Weave Posted November 8, 2009 Share Posted November 8, 2009 Great review Lexie, I like the thought of Stevie~Rae having her own chapters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted November 8, 2009 Share Posted November 8, 2009 Sorry I'm a little late with this, but excellent review of 'Lost Book of Salem,' Lexie! I'm SO glad you liked this one . I loved it too and can't wait for more of you to read it. I also am looking forward to getting 'The Heretic's Daughter' too. It's all such an interesting time period of US history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funrun Posted November 8, 2009 Share Posted November 8, 2009 (edited) Before I Die by Jenny Downham No. of pages: 346 Rating: 4/5 Synopsis: With only months left to live, 16-year-old Tessa makes a list of things she must experience: sex, petty crime, fame, drugs and true love. Downham's wrenching work features a girl desperate for a few thrilling moments before leukemia takes her away. Although Tessa remains ardently committed to her list, both she and the reader find comfort in the quiet resonance of the natural world. Although Tessa begins to see herself within the natural continuum, she still feels furious with her lot. Review: I expected this book to be very sad from start to finish, full of Tessa dying slowly, and whilst in a way that was true, it was also about living. The writing brings through the emotion of every situation, and you can feel the pain of her family, especially that of her dad as he tries to protect her. Her list of things to complete before she dies changes frequently, but each thing is deeply important to her. Even though I knew what was coming at the end, it was still sad and deeply moving and I have to admit, I did shed a tear or two.[/QUOTe] I loved this book enjoyed it:D Edited November 8, 2009 by Janet Fixed broken quote Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted November 11, 2009 Author Share Posted November 11, 2009 (edited) The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami No. of pages: 607 Rating: 4.5/5 Synopsis: Toru Okada's cat has disappeared and this has unsettled his wife, who is herself growing more distant every day. Then there are the increasingly explicit telephone calls he has started receiving. As this compelling story unfolds, the tidy suburban realities of Okada's vague and blameless life - spent cooking, reading, listening to jazz and opera and drinking beer at the kitchen table - are turned inside out, and he embarks on a bizarre journey, guided (however obscurely) by a succession of characters, each with a tale to tell. Review: When Toru and Kumiko's cat disappears it's the start of a very bizarre journey for Toru. The people he meets are varied and interesting, but can they help him find what he's looking for? I loved this book, it was such a refreshing change from anything I've ever read before. Obviously the Japanese culture is quite different to ours here, and I loved the mysticism of the spirits and being able to move out of your body for a period of time. The characters were my favourite aspect of the story, they were so random and quite bizarre at times, but they were great fun to read about and get to know. In particular my favourites were Creta Kano, May Kasahara and Cinnamon Akasaka, although I really did feel like each character brought something important to the story. My only dislikes were that it was a tad too long, and it felt like I was reading it forever and seemingly never making progress, and also that some of the longer memory passages were a bit too long too, and I found myself losing concentration a bit. But other than that, it was a fantastic book, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking to read something a bit different. Edited November 11, 2009 by lexiepiper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perky Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Great review! It's next on my list to be read and I'm really looking forward to reading it now! Thanks Perky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted November 11, 2009 Author Share Posted November 11, 2009 Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted November 11, 2009 Author Share Posted November 11, 2009 Coraline by Neil Gaiman No. of pages: 171 Rating: 4/5 Synopsis: In Coraline's family's new flat there's a locked door. On the other side is a brick wall - until Coraline unlocks the door and finds a passage to another flat in another house just like her own. Only different... The food is better there. Books have pictures that writhe and crawl and shimmer. And there's another mother and father there who want Coraline to be their little girl. They want to change her and keep her with them...Forever. Review: Coraline finds a strange door in her new house, and when she goes through it, she's taken to another world where there's another mother and father. But the other mother doesn't want Coraline to leave, in fact, she'll do everything she can to keep her... I've been wanting to read this for a long time, and I wasn't disappointed. I was surprised by how creepy it was though considering it's aimed at 10+ year old kids, it certainly would have scared me at that age. The storyline was great, I really enjoyed it and I thought it flowed really well, and even though it is a children's book, it's definitely one you can still enjoy reading as an adult. I've heard lots of things about Gaiman and his writing, and I was impressed by what I read, so I will certainly be going on to read other books by him that I'm interested in, and now I really want to watch the Coraline movie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Great review Lexie, 'Coraline' sounds great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted November 12, 2009 Author Share Posted November 12, 2009 Home by Nicola Davies No. of pages: 259 Rating: 2/5 Synopsis: It's 2067 and the world has become virtually uninhabitable with all the pollution and toxins created by mankind. Ruling classes live holed up in the cities and workers live in Stations, safe from the outside world. But one day Station 27 is taken over by rebels. Nero, from the ruling classes, and Sacks, a worker, find themselves thrown together as they're captured by the rebels, their common enemy. As they begin to discover the terrifying truth about their world, the two children get separated and find themselves in great danger. Will they find each other before it is too late? Review: All of the workers have been told that the outside world is harmful, and so everyone stays inside the glass domes where they work and sleep. Except for Sacks. When she goes out and realises it's not actually harmful, it sets in motion a massive set of events, which leads to something Sacks could never have dreamed of... This wasn't as good as I was expecting it to be, which is a bit of a shame. The storyline was okay, the characters were okay, but nothing was ever more than okay. An easy read with an interesting concept which could have been so much more than it was. The way they talked was really annoying, the workers who were meant to be the lower class had chavvy London accents, and the rulers all spoke perfect english, which just seemed like such a stupid stereotype. Not something I'd bother recommending. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted November 16, 2009 Author Share Posted November 16, 2009 Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver No. of pages: 233 Rating: 4/5 Series: Chronicles Of Ancient Darkness (Book 1) Synopsis: 6,000 years in the past, twelve-year-old Torak and his guide, a wolf cub, set out on a dangerous journey to fulfill an oath the boy made to his dying father - to travel to the Mountain of the World Spirit seeking a way to destroy a demon-possessed bear that threatens all the clans. Review: With his father on his death bed, Torak promises him he'll go to the Mountain of the World Spirit for help with destroying the bear than killed him. But having never been alone before, the journey is a lot tougher than Torak imagines... This was a really enjoyable book, and I am definitely going to continue reading the series. Paver does an amazing job of taking you back to times when people wore animal pelts, and hunted with arrows, and even the language has been thoroughly thought out. The storyline itself keeps you interested with the twists the whole way through, and even though this is written for YA, this is definitely something that can be enjoyed by adults. I would definitely recommend it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 I really like books that are set thousands of years ago - there's something about the ancient world that really fascinates me. I may be tempted to give this a whirl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted November 16, 2009 Author Share Posted November 16, 2009 I've just finished the second Mac and they are really good, I'd def recommend them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 I'm glad you're enjoying these, lexie! I'm just waiting for the last one to come out in paperback now, but the rest have been some of my favourite books this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Great review Lexie, I like the sound of Wolf Brother Happy reading Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted November 17, 2009 Author Share Posted November 17, 2009 Thanks Paula I think the series is another you'd enjoy x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Thanks Paula I think the series is another you'd enjoy x Oh I think so, we have similar book tastes x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted November 17, 2009 Author Share Posted November 17, 2009 Spirit Walker by Michelle Paver No. of pages: 275 Rating: 4/5 Series: Chronicles Of Ancient Darkness (Book 2) Synopsis: As the Moon of No Dark waxes large, the clans fall prey to a horrifying sickness. Fear stalks the Forest. No one knows the cause—and only Torak can find the cure. His quest takes him across the sea to the mysterious islands of the Seal Clan. Here, Torak battles an unseen menace and uncovers a betrayal that will change his life—forever. Review: When people from all the clans start falling sick, Torak goes of in search of a cure. After ending up on the Seal Clan island, he finds out about a lot of things that have been hidden from him, and fights to stop the sickness... This was a great continuation of the series, again jam packed with a great storyline and lots of action. I liked the fact that Torak had grown up a bit more in this book, and I was very pleased to see the return of my favourite characters from the first book. I liked the introduction of the Seal Clan and their ways which are so different to the Clans we read about in Wolf Brother. A really enjoyable series so far, and I'm eager to read more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver What sort of age group do you think these books are aimed at? I'm always looking out for books for my 10 year old to read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted November 17, 2009 Author Share Posted November 17, 2009 What sort of age group do you think these books are aimed at? I'm always looking out for books for my 10 year old to read. I definitely think they'd be suitable for her, they're really good little adventure stories Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perky Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Just picked up Wolf Brother from the book shop this morning because of your recommendation and I'm looking forward to reading it as I don't normally read books like this one but I was intrigued! Perky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted November 17, 2009 Author Share Posted November 17, 2009 That's great Perky, hope you enjoy it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Another great review Lexie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted November 29, 2009 Author Share Posted November 29, 2009 Soul Eater by Michelle Paver No. of pages: 257 Rating: 4/5 Series: Chronicles Of Ancient Darkness (Book 3) Synopsis: The ice bear twisted its head on its long neck and snarled: a deep reverberating thunder that shook the ice. It locked eyes with Torak - and the world fell away. It's winter, and Wolf, Torak's beloved pack-brother, has been captured by an unknown foe. In a desperate bid to rescue him, Torak and Renn must brave the frozen wilderness of the Far North. Soul Eater is a haunting story of loyalty and loss, and a chilling portrayal of the nature of evil. It carries you back to the flickering torchlight of the ancient world, and leads you on the next step of the perilous journey which began with Wolf Brother and Spirit Walker. Review: Whilst out hunting with Renn, somebody snatches Wolf, and takes him to the Far North. Torak cannot abandon his pack brother, so they follow through unknown territory, but can they make it in time to save Wolf? Again, another fantastic addition to the series. I'm really enjoying these books, you can tell the amount of research the author has done because it's so realistically detailed for that time. The stories have started to get darker in tone as Torak and Renn get closer to fighting the Soul Eaters, and with the end of every book, you never know where the next one will go, so it's always unexpected and interesting. A really enjoyable series so far, and I'm already thinking ahead and wondering what will happen in the last book, so I cannot wait to read the next three and find out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted November 29, 2009 Author Share Posted November 29, 2009 Night's Edge by Maggie Shayne/Barbara Hambly/Charlaine Harris No. of pages: 377 Rating: 4/5 Synopsis: Three new stories in one delicious volume of horror and romance. Her Best Enemy by Maggie Shayne Kiley Brigham refuses to believe there's a ghost in her house, but when an unseen hand leaves a bloody message on her bathroom mirror, she's forced to turn to local psychic Jack McCain. As the two work to uncover a long-buried secret, Kiley finds that she's haunted not by spirits, but by thoughts of Jack... Someone Else's Shadow by Barbara Hambly Maddie Laveau worries about her young roommate, Tessa, when she stays late to practice ballet in the old Glendower Building...and when Tessa goes missing, Maddie enlists mysterious tenant Phil Anderson to help. But is Phil the white knight she needs, or the predator she fears? Dancers In The Dark by Charlaine Harris Layla Rue Le May is no ordinary dancer-her partner, Sean McClendon, is a three-hundred-year-old redheaded vampire. So when Layla Rue acquires a stalker, she's forced to face the music...and wonder if this will finally be her last dance. Review: Night's Edge is a book of 3 short stories about supernatural romance. I really enjoyed Her Best Enemy and Dancers In The Dark, but didn't really think much of Someone Else's Shadow. Her Best Enemy was pretty creepy, and I really enjoyed the ghost aspect of the story, but the romance aspect was predictable as they always are in romance books. Dancers In The Dark was about vampires, so I knew I would love it, the fact it's set in the Sookie universe made it that much better, as I already knew the references to such things as The Fellowship Of The Sun. The story itself was enjoyable, I liked the characters and thought she wrote them really well. I found Someone Else's Shadow pretty boring though, I felt like it was dragging on even though it was only a short story. I didn't much care for the characters and thought it was silly how they loved each other after only a handful of meetings. The ghost aspect of the story was the best bit about it, although I didn't much like that either. I probably wouldn't bother reading anything by Barbara Hambly again if this short story is anything to go on. I'll certainly be looking into reading more by Maggie Shayne though, and would recommend this book to fans of Charlaine's if only to read her short story! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted November 29, 2009 Author Share Posted November 29, 2009 In between Soul Eater and Night's Edge I re-read the Twilight Saga, which of course was very enjoyable and now I'm re-reading the Sookie Stackhouse series Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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