Book Post May
Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire 1) by George R.R. Martin
3,5 out of 5 stars
In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes of the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom's protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.
I think the rating does have a lot to do with me having seen the first season before reading the book. (My bad I know). So there was little surprise in this book for me. Still it was an entertaining read to see the events I have already seen, take place in this book, sometimes with the slightest differences and the added thoughts of the characters.
For me I quite like the world building, the history of it that has been clearly thought about. I wonder what the world behind the wall will bring us. Personally I am most curious about Bran, Jon (though only because he has the story from behind the wall, certainly not for him) Tyrion and of course Daenerys.
Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy 1) by Richelle Mead
3 out of 5 stars
Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with a rare gift for harnessing the earth's magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest vampires--the ones who never die. The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a Dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making Lissa one of them.
After two years of freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir’s Academy, where vampire royalty and their guardians-to-be prepare for a life fraught with danger. Rose and Lissa must navigate their treacherous world and never once let their guard down, lest the evil undead make Lissa one of them forever. But soon Rose finds herself gripped by temptation of forbidden love, leaving Lissa exposed to Strigoi attack.... Now she must choose between the best friend she lives for, and the man she can't live without
I like vampires. This is one of the reasons I finally budged and started reading this series. Vampires. I'm not sure whether or not I like this take on vampires with the Moroi, Strigoi and Dhampyr. Well scratch that, I can't like the dhampyr portion of it.
The first part of the book I struggled with Rose. She is very in your face, violent, very focused on boys and arrogant. Often she made me roll my eyes with comments about how pretty and how hot she is and how much bigger her boobs are than those of others. So I am certainly not a fan of her, but I don't dislike her either. She became more tolerable to read when more plot began to seep into the book. Plus I liked how she wasn't written like a completely stupid girl which a lot of main girls of books seem to be like. When as a reader you figured something out she wasn't that far behind, a page or so. Her research and her care for Lissa were things that evened it out a bit. I do hope that as the series continues that Rose grows quite a bit.
As for the other characters, they were okay for the most part. I like Christian. He felt the most real out of them all. Dimitri was okay. I am very interested in Ms. Karp. The ordeal surrounding Mia felt a bit forced to me. The bond between Rose and Lyssa feels a bit to convenient in parts.
Having said that all it was an enjoyable, light, easy read and an okay first instalment to a series. I hope the plot grows a bit.
Dracula by Bram Stoker
3 out of 5 stars
The aristocratic vampire that haunts the Transylvanian countryside has captivated readers' imaginations since it was first published in 1897. Hindle asserts that Dracula depicts an embattled man's struggle to recover his "deepest sense of himself as a man", making it the "ultimate terror myth".
It certainly was an interesting read and set-up of the book. The start got my attention but it dwindled in the second part. The build up was very long and the actual confrontations, especially the last one, were such a let down to be honest.
Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle 1) by Christopher Paolini
3 out of 5 stars
One boy . . . One dragon . . . A world of adventure.
When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself.
Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds. Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands.
For the most part I enjoyed this book. There are dragons, elves and dwarves, elements to a story that I like. The reason that I rated this book three stars is because it is only enjoyable. It does not move me emotional. It did not grip me or excite me as other fantasy books have.
Eragon as a main character is okay. He is likeable but also very predictable. He seems to be a little slow on the uptake (about Brom despite the obvious hints) but it did not bother me as much as in other books. His focus on Arya bothered me. It felt in parts as if it was heading to a love at first sight from his side. Brom was an okay character next to Eragon though at times I wished he was a bit more forceful with him. I still don't feel it was entirely necessary for Brom to keep his secrets like he did. I think Murtagh evens out next to Eragon better. Hopefully this will be so in the next three books. I liked the addition of Angela and the werecat and I hope to see them again in bigger roles. I haven't decided how I feel about Saphira. In interaction with Eragon I like her but outside of that I am a little wary of her.
The pacing in some parts felt a little off. Things felt a bit too slow in parts, especially as they travelled. Eragon also spends a lot of time in his own head. A bit too much for my liking. The ending wasn't very strong. I had a hard time picturing the enormity of the battle with Saphira added in the mix.
Divergent (Divergent 1) by Veronica Roth
3 out of 5 stars
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her.
This is one of those books that is just a very easy and quick read despite its 400+ pages. I sailed through it in a few hours with just one small break. The writing is simple. There are no hard words and the sentences are relatively short. The narrator voice, Tris in first pov, is easy to read and to follow in her choices. Everything is very straight forward and almost predictable as the story sweeps you along.
As for the characters, Tris is an easy main character to follow. In parts I found her a bit annoying. That is fine though. In real life you don't love everything about everyone either. Her relationship with Four was my biggest annoyance in this book. It felt forced. Some scenes with just the two of them felt unnecessary too. I am not fond of Four as a character. I think a lot of this has to do with his relationship with Trish at this point. I hope he grows in the other two books as more of his own character. Now everything was so focused on Tris. Most of the side characters were fine.
When I did get out of the book I did have some questions. The war that caused them to choose these 5 factions is only briefly mentioned. I wonder about this war that made them choose this way of living. I can't honestly believe/understand that they would choose this way of life. This explanation I really missed in the book.
As the summary says this takes place in Chicago with closed borders. What about the rest of America or the rest of the world? What of them remains? I understand that the citizens don't know what goes on outside of the borders but you would expect a bit more natural curiosity/thoughts about it at the start of this. Especially when in a faction abnegation/erudite. Also some hints to the outside world could have been added in somehow through the leaders. Though with the way the book ended I am hoping that now we will get a bit more of the rest of the world in the next two books.
Don't Hex with Texas (Enchanted Inc. 4) by Shanna Swendson
3 out of 5 stars
Katie Chandler has fled fast-paced Manhattan and returned home to a simpler life, working at her family’s feed-and-seed store in Cobb, Texas. In a painfully selfless gesture, Katie had left the sexy wizard Owen Palmer to battle his demons in the magical realm-after all, Katie just seemed to attract evil, which only made Owen’s job a lot harder. But now it seems that trouble has followed her home: Despite the fact that Merlin, Katie’s old boss at Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc., has assured her that Cobb is free of enchantmen, (magically speaking), Katie begins to notice curious phenomena.
Cobb is being plagued by a series of inexplicable petty crimes and other devilish mischief, and after her experiences in Manhattan, Katie knows “unauthorized magic” when she sees it. As this new darkness strikes deep in the heart of Texas, Owen appears (literally) to investigate. Now Katie’s friends and family must show the bad guys why it’s bad luck to hex with Texas, while Katie and Owen combine their strengths like never before to uncover a sinister plot before evil takes root in the Lone Star State.
If you are looking for a book with an amazing fantasy plot and that is deep and meaningful, this book is not for you. If you can accept this for what it is, a light easy fantasy chick lit, you will love it.
It had been a few years since I read the third book so I was a little fuzzy on what happened. The start has a bit of a recap on what happened which helped me remember parts again. The plot in itself is not very strong and is predictable. The change in setting from New York to a small town in Texas is nice for a change.
The family of Katie is certainly interesting. I think I am secretly in love with her granny. Part of me is glad that the most of her family also seems to be attached to magic in some way. Katie does have a lot of touches of a possible mary sue, her being special with immunity was one that ticked very hard.
As for the relationship between Katie and Owen, that felt very unsatisfactory to me. They had a situation where Katie choose to leave. They resolved it at the end but it felt too easy for me, especially as throughout the book they did not once really speak of it or fight about it. I felt Owen took everything on himself and forgave Katie very easily as if she can do nothing wrong.
The Iron King (The Iron Fey 1) by Julie Kagawa
2,5 out of 5 stars
Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan’s life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she’s known is about to change.
But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she’ll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil, no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.
I went very back and forth with this book. I wanted to like it but the first halve of the book did not grab me at all. This has to do with that this book starts with the typical main character being seen as a loser by the rest at their school and being ‘forgotten’ at home. Luckily it did pick up when the setting from our modern world changed to the fantasy world. The world of Nevernever I liked with the incorporating of various characters from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. There is also still a lot to be discovered in this world which will happen in the next few books.
As for the writing it has an easy flow for the most part. Something happens in every chapter without it moving too fast. What I did dislike about the writing were the descriptions of Ash. These descriptions tried too hard to make Ash seem like this amazing, gorgeous looking guy. It did not work for me and pulled me out of the story as it annoyed me.
Meghan is good as a main character. She needs a lot of help but has shown in some moments that she is smart and can think on her feet. She doesn’t freeze. There are hints of her being a strong character that still needs to grow up a bit. Which was why I was disappointed about the amount of times Ash had to save her. I think that could have been dealt with differently and it felt more as a device to get those two together.
Speaking of that pairing, I did not feel Meghan and Ash at all. Ash moved too fast from disdain to like for my taste. For me there was not enough interaction between the two to get to where they ended, especially seeing the situation there were in. The kiss felt very out of place.
I am unsure of Puck as a character. He felt a little flat. I have a dislike for Ash. I found nothing in this book to like him. I really loved Grimalkin. He is a cat, how can you not love him?
I upped the challenge to 40 at the start of May. With the way it is going I will probably up it to 50 soon.
2014 Goodreads Challenge - 23/40
1. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - 4 stars - 512 pages
- xxxHolic: Rei volume 1 by Clamp - 4 stars - manga
2. In Extremis (Crime Scene Investigation 9) by Ken Goddard - 3 stars - 288 pages
3. The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson 3) by Rick Riordan - 3 stars - 294 pages
4. Among the Nameless Stars (For Darkness Shows the Stars 0,5) by Diana Peterfreund - 3 stars - 60 pages
5. Castle in the Air (Howl's Moving Castle 2) by Diana Wynne Jones - 4 stars - 383 pages
6. Glass Houses (The Morganville Vampires 1) by Rachel Caine - 3 stars - 348 pages
7. The Demon King (Seven Realms 1) by Cinda Williams Chima - 5 stars (reread) - 506 pages
8. The Witch of Duva (The Grisha 0,5) by Leigh Bardugo - 4 stars - 43 pages
9. The Exiled Queen (Seven Realms 2) by Cinda Williams Chima - 4 stars - 586 pages
10. City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments 1) by Cassandra Clare - 3,5 stars - 485 pages
11. The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games 1) by Suzanne Collins - 2,5 stars - 454 pages
12. First Day of the Rest of your Lives (The Morganville Vampires 0,5) by Rachel Caine - 3 stars - 25 pages
13. City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments 2) by Cassandra Clare - 4 stars - 453 pages
14. Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles 2) by Marissa Meyer - 3,5 stars - 454 pages
15. The Golem and the Djinni by Helene Wecker - 3 stars - 644 pages
16. The Little Android (The Lunar Chronicles 0,6) by Marissa Meyer - 3 stars - 35 pages
17. Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire) by George R.R. Martin - 3,5 stars - 837 pages
18. Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy 1) by Richelle Mead - 3 stars - 352 pages
- Death and what comes next (Discworld 10,5) by Terry Pratchett - 3,5 stars - 5 pages
19. Dracula by Bram Stroker - 3 stars - 334 pages - E Book
20. Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle) by Christopher Paolini - 3 stars - 497 pages
- Cardcaptor Sakura Omnibus Volume 2 by Clamp - 5 stars - manga
21. Divergent (Divergent 1) by Veronica Roth - 3 stars - 487 pages
22. Don’t Hex with Texas (Enchanted Inc. 4) by Shanna Swendson - 3 stars - 292 pages
23. The Iron King (The Iron Fey 1) by Julie Kagawa - 2,5 stars - 363 pages
Currently Reading
The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Children of Hurin by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales
A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire 2) by George R. R. Martin
Bookpost January/February
Bookpost March
Bookpost April
Summer to read list 2014
My Bookblog on Tumblr.
Stacking the Shelves