January 29, 2011

On My Wishlist #12 : Lynn Kurland romances

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted at Book Chick City.

On My Wishlist

Do you have any books that you desperately want but haven't bought yet? The books can be old, new or forthcoming.
***

This month I thought I'd show off a few of the books that's been on my wish list for ages.


This is all I ask
From goodreads:
This medieval historical romance doesn't offer any of the paranormal elements found in Lynn Kurland's first two books, Stardust of Yesterday, and Dance Through Time, yet Kurland's fans will not be disappointed by this sensitive and moving romance. Gillian of Warewick knows no other treatment than the terrible physical and mental abuse issued by her father. When he arranges a match for Gillian with Christopher of Blackmour, she is fearful: Blackmour is rumored to be an evil sorcerer. When Gillian meets him, he proves to be far more of a man than her father is, yet he is unwilling to be a lover to Gillian. She finds that Blackmour has as many psychological scars to heal as she has physical scars.



From This Moment On
From goodreads:
In this sweeping, emotional love story, USA Today bestselling author Lynn Kurland takes us back to the thirteenth century-and all the passion and magnificence of medieval England.

Colin of Berkhamshire knows two things - the pleasures of warring and that brides do not want him. Two years ago his bride-to-be, Alienore, fled and hasn't been seen since. Yet his father keeps foisting prospects on him. The latest seems to do nothing but faint.

Alienore of Solonge knows two things as well - that fleeing not only Colin but also her scheming stepmother was the right thing to do. Yet as a knight in disguise she constantly fears discovery. At this point, she's not sure whom she fears more, the Butcher of Berkhamshire or her evil stepmother.

Through a bizarre twist of fate, she ends up journeying with her charge - Colin's latest intended - to England, where Alienore finds herself not only in the Butcher of Berkhamshire's garrison, but being made over into a knight by him personally. She thinks her life cannot worsen.

Until she begins to fall in love with him...

January 28, 2011

Chunkster Reading Challenge



Chunkster Challenge 2011 is hosted on Chunkster Reading Challenge. The guidelines are as described below :

Timeline : 1st February 2011 - 31st Jan 2012.
  1. You do NOT need a blog to participate.
  2. Books may overlap other challenges.
  3. You do not have to make a list of books before hand.
  4. You must pick a level of participation.
  5. Learn more and sign up here.


Wrap-Up

I signed up for the Chubby Chunkster Level. The books I read for the challenge are :
  1. Follett, Ken : The Pillars of the Earth (Review)
  2. Follett, Ken : World Without End (Review)
  3. King, Stephen: Under the Dome (Review)
  4. Stewart, Paul & Riddell, Chris: The Rook Trilogy (Review)

My favorite read :
Under the Dome: A Novel

Friday Finds #3

Friday Finds is hosted at Should Be Reading.

Friday Finds

Share the great books you heard about or discovered this past week.
***

Discovered:

Putting Makeup on Dead PeopleThe Masqueraders

January 27, 2011

Review : Invasion by Jon S. Lewis

Title : Invasion
Author : Jon S. Lewis
Reading Dates : 1 Jan - 6 Jan 2010
Invasion (A C.H.A.O.S. Novel)
C.H.A.O.S.
Invasion is the first book in the series. Updates on books in the series can be found here.
From Amazon :
Colt McAlister is drawn into a war against things he thought only existed in comic books.

After a car wreck takes the lives of his parents, Colt moves to Arizona to stay with his grandfather. There, an informant tells him that his parents were actually murdered because his mom, a journalist, was getting ready to write a story exposing Trident Industries.

Along with Oz and Danielle, his new comrades at Chandler High, Colt vows to uncover the truth. But the more they learn, the more bizarre reality becomes. Mind control, jet packs, and flying motorcycles only scratch the surface of what they discover.

Colt is recruited by a secret organization called the Central Headquarters Against the Occult and Supernatural. But the battle isn't just against an out-of-control giant corporation. A gateway to another world is opening, and the invasion has already begun.


Book Review of Invasion.
I am of 2 minds about Invasion.

While the main characters are extremely likable, some of their behaviour or achievements just seems to stretch the limits of my credulity. For instance, Colt seemed way too young for a 16-year old. But then again, this could be a prejudice formed from reading too many books where kids are incredibly mature for their age. And it is that very “good kid” aura of Colt and his friends that forms a major part of Invasion’s charms.

And while Invasion wasn’t boring or slow, nothing really important occurs until near the story’s end. Even the death of Colt’s parents feels like nothing more than a footnote. But it does do a good job of building up the secret world Colt suddenly finds himself in, with all the legendary monsters and cool gadgets any superhero could want. We’re also given plenty of hints of an existing internal conflict and the maybe not so noble war that humanity is waging. All of which seems to be building up to some epic conflict.

Then again while the story was good enough to whet my curiosity, the pacing as well as the lack of that extra something to set this story apart from others, isn’t motivating me to put the next book on my wish list. All in all, Invasion makes for some nice, light reading.

My conclusions :
  • Would I re-read the book ? Maybe, but not anytime soon.
  • Would I want to read the next book in the series ? Maybe, but it would not be at the top of my reading list.
  • Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? No.
  • Who would I recommend this too? Readers looking for a light, fun read.
  • For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Borrow it.

Books alluded to :
Peter Pan (100th Anniversary Edition)Lost World & Other Stories (Wordsworth Classics) (Wordsworth Collection)

January 25, 2011

Teaser Tuesdays : The Violet Keystone by Garth Nix

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted at Should Be Reading.
Teaser Tuesdays

Share 2 teaser sentences from your current read. Be careful not to include spoilers
***
This week I'm sharing teasers from the book that I recently finished and enjoyed.
"You're the Emperor," snapped Ebbitt. "How would I know? Do something imperial, you idiot."
The Violet Keystone (The Seventh Tower, Book 6)

January 24, 2011

It's Monday What Are You Reading ? #10

It's Monday What Are You Reading ? is hosted at One Persons Journey through a World of Books.


It's Monday What Are You Reading?

Where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.
***

What I Read:
  • The Girl who Kicked the Hornets' Nest by Stieg Larsson
  • Crooked Hearts by Patricia Gaffney

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' NestCrooked Hearts


What I Reviewed:

What I’m Reading:
  • The Violet Keystone by Garth Nix

The Violet Keystone (The Seventh Tower, Book 6)


What I Plan to Read next:
  • The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
  • World Without End by Ken Follett

The Pillars of the Earth [Mass Market Paperback]World Without End

January 22, 2011

Harry Potter Reading Challenge



The Harry Potter Reading Challenge is hosted on To Read or Not To Read. The challenge starts on 1st January 2011 and you do NOT need a blog to participate.To learn more and sign up, go here.


Wrap-Up

You can find the links to my reviews on the books below:
  1. Rowling, J.K. : Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Review)
  2. Rowling, J.K. : Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Review)
  3. Rowling, J.K. : Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Review)
  4. Rowling, J.K. : Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Review)
  5. Rowling, J.K. : Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Review)
  6. Rowling, J.K. : Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Review)
  7. Rowling, J.K. : Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Review)

My favorite reads from the series are :
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2)Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4)


The Harry Potter series is definitely one of my favorite series.

Review : Dragonmaster by Chris Bunch

Title : Dragon Master
Author : Chris Bunch
Reading Dates : 20 Dec 2010 - 1 Jan 2011
Dragonmaster: Dragonmaster Trilogy, Book One (Dragon Master Trilogy 2)
The Dragonmaster Trilogy
The books in the series are :
  • Storm of Wings
  • Knighthood of the Dragon
  • The Last Battle
From goodreads :
Young Hal Kailas is a runaway and a pauper, living hand-to-mouth in a kingdom where peace is by no means certain. But Hal has a dream. In his even younger days, he had the awesome experience of bonding with a young dragon-and the memory of the beast's great strength and power consumes his every thought. When war finally comes, the most daring and ruthless of men ride these fearsome dragons-monstrous weapons of war that are rulers of the sky. Few men are strong enough to bend a dragon's will, but Hal has reason to think he may be one of them.


Book Review of Dragonmaster.
Despite its title, Dragonmaster is actually a story about war rather than dragons. But unlike most books, the wars here aren’t pretty or romantic and the main character is far from heroic. In fact, I thought him quite cruel and callous at times. But even then I could sympathize because by then nothing else seemed to matter as much as surviving the war. And this is why the second book is my favourite of the trilogy as the senselessness and hypocrisy of it all coupled with the adulation that Hal gains is a rather interesting mix.

On the other hand I disliked the final book, The Last Battle, for a similar reason. The book made a rather good start by showing the aftermath of a war for both sides especially the soldiers. But then the story veered off and started focusing on the dragons and making out Hal to be some sort of saviour. I thought the story might have done better by focusing on what happens after the war, rather than trying to divert the reader by starting something else.

Overall though, the trilogy makes a fairly interesting read and gives a kind of insight into the reasons why someone would fight a war and do the things they do in it.

My conclusions :
  • Would I re-read the book ? Maybe, but probably after a long time.
  • Would I want to read the next book in the series ? No.
  • Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? No.
  • Who would I recommend this too? Fantasy readers who like war novels.
  • For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Borrow this one.

January 20, 2011

Thursday 13 : Mijakian words

Thursday 13

Choose a theme. Then list 13 things that fit that theme.
***
A list of 13 words from Karen Miller's fictional Mijak.
  1. adda: father
  2. chalava: god
  3. chalava-chaka: godspeaker, holy man
  4. chalava-hagra: hammer of god
  5. chotzaka: army
  6. chotzu: warlord, prince, king
  7. gajka: friend
  8. hotas: a form of Mijakian martial arts
  9. hushla : queen
  10. wei: no
  11. yatzhay: sorry
  12. yuma: mother
  13. zho: Yes

Review : Dream Man by Linda Howard

Title : Dream Man
Author : Linda Howard
Reading Dates : 18 Dec - 19 Dec 2010
Dream Manr
From goodreads :
Detective Dane Hollister of the Orlando police department has never met anyone quite like Marlie Keen. While he has doubts about her supposed clairvoyant powers, she sees crimes as they're being committed, there is no doubt about how much he desires her. To Marlie, Dane is all heat and hard muscle, and he makes her body come alive as it never has before. But not even she can foresee that their passion will lead them on a dangerous journey into the twisted mind of a madman who will threaten their happiness and their lives.


Book Review of Dream Man.
Dream Man left me feeling rather bored. I’m not sure why but I’m guessing it’s due to the lack of suspense and an overdose of paranormal romances.

This is a re-read for me and because I already know the story, there weren’t any surprises. I remember enjoying the story the first time I read it, especially with that little twist at the end. However aside from that, there’s not much left to the imagination since the readers know well ahead who the killer is.

As for the 2 main protagonists, they are an interesting pair with neither of them not making a drama out of Dane’s using Marlee to solve his case. The problem I have with them as a couple is how they end up together. I can never quite puzzle out how the both of them can change from being antagonistic to being so sure that they were in love in a heartbeat.

So, for a time at least, I’ll be taking a break from paranormal romances.

My conclusions :
  • Would I re-read the book ? Maybe, but not for a long time.
  • Would I want to read the next book in the series if there were one? No.
  • Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? No.
  • Who would I recommend this too? Readers of romance.
  • For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Borrow it.

Read another review on the book by :

January 18, 2011

Teaser Tuesdays : The Girl who Played with Fire and The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted at Should Be Reading.
Teaser Tuesdays

Share 2 teaser sentences from your current read. Be careful not to include spoilers
***

This week I'm sharing 2 teasers; one from the book I just finished and the other from the one I'm reading.
"I do this because it's fun. You think I make a living doing this?"
The Girl Who Played with Fire


The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest (Paperback)
If death was the black emptiness from which she had just woken up, then death was nothing to worry about. She would hardly notice the difference.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...