Anna Begins Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 That is fascinating about the number, Gaia! Especially since you could play it on a piano! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 16, 2015 Author Share Posted March 16, 2015 That is fascinating about the number, Gaia! Especially since you could play it on a piano! Thanks ! This may be the first time I've had a friend who thinks it's fascinating . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I love Wreck-It Ralph ! If you feel interested in reading the series, I do think it's best you start with the first one, Off to Be the Wizard. Things are explained in book 2 and 3 so they could be read on their own, but if you have the choice I think that would be the most logical place to start. The series does have elements in it of time travel though, if I'm not mistaken that was something you weren't too keen on? Not that I want to put you off or anything, book 3 doesn't feature much mind-boggling times (that was book 2), but I thought it fair to tell you. Ooh, yes, thanks for the warning! And thanks for remembering. Yeah, regardless of how well things are explained, it does sound like something best started from the beginning! Glad you enjoyed your last two reads so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSchultz19 Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I'm really glad you liked Perfect Match. It is hard to be say "excited" when it comes to that book because the topic is so serious. I really loved the legal aspects as well. What is interesting is that some of the characters in Perfect Match are also in Nineteen Minutes and I know Nina Frost is another one, but I can't remember which one. I don't think I have read it yet. It is interesting to see crossovers in some of her books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 17, 2015 Author Share Posted March 17, 2015 Glad you enjoyed your last two reads so much. Thanks ! You might like to know I'm currently reading a fantasy book, Elantris by Brandon Sanderson. It's reminding me how much I love an epic fantasy story. I'm really glad you liked Perfect Match. It is hard to be say "excited" when it comes to that book because the topic is so serious. I really loved the legal aspects as well. What is interesting is that some of the characters in Perfect Match are also in Nineteen Minutes and I know Nina Frost is another one, but I can't remember which one. I don't think I have read it yet. It is interesting to see crossovers in some of her books. Yeah that's very true. Oh wow I didn't know that! That's quite interesting . I read the synopsis of Nineteen Minutes (I own the book) but it didn't mention any familiar characters (according to Wikipedia Patrick is in it). I might have to make that one my next Picoult read as it sounds good and you liked it a lot. I'll be reading some other kinds of books first for a while though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSchultz19 Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Thanks ! You might like to know I'm currently reading a fantasy book, Elantris by Brandon Sanderson. It's reminding me how much I love an epic fantasy story. Yeah that's very true. Oh wow I didn't know that! That's quite interesting . I read the synopsis of Nineteen Minutes (I own the book) but it didn't mention any familiar characters (according to Wikipedia Patrick is in it). I might have to make that one my next Picoult read as it sounds good and you liked it a lot. I'll be reading some other kinds of books first for a while though. Yeah the only character is Patrick. I was misleading by saying characters. No pressure to read it soon, but I do think that you will enjoy it. Hope I'm not wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 17, 2015 Author Share Posted March 17, 2015 Yeah the only character is Patrick. I was misleading by saying characters. No pressure to read it soon, but I do think that you will enjoy it. Hope I'm not wrong Don't worry, that can happen . I think I will enjoy it, I have enjoyed most of the author's books that I've read. There was one I abandoned and one that was allright (the one you just read), but the other ones were all really good reads for me. Even if I don't enjoy it, I bought the book before you recommended it to me so I won't get mad at you if I don't like it so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSchultz19 Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Don't worry, that can happen . I think I will enjoy it, I have enjoyed most of the author's books that I've read. There was one I abandoned and one that was allright (the one you just read), but the other ones were all really good reads for me. Even if I don't enjoy it, I bought the book before you recommended it to me so I won't get mad at you if I don't like it so much! Which one did you abandon? Maybe I should avoid it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Thanks ! This may be the first time I've had a friend who thinks it's fascinating . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 17, 2015 Author Share Posted March 17, 2015 Which one did you abandon? Maybe I should avoid it It was Songs Of The Humpback Whale, I don't know, I just lost interest in it after a while, I kept skimming bits and eventually gave up about half way through. I might go back to it again at some point as this was some time ago when I didn't know as many English words as I do now, but I plan to read a lot of Picoult's other books (that I own) first, before attempting to read it again, really. I don't remember a whole lot of it. It was I think her first or one of her first books. But maybe it was just my current mood at the time, I don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSchultz19 Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 It was Songs Of The Humpback Whale, I don't know, I just lost interest in it after a while, I kept skimming bits and eventually gave up about half way through. I might go back to it again at some point as this was some time ago when I didn't know as many English words as I do now, but I plan to read a lot of Picoult's other books (that I own) first, before attempting to read it again, really. I don't remember a whole lot of it. It was I think her first or one of her first books. But maybe it was just my current mood at the time, I don't know. I'm not sure but I think she wrote that with her daughter or something. I know one of her books if not two of them are written with her daughter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I'm going to check out those Scott Meyer books, they sound quite good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Thanks ! You might like to know I'm currently reading a fantasy book, Elantris by Brandon Sanderson. It's reminding me how much I love an epic fantasy story. Awesome! I look forward to reading your review. Yeah, you can't beat a good epic fantasy, can you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 I'm not sure but I think she wrote that with her daughter or something. I know one of her books if not two of them are written with her daughter The one she wrote with her daughter, Samantha van Leer, is Between the Lines. They are currently working together on another book (which I think might be a sequel to that one, but I'm not sure). According to Wikipedia, Songs of the Humpback Whale was Jodi's first book and was first published in 1992. I'm going to check out those Scott Meyer books, they sound quite good! I read on Facebook you're really enjoying the first one, I'm glad !! Awesome! I look forward to reading your review. Yeah, you can't beat a good epic fantasy, can you? Very true ! I'm a little over half way through at the moment and I'm enjoying it a lot. I can't wait to find out what happened in the past and what will happen in the future, of the story. I really like the characters and the writing style. I'll do my best to write a good review when I've finished it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSchultz19 Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 The one she wrote with her daughter, Samantha van Leer, is Between the Lines. They are currently working together on another book (which I think might be a sequel to that one, but I'm not sure). According to Wikipedia, Songs of the Humpback Whale was Jodi's first book and was first published in 1992. Well I was way off So maybe that's why it isn't as good. She might have mastered her craft over the years. The one thing I like most about her books is the amount of research she does for each one. And I find that the books where there was more research involved are the books that I like better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 19, 2015 Author Share Posted March 19, 2015 (edited) Well I was way off So maybe that's why it isn't as good. She might have mastered her craft over the years. The one thing I like most about her books is the amount of research she does for each one. And I find that the books where there was more research involved are the books that I like better. Both of those things make a lot of sense ! I should be receiving The Rosie Effect soon now hopefully, and this morning I received an email that a pre-order will be on its way to me soon, the next book in the Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella. I love this author and this series so I'm also really excited to be reading this book when it's here . Edited March 19, 2015 by Athena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 I should be receiving The Rosie Effect soon now hopefully, and this morning I received an email that a pre-order will be on its way to me soon, the next book in the Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella. I love this author and this series so I'm also really excited to be reading this book when it's here . I am so excited, I know you are looking forward to these books a lot- hopefully they arrive soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 I am so excited, I know you are looking forward to these books a lot- hopefully they arrive soon! Thanks ! P.S. I'll be posting a review soon, of Elantris by Brandon Sanderson (once I've finished writing it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 Brandon Sanderson - Elantris Genre: Fantasy Age-range: Adult Format: Paperback Pages: 622 (excluding an excerpt for The Way of Kings) Date read: 16-03-2015 <-> 19-03-2015 ISBN: 9780575097445 Synopsis (GoodReads and back of the book): ELANTRIS WAS A PLACE OF GLORY The capital of Arelon, the home to people transformed into magic-using demigods by the Shaod. But then the magic failed, Elantris started to rot, and its inhabitants turned into powerless wrecks. And in the new capital, Kae, close enough to Elantris for everyone to be reminded of what they have lost, a princess arrives. Sarene is to be married to unite Teod and Arelon against the religious imperialists of Fjordell. But she is told that Raoden, her husband to be, is dead. Determined to carry on the fight for Teod and Arelon's freedom, Sarene clashes with the high priest Hrathen. If Hrathen can persuade the populace to convert, Fjordell will reign supreme. But there are secrets in Elantris, the dead and the ruined may yet have a role to play in this new world. Magic lives. My thoughts: I hadn't read an epic fantasy book in a little while. I wasn't sure yet what to read next, so I read the first few pages of a couple of books, including this one. Somehow this book pulled me right in, so I decided to read it. The book tells the story from mainly three perspectives, the points of view are of Raoden, Sarene and Hrathen. The synopsis on the back on my book made the story sound a bit confusing, but the book itself I could easily follow. The book is split into three parts, part one being the longest (just over half of the book is part one), and part three being only short. There were a lot of unexpected plot twists in this story that were really good. The first half of the book was intruiging and interesting, but the second half was even more amazing. It was very suspenseful and the twists kept coming. I really liked the characters in this book too. Raoden and Sarene are both strong and likeable characters. I like to see a strong female character, who speaks her mind, so I really liked Sarene. Raoden is such a great character too. Hrathen I didn't like as first, but as I started to understand his motives behind his actions I grew to like him more and found his perspective interesting too. For the most part of the book, each chapter has a different view point, first a chapter from Raoden's point of view, then one from Sarene's point of view and then one from Hrathen's point of view (and then Raoden again etc.). There were a few chapters where this differed (out of the ~60+ chapters), where we saw multiple of these viewpoints in a chapter, and on rare occasion the viewpoint of another character. The story is told in third person. I really liked the world in this story too, it's a very interesting one and though the map in the beginning of the book isn't the best map I've seen, it was nice to have it and to look at it now and then. At the end of the story there is a glossary with some Aons and their meaning (and after that in my copy there was an excerpt of another book by the author). I used this glossary now and then whenever one of these Aons was mentioned. I found the mystery of what had happened with Elantris and its magic very interesting. In that sense there isn't as much magic in the whole book as in some fantasy books where there is magic the whole time through the story. Anyway, I thought the magic system was really interesting (Brandon Sanderson is known for his interesting and different magic systems) and the world and the different countries were well thought out too. This is Brandon Sanderson's first novel, and on his website he says there were some parts of the story he wasn't completely satisfied about. Apparently a tenth anniversary edition of the book with updated and extra content will be released I think next year. Either way, I found the book to be very enjoyable and I wouldn't say that there's much wrong with the story or anything. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and it only took me a few days to read it. I really wanted to keep on reading it. The second half in particular was incredibly suspenseful, though I was captivated from the very first page. I really liked the writing style of the author. Overall then I really enjoyed reading this book. It reminded me of the many things I love about epic (high?) fantasy books. It was really enjoyable, I loved the world, the magic, the characters, the plot twists, the writing style. I've enjoyed all of Brandon Sanderson's books that I've read so far, so I've decided I want to buy and own and read all of them (the Alcatraz books were loans from the library, but I want to own my own copies. Apparently they'll be re-released with new covers once the fifth and final book will be released. So I think I might wait for that so I can have all five of the books matching.). There is a short story I found through the author's website that takes place I think during or even after this book, that you can read for free on his website. I plan on doing so soon, I believe it might be included in the 10th anniversary edition of the book that will come out next year, as well. There are other materials on the author's website, link, such as annotations for the book, deleted scenes, some articles on thinking up the languages and pronounciation and other things. I plan to read all of the ones I find interesting. I've started to read the annotations and so far they've been very interesting to read. According to the author's website, The Emperor's Soul takes place in the same world as Elantris, with only a few ties. I've read The Emperor's Soul but I don't remember any of these minor ties. I really liked The Emperor's Soul and shall have to re-read it some time to find out these minor connections. Anyway, I've probably rambled on enough about how much I liked this book and how much I like Brandon Sanderson. I look forward to reading more of his annotations for the book as well as the other pages on his website about it. It doesn't happen often that authors write and release so much extra material about a book (though I have to admit I haven't looked up most of the authors I've read books of), so this was a nice surprise. I loved Elantris and I love epic fantasy books. Rating: (*****) (10/10) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Great review Athena Certainly that synopsis would put me off reading the book .. even the names scare me But your account of it makes it sound much more approachable. It's probably still too complex for me .. I'm still on fantasy lite Glad you enjoyed it .. hope you enjoy the 10th anniversary edition too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Great review, Gaia, so glad you enjoyed it! I didn't realise it was his first novel. I'm never sure whether to use the terms 'high' or 'epic' fantasy interchangeably, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Ahhh- I like the cover And you have to PM me the end, cause now I am stuck in the middle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggle not Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Good review Athena. Based on the review I am going to put the book on my TBR list. I checked our library and they have kindle versions available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 Emoticons removed. Great review Athena Certainly that synopsis would put me off reading the book .. even the names scare me But your account of it makes it sound much more approachable. It's probably still too complex for me .. I'm still on fantasy lite Glad you enjoyed it .. hope you enjoy the 10th anniversary edition too Thanks ! I currently can't afford to buy many new books, though if that changes in the future I do hope to own that new edition eventually. Great review, Gaia, so glad you enjoyed it! I didn't realise it was his first novel. I'm never sure whether to use the terms 'high' or 'epic' fantasy interchangeably, either. Thanks ! Apparently it's the first of his novels that got published, but not actually the first one he wrote, if I remember it correctly from Sanderson's website (but I read that after writing the review ). The book says it's his debut novel though. Haha, yeah I don't know either . Ahhh- I like the cover And you have to PM me the end, cause now I am stuck in the middle Thanks , and done! Good review Athena. Based on the review I am going to put the book on my TBR list. I checked our library and they have kindle versions available. Thanks . I hope you enjoy it! P.S. I'll be posting a review now and a mini-list of new books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 Brandon Sanderson - Elantris Extra Material and Other Things (note: everything can be read for free from Brandon Sanderson's website). Things read (not in this order): Elantris Annotations (~172 pages) The Languages of Elantris (~8 pages) Elantris Deleted Scenes (~64 pages) The Hope of Elantris (short story, taking place near the end of the book Elantris) (~35 pages) Sanderson's Laws of Magic (~20 pages) Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians Annotations (~60 pages) Defending Elysium (short story, standalone) (~67 pages) (note that the page count is my estimate and might well be different from what someone else might calculate.) Genre: Fantasy, Science-fiction, Biography Age-range: Adult Format: Website Pages: ~430 Date read: 20-03-215 <-> 21-03-2015 ISBN: N/A Synopsis: (no synopsis, see below for a brief explanation on each of the items) My thoughts: While I was reading Elantris by Brandon Sanderson, I looked at the author's website (I can't remember what made me do that, now), and I found some interesting free content there to read. I mainly read the Elantris extra materials that I was interested in, and a few other things. I do plan on reading the extra materials for the other books of him (such as the Mistborn series) but of course only after I've read them, as the extra material contains spoilers. This isn't going to be a review in the usual sense. There won't be an overall rating, though I will rate the two short stories. I will however write down some brief thoughts on the things I read. This way I can "get them out of my system" more, process them, by writing down some of my thoughts on them. First off, I want to say kudos to Brandon Sanderson for making all this material available to read for free through his website. The total page count I came up with for what I read was about 430 pages, which is quite a lot (as Sanderson himself says in his Elantris Annotations). I'll say something about each item, though in a logical order and not in the order I read them in, as this will make more sense I think. Elantris Annotations These were pretty long and detailed. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the author's thoughts on why he chose to do certain things a certain way. I never would've guessed some of these things, it shows how much thought goes into such an epic book. It made the book even more brilliant. It shows how an author thinks about each specific line and character and such. I don't normally think about these things as much when I'm reading, about what the author means with this and that, I just enjoy the story. I don't enjoy dissecting all books this way, it would take the fun out of it too much for me. I'm a reader, not an analyst. That said, I've never read such detailed annotations before of an author of a book I've read and love, and it was very interesting to read. I really enjoyed it. The Languages of Elantris This was an enjoyable short essay on how Sanderson developed the languages of Elantris. I enjoyed reading it and learning a little bit more on the author's writing process. Elantris Deleted Scenes These deleted scenes were interesting as well. It does make sense to me why certain things were cut from the book, as Sanderson also explains in his annotations. But it's very interesting and enjoyable to read these scenes nonetheless. The Hope of Elantris This was interesting to read. It's a story that happens during the events of Elantris. It was enjoyable but you can't read it on its own (like the author says), it's a nice addition to the book though I didn't really miss this scene in the book I found it enjoyable to read. Rating (****) (8/10) Sanderson's Laws of Magic I'm sure I've read this or bits of this before. Anyway, this was a very interesting read. It's three pieces, on three laws (but written apart in time from each other), that Brandon Sanderson has when he invents a magic system for one of his books. It made a lot of sense to me, and again I don't normally think about these things that much into depth (from an author's point of view, I see them from a reader's point of view). It was very interesting to read. Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians Annotations These annotations were interesting to read as well, though because it'd been a little bit longer since I read the book, and since I don't own it because it was a library loan (but I definitely want to own it in the future), I couldn't flick through it or look things up and I didn't remember all of the details. But it was still very enjoyable to read these annotations. Sanderson's an amazing writer. Defending Elysium This is a standalone science-fiction story. It was very suspenseful and had quite a few twists. I really enjoyed reading it. Rating: (*****) (10/10) I want to say again thanks to Brandon Sanderson for releasing all this material for free through his own website. I wish more authors would do that, I found it very enjoyable to read all of this. I do admit, I have trouble reading for long off computer screens so instead I read most of these contents using my e-reader screen. Anyway, I really enjoyed getting so much extra information and content (and for free). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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