Touch of Frost and Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep (Mythos Academy Series, Book 1)

Completion Date: December, 2011

Reason for Reading: I blame Cat from Beyond Books for introducing me to this series. (In a good way.)

My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy — a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest. 

But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why—especially since I should have been the one who died. . .

This was one of the last books I read in 2011. I was so happy to actually read something, but I never got around to reviewing it. I have found that while young adult works its way into my reading a lot nowadays, there are very few books that wow me enough to make my best of list. I have to say that even though this one did not make it; I still really enjoyed it. You see, I really enjoy Mythology and I am getting a bit tired of vampires, witches, etc. When I learned that the main character in this series, Gwen, was a Gypsy I was intrigued. Then, I discovered that the book takes place at a boarding school. I seem to really enjoy books that have that as a setting. The thing that made me pick up the book in the end, though, was the fact that it includes Amazons, Spartans, and other historical superheroes AND the Gods and Goddesses they believed in at that time. It was just a different idea from the norm and I was in the mood for something different.

Anyway, as I was saying this book centres around Gwen Frost. She had a very normal up-bringing other than the fact that when she touched a person or their personal objects she could pick-up on their emotions, memories, etc. The Gypsy trait runs through the women in her family. Her grandmother Frost can tell the future to a degree and her mother had the ability to tell when people were telling the truth. I say 'had' because Gwen's world has been turned upside down following the horrific death of her beloved mother. It is only after that she goes to Mythos Academy and begins to learn just what people are capable of and just what amazing things have been there all along that she didn't even know about. Her mother and grandmother decided she she was going to be raised separate from that world, but situations have changed.

So, what did I think? Gwen is a kick-ass heroine. You have to give her some credit as she comes to terms with her new world, so she can still be a bit naive at times and do stupid things, but ultimately she is totally not a damsel in distress. That does not mean she doesn't need some help along the way. The people she is going to school with have been training for years and she hasn't even known about all of this for more than a few months. There is a bit of weirdness with the romance angle of the book, but I have seen much worse. Overall I was happy with the world that Jennifer Estep has created. It fits in well with the world we know about and that makes it believable. I enjoyed all of the characters and found watching everything from Gwen's perspective worked for the book. Recommended!

Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep (Mythos Academy Series, Book 2)

Completion Date: January 30, 2012
Reason for Reading: Carry on with the Series.

Logan Quinn was try­ing to kill me. My Spar­tan class­mate relent­lessly pur­sued me, swing­ing his sword at me over and over again, the shin­ing sil­ver blade inch­ing closer to my throat every time. A smile tugged up his lips, and his ice-blue eyes prac­ti­cally glowed with the thrill of battle...

I’m Gwen Frost, a second-year warrior-in-training at Mythos Acad­emy, and I have no idea how I’m going to sur­vive the rest of the semes­ter. One day, I’m get­ting schooled in sword­play by the guy who broke my heart—the drop-dead gor­geous Logan who slays me every time. Then, an invis­i­ble archer in the Library of Antiq­ui­ties decides to use me for tar­get prac­tice. And now, I find out that some­one at the acad­emy is really a Reaper bad guy who wants me dead. I’m afraid if I don’t learn how to live by the sword—with Logan’s help—I just might die by the sword...

Then we fast-forward to January of 2012. I was browsing the library e-book catalogue looking for something else and stumbled across Kiss of Frost. I decided that I was engaged enough in the overall story to read on with the series right now instead of waiting forever which is my norm. I also decided that this way I could review the two books I had read in the series at the same time and that works for me. I am always a bit worried about the second book in trilogies because they can tend to drag, but this one continues on with the action. I think it is because there is an overarching story to the series, but at the same time there are separate events that are necessary in order to reach a conclusion. This gives the author different things to focus on with each book. So, once again I enjoyed visiting with Gwen Frost and Mythos Academy.

As to the book itself, Gwen learns that she has more powers that she originally thought. She uses these powers for impressive pursuits and continues to be a readable character. I am still a bit annoyed with the screwed up romance, but at least we can begin to understand it a bit more with this book. This book also gives us more insight into Gwen, the Reapers (bad guys), and the evil God Loki and what he is up to. I believe there will be a lot going on in book 3, so I am looking forward to that. I also have been thinking this is probably a series and not a trilogy because there is way too much to work on. (And, it is. I checked.) What I do know is that I say too much more I will give away book 1 to those that haven't read it, so I will just be cryptic and say that this book, and the series, are recommended.

Mythos Academy Series
Touch of Frost
Kiss of Frost
Dark Frost (June, 2012)
Crimson Frost (January, 2013)

Affinity by Sarah Waters

Affinity by Sarah Waters

Completion Date: October 29, 2011
Reason for Reading: Favourite Author.

An upper-class woman, recovering from a suicide attempt, visits the women's ward of Millbank prison as part of her rehabilitation. There she meets Selina, an enigmatic spiritualist-and becomes drawn into a twilight world of ghosts and shadows, unruly spirits and unseemly passions, until she is at last driven to concoct a desperate plot to secure Selina's freedom, and her own.

"Unfolds sinuously and ominously...a powerful plot-twister. The book is multidimensional: a naturalistic look at Victorian society; a truly suspenseful tale of terror; and a piece of elegant, thinly veiled erotica." (USA Today)

"Gothic tale, psychological study, puzzle narrative-Sarah Waters' second novel is all of these wrapped into one, served up to superbly suspenseful and hypnotic effect." (The Seattle Times)

Today's post is left over from 2011. I read and reviewed Affinity with Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader. We are finally posting our thoughts on it. You will have to visit her post to see the first part of the review and then you can read the second part below.

Kelly: As long as it is done well, I really like diary-style books. They are never entirely believable because who remembers such exacting details from their day and writes in their diaries like that, but I think it was handled well. It showed enough of the story to see what was going on and that is the important thing. I also enjoyed that it was alternating between two people and their diaries. I think it wouldn’t have been the same story if the reader didn’t get to see both sides.

Marg: There are some diary books that are great to read, but there are others that aren’t! I was relieved to see that this was one of the good ones!

Kelly: What did you think of the relationships between the characters? Did you think they were believable?

Marg: I actually thought the relationships between the characters were really well drawn, especially the difficult relationship between Margaret and her now sister-in-law. If there was one character I did struggle with a little it would be Margaret’s mother, but I have no doubt that she was acting completely within the social and moral restrictions of the time.

Which relationships did you think were written well, or not as the case may be?

Kelly: Yes, the relationship between Margaret and her sister-in-law was very interesting. It was a nice addition to add a bit of sympathy to your view of Margaret. It must be even worse when you have a relationship with someone and not only does it not work out, but they marry your brother so you have to see them all the time. I don’t think you were meant to like Margaret’s mother. And, yes, she was probably very realistic for her time. Another relationship that was interesting was the one between Margaret and her father. He is dead at the time the book is set, but he is mentioned so much he really is another character in the book. I felt bad because it seemed that he encouraged Margaret to be a bit different and then he died before she actually got to live out her dreams. It left her with no real ally in the world. It was just interesting because of the time period and the expectations of the time. And it was another way that I felt badly for Margaret.

Obviously the big relationship in the book was the one between Margaret and Selina. What did you think of that relationship?

Marg: I found it interesting and appreciated the way that the relationship built up over time. I do think that Selina was extremely adept at manipulating the emotions of those around her, not only with Margaret, but also with so many other of the characters (mostly female) that we met through the course of the book. This manipulative ability combined with her evident charisma and somewhat dodgy moral character seems to lend itself to a fascinating character to read about.

Margaret would seem to be someone who would be an easy target for this kind of person though. She is already emotionally fragile, definitely aware of her apartness (for the want of a better word) from most other Victorian ladies of her social standing, and therefore the idea of acceptance from someone, from anyone, is one that she desperately clings to and in the short term at least is empowered by.

How did you read their relationship, both throughout the book and in the context of the end of the book?

****SPOILER ALERT****

Kelly: I have to admit that having read Sarah Waters twice before I was thinking there was something coming. I knew that things were not at all as they seemed, so I was very suspicious of the whole relationship. I just didn’t understand how their friendship would help Selina get out of jail. There were details that were not revealed to us until the end of the book. I was happy about that because then I was legitimately surprised. I love surprises in books. The Night Watch was a different sort of book, but Fingersmith had many surprises in store. I was able to figure out a couple of them, but there were still other twists and turns that caught me unaware. When an author can do that I know they are someone I am meant to be reading.

To get back to your actual question, Selina sort of creeped me out. As the book was told we were able to see her side of things. I always rather looked on people with her ‘abilities’ as con artists, but that is my personal opinion. As a result I read all of her sections with much scepticism. I didn’t entirely know the whole story, but I knew that things were likely a bit biased and things were being left out. I was still surprised by the connections in the story, but that is what I enjoy so much about books by this author.

What did you think?

Marg: I was absolutely sceptical about Serena and her talents all the way through, but as we were getting towards the end of the book I couldn’t quite see how she was doing the things she was doing. The solution made perfect sense though!

Overall,I am glad to have finally read my first Sarah Waters and I am looking forward to reading the next one which I think will probably be Night Watch given that I have owned that one for a couple of years.

Kelly: I hope you enjoy The Night Watch. It is a bit different from this one. I enjoyed reading this one together, though. I look forward to more Sarah Waters in the future and more buddy reads.

December in Review and Reads in 2011

Howdy folks! I hope you are enjoying the beginning of a New Year! I have been a bit busy lately, but I am hoping things will start to calm down soon.

December in Review

What I Learned

I just do not read come the end of the year. I suppose there is just too much else going on. December was just terrible only reading 2 books. I am really hoping 2012 goes better and I actually read a few things. My reading slowed down and my TBR pile didn't get any smaller. With the books that the cc bought me for Christmas and the books I bought with my gift cards, I had a huge overflow and had to break down and get another bookcase. When I read I put the books I want to keep in my mother's basement, but I just haven't been going through them fast enough to keep the bookcase manageable. My dream is to get it back onto one bookcase and then put my favourite books and series on the other bookcase.

New to Me Authors

Jennifer Estep (Touch of Frost)

Drew Magary (The Postmortal)

Series Talk

Mythos Academy Series - 1/2 

The Source

Personal - 1

E-Reader - 1

What I Read

238. Touch of Frost (Mythos Academy, Book 1) by Jennifer Estep
239. The Postmortal by Drew Magary

Books Added to the TBR Pile

I did really badly with keeping track this month... I didn't really do my Week in Review posts because I had nothing to talk about.

These are the books I read in 2011. I will do a bit of a stats post tomorrow if anyone is interested. I will also link to the reviews of my Best Reads of 2011. I did the post in a hurry and sort of forgot!

Reads in 2011

JANUARY
1. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Completed January 1, 2011)
2. A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Completed January 1, 2011)
3. The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Completed January 3, 2011)
4. Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster (Completed January 4, 2011)
5. The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger (Completed January 4, 2011)
6. Bone: Tall Tales by Jeff Smith & Tom Sniegoski (Completed January 4, 2011)
7. The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells (Completed January 5, 2011) - Sci-Fi Experience
8. Fables - Volume 14: Witches by Bill Willingham & company (Completed January 7, 2011)
9. Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror by Chris Priestley (Completed January 8, 2011)
10. Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman by Sam Wasson (Completed January 9, 2011)
11. The Fallen Kings Cycle Book 1: The Sworn by Gail Z. Martin (Completed January 10, 2011)
12. Muppet Robin Hood by Tim Beedle & Company (Completed January 11, 2011)
13. Masques by Patricia Briggs (Sianim Series, Book 1) (Completed January 12, 2011)
14. Wolfsbane by Patricia Briggs (Sianim Series, Book 2) (Completed January 14, 2011)
15. Dear Enemy by Jean Webster (Completed January 17, 2011)
16. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (Completed January 20, 2011)
17. Nightschool: The Weirn Books - Volume 1 by Svetlana Chmakova (Completed January 21, 2011)
18. Muppet Peter Pan by Grace Randolph & Company (Completed January 21, 2011)
19. Muppet King Arthur by Paul Benjamin, Patrick Storck, & Company (Completed January 21, 2011)
20. The Muppet Show Comic Book: The Treasure of Peg-Leg Wilson by Roger Landridge & Company (Completed January 21, 2011)
21. The Muppet Show Comic Book: Family Reunion by Roger Langridge (Completed January 22, 2011)
22. A Lesson In Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear (Maisie Dobbs Series, Book 8) (Competed January 23, 2011)
23. The Sherlockian by Graham Moore (Completed January 26, 2011)
24. Witness in Death by J.D. Robb (In Death Series, Book 10) (Completed January 28, 2011)
25. Plain Kate by Erin Bow (Completed January 29, 2011)
26. Chobits Volume 5 by Clamp (Completed January 29, 2011)

FEBRUARY
27. Judgment in Death by J.D. Robb (In Death Series, Book 11) (Completed January 31, 2011)
28. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami (Completed February 5, 2011)
29. Serenity: Those Left Behind by Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews, and Will Conrad (Completed February 9, 2011)
30. Serenity: Float Out by Patton Oswalt, Patric Reynolds, and Joss Whedon (Completed February 9, 2011)
31. The Muppet Show Comic Book: On the Road by Roger Landridge & Company (Completed February 9, 2011)
32. The Man in the Picture by Susan Hill (Completed February 10, 2011)
33. The Guild Issue 1 by Felicia Day & Jim Rugg (Completed February 10, 2011)
34. The Guild Issue 2 by Felicia Day & Jim Rugg (Completed February 10, 2011)
35. The Guild Issue 3 by Felicia Day & Jim Rugg (Completed February 10, 2011)
36. The Guild: Vork by Felicia Day, Jeff Lewis, & Company (Completed Feburary 10, 2011)
37. Muppet Snow White by Jesse Blaze Snider, Patrick Storck, & Company (Completed February 10, 2011)
38. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (Completed February 10, 2011)
39. A Fine and Terrible Place by Peter S. Beagle (Completed February 10, 2011)
40. Jack of Fables Volume 8: The Fulminate Blade by Bill Willingham & Company (Completed February 11, 2011)
41. Nightlight: A Parody by The Harvard Lampoon (Completed February 12, 2011)
42. Daughter of the Forest (Book One of The Sevenwaters Trilogy) by Juliet Marillier (Completed January 15, 2011)
43. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury (Completed January 15, 2011)
44. The Vampire Voss by Colleen Gleason (Regency Draculia, Book 1) (Completed January 19, 2011)
45. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Volume 2 by Bryan Lee O'Malley (Completed January 19, 2011)
46. Bone: Quest for the Spark by Jeff Smith and Tom Sniegoski (Book 1) (Completed February 23, 2011)
47. Chobits Volume 6 by Clamp (Completed February 23, 2011)
48. Spitfire Women of World War II by Giles Whittell (Completed February 26, 2011)
49. The Muppet Show Comic Book: Muppet Mash by Roger Landridge & Company (Completed February 28, 2011)

MARCH
50. Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan (Completed March 4, 2011)
51. Supernatural: Beginning's End - Volume 1 by Andrew Dabb, Daniel Loflin, & Company (Completed March 5, 2011)
52. Supernatural: Beginning's End - Volume 2 by Andrew Dabb, Daniel Loflin, & Company (Completed March 5, 2011)
53. Supernatural: Beginning's End - Volume 3 by Andrew Dabb, Daniel Loflin, & Company (Completed March 5, 2011)
54. Supernatural: Beginning's End - Volume 4 by Andrew Dabb, Daniel Loflin, & Company (Completed March 5, 2011)
55. Supernatural: Beginning's End - Volume 5 by Andrew Dabb, Daniel Loflin, & Company (Completed March 5, 2011)
56. Supernatural: Beginning's End - Voume 6 by Andrew Dabb, Daniel Loflin, & Company (Completed March 5, 2011)
57. Rock 'n' Roll Comics: The Runaways by Spike Steffenhagen, Jay Allen Sanford, & Company (Completed March 5, 2011)
58. Dr. Horrible and Other Horrible Stories by Zack Whedon & Company (Completed March 5, 2011)
59. Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (Completed March 6, 2011)
60. Sweet Tooth - Volume 1: Out of the Deep Woods by Jeff Lemire (Completed March 9, 2011)
61. Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch (Completed March 9, 2011)
62. My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger (Completed March 11, 2011)
63. Across the Universe (Across the Universe, Book 1) by Beth Revis (Completed March 11, 2011)
64. River Marked by Patricia Briggs (Mercedes Thompson Series, Book 6 (Completed March 12, 2011)
65. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan (Completed March 14, 2011)
66. Once Piece Volume 4 - The Black Cat Pirates by Eiichiro Oda (Completed March 15, 2011)
67. The Complete Strangers in Paradise Volume 1 by Terry Moore (Completed March 15, 2011)
68. True Blood Volume 1 by Alan Ball, David Tischman, Mariah Huehner, & David Messina (Completed March 20, 2011)
69. True Blood Volume 2 by Alan Ball, David Tischman, Mariah Huehner, & David Messina (Completed March 20, 2011)
70. True Blood Volume 3 by Alan Ball, David Tischman, Mariah Huehner, & David Messina (Completed March 20, 2011)
71. True Blood Volume 4 by Alan Ball, David Tischman, Mariah Huehner, & David Messina (Completed March 20, 2011)
72. True Blood Volume 5 by Alan Ball, David Tischman, Mariah Huehner, & David Messina (Completed March 20, 2011)
73. True Blood Volume 6 by Alan Ball, David Tischman, Mariah Huehner, & David Messina (Completed March 20, 2011)
74. Collected Essex County by Jeff Lemire (Completed March 21, 2011)
75. The Obsidian Dagger: Being the Further Extraordinary Adventures of Horatio Lyle by Catherine Webb (Book 2) (Completed March 23, 2011)
76. The Worlds of Chrestomanci: Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones (Book 1) (Completed March 28, 2011)
77. The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan (Completed March 29, 2011)
78. By the Time You Read This, I'll be Dead by Julie Anne Peters (Completed March 30, 2011)

APRIL
79. Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce (Completed April 3, 2011)
80. The Shadow Hunt by Katherine Langrish (Completed April 6, 2011)
81. Terribly Twisted Tales Edited by Jean Rabe & Martin H. Greenberg (Completed April 6, 2011)
82. Dreams Underfoot by Charles de Lint (Completed April 11, 2011)
83. L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Eric Shanower & Skottie Young (Completed April 12, 2011)
84. Fables Volume 15: Rose Red by Bill Willingham & Company (Completed April 15, 2011)
85. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (Completed April 16, 2011)
86. The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen (Completed April 21, 2011)
87. Far and Away: A Prize Every Time by Neil Peart (Completed April 23, 2011)
88. Ursula by Fabio Moon & Gabriel Ba (Completed April 23, 2011)
89. Chobits Volume 7 by Clamp (Completed April 23, 2011)
90. Serenity Volume 2: Better Days by Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews, & Will Conrad (Completed April 23, 2011)
91. Serenity Volume 3: The Shepherd's Tale by Joss Whedon, Zack Whedon, & Chris Samnee (Completed April 23, 2011)
92. Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones (Completed April 25, 2011)
93. Trickster - Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection edited by Matt Dembicki (Completed April 25, 2011)
94. Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel (Completed April 26, 2011)


MAY
95. Muse and Reverie by Charles de Lint (Completed May 2, 2011)
96. Nightschool: The Weirn Books Volume 2 by Svetlana Chmakova (Completed May 2, 2011)
97. Widdershins by Charles de Lint (Completed May 5, 2011)
98. Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett (Completed May 7, 2011)
99. Among Others by Jo Walton (Completed May 7, 2011)
100. Empire of Ruins: The Hunchback Assignments III by Arthur Slade (Completed May 8, 2011)
101. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (Paranormalcy, Book 1) (Completed May 9, 2011)
102. Dragon Seer by Janet McNaughton (Completed May 10, 2011)
103. The Dark and Hollow Places (Forest of Hands and Teeth Trilogy, Book 3) by Carrie Ryan (Completed May 11, 2011)
104. The Magician's Book: A Skeptic's Adventures in Narnia by Laura Miller (Completed May 12, 2011)
105. The Return of the Shadow: The History of the Lord of the Rings - Part 1 by J.R.R. Tolkien and Christoper Tolkien (Completed May 13, 2011)
106. The Beauty Chorus by Kate Lord Brown (Completed May 14, 2011)
107. The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley (Completed May 15, 2011)
108. Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale by Carolyn Turgeon (Completed May 18, 2011)
109. The Orphan's Tales: In the Cities of Coin and Spice by Catherynne M. Valente (Completed May 20, 2011)
110. Chaos Walking - Book Three: Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness (Completed May 23, 2011)
111. The New World by Patrick Ness (Chaos Walking Prequel) by Patrick Ness (Completed May 23, 2011)
112. Hare Moon by Carrie Ryan (Completed May 24, 2011)
113. Winter's Passage by Julie Kagawa (Completed May 24, 2011)
114. Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George (Completed May 25, 2011)
115. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (Completed May 25, 2011)
116. Dead Time by Christy Ann Conlin (Completed May 26, 2011)
117. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms: Book One of the Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin (Completed May 26, 2011)
118. Shelter by Jen Sookfong Lee (Completed May 26, 2011)
119. Promises to Keep by Charles de Lint (Completed May 27, 2011)
120. First Flight by Mary Robinette Kowal (Completed May 30, 2011)
121. Eros, Philia, Agape by Rachel Swirsky (Completed May 30, 2011)
122. Overtime by Charles Stross (Completed May 31, 2011)
123. A Memory of Wind by Rachel Swirsky (Completed May 31, 2011)

JUNE
124. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (Completed June 3, 2011)
125. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi (Completed June 4, 2011)
126. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente (Completed June 7, 2011)
127. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants: Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares (Completed June 8, 2011)
128. Fool's Fate by Robin Hobb (The Tawny Man Trilogy, Book 3) (Completed June 19, 2011)
129. The Very Best of Charles de Lint (Completed June 19, 2011)
130. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (Completed June 23, 2011)
131. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (Completed June 28, 2011)


JULY
132. Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer Trilogy, Book 1) by Robin Hobb (Completed July 3, 2011)
133. Cut by Robin Hobb (Completed July 3, 2011)
134. A Touch of Lavender by Robin Hobb (Completed July 3, 2011)
135. Kissing the Witch by Emma Donoghue (Completed July 8, 2011)
136. Game of Thrones (Book 1 of A Song of Ice and Fire Series) by George R.R. Martin (Completed July 8, 2011)
137. Outlander (Outlander Series, Book 1) by Diana Gabaldon (Completed July 10, 2011)
138. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson (Completed July 10, 2011)
139. Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters by Mark Dunn (Completed July 10, 2011)
140. Blood Red Road by Moira Young (Completed July 11, 2011)
141. Dead Rules by Randy Russell (Completed July 12, 2011)
142. The Professor's Daughter by Joann Sfar & Emmanuel Guilbert (Completed July 14, 2011)
143. Enchanted Night by Steven Millhauser (Completed July 15, 2011)
144. Jack of Fables - Volume 9: The End by Bill Willingham and Company (Completed July 17, 2011)
145. Other by Karen Kincy (Completed July 18, 2011)
146. The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb by Melanie Benjamin (Completed July 19, 2011)
147. Steal the Dragon by Patricia Briggs (Sianim Series, Book 3) (Completed July 19, 2011)
148. Chime by Franny Billingsley (Completed July 20, 2011)
149. Love Times Three: Our True Story of a Polygamous Marriage by Joe, Alina, Vicki, and Valerie Darger (Completed July 21, 2011)
150. Lost in Shangri-La: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II by Mitchell Zuckoff (Completed July 24, 2011)
151. Fables - Volume 1: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham & Company (Completed July 25, 2011)
152. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson (Completed July 25, 2011)
153. Spell Bound (Women of the Otherworld Series, Book 12) by Kelley Armstrong (Completed July 25, 2011)
154. Correspondence: An Adventure in Letters by N. John Hall (Completed July 28, 2011)
155. The Infinity Gate (DarkGlass Mountain Trilogy, Book 3) by Sara Douglass (Completed July 28, 2011)
156. The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman (Completed July 30, 2011)
157. There is No Dog by Meg Rosoff (Completed July 30, 2011)

AUGUST
158. The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Completed August 1, 2011)
159. The Legacy by Katherine Webb (Completed August 3, 2011)
160. The Awakening by Kate Chopin (Completed August 3, 2011)
161. Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol (Completed August 4, 2011)
162. The Things We Cherished by Pam Jenoff (Completed August 4, 2011)
163. A Secret Splendor by Sandra Brown (Completed August 5, 2011)
164. The Iron Thorn (Iron Codex, Book 1) by Caitlin Kittredge (Completed August 6, 2011)
165. Sweet Tooth - Volume 2: In Captivity by Jeff Lemire (Completed August 6, 2011)
166. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (Completed August 6, 2011)
167. Resistence: A Woman's Journal of Struggle and Defiance in Occupied France by Agnes Humbert (Completed August 9, 2011)
168. The Well of Lost Plots (Thursday Next Series, Book 3) by Jasper Fforde (Completed August 9, 2011)
169. Next to Love by Ellen Feldman (Completed August 11, 2011)
170. Magic Lost, Trouble Found by Lisa Searin (Raine Benares, Book 1) (Completed August 15, 2011)
171. Under the Eagle by Simon Scarrow (Cato Series, Book 1) (Completed August 16, 2011)
172. Domestic Violets by Matthew Norman (Completed August 16, 2011)
173. Changeless: An Alexia Tarabotti Novel (Book 2) by Gail Carriger (Completed August 17, 2011)
174. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (Completed August 18, 2011)
175. Nightschool: The Weirn Books - Volume 3 by Svetlana Chmakova (Completed August 19, 2011)
176. Avalon High: Coronation - Volume 3: Hunter's Moon by Meg Cabot (Completed August 19, 2011)
177. The King's Daughters (King Amir Series, Book 2) by Nathalie Mallet (Completed August 20, 2011)
178. Reasons to be Happy by Katrina Kittle (Completed August 21, 2011)
179. Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon Van Booy (Completed August 22, 2011)
180. A Gathering of Faerie - Book Two: Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater (Completed August 22, 2011)
181. The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson (Little Blue Envelopes, Book 2) (Completed August 22, 2011)
182. She Loves You, She Loves You Not by Julie Anne Peters (Completed August 25, 2011)
183. Sweet Tooth - Volume 3: Animal Armies by Jeff Lemire (Completed August 26, 2011)
184. The Unwritten - Volume 1: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity by Mike Carey, Peter Gross, and Company (Completed August 26, 2011)
185. The Unwritten - Volume 2: Inside Man by Mike Carey, Peter Gross, and Company (Completed August 26, 2011)
186. The Unwritten - Volume 3: Dead Man's Knock by Mike Carey, Peter Gross, and Company (Completed August 26, 2011)
187. Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal (Completed August 26, 2011)
188. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles (Completed August 27, 2011)
189. Daphne by Justine Picardie (Completed August 29, 2011)
190. Becoming Marie Antoinette (Marie Antoinette Trilogy, Book 1) by Juliet Grey (Completed August 30, 2011)


SEPTEMBER
191. The Way of Kings: The Stormlight Archive - Book 1 by Brandon Sanderson (Completed September 1, 2011)
192. Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness by Alexandra Fuller (Completed September 3, 2011)
193. The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay (Completed September 3, 2011)
194. Luka and the Fire of Life by Salman Rushdie (Completed September 5, 2011)
195. Son of the Shadows (Sevenwaters Series, Book 2) by Juliet Marillier (Completed September 5, 2011)
196. Annabel by Kathleen Winter (Completed September 8, 2011)
197. Bone - Volume 1: Out From Boneville by Jeff Smith (Completed September 8, 2011)
198. Bone - Volume 2: The Great Cow Race by Jeff Smith (Completed September 9, 2011)
199. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (Completed September 10, 2011)
200. When She Woke by Hillary Jordan (Completed September 14, 2011)
201. Breathers by S.G. Browne (Completed September 15, 2011)
202. Radiant Shadows: A Wicked Lovely Book (Book 4) by Melissa Marr (Completed September 15, 2011)
203. The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis (Completed September 16, 2011)
204. The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff (Completed September 17, 2011)
205. A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz (Completed September 18, 2011)
206. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (Completed September 21, 2011)
207. The Lord of the Rings: Volume 1 by J.R.R. Tolkien (Completed September 22, 2011)
208. The Poison Eaters: And Other Stories by Holly Black (Completed September 22, 2011)
209. Prince of Thrones: Book One of The Broken Empire by Mark Lawrence (Completed September 23, 2011)
210. Fly by Night by Frances Hardinge (Completed September 25, 2011)
211. The Dresden Files - Volume 1: Storm Front by Jim Butcher (Completed September 29, 2011)
212. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (Completed September 29, 2011)

OCTOBER
213. Down the Mysterly River by Bill Willingham (Completed October 2, 2011)
214. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (Completed October 6, 2011)
215. The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie: A Doll's History and her Impact on Us by Tanya Lee Stone (Completed October 7, 2011)
216. Death Bringer (Skulduggery Pleasant Series, Book 6) by Derek Landy (Completed October 7, 2011)
217. Jane Austen Made Me Do It: Original Stories Inspired by Literature's Most Astute Observer of the Human Heart by Laurel Ann Nattress (Completed October 8, 2011)
218. The Call of Cthulhu by H.P. Lovecraft (Completed October 8, 2011)
219. Die for Me (Revenants Series, Book 1) by Amy Plum (Completed October 11, 2011)
220. Bossypants by Tina Fey (Completed October 11, 2011)
221. Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan (Completed October 11, 2011)
222. Dracula by Bram Stoker (Completed October 18, 2011)
223. A Spell of Winter by Helen Dunmore (Completed October 20, 2011)
224. Smut by Alan Bennett (Completed October 21, 2011)
225. Dearly, Departed by Lisa Habel (Completed October 21, 2011)
226. The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells (Completed October 21, 2011)
227. Grammar Girl's: 101 Misused Words You'll Never Confuse Again by Mignon Forgarty (Completed October 22, 2011)
228. The Lord of the Rings - Book 2: The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien (Completed October 28, 2011)
229. The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson
230. Discord's Apple by Carrie Vaughn (Completed October 28, 2011)
231. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton (Completed October 29, 2011)
232. Affinity by Sarah Waters (Completed October 29, 2011)
233. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (Completed October 29, 2011)

NOVEMBER
234. Fables: Volume 2 - Animal Farm by Bill Willingham & Company (Completed November 3, 2011)
235. Alice, I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin (Completed November 7, 2011)
236. The Secret Circle: Book 1 - The Initiation by L.J. Smith (Completed November 11, 2011)
237. The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde (Completed November 28, 2011)

DECEMBER
238. Touch of Frost (Mythos Academy, Book 1) by Jennifer Estep
239. The Postmortal by Drew Magary

The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde

The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde (The Last Dragonslayer, Book 1)

Completion Date: November 28, 2011

Reason for Reading: Fun!

In the good old days, magic was powerful, unregulated by government, and even the largest spell could be woven without filling in the magic release form B1-7g. But somewhere, somehow, the magic started draining away.

Jennifer Strange runs Kazam!, an employment agency for state-registered magicians, soothsayers and sorceresses. But work is drying up. Drain cleaner is cheaper and quicker than a spell. Why trust a cold and drafty magic carpet when jetliners offer a comfy seat and an in-flight movie? And now potions are eligible for VAT...

But then the visions start. The Last Dragon is going to be killed by a Dragonslayer at 12.00 on Sunday. The death will unleash untold devastation on the UnUnited Kingdom, setting principality against dukedom and property developer against homesteader. And all the signs are pointing to Jennifer Strange, and saying"Big Magic is coming!"

The Last Dragonslayer is fizzing with all the creativity and genius Jasper Fforde's fans delight in, and will appeal as much to the young at heart as to the younger readers for whom it is written.

I found this book entirely by accident. I probably shouldn't have started it because I am still making my way through Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series, but it sounded entertaining and it was one of the few books I managed to finish in November. That has to be saying something! Jasper Fforde has a very entertaining writing style. You could still hear the voice of the Thursday Next books, but with a younger writing style and different inspiration. The Thursday Next series is very literary in nature, but this series is about magic and dragons. The main character is Jennifer Strange, an orphan who has been given the task of running Kazam!. Kazam! is an employment agency for the magical people still present in the world. This means that Jennifer has lots of strange interactions with some very interesting people.

November was a VERY slow reading month, so this book actually took me a while to get through. It was a bit depressing because I was enjoying it and it was actually pretty short, but I just never seemed to have the inspiration to sit down and read. I was very happy when I finally finished it. Fforde is just so entertaining. There are a lot of humourous moments in the book that will make you laugh aloud at times. One thing I have to say right now is that I am so impressed with Jasper Fforde and his commitment to writing strong female characters. This is the second of his series I have tried and just like Thursday in the other series we see a strong female character. I really appreciate a male author doing that. There are not enough strong female characters in literature.

I am very happy that I broke away from all reading plans and gave this book a try. I love books about dragons and do not read nearly enough. I think Fforde had an original idea with this dragon story and I look forward to seeing how it progresses with the rest of the series. I think, though, that the book ended fine and doesn't even really need a sequel. The few loose ends are nothing major, but everything is a series nowadays. Don't get me wrong, I do want to read the sequel; but I am not sure how long that will actually take me.

If you are looking for young adult fiction with dragons, magic, humour, and a strong female lead than this is the book for you. There were no love triangles either. It was refreshing! Recommended!

The Last Dragonslayer:

The Last Dragonslayer

The Song of the Quarkbeast

November in Review

What I Learned

That for whatever reason November is a bad reading month for me. This is not the first time my reading has tanked in November. I am not even entirely sure what it is. I always just assume it is because I read a fair amount during the summer and get bored with it for November. It's just sad because I am very much behind on many things and not reading much at all this month didn't help. There are so many books that I wanted to get around to reading that remain on my TBR pile. I did start some of them, but then I didn't finish them. I hate not reading. Reading is my stress relief and when I don't read I start feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes I think I almost get too stressed from not reading to actually read. This thought made me pretty much avoid books this week on purpose. I am going to start of December relaxed about the whole thing.

This post will be very short, though, because there is not much to talk about.

New to Me Authors

L.J. Smith (The Secret Circle: Book 1 - The Initiation)

Series Talk

The Secret Circle - 1/3

The Last Dragonslayer - 1/2

The Source

Library: 0

Borrowed From Friend: 1

e-Reader: 2

Personal: 1

What I Read

234. Fables: Volume 2 - Animal Farm by Bill Willingham & Company (Completed November 3, 2011)
235. Alice, I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin (Completed November 7, 2011)
236. The Secret Circle: Book 1 - The Initiation by L.J. Smith (Completed November 11, 2011)
237. The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde (Completed November 28, 2011)

Books Added to the TBR Pile

The Informationist by Taylor Stevens
The Infinity Puzzle by Frank Close
Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

Thoughts for December

I would like to read.

The Infinity Gate (DarkGlass Mountain Trilogy, Book 3) by Sara Douglass

The Infinity Gate (DarkGlass Mountain Trilogy, Book 3) by Sara Douglass

Completion Date: July 28, 2011

Reason for Reading: Complete the trilogy.

Tencendor is no more. The land is gone. But a few SunSoars still remain, and a new foe walks the world.

Ishbel Brunelle, priestess of the Serpent Coil, and Maximilian, the Lord of Elcho Falling, have raised the magic of Elcho Falling, and found new allies against the darkness in the mysterious Lealfast. And more crucially still, Axis SunSoar, former god and current hero, has rediscovered the magical Star Dance and revived his legendary Strike Force to push back the evil hordes commanded by the DarkGlass Mountain.

But their enemy grows stronger through blood and betrayal, the Lealfast have their own agenda, and when unexpected treachery threatens, Axis SunSoar must face a darkness greater than any he has ever known.

Dear Ms. Douglass,

I have had this book languishing on my shelves for a while and then it seems to have taken me forever to review it. I still find it hard to believe that such a talented author is no longer with us. I simply have to remember that I came to your books late and have your entire backlist left to explore. The fact that I read you at all is because of the joys of review copies. I had heard of your books before, but just never got around to picking any of them up. There are too many books in this world and not enough time... Then the first book in this trilogy came out and I knew it was time to finally give your books a chance. I am so happy that I did because I have loved this trilogy and was sad to see it come to an end. It wasn't even a problem that technically this is a trilogy connected to one of your earlier trilogies. You wrote in such a way that I never felt like I was missing anything, but I still look forward to back-tracking and filling in the details.

The Infinity Gate was a bitter-sweet reading experience. When I really enjoy a trilogy I am always sad to get to the end and admit that it is over. I was so excited about the last book, but then when it arrived I kept putting it off until just the right moment. I finally sat down with it over the summer and once again was gripped by the fantastic writing and interesting story. The thing is that I am really struggling to write this review. It is always so hard to review sequels because I hate revealing to much of the story. Anything I say I will either ruin this book or the two books that come before it. I know that people read reviews at their own risk, but sometimes you can't help glancing at it while you scroll down to the bottom to see the overall opinion.

So what can I say? If someone is looking for a fantasy with a strong female cast, this is a good choice. Ishbel in particular is no damsel in distress. But on the other hand there are strong male characters that could lead to literary crushes like Axis, a carry-over from your earlier series, and Maximilian. There is a lot of action, though, which doesn't appeal to everyone. If you like action, though, another good trilogy to check out. And, even if you don't like the action so much in your books, there is a lot of other things going on. There is a story that develops in amongst everything else. There is also some romance for romance fans. The main romance is between Ishbel and Maximilian, but other characters have their moments. There is also magic, which is always fun. The battle between good and evil, which is common in fantasy novels. A very interesting world with different races and species created that are believable. There is also religion. Frankly, you have written a trilogy that has many different things that would appeal to many different readers. And, all three books were great. I love it when an author can write a second book in a trilogy that doesn't bore the heck out of me.

It really is sad that you will have no more books, but I believe you went out on the top of your game and I hope that many more generations of fantasy fans get the chance to read your wonderful books. You were also gifted with fantastic covers that will look gorgeous on any shelf. Thanks for delighting readers and leaving many books behind to be enjoyed. I know that you will never be forgotten.

Sincerely,

A Dedicated Fan

Thanks to Harper Collins Canada for sending me a copy of this book! This book counts for the Aussie Author Challenge.

Love Times Three: Our True Story of a Polygamous Marriage by Joe, Alina, Vicki, and Valerie Darger

Love Times Three: Our True Story of a Polygamous Marriage by Joe, Alina, Vicki, and Valerie Darger

Completion Date: July 21, 2011

Reason for Reading: Review Copy from Harper Collins Canada.

From a family that inspired 'Big Love's' story of Bill Henrickson and his three wives, this first-ever memoir of a polygamous family captures the extraordinary workings of a unique family dynamic, and argues for the acceptance of plural marriage as an alternative lifestyle.

I think part of the reason I am struggling with reading near the end of the year this year is because I have been having a hard time all year figuring out what I wanted to be reading. A couple times this year I have emailed my very nice contact at Harper Collins and asked her to surprise me with 'different' books. This book met that criteria very nicely. I have to admit that I am a bit intrigued by this 'alternative lifestyle', but I was never really actively pursuing the subject matter. I have seen an episode here and there of Sister Wives, but that is about it. I had never even heard of this family before, but I was impressed they were brave enough to write about their life for the masses. I was curious about just what it was like to live in a Polygamous marriage. I am the sort of person that is very sceptical of the institution of marriage in the first place, so why not explore different ideas.

The reason I am finally reviewing this book all these many months later is because I am watching Big Love. I was curious and I figured why not see what the show is all about. We don't have the channel it aired on, but I had heard of it before over the years. I wanted to see their viewpoint on the subject. I am about halfway through the first season and it is an interesting show. I was just explaining to the guy I was watching it and he asked what it was about. The best way to describe it is to say that on the one hand it shows how 'normal' the family is living in the mainstream world. They deal with the same problems as everyone else. On the other hand, it shows just how crazy the cult-like lifestyle is for those that live on the compounds. The 'Prophet' in this show is married to a girl who is only 14 or 15. It's horrifying.

Anyway, that is what this book is about, too. Yes, these people are in a Polygamous marriage, but in the day-to-day they deal with the same sort of things that we do. It puts a face on something we generally only hear about on the news for horrifying reasons. That is what the show Sister Wives does, too. I have to admit that I have learned a lot. I think before these families started stepping into the limelight I thought they were all crazy. I still don't think I personally could live their lifestyle, but considering the disastrous results of marriage in this world who are we to say what is right or wrong?

I have my problems. I don't like how sexist it is. God apparently says it is all right for men to take on many wives, but not for women to take on many husbands. I refuse to believe in a god that is that limiting. I also have a problem with a god that says that marriage should be between a man and a wife or a man and many wives, but doesn't consider marriage between two men or two women moral. See, this is why I didn't want to review this book. I am too opinionated and I try to live that stuff off my blog, but I wouldn't be truthful if I left it out entirely.

Moving on. The book is about the Darger family. It is told from each of their viewpoints. It talks about their childhoods, their adulthood, and now their marriage. It is VERY personal. They really don't seem to hide anything. They are really so normal, though. They are in the marriage because they want to be, their children are not being married off at a young age, and they can leave if they ever decide that they don't want to live this way any more. They have to hide, though. This book has brought them full attention and could be very damaging, but they were brave enough to do it. I applaud them for that. It is just such an awkward situation. I don't know if it could ever be made legal because what they do in those compounds is NOT moral. I don't care what your religion tells you. That is not to say that ALL of them are bad, but there are obviously some problems. These children being married to these old men horrifies me. They are way too young to have any say in the matter.

It is very hard to think objectively. I am basically of two minds about this. I also believe that this is a very debatable subject. I want to make sure that everyone knows this is MY opinion and has hardly been about the book at all... I think the book is important, though. It made me think and while I am not going to rush out and live the lifestyle myself, I can appreciate that this works for the people in it. I also find it rather intriguing that Polygamy has existed forever and this is the first family that was brave enough to write a memoir about it. You shouldn't have to hide who you are.

Yep, so this was a jumbled mess of a review. I recommend the book. If you are curious, you should read it for yourself and make up your own mind.

Thanks to Harper Collins Canada for this interesting read!

Thursday's Tales - Week 3

Fables and Jack of Fables - A Catch-up Post

Jack of Fables - Volume 9: The End by Bill Willingham and Company

Completion Date: July 17, 2011

Reason for Reading: Carry on with the Series.

Jack Frost seeks to kill a dragon, unaware that it’s his own father. Jack Frost has just set upon the greatest quest in a long and distinguished career of great quests: To kill a dragon. Of course, he is not aware that the dragon in question is in fact his own father. Meanwhile, the Page Sisters find a new purpose in life: restoring the Great Library. This volume includes JACK OF FABLES #50, a special issue that includes appearances by everyone who’s ever shown up in the series.

When I first started reading this series, I would have been hard-pressed to pick a favourite between it and Fables, but then it went off in a direction that didn't really work for me. I enjoy the idea of Jack of Fables, but Fables will always be my first love. I am still sad that this is the end of the series, though. This will probably be filled with spoilers with it being the last book in the series, so if you don't want anything ruined you probably should skip down to the next review. In the earlier Jack of Fables, that was Jack of Beanstalk, Giant, etc fame. Now it has passed on to his son Jack Frost. I like Jack Frost, but his father was much more entertaining. He has been turned into a dragon and only makes periodic appearances now. In this edition, though, they have brought everyone back together again for a very interesting end to the series. The art was wonderful as always and I have overall enjoyed reading this series. If you want to know the details, you should read it yourself. It is no fun if I ruin it for you!

Series:
The (Nearly) Great Escape
Jack of Hearts
The Bad Prince
Americana
Turning Pages
The Big Book of War
The New Adventures of Jack and Jack
The Fulminate Blade (review)

The End

Fables - Volume 1: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham & Company (reread)

Completion Date: July 25, 2011

Reason for Reading: I never reviewed some of the books in the series.

When a savage creature known only as the Adversary conquered the fabled lands of legends and fairy tales, all of the infamous inhabitants of folklore were forced into exile. Disguised among the normal citizens of modern-day New York, these magical characters have created their own peaceful and secret society within an exclusive luxury apartment building called Fabletown. But when Snow White's party-girl sister, Rose Red, is apparently murdered, it is up to Fabletown's sheriff, a reformed and pardoned Big Bad Wolf (Bigby Wolf), to determine if the killer is Bluebeard, Rose's ex-lover and notorious wife killer, or Jack, her current live-in boyfriend and former beanstalk-climber.

In 2009 I bought this book and its direct sequel with Christmas gift cards. I have been hearing about the series off and on for years, but I don't generally buy graphic novels. Let's just say that by the end of 2009 I was pretty much caught-up with the series and I do not like to think about the money that took. It was fun going back and seeing the start of the series. I had been regretting that I only reviewed some of the books in the series, so I figured with a reread I could at least have something written down for all of them. A lot of people have been comparing this comic to the television show Once Upon a Time. There are similarities, but I think there are enough differences that it is not really the same at all. I have to admit that I would have loved to see a television show of Fables, but I am also enjoying that instead there is something fresh to enjoy. In 2009 when I reviewed this book for the first time I had this to say:

It was great! This is an awesome idea for a series. I am so excited to read more from it. I can safely say that something from Fables will be on my Best of... list for 2009!

Two years later I still consider this one of my favourite series and I am looking forward to reread the rest of the books.

Fables: Volume 2 - Animal Farm by Bill Willingham & Company (reread)

Completion Date: November 3, 2011

Reason for Reading: Carry on with the rereads.

Collecting FABLES #6-10, the second story arc of the fan-favorite, critically acclaimed VERTIGO series. Travel to upstate New York, where the non-human Fable characters have found refuge on a farm, miles from mankind. But all is not well on the farm — and a conspiracy to free them from the shackles of their perceived imprisonment may lead to a war that could wrest control of the Fables community away from Snow White. Starring Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Plus, a sketchbook section featuring art by Willingham, Buckingham and Jean.

I consider to enjoy this series and the rereads. It was nice to be reminded of little details that I had forgotten since reading this book for the first time in 2009. With the series there are lots of fairy tale and bookish connections. There are many that I am sure have gone right over my head, but in this instance I had actually read Animal Farm by George Orwell and could compare the two easily. It was surprising how easy it was to do, too, because there really is a farm of animals from popular fairy tales that were unable to live in Fabletown. They are unhappy with the way things are, though, and begin acting out a scene very similar to the popular novel. After I finished this book in 2009 I was in a huge hurry to move in the series. It just keeps getting better and better. The art is once again wonderful and well-worth checking out.

Series:

Legends in Exile (review)
Animal Farm (review)
Storybook Love (review)
March of the Wooden Soldiers (review)
The Mean Seasons (review)
Homelands (review)
Arabian Nights (and Days) (review)
Wolves (review)
Sons of Empire (review)
The Good Prince
War and Pieces
The Dark Ages
The Great Fables Crossover
Witches (review)
Rose Red (review)
Super Group (Forth-coming)

Alice, I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin

Alice, I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin

Completion Date: November 7, 2011
Reason for Reading: Fun!

Few works of literature are as universally beloved as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Now, in this spellbinding historical novel, we meet the young girl whose bright spirit sent her on an unforgettable trip down the rabbit hole–and the grown woman whose story is no less enthralling.


But oh my dear, I am tired of being Alice in Wonderland. Does it sound ungrateful?

Alice Liddell Hargreaves’s life has been a richly woven tapestry: As a young woman, wife, mother, and widow, she’s experienced intense passion, great privilege, and greater tragedy. But as she nears her eighty-first birthday, she knows that, to the world around her, she is and will always be only “Alice.” Her life was permanently dog-eared at one fateful moment in her tenth year–the golden summer day she urged a grown-up friend to write down one of his fanciful stories.

That story, a wild tale of rabbits, queens, and a precocious young child, becomes a sensation the world over. Its author, a shy, stuttering Oxford professor, does more than immortalize Alice–he changes her life forever. But even he cannot stop time, as much as he might like to. And as Alice’s childhood slips away, a peacetime of glittering balls and royal romances gives way to the urgent tide of war.

For Alice, the stakes could not be higher, for she is the mother of three grown sons, soldiers all. Yet even as she stands to lose everything she treasures, one part of her will always be the determined, undaunted Alice of the story, who discovered that life beyond the rabbit hole was an astonishing journey.

A love story and a literary mystery, Alice I Have Been brilliantly blends fact and fiction to capture the passionate spirit of a woman who was truly worthy of her fictional alter ego, in a world as captivating as the Wonderland only she could inspire.

Earlier this year I read The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb and considered it one of my favourite reads of the year. I knew I was going to have to finally read her earlier book after having it out from the library a couple times since it was released. The truth of the matter is, I am not a big fan of Alice in Wonderland. I am not sure what it is, but I have just never enjoyed that book. I have always been more interested in Lewis Carroll as a person and the life of Alice Liddell. This book was written to explore the relationship between the two and the events that lead to the hugely successful book and its sequel. She obviously takes some liberties with the story, but it all works out well in the end.

The only thing that turned me off about this book was how pronounced the child molestation was in the book. It has always seemed so strange to me that young children were allowed to spend so much time with a grown man that wasn't even related to them. Obviously the truth of the matter is not known, but there are lots of theories about what might have happened. The scene where Alice and Mr. Dodgson stop talking in the book is imagined based on plausible ideas. It is imagined, though. Their really was a strong friendship between the Liddell girls and Dodgson, though. There are many pictures from those times and it is obvious that Alice had some favoured status based on her having a book about her and the nature about some of the pictures.

One of the ideas in this book I really appreciated was how when Alice was a little girl she wanted the story to be written down so she was always immortalized as the young girl of the tale. When she gets older, though, she starts feeling the pressure of being forever young. She gains a lot of attention later in life when she sells the original manuscript, but instead of the young girl that everyone has read about for years they are faced with an old woman just trying to survive during difficult financial times. Alice had a hard life in many respects. It is entirely possible that there is some truth to the tales of her relationship with her mother following the revelations of her relationship with Dodgson. If that is the case it must have been hard. Then, she falls in love and is denied that love because of her rocky past. This love will haunt her for the rest of her life until she comes to terms with the fact she did in fact love the man she ended up marrying. She also loses two of her sons during the war leaving only one surviving. That is never an easy hardship to endure and ultimately leads to her husbands decline and eventual death.

The book also captures the times well. The dresses, the parties, the outings, the method of speaking. It is all captured for the audiences enjoyment in Benjamin's wonderful book. Even if this was not a book based on notable characters, it would still be enjoyable because it is so well written. Alice lead a life both real and imagined that captures the hearts of anyone. I appreciate the importance of the ground-breaking novels even if I could never get myself to love them like others have. Benjamin has once again written a book I mostly enjoyed. She is a very talented author and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.

Recommended for those interested in Alice and Lewis Carroll, for those that enjoy books with a literary connection, or just for people that enjoy an interesting story written well and set in late 19th and early 20th century England.

Resistance: A Woman's Journal of Struggle and Defiance in Occupied France by Agnes Humbert

Resistance: A Woman's Journal of Struggle and Defiance in Occupied France by Agnes Humbert

Completion Date: August 9, 2011

Reason for Reading: Sassymonkey recommended it.

A real-life Suite Française, this riveting diary by a key female member of the French Resistance in WWII is translated into English for the first time.

Agnès Humbert was an art historian in Paris during the German occupation in 1940. Though she might well have weathered the oppressive regime, Humbert was stirred to action by the atrocities she witnessed. In an act of astonishing bravery, she joined forces with several colleagues to form an organized resistance—very likely the first such group to fight back against the occupation. (In fact, their newsletter, Résistance, gave the French Resistance its name.)

In the throes of their struggle for freedom, the members of Humbert’s group were betrayed to the Gestapo; Humbert herself was imprisoned. In immediate, electrifying detail, Humbert describes her time in prison, her deportation to Germany, where for more than two years she endured a string of brutal labor camps, and the horror of discovering that seven of her friends were executed by a firing squad. But through the direst of conditions, and ill health in the labor camps, Humbert retains hope for herself, for her friends, and for humanity.

Originally published in France in 1946, the book was soon forgotten and is now translated into English for the first time. Résistance is more than a firsthand account of wartime France: it is the work of a brave, witty, and forceful woman, a true believer who refused to go quietly.

I have read a lot of World War 1 and 2 books over the years, but this book seemed to slip through the cracks. When Sassymonkey reads something she thinks would interest me, though, I always get an email because she knows I like the two time periods. When I received the email about this book I immediately went to check the library website. I was thrilled to see they had it and when I brought it back I suggested it to one of the librarians that always asks if I have read anything interesting lately. I really hope she read it. I really hope that many people read this book. I am going to tell you right now that I felt so small reading about the heroic life that this woman lived during a difficult time in earth's history. I would love to think that faced with the same I could be like her.

I have to say that as I write this review I am in my warm living room, on my brand new computer, listening to 'The Sound of Silence' by Simon & Garfunkel, wearing my comfy clothes, waiting for supper to be finished, and for the cc to get home from work so we can eat it. I am living in the lapse of luxury compared to what Agnes Humbert went through. She lived in occupied France and was a member of the Resistance. She was caught, though, and found herself living in what can only be termed as hell. In the beginning she was able to keep a diary of the horrors of living in jail, but in the later part of her book it is told through memories and the few thoughts she was able to sprawl in a book she was allowed to read. It just amazes me that this book was forgotten... I am not sure how you can forget something like this. I read it back and August and I can still recall in vivid detail the terrible things that happened to her.

I have to say the physical trauma that Agnes suffered would have broke most people. She was beaten, half-starved, and the temporary blindness she suffered as a result of the rayon plant was all described in horrific detail. Many of her fellow resistance members were also executed. I have to admit that on the one hand it is terrible to die; but on the other hand when she was sentenced to hard labour it was definitely hard. There was little to no mercy. The few moments of kindness will actually amaze you in the bleak landscape she experienced. The other thing is that Agnes did not give in. She was never broken. She was a member of the Resistance and she was determined to resist anyway she could during her imprisonment.

I know that I will never be able to do credit to this book. It was absolutely amazing and if you have any interest at all in this time period you should rush out and get a copy of this book. It is the first hand count of World War II, but it is also from the viewpoint of a woman that resisted the German occupation of France anyway that she could. She was a hero and we should all salute people that can be this brave under such horrific circumstances.

Strongly recommended!

The Lantern Read-a-Long - Part 3

The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson

A modern gothic novel of love, secrets, and murder—set against the lush backdrop of Provence

Meeting Dom was the most incredible thing that had ever happened to me. When Eve falls for the secretive, charming Dom in Switzerland, their whirlwind relationship leads them to Les GenÉvriers, an abandoned house set among the fragrant lavender fields of the South of France. Each enchanting day delivers happy discoveries: hidden chambers, secret vaults, a beautiful wrought-iron lantern. Deeply in love and surrounded by music, books, and the heady summer scents of the French countryside, Eve has never felt more alive.

But with autumn’s arrival the days begin to cool, and so, too, does Dom. Though Eve knows he bears the emotional scars of a failed marriage—one he refuses to talk about—his silence arouses suspicion and uncertainty. The more reticent Dom is to explain, the more Eve becomes obsessed with finding answers—and with unraveling the mystery of his absent, beautiful ex-wife, Rachel.

Like its owner, Les GenÉvriers is also changing. Bright, warm rooms have turned cold and uninviting; shadows now fall unexpectedly; and Eve senses a presence moving through the garden. Is it a ghost from the past or a manifestation of her current troubles with Dom? Can she trust Dom, or could her life be in danger?

Eve does not know that Les GenÉvriers has been haunted before. BÉnÉdicte Lincel, the house’s former owner, thrived as a young girl within the rich elements of the landscape: the violets hidden in the woodland, the warm wind through the almond trees. She knew the bitter taste of heartbreak and tragedy—long-buried family secrets and evil deeds that, once unearthed, will hold shocking and unexpected consequences for Eve.

I am over a week late, but I wanted to catch-up on this book today. First of all, I have to say that I enjoyed this book. It might not have been the best Gothic novel I have ever read, but the author did a wonderful job. In retrospect, I think I would have appreciated it more if I sat down with it and read it straight through. The need to start and stop distracted me when I was really getting into the story. I still enjoyed it, though, and had lots of fun reading the other participants thoughts on the book. Then, Deborah Lawrenson added her two cents once we were finished and it is always fun to hear from an author!

1. Now that it’s all said and done; what did you think of the book? Did you see the ending coming?

Having read Rebecca, I had a rough idea about what was going to happen in the end. I knew Rachel was dead, so it just came down to that being explained. Then there was the relationship between Eve/Dom to bring to a conclusion. They were having some problems and Eve was starting to think about leaving the relationship behind if she didn't receive some answers soon. That being said, I was surprised about exactly how Rachel died. I never thought about her having cancer and deciding to have assisted suicide in Switzerland. Once that is explained, though, it does give a bit more explanation for Dom. That was a very difficult position that he found himself in. I still really didn't like him, but I understand him better.

As to the book itself, it was not perfect, but it was not a bad book either. I found it readable, was interested in how everything played out, etc. I think my disappointment laid in the fact that the book was so influenced by other authors works. It sort of makes it hard for the author because Rebecca and Jane Eyre are such popular and well-read books. I am not sure she is entirely at their calibre, but it is hard to say entirely.

2. What do you think of the characters? Lawrenson took us on a twisty little ride there, I had trouble deciding who was good and who wasn’t for a while there! What do you think of Dom? Of Sabine? Rachel?

Well, as I mention above, I was not a huge fan of Dom. He was untrustworthy, secretive, and a bit of a recluse. We obviously learn why some of this happens, but it is hard to like someone that keeps so many secrets from the woman he supposedly loves. If he was still dealing with his demons he could easily have waited for things to pass before starting a new relationship. It was obvious he wasn't ready at all. I think Lawrenson writes Dom really well, though.

As to Sabine, I have to admit she served a good purpose. I am not sure that Eve would have suspected Dom as much as she did without Sabine in the background. Plus, Sabine leads her to look into Rachel's research and we learn more about the other storyline. There were times where I wasn't entirely sure if she was a 'good' person or bad, but she added to the story.

Then there is Rachel. Eve was not as obsessed with Rachel as Mrs. DeWinter was with Rebecca. It seemed different anyway. She obviously battles with the ghost of Rachel to the point where Rachel is another character in the book even while being deceased. I think Rachel was actually rather interesting. She made things up and was a bit crazy, but the different is what makes characters interesting in books. She also made an interesting contrast to Eve's character.

3. Pierre was such a conflicted character. In the end, do you think he killed Marthe and Annette, or did the fall to their deaths because of their blindness?

Pierre was a scary character. In his youth he was doing such horrific things that you knew some would probably carry on into his adult years and likely get worse. I am of a couple minds when it comes to the death of Marthe and Annette. I don't think they both fell to their deaths, but it is possible that Marthe was coming to Annette's aid and she died. It just didn't seem to me like a good idea for Pierre to outright kill Marthe if he wanted to sell the house. Annette, though, he had no need to keep alive. And, it is still possible that he got into a rage and killed both of them.

4. The book is being compared to Rebecca and Daphne du Maurier’s writing. Do you think the book lives up to that description?

I think that Lawrenson did a very risky thing using such a famous novel as a blueprint for her novel. That being said, I think she actually did a really good job. I am a huge fan of Rebecca, so I am a bit biased in thinking that this book doesn't entirely live up to the awesomeness of that book, but Lawrenson's changes and additions made for a very readable story. I particularly enjoyed the alternate storyline that turned out to be a ghost story. I love ghost stories! Ultimately, I think it comes down to the fact that Lawrenson is a talented author in her own right and I think she can go far in the industry. I look forward to something new from her!

5. Did you have any problems with the book? Narration? Plot? The back and forth between two different characters and times?

I love books that jump back and forth between times and characters, but publishers need to understand it needs to be clear what is happening. I think the biggest disadvantage to this book was that the narrators kept changing, but there was no clear indication of when that happened. It made me pause in my reading to get my head around who was talking and as a result it took me out of the story for a bit.

6. Do you think Lawrenson tied both stories together well in the end? Is there anything she could/should have done differently?

I really enjoyed the ending to this book. The Benedicte storyline was my favourite of the two, but it was fun to see how they were connected. I also love ghost stories! I think Lawrenson tied the two stories together in a creative way. It seemed like there was more to Benedicte than met the eye, but it wasn't entirely evident in the beginning just what was happening. I actually got the impression in the first of the book that she was living in the house at the same time as Dom and Eve, but then the book moved in a different direction and I thought I was wrong. I was happy to see I was actually right on track!

7. One problem I had with the novel is the reliability of the narrators. Do you think any of them were telling the truth? Which ones?

I think ultimately it was a book of lies, but finely crafted ones. It is what made the book work, though. There were many suspicions, unanswered questions, and doubts. It made the story that much more interesting wondering what was happening all the time. I don't think the characters could have told the truth and had it work in the book. It worked best because you never really knew what was going on. It also meant you kept reading until the end to find out how it all played out. I think Lawrenson did a wonderful job with this idea!

Previous Weeks:

Part 1

Part 2

October in Review

What I Learned

That I love this time of the year, but never seem to have enough time for all the things I would love to do. I did have a successful time with the R.I.P. Challenge this year, but there were many more books I would have loved to read. My numbers this year are not entirely where I wanted them to be and I don't think November and December are going to be enough to bring them up a bit. I always get slack with reading and blogging in December. I am hoping for a bit better reason this year, though. Last year the cc's (charming comedian aka 'the guy') sister passed away from cancer. It all happened very fast and it obviously put a damper on the holidays. There are a few things happening now, though, that make me think that the holidays will be coinciding with another cancer-related death. It's a sad disease and this is a depressing beginning to a post...

Moving on! We are hoping to be announcing the start date for the Advent Calendar Tour very soon. I hope you are all getting excited about it and have some post ideas in mind! If you have no idea what I am talking about, you can visit the blog here to see all the fun from last year.

New to Me Authors

Tanya Lee Stone (The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie)

Laurel Ann Nattress (editor: Jane Austen Made Me Do It)

H.P. Lovecraft (The Call of Cthulhu)

Amy Plum (Die for Me)

Tina Fey (Bossypants)

Little Princes (Conor Grennan)

Bram Stoker (Dracula)

Helen Dunmore (A Spell of Winter)

Lisa Habel (Dearly, Departed)

Mignon Fogarty (Grammar Girl's: 101 Misused Words You'll Never Confuse Again)

E. Lockhart (The Disreputable History of Frankie-Landau Banks)

Series Talk

Skulduggery Pleasant Series - 6/6 Caught up!

Revenants Series - 1/1 Caught up!

Dearly, Departed Series - 1/1 Caught up!

Lord of the Rings - 2/3 - (Reread)

The Source

Library: 7

Borrowed from Friend: 0

e-Reader: 8

Personal: 5

What I Read

213. Down the Mysterly River by Bill Willingham (Completed October 2, 2011)
214. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (Completed October 6, 2011)
215. The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie: A Doll's History and her Impact on Us by Tanya Lee Stone (Completed October 7, 2011)
216. Death Bringer (Skulduggery Pleasant Series, Book 6) by Derek Landy (Completed October 7, 2011)
217. Jane Austen Made Me Do It: Original Stories Inspired by Literature's Most Astute Observer of the Human Heart by Laurel Ann Nattress (Completed October 8, 2011)
218. The Call of Cthulhu by H.P. Lovecraft (Completed October 8, 2011)
219. Die for Me (Revenants Series, Book 1) by Amy Plum (Completed October 11, 2011)
220. Bossypants by Tina Fey (Completed October 11, 2011)
221. Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan (Completed October 11, 2011)
222. Dracula by Bram Stoker (Completed October 18, 2011)
223. A Spell of Winter by Helen Dunmore (Completed October 20, 2011)
224. Smut by Alan Bennett (Completed October 21, 2011)
225. Dearly, Departed by Lisa Habel (Completed October 21, 2011)
226. The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells (Completed October 21, 2011)
227. Grammar Girl's: 101 Misused Words You'll Never Confuse Again by Mignon Forgarty (Completed September 22, 2011)
228. The Lord of the Rings - Book 2: The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien (Completed October 28, 2011)
229. Discord's Apple by Carrie Vaughn (Completed October 28, 2011)
230. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton (Completed October 29, 2011)
231. Affinity by Sarah Waters (Completed October 29, 2011)
232. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (Completed October 29, 2011)

Books Added to the TBR Pile

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson (Macmillan Children)
The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson (Macmillan Children)
Twilight Robbery by Frances Hardinge (Harper Collins Canada)
Through the Glass by Shannon Moroney (Random House Canada)
Lionheart by Sharon Kay Penman (Penguin Canada)
Before the Poison by Peter Robinson (Random House Canada)
In Other Worlds by Margaret Atwood (Random House Canada)
I'm Not Her by Janet Gurtler (Sourcebooks)
If I Tell by Janet Gurtler (Sourcebooks)
The Digging Crew by Nathalie Mallet (Author)
A Train in Winter by Caroline Moorehead (Random House Canada)
Falling Backwards by Jann Arden (Random House Canada)

Thoughts for November

As with every November, I would like to tackle some of the books on my TBR pile that deal with WWI, WWII, etc. I have so many and with everything else, they seem to get neglected... What are your plans for November?

'The Two Towers' Read-Along - Part 2 & 3

The Fellowship was scattered. Some were bracing hopelessly for war against the ancient evil of Sauron. Some were contending with the treachery of the wizard Saruman. Only Frodo and Sam were left to take the accursed Ring of Power to be destroyed in Mordor–the dark Kingdom where Sauron was supreme. Their guide was Gollum, deceitful and lust-filled, slave to the corruption of the Ring. Thus continues the magnificent, bestselling tale of adventure begun in The Fellowship of the Ring, which reaches its soul-stirring climax in The Return of the King.

I am a bit late, but here are the answers to the questions for the second part of the read-along of The Two Towers. I am very impressed with myself that I am managing to continue this rereading. I am very hopeful it will continue into November when The Return of the King is read.

1. The Glittering Caves of Aglarond; Fangorn Forest: Which of the two would you be most excited to visit once the war was over?

Fangorn Forest, of course. I am not so crazy about being underground when I can spend time in a new forest. I have mentioned before how I really like trees, so it is the natural answer. I also love the Ents, so hopefully if I visit their forests I would get a chance to see them. That being said, the caves have their appeals, too. While I might not pick that as my first choice I would still be willing to visit.

2. How did you like the reunion of at least part of the fellowship at Isengard? Did any part of it stand out to you?

I enjoyed that the characters were split off enough to get a chance to get to know them better before being brought back together. Sam and Frodo will be off on their own for a while, but I am not only interested in them. I enjoy learning more about everyone because in the first book they were mostly always together, so you didn't get a chance to really know them. That being said, it is also nice that they are back together again. I think it was done well. They had their time apart, but now it is time for the story to move forward. I find myself picturing Aragorn, Gimili, and Legolas arriving to find Merry and Pippin alive. They had been told they were, but to actually see them made for a nice moment.

3. What are your thoughts about Galdalf’s confrontation with Saruman?

It was actually a bit anti-climatic when you think about it. I was almost disappointed with it. It made sense to a point, but I wish something more permanent came of the situation. Saruman is a wizard and even without his staff, he could cause trouble. Yet, Gandalf walks away and leaves him in a tower guarded by Ents. They might be big and powerful themselves, but you have to know that Saruman is left a presence in the book for a reason.

4. We learn a great deal about the Palantiri in this section. How do you feel about Saruman given Gandalf’s speech about the use of the Palantir? Would you, like Pippen, be tempted to look in to see what you could see?

I enjoy with the books that we get a better chance to learn about the Palantiri. It turns out to be connected to Aragorn and his line of kings. In the movie it is just a communication device that Pippin becomes a bit obsessed with. This more detailed look makes it come alive for the readers and makes the use of it even darker.

I am not sure if I would be tempted to use it. I suppose since things were not explained about it to Pippin at the time, that made him even more curious. They do say that curiosity killed the cat, but there are also problems when you keep secrets thinking they are beneficial to all. I probably would be curious, but not sure how much further I would go.

5. What are your thoughts about Smeagol/Gollum in this first part of his journey leading Frodo and Sam? For those of you who’ve seen the film, are you hearing Andy Serkis in your head when you read Gollum’s lines?

I always thought that Gollum was written really well. He really comes to life for you while you are reading these books. You know you shouldn't trust him, but you also know that things are rather hopeless without him. It makes for an interesting plot device. Plus, without Gollum along for the ride, the sections for Frodo and Sam would be a bit dull. There is not much to look at and they keep getting lost, so it is better to have that underlying current of suspicion and dread. It is also interesting to see how Sam reacts to Gollum because he is so reserved in other ways. And, yes, it is hard to read Gollum and not picture Andy Serkis. He did a really good portrayal of Gollum that matches the character almost perfectly.

6. Sam and Frodo are not traveling in the most picturesque part of Middle-earth. Which would you find worse, the seemingly impossible to leave mountains or the Dead Marshes?

That's a good question. In the movie, the Dead Marshes were really rather creepy. They are some of the scenes that made a lasting impression on me. That doesn't mean I would necessarily want to see them up-close, though. The mountains offer less to look at, but the Marshes have the added peril of luring you into the water. So, while the mountains are dull to look at, they are probably overall preferable to the Dead Marshes.

7. Tolkien introduces us to a lot of places in this section of The Two Towers, many just getting a mention in passing. What do you think of Tolkien’s place names (Minas Morgul, Isengard, the Emyn Muil, and on and on)? Do any stand out to you? Are there any that you don’t care for?

I always loved Gondor and Rohan when I read these books originally. Then, the movies came out and they were played out on the screen. I was always a big fan of horses, so liking a culture that is based around horses made a lot of sense to me. I do know that when I read the actual names, though, I was always worried I wasn't saying them right. With these read-through I have seen the movies, so there are no problems with the crazy words. Tolkien was good about making up words that sound a bit different without going too crazy. I appreciate that about him.

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I wrote up this second part and then never posted it. Oops! So, here is the third part of the read-along as well.

Faramir strikes me as a noble, intelligent fellow, especially concerning powers beyond his control. Had he gone to Elrond’s Council instead of Boromir, how might the story have changed?

This is an interesting way of looking at things. I always liked Faramir more than Boromir, so I would have been very happy to see him throughout the book. Not to mention in the movie! I thin it would drastically change the events of the book, though. Faramir refused to even see the ring, but he was only around it for a short period of time compared to Boromir. It may have got to him after a while just as it got to his brother, but then Aragorn would have followed Frodo to the end and I don't think it would have bothered him at all. It is really hard to say.

If Faramir had handled things differently than his brother, it is hard to say what would have been the effect on Fellowship. Frodo was contemplating leaving the group before Boromir went a bit 'freaky', so he still may have. I like how in the movie Aragorn understands that Frodo has to go and lets him. In the book he can't even find Frodo, but Sam figures out where he is and runs to him before he can get away. Then, there is Merry and Pippin. They were Hobbits, but they still could have had a worse fate if Boromir hadn't been there to protect them a bit. But then they also wouldn't have had the guilt of Boromir's passing and his passing wouldn't have lead to the problems with his father losing his mind a bit. A lot could change, but then it could also stay the same, too. Ultimately, though, the brothers were both concerned with the same thing, so they might have reacted very similar in the end.

What did you think of Shelob and her lair? Would you willingly go in there? Yes, I know Gollum says “this is the only way”, but Frodo could have demanded they explore and attempt to find another way.

Well, I actually don't entirely believe that it was 'the only way'. I always sort of figured that Gollum tricked Frodo into going that way so that he could have the ring once Shelob was through with them. He vanished just before it happened and it is sort of implied that he was a regular visitor to Shelob. At least that was my impression. So, I believe it was a trap and there probably was another way to go where they needed to go. Frodo, though, seemed to trust Gollum a bit too much. He didn't really question anything that he did all that much and there were obviously moments where he should have. Sam even overheard conversations between the 'evil' side of Gollum and the 'nicer' side. He knew Gollum was not to be trusted, but ultimately it just seemed to be a way for the reader to find out the truth about Gollum.

When Sam saves Frodo from Shelob, he finds himself in the vision he saw in Galadriel’s mirror. Knowing the future isn’t always as helpful as one would think, is it?

Nah, that's why I don't buy into fortune tellers and all that jazz. Even if I believe what they do is real at all, there is always interpretation. They could see you laying down in a strange place sleeping and say you were dead. Sam had a vision of the future where Frodo was laying down in a funny spot. When he saw the vision he assumed Frodo was dead in it, so when he saw it played out right in front of him he jumped to the conclusion he vision was playing out. If he had never had the vision he might have actually taken more time to determine whether or not Frodo really was dead.

Having always been a sidekick/helper of sorts, Sam reluctantly realizes he may have to become the Ringbearer. What do you think Sam will do with the Ring of Power? If you were the sidekick of the hero, and suddenly had the opportunity to become the hero, to finish the quest, what would you do with the Ring of Power?

I know that Carl, for example, really likes Sam. I think when I read the books for the first time I really liked him, but then I watched the movies and he annoyed me. Now I am not entirely sure if he is annoying in the books; or I am just annoyed from memories of the movies. It is one of those things, I guess. The point is I am a bit cloudy when it comes to my impressions of Sam and what he would do. One thing that I do like about him with this reread is that he is not quite as trusting as Frodo. He knows that Gollum is not exactly the best guide in the world, but he also knows that they got lost without him. Frodo seems to trust Gollum too much. Sam also knows that the ring needs to be destroyed and he wants to go home. I think for that reason he probably would have finished the mission. He thinks very simplistically. I don't believe it comes down to being a hero or a sidekick. He just does what needs to be done. If he wasn't quite so obsessed with Frodo, I would have liked Sam. He just grates on my nerves.

The conversation between the two Orcs at the end was highly amusing for me. Yes, it serves to educate Sam on Frodo’s condition, and Tolkien could have just left it at that, but he didn’t. The Orc’s commiserating could have been any soldiers in any war. To me, it felt like Tolkien was humanizing the enemy, instead of the traditional dehumanizing of the enemy that you usually see in war stories. What do you think?

I think that no matter what Tolkien says, he was inspired by the War. He knew what it was like to be a soldier, so it is hard for him to not be thinking with a soldier mentality. If you look at this book from the viewpoint of the war, you can easily see the battle of the good verses evil. When war happens it is still people. They might be from the 'enemy' nation, but they are still fathers, sons, daughters, wives, etc. When you are in a battle, you probably try not to think about that, but in the back of your mind you probably cannot help remembering this fact. It is partly why soldiers have so many psychological problems when they return from the war. Tolkien had seen war. He created the Orcs as his 'bad guys', but even he cannot help showing the more 'human' side of them. I have always believed that Tolkien was using these books to make people see war differently. It may not even be a conscious thing, but it is something I have always believed.

The book ends on a cliffhanger. Are you excited to finish up the trilogy and see how it all turns out?

Yes! I am so happy that I have managed to reread this trilogy so far. I have wanted to for years, but just never made it happen. Now I am actually doing so and it is so much fun to revisit the books. I know what is going to happen in the end, but I have really enjoyed the little details. There are many things that have happened that I didn't remember because they were changed in the movies or left out. It is fun to finally be refreshing my memory even though the main story is the same. Plus, this reread has given me a new appreciation for the overall story. When I read it before I saw it as 3 individual books, but it is ultimately one book divided into three volumes. When you look at it that way, it makes up for the slower parts. I always considered The Fellowship of the Ring the weaker book, but I didn't this time around. I am enjoying this change of perspective and look forward to The Return of the King because it was my favourite of the three when I read the trilogy before.

I might even appreciate The Hobbit now. I skipped that book this time around because I just did not like it, but I also was not reading young adult books back then. I might reconsider and reread it.

Previous Posts:

The Two Towers

Part 1

The Fellowship of the Ring

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3