Kell Posted February 12, 2009 Author Share Posted February 12, 2009 No, this was my introduction to Meyers' work. I'll wait to see what I think of the rest of the Twilight Saga before I try The Host though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Yeah on reflection I wasn't overly impressed with the Twilight saga, I think I might prefer The Host. I know the majority of people have said it's better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 People have said The Host is better, I've not read it, so I can't judge, but just so I'd let you know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookBee8 Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Good review . Very similar to what a lot of others seem to say about Twilight. Just to say, I've read The Host and I think it's on par with Twilight, if not better. The beginning is incredibly slow but you should definitely continue with it as it's well worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 (edited) How to Eat Like a Hot Chick: Lose the Guilt, Find the Fabulous by Jodi Lipper and Cerina Vincent Synopsis: Sassy, irreverent and in-your-face, this is every hot chick's guide to having your cake and eating it. Learn how to eat confidently, without any apologies, and still manage to look gorgeous. Originally a self-published success, How to Eat Like a Hot Chick will make every woman feel sexy and beautiful. It offers real-life examples on how to take pleasure in food without adhering to complicated diets or self-denial. In the style of the bestseller Skinny Bitch (except who wants the stress of being a vegan?), the authors take a hilarious, glam-girl, take-no-prisoners approach to looking and feeling your best. Hot chicks don't deny themselves anything. Hot chicks don't ever apologise. Hot chicks simply enjoy their food and learn to make the right choices every day so that they remain hot. Packed full of sassy wit and goodwill to spare, the authors reveal the secrets of what hot chicks really eat. From which cocktails will keep you light on your feet well past midnight, and exactly what you should (and shouldn't) eat on a date to how to avoid pigging-out when you're down in the dumps or hungover.The authors understand that sometimes you're going to slip up - you're only human after all, but their simple rule is that if you wolf down that big piece of chocolate cake 'just know that you'll be eating a ton of spinach for dinner'. Dozens of smart ideas and healthier food options, as well as lists of foods to avoid at all costs make How to Eat Like a Hot Chick every girl's best friend. Slimming down and loving yourself is easier (and more fun) than you ever thought possible. My thoughts: This is a shining example of self publishing being picked up by a publishing house and becoming a success. Lipper and Vincent have pitched the tone just right - the balance of seriousness versus lightheartedness is spot on, and the advice is all common sense. To be honest, most of the information will already be well known to established "dieters", but this is presented not as a diet, but as a way of life that can be maintained with minimal effort. It does have some jargony phrases, one or two of which are a little annoying on occasion, for example, repeated talk of "this is your heyday" reminded me distinctly of Miss Jean Brodie in her Prime, but it's enough of a fun and easy read that it doesn't bother one too much as you flip the pages. The best thing about Eating Like a Hot Chick is that it extols the virtues of having a little bit of what you fancy - nothing is out of bounds, providing you follow up a lunchtime binge on chocolate cake with a pound of spinach for dinner! It also points out that starving yourself is, as we already knew, not Hot - Hot Chicks enjoy their food! Rating: 8/10 Other titles by this author: How to Love Like a Hot Chick: The Girlfriend to Girlfriend Guide to Getting the Love You Deserve Edited March 15, 2009 by Kell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Good review Kell, you seem to be doing well with your reading now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 Dale had a couple of days off, so I got a little bit of "me" time which I used up by soaking in the tub with a book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Ah well, that makes sense then! I might have a bath this morning after I've had my morning cup of coffee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 (edited) New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (Twilight Saga 2) Synopsis: For Bella Swan, there is one thing more important than life itself: Edward Cullen. But being in love with a vampire is more dangerous than Bella ever could have imagined. Edward has already rescued Bella from the clutches of an evil vampire but now, as their daring relationship threatens all that is near and dear to them, they realise their troubles may just be beginning... My thoughts: Following on from Twilight, I still can't see what makes Bella Swan so special that all the boys are falling over themselves to get to her! This time round, although Edward has absented himself from her life, Mike still waits in the wings and Jacob, although younger than her, still hopes that their friendship will become something more than it is. There was something rather confusing to me, though - Jacob says Bella is smart and will work things out. To me she seemed painfully slow in getting to the point. How can someone who so readily accepted the existence of vampires (before having it confirmed by Edward) be SO slow on the uptake when it comes to the possibility of other supernatural beings? It was very obvious to me from extremely early on what was happening (yes, it's very predictable), so it was agonising watching Bella draw things out at a snail's pace! That said, I still enjoyed this sequel. It's easy and fun to read, and its many flaws somehow make it quirkily appealing. There's enough happening to keep the reader going, even when the pace slows down slightly, and leaves a nice lead-in for the next sequel, Eclipse. Rating: 7/10 Other titles by this author: Twilight Saga - Twilight / Eclipse / Breaking Dawn The Host Edited March 15, 2009 by Kell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Good review Kell, I agree with your thoughts on how long it took Bella to catch on. Glad you enjoyed it enough to lead you into Eclipse though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 What's happened to The Immortals? I'm waiting to hear your views on it, as someone's who's read the rest of the series beforehand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 I'm still reading it - I'm about 60 chapters in. It's my evening reader because it's too big and heavy to take out and about with me (which is where I've been reading the other books). Loving it so far though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted February 25, 2009 Author Share Posted February 25, 2009 (edited) Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (Twilight Saga 3) Synopsis: As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob - knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which? Following the international bestsellers Twilight and New Moon, Eclipse is the much-anticipated third book in Stephenie Meyer's captivating saga of vampire romance. My thoughts: Although still every bit as predictable as the previous two books, I actually enjoyed this one more - more action; more bang for your buck! There are also several situations coming to a head that make for breakneck pacing and sends you hurtling through the book lickety-split! Although I was still gagging a fair bit over the lovey-doviness of Bella and Edward, Jacob came more to the fore this time round and meant that Bella had a major dilemma to contemplate, and the back-and-forth nature of exchanges made for more interesting reading than the previous novels in the series. Alice also seemed to play a greater role this time round and, although she was too sweet to be true, I didn't find her at all annoying - rather she endeared herself to me in a way that no other character has done (although Jacob came closer than any of the others). It was also great getting a little more of the background stories of the rest of the Cullens, as well as some more of the Quileute history/legends. It was worth reading the other two books just in order to get to this one, and hopefully Breaking Dawn will prove to be worth the wait too. Rating: 8/10 Other titles by this author: Twilight Saga - Twilight; New Moon; Breaking Dawn The Host Edited March 15, 2009 by Kell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanC_84 Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Very good review. Although the predictability is a but of a constant problem for the Twilight series I still enjoyed them overall and 'Eclipse' was probably my second favourite behind the first book. Hope you enjoy 'Breaking Dawn'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Nice review Kell. Hope you enjoy the final Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookBee8 Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (Twilight Saga 3) more action; more bang for your buck! There are also several situations coming to a head that make for breakneck pacing and sends you hurtling through the book lickety-split! Bella had a major dilemma to contemplate, and the back-and-forth nature of exchanges made for more interesting reading than the previous novels in the series. Alice also seemed to play a greater role this time round and, although she was too sweet to be true, It was also great getting a little more of the background stories of the rest of the Cullens, as well as some more of the Quileute history/legends. This is exactly why it's my favourite in the series! It's the most exciting one. Like you say, I love the background on both the Cullens and the Quileute tribe. It was also really funny in parts too, which I loved. Great review! I hope you enjoy Breaking Dawn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted March 5, 2009 Author Share Posted March 5, 2009 (edited) The Immortals by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell Synopsis: Five hundred years into the third age of flight and mighty phraxships steam across the immensity of the Deepwoods, plying their lucrative trade between the three great cities. Nate Quarter, a young Lamplighter from the mines of the eastern woods is propelled on an epic journey of self-discovery that encompasses tournaments, battles, revolutions and a final encounter with the Immortals themselves. This is the final tale in the "Edge Chronicles" sequence and it's a fabulous climax to the most original and dramatic fantasy series being written today. Set years in the future, this book is ideal for new readers to discover the series before going back to read the 'history' of "Twig, Rook and Quint". Packed with incredible illustrations from Chris Riddell, this is a wonderfully funny, moving and utterly inventive book. My thoughts: Having already read the previous books in The Edge Chronicles in their entirety, I already had all the back history before starting out on reading this, the last and most ambitious episode in the saga. Not that it would have mattered if I hadn't - the characters, although with a firm history which is alluded to throughout, are all new and this is set many years after the previous trilogies have ended. I'm pleased to say that the allusion that this can be read as a stand-alone or as an introduction to The Edge Chronicles is entirely correct, although I would still recommend leaving this gem till the end, as it pulls all the strings together and ties them up very neatly, as well as making mention of previous events (although it manages not to spoil anything of their plots - a nifty trick!). It's a huge, hefty chunk of a book, with 101 chapters, but don't let that put you off! It's jam-packed with action and adventure to keep the most reluctant reader hooked, and Riddell's illustrations are, as always, wonderful; adding to the excellent descriptive prowess of Stewart (they really make a great team). Overall, it's a must-have for all fans of The Edge and will bring legions of new fans to the series. Rating: 7/10 Other titles by this author: Edge Chronicles - Quint Trilogy - The Curse of the Gloamglozer; The Winter Knights; Clash of the Sky Galleons Edge Chronicles - Twig Trilogy - Beyond the Deepwoods; Stormchaser; Midnight Over Sanctaphrax Edge Chronicles - Rook Trilogy - The Last of the Sky Pirates; Vox; Freeglader Edge Chronicles - Non Trilogy - The Lost Barkscrolls Edited March 15, 2009 by Kell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Nice review, Kell! I hope I can find the time to read these books eventually. They sound great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted March 6, 2009 Author Share Posted March 6, 2009 I hope so too, Kylie - they're great fun to read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted March 8, 2009 Author Share Posted March 8, 2009 (edited) Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer Synopsis: To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, she has endured a tumultuous year of temptation, loss and strife to reach the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fate of two tribes hangs. Now that Bella has made her decision, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating and unfathomable consequences. Just when the frayed strands of Bella's life - first discovered in TWILIGHT, then scattered and torn in NEW MOON and ECLIPSE - seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed...forever? My thoughts: This was every bit as predictable as the previous books in the series, but slightly less enjoyable. It follows a different format in that the different sections are narrated by different characters (namely Bella and Jacob), but the Quileute wolves, although playing a major part near the end of the story, do not feature so much in the actual plot this time round, which is a shame because Jacob has remained one of my favourite characters, along with Alice (who also disappears for a large part of the story). There were moments in Breaking Dawn that turned my stomach just a little, namely the imprinting and, yet again, Bella and Edward's sickeningly obsessive relationship, and there wasn't enough to keep me really gripped for the entire length of the novel (which is a hefty 754 pages) - I really felt that the story could have been told in half that length and been done far more neatly and enjoyably. From about two thirds of the way through I felt I was just marking time till the final page could be reached, rather than really wanting to find out what would happen (it's actually very easy to see where everything is going, so I could have quit at that point and still have been pretty certain of the outcome). There are strong rumours of another installment (Midnight Sun, which is the story of Twilight told from Edward's point of view), which might be interesting, but only as a completion of the collection, rather than it being a "new story". I would hope the standard of that installment would rise a little above that of Breaking Dawn, which, in my opinion, doesn't really stand up quite as well as the other novels in the series. Read it, but don't expect anything special or you may find yourself a little disappointed. Rating: 6/10 Other titles by this author: Twilight Saga - Twilight / New Moon / Eclipse The Host Edited March 15, 2009 by Kell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eschulenburg Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 I REALLY hated the ending of Breaking Dawn - hated, hated, hated it! Thinking about it, I didn't really like the ending of The Host either - I think Stephenie Meyer and I just have some sort of fundamentally different belief about how novels should end. Also, I kinda think Midnight Sun won't ever get published - someone managed to leak a bunch of it online, and Meyer says she is so upset about is she doesn't know if she will ever finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Yeah I did too esch, the ending was soooo built up throughout the book that there was going to be this big fight, but then nothing even happened, how disappointing! And I think she will publish Midnight Sun, but with the way she's acting, by the time she does it not many people will be interested Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookBee8 Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 I wasn't overly keen on the ending to Breaking Dawn either. But I didn't dislike it as much as other people seem too. I prefer it to New Moon. Nice review. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanC_84 Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 Yeah, Breaking Dawn was a little of a disappointment for me. It was an expected one though. Still, overall I would say I enjoyed it a fair bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookBee8 Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 When I read the series, I didn't really know what the rest of the world really thought about them. So, I was surprised at first when I heard people actually hated Breaking Dawn. But now I can see why it wouldn't appeal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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