In My Mailbox

This is my first time participating in this meme. But, I got a lot of stuff in the mail and from the library this week, so I wanted to share.

I got a surprise package from Penguin Books on Tuesday with three ARC's in them. I'm not sure if I'll have enough time to read them all, so I might pass a couple on to The Literati, a teen reading and writing group that I'm an advisor for. (Check out their blog too!)

The Evil Within
By: Nancy Holder
Release Date: June 2010

It looks like this book is the second in a series. I haven't read the first one, so maybe I should get on that. I'm not really into murder mystery/horror, so I might pass this one along.

Paisley Hanover Kisses and Tells
By: Cameron Tuttle
Release Date: July 2010

A book about high school drama. This could be interesting...

The Eternal Ones
By: Kirsten Miller
Release Date: August 2010

If I can get past the cover, I might just read this one. But, frankly, the cover is a huge turn-off for me. (I know, don't judge a book by it's cover. Eh, but I do)

 

From the Library

Magic Study
By: Maria V. Snyder


I liked Poison Study enough to pick up the sequel from the library. I'm hoping I have enough time to finish it before it comes due in 3 weeks. Reading when you have a clingy infant is really hard.

The Hourglass Door
By: Lisa Mangum

I've heard good things about this book. I know the author is local to me, and I've seen her at events, but I've never actually spoken to her.  This book finally became available at my library and I'm excited to read it.

The Princess and the Bear
By: Mette Ivie Harrison


I loved The Princess and the Hound, so I HAD to pick up the sequel. This is another one that had a long waiting list at the library. I'll definitely read it before it comes due.


That's it for my books this week. What do you have that's new?

This post is linked at The Story Siren

The Mark by Jen Nadol: Review

The Mark

By: Jen Nadol

Synopsis (From Goodreads):

Cassandra Renfield has always seen the mark—a glow around certain people reminiscent of candlelight. But the one time she mentioned it, it was dismissed as a trick of the light. Until the day she watches a man awash in the mark die. After searching her memories, Cassie realizes she can see a person’s imminent death. Not how or where, only when: today.

Armed with a vague understanding of the light, Cassie begins to explore her “gift,” seeking those marked for death and probing the line between decision and destiny. Though she’s careful to hide her secret—even from her new philosophy-obsessed boyfriend—with each impending death comes the temptation to test fate. But so many questions remain. How does the mark work? Why is she the only one who sees it? And finally, the most important of all: If you know today is someone’s last, should you tell them?

My Review: This was a morally complex book that I thought about for days after I read it. In my opinion, the main point of the book was to get the reader to ask themselves what they would do if they had this ability. Would you treat it as a gift or a curse? Cassie certainly feels the burden that this ability lays on her.  Initially, she allows other characters in the story to influence how she treats her ability. And, she learns pretty quickly that it's very easy for others to judge what she should be doing with her gift.

The character development was really good. I loved that everyone who knew about or also shared Cassie's ability to see imminent death had a different way of dealing with that knowledge. Some people handled it better than others, but either way, you could understand what would drive that character to behave that way.

The end of this book definitely opened up the possibility of a sequel. I kind of hope it's left where it is. There are so many possibilities that can be imagined from the end of this book that it would almost be disappointing to see them come to a conclusion.

Overall, a wonderful read by yet another 2010 Debut Author. This is a very talented group of writers, and I'm really excited to read more by Jen Nadol.

Book-A-Likes: Wake by Lisa McMann

My Rating:

4 Stars!

Profanity: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol: Mild; some underage drinking
Sexuality: Mild; Definitely alluded to, but never described
Violence: None

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken: Review

Brightly Woven

By: Alexandra Bracken

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Sydelle Mirabil is living proof that, with a single drop of rain, a life can be changed forever. Tucked away in the farthest reaches of the kingdom, her dusty village has suffered under the weight of a strangely persistent drought. That is, of course, until a wizard wanders into town and brings the rain with him.

In return for this gift, Wayland North is offered any reward he desires—and no one is more surprised than Sydelle when, without any explanation, he chooses her. Taken from her home, Sydelle hardly needs encouragement to find reasons to dislike North. He drinks too much and bathes too little, and if that isn’t enough to drive her to madness, North rarely even uses the magic he takes such pride in possessing. Yet, it’s not long before she realizes there’s something strange about the wizard, who is as fiercely protective of her as he is secretive about a curse that turns his limbs a sinister shade of black and leaves him breathless with agony. Unfortunately, there is never a chance for her to seek answers.

Along with the strangely powerful quakes and storms that trace their path across the kingdom, other wizards begin to take an inexplicable interest in her as well, resulting in a series of deadly duels. Against a backdrop of war and uncertainty, Sydelle is faced with the growing awareness that these events aren’t as random as she had believed—that no curse, not even that of Wayland North, is quite as terrible as the one she herself may carry. 

My Review: I was really intrigued by the synopsis of this book and I was so excited when I got a copy of this book in the mail from Egmont.  First of all, the cover is gorgeous, don't you think?

But, beyond the beautiful cover, this was a fantastic book! My favorite books are the ones that have deep characters and complex relationships. This book had plenty of both.  Sydelle was a wonderful heroine. She was compassionate, but always stood her ground with North when necessary.  It was really refreshing to read the different ways that she was able to get herself and others out of trouble.

North was fascinating.  In many fantasy books I've read, wizards are almost invincible and infinitely wise. That was not the case in this book. North's character flaws were glaring, but not so much that he was a despicable person.  Despite his shortcomings, it's obvious that he's a caring person and really tries to do the right thing.

The one complaint I had about this book is that there wasn't enough of Henry or her family from back home.  I would have liked to have seen a little more interaction and a pull from home keeping Sydelle conflicted.

Overall, this was a wonderful fantasy book by a very promising debut author.  I am really excited to read more of her work in the future.  This book was released today, March 23, and it's definitely worth buying/checking out.

Book-A-Likes:  Howl's Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones (Wizard with a temper); Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George (Weaving and sewing talented heroine)

Rating:

I gave this book a hearty 5 stars!

Profanity: None

Drugs and Alcohol: Mild; North doesn't have a lot of control when it comes to alcohol

Sexuality: None

Violence: Moderate; Some of the fighting descriptions were a little graphic

Acknowledgement: I was sent a copy of Brightly Woven to review by Egmont USA. I was not compensated for this post, and all opinions are my own

In My Postbox #2

In My Mailbox idea from Kristi @ The Story Siren, and all links take you to Amazon.

Got 2 brand new books this week. One that I have been absolutely dying for and one that I got courtsey of Darren over at The Book Zone! Thanks Darren! :D

For Review:

Inside My Head by Jim Carrington

"This cleverly constructed narrative consists of three points of view: of Gary, constantly victimised by the school bully in a nasty, name-calling and vindictive way; the bully's friend, David and a new girl to the school, Zoe. All viewpoints are revealing. Gary reveals the painful and often unsuccessful attempts by a young man to control his anger under great provocation - and his inability to communicate. David is someone who is uncomfortable with the bullying but doesn't dare to do anything about it - until the end. Zoe is a young woman who can see Gary through different eyes and is independent, freethinking and brave. Also featured in this title are rampaging tractors, shotguns and cheese puffs."

Brought:

VAMPIRATES: Empire of Night by Justin Somper

"Sidorio, fuelled by grief and revenge, is intent on becoming King of the Vampirates and building a new empire to bring terror to the oceans. He faces growing opposition from both the Pirate Federation, including Vampirate Assassin Cheng Li, and the Nocturnals - the more benign vampirate realm - led by Mosh Zu and Lorcan Furey. Both the pirates and the Nocturnals are forced to raise their game in response to the new and urgent threat from Sidorio and the renegade Vampirates. Twins Grace and Connor Tempest, still ricocheting from the recent discovery of their true parenthood and its explosive implications, are thrust deep into the heart of the conflict. Old foes and allies are thrown together in unexpected ways and, as the stakes rise higher than ever before, Grace and Connor find their alliances shifting in ways no-one could ever have possibly foreseen..."

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld: Review

Leviathan

By: Scott Westerfeld

Description (From Goodreads):Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.

Review: I didn't even know that the genre of steampunk existed until about a month ago. I must have been living under a rock or something. But, I've noticed it has become an increasingly popular genre, and this book is a good indication of why.

The illustrations in this book were really neat and one of my favorite parts. There was a new illustration every 5 pages or so, and they really added a depth to the story without being overly "cartoonish." (A reason why I could never really get into Manga). Here is an example of this awesome art:
I really liked the character and story of Deryn. I'm also up for a good story about a girl pretending to be a boy and kicking some trash. Deryn certainly did so. She had a lot of spunk and spirit, but also a good dose of compassion, especially at the end of the book.

Aleksander's story went in a little different direction than I had originally thought. While Deryn's story was pretty predictable, I was never quite sure where Aleksander was going to end up.

Sometimes telling a book from two perspectives really doesn't work for me. However, in this case, Westerfeld handled it beautifully. I wasn't as impressed with "The Uglies" series as I wanted to be, so it was nice to have a book by Westerfeld that I really enjoyed. I think this series is going to do really well. This book got a lot of buzz at the end of last year, and I can definitely see why.

Book-A-Likes:
Alanna by Tamora Pierce (For the "girl pretending to be a boy" story)
City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau (For the machinery aspect, and the boy working with girl story)
If you like other books in the Steam Punk genre, you'll like this one.

Rating:
I gave this book 4 stars.


Profanity: Like all steampunk, the slang evolves into something different from our culture. So, nothing you'd recognize
Drugs and Alcohol: None
Sexuality: None
Violence: Moderate. This is WWI (or an alternate version), so there is a battle that is described.

Shadow Bringer

Written by: David Calcutt.

Publisher: Oxford University Press.

Format: Paperback.

Released: 4th February 2010.

Rating: 4/5

Official synopsis: "Nathan knows something is watching him - something menacing and dangerous. Something without a shape, that he can't get out of his head. The Creature. Then there are the noises he starts hearing in the attic. Shuffling. Scratching. Even a voice. The Bogeyman. Nathan's sure that the Creature and the Bogeyman are the same thing. Whatever it is, it's after him. As soon as it's strong enough, it will show Nathan what it really wants. And it's growing stronger all the time . . ."

Shadow Bringer is a psychological thriller written to perfection. Right from the first words, I was captured and catapulted into this dark, mysterious world. It is completely and utterly absorbing and won't let you go until the last page! So warning, if you choose to read it, make sure you set yourself a few hours aside, because 15 minutes on the bus just won't cut it with this one!

The Creature is a horrifying being, lurking just out of the corner of Nathan's eye. Just waiting. Calcutt's characters are brilliant and match perfectly. He's blended reality, and magic together to form this stunning story. To me, the way that I see it, it's taking what we know to be real, and what we sometimes think to be real which can be a scary thing when melded together. The mind plays tricks.

It's a bit hard to explain really what I liked about this book, because it's pretty much everything. It's so perfectly weaved that I could spoil the story and this is one that everyone should enjoy as they read it, not hear tidbits and then read it. I really cannot recommend this book enough. An atmospheric piece of brilliance that will be enjoyed by adults and children alike!

(Thank you to Michelle Harrison at OUP for this!)

Buy from Amazon UK

Abigail is here!

My baby girl finally made her appearance on March 4. She was born at 6:59 pm and was 7 lbs. 4 oz; 19.5 inches long

So, as for the contest, we had two guesses for March 4.

Jen and Candace

Candace was closest to the weight and height, so I'll be getting in touch with her to get her prize.

But... Jen was also really close, so I've got some stuff I'd like to send her as well. Jen, since you didn't leave your email address, send me an email with your mailing info so I can get your package sent out.

Thanks to all who entered! Now that I've got 8 weeks of maternity leave, I plan on doing a lot of reading.

And, in closing, here is a picture of my sweet baby Abigail.

The Tales of Beedle The Bard [Review]

Written by: J.K. Rowling.

Publisher: Bloomsbury.

Format: Hardback.

Released: 4th December 2008.

Ratiting: 4.5/5

Any readers of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be aware of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. A book left to Hermione by Dumbledore after his death at the end of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. In it, is the story important enough to help Harry defeat Lord Voldemort. The Tale of the Three Brothers.

In late 2007, JKR produced seven hand-written copies of the book, featuring 5 tales. Fans feared that they would never be able to read the tales, but then in the Summer of 2008, JKR announced the publication of the book for charity! Yay! I for one was over the moon and could not wait.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard feature 'The Wizard and the Hopping Pot', 'The Fountain of Fair Fortune', 'The Warlock's Hairy Heart', 'Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump' and 'The Tale of the Three Brothers'.

All five of the tales are superbly written and features specific moral messages. My favourite of the five tales has to be The Fountain of Fair Fortune. It's just brilliant. So rich in Jo's brilliant story-telling. The best written of the five. The story is also my favourite because of the actual plot of the story. It just teaches you that what you sometimes think you need, you actually don't.

Out of the five tales, there's only really one duff one, and that's Babbitty Rabbity. It is a good tale, but at the same time, it just isn't as strong as the other four stories.

For JK fans the world over, this is a brilliant collection that should be added to any respecting fans collection!

(N.b. Reviewed this because in my quest of packing today, I stumbled across my copy and had to have a read. Only took an hour and a half to read the whole book.)

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory [Review]

In my tidying and sorting, I found my copy of Roald Dahl's children classic, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! I remember reading this for the first time, aged 5 I think. I was spellbound. Absolutely loved it. And so, having found it, I decided to have a read, and before I knew it, I was caught up in the world of Charlie Bucket and the eccentric Willy Wonka.

The book is just as magical as I remember it being all those years ago. The way the books are written is simply genius. It's easy for young kids to understand, but not dumbed down too much that an 18-year old, confident reader can complain about being too young. Just simply brilliant.

The characters are fun. The rhymes are fun. The Chocolate Factory is fun. The book is overall fun. But as well as being fun, it has a real moral message. Well, a few. Don't be greedy in life. Yes, take what you can but don't abuse that. Always take advice from those who know best! Don't watch too much TV (haha!) and most importantly of all, what's money when you have health?

Yes, I know, an 18 year old reading a kids book, but it's a simple, easy and fun read that I just couldn't resist. It brought back lots of memories of being 5 and of times when things were simpler. It's one of the first books that I remember reading. Maybe that's why I'm so fond of it. We all love books that remind us of our childhood, right? And for me, Roald Dahl was a staple of my reading as a kid. This is a book that I know I'll still appreciate no matter how old I get, and it's one I shall pass down to my children one day.

Movie Adaptations

I might not be writing as many reviews as normal over the next few weeks due to moving house which as I'm sure folk know is a very stressful time. Packing, tidying and sorting to be done, so that's taking up a lot of time, taking away my precious reading time (insert crying face here!)! So I thought I'd do an opinion post.

A lot of the big budget films get a novelisation. An adaptation of the book written for young adults/younger kids to enjoy. When I was younger, I really used to enjoy them, but by the age of 13, when I became a complete book worm and decided that I wanted to be a writer, I changed my mind. Now I find them to be completely dire!

Take for example the novelisation of Spider Man 3, which my cousin brought me as a gift, and I found today amongst my things. I adored the film, watched it only the other day infact. But the novelisation didn't seem to feature half of the film. How can you condense a 2 hour film, to just 138 A5-ish pages with what must be at least size 20 font? It's diabolocal! I get leaving things out of a film when adapting a book for the big screen, but leaving stuff out of the film... It just doesn't seem right?

And the font size is another thing. Now, I like long books, but not overly long. 200-300 is brilliant. Then there are your Harry Potters coming in at nearly 700 pages every time. But the font is regular, standard size. It's easily readable but it also doesn't make you feel like a 5-year-old reading for the first time with words nearly as big as the page. Novelisations just seem to be so poorly designed and thought out.

So what do you think about novelisations of your favourite films? Yay, or Nay? Please leave a comment. Interested to see what other people think.

Baby Update

I know all of you are anxiously awaiting the announcement that the baby has arrived. Believe me, I'm just about as anxious as all of you.

I wanted to give all of you whose date guesses have passed another chance. If you would like another guess at when this baby is going to come, all you need to do is spread the word about the contest. There are several ways you can do this.

Twitter: If you use Twitter, go ahead and tweet about the contest linking the original entry and using my handle @eellsworth

Facebook: Post a status update or just link the contest entry page to your wall, either way.

Blog Link: If you have a blog, either put up a post about the contest, mention it in a sidebar or something.

Anything else you can think of! Once you've done that, make a comment in the ORIGINAL entry here, and tell me what you did and make a new guess.

Best of luck to you all!