June 2009

30 June

Going Postal by Terry Pratchett

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Very, very funny! An excellent read.

I love the main character, Moist Von Lipwig, and it's gripping reading to see him turn the postal service into a lucrative business against all the odds.

Classic Pratchett. Highly recommended.



The Christmas Guest by Anne Perry

rating: 5 of 5 stars

I discovered this series of Anne Perry's books recently and they're fabulous. They feature peripheral characters from her Thomas Pitt and William Monk series.

This was a great read, wonderful characters, humour, tears, and Christmas cheer.





Queen of Babble Gets Hitched by Meg Cabot

rating: 1 of 5 stars

I didn't like this book at all, which was a pity because I've read a couple of Meg Cabot's other books and I've enjoyed them immensely.

This one, unfortunately, took too long to get going and I didn't find the main character sympathetic.

This will not prevent me from looking out other Meg Cabot books, however!



Stargirl: Silver by Jerry Spinelli

rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a great story with a memorable main character, Stargirl.

A wonderful story echoing Shakespeare's words: To thine own self be true.





20 June

Currently reading:

Make a Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time by Jordan Rosenfeld

Rosenfeld breaks the scene down into all of its different elements, looks at each one and how it flavours a scene, and provides pointers on how a writer can make her scenes work harder and read better.

Having all this information in one place is fantastic and I know this will be a book I'll keep near at hand so that I can dip into it every so often to make sure my scene-writing is as good as it can be.

I picked up two other books other (not listed here) but because I didn't read them the whole way through (they didn't hold my attention) there's no point writing about them here.

The Third Circle by Amanda Quick

rating: 4 of 5 stars

Set in Victorian England, the fourth book in the Arcane Society series is yet another good read by Amanda Quick. The formula is the same as in her other books and it works for me every time! :)

Strong can-do heroes, interesting and determined heroines, paranormal occurrences, happy endings. All good!

The Secret of Crickley Hall by James Herbert

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Wow, this book had a huge impact on me while I was reading it. Herbert certainly knows how to write a good ghost story!

The sad history behind the haunting was horrific and it was difficult to remember that I was reading about fictional characters, so real did they seem.

Unputdownable. Moving. A good read.

6 June

Spindle's End by Robin McKinley

This was a very enjoyable read for a YA novel. It was quite long but the pace never flagged and I wanted to see how everything turned out for the characters.

A new look at the Sleeping Beauty fairytale and the world McKinley creates is vivid and rich and full of wonderful details.

Definitely a book to snuggle up comfortably on the couch with!

From the Corner of His Eye by Dean Koontz

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Dean Koontz has turned the villain stereotype completely on its head in this book. I won't write in any spoilers but the identity of the villain blew me away when I read the revealing scene. That hasn't happened to me in a long time!

Two characters, in particular, who would seem, on the surface, to have all the makings of villains are actually the good guys, so once again stereotypes are turned upsidedown.

The only regret I have is that the blurb on the back cover did not convey what the book was about. It's supposed to be about the young boy, Bartholomew (Barty), but in fact the story is more about his mother and another female character and their struggle to bring up two children. From that perspective, I was disappointed because I was expecting a different story.

However, the story is a good one and if you know from the word 'go' that the main character is not Bartholomew, then I think you'll enjoy the read.

(Just goes to show how important that blurb on the back cover/inside flap really is!)

Magic to the Bone by Devon Monk

rating: 2 of 5 stars
I didn't really enjoy this book I'm afraid. The chapters were too long and the story surged along like an out of control roller-coaster, leaving me feeling dissatisfied. There was no time to process events. This is why it's important for writers to create sequels or reaction scenes as well as scenes with action in them.

The main character herself, Allie, is a bit too snippy for my liking as well. Sarcasm and narkiness are not to be confused with wit and repartee. Rudeness is rudeness, and it's a pet hate of mine. Because the story is told in first person, it creates a problem in revealing details about the main character because she has to do the explaining herself. Therefore she comes across at one point as someone who feels sorry for herself (irritating) and as singing her own praises (very irritating).

As a writer, this is an important lesson for me.

Having said that, Monk has combined magic with science fiction in a clever way and she has described the world of the story vividly. This might be a good read for those who prefer adventure to character motivation.

The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus by Margaret Atwood
***CONTAINS SPOILERS***
rating: 3 of 5 stars
I decided to give Margaret Atwood another try after my disappointment with The Blind Assassin (which you can read about here) and got The Penelopiad to read. It's short.

The story is told from Penelope's point of view and is amusing to read. However, it's also quite bleak. Her mother wasn't around to look after her, her father tried to drown her when she was a child, her husband was in love with her cousin, Helen of Troy, her mother-in-law didn't think she was good enough for Odysseus, her husband's old nurse took charge of everything, leaving her nothing to do, and her son, Telemachus, was not happy with how she handled his inheritance.

The Maids' Chorus is original and poignant, and adds another element to the story besides Penelope's, which, it is revealed at the end, shows a different version of events.

I was confused, though, as to what part the maids were playing in this story. Towards the end they tell the reader not to worry, they were only symbolic, and that the reader mustn't feel sorry for them, but then there follows a modern court-room scene (VERY funny) where they demand justice for their deaths.

Still, it was a good read.