If you’ve posted a review or anything Tamora Pierce related on your blog, leave a comment on this post with a link. Since Mister Linky won’t work with this blogging platform, I’ll add them all to this post so they can be visited and commented on over the course of the challenge.
1. Chelle – Books 1 & 2 of Song of the Lioness
2. Chelle – Books 3 & 4
3. Rhiannon – Alanna 1, 2, 3, & 4
4. Rhiannon – Immortals
I don’t typically make resolutions of any sort, but blog improvement has been on my mind a lot lately, and so stating resolutions – which are really just intentions – seemed like a good way to motivate myself. Plus, the few others I’ve read have been great inspiration. So, here’s what I’m thinking for 2010, blogwise:
Seven is a solid number. I’ll stop there and hope I can keep these resolutions. Here’s to a wonderful blogging year in 2010!
Elizah Rayne is nothing like other fourteen-year-old girls. More interested in bird bones than people, she wraps herself in silence. Trying to escape the shadow of her gambler father, Elizah and her mother move into an old house that borders a cemetery. All her mother wants is for them to have “normal” lives. But that becomes impossible for Elizah when she finds a human jawbone by the river and meets Nathaniel, a strangely hypnotic and mysterious boy who draws Elizah into his world.
Only by forgetting everything she knows can Elizah understand the truth about Nathaniel—and discover an unimaginable secret. [Synopsis from Amazon]
Three quarters into Light Beneath Ferns I jotted down on a piece of paper beside me: THIS BOOK IS SO FRUSTRATING. Just like that, in all caps.
The novel begins with a warning that the story you’re about to read and the girl you’re about to follow through the pages are not typical. That’s all well and good; a definite hook. But from there? Frustrating.
Having just moved to Wenspaugh, Elizah starts school, content to ride out those classroom hours on her own. She’s quiet, passionately introverted. I understood that aspect of her character, and it was the one point of connection I felt towards her. But her lack of friends, worse, her total lack of desire to even make friends, is a problem for her mother. That’s when a guidance counselor, Mrs. Daytner, steps in. And that’s when things start to go downhill – for both me and Elizah.
Daytner’s interference in Elizah’s life quickly became annoying, and the influence she had over Elizah’s mother was worse. The mother became little more than a puppet – “we think this would be good for you,” “Mrs Daytner says this, and I agree” – and so I have no idea of who she was or might have been otherwise. These two women pushed, nagged, and manipulated Elizah’s actions until I wanted to snap “Enough!” And don’t get me started on how they condescended to her. It was a wonder that Elizah maintained her cool, which is a whole other thing, and makes me question how realistic a lot of this was.
One more thing about that whole situation that I have to mention: Elizah was pushed into a situation with a boy. She didn’t want anything to do with him and was vocal about it from the start. So when the boy goes too far for Elizah’s comfort, she fights back. What does her mother do when Elizah comes clean about it? Asks her if maybe she led the boy on. That entire scene, start to finish, made me angry.
Other than that, there is a love story; it’s weak, tepid, and not at all convincing. There are ghosts, a strange ritual, and a cemetery; none of it digs deep enough to be effective. There’s a gambling father, a vicious if flat school nemesis, and plenty of would-be drama if Elizah actually cared about any of it.
Forgive the repetition, but reading this novel was just frustrating. I couldn’t enjoy it. And while I hate typing that, it’s true. I’ll be interested to know what other reviews have to say when the book is released on February 1st.
____________________________________________________
Full Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher.
Hosted by MizB’s Reading Challenges
The goal is to read twelve books that have been sitting on your TBR shelf for six months. I really need to catch up so count me in.
My twelve:
1. The Naming by Allison Croggon
2. Fell by David Clement-Davies
3. Seven for a Secret by Elizabeth Bear
4. Demon Bound by Meljean Brook
5. Majestrum by Matthew Hughes
6. Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitmore
7. Emissaries From the Dead by Adam-Troy Castro
8. Implied Spaces by Walter Jon Williams
9. Winter Study by Nevada Barr
10. Auralia’s Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet
11. House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne-Jones
12. Girlwood by Claire Dean
Lyn is a neo-gladiator’s daughter, through and through. Her mother has made a career out of marrying into the high-profile world of televised blood sport, and the rules of the Gladiator Sports Association are second nature to their family. Always lend ineffable confidence to the gladiator. Remind him constantly of his victories. And most importantly: Never leave the stadium when your father is dying. The rules help the family survive, but rules—and the GSA—can also turn against you. When a gifted young fighter kills Lyn’s seventh father, he also captures Lyn’s dowry bracelet, which means she must marry him…
It’s ridiculous how many times I’ve begun a review only to delete it. Which is indicitave of my opinion of Lise Haines’ Girl in the Arena in that, six days later, I’m still not entirely sure of it.
On the one hand, my own proximity to Boston ensured an immediate, visceral connection to the novel’s setting. Because I’ve been to the Museum of Science, and since I’ve driven on Storrow Drive, etc., Lyn’s activities in the city were real and immediate. Imagining a coliseum tucked into the heart of Boston was surprisingly easy. And unsettling. Haines’ use of setting was most effective and the one aspect of the novel that really worked for me.
The characterization, on the other hand, was uneven. Lyn and her mother, Allison, came off the page. Each in her own way was driven by realistic motivations that felt true to their characters. I could admire Lyn’s passionate reluctance to succumb to the role of a gladiator’s wife. And Allison’s desperation was palpable. With their clashing chemistry, putting them together in any given scene was also effective. As for the rest of the main players: Thad, Lyn’s brother, felt like a device from the start. I warmed to him quickly, but resented the way his character was used to advance the plot. Uber, sweet as he was, never seemed real or authentic. It was easy to like him, perhaps too easy. It’s not that any of the characters were badly done, more that some appeared superficial, or tossed in to support a particular plot point.
As for themes, they were abundant in this novel. The consequences of living in a world that demands blood, death even, from its athletes. Women living what amounts to subservient lives dictated by absurd rules and bylaws. How the right motivation can make even a sworn pacifist pick up a sword and fight. I don’t enjoy reading for theme, and never go out of my way to pick them out; I’m not sure how to comment on them in this book except to say that some smoothed the way for the action, while others were obvious enough for even me to take notice.
In the end, Girl in the Arena kept me reading. It definitely did that. And to some extent I did enjoy it, if “enjoy” is even the right word for what I felt after finishing the book. The truth is, I’ll likely forget about it sooner rather than later, which is unfortunate. I wanted to love it, honestly, but at best it was okay.
If you have the time, take a look at what others thought of Girl in the Arena:
Angie’s review
The Compulsive Reader’s review
The Book Smuggler’s review
Becky’s review
Maw Books’ review
*You may notice of the reviews I’ve linked to here I’m in the minority. And I’m totally okay with that. Check this book out, you may love it.
____________________________________________________
Full Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher.
First I must tell you this: This review, as it were, is going to be a lovefest. I have absolutely no real quibbles with Guy Ritchie’s vision of Holmes, and if the movie had flaws I truly do not care one bit. I loved every single minute of it and hope to see it again soon.
So where to start?
Ritchie’s London. It was…spectacular. Karin Durbin’s review, which I quoted a few posts back, said of it: “There’s nothing genteel about it. Much more than a backdrop, this is the real imperial city, majestic and filthy, fiercely, even cruelly, alive.”
And how it was! Strip away everything else and you’ll be mesmerized by the way that city came to life in Ritchie’s hands. He got the grit, the grimy underbelly that Holmes was actually quite fond of, but he also captured the opulence and shine of the era. The city was used quite effectively in many key scenes; it was a hard call what to look at, London or RDJ.
Which brings me rather tidily to the actors.
Robert Downey Jr. I thought long and hard after learning that he was going to play Holmes. It seemed at the time that he could pull it off, but there’s certainly no question of it now. He’s not Rathbone’s Holmes, he’s not even truly Doyle’s Holmes, but he is absolutely memorable and remarkable in the role. But you know what I really loved? What I adored almost more than anything? The chemistry between Downey Jr.’s Holmes and Jude Law’s Watson.
I could feel the fondness they felt for each other. The willingness each held to make sure the other pulled out of tight scrapes. They were friends, closer than brothers, and it made me squee like a little fangirl. I know, I know, I had a stupid grin on my face each time they were in a scene together. And there was one scene in particular…Well, I won’t spoil it.
Though the villain could have been just a wee bit deeper in terms of characterization, Mark Strong did an excellent job at menacing. And Rachel McAdams was just lovely as the spunky, articulate Irene Adler. Loved it!
And so, to wrap up, the movie had all that I wanted: Great fight/action sequences, humor, gorgeous scenery, and fantastic chemistry between two of my favorite literary characters. Oh, and excellent music. I loved, loved, loved it!
*This is a horrible review, really, but the only way I could have done better was if I had liked it less. No chance of that, I’m afraid. And, actually, there’s a whole lot more I could have covered – like, how wonderful it was to see Watson in action, not to mention Holmes, and how they used a scene from Rathbone’s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, which was just awesome – but then this post would go on for days. Days!
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!!
Our Christmas day was lovely and we were all spoiled, myself most especially. My husband bought me an awesome digital camera (that has a built-in smile detector! As soon as it recognizes that someone in the frame has smiled it automatically takes the picture. Seriously, the first time that happened? I’m sure my reaction was priceless.) Expect lots of pictures in the future! And, for once, he actually bought me a book. I was shocked. And it was one I really, really wanted.
Not too long ago I read Laini Taylor’s Blackbringer (the first book in the Dreamdark series) and it was love. Ever since Silksinger has called my name. And now I can actually answer that call! Opening one of the presents up to find that book was a joy, even moreso because my husband went out and got it for me. Hopefully I’ll be able to catch up with Magpie and Talon real soon.
Speaking of Magpie and Talon…They made the list of my “best of’s” of 2009. The whole list can be found here.
A few bookstore coupons found their way into my pocket, too, but I’m not sure how soon I’ll use them. I tend to hoard gift cards (and drive my family nuts in the process, but I can’t bring myself to spend them right away, willy-nilly.)
As I was doing my daily blog reading I tabbed over to The Book Smugglers and gasped. I won one of the super giveaways they were holding as part of Smugglivus! :::Happy Dance::: What did I win? Well, since you asked…I won ARCs of: Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce, 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison, Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi, Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey, and Prophecy of the Sisters: Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink. What a haul, right?! I’m most excited about Pearce’s Sisters Red – I’ve been drooling over that cover since it was first posted on her blog.
So what’s coming up this week? Reviews! Shocking. But I have been able to get some reading done. And real soon I hope to post my thoughts on Sherlock Holmes. The short of it? I loved every minute of it! It might take me a while to post about it, though, because when I love something I tend to not be able to write about it very well. But I’ll leave you with a pic I took of the theater’s lobby display. Dude, if I could’ve gotten that thing home!
Much has changed since autumn, when Kelley Winslow learned she was a Faerie princess, fell in love with changeling guard Sonny Flannery, and saved the mortal realm from the ravages of the Wild Hunt. Now Kelley is stuck in New York City, rehearsing Romeo and Juliet and missing Sonny more with every stage kiss, while Sonny has been forced back to the Otherworld and into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the remaining Hunters and Queen Mabh herself.
When a terrifying encounter sends Kelley tumbling into the Otherworld, her reunion with Sonny is joyful but destined to be cut short. An ancient, hidden magick is stirring, and a dangerous new enemy is willing to risk everything to claim that power. Caught in a web of Faerie deception and shifting allegiances, Kelley and Sonny must tread carefully, for each next step could topple a kingdom . . . or tear them apart.
Shortly after cracking open Darklight it became apparent that a quick flip through of Wondrous Strange might have been in order. Recalling Livingston’s main players wasn’t a problem, but details and plot elements from her debut were only vaguely recalled. That said, Livingston did a pretty good job of recapping without dumping backstory on the reader.
One thing I did remember about Wondrous Strange, one that dimmed my enjoyment of it, was that I felt little connection with or to the characters. Appreciating them wasn’t a problem, it was more that there wasn’t one that got under my skin. But in Darklight there was.
Once a Viking warrior, the Fennrys Wolf was, perhaps, the most feared of Auberon’s Janus Guards. Having cultivated a reputation worthy of his berserker, battle-ready ancestral brethren, Fenn is by nature a loner. He’d rather throw himself into a brutal fight than babysit a faerie princess, but in Sonny’s absence he finds himself filling the role of Kelley’s fierce protector. He may have grumbled about that, but I couldn’t have been happier about it. Throughout the novel Fenn is something of an enigma; he’s got an agenda, one he hides well, and as events unfold whatever it is he’s hiding becomes attractively intriguing.
Because of Fenn I actually felt a connection to Kelley. She proved herself to be a strong-minded, strong-willed heroine in Wondrous Strange, but filtered through the affectionate (on her part) barbs she traded with Fenn she became even more likable. There was real chemistry between Kelley and Fenn, I thought, and it eclipsed what I saw between Kelley and Sonny. Unfortunately, Sonny’s appeal remained lost on me. He’s cool and all, but he just doesn’t do anything for me, not even after a few surprising revelations about his character come to light.
But moving away from character for a minute, I can say that the continuation of events from Wondrous Strange was nicely handled. The pacing of Darklight was as quick as its predecessor’s was and there was plenty of action to keep the pages turning. The writing didn’t feel as tight, though, and it seemed that we were told more than we were shown. For instance: “Maddox blushed almost purple as Tyff’s gaze raked over him. Kelley stifled a laugh-out-loud reaction.” (ARC, page 54) That second sentence threw me out of the story, and it wasn’t an isolated occurrence.
While I might have enjoyed Wondrous Strange‘s storyline more, Darklight certainly had a lot offer. Fenn, for one, but also there were a few twists towards the end that have nicely paved the way for the next book. As for the next book, I’ll definitely be reading it.
____________________________________________________
Full Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher.
Using Angie’s fantastic “best of” list guest post over at The Book Smugglers for inspiration, I’m going to go about my own best of post a bit differently. In all, a top twenty.
Because I’m very much a character-reader, I’m going to start with a “best of” character list. These characters either stole my heart, made me proud, or climbed in my head and refused to get out. Though it’s nearly impossible to do so, I’m going to limit myself to a top ten. In no particular order:
Best series continuations. Again, in no order:
Best of the debuts:
And to round out the twenty:
Now, twenty of my most anticipated reads of 2010. Painfully limiting, but…In no particular order:
I love travel shows. I love travel shows even more during the holiday season. For instance, we* were watching Samantha Brown’s New York holiday show the other night, and it was delightful. I’ve never been to NYC around Christmas, but I think that we’ll need to make a trip one of these years if for one reason alone. The department store holiday windows. Brown visited Bergdorf Goodman’s windows and – for me – it was love at first sight.
The theme of the ’09 display is “A Compendium of Curiosities” – you can read more about it here, as well as descriptions of each window. Click on the pics below to make them bigger. (Trust me, you want to make them bigger.)
I can’t decide which one is my favorite. How about you??
Another highlight of the S. Brown NY special was the Holiday Train Show at the Botanical Garden. If you’ve got a minute or two, check out the image gallery and/or the video gallery. It looks so cool.
And, just in case you’re curious, here’s the complete list of all the places Brown visited during the show.
*Well, I was watching it. My husband was “resting his eyes.”
