Michelle Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 I've started the new year by reading a couple of YA books.. Ministry of Pandemonium by Chris Westwood, which is an amazon vine book, and Numbers by Rachel Ward. Both have interesting ideas, but something is failing to completely grab me. As an audiobook, I'm listening to The Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb. This one I'm really enjoying, but then again, it's got dragons in it - which I usually like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted January 10, 2011 Author Share Posted January 10, 2011 I finished Ministry of Pandemonium yesterday - I do have some criticisms, but I think overall it will be a hit. It's certainly not for younger children, and the ideas in it are good. I'll review it properly later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I'm looking forward to your review of Ministry Of Pandemonium. Sounds like your mojo is coming home, I've been reading YA books to bring mine home too I think actually you would enjoy them, The Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine. I'm not sure if you've read them or not, the vampires are actually dangerous! Happy Reading for 2011! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted January 10, 2011 Author Share Posted January 10, 2011 Hmm.. I'm not sure I can cope with any more vampires! If that changes, mind you (which is possible) I will take a look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted February 18, 2011 Author Share Posted February 18, 2011 Well I did a good job of keeping this updated! *runs off to LibraryThing to check what I've read... Read so far: Ministry of Pandemonium by Chris Westwood - I still haven't reviewed this one! Numbers by Rachel Ward - This seemed to have great potential, but went off in a different direction. It was good, but I'm not sure I'll bother with the 2nd book in the series. Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb (audio) - The important thing to realise with this is that you have to read part 2, Dragon Haven, to get the full story. It's pretty much one long story split into two books. If I was reading these I may have found them too long, but as an audio book it's been fine. It's a world I'll be sad to leave behind, especially the dragons, and I may have to get hold of more Robin Hobb. (I have about 30 mins left of Dragon Haven, so I can't comment on the actual ending yet, but I think I can pretty much predict it.) Witchfinder: Gallows at Twilight by William Hussey - This is the second book in the trilogy, and the better of the two books. Highly recommended. http://bcfreviews.wo...william-hussey/ Before I Go To Sleep by S J Watson - Excellent, clever thriller - published April 2011, and one to watch out for! http://www.bookclubf...eep-s-j-watson/ Cuckoo by Julia Crouch - Another brilliant debut.. dark and unsettling. http://bcfreviews.wo...y-julia-crouch/ Readng: Ghost of a Chance by Rhiannon Lassiter(YA) Witness the Night by Kishwar Desai A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inver Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I'm sure I looked at The Dragon Keeper as possible read for Kenny, around about xmas time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted February 28, 2011 Author Share Posted February 28, 2011 Inver, it's quite a long read, but if he likes fantasy and dragons, he may be ok. Ghost of a Chance is reviewed here.. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. Although this is quite tame compared to the William Hussey books, it's quite creepy, and this genre of YA horror seems to becoming more popular again. Another in this vein is my new currant read, Dancing Jax by Robin Jarvis. This one has been a bit odd.. I wasn't at all sure during the beginning of the book, but suddenly it grabbed me, and I'm now whizzing through! I'm just annoyed that my copy is a proof, and is different from the one on amazon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Ooooh I like the sound of the Witchfinder series, I'll definitely be adding it to my wishlist Great reviews! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted June 18, 2011 Author Share Posted June 18, 2011 Oh dear, what a sad, neglected thread! Let me see... first, as promised, Ministry of Pandemonium: I wanted to take some time to consider how I felt about this book.. and I'm afraid I left it too long to give details. I have been left with some definite impressions though. The general idea is an interesting one, a ministry of people who help the deceased come to terms with what's happened to them, and then pass into the afterlife. At the same time, there are demons who are also after these ghosts/souls.. although it's never clear why. I enjoyed Ben's character - a teen trying to deal with school, bullies, a sick divorced mum, and now a new strange role. There's also some really good humour dotted throughout. My concern is that the author doesn't seem sure which age group he's really aiming at. Parts of the book are 'nicely' written, whilst others try to nudge into the teen horror market - it needs to be one or the other. For teens who are fed up with the usual paranormal romance, it gives something a little different - but I don't think it's as good as it could have been. I have some more reviews on the blog: The Land of Painted Caves A Discovery of Witches House of Silence Prisoner of the Inquisition The Amulet of Sarmakand - Graphic Novel I've also just listened to The Hunger Games, even though I've read it previously, and it was good to revisit. I've just started Catching Fire as an audio book (also read before) and also a Dean Koontz book - What the Night Knows. I've also been listening to some Orson Scott Card - I've done Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, and Ender's Shadow, and I'm near the end of Xenocide. It's hard to describe how I feel about these books.. I certainly had criticisms of Ender's Game as I read it, but it had some sort of hold on me, and has stuck with me. It has the feel of a classic sci-fi book that all sci-fi readers should try at some point. The ones following it have a different feel, but I'm still enjoying them in their own way. Again, I can only recommend that sci-fi readers should give them a try, as it's hard to know who will or won't like them. Helpful, huh?! Finally, I saw Darren Shan's Lord Loss on the charity table at work, and decided I was just in the mood for it. And I was right.. I'm whizzing through, and have just ordered the next two in the series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 I thought the Darren Shan books might be too young but I might nab them from my sons room and give them a try at some point after reading your post, think he has quite a few of them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted June 18, 2011 Author Share Posted June 18, 2011 You do need to be in the right mood for them - they're not exactly deep and meaningful, but they're easy to read and fast paced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 (edited) Read all the Darren Shan books numerous times, always seem to be some of the books I can count on when my mojo is slipping and I need a quick, easy read to get it back on track. Like you said they're not deep and don't take much thinking, but at the same time I think they provide an engaging plot which quite frankly flies by; it's easy to get lost in one and finish it in one sitting. I also think they can be quite funny in places but that might just be me; glad you're enjoying them anyway, Michelle. Edited June 18, 2011 by Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted June 19, 2011 Author Share Posted June 19, 2011 Oh.. I think I forgot to mention Stories, a collection of short stories which I think quite a few people on here would like - http://bcfreviews.wordpress.com/2011/06/19/stories-edited-by-neil-gaiman-and-al-sarrantonio/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted June 25, 2011 Author Share Posted June 25, 2011 I went into WHSmiths today, and somehow came out with four books! One is for Amy, so I have three to choose from. The problem is, they all look good, and I don't know where to start! lol Forgotten by Cat Patrick Red Riding Hood by Blakley-Cartwright and Johnson (which I may actually put last) Ultaviolet by R.J.Anderson I'll also soon be writing my review of Blood Red Road by Moira Young, which I didn't think as great as some others do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted June 27, 2011 Author Share Posted June 27, 2011 Well, I went with Ultraviolet.. and finished it yesterday! It's a hard one to review, because I don't want to give too much away, but I think some may not like the conclusion. Sixteen-year-old Alison has been sectioned in a mental institute for teens, having murdered the most perfect and popular girl at school. But the case is a mystery: no body has been found, and Alison's condition is proving difficult to diagnose. Alison herself can't explain what happened: one minute she was fighting with Tori -- the next Tori disintegrated. Into nothing. But that's impossible. Right? When Alison meets Dr Faraday, a visiting psychologist, she feels an instant connection. More, he believes her story. But there's more to Faraday than Alison can possibly imagine...and the answers he will give her are...extraordinary. The part about Tori disintegrating made me think it would have a supernatural slant, with Alison having some sort of special power, but I'm glad to say it didn't go that way. Instead, it's more of a sci-fi ending. However, I personally think it was done well, and it works. The majority of the book however, concerns Alison herself, trying to deal with her apparent breakdown etc. It was in the teen section, but I think any age would enjoy it. It does deal with friendship, betrayal, first love etc, but all in a subtle way - there's no sparkly vampires in this one! Alison herself is a great character, and I got caught up in the whole story. Recommended, as long as you're not totally against the sci-fi twist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted June 28, 2011 Author Share Posted June 28, 2011 My review of Blood Red Road by Moira Young... I'm afraid for me, this book was just average. It was a good enough story, but nothing which really stood out. It's set in a bleak world, where civilisation seems to have broken down. People are ruled by a 'king' and his men, and are controlled by drugs. The basic story is that of Saba's quest to rescue her brother, who has been kidnapped by the king. It's an adventure story, but a rather harsh and violent one. It is lightened, however, by some of the characters Saba meets, and how she grows throughout the journey. One of the biggest issues in this book may well be the language. It is written in the way the characters speak, complete with strange pronunciations and spellings, and without full punctuation. Some have found that this adds to the book, but for me it was distracting. It almost put me off at the beginning of the book, but I did get used to it. Every now and again though, it would irritate me again, and I'm sure it affected the overall way I felt about the book. This style is a gamble to use, but looking at the reviews, it seems to work for most. It's definitely something to be aware of before buying though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 12, 2011 Author Share Posted July 12, 2011 I'm in two minds about Forgotten, but overall my response is positive. London Lane forgets what's happened to her when she goes to sleep at night, but she can see a lot of her future. For me, it's not explained in enough details, and I had questions about it. But, if you can overcome that, and just go with it, it's an interesting story, and I liked London's character. There's a romance, but it's not straightforward.. and some mystery as well. I also reviewed The End of Everything for amazon vine.. I can see why some may really like this book, but it wasn't for me. The style of the writing is rather dream-like, and most events and issues are hinted at, rather than fully explained. This is a book which is meant to capture the feeling of being 13, but due to the circumstances happening, it's tone is rather confused and dark. Evie and Lizzie have been the closest of friends, an one day Evie goes missing. The story is told by Lizzie, as she tries to work out what may have happened to Evie, and whether she's alive or not. During the course of the story, we get to see her relationship with the various people around her, and how they all try to cope with this disappearance. On reflection, the confused tone of the book is probably trying to reflect a young girl who doesn't know how to comprehend or deal with various issues, but to me it's overdone - the simplicity of being young is missing, and would have balanced it out. As others have said, it's not really a book you 'enjoy' - the various people in the book are a little too realistic, without enough redeeming qualities, and there are dark subjects raised and hinted upon. However, some will appreciate the style, and will find plenty to keep them reading. This could possibly become one of those 'marmite books'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 12, 2011 Author Share Posted July 12, 2011 I now have 4 audio books downloaded, and I don't know where to start! The Ritual by Adam Nevill Wings by Aprilynne Pike City of Bones by Cassandra Clare The White Mountains by John Christopher Mind you, I'm about half way through Catching Fire (Hunger Games part 2 - already read, but now on audio), so I can carry on with that until I decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I now have 4 audio books downloaded, and I don't know where to start! The Ritual by Adam Nevill Wings by Aprilynne Pike City of Bones by Cassandra Clare The White Mountains by John Christopher Mind you, I'm about half way through Catching Fire (Hunger Games part 2 - already read, but now on audio), so I can carry on with that until I decide. Happy reading Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I've downloaded a couple of audiobooks to my MacBook, I just need to remember to listen to them! Enjoy Michelle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 14, 2011 Author Share Posted July 14, 2011 I have mine on my ipod, and I love listening - especially at night, and when doing the ironing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I now have 4 audio books downloaded, and I don't know where to start! ... The White Mountains by John Christopher Where did you download that from? I don't think I've ever seen audio versions of the Tripods books! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 14, 2011 Author Share Posted July 14, 2011 They have all 4 on audible.co.uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Thanks, I'll take a look at that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Start with City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare! Great young adult book Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.