Challenge V, Finish That Series, Mount TBR Challenge, Speculative Fiction Challenge

Book Review: Ru

2012-05-28T06:40:00.000-04:00

Title: Ru

Author: Kim Thúy

Pages: EBook 177

Summary: Ru. In Vietnamese it means lullaby; in French it is a small stream, but also signifies a flow - of tears, blood, money.

Kim Thúy's Ru is literature at its most crystalline: the flow of a life on the tides of unrest and on to more peaceful waters. In vignettes of exquisite clarity, sharp observation and sly wit, we are carried along on an unforgettable journey from a palatial residence in Saigon to a crowded and muddy Malaysian refugee camp, and onward to a new life in Quebec. There, the young girl feels the embrace of a new community, and revels in the chance to be part of the American Dream. As an adult, the waters become rough again: now a mother of two sons, she must learn to shape her love around the younger boy's autism. Moving seamlessly from past to present, from history to memory and back again, Ru is a book that celebrates life in all its wonder: its moments of beauty and sensuality, brutality and sorrow, comfort and comedy.

My Rating: 8.5/10

What I liked/disliked about the book: One of my favourite aspects of the book was the narrative, which was beautiful and elegant and helped create a great atmosphere to the book.

The book was written in short "chapters" usually a page or two at a time as the narrator re-accounts tidbits of her life, although for the most part it stayed in chorological order there were times it jumped around. Which I found worked wonderfully in this case, as it was more like how the memory works when a person/character are re-telling their story. Although I'd have liked if the timeline was more solid, than jumping around, I think in this particular case it worked, and had a great affect on the reader.

Despite each chapter being so short, and the story itself was very short, the author did a wonderful job at writing an emotional story. The narrator is able to bring up the harsh realities of being a refugee and how it impacted her life. The story is almost journal like. Which was also a bad thing, because I felt like I never got a good, hard look at the characters and their development. While I got a good sense on what happened to the narrator, and there was some emotional element, it was told in a way, where you only got a small piece of that memory. Almost like you only got a small piece of a larger story.

The writing was well done, and I really enjoyed how it was written. The writing itself was lyrical, and despite the fact it's a translated book, it didn't seem to lose its essence when it was translated. Which can be a problem in verse writing that has been translated.

Overall a great read.

Would I recommend it to read: I would, but to select readers. While it is a good story, I do think that because of how it's written it could be a turn off to some readers.

What to read next: The Jade Peony

Challenges: 12 in 12, 100+ Challenge, Alphabet Challenge, CanadianReading Challenge V, EBook Challenge, New Author Challenge

Book Review: Stones

2012-05-23T10:19:00.004-04:00

Title: Stones

Author: Timothy Findley

Pages: 159

Summary: Against a vivid terrain of images, Findley continues his exploration of the many diverse and destructive acts played out on the personal battlegrounds on which we live our daily lives.

From the realities of contemporary relationships to a fantastic vision of urban life, from social comment to the deeply personal, Stones is a powerful collection of stories from one of Canada's best-loved writers.

Contents

The Stories
Bragg and Minna
A Gift of Mercy
Foxes
The Sky
Dreams
The Name's the Same
Real Life Writes Real Bad
Almeyer's Mother
Stones

My Rating: 8.5/10

What I liked/disliked about the book: This was my second short story collection by the author, and I have to say that I enjoyed this one a lot. Findley does a wonderful job at capturing the lives of the people in the stories, focusing on details such as relationship issues, mental illness, same-sex relationships and the struggles that come with all of them. Despite the fact they were short stories, for the most part, it felt like the stories were told in full and managed to be complex in content. Rarely in this collection did I feel that the story was left unfinished. Stones was by far my favourite of the collection, but Dreams was also a good story, very odd and unusual, but a good story nonetheless.

The writing in the collection is at par with some of his novels, and he seemed to take great care in writing the story and bring his voice through on topics important to him. Same-sex relationships and mental illness were reoccurring themes in the collection, and he did a wonderful job at bring these topics to the surface. Another wonderful read by yet another author who has been added to my must read everything list.

Would I recommend it to read: I would, this was a great collection by the author, and not a bad place to start if you haven't read anything by the author yet.

What to read next: The Piano Man's Daughter, Dust to Dust

Challenges: 12 in 12, 100+ Challenge, CanadianReading Challenge V, Short Story Challenge

Book Review: The Sound of Blue

2012-05-23T09:48:00.002-04:00

Title: The Sound of Blue

Author: Holly Payne

Pages: 323

Summary: Sara Foster has left America for the adventure of a lifetime - teaching English to the sons and daughters of a statesmen in Hungary - but her idyllic adventure instead reveals a dark world of pain and redemption when she ends up teaching at a refugee camp. Sara discovers that one of her students is a celebrate composer and soon finds herself crossing the border to his war-torn homeland, determined to exonerate him for the death of his brother.

In a journey, that takes her to Dubrovnik, a magnificent stone city on the Croatian Riviera, Sarah contemplates her own identity, struggling to understand why the region's ancient and extraordinary beauty belies a history of grief. As Sara unveils the secret of the composer's escape, The Sound of Blue reveals poignant truths about the quests for refuge we all pursue. Bringing to life a world that readers seldom have the opportunity to see through the characters of great depth, Holly Payne has once again created a triumph of the heart and soul.

My Rating: 8.25/10

What I liked/disliked about the book: Although the book was dark and depressing at times, it didn't stop it from being a very good read. Initially the book focuses on Sarah's time in the refugee camp in Turkey to teach English to the refugees. For the most part, I found Sarah to be an unlikeable and rather naive character. I'm not sure what she expected when she volunteered to go to a war ravaged country, so her reactions when she got to the refugee camp and it's dire conditions bothered me. Initially she seemed to feel more sorry for herself than those who had nothing left. But by the end of the book her character does grow, although it isn't an ending that would make the reader completely satisfied, her character does go throw some great changes.

The author showed the effects of a war ravaged country and it's affects on the people beautifully. The book isn't light, but it isn't graphic in showing what war does either. It seemed to have a good balance in showing the affects of the war, and the healing process of the characters. There was also a few side stories, including the small boy drumming, which I found to be one of my favourite part, and it reminded me of the Cellist of Sarajevo. I also enjoyed the story about the composer and his brother and the story behind them. Although it was a secondary story, I thought the author did a good job at tying it into the main story line.

Only issues I have with the book were Sarah. Even with her growth, she was an unlikeable character. I also have issues with the ending, where I both enjoyed and disliked it. It doesn't tie everything up, and I do wish a few more thing had been, but at the same time, the ending fit the uncertain future of the characters of the book wonderfully. So some mixed feelings there. Otherwise it was a very good read.

Would I recommend it to read: I would, it was a good book, a little depressing, but it did a fantastic job at showing a war ravaged country and the people affected by it.

What to read next: The Cellist of Sarajevo

Challenges: 12 in 12, 100+ Challenge, Global ReadingChallenge, Mount TBR Reading Challenge, New Author Reading Challenge

Book Review: Turtle Valley

2012-05-21T10:57:00.001-04:00

Title: Turtle Valley

Author: Gail Anderson-Dargartz

Pages: EBook - 201

Summary: Kat has returned with her disabled husband and young son to her family’s homestead in Turtle Valley, in British Columbia’s Shuswap-Thompson area. Fire is sweeping through the valley in a ruthless progression toward the farm and they have come to help her frail parents pack up their belongings. Kat’s mother, Beth, (the now elderly protagonist of Anderson-Dargatz’s first novel, the award-winning The Cure for Death by Lightning) is weighed down by her ailing husband, Gus, and by generations of accumulated detritus. But there is something else weighing her down, a secret she has guarded all her life. Kat is determined to get to its source before fire eats up all that is left of the family’s memories.

Kat has her own burdens. Her father is dying, and the family has chosen to keep him home as long as possible in defiance of the approaching flames. Beth is showing signs of early dementia. And her husband, Ezra, is a husk of his former self, stolen from her years ago by a stroke and now battling frightening mood swings and a trick memory. Once filled with passion and hope, their relationship has become more like that of nursemaid and invalid.

Now thrust into contact with her parents’ neighbour Jude, her lover before Ezra, Kat finds his strength attractive, as well as his ongoing passion for her. As she considers her choices in love, Kat discovers that her grandmother, Maud, to whom she bears an uncanny resemblance, was once faced with a similar dilemma when forced to choose between the capricious violence of her shell-shocked husband, John Weeks, and the rugged constancy of their neighbour Valentine Svensson. Leafing through Maud’s scrapbooks and long-hidden love letters, Kat begins to unravel the mystery of her grandfather’s disappearance in the mountains. She is to find that like most family secrets, this one is tangled amidst generations of grief.

As sparks rain down upon them, Kat tries to hold her family together, soothing Ezra’s rages, comforting their son, Jeremy, tending to her mother’s fragile mental state and striving to keep her father at home and comfortable as he nears death. Masses of ladybugs swarm through the house and panicked birds smash windows. Shadowy ghosts flit in and out of the encroaching smoke. All around them the landscape burns and terrible choices must be made. What can be salvaged? What will survive after Turtle Valley has burned?

My Rating: 6.75/10

What I liked/disliked about the book: The book started off strong, as it started with showcasing the effects of living with someone who has suffered a brain injury and dementia. The author explored this by showing how family members were affected and there was definitely some symbolism between the fire engulfing the forest around the and how dementia engulfs a person and their family.

Unfortunately, I found that there were too many elements to the story, too many people who were suffering from dementia or affects of a stroke that it took away from the story and the emotional connection that could have been there. Instead it was split three ways and any emotional connection that could have been there was scarified because there were too many elements to the story. I also found that there were far too many "family" secrets wrapped into the story as well as side plots and memories of the past brought in. There was enough information in the book for at least three separate stories, instead it was wrapped into one, and in order to finish the story, they all seemed to take away from the importance of each other. It almost feels like the story was being pulled in multiple directions, and in the end, it doesn't come together well. I would have preferred less family secrets, memories of the past. The book could have been complex without having to have a lot of elements to make it complex.

I also couldn't stand Kat as a charter. I found her to be selfish and self involved. Especially with the appearance of her old lover. It sickened me to see her flirt with him, when her husband, who is not the same after suffering a stroke was right next door.

Overall, it wasn't bad, but for me to many elements in the book took away from its potential to be a great book.

Would I recommend it to read: To some readers I would. It wasn't a bad book however, as I said above, I did have a lot of problems with the book, and I think some readers would also be bothered by this. Others would likely devour the book.

What to read next: Left Neglected

Challenges: 12 in 12 Challenge, 100+ Challenge, CanadianChallenge V, EBook Challenge, New Author Challenge

La Grosse Fifi

2012-05-21T10:17:00.001-04:00

Title: La Grosse Fifi

Author: Jean Rhys

Pages: 85

Summary: These four haunting stories from the author of Wide Sargasso Sea capture moments in the lives of European dilettantes, ingénues, businessmen, soldiers and artists at a time when the world was enjoying freedom after war. But with freedom comes the greater opportunity for self-destruction, and Rhys is at her redolent best when writing about the desires of people striving unsuccessfully after happiness.

Contents:

La Grosse Fifi
Vienne
Tea With an Artist
Mixing Cocktails

My Rating: 7.25/10

What I liked/disliked about the book: I found this book nestled away in the book store, when I was trying to see if the store had any other books by the author, so I was surprised to see this short little collection of short stories and of course, I had to nab it up.

This small collection of short stories was well done. I enjoyed the writing style and for the most part the individual stories. Some of the themes take place around French culture and life, which the author does a good job at capturing. I enjoyed Tea with an Artist and Mixing Cocktails the most, although I'm not sure why, something about them just captured my attention more than the other two. But all were good reads.

Overall it was a good short collection of short stories.

Would I recommend it to read: I would, it's a good short collection of short stories, which is as a well written as Wide Sargasso sea. I prefer the author's novel, but this collection was still enjoyable.

What to read next: Wide Sargasso Sea

Challenges: 12 in 12, 100+ Challenge, Short Story Challenge

Book Review: Fighting Gravity

2012-05-20T12:00:00.003-04:00

Title: Fighting Gravity

Author: Leah Petersen

Pages: 305

Summary: When Jacob Dawes is selected for the Imperial Intellectual Complex as a child, he’s catapulted from the poverty-stricken slums of his birth into a world where his status as an unclass is something no one can forget, or forgive. His growing scientific renown draws the attention of the emperor, a young man Jacob’s own age, and they find themselves drawn to each other in an unlikely and ill-advised relationship. Jacob may have won the emperor’s heart, but it’s no protection when he’s accused of treason. And fighting his own execution would mean betraying the man he loves.

My Rating: 7.25/10

What I liked/disliked about the book: Overall I enjoyed this book, well written, fairly good characters, but I would have preferred less focus on the romantic relationships between the characters and more of a focus on the worlds around them.

I enjoyed the story, and while I appreciated it as a story that was very heavy on characterization, their development and romantic development, I was itching to read more about the world around them. Many of the glimpses of the political and cultural developments, as well as class structures the worlds had fascinated me. There was also a bit o a dystopian feel to book at times, so I would have loved to have seen more focus on that, with the relationship as a secondary focus.

The characters were well written and well developed. Jacon in particular develops quite a bit from the start to the finish of the book. The relationship between Jacob and the Emperor was well done, but I felt it progressed to fast. To me it seemed to be more of a lust than a love in how it first started developing, yet they were portrayed as being madly in love. Considering some of the Emperors actions and attitudes towards Jacob at times I didn't get the feel he truly loved him, the attraction felt more like physical/intellectual one. But overall, their relationship was well written, and the ending of the book was set up so there could be a sequel. It should be interesting to see how that plays out and how it affects their relationship. I'm not a huge fan of books where it has a heavy focus on the romance between the characters, which is why I think I can pick at so many holes in the relationship, but it was still a good story in the end. The ending was very well done, and I look forward to seeing what will happen if there is a sequel.

Would I recommend it to read: I would, especially to fans of Science Fiction. This would also be a good choice if you are interested in Sci-Fi, but don't want it to be a heavy book on Science Fiction terminology, themes etc as it is a very character driven book. It's also a very good choice for readers of GLBT fiction.

What to read next: By how the book ended, there looks like there may be a sequel, so that would be a good start.

Challenges: 12 in 12, 100+ Challenge, New Author Challenge, Speculative Fiction Challenge

Book Review: Silas Marner

2012-05-20T10:38:00.001-04:00

Title: Silas Marner

Author: George Elliot

Pages: 183

Summary: Embittered by a false accusation, disappointed in friendship and love, the weaver Silas Marner retreats into a long twilight life alone with his loom and his gold. Silas hoards a treasure that kills his spirit until fate steals it from him and replaces it with a golden-haired foundling child. Where she came from, who her parents were, and who really stole the gold are the secrets that permeate this moving tale of guilt and innocence. A moral allegory of the redemptive power of love, it is also a finely drawn picture of early nineteenth-century England “in the days when spinning wheels hummed busily in the farmhouses,” and of a simple way of life that was soon to disappear.

My Rating: 7.25/10

What I liked/disliked about the book: While I enjoyed the writing and the overall story, the book didn't floor me. It was a good book, but not a fantastic one, but it has perked my interest to read more of George Eliot's works.

The writing was superb. That alone pulled me into the book and kept my interest from the start. George Eliot had a powerful voice and that comes through into her writing. I loved how she chose to tell the story and how it was narrated. I always enjoy books where the author chooses to narrate it like it was written just for that particular reader, as I find it always adds something extra to the reading experience.

The story itself was good. I. It wasn't great, but I did enjoy it overall. The characters were also good, although I don't have a favourite and I found they weren't very memorable. I think Silas Marner had the potential to be a very memorable character, but the novel was too short to really get a good character development and personality out of him. For a short book he works as a character, but I would have preferred to have his character explored more thoroughly.

Overall it was a good book.

Would I recommend it to read: I would recommend it, but I don't think it's the best choice for a first time reader of the author's work (at least from reviews I've seen about her other books).

What to read next: I'd read more by the author.

Challenges: 12 in 12, 100+ Challenge, 1001 Books Challenge, Alphabet Challenge, Mount TBR Challenge, New Author Challenge

TSS - April Wrap-Up!

2012-05-06T10:07:00.000-04:00

It's the first Sunday in May, and I actually have the time to write my monthly Wrap-Up post! Bet of all, it's only been 6 days into the next month! So I figure, what better way to spend my Sunday morning!?

April was a much busier month for me, but I was able to get a lot of reading done, attend a fantastic book event, participated in the 24 hour read-a-thon, and I even finished a challenge! So it was a successful month for me. I'm still slightly behind my personal reading goal, but I think I'll be caught up and back on track soon. I have my "library" partially assembled. It still needs a lot of work, but almost all of my books are up - the rest are stacked into piles, because I ran out of shelves. Opps! But not a bad month

The Books

I managed to read ten books this month, half were print, while the other half were EBooks. I never thought I'd read as many EBooks as I have been, but since I bought an E-reader (Kobo/IPad) I've read a lot more than I thought - it's far more convenient for me to bring one to work or on the commute. My favourite book this month was Fall on Your Knees, I highly recommend this book! Song of the Silk Road was also a great book worth noting. My least favourite was The Book Borrower, followed by Requiem for a Dream.

1. Agassiz Stories -Sandra Birdsell - 7.25/10

2. Casualties of War -Elizabeth Chritensan - 7.75/10

3. Requiem for a Dream -Hubert Selby, Jr. - 5/10

4. My Antonia - WillaCarther - 7.5/10

6. Pigong - Frank Delaney - 8.25/10

7. The Return of theSoldier - 6.5/10

7. Fall on Your Knees -Anne-Marie MacDonald - 9.5/10

8. The Book Borrower -Alice Mattison - 4/10

9. The Penguin Book ofScottish Short Stories - 8/10

10. Song of the Silk Road- Mingmei Yip - 8.75/10

The Challenges

This month, I completed one challenge, War Through the Generations - WWI Challenge, reading 3/3 books. I thought about moving onto the next level in the challenge, because I did have a few books that would meat it's requirements, but I've participated in this challenge multiple times, and I never finish it. Nor can I guarantee I'll actually get to the books meant for the challenge, which was my biggest problem in the past there just isn't enough time to read all the books I want! So I'm calling it a win for me! This marks the third challenge I've completed so far this year. I'm also well on my way to finishing some other challenges. I'll likely have the EBook Challenge finished by the end of May, it's also one I could move up a level or two, which I may do, I'll see how I am doing in the other challenges when I finish it and see what I can manage. I'm happy with my progress in the challenges so far, although I need to get moving with the series challenge, I have barely scratched the surface in that one, and 4 of the 6 remaining books are all close to 600 pages or more. So I need to read those books. But challenges are looking great so far!

Completed Challenges

War Through the Generations - WWI Reading Challenge 2012 - Completed April 18, 2012

On-Going Challenges

12 in 12 - 37/144 - 26% Complete

100+ Challenge 2012 - 34/100 - 34% Complete

1001 Books to Read Before Challenge 2012 - 5/15 - 33% Complete

Alphabet Challenge 2012 - 18/26 - 69% Complete

Ebook Reading Challenge 2012 - 20/25 - 80% Complete

Finish That Series Challenge 2012 - 0/3 - 0% Complete (1 book read from series one)

Global Reading Challenge 2012 - 6/14 -43% Complete

Ireland Reading Challenge 2012 - 3/6 - 50% Complete

Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2012 - 11/50 - 22% Complete

New Authors Reading Challenge 2012 - 17/50 - 34% Complete

Short Stories Reading Challenge 2012 - 4/12 - 33% Complete

Speculative Reading Challenge 2012 - 5/24 - 21% Complete

Countries Visited

This month I travelled to Canada, USA, Ireland, Scotland, China and the Pegasus Galaxy. Not only am I world traveller this month, but I expanded my travels to the universe!

Create your own travel map - TravBuddy

Bookish Events

Near the begining of April I went to Ad Astra click here if you would like to read about my time there. It was a great convention, and I will be back next year. I also participated in the 24 hour readathon. I wasn't as active in it as I was in previous years, but it gave me a chance to catch up in some well deserved RRR (rest, relax and reading time :)).

Books That Followed Me Home

About 16 books followed me home this month. Many of which came home with me during the Ad Astra convention - but those books forced me to take them home! I mean they jumped into my arms and refused to leave, until I paid the nice people who sold the book. Bad Books!

1) Turtle Valley - Gail Anderson-Dargartz - EBook

2) Destiny's Fall - Marie Bilodeau

3) Survival - Julie Czerneda

4) Pigsong - Frank Delaney - EBook

5) Underground - June Hutton - EBook

6) The Newspaper of Claremont Street - Elizabeth Jolley - EBook (I saw this book mentioned in Buried in Print's 24hr readathon post, and it looked interesting so I grabbed a copy)

7) Sailing to Sarantium - Guy Gavriel Kay

8) Lord of Emperors - Guy Gavriel Kay

9) The Whiskey Rebels: - A Novel - David Liss - EBook

10) The Floating Islands - Rachel Neumeier

11) Fighting Gravity - Leah Petersen

12) Ru - Kim Thúy

13) You Can't Keep a Good Woman Down - Alice Walker EBook

14) When the Hero Comes Home

15) Evolve Two - Vampire Stories of the Future Undead

16) Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks - EBook

And that was my April! I can't believe the year is a third of the way over! It's flying right by! But it's been a good reading year for me so far, I hope it's been the same for you! Happy Reading!

Book Review: Song of the Silk Road

2012-04-30T20:09:00.000-04:00

Title: Song of the Silk Road

Author: Mingmei Yip

Pages: EBook (317)

Summary: As a girl growing up in Hong Kong, Lily Lin was captivated by photographs of the desert - its long, lonely vistas and shifting sand dunes. Now living in New York, Lily is struggling to finish her graduate degree when she receives an astonishing offer. An aunt she never knew existed will pay Lily a huge sum to travel across China's desolate Taklamakan Desert - and carry out a series of tasks along the way. Intrigued, Lily accepts. Her assignments range from the dangerous to the bizarre. Lily must seduce a monk. She must scrape a piece of clay from the famous Terracotta Warriors, and climb the Mountains of Heaven to gather a rare herb. At Xian, her first stop, Lily meets Alex, a young American with whom she forms a powerful connection. And soon, she faces revelations that will redefine her past, her destiny, and the shocking truth behind her aunt's motivations...Powerful and eloquent, "Song of the Silk Road" is a captivating story of self-discovery, resonant with the mysteries of its haunting, exotic landscape.

My Rating: 8.75/10

What I liked/disliked about the book: For the most part, I highly enjoyed this book and at times I was captured by Lily's journey down the Silk Road, but there were a few aspect of the book, that I didn't enjoy and I think had a huge impact on how I finally felt about the story. Overall it was a fantastic book, but there were a few element, that prevented it from being a phenomenal read.

I absolutely loved how the author explored Lily's journey down the Silk Road, paying attention to details such as cultural historical and spirituality throughout the book. I was very interested in this side of the story, and had trouble tearing myself away. The historical background and significance of some of the things mentioned and viewed throughout the book were fascinating to me, and they were showed to the reader in a very interesting way. I also enjoyed the part of the story with Lop Nor - I felt the relationship and development between him and Lily was very well done, and seemed to flow naturally, as opposed to other relationships, and I found Lop Nor to be one of my favourite characters.

I enjoyed the overall theme to the book, of finding one self, it was tied in quite well with the journey along the Silk Road, and how it changed Lily. I found a few plot developments and twists to be a little to convenient, others I didn't feel really needed to be there, but on the other hand, there were some plot revelations that were finally explained. A few things which I had questioned earlier finally made sense in the end. So there was a bit of a mix in how the story unfolded and progressed, but for the most part, I highly enjoyed it.

One of the major issues I had with the book was the relationship between Lily and Alex. In fact there were times this relationship nearly ruined the book for me. I didn't think the relationship fit into the book at all, and honestly felt it was a waste of writing space, that could have been better used to develop Lily's character even more. I found her other relationships she had were also poorly done as they also didn't seem to tie into the natural flow of the story, but hers and Alex's just didn't do it for me. I didn't see the connection or emotion between the two characters. The fact I couldn't not stand Alex (or Chris, the other major relationship Lily has) didn't help. I honestly wanted Alex to die in the book, just so the story could go back on track again. Luckily for me, I was able to force myself on, because the rest of the book, was an incredible read.

Would I recommend it to read: I would, this was a very enjoyable read, filled with interesting cultural elements of China, which I found fascinating. The book also has good amount of romance and finding one's self tied into it too, so there is something in here for multiple reader tastes.

What to read next: A Thread of Sky

Challenges: 12 in 12, 100+ Challenge, Alphabet Challenge, EBook Challenge, Global Reading Challenge,

Book Review: The Penguin Book of Scottish Short Stories

2012-04-30T18:16:00.000-04:00

Title: The Penguin Book of Scottish Short Stories

Author: J.F Hendry (editor)

Pages: 237

Summary: In the twenty stories collected here we are given a multifaceted view of Scotland, the Scots and the Scottish short story. The stories range from Roman Britain through the trials of those at home during the Second World War, to a country and people determined to assert their independence.

The Story of Jorel Hayforks - George Mackay Brown
Out of Hand - Elspeth Davie
The Money - Ian Hamilton Finlay
The Potato Planters and The Old Joiner's Funeral - Ian Hamilton Finlay
The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea - J. A. Ford
A Wee Nip - Edward Gaitens
Smeddum - Lewis Grassic Gibbon
Mirahuano - R. B. Cunninghame-Graham
The Old Man - Neil M. Gunn
Choice - Margaret Hamilton
Vocation - Dorothy K. Haynes
The Caves of Altamira - J. F. Hendry
Christian Justice - Robin Jenkins
Sealskin Trousers - Eric Linklater
A House in Sicily - Neil McCallum
A Trifle Unnecessary - Moray McLaren
Mithras, My Saviour - Naomi Mitchison
Scotch Settlement - Neil Paterson
The House of the Famous Poet - Muriel Spark
Elephants, Bairns and Old Men - Fred Urquhart

My Rating: 8/10

What I liked/disliked about the book: Rich with Scottish culture and spirit, this collection of short stories was very well written containing some terrific short stories, I hope to find more works by some of the authors showcase in this collection, as many of them are well worth checking out again.

Some of my favourites were The Caves of Altamira, Mithras, My Saviour, Elephants, Bairns and Old Men and The Story of Jorel Hayfolds. I don't think there was a story in the collection which I didn't like in some degree Christian Justice for example was a story I didn't like as much as others, but it was because of the characters in it, and their actions. The author in this story managed to give the reader a very good a hard look at the characters and their inner psyche. Which I really appreciated seeing in a short story. In Elephats, Bairns and Old Men, I loved the atmosphere the author set up, and I thought the ending of that particular story was quite beautiful. The Caves of Altamira was another example where the author did a extremely good job at fleshing out the characters and the full story, in such a short amount of time.

The only issue I had with the book, and it's more of a personal preference was that some I enjoyed, others not so much. But I find this with most short story collections and this particular one was a great collection which I hope leads me to some more books by Scottish authors.

Would I recommend it to read: I would, it was a very enjoyable read and I found a nice list of Scottish authors which I don't seem to find a lot of. I think it is a great collection of short stories and a good place to start if you're looking for Scottish writing/stories.

What to read next: There is also Penguin Book of Welsh Short Stories and Penguin Book of Irish Short Stories, so you can start there (as well as two British, and American short stories in the same collection.) I'd also check out some of the authors other works from the collection.

Challenges: 12 in 12, 100+ Challenge, ShortStories Challenge

Book Review: The Book Borrower

2012-04-30T13:23:00.000-04:00

Title: The Book Borrower

Author: Alice Mattison

Pages: 278

Summary: On the first page of The Book Borrower, Toby Ruben and Deborah Laidlaw meet in 1975 in a city playground, where the two women are looking after their babies. Deborah lends Toby a book, Trolley Girl - a memoir about a long-ago trolley strike and three Jewish sisters, one a fiery revolutionary - that will appear, disappear, and return throughout the years in which the women are friends

Through two decades Deborah and Toby raise their children, embark on teaching careers, and argue about politics, education, and their own lives. One day during a hike, they have an argument that cannot be resolved - and the two women take different and permanent paths - but it is ultimately the borrowed book that will bring them back together. With sensitivity and grace, Alice Mattison shows how books can rescue us from our deepest sorrows; how the events of the outside world play into our private lives; and how the bonds between women are enduring, mysterious and laced with surprise.

My Rating: 4/10

What I liked/disliked about the book: The author used an original way to tell the story, although this took a sometime to get used to, I thought it was a very unique way to tell parallel story lines. But, the book quickly turned for me, and I found it to be boring and drawn out. Finding the powerful friendship elements of the story to be lost in the telling of the story.

One of the issues I took with the book was the elements of the powers of friendship and that deep connection of emotion that comes with friendship just didn't seem to be there. The book seems to be void of the exact thing the author was trying to show. I didn't get friendship from Deborah an Ruben's relationship - it seemed to be one sided and I didn't see the beautiful connection they were suppose to have. This could be partly due to how the characters were written and developed, as I didn't connect or really like them, but I still failed to see the friendship between the two characters.

Another issue I had with the book was how it was written, while it was more original, not using the traditional methods of quotations marks during dialogue and breaking up the story in a more traditional way affected my enjoyment of the story, as it took a while to get used to this and I think in this case, affected the natural flow of the book. I've seen similar methods work in other books, but it didn't do it for this particular book. The story itself was average to being with, but eventually began to feel forced, plot twist didn't seem to connect properly, how characters of the book exited just didn't work for me. Not to mention, the reveal of who one character was, seemed to come from out of left field, I would have been much happier had that character stayed in more of the back drop/parallel story - although I did find I enjoyed the story of the "Trolley Girl" more than the actual story.

I did enjoy the first part of the book where there were two parallel stories going on at once. The main story, and the story from the book Ruben is reading, Trolley Girl. This did take a while to get used to as it jumped from one to the other, sometimes in mid sentence of the other story, but I thought it was an interesting idea, and if it was executed better it could have been a spectacular element to the book.

The book had some interesting and original elements to it, but in the end the book just didn't work for me.

Would I recommend it to read: I don't think I would, there are too many factors, (writing style, characterization etc) that affect the book and the reading experience.

What to read next: I haven't a clue what I'd recommended, no titles come to mind. I guess books that take place during the time period.

Challenges: 12 in 12, 100+ Challenge, Mount TBR Challenge, New Author Challenge

Book Review: Fall On Your Knees

2012-04-30T06:25:00.000-04:00

Title: Fall On Your Knees

Author: Ann-Marie MacDonald

Pages: 566

Summary: A sprawling saga about five generations of a family from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Fall on Your Knees is the impressive first fiction from Canadian playwright and actor Ann-Marie MacDonald. This epic tale of family history, family secrets, and music centers on four sisters and their relationships with each other and with their father. Set in the coal-mining communities of Nova Scotia in the early part of this century, the story also shifts to the battlefields of World War I and the jazz scene of New York City in the 1920s.

My Rating: 9.5/10

What I liked/disliked about the book: Fall on Fall on Your Knees was an incredible, riveting read. There were many times were it was hard to put the book down, as I was so involved in the story. I think it's safe to say this is a book that will likely be one of my favourite books of the year.

The writing style was what initially pulled me in, from the first few pages the author had me hooked by how the story was told. Something about it just grabbed me and kept my attention. The book moved slowly, which helped develop the characters and plot, but it wasn't noticeable in most cases because of lovely writings style. The ending was spectacular and beautiful, I was surprised by parts of it (and disturbed out by other parts), but many of those plot developments were tied into the story beautifully - although I do wish the reader was able to experience some of these plot revelations more directly.

The characters were well done, although I don't have a favourite in the book I still enjoyed there stories and development. I did find some of them hard to like at times, but even those characters had some great development - especially Kathleen. She was a character I found to be very unlikeable, until near the end f the book when secrets were revealed, then I grew to really enjoy her character, especially on an emotional level. All of the characters are well rounded, complex and have multiple layers, some more apparent than others, but the characters were well written.

As I said above, the plot did move slowly at times, which was a good thing for me because it gave me a chance to savour the book and story longer. But there were a few times were I did want it to progress a little faster, but that was a minor issue. Overall a wonderful read which I highly recommend!

Would I recommend it to read: I would, this was such an amazing read - and hard to tear myself away from it at times. I'd highly recommend the book.

What to read next: More Canadian Classics and Award Winners

Challenges: 12 in 12, 100+ Challenge, 1001 Books Challenge, Canadian Reading Challenge V, New Author Challenge

Book Review: The Return of the Soldier

2012-04-29T11:49:00.003-04:00

Title: The Return of the Soldier

Author: Rebecca West

Pages: EBook (84)

Summary: The soldier returns from the front to find three women from his past. There's Kitty, his wife, with her cool, moonlight beauty, and his devoted cousin Jenny, who never quite admits her love for him.

But it's Margaret whom the shell-shocked Chris remembers. Margaret, his first love of fifteen years before. His cousin he recalls only as a childhood playmate, and his wife not at all. The women have a choice: to leave him as he is, or to 'cure' him. . .

My Rating: 6.5/10

What I liked/disliked about the book: The book wasn't my favourite, while I enjoyed the writing style and how the story was told, I found myself bored with the story at times, and annoyed by the characters at other times. It did do a good job at showing what happens to a shell shocked soldier from WWI, but I wanted something more from the book.

This is a book where the plot moves slow, but it works out well for it, as it helps develop the characters. Unfortunately, I didn't like a single character, so I didn't care for the development. Most of the time the characters annoyed me on how they reacted to the soldiers home coming and the fact there is a war going on. The women in the book really bothered me, with their personalities, interactions with each other and Chris, which grew to be repetitive for me and I grew bored of the plot quickly because of it.

The writing was well done and I will try out the author again, I may not have liked the story much, more because how the characters carried themselves, but the writing was well done, and I think if the characters were more likeable, the book would have been a great read.

Would I recommend it to read: I'm not sure I would. However, I would recommend the author.

What to read next: I'd try out the author again.

Challenges: 12 in 12, 100+ Challenge, 1001 Books Challenge, EBook Challenge, New Author Challenge, War Through the Generations - WWI

Book Review: Pigsong

2012-04-29T10:58:00.000-04:00

Title: Pigsong

Author: Frank Delaney

Pages: Ebook (32 pages)

Summary: "Once upon a time and long ago, when snow tasted like cream, and timber tasted like sweet cake, and every tenth egg laid by a duck had a diamond in it, there lived up in the North of Ireland a very bad man."

The third short story in Frank Delaney's series, "Storytellers," is far more than charming as he instructs, seduces, entertains and allows us to see how an oppressed culture might have learned the concept of justice through imagination.

My Rating: 8.25/10

What I liked/disliked about the book: Another lovely read from one of my favourite authors, this short story doesn't disappoint, a great choice for those who enjoy folklore and magical realism.

Like the previous two short stories from the series, this was a very enjoyable read and like the previous stories in this series, it had the atmosphere of a storyteller telling you the story. Which I absolutely love, I'd be willing to find these books in audio, if the right person were to read them. Then these stories would really come alive - they are the perfect book to read or listen by the fire. I'm not sure how the author does it, but he creates the perfect reading experience with these short stories.

The writing as always, was wonderful and the story itself was original and overall fun read. I enjoyed the themes the story used and the metaphor of the pigsong stood for and how it inspired the characters in the book. It had a very fairytale feeling to it, especially in the ending, but I still found myself enjoying the story and I'm anxiously awaiting the next installment of this series.

Would I recommend it to read: I would recommend the whole series, they are well written, fun and this one has a very good message. Great if you enjoy folklore/mythology/magical realism. They would also be an excellent choice if you haven't read anything by the author.

What to read next: The Druid and The Girl Who Lived on the Moon the first two books in the storytellers series. Ireland, Tipperary, Shannon also by the author.

Challenges: 12 in 12 Challenge, Ebook Challenge

Book Review: My Ántonia

2012-04-28T11:47:00.000-04:00

Title: My Ántonia

Author: Willa Cather

Pages: 272

Summary: Willa Cather recognized the power of My Ántonia when she said it was "the best thing [she had] done." Written in 1918, My Ántonia explores the ideals of Manifest Destiny, the early-American push to expand westward, and the immigrants pursuit of the American dream. The narrator, Ántonia Shimerda, on the unsettled plains of Nebraska, where poverty, danger, and tragedy are ready to (and do) strike at any moment. When her father dies Ántonia must sacrifice her education and friendships to work in the house and the family fields. These experiences fortify Ántonia for the struggles that she faces after leaving the family farm to pursue her own path in life. Cather depicts Ántonia as a woman whose unyielding spirit makes her emblematic of the qualities Cather found most admirable in the American people and their pursuit of happiness.

My Rating: 7.5/10

What I liked/disliked about the book: For the most part, this was an enjoyable read, it may have slowed at times, but that also worked for this particular book.

I enjoyed how the author told Antonia's story through the through the eyes of her childhood friend. Although part of me want to follow Antonia's path and see the world through her eyes or at least have more of the focus on her, the effect on the story and the main character's story wouldn't have been the same if it were done any other way. It added something extra, having her life retold by another, through their observations and experiences a lot was left out, and I did feel we didn't get a chance to get into the deep inner emotions of Antonia, the reader still got an in-depth glimpse of her life and development. Antonia was a well written character, but I did find some of the other characters lacked some of the development given to Antonia's character.

The book also does a good job at showing families trying to live the American dream and all the struggles that come with it. I thought the author did a good job at showing the reader how the families struggled and what life was like for families during this time period. Although, there were times I found the story dragged a bit, I did find this historical side interesting.

Overall it was a good read, and I would definitely try the author again.

Would I recommend it to read: I would, very well written ad a good story

What to read next: I'd try out the author again. Edith Wharton and Kate Chopin would also be authors to check out.

Challenges: 12 in 12, 100+ Challenge, Alphabet Challenge, Mount TBR Challenge, New Author Challenge

Update Final - Readathon Spring 2012

2012-04-22T09:52:00.002-04:00

Update: Final

Hours Reading: 12ish maybe?

Current Book: Book Borrowers/ The Penguin Book of Scottish Short Stories (well that was what was on the go when I fell asleep

Books Read: 1

Pages Read: 541

Current Location: Library/desk (I fell asleep on the couch.)

Cups of Coffee: 2 Cups of Coffee and a Carmel Latte (Love my Tassimo)

Personal Cheerleader (Tonks the cat): She napped with me on the couch for a while, then lurked around the house until bed.

End of Event Meme

Which hour was most daunting for you?
I'm not sure, as I ended up falling asleep early on in the night - I think around 11?
Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
Fall on Your Knees - Ann- MacDonald was a fantastic book, but it was dense and not the best book for a readathon. I've enjoyed the Scottish Short Stories, they were short and a good break, but only read 5. The final book I read is also a interesting, or will have the potential to be interesting book, but the way it's written also made for a poor choice for a readathon.
Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
I found this year to not be as organized as previous years. There's usually aot more cheerleaders on twitter, and the bloggers and didn't see much this year. I also missed the list of participants that was on the fall list, it was handy way to visit the other blogs. That list is still there, but no new one for the spring one.

What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
I just read, didn't pay much attention to the inner workings.
How many books did you read?
1 Book, 5 short stories and 25 pages of a second book.
What were the names of the books you read?
- Fall on Your Knees - Ann-Marie MacDonald
- The Penguin Book of Scottish Short Stories
- The Book Borrowers - Alice Mattison
Which book did you enjoy most?I only finished the one, so Fall on Your Knees
Which did you enjoy least?

-none-
If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?
-none-
How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
I hope to be in the Fall one, but that depends on what goes on in the home.

Update 3 - Spring Readathon 2012

2012-04-21T20:47:00.002-04:00

Update: 3

Hours Reading: 8.5 - 9

Current Book: Attempting to choose next book

Books Read: 1

Pages Read: 480

Current Location: Library/desk

Cups of Coffee: 2. Also ate two "secret" mini cheesecakes about to eat the other 2

Personal Cheerleader (Tonks the cat): Had a nap in my lap, now lurking in the library

Update 2 - Spring Readathon

2012-04-21T17:13:00.001-04:00

Update: 2

Hours Reading: 5.5

Current Book: Fall on Your Knees

Books Read: 0

Pages Read: 235

Current Location: Living room

Cups of Coffee: 2. Also ate two "secret" mini cheesecakes

Personal Cheerleader (Tonks the cat): Emerged from hiding, currently poking the sleeping dragon (the other, older cat. Tonks is currently rolling, playing with random items on the ground, while mouse glares at her)

Other - dozed off, and helped hunt for an Nintendo 3ds. House to my self for a while, so enjoying the peace! Read on!

Edit~ added the picture of the 4, er now secret mini cheesecake!

Update 1 - Spring Readathon 2012

2012-04-21T13:13:00.000-04:00

Update: 1

Hours Reading: 3.5

Current Book: Fall on Your Knees

Books Read: 0

Pages Read: 180

Current Location: Bouncing back between the library/living room

Cups of Coffee: 2 (ran out of milk)

Personal Cheerleader (Tonks the cat): Hiding from/spying on the children

Spring 24 Hour Readathon - Introductory Questionnaire

2012-04-21T08:07:00.001-04:00

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
Milton Ontario

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Not sure, I don't have an actual stack this time around. Mostly going to randomly pick. But I am enjoying both of my current reads, so we'll see what happens.

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
At the moment, my morning coffee.

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
Today I'm starting the readathon from my personal library. And I will try not to be distracted by Pottermore. I'm a ravenclaw. Username is CrimsonCentaur27524 so add me

5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?
This is my 5th readathon. This time around I'm going to read and relax. No expectations this time around.

The Pre-Spring Read-a-Thon 2012

2012-04-21T04:00:00.000-04:00

This will be my first Spring Read-a-thon and my 5th read-a-thon ever.

I wasn't going to do this, but last minute impulsiveness has me jumping in. Not sure how much reading I'll get done, I'm going to aim for 15 hours, which I'll likley spread throughout the entire day, but who knows what it will actually turn out to be. I don't have any real plans, except to relax and read.

I'm not even sure I'll even pre-select the books, just grab at random.
I have a couple on the go and a couple I want to read before months end, so I guess it won't be completely random but this time around is to read and enjoy. And see what happens. I don't have the goal of doing the full 24 hours, but will try to see what will happen. I do have more people around living with me, so that either A = more cheerleading or B more distractions. Pottermore will also something that will be hard not to be on all day. Hmmm perhaps, re-read Harry Potter books on ebook...hmmmm perhaps I'll brew up a new plan...

Right, the read a thon. So join me if you like be a cheerleader, a reader, a watcher, just join in the fun!

24 Hour Read a thon <----- click for details and to sign up.

This is my first attempt at a pre-scheduled post - so let hope it works. I'll hopefully be awake at the actual begining of the read-a-thon, so I can do my first intro post, but I have been tired lately....

Ad Astra 2012

2012-04-18T07:07:00.000-04:00

This past weekend (Friday April 13, - Sunday April 15) I attended the 31st annual Ad Astra convention. It's at an annual Science Fiction and Fantasy convention, that heavily focuses on books and writing (and some other things related to Sci Fi/Fantasy). This was my second year attending the convention, and my first year as a panelist as well as a behind the scenes organizer of information for the book launches. I plan on helping out with the convention more next year, with book launches and programming (assuming they want me of course.) Knowing what it takes, to do all that stuff, I know how much time to prepare, and it's a great convention, I want to make sure it stays alive.

I had a great at convention, and one of the very few in my area that focuses on books. I was unable to attend on the Sunday, as I wasn't feeling well at all, I had a horrible headache that wouldn't go away, starting Saturday afternoon, so I stayed home to rest. But, the two days I did attend were fantastic!

Panels and more Panels!

FRIDAY

There are far too many I wanted to go to, and far too many at the same time I wanted to attend - it doesn't matter the convention, this is unavoidable. There always seems to be multiple panels, author readings and other events at the same time. Unless you know how to make yourself be in two places at one. All the author readings I wanted to attend were at times I was busy in a panel.

But I did manage to get into a couple of panels on Friday, I was a little late, because of traffic and finding the rooms (or hotel double booked on us, so we ended up losing half the rooms and things were a bit of a mess). But the first one I went to was "What are You reading?" (everything for me). It was a good panel, and ended up being a lot less formal and more chatting about what we liked, have read last year and our current reads, I even grabbed a few recommendations. I didn't clue into actually writing the recommendations down until near the end (in my defence, it was Friday after a long week at work, and a long sitting in GTA traffic, I was brain dead ;)). So I barely remembered most of them. Oh well. My TBR List is already so high, I'm surprised it hasn't collapsed. The program description of the panel suggested we bring some of our favourite/current reads. I didn't as I'd need a bigger car and a team of book carriers to do so.
Another panel I sat in on was Urban Fantasies - (Faerie, Werewolves and Vampires are just a few of the otherworldy folk that are moving into cities, blending in, using he system and working within it. What makes a successful urban fantasy? How do you keep it 'real' when you are writing about a faerie princess that is the girl next door - with Rob St. Martin, Leah Bobet, Rebecca Simkin, Max Turner - from the program).

This was an interesting panel on how fantasy focus is changing from the traditional fantasy of medieval, forests, small villages etc, to urban centers. How fantasy books and characters affect the setting and vise versa. Interesting panel and a lot of debate on what defines urban fantasy and how long it's been around. What makes up the components of urban fantasy and how it affects readers and brings them in.

SATURDAY!

RIP Hogworts: The Harry Potter Post Mortem The books are done, the films are done. How do you feel about the conclusion of Harry’s adventures? Are you happy with the resolution, do you feel like the last movie did the books justice?

I was supposed to be a panelist on this - it was a last minute thing Thursday/Friday, that if I was able to make it that I'd go up and be panelist. Unfortunately it being 10am panel and living a good 40 minutes away made it hard to get there. I did make it for most of the panel, but missed out on being on the panel - I still put my two cents in though. I mentioned to the panelists and panel goers, that Pottermore is now open - which will of course help keep Harry Potter alive in all our hearts. I believe Harry Potter will be well alive (much like star wars is), as long as we the fans make it remembered! But I had fun talking, reminiscing about one of my favourite book series of all time.

“Ye Olde Bookes for Beginners: A Book Historian’s Guide to Ancient Tablets, Scrolls, and Codices” Join Helen Marshall for presentation on historical story telling forms. What the written word was ecorded on before books and modern publishing.

This was one of my favourite panels. Leaning about the history of books, how they were made and what was used to make them. Parchment for example was made from animal skin, briefly talked about books made of human skin (eww). Learned about wax books, which is where people used to write on the wax, and later scrape off what they didn't want. How ink was made using different stones and other earthly products. The origin of book worms (when they used animal skin to make parchment paper, they would have parasites in them that would later hatch into worms, and eat through the book! Gross but neat at the same time!) I was also told about The Auchinleck Manuscript and have decided a trip to the National Library of Scotland is a must! I promise not to drool on it. There was also a little verse the panelist shared with us, which is a message of sorts, meant to prevent people stealing books. I wanted to share it with you, and debated having it inserted into all my own books but was to amused with the idea of having it inserted into all my own books, that I forgot to write it down. Doh! Either way, it was a very interesting panel.

Criticism and Critique in the 21st Century Developments in social media and web 2.0 technology continue to blur the line between amateur and professional critics. As North American colleges and universities produce record numbers of graduates, the media consuming public is transforming itself into something that feels it ought to be included in larger critical conversations. The purpose of this panel would be to explore how professionals and amateurs work together to evaluate genre media be it television, movies.

This was a popular panel, with some fantastic panelists and panel goers. It was interesting to hear what they had to say about criticism and critique in the online world and how it has changed. How the panelists, and the audience take in online reviews of media. It was a good discussion, I wish I could give more details on exactly what we talked, but I ended up being very involved in it, that I didn't get to take any notes. The panelists and audience had some great things to say, but too busy listening to those who had similar ideas to me on the subject to write anything down. Another panel that is up there in my favourites.

Book Binding Workshop John Morgan returns from his highly touted practical bookbinding workshop last year at the CNSE for an encore! Join John as he leads you through the process of preparing your own hand-stitched notebook, with all materials for a takeaway booklet provided. Space may be limited! First come first serve.

This was all about binding your own books. This focused on non-adhesive book binding, so in the end we got to stitch together our own little notebooks. Or in my case attempt. I think I need to practice a little.... okay a lot to do it. I'm pretty sure I did it wrong. But, it was a fun panel, even if I sucked at it. Snd I learned about some of the details and tools to do book binding. I have to say this is a lot more fun than the book binding I do at work with our manual binding machine and the combs. Although if I had to stitch together a book of legal cases that was a 100 pages long, I would cry. I plan on reattempting my little note book until I get it right!

A Cover Story Do you have a passion for book covers? What makes a quality cover? How much does a book’s cover influence your literary choices? What does a cover have to convey? (Panelists - Beverley Bambury, Adrienne Kress, Kent Allan Rees, Caro Soles, Shelly Shapiro)

This was an interesting panel I sat in on. Where we talked about covers. What is liked, disliked, how a cover influences buyers and how changing it can affect them. I also learned on how much or little an author input an author may have on a book cover. Another case where I didn't take a lot of notes, because I was engaged in the panel, and in the enthusiasm of some of the panellists.

Writing for Young Adults/YA Fantasy: Using Magic and Fantasy to Grip Teen Readers (The formally two different panels combined into one)

Did you notice the YA section the last time you went to the bookstore? There are a lot of books being written for young adults. How is writing for that demographic different, how do you write a book that they want to read. Join our panelists as they discuss what makes good fiction for Young Adults.- Did you notice the YA section the last time you went to the bookstore? There are a lot of books being written for young adults. How is writing for that demographic different, how do you write a book that they want to read. Join our panelists as they discuss what makes good fiction for Young Adults. / Teens aren't always avid readers. Weaving magic or fantasy into a story can intrigue readers and pull them into a world that isn't their own

Panelists Adrienne Kress(m), Timothy Carter, Max Turner, Lesley Livingston, Rob St. Martin / Cheryl Rainfield, Julie Dobson (me)

My friend was a programmer for the con and needed someone to help out for the YA Fantasy panel so I volunteered to give my viewpoint from a bloggers view. I may not read a lot of YA but it is everywhere, and the community has exploded in it - so I said I'd give my two cents on the subject. Later I found out one of the panelsits couldn't make it, so I was more than happy to sit in on it. Before the panel started, Lesley Livingston came buy and suggested we combine the two panels together. They were side by side, and very close in subject. So we did. First of all, it was great sitting on a panel with these authors. I've met Max Turner at two previous cons, and have read one of his books, the other is on the TBR list. Lesley Livingston is an author I've seen showcased a lot in the blog vers. I'd had seen Cheryl Rainields book, Scars, a few times in the blog verse. And because of the con and friends I've heard/seen Adrianne Kress. I wish I could tell you all about what we talked about, but I was far too involved in the panel. And trying not to ramble when I was speaking, and moderating it and it was good fun. All the panelists rocked this one, but both Lesley and Adrienne blew the panel away. They were both two of the most enthusiastic panelists I'd seen at the whole con. PS I for all you YA fans out there, I suggest you check out the authors, some of them have books coming out later this year, and I know there are a lot of YA readers out there who would love them. So be sure to check them out!

Books to Movies, the panel Some succeed, some fail… some make us want to kill the producer and everyone at the studio- The past few years have seen some pretty big print to screen transitions. Who did it right, who screwed up. This was a good discussion, although we did keep getting sidetracked and talking about other things it ended up being a good conversation. Rio Youers was the panelist on this one.

Book Launches

I helped with some o the preliminary book launch stuff - mainly helping organize all the information. Next year I hope to do it again, and now that I have an idea what I'm getting into, I'll be better at all of it. Not to mention I doubt I'll have the big move in the middle of all the planning and may be able to balance out work commitments better. I didn't get a chance to go to all the book launches, or pick up all the books - although quite a few books erm.... followed me home, purely on their own. The wallet/bank account being lighter is pure coincidence. It was probably trolls or a leprechaun. Anyway, the book launches!

I stopped by quickly the book launch hosted by Stephen Pearl for his book new book Nukekubi, I wasn't able to stay long, but it looked liked things were going well, and I hope he had a successful launch. He's also the author of Tinker's Plague. (Click here to go to the authors site.)

Leah Bobet also had a launch for her new book, Above, and I think a lot of people out there would enjoy her book. I didn't get a chance to attend her launch, but I hope she had an awesome launch. (Click here to go to her site)

Dragonmoon Press had a launch, where I ended up buying three books. Two books by the authors at the launch, and a anthology launched at Polaris last year I meant to get, but ran out of money so I bought it while I was scooping up the other two books there. The two books at this launch were Destiny's Fall - Marie Bilodeau and FightingGravity - Leah Petersen.

(ChiZine publishing had a launch but by that point, I was exhausted. And the hunt for the car keys ensued to my BFs car. Luckily they were found (still in the lock for the trunk) and turned into the hotel desk. Thank you whoever you were! But I wish I could have stopped by at the launch, some of the publishers and authors were on the panels I sat in on, so it would have been nice to see them again and what their books had to offer.

The Books

Because you can't go to a bookish con, without having books follow you home right?

· Destiny's Fall - Marie Bilodeau

· Survival - Julie Czerneda

· Sailing to Sarantium - Guy Gavriel Kay

· Lord of Emperors - Guy Gavriel Kay

· The Floating Islands - Rachel Neumeier

· Fighting Gravity - Leah Petersen

· Watch - Robert J. Sawyer

· When the Hero Comes Home

· Evolve Two - Vampire Stories of the Future Undead

Review: Requiem for a Dream

2012-04-11T06:47:00.000-04:00

Title: Requiem for a Dream

Author: Hubert Selby, Jr.

Pages: EBook - 223

Summary: This story follows the lives of Harry, Marion, Tyrone, and Sara, who are all searching for the key to their dreams, and in the process, they get flung into a devastating life of addiction. Harry and Marion are in love and Tyrone is their friend. Sara is Harry’s lonely, widowed mother. Sara’s dream is to be on television, and when a phone call from a casting company gets her hopes up, she spends the next few months on diet pills to lose weight. She becomes addicted and delirious, ends up in the hospital, and undergoes electroconvulsive therapy. Harry, Marion and Tyrone are heroin addicts who decide to make money by buying some uncut heroin and selling it. Harry and Tyrone end up in jail, where Harry's infected arm is amputated. Marion, left alone, begins a life of prostitution to get drugs.

My Rating: 5/10

What I liked/disliked about the book: I knew going into the book it would be one that was iffy for me. The reason why I picked it up was because it was on the 1001 books to read before you die list, and I have randomly picked a group of books on that list to expand my reading comfort zones solely on things such as title - hence why I picked this one.

It wasn't a bad book, very well written and the author show cases a group of lost people, trying to achieve a goal, a dream in their lives which is very important to them. They're self destructive in their attempt to reach their goals as all the main characters are affected by multiple addictions and desperate attempts to reach their goals. In this regard, it was a good book as the author showed the reader just how desperate people get, how addiction destroys lives and all it's horrible consequences.

Yet despite it being a well written book, I still wasn't sold. I really couldn't get into the book so heavy with drug addiction, - it just wasn't my cup of tea, the book is well done, but the topic just didn't catch me which prevented me from enjoying it. But it did get me to experience an author and book I wouldn't normally have tried.

Would I recommend it to read: I'm not sure. The book does, what the author intended to. It tells a good story, it just wasn't the topic I enjoyed. I think a lot of readers may enjoy the story, but it wasn't for me

What to read next: I'm not sure - I wasn't the biggest fan of the book. But I'd be willing to try the author out again.

Challenges: 12 in 12, 100+ Challenge, 1001 Books Challenge, Alphabet Challenge, EBook Challenge, New Author Challenge