Book Review - Hollowland by Amanda Hocking

Paperback: 312 pages
Publisher: Amanda Hocking
Publication date: 6 Oct 2010
ISBN13: 9781453860953

First Line - "This is the way the world ends - not with a bang or a whimper, but with zombies breaking down the back door."

Nineteen-year-old Remy King is on a mission to get across the wasteland left of America, and nothing will stand in her way - not violent marauders, a spoiled rock star, or an army of flesh-eating zombies.

Had I known that this book was about a zombie apocalypse I'd have been all over it a LONG time ago. How could I not know that?! I thought it was the usual YA fare and admit that the cover had a lot to do with that. That's a lovely cover and not a hint of zombie about it. It seems it's true what they say about covers, and judging... I'm not sure how long I've had this one but it seems like an age. I wish I'd gotten to it sooner. The only reason I looked at it when I did was because I just read an article on the Daily Mail about Amanda Hocking. I recognised the name and thought, "Hmmm, I've got one of her's here somewhere I think". The rest is history. Read it - Loved it!

It's a very satisfying story and right from the very first line the reader is hauled slap-bang into the thick of it. These zombies are not the slow, lumbering moaners from the usual zom-fests, these zombies are jacked up crazies and can pick up a bit of speed. All the action scenes are pretty frantic.

I felt I really connected with Remy, the main character and liked her a lot. Some of the other character's didn't impress me as much (ie, Blue - although it's a cute name) but I still liked them. Really liked Ripley too, if you can call a lion a character? Yeah, a lion! A very cool lion, actually.

There's a tiny bit of romance and sexual chemistry but I do mean 'tiny'. That's not the main focus of the story though so it makes a nice change from the usual YA boy/girl storylines.

There are some creepy character's in here too and I thought they were dealt with really well. Not TOO creepy for the YA market but 'just' creepy enough to make this adult shudder.

I loved the dialogue, it always felt so natural and suited each character perfectly. Amanda Hocking does character interaction very well, I thought.

I can't believe no publisher wanted this one! It's great. Judging by the money she's making from self publishing I'd say I'm not the only one that thinks that way. In the words of Kevin Costner..."Build it and they will come".

Now for the good news..If you're in the UK you can download this for your kindle for FREE! Amanda is offering a kindle copy of Hollowland for nada, zilch and gratis and I'd advise you to run like the wind to go get it...it's really good!

Book 2 in the trilogy, 'Hollowmen' is already out and I'll definitely be reading it to see what lies in store for Remy!

Book lending. To do or not to do, that is the question.

A post over at Book Chick City struck a chord with me earlier. The question is a simple one. "Do you lend books?" The answer dredges up an examination of my relationship with books (and my mother).

Me? I don't lend books. But, I do give books.

I've got quirks when it comes to books that have been bought or recieved as 'new'. Although, they don't seem quirky to me. To me they seem normal. I've got different levels of 'normal', depending on the state of the book when it reaches me but overall my reading style appears unnatural compared to those around me. My nerves couldn't handle it if I lent books to anyone who didn't have the same quirks. Trouble is, those people are few and far between in my circles. They're non-exixtent in my circles to be honest, so it's just toruture to lend with the expectaion to get them back in the same state as they left me.

I just plain give my books now, once I've read them. I never expect to see them again once they leave me.

My mum mostly gets them. She's a book criminal. Folded pages, spines cracked so she can lay them opened and face down to keep her place, pages used to write telephone numbers on while she's on the phone (it's not unheard of for her to write the tel number on the cover, either), left lying in the conservatory on a scorching summer day so that the cover bleaches and the plastic peels a little ...you name it, she does it.

She loves to read though so I keep my lip buttoned. Besides, it would just give her one more reason to rip into my character flaw's if I mentioned how I felt about what she was doing to my books so I just gift them, call them hers and move on. She thinks I'm a book weirdo. She is quite judgemental of things/people that are alien to 'her way' so my book idiosyncrasies are best kept to myself for the most part. Don't want to give her any more ammuniton than she already has.

I'll give her a book I've finished and she'll say "Did you not read this one, it looks brand new?..."

Yeah, mum, seeing a pattern here?

So now I just give. It's her's as soon as it leaves my hands. It's hers to read, enjoy and mangle.

I have a few book's that I wouldn't dream of letting out of my sight and for those sacred books I usually buy another copy and give that out instead.

Then there are the books that come to me in less than pristine condition. Sometimes from friends but mostly from the UK swap site READ IT SWAP IT. Those I just read, enjoy and pass on. Sometimes to friends or family but mostly back into the system on RISI. They don't leave me in any worse shape than when they arrived but they're not treated with kid gloves either.

When all is said and done, it's just a book. Some books are more than the sum of their parts though and those are the books that are safely shelved and touched by nobody but me. Whatever someone does with their book once I've passed it on isn't my concern.

How does everyone else feel about lending? Do your book quirks get in the way of your book sharing? I'd love to know if I'm the only one with book peculiarities.

Book Review - Edinburgh Dead by Brian Ruckley

Paperback: 369 pages
Publisher: Orbit
Publication date: 4 Aug 2011
ISBN13: 9781841498652

First Line - "The corpse sat in a simple, high-backed chair"

The year is 1827. For Adam Quire, an officer of the recently formed City Police, Edinburgh is a terrifying place. It is a city populated by mad alchemists and a criminal underclass prepared to treat with the darkest of powers. But nothing can prepare him for the trail of undead hounds, emptied graves, brutal murders and mob violence that will take him into the darkest corners of the underworld and to the highest reaches of elegant Edinburgh society.

Wow! 2011 is drawing to a close and I think I just found my favourite read of the year. Edinburgh Dead by Brian Ruckley! Totally brilliant! It's rare that I can use the term 'unputdownable', but I definitely can say it about this one. Read it in less than 48 hours, which for me is pretty much unheard of. Could NOT put it down.

I'm fond of Historical fiction (albeit usually romantic) but to say I'm not usually a crime/mystery reader is an understatement, not a single murder mystery comes to mind that I've read but the lure of the area around where I live used as a backdrop, coupled with zombie dogs just sucked me right in. There are zombie humans too but I mostly wanted to see the zom-dogs loose on Edinburgh's streets and closes.

I really, really loved that I knew all the places mentioned in the book. I'm in Edinburgh about once or twice a fortnight and all of the places and building's are familiar to me. Loved that. The people of the story are familiar 'faces' too...even the non-famous one's. Go to certain parts of Edinburgh on any given day and chances are you'll rub shoulders with just the sort of people mentioned in the pages. There's maybe 200 years seperating them but their banter hasn't changed that much. As for the famous 'faces' well, in particular Burke and Hare the infamous body snatchers or 'Ressurectionists' as they were also know are common knowledge for anyone who spends any time in or around Edinburgh and I loved reading about them. Fictionalised in parts but great fun to read nonetheless.

And zombie's. Let's not forget the zombies. They're the reason that I wanted to read this so bad in the first place, although I did wonder how a person could fit the undead into an Historical murder/crime/mystery. The whole book has a dark, gritty feel to it and the air of supernatural 'going's on' didn't seem out of place or contrived at all. In fact, as unlikely as it all sounds Mr Ruckley writes in such a way as to have me think it was all quite plausible. It's very well done.

I loved all of the characters and really felt like I got to know them. Some of them I'd like to know even better and REALLY want there to be more cases for Adam Quire to solve... I'd read any and all stories if this were made into an ongoing series.

There's a bit of a twist in the tale at the end and being as unfamiliar with crime mystery as I am, I'm not sure if that's usual but whether it is or it isn't, the twist at the end just sealed the deal for me. It was a brilliant end to a brilliant story and I just hope I can find more stories like it.

I can't say enough good things about this, I'm all over the place but I just really, really liked this one. I only finished it half an hour ago so it's all still running through my mind. I'll probably think of a dozen things to say after I hit 'publish', but for now I'll just close by saying again....

Really liked it! A lot!

Brian Ruckly has a great website where you can find out more about his books, and a really interesting photo trailer section where he has added his photo's from a lot of the area's mentioned in the Edinburgh Dead. It's quite cool.

Book Review - Darkness Falling by Peter Crowther

Darkness Falling (Forever Twilight - #1) By Peter Crowther

Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: Angry Robot
Publication date(first UK): 6 Oct 2011
ISBN: 978 0 85766 168 5

Synopsis taken from Angry Robot:

It was a typical all-American backwater – until the night the monsters came.

When four employees of KMRT Radio investigate an unearthly light that cuts off communication with the outside world, they discover that something has taken the place of their friends and fellow townfolk, and imbued them with malign intentions. Little do they know, the phenomenon is not unique to the town of Jesman’s Bend…

Hoo boy! This is a good one! Haven't read anything similar in years! I'm not talking about subject matter though (although I will get to that in a moment), I'm talking about writing style. LOVED it. I've never read anything by Peter Crowther before and if I'm honest I've never even heard of him before this boook caught my attention but right from the very first page of the prologue I felt like I was meeting an old friend after a long absence.

Why? How? Because it's like this guy is channelling my coming of age book hero, Stephen 'The Man' King! It's uncanny!

They both have this 'way' of writing, I'm sure if you've ever read King then you'll know what I'm talking about...if you've never read King then it's like the books are written in a first person POV but with a third person narrative. I can't explain it, I'm positive there must be a term to describe that writing style but I just don't know what it is. There are a lot of inner monologues where someone will be describing how they're feeling or what they're thinking but they use words like 'he' or 'she' to describe themselves insead of 'I'.

Ack! I just can't put it into words...all I know is that I associate it with King and I like it.

So anyway, the book...

Darkness Falling is the first part of Peter Crowther's Forever Twilight trilogy. I think it's considered to be Science Fiction but it's also probably easily slotted into the Horror genre. Maybe Apocalyptic fiction too. To keep with the King connection I'd compare it to having a bit of 'The Langoliers', 'The Stand', 'The Tommy Knockers'..actually, I could probably find a lot of bits from a lot of novels to compare this to. It's quite hard to pigeon hole. Invasion of the body snatchers with zombie aliens is kinda close.

It's very character driven and the whole story is told via multiple 'survivors' and while I love all that, it was a bit frustrating to get caught up in one person's story only to have the chapter end and have to remind myself of a new person's story-to-date and catch up with their portion again for the new chapter. I'll admit to enjoying the story of some characters more than others too, which made things all the more frustrating when a really good bit ended and I had to get through a character I wasn't enjoying as much to get back to the good stuff. It's all good, I just really wasn't that 'connected' to the radio station guys (and gal), which is a pity because they're sort of central.

There a LOT of 'name dropping scattered throughout. Pop culture, movie references, actors, etc and it's not that it bothered me exactly it just got tedious after a while. There's a section where one of the characters 'Ronnie' tells the character 'Karl' that he looks like the actor Paul Giamatti, now while that's great for me to get a visual of how Karl looks it felt like lazy writing. There's that mantra for writers that I've seen mentioned here and there, "Don't 'tell' me, 'show' me" but here 'showing' me involved a side-step to google images to find out what Karl looked like. In case anyone is un-savvy as I am, that's Paul on the left there (he's the one who played the Ourangatang in Planet of the Apes, I think).

Did I mention how scary it is yet? No? Well, it's scary. I had to stop reading it last night and lay it aside to finish today during daylight hours. I'm not a huge devourer of the horror genre and don't claim to be an authority on what constitutes a successful scare but all I know is that when reading certain bits my brain was saying "No no no no no...omgomgomgomg". I think I'm probably quite wimpy as far as 'easily spooked' goes but to coin a Disney rating, it's worse than "mild peril".

I found it hard to find any kind of in-depth synopsis for this book and I don't know if that's intentional but just in case it is I won't spoil anything by going into a deep analysis of the story line. The author has a web presence at petercrowther.com and you may find some more info there and on his blog, if you're interested in finding out more, but for now I'll just end by saying - I. LIKED. IT!

Thin Air by Lynn Seresin - Character Interview with Delilah and a Giveaway!

Today, I'm very excited to have one of the main characters of Lynn Seresin's debut novel, THIN AIR, with me on The Bookshelf Chronicles to answer a few questions. Read on for the interview and a giveaway! The blog tour is being organised by Bree at The Awesome Magic Attic.

Allow me to introduce, Delilah!

For those who haven't already had the pleasure to meet you, can you tell us a little about yourself?
Certainly. My name is Delilah. My last name is unimportant; you don’t really need to know it.
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Ok, well, let's talk about Daniel. What first attracted you to him and how did you meet?
How did we first meet? Let’s just say I met Daniel on a camping trip. I was immediately attracted to him, basically because he’s positively gorgeous. I mean, how many tall, well-built guys with auburn hair, green eyes, and features to die for do you see walking around?
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Was Daniel your first boyfriend?
Of course not. Men have always been drawn to me, like moths to a flame.
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What were your first impressions of Alice?
Do we have to waste our time talking about that slow-witted, little phoney? Maybe Daniel and his friends didn’t see through her little act, but I sized her up the moment we met. She likes to play the damsel in distress—all “I don’t know how to do anything, and I need help”. Her type makes me sick. She knows exactly what she’s doing, so don’t be fooled. She came to steal my boyfriend because she couldn’t find one of her own.
---------
You're both very different but yet similar in that you both have feelings for Daniel. Do you think you and Alice could have been friends, if meeting under different circumstances?
Never. I can’t even stand being in the same room with her. As far as I’m concerned, she can go back to where she came from—and stay there.
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No offence, but you seem like a High Maintainance girlfriend. Were you surprised when Daniel took an interest in Alice?
Me? High Maintainance? I don’t know what you’re talking about. I gave Daniel a great deal of freedom when we were together. I mean, just because I have certain requirements, it doesn’t necessarily make me demanding. So what if I don’t want to live in the city? It’s not like I’m denying Daniel his right to an education. What’s the big? He can transfer out of NYU and go to another university. Somewhere we both can be happy. And is it too much to ask that he spend a little less time playing guitar and pretending to be a rock star, and a little more time focusing on
something more practical, like getting a “real” job? I don’t think so.
---------
In hindsight is there anything you wished you'd done differently?
I should have resolved the situation with Alice more quickly. I tried talking to her, but she wouldn’t back down. She kept saying that Daniel wanted to end things with me, but how did she know what Daniel truly wanted? I was his girlfriend for two years. I think I’m in a better position to know Daniel’s mind than she is. Who does she think she is, anyway?
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What is the one thing you wish other people knew about you?
I wish people would realize I’m not a bitch. I’m just a simple girl fighting for her man. Alice is the one at fault here. She’s the one making all the trouble. I just wish people would stop criticizing me for doing whatever it takes to make sure I hold onto Daniel. What we have together is special. I gave up a lot to be with him, and I’m not about to walk away just because some insipid, little skank comes along and wants to take what doesn’t belong to her. I’m not a bad person, really. But I’m also not afraid to do whatever is necessary to make sure Alice doesn’t come between Daniel and me.
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Finally Delilah, is there anything you'd like to say to your author Lynn Seresin?
I’d like to tell Lynn that I don’t like the way she’s represented me in the book. I hope I’m wrong (I mean, an author should act impartially toward her characters, right?) but I really think sometimes she’s on Alice’s side. She’s not being fair to me, always showing me in a negative light. What about all the good things I’ve done for Daniel? I saved his life, didn’t I? She just touches on that, but she’s quick to point out how hot-headed I am. So, what’s wrong with being passionate? And she makes sure that readers know Daniel’s friends don’t exactly like me, either. Ask me if I care if a bunch of losers don’t want to hang out with me. I think Lynn should examine her own motives and ask herself why she paints me in such a negative light. What’s her issue, anyway? Maybe she has a problem with strong female characters. Well, Lynn, do you?
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Okaaay. Thanks for stopping by Delilah, it's been lovely to have you here.
Thanks for letting me tell my side of the story — not that it’s going to change anything. I mean, Lynn isn’t even in my camp. She’s been duped by Alice, just like all the other characters in the book. I just hope I’ve made some of your subscribers realize I’m not the villain here. Alice is.
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I'm sure everyone is itching for a chance to read your side of the story Delilah, and thanks to a stellar giveway they can be in with a chance to win their very own copy of Thin Air! I loved it and I think others will too!



Time for a Scavenger Hunt Giveaway!

Blog Tour Grand Prize: The winner shall receive a signed, Paperback copy of Thin Air and specially made earring similar to Alice's, shown here

To win, all you need do is find the red letters scattered about the participating blog's on the tour. Not all the blogs will have one, but they will pop up from time to time in the tour posts and when they do, the letter will be in bold and will be red.

To get your hands on these great prizes, enter to win by simply collecting all of the bold red letters from the blog post's on the blog tour. Once you have found them all they will spell out two word's which you can enter (along with your details) on this FORM!

The tour began October 3rd at The Fairytale Nerd and runs until October 31st.
Make sure you visit each blog on the tour to collect all the letters needed. Participating blogs are listed here.

In the meantime, if you'd like to find out more about Thin Air and Lynn Seresin, go to any of these links:

Goodreads | Barnes and Noble | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Facebook

Waiting On Wednesday - The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

This Weeks Choice:

 

 THE FUTURE OF US by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler.

 

Expected Publication Date:
November 21, 2011 (US)
January 5, 2012 (UK)

Blurb taken from Goodreads:

It's 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet.

Emma just got her first computer and an America Online CD-ROM.

Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on--and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future.

Everybody wonders what their Destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out.

Sounds BRILLIANT!!

I really have no idea how I heard about this book (probably through Goodreads), but it sounds like just the right book for me!

I can't wait to get my hands on this one!

What are you anxiously waiting for?

Cover Reveal - Wicked As They Come by Delilah S Dawson

OMG! I want to read this book so bad, I can almost TASTE it! Due to be released in Spring 2012 and I CAN NOT WAIT!.

So I'm trawling google for book reviews, news, cover pics... and this pic hover's onto the radar

WOW! Meet Criminy Stain.

Steampunk, Vampire's, Top hat's, Circus Freak's.... Oh yeah, sound's like a keeper!

WICKED AS THEY COME, Book #1 in the Blud series.

When Tish Everett forces open the locket she finds at an estate sale, she has no idea that a deliciously rakish Bludman has cast a spell just for her. She wakes up in a surreal world where Criminy Stain, the dashing proprietor of a magical circus, curiously awaits. At Criminy's electric touch, Tish glimpses a tantalizing future, but she also fore...sees her ultimate doom. Before she can decide whether to risk her fate with the charming daredevil, the locket disappears, and with it, her only chance to return home. Tish and Criminy battle roaring sea monsters and thundering bludmares, vengeful ghosts and crooked Coppers in a treacherous race to recover the necklace from the evil, Blud-hating Magistrate. But if they succeed, will Tish forsake her fanged suitor and return to her normal life, or will she take a chance on an unpredictable but dangerous destiny with the Bludman she's coming to love?

Holy! I want to read that soooo bad! Not sure why it's grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and hauled me into fangirl territory... all I know is that it Spring seems like a looooong time away.

I've trawled all over the interweb to find out as much as I can about this little gem and soaked up everything I can find about Delilah S Dawson and her new book and am REALLY excited about finding out more.

I'm going to stalk follow on
Blog | Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook and have put in a Pre Order at Amazon UK

There's not a lot of info to be found yet, other than the blurb (taken from Delilah's Facebook page) but I'll be first in line to read any news about Wicked As They Come because Spring next year can't come fast enough for me.

I CAN NOT WAIT!! Did I say that already?...

Oh! And, as if all that's not enough to get your juices flowing... There are also vampire bunnies! WTH?! That in itself is worth buying the book for!

Twilight - Breaking Dawn- Official Trailer

I'm looking forward to this but only because I hate to leave a series unfinished... Breaking Dawn was my least favourite of the Twilight series but I'll still watch it. Obviously :D

Just one thing though - WTH?!?! Carlise? Where did the uber hot Dr Cullen go? And, I know that (in the complexion department) the Cullen's have all been a bit 'pale' in the previous films but now they look all waxy and clammy. So not hot.



Bella and Edward, plus those they love, must deal with the chain of consequences brought on by a marriage, honeymoon, and the tumultuous birth of a child... which brings an unforeseen and shocking development for Jacob Black.

In The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1, Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson), plus those they love, must deal with the chain of consequences brought on by a marriage, honeymoon, and the tumultuous birth of a child... which brings an unforeseen and shocking development for Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner).

With more of the romance, passion, intrigue and action that made Twilight, The Twilight Saga: New Moon and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse worldwide blockbusters, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1, based on Stephenie Meyer's bestselling book series, begins the conclusion of the tale of vampire love, boundless friendship, acceptance, and finding your true self.

Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 hits theaters November 18th

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Dead Until Dark {The Southern Vampire's - #1}

Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Gollancz
Publication date(first): 2001
ISBN-13: 978-0575089365

Synopsis taken from Goodreads:

Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn't get out much. Not because she's not pretty. She is. It's just that, well, Sookie has this sort of "disability." She can read minds. And that doesn't make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill. He's tall, dark, handsome - and Sookie can't 'hear' a word he's thinking. He's exactly the kind of guy she's been waiting for all her life.

But Bill has a disability of his own: He's a vampire. Worse than that, hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, with a reputation for trouble - of the murderous kind.

And when one of Sookie's colleagues is killed, she begins to fear she'll be next.

-------------------------

Opening Line:"I'd been waiting for the Vampire for years when he walked into the bar"

I bought this book more than 2 years ago when it came as part of an eight book set from the Book People for just £9.99. Nine pounds ninety nine!! For eight books. Bargain!... and then they just sat on the shelf, unopened and gathering dust. My bad.

Some time later I started to hear murmers about a great new show called True blood based on the books so I dusted off 'Dead Until Dark' and settled down to see what all the fuss what about. I got about a quarter of the way through and found it to be a real slog. Sookie just seemed way too kitchy for me and the Southern drawl that was written into every passage of speech grew old really fast. I love to listen to the down South accent, but to read it just grated on my nerves. I couldn't stand Bill and he seemed like all he did was mope about and I couldn't figure out what Sookie liked about him, and to have every miniscule fashion decision that Sookie made detailed for me in minute detail was just one big yawn. I couldn't visualise Sookie or any of the other characters and it just all seemed really unmemorable. I was thoughoughly underwhelmed but it all. I set it aside and started to wonder about the wisdom of my £9.99 'bargain'.

I did start to watch the show though. I wanted to see if it was any better. It was. It was great! I loved it! I couldn't get enough. Loosly based on the books and sooooo much better. And then season 1 ended and I was left hungry for more. OMG! How would I survive until season 2?!!

Then my eye's strayed to the bookshelves and unfinished book 1 sitting there, all dusty and unloved.

Without expecting much I set in to restart it where I left off to try and fill the gap until season 2 came around and within a few pages the strangest thing happened... I started to get sucked into it! I could finally 'see' and 'hear' Sookie and Bill, Eric and Pam, Arlene and Sam and all of the characters just came to life!

Now that I knew Sookie and could 'see' her I loved reading all about her little outfit choices and how she kept a nice house and what she spent her meagre earnings on. In fact, all the little details is what made the book readable for me. I felt like I knew Sookie now and I loved hearing all her news. Still didn't know what she saw in Bill though.....that still remeains a mystery.

Since that epiphany I've went on to watch season's 2, 3 and am part way through current season 4. I have also worked my way thorugh books 1 to 5 and am currently enjoying book 6. Without watching the show I know I'd probably never have gone back to the books. The show is only loosely based on the books so it actually feels like I've got twice as many stories to enjoy as the storylines are similar but quite different.

I'm trying to pace myself with the books though, I don't want to get too far ahead of the tv show. It's really hard, I'm enjoying them so much I just want to plough through them all!

Oh, and Eric Northman...Two words - Bite me!

Review - Never Go Back by Robert Goddard

Paperback: 369 pages
Publisher: Corgi
ISBN-13: 978-0552152112
Publication Date: 6 Nov 2006

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

For a group of ex-comrades, it is to be the reunion to end all reunions: a weekend in the Scottish castle where they were guinea pigs in a psychological experiment many years before. They haven’t seen each other since. But the convivial atmosphere on the journey north is quickly shattered by the apparent suicide of one of their party.

When a second death occurs, a sense of forboding descends on the group. It appears that the past is coming back to haunt them, a past that none of them have ever spoken about. Their recollections are all frighteningly different. So what really happened?

Then when one of them uncovers an extraordinary secret, he becomes convinced that they will never leave the castle alive…

My Review:

The rear cover has all the usual best seller buzz words, 'gripping', 'page turner', 'twists', 'unputdownable', etc......but it was a bit of a let down. I didn't really feel for any of the characters. In fact, the only characters I wanted to read about were the few that were only briefly mentioned, the key characters were only mildly interesting.

I kept going because the whole book was hinting that what they thought they remembered from the experiment in 1955 wasn't acutally as it appeared and I wanted to know why. What happened to them en-route was just page filler.

The trail that leads to the truth is littered with too many lucky breaks for the hero and seemingly 'being in the right place, at the right time' moments.

It's not the worst book I've read, but it's far from the best so while I'm glad I've read it, it's not one I'd go back to.

Review - INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE by Anne Rice

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Futura Publications; New edition edition
ISBN-13: 978-0708860731
Publication Date: 31/12/1981

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

In a darkened room a young man sits telling the macabre and eerie story of his life - the story of a vampire, gifted with eternal life, cursed with an exquisite craving for human blood. Anne Rice's compulsively readable novel is arguably the most celebrated work of vampire fiction since Bram Stoker's Dracula was published in 1897. As the Washington Post said on its first publication, it is a 'thrilling, strikingly original work of the imagination ...sometimes horrible, sometimes beautiful, always unforgettable'.

My Review:
I first read this about 20 years ago and tore through it. I loved it! It has remained on my 'fave read' list ever since. Recently though, I have started a re-read of those early 'fave reads' and The Vampire Chronicles is the latest to come under renewed scrutiny.

When I first discovered these books, there wasn't the glut of vampire fiction abailable that there is today. From the handful on the shelf at the time, this was in my opinion the best. Since those days I've read countless supernatural/paranormal books and dozens of vampire novels and was curious if Interview with a vampire had stood the test of time and was still as good as I remembered it to be.

In short, yes, it's still a good story. I didn't rattle through it as quickly as I did the first time around but that's got more to do with reading time constraints than it has to do with content. Anne Rice's writing style is flowery and evocative and searching and those are not really things I would rate highly in my usual reading choices, but maybe nostalgia is making me sentimental and I'm prepared to put up with a lot more from an old friend than I would be from a new aquaintance.

The book was slower than I remember it being but perhaps the notion of sexy, sensual, flawed vampires was new and exciting back then and caused me to get so wrapped up in the moment that time just flew. Now, there are any number of vampires who share those qualaties and the idea doesn't seem so fresh and exciting any more. However, for all that, Rice's vampires still seem to have an 'edge' to them. Something compelling that makes them stand out from the crowd.

It's hard going into this without expectations, because I've already read the others in the series, but even knowing what is to come I loved Louis all over again in this first book and hated Lestat. I know that after a few more books I'll regard Louis as a whiny bitch and I'll adore Lestat with a passion but for now Louis is a tortured soul and Lestat is a selfish brat.

The story itself is really a setting up of what's to come. It's a vehicle to introduce us to the main characters and to world build but the core story is a solid one and although I suppose these could be read out of sequence I don't think it would be quite such an enjoyable saga that way.

I'm counting this read on a few of my challenges:-

Read all TEN (10) books in the Vampire Chronicles series (books titles below).

Completed 1/10
Books in Series Order:

1) Interview with the Vampire ( Finished - 5/2/11)
2) The Vampire Lestat ( Finished - 24/2/11)
3) The Queen of the Damned ( Finished - 16/3/11)
4) The Tale of the Body Thief ( Finished - 10/4/11)
5) Memnoch the Devil
6) The Vampire Armand
7) Merrick
8) Blood and Gold
9) Blackwood Farm
10) Blood Canticle


I'm going for Reliving the Past (4-8 books) and so far the books I have in mind are:

Completed 1/8

1.Interview with the vampire by Anne Rice (Finished - 5/2/11)
2.On Raven's wing by Morgan Llywelyn
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.



Any books published BEFORE 2009 . All Genres included
Completed 2/20

1. Darkfever - Karen Marie Moning - 2006

2. If Angels Burn - Lynn Viehl - 2005

3. Pleasure Unbound - Larissa Ione - 2008

4. Kiss Of Fire - Deborah Cooke - 2008

5. Magic To The Bone - Devon Monk - 2008

6. Secret Vampire - L J Smith - 2008

7. Magic Bites - Ilona Andrews - 2007

8. Poison Study - Maria V Snyder - 2007

9. Nightlife - Rob Thurman - 2006

10. Blood Price - Tanya Huff - 2004

11. Way Of The Wolf - E E Knight - 2003

12. The Smoke Thief - Shana Abe - 2006

13. Midnight's Daughter - Karen Chance - 2008

14. Beyond The Highland Mist - Karen Marie Moning - 2004 (FINISHED 12th Jan 2011)

15. Interview With A Vampire - Anne Rice - 1991 (FINISHED 5th Feb 2011)

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

Review - THOSE THAT WAKE by Jesse Karp

Hardcover ; 336 pages
Publisher : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date: 03/21/2011
ISBN-13- 9780547553115

New York City’s spirit has been crushed. People walk the streets with their heads down, withdrawing from one another and into the cold comfort of technology. Teenagers Mal and Laura have grown up in this reality. They’ve never met. Seemingly, they never will.

But on the same day Mal learns his brother has disappeared, Laura discovers her parents have forgotten her. Both begin a search for their families that leads them to the same truth: someone or something has wiped the teens from the memories of every person they have ever known. Thrown together, Mal and Laura must find common ground as they attempt to reclaim their pasts.

I read this as a review galley and had no idea what to expect. The cover is gloomy and depressing and judging by cover alone it looked like it was right up my street. There wasn't a lot to go on, but the blurb led me to believe it might be on the dystopian side so I jumped at the chance to give it a go. This is a debut title from Mr Karp so I went into it with an open mind and no high hopes...

It's the kind of book that makes you take a step back and think. It seems to be a cautionary tale and I couldn't help but compare the world I was reading about and our own that I live in. How many gadgets and electronic devices do you use on a daily basis? How quickly would you fall apart without them? Yeah. Me too.

This is a very hard book to pigeon-hole. It's a dystopian, dark fantasy, horror story with liberal doses of science fiction and weirdness thrown in.

From literally the first few pages I was grabbed by the scruff of the neck and flung into the story. As mentioned above I am the slowest reader. Usually. I read this whole book, all 300+ pages of it, in a few hours and could not put it down.

I'm a huge dystopian fan, and I liked that this book had that feel to it. In fact, I thought it was purely dystopian at the beginning. As I read on though, things started to take on a menacing air and the horror started to seep in. However, it's not scary blood and gore type horror it's more of a sinister background horror that you only see glimpses of.

The character development is great and I really felt the terror that was bubbling just underneath the surface for each person as their story unfolded. I really felt like I knew these people. I cared about what happened to them and had my fingers crossed that things would work out for them. Likewise the world building is full and realised. I got a real feel for how hopeless and lost everything was. It all seemed dark and grey and dismal but by seeing it through the eyes of Mal, Laura, Mike and Remak I was hopeful that solutions were just on the horizon if only they could piece together the puzzle. Their characters grew right before my eyes and even Mike (who I wasn't that fond of for most of the story) developed a depth of character that I hadn't seen in the beginning.

I was left guessing all the way through the story. Some new piece of info would be shared and I would think "Ah ha! That's what's behind it all. I bet I know what's coming...." Only to be foiled by another piece of info and taken back to square one.

Now then, the ending, the conclusion and the reveal of all... I have no clue what the hell happened there at the end. Not. A. Clue. It all sort of whooshed over my head and I had a hard time understanding what was said, far less what was happening. I think that has more to do with me than with the story though. The ending is really, really complex and to stop and re-read passages over and over again until I got it would have torn me out of the story so I just trusted that Mr Karp knew what he was on about and took things on trust. (*whispers* In truth though Jesse, I was completed confused there at the end). Better just to surrender to it and let things unfold.

The only little niggle I have with any of it was that it felt a little preachy at the end. A little bit... The internet and all things globally interactive seem to put us in a great position to interact with each other and broaden our horizons, but actually the world is shrinking and we're becoming even more isolated than when we started. Carry on the way we're going in this age of the internet and all hell will break loose. I get it.

This title is billed for ages 12+ but I think it may hold more appeal for a slightly older audience.

Is there such a thing as 'Challenge Addiction'?...

Challenge addiction? I haz it!

Can't help myself. I think it's an illness. Send help, please. Thank you.

Two more challenges added to my list, and I'm 99.9% sure they're my last for 2011 (but don't quote me on that).

I have been looking over my goodreads 'read' list and there are a few on the list that I would dearly love to read again because it's been many, many years since I first enjoyed them. With all the great new reads I've got planned for this year I couldn't really justify going back over old ground though...

And then it struck me. If I were 'challenged' to read them then that would be, like, different. It'd be rude not to accept a challenge. Right? Yeah, challenges are the way forward. Trust me.

And that's why there HAS to be 2 new challenges. See, some of the re-reads I want to do are from the Anne Rice Vampire Chronicles and since the challenge has a cute graphic for the sidebar I HAD to sign up. I think it's actually against the law to NOT sign up for challenges when you come across them. Or did I dream that?

Anyhoo, Job done.

I'm joining in with -

Read me baby one more time, hosted by Midnight Book Girl

Read Me Baby, 1 More Time is for those of us who love to re-read our favorite books or those of us who want to re-visit a book from our past. The rules are simple, for a book to qualify we simply have to have read it at least once before, and the re-read has to be complete.

Timeline: 1st Jan 2011 ~ 31st Dec 2011

Here's the tiers for you to choose from:

Trip Down Memory Lane: 1-3 re-reads
Reliving the Past: 4-8 re-reads
Back To The Future: 9-12 re-reads
Groundhog Day Reader: 13-20 re-reads

I'm going for Reliving the Past and so far the books I have in mind are:

1.Interview with the vampire by Anne Rice (Finished - 5/2/11)
2.On Raven's wing by Morgan Llywelyn
3.
4.

-------------------------------------------

As mentioned, my next challenge involves The Vampire Chronicles and is hosted by Book Chick City


Challenge Details

• Timeline: 01 Jan 2011 - 31 Dec 2011

• Rules - Read all TEN (10) books in the Vampire Chronicles series (books titles below).

• The reading challenge can crossover into other challenges you have on the go



Books in Series Order:

1) Interview with the Vampire ( Finished - 5/2/11)
2) The Vampire Lestat
3) The Queen of the Damned
4) The Tale of the Body Thief
5) Memnoch the Devil
6) The Vampire Armand
7) Merrick
8) Blood and Gold
9) Blackwood Farm
10) Blood Canticle

Will have to find a copy of Blood Cantlicle as I don't have that one, but the rest I have and will slot into my reading year.

S.O.S I Spy Title Reading Challenge

Goodreads S.O.S (Serious Overload of Series) group - I SPY TITLE CHALLENGE

1/24

In the TITLE of a book, find a word that fits the categories:
Duration: One year from the date started.
A scavenger hunt through our TBR to find books that fit. This one is a TITLE search challenge.
Anthologies & rereads are ok. Most should be along the paranormal/fantasy theme. May use the series name if it is printed on the cover of the book.

------------------------------------


Duration- Jan 1st 2011 to Dec 31st 2011.

1. Colour - White Cat (Curse Workers #1) - Holly Black

2. Number - The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella - Stephenie Meyer

3. Things That Grow - Kiss of the Rose (Tudor Vampre Chronicles #1) - Kate Pearce (FINISHED 8th Jan 2011)

4. 4 Seasons - The Autumn Castle (Europa Suite #1) - Kim Wilkins

5. First Name TBC

6. Places - Kitty Goes to Washington (Kitty Norville #2) - Carrie Vaughn

7. Body Part - Magic to the Bone (Allie Beckstrom #1) - Devon Monk

8. Weapon - Poison Study (Study #1) - Maria V Snyder

9. Body of Water TBC

10. Form of Water - Beyond the Highland Mist (Highlander #1) - Karen Marie Moning (FINISHED 12th Jan 2011)


11. Product of Fire - If Angels Burn (Darkyn, #1) - Lynn Viehl

12. Heavenly Body- -Fool Moon (Harry Dresden #2) - Jim Butcher

13. Architecture TBC

14. 5 Senses TBC

15. Royal Title - Thorn Queen (Dark Swan #2) - Richelle Mead

16. Family Member - Midnight's Daughter (Dorina Basarab #1) - Karen Chance

17. 4 Elements - Kiss of Fire (Dragonfire #1)) - Deborah Cooke

18. Time of Day - Nightlife (Cal Leandros #1) - Rob Thurman

19. Metal TBC

20. Emotion - Pleasure Unbound (Demonica #1) - Larissa Ione

21. Animal - Way of the Wolf (Vampire Earth #1) - E E Knight

22. Something to Read TBC

23. Gender Identifier - Some Girls Bite (Chicagoland Vampires #1) - Chloe Neill

24. Paranormal Being TBC

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I'm struggling a bit with some of the categories but I'll get there...

Dystopia Reading CHallenge 2011

I've got my paranormal and time travel challenges for 2011 sorted, but wanted to find an apocalyptic challenge somewhere too... The closest I could find was the Dystopian challenge hosted by bareadingchallenges and it's close enough. I might have to just challenge myself to get some of the 'end of the world/last man standing' stuff off my TBR pile and into the 'finished' heap.

Meanwhile, the dystopian challenge is as follows:

Starts one minute past midnight, 1st of January 2011 and end the 31st of December 2011.

Challenge Levels

1. Asocial– Choose 5 books to read
2. Contagion – Choose 15 books to read
3. Soldier – Choose 30 books to read
4. Drone – Choose 50 books to read
5. Conditioned – Choose 75 books to read

For extra hard challenges

1. Brainwashed – Choose 76-125 books to read
2. Totalitarian – Choose 126-200 books to read
-----------------------

Since I've got my work cut out with my other challenge commitments, I'm going for ASOCIAL = 5

1. Gone - Michael Grant

2. Wither - Lauren DeStefano

3. Awaken - Katie Kacvinsky

4. The Traveler - John Twelve Hawks

5. Inside Out - Maria V Snyder

As reference, this is the dystopian list given on goodreads...

Time Travel Reading Challenge 2011

I'm a huge Time Travel fan when it comes to books. LOVE them. One of my all time favourites is Cross Stitch (AKA Outlander) by Diana Gabaldon. I first read it 20 years ago and have read countless books since but it still holds the number one spot on my 'Best ever Book' list.

I have a few TT's on my TBR shelf that I need to take care of but with sooooo many other books also clamouring to be picked up I thought I could use some help to get to them so I've joined in with Alyce's challenge at her blog At Home With Books.
It's a very informal and flexible challenge and as long as it's completed within the timescale of Jan 1st 2011 to Dec 31st 2011 it's all good. I'm tentatively signing up for 5 books but this may increase as the year goes on. We shall see. Five is a good starting place.

Completed 1/5

1. Who's That Girl? - Alexandra Potter

2. The Mirror - Marlys Millhiser

3. The Accidental Time Machine - Joe Haldeman

4. The Summerhouse - Jude Deveraux

5. Beyond The Highland Mist - Karen Marie Moning (FINISHED 12th Jan 2011)


These are all books I already own so no excuse for me not to get to them.

Into the old World reading challenge 2011

About the challenge:
Hosts : Splash of Our Worlds and My Love Affair With Books
Starts: 1st January 2011
Ends: 31st December 2011
Eligible Books: Any books published BEFORE 2009 . All Genres included

--------------------------

Totally do-able because the majority of the books I read are pre-2009. I like a new release as well as the next person but my TBR has been growing for years so there's a lot of 'oldies' languishing there and patiently awaiting their turn.

So. My provisional list (Which will be amended as I go and may grow or shrink as the mood takes me):

Completed 1/20

1. Darkfever - Karen Marie Moning - 2006

2. If Angels Burn - Lynn Viehl - 2005

3. Pleasure Unbound - Larissa Ione - 2008

4. Kiss Of Fire - Deborah Cooke - 2008

5. Magic To The Bone - Devon Monk - 2008

6. Secret Vampire - L J Smith - 2008

7. Magic Bites - Ilona Andrews - 2007

8. Poison Study - Maria V Snyder - 2007

9. Nightlife - Rob Thurman - 2006

10. Blood Price - Tanya Huff - 2004

11. Way Of The Wolf - E E Knight - 2003

12. The Smoke Thief - Shana Abe - 2006

13. Midnight's Daughter - Karen Chance - 2008

14.Beyond The Highland Mist - Karen Marie Moning - 2004 (FINISHED 12th Jan 2011)

15. Interview With A Vampire - Anne Rice - 1991 (FINISHED 5th Feb 2011)

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

Paranormal/Fantasy Romance Challenge 2011

Paranormal/Fantasy Romance Challenge:
This challenge is hosted by Nitty Gritty - Romance and Erotica reviews. To read 12 Paranormal/Fantasy Romances between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011.
Cross-overs from other challenges are okay. *Whew*

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Completed 1/20

1. Darkfever - Karen Marie Moning

2. Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater

3. Evermore - Alyson Noel

4. Beyond The Highland Mist - Karen Marie Moning (FINISHED 12th Jan 2011)

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

Paranormal Addicts & Newbie 2011 New Author Challenge

New to You Authors

Duration 1st January 2011 to 31st December 2011

How many new authors are you going to read this year? Challenge yourself! Take your pick from three levels of challenge:

Beginner: 5 new authors
Dedicated: 10 new authors
Obsessed: 25 new author
-----------------------------------


New to You Authors
Level: Obsessed
Completed : 1/25

1. If Angels Burn - Lynn Viehl
2. Mind Games - Carolyn Crane
3. Pleasure Unbound - Larissa Ione
4. Kiss Of Fire - Deborah Cooke
5. Infinite Days - Rebecca Maizel
6. Queen Of Shadows - Dianne Sylvan
7. Darkfever - Karen Marie Moning
8. Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater
9. Daughters Of Dracula - Kailin Gow
10. Some Girls Bite - Chloe Neill
11. Magic To The Bone - Devon Monk
12. Evermore - Alyson Noel
13. Secret Vampire - L J Smith
14. Magic Bites - Ilona Andrews
15. Poison Study - Maria V Snyder
16. The Native star - M K Hobson
17. Nightlife - Rob Thurman
18. Blood Price - Tanya Huff
19. Secret Lives - Gabriella Poole
20. Grave Witch - Kalayna Price
21. Way Of The Wolf - E E Knight
22. The Smoke Thief - Shana Abe
23. Kiss Of The Rose - Kate Pearce - (FINISHED 8th Jan 2011)
24.
25.

Paranormal Addicts & Newbie 2011 New Series Challenge

New to You Series

Duration 1st January 2011 to 31st December 2011

How many new series are you going to read this year? Challenge yourself! Take your pick from three levels of challenge:

Beginner: 5 new series
Dedicated: 10 new series
Obsessed: 25 new series
----------------------------------

2011 "New to You Series" Challenge
REQUIRED: Minimum 1 book of each series
Level: Obsessed

2/25

1. If Angels Burn - Darkyn - Lynn Viehl - 0/7
2. Mind Games - The Disillusionists - Carolyn Crane - 0/2
3. Pleasure Unbound - Demonica - Larissa Ione - 0/5
4. Kiss Of Fire - Dragonfire - Deborah Cooke - 0/5
5. Infinite Days - Vampire Queen - Rebecca Maizel - 0/2
6. Queen Of Shadows - Shadow World - Dianne Sylvan - 0/2
7. Darkfever - Fever - Karen Marie Moning - 0/5
8. Shiver - Wolves Of Mercy Falls - Maggie Stiefvater - 0/3
9. Daughters Of Dracula - The Stoker Sisters - Kailin Gow - 0/3
10. Some Girls Bite - Chicagoland Vampires - Chloe Neill - 0/5
11. Magic To The Bone - Allie beckstrom - Devon Monk - 0/6
12. Evermore - The Immortals - Alyson Noel - 0/5
13. Secret Vampire - Night World - L J Smith - 0/10
14. Magic Bites - Kate daniels - Ilona Andrews - 0/4
15. Heart Of The Dragon - Atlantis - Gena Showalter - 0/5
16. Midnight's Daughter - Donna Basarab - Karen Chance - 0/2
17. Nightlife - Cal Leandros - Rob Thurman - 0/6
18. Blood Price - Victoria Nelson - Tanya Huff - 0/6
19. Secret Lives - Darke Academy - Gabriella Poole - 0/3
20. Grave Witch - Alex Craft - Kalayna Price - 0/2
21. Way Of The Wolf - Vampire Earth - E E Knight - 0/8
22. The Smoke Thief - Drakon - Shana Abe - 0/5
23. Poison Study - Study - Maria V Snyder - - 0/3
24.Kiss Of The Rose - Tudor Vampire Chronicles - Kate Pearce - - 1/3 (FINISHED 8th Jan 2011)
25. Beyond The Highland Mist - Highlander - Karen Marie Moning - 1/8 (FINISHED 12th Jan 2011)