The Poison Eaters: And Other Stories by Holly Black

The Poison Eaters: And Other Stories by Holly Black

Completion Date: September 22, 2011

Reason for Reading: R.I.P. Challenge VI

Poisonous girls whose kisses will kill. A fateful eating contest with the devil. Faeries who return to Ironside, searching for love. A junior prom turned bacchanalia. In twelve short stories, eerie and brimming with suspense and unexpected humor, Holly Black twists the fantastical creatures you thought you knew in ways you’ll never expect.

Holly Black is a bit hit-or-miss with me. The first book I ever read by her was Tithe and I really enjoyed it, but then when I went on to read the sequel I was very disappointed. I didn't read her again for a very long time, but I am coming around to her again and she does have some really good work to enjoy. In the past I have read short story collections she has edited, but this is a short story collection of her original works.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

Imagine a world where people actually want to become vampires because they can live forever. Not everyone thinks like that, but the people that do are becoming an epidemic. There is a whole community dedicated to vampires called Coldtown. This short story opens with a young girl who has been recently bitten and attempting to remain intoxicated in order to ignore the impulse to attack humans for blood. Then, things change. She accepts her fate in order to save others, but uses it as a chance to show the world just how horrific it is to become a vampire. It has been romanticized way too much and she is determined to show that isn't always the case. I enjoyed this story. I am getting a bit tired of vampires, but this was original enough to be good.

A Reversal of Fortune

This story sounds epic, but A Reversal of Fortune is just a fancy way of saying vomiting. This is the story about a young girl who gets into an eating contest with the Devil. I really don't think I can talk about it anymore because one aspect of the story disgusted me so much I feel ill just talking about this story. It's not to say it is a bad story, but it is also not for the weak-stomached.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Another paranormal craze that is starting to get worn out for me is werewolves. I assumed judging by the tone of this book and the stories title, this would be another take on the werewolf myth. A young boy reads about a type of flower that turns those that come into contact with it into werewolves. He begins to obsess about it a bit and then one day when his family are on vacation he sees what he assumes are those flowers. The outcome might surprise you a bit. I am not sure what to make of this story. It was strange, but good, I guess.

The Night Market

When I saw the title for this story I immediately thought of 'Goblin Market' by Christina Rossetti. I was sort of hoping it was a retelling. The story itself is rather different, but it does have a few elements that reminded me of Rossetti's poem. In the story a sister is wasting away because she ate a piece of fruit, but instead of a goblin it is an elf. The sister attempts to save her and things go off in a very different direction than they did in Rossetti's poem. I particularly liked this story and especially related to the ending. I think most people have moments where they can relate to the ending!

The Dog King

This is another story that is centred around the werewolf idea. It was also rather good. I am impressed by how consistent this collection has been so far. I haven't really hated any of the stories so far. Anyway, this story was a bit odd at the same time. I hate to give too much away because it is supposed to be a bit mysterious. I was obviously trying to figure out just what the title related to in the story. Let's just say it is the story of a young boy that is not exactly what he seems and might be a bit smarter than given credit for in the beginning.

Virgin

This is a unicorn story. I sort of expected that based on the title. A young girl has been living in foster care and has ran away to live on the streets. She meets lots of interesting characters along the way. One of these characters believes in unicorns. It was a pretty good story, but I am afraid if I talk about it any more I will give too much away.

In Vodka Viritas

This is a story about the Latin Club. They are at a boarding school and are very smart, so they are ridiculed for their brains. The main character, a bit of an outcast himself, stumbles upon them in an abandoned section of the school and interesting things are put into play. This story was really a bit strange and is about magic potions and the need for revenge. It is the perfect story for high school and the need to feel accepted, but hopefully no one feels the need to go quite so far!

The Coat of Stars

This is a fairy story, but not your typical fairy story. Raphael had a friend when he was younger. They loved each other in a special way. Things were not perfect at home for his friend, though, and he was a bit depressed. They make a plan to run away from home, but the night before they are supposed to his friend commits suicide. Raphael is devastated and never entirely recovers from that night even though it is years later and he is home visiting his parents. The thing is that his friend might not be dead after all. This was a story that actually takes into play other elements from famous fairy traditions, but I have never read a story quite like it before. I choose to be mysterious and make people want to read it.

Paper Cuts Scissors

I loved this story! It is like a short story version of Inkheart in the fact that their are characters that can read themselves into books and others that can read characters out of books. What would happen, though, if you were in a fight with your girlfriend and before anything was really resolved, she read herself in a book. This story looks at that idea. It is fun to visit with characters from famous novels and to see how the books have been changed as a result of the characters ability to read people in and out. It made for a fun story, but a little dark at the same time.

Going Ironside

It has been a while since I read Tithe and its sequel by Black, but from what I can remember this is a short story version of the same type. I didn't really get it. It didn't make any impression on me. It was almost confusing.

The Land of Heart's Desire

Okay, let's be honest here. I only recently finished this book and I all ready can't remember this story. It also uses characters from Tithe, so maybe that was my problem.

The Poison Eaters

The title story from this collection. This story had a bit of a fairy tale feel to it. It was definitely a darkish read, too. It is the story of three sisters who can kill you will a kiss. They have been raised for nefarious means that make for interesting reading. I think it was a good story to end the collection with.

Overall, I liked this collection. Recommended!

Zombies vs Unicorns edited by Holly Black & Justine Larbalestier

Zombies vs Unicorns edited by Holly Black & Justine Larbalestier

Completion Date:

Reason for Reading: Fun!

It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths—for good and evil—of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies. Contributors include many bestselling teen authors, including Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Maureen Johnson, Meg Cabot, Scott Westerfeld, and Margo Lanagan. This anthology will have everyone asking: Team Zombie or Team Unicorn?

I thought this was a fun idea and I really should read more short story collections. Plus, the stories included are by some of my favourite fantasy authors, so how could I resist? Apparently it all started back in 2007 and this anthology is decide which is better once and for all. It is an interesting idea.

Team Unicorn:

Edited by Holly Black

Kathleen Duey

Meg Cabot

Garth Nix

Margo Lanagan

Naomi Novik

Diana Peterfreund

Team Zombie:

Edited by Justine Larbalestier

Libba Bray

Cassandra Clare

Alaya Dawn Johnson

Maureen Johnson

Carrie Ryan

Scott Westerfeld

Which side are you on?

'The Highest Justice' by Garth Nix (Unicorns)

The first story in the anthology and I thought it started off very well. This story actually includes zombies AND unicorns, but Nix is playing for Team Unicorn. The story is quick, but a lot happens in a short time. There is also a lot of things you can deduce without them being written down, so in a way the story is a lot longer than the page count. I thought that clearly represents a good story. Also, it has been a while since I read Garth Nix and I had forgotten how well he writes.

'Love Will Tear Us Apart' by Alaya Dawn Johnson (Zombies)

I have never heard of this author before, but she wrote an interesting story for the zombie team. It is a zombie romance to be more specific. It also officially makes this collection count for the GLBT challenge if you are participating. I was surprised. Not only is this a zombie romance, but it is a gay zombie romance. Not something I see everyday! It is written in a strange format, but it works. It also has lots of music references, like the title. Most of the bands I have heard of, but am not really familiar with, though.

'Purity Test' by Naomi Novik (Unicorns)

This was a fun story. It will make you laugh at times, actually. Naomi Novik is an author that I enjoy, but haven't read in a while. It was nice to visit with her, even if it was a totally different story than her famous series. Although, she did include that dragons exist and unicorns are, sort of, capable of killing them. This story also plays with the idea of unicorns only appearing to virgins. It was a good story.

'Bougainvillea' by Carrie Ryan (Zombies)

Yay! Carrie Ryan's trilogy is coming to a close very soon, but in the meantime this is a story set in the same world. The characters are different, but it still includes Carrie's take on zombies. The story jumps back and forth from the present to the past before the Return. It makes for an interesting story. I enjoyed how she mentioned things from the past that we use everyday. It was nice to have a main character that remembers what it was like before the Return.

'A Thousand Flowers' by Margo Lanagan (Unicorns)

I read this after just finishing Tender Morsels by her and I must say, she does nothing lightly. This was as much a troubling story as Tender Morsels was a troubling novel. It is a different take on the normal unicorn stories I read. It was horrifying, really. It takes the idea of innocence to an entirely new level and when you finish you will not quite be sure what to make of it. I think I liked it, but I haven't entirely decided yet.

'The Children of the Revolution' by Maureen Johnson (Zombies)

Well, this was interesting... I might be reading more into it than is there, but this sounded an awful lot like the author was making fun of certain things without actually naming them. Just she added in the zombies. I found this story a bit predictable, but very entertaining at the same time. You have to read it to believe it!

'The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn' by Diana Peterfreund (Unicorns)

Even though I haven't read Diana's recent book, I did really enjoy her first one about unicorns. Unicorns may be popular overall, but I haven't read a lot of books about them. It was fun to read something entirely different than the 'normal' stories. This short story is set in the same world, but has a different main character. This character could kill unicorns if she wanted to, but instead she saves a baby unicorns life and raises it. It made me really want to get around to reading her newest novel.

'Inoculata' by Scott Westerfeld (Zombies)

Back in 2009, I easily went through 'The Year of Scott Westerfeld'. I had never read him before, but that year I read several books by him. Despite meaning to several times, I have not really read him lately and really should. This was an excellent story by him, further proof that all those unread novels I still have by him should amount to some treasures. This story takes place after zombies have taken over most of the population, but it is not your normal tale. He takes the basics and then puts his own spin on them. It made for good reading.

'Princess Prettypants' by Meg Cabot (Unicorns)

Meg Cabot is another author I sort of lapsed on reading. This was a story about a very unlikely birthday present that turned out to be more useful than any one knew. It is also a story about standing up to bullies. I think it was a very fitting story for these times because bullying has been so much in the news the last few years. It is obviously not exactly how things would play out in the 'real' world, but many of the themes and messages still apply. It is a bit of an empowering story mixed up with a unicorn story.

'Cold Hands' by Cassandra Clare (Zombies)

Cassandra Clare is an author that I have heard of, but not actually read before. This was a good story. It was a zombie romance, of sorts. I enjoyed that the stories in here were not the 'conventional' ones. They made for good reading, but weren't too gruesome. They definitely had fun with it. This story made me want to read Clare at some point very soon because this was good and it says good things about her novels.

'The Third Virgin' by Kathleen Duey (Unicorns)

This story was... interesting... This takes killer unicorns to the next level for sure. The story is almost entirely about the unicorn and its experiences. It is only at the end of the book that things change. I am not sure what I thought of this story. It was my first experience with Duey. I had never even heard of her before this story.

'Prom Night' by Libba Bray (Zombies)

Libba Bray, how I love thee. You are what got me back to reading young adult books when I read the Gemma Doyle series, and I have enjoyed everything since. This was just another example of how great you are and I am very much looking forward to your new novel later this year. As to this story, it about the aftermath of a zombie infection. There are only children left and they have to survive in a very different world.

In the end, I enjoyed all the stories. There were none that I strongly disliked... That's very rare for short story anthologies and it was a lot of fun to read!

Six Sentence Saturday - Take Three

Welcome to Six Sentence Saturday.

Where I try to express my thoughts on recent reads using only 6 sentences!!!!.
At the end of each review I will post a
rating scale of 1-5 using the cute and original (lol) Playing Cards.
Rating scale will be as follows:

5 of Hearts- You must read this book NOW!!
4 of Hearts- A great read, put it on your TBR list.
3 of Hearts- Glad I read but no big deal
2 of Hearts- Why did I finish this?
Joker Card - Don't bother (why did I?)

I know I already posted once today, but this is my 'catch-up on reviews' method, so I figured I would post twice to get some done!Miki Falls - Book 1: Spring by Mark Crilley
Miki Falls - Book 2: Summer by Mark Crilley
I loved these two books and cannot wait to read the rest of the series, but the library doesn't have them! Miki is a very stubborn high schooler who is intrigued by the new guy, Hiro Sakurai, but he is not interested in making friends. She refuses to give up without a fight, though, and that opens a whole new world for her. I think even if manga is not your normal thing you can appreciate this series because it is about love and relationships, and that is something that everyone can appreciate. It just goes into details that we might not be used to! Give it a try!

The Good Neighbors: Kin: Book One by Holly Black & Ted Naifeh
I picked this up with high hopes, but I didn't like it at all! I think I have read too many really good graphic novels this series that far surpassed this one. That being said, I plan to read the next one because I think if the story was developed more it has a lot of potential, so I actually wish this had been longer. I was just getting a bit interested and then it was over and I felt like nothing really happened. So, it was a disappointment, but I have seen positive reviews of it. It's really too bad because the story behind it sounds really good, but I just don't think that Black pulls it off. The artwork is amazing, though!




... I never saw another butterfly... Children's Drawings and Poems from Terezin Concentration Camp, 1942-1944
I am so glad that I saw this around the blogosphere because I never would have heard of it otherwise. What a heart-breaking book this was when you really thought about it. These are the pictures and poems and other creative pursuits of children held in a concentration camp during the Second World War. There are notes saying who lived and who died; and it was not an over-whelming list of survivors. Even though this happened long before I was born, it really bothers me and I feel like this book made it even more real because these were just children and they were doing things that children do, but at the same time they were being tortured in horrifying ways because of their race and religion. This is something that if you have the chance to flip through, you should!


The Magic Half by Annie Barrows
I read this book because Annie Barrows is one of the authors of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I read that book last year and loved it, so I was curious about other books by her. It was cute, I admit that, but nothing amazing for an adult. I am sure she is very popular with the younger age group that she writes for, though, and I do recommend the book for younger readers. For me, though, I will just stick with her adult novel and recommend it to anyone that will listen because it was a fantastic book! It was an original story, though, and the characters were well-written!

Valiant by Holly Black

Books Read: 38
Completion Date: March, 2007
Publication Year: 2006
Pages: 313
Purchased in 2007
Sequel to Tithe

When seventeen-year-old Valerie Russell runs away to New York City, she's trying to escape a life that has utterly betrayed her. Sporting a new identity, she takes up with a gang of squatters who live in the city's labyrinthine subway system.

But there's something eerily beguiling about Val's new friends. Impulsive Lolli talks of monsters in the subway tunnels they call home and shoots up a shimmery amber-colored powder that makes the shadows around her dance. Severe Luis claims he can make deals with creatures that no one else can see. And then there's Luis's brother, timid and sensitive Dave, who makes the mistake of letting Val tag along as he makes a delivery to a woman who turns out to have goat hooves instead of feet.

When a bewildered Val allows Lolli to talk her into tracking down the hidden lair of the creature for whom Luis and Dave have been dealing, Val finds herself bound into service by a troll named Ravus. He is as hideous as he is honorable. And as Val grows to know him, she finds herself torn between her affection for an honorable monster and her fear of what her new friends are becoming.

Bestselling author Holly Black follows her breakout debut, Tithe, with a rich, harrowing, and compulsively readable parable of betrayal, abuse, friendship, and love.

To read my review of this book, click here.

Tithe - Holly Black [September/06]

I finished another book. Yay! To see my review of it on Twisted Kingdom, click here. I thought it was a very good read.

Next fantasy novel, Raven's Shadow by Patricia Briggs.