~Weave's World Of Books 2010~

[Peacefield]

She's horrible, Weave! So much better in the show. If there was no show I can't honestly say I'd want to finish the books.

[Weave]

She's horrible, Weave! So much better in the show. If there was no show I can't honestly say I'd want to finish the books.

 

I hear ya peacefield, I don't think I would either, Elena is horrible, I hated how her friends (especially Meredith) were having problems and she just did not seem to care!

[Peacefield]

Yep, Elena was nothing but self-centered in the books. I almost wondered why Stefan even liked her!

[Weave]

Yep, Elena was nothing but self-centered in the books. I almost wondered why Stefan even liked her!

 

I think Stefan must have hit his head or something

[Peacefield]

He must've! There are way better people he could be hanging out with right about now .

[Weave]

He must've! There are way better people he could be hanging out with right about now .

 

Definitely

[lexiepiper]

Its okay, don't be worrying peacefield I was thinking there that maybe I would feel different if I had read the books before I saw the show but I think I would feel the same way, because Elena is really annoying! (To Lexie, if you read this Elena is not as annoying as Zoey R from The House of Night books).

 

I know what you mean. I didn't think much of the VD books though, and haven't seen the show so can't really comment

[Stephanie2008]

I agree with you are. Vampire Diaries must be one of the only cases where the show is miles better than the books. I hated Elena at first (although that died down slightly in the 3/4th books). Also, I felt like they were too short, nothing much happened yet it felt very rushed (OK that didn't really make sense ).

[Nicola]

I agree with you are. Vampire Diaries must be one of the only cases where the show is miles better than the books. I hated Elena at first (although that died down slightly in the 3/4th books). Also, I felt like they were too short, nothing much happened yet it felt very rushed (OK that didn't really make sense ).

 

I know exactly what you mean by nothing much going on, yet everything felt rushed. The story was just a bit thin for my liking, with no depth at all. Although I quite liked Damon, the other characters weren't strong enough.

[Peacefield]

Yep, I agree with all you ladies. Is it even worth reading the 3rd and 4th books? Now that I think of it, at least I could picture the TV Damon and Stefan in my head now while reading them .

[Stephanie2008]

Yeah, I prefer thinking of Elena as she is in the tv series, because I just picture Sookie when she talks about blonde hair and tanned skin. You can't go wrong with Tv Stefan or Damon

[Weave]

Well I ordered books 3 and 4 yesterday from amazon, it was cheap and I was ordering another book and I thought 'oh why not'...

[Weave]

Evernight by Claudia Gray ~ Started: 01.04.10 ~ Finished: 03.04.10

 

 

Synopsis ~

 

Bianca wants to escape.

 

At the eerily Gothic Evernight Academy, the other students are sleek, smart, and almost predatory. Bianca knows she doesn't fit in.

 

When she meets handsome, brooding Lucas, he warns her to be careful-even when it comes to caring about him. But the connection between can't be denied. Bianca will risk anything to be with Lucas, but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart...and to make Bianca question everything she's ever believed.

 

'Evernight' is the story of Bianca Olivier, a 16 year old who is about to start her first term at Evernight Academy, she meets Lucas Ross on page ten and is in love with him by the end of the chapter.

 

As the story progresses Bianca and Lucas find out secrets about each other, which leads to problems and also a sequel called 'Stargazer'.

 

'Evernight' has a lot of potential, the story could have been better, and more fast paced, nothing happens to page 139 and it is a great twist, I did not see it coming.

 

I enjoyed the story to a point because as mentioned, it has a lot of potential, which I felt unfortunately was not fulfilled, the school is the main premise but you cannot visualise it (and believe me I tried) there is gargoyles on the building, which Bianca mentions a few times.

 

No doubt I will read the sequel at some point because I hate not knowing what will happen next.

[Peacefield]

You'll have to let us know what you think of the Vampire Diaries books 3 & 4, Weave! I'm curious .

 

Evernight sounds frustrating! The premise sounds cool, but that's too bad that it just didn't live up to the potential. Maybe the rest of the books get better? How many are in the series?

[Weave]

You'll have to let us know what you think of the Vampire Diaries books 3 & 4, Weave! I'm curious .

 

Evernight sounds frustrating! The premise sounds cool, but that's too bad that it just didn't live up to the potential. Maybe the rest of the books get better? How many are in the series?

 

Will do peacefield about the vampire diaries

 

'Evernight' was frustrating, it could have been so much better, there is another two books in the series, 'Stargazer' (due for release this month) and 'Hourglass' (due for release in July this year).

[Peacefield]

Thanks for those titles, Weave! I might as well keep my eye out for them at the used book store .

[Weave]

Thanks for those titles, Weave! I might as well keep my eye out for them at the used book store .

 

Good stuff x

[Weave]

After the Quake by Haruki Murakami ~ Started: 03.04.10 ~ Finished: 05.04.10

 

 

Synopsis ~

 

The economy was booming. People had more money than they knew what to do with. And then the earthquake struck. For the characters in after the quake, the Kobe earthquake is an echo from a past they buried long ago. Satsuki has spent thirty years hating one man: a lover who destroyed her chances of having children. Did her desire for revenge cause the earthquake? Junpei's estranged parents live in Kobe. Should he contact them? Miyabe left his family in Kobe to make midnight bonfires on a beach hundreds of miles away. Four year old Sala has nightmares that the Earthquake Man is trying to stuff her inside a little box. Katagiri returns home to find a giant frog in his apartment, on a mission to save Tokyo returns home to find a giant frog in his apartment, on a mission to save Tokyo from a massive burrowing worm. 'When he gets angry, he causes earthquakes', says Frog. 'And right now he is very, very angry.'

 

'After the Quake' is six short stories set following the earthquake (Great Hanshin earthquake)

in Kobe, Japan on Tuesday 17 January 1995, 6,434 people tragically lost their lives and is Japan's worst earthquake.

 

The stories explores aspects of the character's lives which have been affected by the earthquake, whether its lost communication between relatives, feelings of a failed marriage, a giant frog who must fight a giant worm to stop another earthquake occurring or a young girl scared of change, they are all related to the earthquake.

 

One of my main reasons why I enjoy reading books by Haruki Murakami is his insight into people, true some of his characters are bizarre but I love them, in 'After the Quake', there is less bizarre characters, its the situation surrounding them, their feelings, etc.

 

Another great read by Haruki Murakami, who I felt wrote this book to deal with his feelings following the Earthquake.

[Weave]

The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman ~ Started: 05.04.10 ~ Finished: 09.04.10

 

 

Synopsis ~

 

'Listen. The Sanctuary of the Redeemers on Shotover Scarp is named after a damned lie for there is no redemption that goes on there and less sanctuary'. The Sanctuary of the Redeemers is a vast and desolate place - a place without joy or hope. Most of its occupants were taken there as boys and for years have endured the brutal regime of the Lord Redeemers whose cruelty and violence have one singular purpose - to serve in the name of the One True Faith. In one of the Sanctuary's vast and twisting maze of corridors stands a boy. He is perhaps fourteen or fifteen years old - he is not sure and neither is anyone else. He has long-forgotten his real name, but now they call him Thomas Cale. He is strange and secretive, witty and charming, violent and profoundly bloody-minded. He is so used to the cruelty that he seems immune, but soon he will open the wrong door at the wrong time and witness an act so terrible that he will have to leave this place, or die. His only hope of survival is to escape across the arid Scablands to Memphis, a city the opposite of the Sanctuary in every way: breathtakingly beautiful, infinitely Godless, and deeply corrupt. But the Redeemers want Cale back at any price...not because of the secret he now knows but because of a much more terrifying secret he does not.

 

'The Left Hand of God' tells the story of Thomas Cale, a 14 or 15 year old (he is not sure of his age and he knows that Thomas Cale is not name but he cannot remember his real name) taken as a child and recruited as a acolyte at the Redeemers Sanctuary on Shotover Scrap, a cold and bleak place where fear reigns.

 

Cale and all of the boys at the Sanctuary have been raised to serve the One True Faith, and one day they will fight and probably die for it when they reach the age of 20. Cale is somewhat different from the other boys, he has taught himself to be cold hearted, which makes life easier in the Sanctuary where happiness and friendships are not allowed. Cale has been raised in violence encouraged by Redeemer Bosco who has plans for Cale's future. Bosco's plans take a turn when Cale opens the wrong door and finds out what is happening at Sanctuary, so Cale leaves the Sanctuary along with Vague Henri and Kleist who find themselves becoming involved, they face the Scablands together and head for the city of Memphis, an almost shining light in the bleakness.

 

'The Left Hand of God' is a great book for anyone who enjoys reading about a sword welding teenager, I found Cale to be an empty character, despite his various acts of sword welding and fighting skills, with Cale, the author fully uses the cold heartiness of Cale's personality whilst at the same time trying to show that Cale has some good qualities. Cale has no good qualities.

 

I preferred Vague Henri to Cale because he was the stronger character, mainly because he had a conscious and thought before he acted, unlike Cale. I think with Cale the author is striving to be make Cale a memorable character, when in fact he is a combination of other characters which are good solid stand alone characters but not when they are part of the funny little sword welding bundle called Cale.

 

The story is interesting, I wanted to know more about the Sanctuary and, what happened to the families of the boys.

 

A book with action and a boy called Cale where the ending has been left open.

[Weave]

Once and Then by Morris Gleitzman ~ Started: 09.04.10 ~ Finished: 10.04.10

 

 

Synopsis ~

 

That's the good thing with stories. There's always a chance they can come true. Felix is lucky. Unlike the other children in the orphanage, he's certain his parents will come back for him one day. And whatever the Nazis do and however many books they burn, Felix's imagination provides him and his companions with an endless supply of stories - stories that protect them when they're on the run, shield them from the violent madness all around, give them hope when all seems lost, and one day may even save Felix's life. "Once & Then" is a spellbinding story of hope and imagination in the most terrible circumstances. However my story turns out, I'll never forget how lucky I am.

'Once and Then' is the story of Felix Salinger, 'Once' tells the first part of his story and 'Then' is the sequel, the books were made into one book in 2009 in preparation for the third and final part of Felix's story, 'Now', due for release on the 6th May of this year.

 

I added 'Once' to my wishlist after reading Janet's review and having never getting around to purchasing it, I was pleased to see the two books in one because I knew if I enjoyed the story I would want to know what happened next. I enjoyed the story and did want to know what happened.

 

'Once' and 'Then' are both brilliant books which I enjoyed. Morris Gleitzman shows the horror of the war through a child's eye while retaining a child's innocence.

 

Felix and Zelda are such lovely and remarkable characters and the characters they meet on their journey are just as lovely and remarkable and they show the courage of people and what you will do to protect your family, no matter how mismatched they are.

 

Excellent.

[Weave]

Wow Weave that's a high recommendation. If the book is that good I will try to find it.

 

Thank you :DI hope you get a chance to read it vodkafan, you will enjoy it

[Weave]

Yeah, I prefer thinking of Elena as she is in the tv series, because I just picture Sookie when she talks about blonde hair and tanned skin. You can't go wrong with Tv Stefan or Damon

 

I agree with you, the tv series is miles better, as far as I can see, they have taken some of the story from the books and the characters names but the tv writers seemed to have done a better job, also I prefer Bonnie in the series too, in the book its like, 'Oh I am a witch', er....okay

[Weave]

Botchan by Natsume Soseki ~ Started: 10.04.10 ~ Finished: 14.04.10

 

 

Synopsis ~

 

'Botchan' is a hilarious tale about a young man's rebellion in a country school. It is a classic of its kind, and has enjoyed a timeless popularity, making it, according to Donald Keene, "probably the most widely read novel in modern Japan". The setting is Japan's deep south, where the author himself spent four years teaching English in a middle school. Into this conservative world, with its social proprieties and established pecking order, breezes teacher Botchan, down from the big city, with scant respect for either his elders or his noisy young charges resulting in a chain of collisions large and small. Most of the story seems to occur in summer, against the drone of cicadas and the bite of mosquitoes. And, in every way this is a summer book - light, sunny, and fun to read. Here, in a lively new translation much better suited to the modern reader than its forebears, "Botchan" should continue to entertain future generations.

 

'Ever since I was a child, my inherent recklessness has brought me nothing but trouble

[vodkafan]

Really sounds a good read Paula. Was it hard to find?

[Weave]

Really sounds a good read Paula. Was it hard to find?

 

Its a great read vodkafan It was not hard to find, I bought it from amazon