I Have an Idea and Other News

Okay, so I am bored, and I was trying to think of something interesting to do. So, let me run it by everyone. It is called the "Challenge Yourself Challenge." What it means is that each month you challenge yourself to do something you have never done before, have been putting off forever, or that scares you or intimites you. Then, you post about it on your blog, and link back here. Some months, there might be challenges. Like, read an author you have never read before or do a Thursday Thirteen of the places in your town that you think people should visit. Ideas like that. Other people can also email me with ideas and challenge participants to do things that they have done that they think other people have been doing. My hope is that if this idea works, I can create its own blog for it, and it can be like a little community. If I get enough interest, by people leaving comments, I would like to start in August. So, what do people think? I only thought of it yesterday, so it might need a little fine-tuning. The best thing is that it does not have to be anything major, you just have to post about it, and you are going to update your blog anyways.... Anyways, comment and offer suggestions or tell me if you are interested. I will continue to update my idea through July and if by the last week of July there is interest, we will start in August.

In other news, today was mail call day! Yay! I got 4 books in the mail, and I am very excited about all of them. I got Interworld by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reeves (which I am reading currently), M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman, the next Warriors book by Erin Hunter, Swordbird by Nancy Yi Fan. These books are for the What Would Harry Read blog that Harper Collins Canada has. That means four more guest posts from yours truly! The blog actually updated today if you want to head over there and check it out! Then, I got another book, The Judas Strain by James Rollins. I am very excited to see what happens next, and impressed with the speed in which I received it as it only came out yesterday and yesterday was a holiday (mail-wise).

After posting about how many books I have read this year that I owned last year, I am also trying to read more older books. I started a couple yesterday, but they will be put to the side until I finish Gaiman. I really love the cover to InterWorld. I also noticed the back of Swordbird and how young the author looks. I quickly looked at the author profile and she is only 14. I will be interested to see how well she writes!

**** ANNOUNCEMENT****

Next week will be a VERY good week on my blog. Michelle Moran, author of Nefertiti will be guest blogging! I will also be posting my review of Nefertiti. The book comes out on July 10th, so if you want to see if it right for you, stop by and see what Michelle has to say! And, she is very open to questions, so if you have any just leave them in the comments anytime between now and next Friday and I will be sure that she gets them. I probably will be posting other things during that week as well, I do not want to get too far behind on my other reviews, but I am thrilled that Michelle agreed to do this because I really really loved her book!

Lastly, I posted a review of Dead Girls' Dance by Rachel Caine on Twisted Kingdom today!

Enjoy your Tuesday!

Black Order by James Rollins

Completion Date: June 2007
Pages: 448
Publication Year: 2006
Owned Prior to 2007
Book 3 (or 2 depending on whether you count Sandstorm) in the Sigma Series.

Reason for Reading: The next book in the series, The Judas Strain, will be out in July.

A sinister fire in a Copenhagen bookstore ignites a relentless hunt across four continents. Arson and murder reveal an insidious plot to steal a Bible that once belonged to Charles Darwin, the father of evolutionary theory. And Commander Gray Pierce dives headlong into a mystery that dates back to Nazi Germany . . . and to horrific experiments performed in a now-abandoned laboratory buried in a hollowed-out mountain in Poland.

A continent away, madness ravages a remote monastery high in Nepal, as Buddhist monks turn to cannibalism and torture. Lisa Cummings, a young American doctor investigating the atrocity, is suddenly a target of a brutal assassin working for clandestine forces that want the affair buried at any cost. Lisa's only ally is a hidden pilgrim, Painter Crowe -- director of SIGMA Force, an elite command of American scientists and Special Forces operatives -- who is already showing signs of the baffling malady that destroyed the minds of the monks.

Now it is up to Gray Pierce to save both Painter and Lisa -- and a world in jeopardy -- as SIGMA Force races to expose a century-old plot that threatens to destroy the current world order . . . and alter the destiny of humankind forever.

Combining the historic scope of The Da Vinci Code with the relentless thrills of today's best action novels, James Rollins's Black Order is a classic adventure -- an ingenious and breathtaking tour de force that explodes with revelations . . . while offering a startling new view of our place in the grand scheme of existence.

Two James Rollins books in one month, very unusual for me. This book follows on from Map of Bones in Rollins new Sigma Series. I do suggest, though, if you plan on reading it that you read Deep Fathom first because Lisa Cummings is in both books. It just helps you better understand where she is coming from. I hope that Rollins includes more people from his standalone books in this series, it was nice to see her again.

When this book first came out, I have to admit that I was intrigued by the Nazi storyline and how exactly that was going to come into play. Rollins has a lot going on all at one time, and for most of the book you know it is going to end up being related, but it takes a while for you to find out why. The adventure all seems to be connected to a Darwinian Bible that was supposed to be auctioned off. The people that want it will go to great lengths to acquire it, putting the Sigma force in dangers that they were not anticipating. It is Gray Pierce that finds himself tied up in this mess, all starting with the explosion of a bookstore he had set out to investigate to learn more about the Bible.

Painter Crowe returns as well, being the one character that has appeared in all three books, he is always a good addition to the mix. Things are different for him this time, though, because he got caught in a town where a terrifying illness is running amuck. Lisa Cummings comes to investigate the illness and finds herself in the midst of a Sigma operation and far away from the Mount Everest climb that was her intention. Crowe withstands admirably, but there comes a point where it is up to Gray to be the hero. He is having relationship troubles which are put on the back burner for the majority of the book, but he is determined.

It is up to the Sigma team to get to the bottom of this decades old plot and save themselves and the world. There are lots of close calls in this book and it is anyones guess who will live and who will die. Including a supporting cast that adds to the story, this book will keep you riveted until the last page. I really wish, though, that thrillers did not have to compare with The Da Vinci Code to be considered good nowadays, but it seems to be the mark of a good book. I will say it again, Rollins is better than Brown, so everyone should read him.

Parting Thoughts: Another edge of your seat by, for me, the king of thrillers. As thrillers are not my normal genre read, I do not have a lot of people to compare him with, so take that as you will. I will be interested to see what happens next for Sigma, and I only have to wait about a week. (Hopefully).

The Judas Strain will be in stores on July 2, 2007.

Map of Bones by James Rollins

Books Read: 35
Completion Date: March, 2007
Publication Year: 2006
Pages: 560
Owned Prior to 2007

During a crowded service at a cathedral in Germany, armed intruders in monks' robes unleash a nightmare of blood and destruction. But the killers have not come for gold; they seek a more valuable prize: the bones of the Magi who once paid homage to a newborn savior . . . a treasure that could reshape the world.

With the Vatican in turmoil, SIGMA Force leaps into action. An elite team of scientific and Special Forces operatives under the command of Grayson Pierce and accompanied by Lieutenant Rachel Verona of Rome's carabinieri, they are pursuing a deadly mystery that weaves through sites of the Seven Wonders of the World and ends at the doorstep of an ancient, mystical, and terrifying secret order. For there are those with dark plans for the stolen sacred remains that will alter the future of humankind . . . when science and religion unite to unleash a horror not seen since the beginning of time.

I am a big James Rollins fan, but I like to savour his books. They are my fun reads for the most part, and I have yet to dislike anything I have read by him. I felt that it was about time that I got caught up on his books, I think I have three left to read after this one. This is one of his newer ones, and is technically the first book in his SIGMA series, but I personally think that Sandstorm is book one because SIGMA is in that book and because one of the main characters in this book appears in that one. So, if you like to read a series in order, this is really, for me, book two.

I know that this book has been heavily compared with The Da Vinci Code, but really, you should try and separate the two. I enjoyed this book way more than Brown's book, and I think it is sad that because Brown pushes the envelope his book beats out books that are actually much more interesting. Religion plays a role in this book, and their a treasure hunt of sorts, but it does not challenge religion like Da Vinci did. It is more about the search, the thrilling conclusion, that sort of thing. The only thing that disappointed me about this book is that the setting was more ordinary than other books. I mean, they find something that was lost forever and such, but his other books just have the exotic location play a larger role.

This book also reminded me of how much I like the Ancient Wonders of the World. They used to be a part of history that I read a great deal about, so it was nice to see them, predominantly The Lighthouse of Alexandria, get a mention. It made me start looking for new books that cover the subject of the ancient wonders.

Overall, I really liked this book. Rollins is really my guilty pleasure because I do not normally read the genre that he writes in, but I am glad that I was introduced to him, and I hope that he continues to write good books! I admit I am a little worried about the direction his books might go into now that he is writing a series, but I have high hopes that they will remain good!

4/5

To see reviews of other books by this author, click on the titles:
Sandstorm
Excavation

Little of this and a little of that

Well, I figured out everything I am going to get for people for Christmas this year, and discovered that it is not much. A lot of people I know are not doing Christmas this year, so I feel a bit lost with how small my gift buying list is. Plus, I still am not really finding the time to read, I am really counting on December to rekindle what has been lost. In the meantime, I decided to do some book shopping yesterday. But, first! I have been very quiet, and I never shared that I FINALLY got my birthday present from Tom. I ordered some books that were not out yet, so I had to wait for over a month after my birthday to get them. So, I got:

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks (He is a hit or miss author for me, I am not a big fan of the genre that he writes in, but I have really enjoyed his books over the years. The last two that he had, I found too romancey for my tastes. I hope I like this one better. But, I own all his books, so I have to keep the collection up. The Notebook and The Wedding are my two favourites.)

The Magic and the Healing by Nick O'Donohoe (This is the book that I had to wait for, as it only came out on the 9th of November. It is a rerelease that looks interesting. I read about it on Chappy's Mom's blog. Deb is very wonderful with fantasy recommendations)

Partners of Necessity by Steve Miller and Sharon Lee (Once again, Deb at Chappy's Mom talks about this series. She rereads them ALL the time. Since it was because of her I discovered Sharon Shinn, I trust her reading, so when I saw this 4-in-1 book, I thought it was a fair investment. It is the Liaden Universe series, a space opera of sorts.)

Once Upon a Spring Morn
Once Upon an Autumn Eve both by Dennis McKiernan (I have reviewed the two previous books from this series on here. I was going to wait until they came out in paperback, but I just couldn't resist. I want to know how the story goes. This quartet seems to be hit or miss. One of my friends read one of them and just couldn't get into it, I greatly enjoyed the fairy tale retellings. So, just a warning.)

A Christmas to Remember by Thomas Kinkade (I was in the store one day and happened upon a book by Thomas Kinkade. I did not know he was an author, so I picked it up and now me and one of my friends read him. I have four more books to go with him, but only because three of them are Christmas novels that I am saving for nearer to Christmas.)

Before I continue, a big thank you to Deb for all the great fantasy reads. If you click here, you will see all of her reading lists for the last few years. (She doesn't only read fantasy.)

Now, for yesterdays shopping spree. I intend to wrap these and put them under the tree, so it is not so bad. It is what happens when no one buys you books for Christmas. I got:

Night Watch by Sarah Waters
The Winter Rose by Jennifer Donnelly (Sequel to The Tea Rose)
Sharpe's Tiger by Bernard Cornwell
The Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey
One Good Knight by Mercedes Lackey (Sequel to The Fairy Godmother)
Paint it Black by Janet Fitch
Abudance by Sena Jeter Naslund (This book is for a book of the month for one of the sites I visit, so I will be keeping it out.)

I also preordered Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs yesterday while I was browsing, and I ordered Ines of my Soul by Isabel Allende and Black Order by James Rollins with it. Sort of funny, Rollins and Allende are two of my favourite authors, and I waiting until the end of January to read them. That list above is not essential to read authors, but I am getting them first.

Just in case people forget how much I love Rollins, I am going to point out that he has a new novel coming out in June of next year!!! If all goes well, I might actually read it hot off the press. The last couple of times his new books came out, I still had others to read. It is called The Judas Strain, and it is book 3 in The Sigma Force series. For anyone that is at all interested, my favourite Rollins novel is Amazonia. I think people should read him. I do not normally like Thrillers, but I loved reading him. I am so happy my friend handed me one of his books and asked if I have read him! I can safely say that Rollins is my favourite author in many respects, although, I do not know if I am capable of naming one author as my favourite. Just, everyone should at least read him once.

Excavation - James Rollins [May/06]

One of my plans for the summer is to read all of my James Rollins novels. This month I read two of them, with three more waiting for me and a new novel due out soon. I look forward to his novels, though, but at the same time hate to rush through them. This novel was not as good as Amazonia. I found that one to be my favourite, but this one was still really interesting. On the back:

The South American Jungle Guards Many Secrets...
and a remarkable site nestled between two towering Andean peaks, hidden from human eyes for thousands of years.

Dig Deeper...
through layers of rock and mystery, through centuries of dark, forgotten legend.

Into Ancient Catacombs...
where ingenious traps have been laid to ensnare the careless and unsuspecting; where earth-shattering discoveries - and wealth beyond imagining - could be the reward for those with the courage to face the terrible unknown.

Something is Waiting...
here where the perilous journey ends, in the cold, shrouded heart of a breathtaking necropolis; something created by Man, yet not humanly possible. Something wonderous. Something terrifying.

For untold centuries, the secrets of life have been buried in a sacred, forbidden chamber.

Those who would disturb the chosen must now face the ultimate challenge: survival.

Rollins has a way of writing a novel that is based on historical civilizations and cultures, while at the same time making something impossible out of it. The novels generally take place in unexplored areas of the earth, so something near it could happen. In this particular novel they are exploring the rainforest on an archelogical dig and discover on secrets that were long hidden. I hate to reveal more because the mystery is the appeal of a Rollins novel.

4/5

Sandstorm - James Rollins [May/06]

It's that time again, I love James Rollins, so it was fun to read two books by him in the same month! I started this book earlier in the year, but I decided I wasn't ready for a Rollins novel yet. I liked Amazonia so much, I wasn't sure if any of his other novels were going to be able to compare. As the back of the book states:

Lady Kara Kensington's family paid a high price in money and blood to found the gallery that now lies in ruins. And her search for answers is about to lead Kara; her friend Safia al-Maaz, the gallery's brilliant and beautiful curator; and their guide, the international adventurer Omaha Dunn, into a world they never dreamed actually existed: a lost city buried beneath the Arabian desert, where something astonishing is waiting.

A covert government operative hunting a dangerous turncoat - his former partner - is being drawn there as well. But the many perils of a death-defying trek deep into the savage heart of the Arabian Peninsula pale before the nightmare to be unearthed at journey's end - an ageless power that lives and breathes, an awesome force that can create a utopia... or tear down everything humankind has built over millennia of civilization.

Once I decided that I was ready of a Rollins novel, I found that this one read just as well as others by him. It is one of his more later novels, having only came out in 2004. He used to take forever to come out with new books, but he had a new one out last year, Map of Bones, and he has another one coming out very soon Black Society. He keeps this up I will be able to read a book by him every year!

This book shows some evolution from his earlier novels. It is longer, for starters, but it also has more of a background provided for the characters. In his other novels there is a lot of concentration on what is happening at that moment and less time taken to show how the characters have developed into the people they are in the book. In this book, we know that Lady Kara Kensington lost her father while hunting in the desert. Well, that is the official cause for death, but Kensington finds out in the course of this novel that there is more to her past than meets the eye and her father's intentions might not always have been honourable. She funds this mission to learn the truth about her father, but she also gains something that she always had but never knew the truth behind.

Safia has a shaky past herself. There was a bombing where she used to work and she was the only survivor. This is something that she has never fully came to terms with, and is still battling with. She sets out on this mission to find the cause of the bombing at the museum, but what really happens is that develops a reconnection with herself and learns the secret to who she is. This means that she is able to reconnect with people from her past, and learn that not everything bad that happens is her fault. By the end of the novel she is at peace with herself.

I really enjoyed the setting for this novel. They go to an ancient town in the middle of the Arabian desert. A town that has never been understood, and has remained an archeological mystery. They solve this mystery, but not without many risks and adventures. In the end, though, the characters learn more about themselves and also answer questions that have been left unanswered for millenium. Another great Rollins read!

4/5