There are several books I’m really excited about for 2014. In no particular order, here are the ones I’m most excited about. Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau This is the sequel to Charbonneau’s YA dystopian novel The Testing, in which protagonist Cia must survive a Hunger Games-like Testing in order to win a coveted place at her society’s university. Charbonneau left Cia at a very interesting point and I am anxious to read how her tale continues. Independent Study will be released on the 7th of January 2014, and I have preordered it from Amazon. The final book in the trilogy, Graduation Day, will be released on the 3rd of June 2014 and is also available for preorder from Amazon. Cress by Marissa Meyer This is the third in Meyer’s set of four YA fairytale/sci-fi blend, The Lunar Chronicles. This one is based on the tale of Rapunzel, who in Meyer’s reimagining becomes a young hacker isolated on a remote satellite. She teams up with Cinder, Scarlet, Wolf and Thorne from the preceding novels in order to bring down Queen Levana of Luna. I adored the first two books and look forward to the continuation. Cress will be released on…
Legend by Marie Lu is the first in a YA dystopian trilogy and tells the story of Day and June two teenagers on the opposite sides of the political fence. June is a young government soldier, while Day is a freedom fighter. When June’s brother is killed during a raid on a hospital in which Day is taking part, their paths collide. What I liked The romance. It’s an old trope, but an effective one, to have the protagonists fall in love but be unaware that they are in fact mortal enemies because of their political viewpoints. (see You’ve Got Mail, Pillow Talk, The Shop Around the Corner)The added personal motivation of Metias’, June’s brother’s death adds an extra element to the mix. Lu builds up an excellent tension for the reveal of the identities to each other. She actually had the revelation take place earlier in the book than I’d expected – however, it works well, as the rest of the book is devoted to finding out the truth behind Metias’ death. The setting. I found Lu’s world nicely written. The dystopian side of it is very subtle at first, and it’s only when we learn more about it…
Legend by Marie Lu is the first in a YA dystopian trilogy and tells the story of Day and June two teenagers on the opposite sides of the political fence. June is a young government soldier, while Day is a freedom fighter. When June’s brother is killed during a raid on a hospital in which Day is taking part, their paths collide. What I liked The romance. It’s an old trope, but an effective one, to have the protagonists fall in love but be unaware that they are in fact mortal enemies because of their political viewpoints. (see You’ve Got Mail, Pillow Talk, The Shop Around the Corner)The added personal motivation of Metias’, June’s brother’s death adds an extra element to the mix. Lu builds up an excellent tension for the reveal of the identities to each other. She actually had the revelation take place earlier in the book than I’d expected – however, it works well, as the rest of the book is devoted to finding out the truth behind Metias’ death. The setting. I found Lu’s world nicely written. The dystopian side of it is very subtle at first, and it’s only when we learn more about it…
As it’s now near the end of 2013, I feel it’s about time I did my review of the top books I read this year. First of all, some statistics. According to GoodReads, I have read an incredible 115 books this year! I am certain that this is partly due to Audible and my being able to listen to books during my nightshifts. As I am moving onto day shifts soon, I suspect my total will drop for next year. As an item of interest, the longest book I read was A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson at a total of 909 pages. So without much further ado, onto the retrospective. Here, in no particular order, are my favourite books of 2013. [book-info title=”A Memory of Light” author=brandon-sanderson-2] A Memory of Light is, of course, the final book in Robert Jordan’s magnum opus The Wheel of Time, completed by Brandon Sanderson after Jordan’s death. There was a lot of pressure and expectation on this book; the series has been ongoing for nearly 25 years and had a cast of thousands as well as hundreds of narrative plot threads. Sanderson was faced with a real challenge…
As it’s now near the end of 2013, I feel it’s about time I did my review of the top books I read this year. First of all, some statistics. According to GoodReads, I have read an incredible 115 books this year! I am certain that this is partly due to Audible and my being able to listen to books during my nightshifts. As I am moving onto day shifts soon, I suspect my total will drop for next year. As an item of interest, the longest book I read was A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson at a total of 909 pages. So without much further ado, onto the retrospective. Here, in no particular order, are my favourite books of 2013. [book-info title=”A Memory of Light” author=brandon-sanderson-2] A Memory of Light is, of course, the final book in Robert Jordan’s magnum opus The Wheel of Time, completed by Brandon Sanderson after Jordan’s death. There was a lot of pressure and expectation on this book; the series has been ongoing for nearly 25 years and had a cast of thousands as well as hundreds of narrative plot threads. Sanderson was faced with a real challenge…
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer is the second in The Lunar Chronicles series and is loosely based on the fairytale of Little Red Riding Hood. The narrative is split between continuing the story of Cinder from the first book and following Scarlet as she attempts to find and rescue her kidnapped grandmother. What I liked Strong, intelligent protagonist. Scarlet, like the fairytale Little Red Riding Hood, is a spirited, feisty young heroine and a lot of fun to read. I enjoyed her story and watching her learn about her grandmother’s secrets. I was amused that at the end both of the male protagonists were out of commission and it was up to the ladies to save the day. Intriguing love interest. The character of Wolf was very well written. Meyer deliberately keeps the character’s motivations unclear right until the very end and the way Meyer fulfilled the fairytale’s wolf role was masterfully done. There are probably fewer iconic moments to bring over from Little Red Riding Hood – the red cape of course, “what big eyes you have, grandma” and both of those do make an appearance. I loved the way Meyer brought those and the wolves into her narrative –…
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer is the second in The Lunar Chronicles series and is loosely based on the fairytale of Little Red Riding Hood. The narrative is split between continuing the story of Cinder from the first book and following Scarlet as she attempts to find and rescue her kidnapped grandmother. What I liked Strong, intelligent protagonist. Scarlet, like the fairytale Little Red Riding Hood, is a spirited, feisty young heroine and a lot of fun to read. I enjoyed her story and watching her learn about her grandmother’s secrets. I was amused that at the end both of the male protagonists were out of commission and it was up to the ladies to save the day. Intriguing love interest. The character of Wolf was very well written. Meyer deliberately keeps the character’s motivations unclear right until the very end and the way Meyer fulfilled the fairytale’s wolf role was masterfully done. There are probably fewer iconic moments to bring over from Little Red Riding Hood – the red cape of course, “what big eyes you have, grandma” and both of those do make an appearance. I loved the way Meyer brought those and the wolves into her narrative –…
Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong is the first in a new YA epic fantasy series. It tells the story of Ashyn and Moria, twins who are destined from birth to take on the roles of Seeker and Keeper respectively. In the world of the Sea of Shadows, the dead don’t always rest quietly, and it’s the job of the Keeper and Seeker to keep them under control and to send them to their rest. Ashyn and Moria are new to the role and are inexperienced, and naturally, this is the point at which the dead choose to mount a full scale attack. Their attempt to control and investigate this uprising brings them in contact with the upper echelons of power and all the accompanying politics. I must admit I found this a difficult book to get into. That wasn’t through any fault of the book itself I don’t believe; it just didn’t appeal to me personally. What I liked The relationships. I thought the relationships between Ashyn and Moria and also between the girls and their respective love interests was well written and believable. I did feel invested in the pairings and I am glad that there was no…
Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong is the first in a new YA epic fantasy series. It tells the story of Ashyn and Moria, twins who are destined from birth to take on the roles of Seeker and Keeper respectively. In the world of the Sea of Shadows, the dead don’t always rest quietly, and it’s the job of the Keeper and Seeker to keep them under control and to send them to their rest. Ashyn and Moria are new to the role and are inexperienced, and naturally, this is the point at which the dead choose to mount a full scale attack. Their attempt to control and investigate this uprising brings them in contact with the upper echelons of power and all the accompanying politics. I must admit I found this a difficult book to get into. That wasn’t through any fault of the book itself I don’t believe; it just didn’t appeal to me personally. What I liked The relationships. I thought the relationships between Ashyn and Moria and also between the girls and their respective love interests was well written and believable. I did feel invested in the pairings and I am glad that there was no…
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug directed by Peter Jackson Genres: Epic Fantasy Format: Cinema release Starring: Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ian McKellan Length: 2 hours 49 minutes The Desolation of Smaug is the second in Peter Jackson’s trilogy based on J.R.R Tolkien’s The Hobbit and stars Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage and Ian McKellen and continues the story of our party of dwarves accompanied by Bilbo the titular hobbit and Gandalf. It follows them through Mirkwood and their encounter with Thranduil’s woodland elves and finally to the goal of their quest, the Lonely Mountain. However, they still have a lot of work to do before they can reclaim their homeland and all the gold it contains. Check back at a theatre near you Christmas 2014 to find out what happens. There are spoilers here so please check back after the cut