Month: October 2009

Teaser Tuesday

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Tuesday TeaserTeaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. The idea is to give everyone a look inside the book you’re reading.

1.) Grab your current read

2.) Open to a random page

3.) Share two teaser sentences from that page

4.) Share the title and author so that other participants know what you’re reading.

Be careful not to include spoilers. You don’t want to ruin the book for others!

My Teaser this week:

“On Sunday morning the change was one day nearer. I was resolute about not thinking my three magic words and would not let them into my mind, but the air of change was so strong that there was no avoiding it; change lay over the stairs and the kitchen and the garden like fog.”

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson, pg. 51.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

I haven’t started this yet so a teaser for me too.

Enemy of God

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Enemy of God

Enemy of God

Enemy of God

By Bernard Cornwell

St. Martin’s Press

ISBN: 0-312-15523-0

5 stars

Enemy of God is the second book in the Warlord series by Cornwell. It picks up where The Winter King left off with Derfel telling the story of Arthur to Queen Igraine of Powys, his patron.

In The Winter King, Arthur was working to protect the child Mordred, the eventual leader of Dumnonia, and to secure peace in the land he loves. In Enemy of God, that peace has been secured but there are still battles to be fought — some with the Saxons and many with Arthur’s own family and friends.

Derfel, who has an everlasting trust in Merlin, goes with him in search of Britain’s greatest treasure, the Cauldron of Clyddno Eiddyn, which Merlin believes will bring the gods back to the land. Derfel is reunited with his love, Ceinwyn, during this time and while it’s not always a happy or easy life for him, you can’t help but admire him and want to hear his story.

We also learn more about Arthur and Guinevere, their sad love story, and how it brings the ruin of what many people, but mostly Guinevere, referred to as Camelot. Oddly, you’ll also notice that the 10 years of peace that Arthur brings to the land are still rife with fighting, just smaller scale but it’s still there and Derfel doesn’t let the reader forget it was a rough life. The ending is full of betrayal and brings about a change in Arthur, less kind and more brutal but justified — the emergence of the warlord leader you have been waiting for. He is no longer protecting the land for Mordred who is now grown and assumed the thrown, but fighting in his own name for his own cause.

The rise of Christianity and the fall of the Pagan gods drives a good portion of the story. I found the small rituals that each character performs to ward off evil and ill-luck from the other religion fascinating. I don’t think I’ve read about so many people spitting, crossing themselves, and touching iron in any other book. The good part here, is that it’s part of who these characters are and adds to the story without distracting attention.

I’m working my way through this series for the Arthurian Challenge and I’m loving it. I’ve had the pleasure of being able to read all three book back to back which has kept the story going without interruption making it very easy to just open the book and get lost. If you’re looking for a good historical read, Cornwell delivers with this series. Even if you’re not an Arthur fan, it still works very well providing a picture of life that’s just brutal but so satisfying.

Library Loot – small bitty loot…

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Library LootOnly one book this week — We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. I’m looking forward to it and it promises to be a good read.

We Have Always Lives in the Castle

We Have Always Lives in the Castle

I still have 3 books on hold. In fact, these books have been on hold for a LONG time. I’ve been patiently waiting but now I keep adding books to my que just to see what will come through for me. I feel like I’m playing the lotto with the library right now.

Here’s what I am hoping to get, sometime in the next year I guess.

Cleopatra’s Daughter by Michelle Moran

The Killing Way by Tony Hays

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

Maybe next week…maybe next year…

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Eva and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

Booking Through Thursday

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Booking Through ThursdayBooking Through Thursday asks — I was wanting to try a certain author and wished I knew someone who had read her works so I could get a recommendation when it occurred to me that having a “YOU ask the question” Booking Through Thursday might be fun. Each participant could ask a question they’ve wanted to discuss with other readers. Perhaps, like me, you’d like a recommendation of a certain author’s best work, or perhaps you LOVE a certain genre or series but no one else you know does and you’d just like to discuss it with someone. Or perhaps you want to try a new genre and would like recommendations from seasoned readers.

Hmm…the possibilities are endless but I am going to limit myself to a single topic. And that topic is — vampires. I like vampire stories but I tend to stick with the classics and a few interesting new releases but I would like something off the beaten path. Halloween is approaching and a good vampire book would be the perfect read this month. I know a lot of people have read Charlaine Harris’s southern vampire mysteries but I don’t know much about the series so I haven’t picked any up, mostly because I don’t know where to start and there’s a ton of books. Even beyond that though, I’d like something different, dark, sinister, intriguing, and interesting. And PLEASE, do not mention Twilight. I have nothing against the books, I’ve read them, but I don’t really get it so anything but that. 🙂

If it helps, here’s what I’ve read:

Dracula by Bram Stoker

The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange

Dracula the Undead by Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Her Fearful Symmetry

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Her Fearful Symmetry

Her Fearful Symmetry

Her Fearful Symmetry

By Audrey Niffenegger

Scribner

ISBN: 978-1439165393

5 stars

In addition to this blog, I also do reviews for The Book Reporter website. Below is a short summary of my review of Her Fearful Symmetry which can be found on their website in full here.

Her Fearful Symmetry begins with a death. Elspeth Noblin dies of cancer, leaving her London apartment to her estranged sister’s twin daughters, Julia and Valentina. Excited by the prospect of a new life life, the twins leave for London unaware of the dark secret which has kept their mother and aunt apart for decades.

This book is full of interesting characters who all seem to be waiting around for something in their lives — a wife to return, a secret to be revealed, a love to return, or a love to be found. Hovering over everyone is death and disappearance. In the end, you feel sad for all the characters, even the ones that manage to find themselves again but you may not get over the final last act that brings everything full circle.

Her Fearful Symmetry was eagerly awaited by fans of The Time Traveler’s Wife. I didn’t fall in love with these characters that way I did with Henry and Clair but, it was worth the wait and is one great read.

Teaser Tuesdays

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Tuesday TeaserTeaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. The idea is to give everyone a look inside the book you’re reading.

1.) Grab your current read

2.) Open to a random page

3.) Share two teaser sentences from that page

4.) Share the title and author so that other participants know what you’re reading.

Be careful not to include spoilers. You don’t want to ruin the book for others!

My Teaser this week:

“At first I could only see the dark strip of the shore beneath the snow-white and slate-black loom of the mountains beyond, but then I saw a ragged black thing moving just beyond the stony beach. It was a banner, mere fluttering strips of rags tied to a pole, but an instant after it appeared a line of warriors showed themselves above the strait’s bank.”

Enemy of God by Bernard Cornwell, pg. 88.

Enemy of God

Enemy of God

Dracula

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Dracula

Dracula

Dracula

By Bram Stoker

Bantam Books

ISBN: 0-553-21271-0

5 stars

I recently re-read Dracula and I have to say, it can still make my heart race even though I know what’s going to happen on the next page.

The novel is composed of journal entries from several characters: Jonathan Harker, Lucy Westerna, Mina Murray, Dr. John Seward, Quincey Morris, Arthur Holwood, and Professor Van Helsing.  Each entry brings a new voice and perspective to the story making it incredibly rich and, in many ways, even scarier because you know these individuals are expressing their true fears since the writing is done in private journals.

The story begins with Jonathan Harker, an English lawyer, on a trip to the Carpathian Mountains to conduct business for a Count Dracula.  He describes his odd journey and the strange responses of the people when they learn where he is going.  He also includes his description of the Count which gives the reader a clear look at Dracula.

Mina, Jonathan’s fiancée, is visiting her friend Lucy and writing happily to her Jonathan.  The entries are full of happiness and hope until Lucy falls gravely ill and the mood becomes tragically sad and somewhat disturbing as Lucy’s behavior and cause is explained.

Dr. Seward, a former suitor of Lucy’s, is at a loss to help her and calls on an old friend.  Professor Van Helsing arrives and sensing the problem begins a fruitless effort to save her.  When Lucy succumbs, Van Helsing knows what must be done but to protect the decency of the lady and emotions of family and friends, he mentions the next step, stake through the heart and beheading, only to Seward.  Seward, nursing his loss of Lucy in several ways, lashes out.  Finally, when neighbors begin to report children missing, Seward agrees to help Van Helsing along with Quincey, an American in love with Lucy as well, and her forlorn fiancé Arthur who feels it is his duty to help Lucy finally rest in peace.  The small band sets out to kill Lucy — again.

Mina at this time is nursing Jonathan back to health after he fell ill during his trip to Transylvania.  She finds and reads his diary against his wishes, in the hope of understanding what is ailing him.  She’s astounded by what she finds but is still determined to help not only Jonathan, but the now assembled group of vampire hunters, remove the scourge from the earth.

As the final battle becomes evident, the journal entries become more morose, creepy, and scary which is what makes this book so fascinating.  You feel as if you’re getting a peek into the characters’ minds.  You feel their terror and frustrations, and are entranced by the minutiae of their planning for the fight with what they consider to be the ultimate evil.

If you’re looking for something to read this October, the original still delivers.

Vooks?

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Yes, vooks and no, it’s not a typo.  According to a story in The New York Times on Wednesday, publishers are trying out a new form of the book which includes video.

It looks interesting but I don’t know if it’s for me.  Don’t get me wrong, I read a lot online, but there is something very visceral about a book.  You can hold it in your hands, carry it in your bag, and share it with others.  Now, yes, I know all of this sharing can be done easily online but for me I think I would rather the paper version.  There is really just something about a book that make me happy and I don’t know if adding video would do much for me.  I like being able to imagine each scene and character without outside input.

Then again, maybe I’m wrong.  I also thought the Snuggie was an odd idea (Really, do you need a blanket with sleeves?) but look how many people own them now.

Thoughts?