November Ins and Outs

Time for another Ins and Outs.

November had a lot books. In the entries side I decided to try a new book-swap site, WinkingBooks, and managed to send some of my books to a new home, and get some more for me to read. On the reading side there also a lot of books (Yay!), especially since this month my computer broke, and between using old ones (and breaking one of them in the process) and getting a new one (early Christmas present!), I managed to read a lot. Which just shows how much time I spend in front of the screen when I could actually be reading.

INS
Bought
Flesh and spirit by Carol Berg
Restoration by Carol Berg
The Broken Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin
Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind / V. 5 by Hayao Miyazaki
Slaughterhouse-five by Kurt Vonnegut

My Name is Mina by David Almond [O Meu Nome é Mina]
Fly by Night by Frances Hardinge [A Rapariga que Sabia Ler]
City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau [A Cidade Das Sombras]

These last three were bought using a voucher from the book fair back in June.

Swap sites
*Bookmooch*
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Carta del fin del mundo by José Manuel Fajardo
Ironside by Holly Black

Carta del fin del mundo and Ironside had been on my wishlist for so long. I finally have them! And Ironside in the edition I wanted!


*Winking Books*
Os Conjurados by Jorge Luis Borges
Animal farm by George Orwell
A tale of two cities by Charles Dickens
Great expectations by Charles Dickens

Freebies
*For Review - LibraryThing Member Giveaway*
Finding Fiona by Emily Ann Ward
The Trees: A Collection by Todd Brabander

OUTS

Physical books
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

[Review]

Rating: 5 out of 5





My Name is Mina by David Almond

[Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5




Os Conjurados by Jorge Luis Borges

A collection of poetry and flash fiction by Jorge Luis Borges. Poetry is not really my thing, and except for a bunch of poems, this book didn't really appeal to me. It can be read quickly, or slowly if you go a poem a day. The writing is really good, though.

Rating: 3 out of 5


Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind V.5 and V.6 by Hayao Miyazaki

Volumes 5 and 6 of the Nausicaä Manga. The story is coming close to an end, and at this point is getting very different from the Anime. But very good still.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5


The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

[Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5






The silver wolf by Alice Borchardt   *review to come*

Historical fantasy set in the decadent Roman Empire. Regeane, even though a not-so-distant cousin of Charlemagne, lives in poverty and with her abusive uncle who sees her only as a way to get money. She is engaged to a wealthy, and more importantly, strategically locate barbarian lord. But there is a complication, of course. Regeane is not only a woman, she is also wolf.

It was a nice story, with a lot of attention to details when it came to describe the era. In some ways it reminded me of the Kushiel Series, especially in the writing. The main character Regeane was not a favourite of mine, seemed to distant. I did like the love-interest Maeniel, and the little Elfgifa. As the next book in the series is more of a prequel, and about Maeniel, I might read it.

Rating: 3 out of 5


Choke by Chuck Palahniuk

I have seen the movie for this one, and I have read Chuck Palahniuk before, so I knew how wacky it would be. And it was wacky, maybe not as much as I had expected. It's a rather nice book, and I in the midst of all the sex and all the cries for attention, there is something deeper in it. I enjoyed it, but thinking about the story and the adaptation to screen, I am not sure there is much added value in the book form.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5



Ironside by Holly Black   *review to come*

After liking Tithe and loving Valiant, I wanted to read Ironside, the final book on this series. It's more like Tithe than Valiant, and good like both. We have Kaye feeling a bit left out in the world of faery, which leads her to make a declaration (a formal one) to Roiben, which leads to an impossible quest. But Roiben's life is not easy either, he is facing a war he doesn't want to fight and cannot win, but wants to (and has to) win. And then there is Corny seeking revenge. And later on Luis helps Kaye and Corny.

So, it was a return to the much loved characters! And I really liked Corny and Luis on this one. A good close to the series.

Rating: 4 out of 5


The Broken Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin   *review to come*

The second on the Inheritance Trilogy, but the only thing that has to do with The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is the setting, and the Gods (and Godlings). In this one we have Oree, a blind (albeit a different kind of blind) woman who lives in Shadow (the city beneath Sky, Palace), and has various dealings with godlings, including dating them. She also has a strange guest in her house, who she has named Shiny, because he is really anti-social and takes a long time to talk to her (also, he shines).

It didn't take long for me to figure out who is who in this book, but that didn't take the fun out of reading. This is a very good book, better than its predecessor, mostly because of Oree, who is a great character. Can't wait for The Kingdom of Gods!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5



Ebooks
*For Review*
Finding Fiona by Emily Ann Ward

[Review]

Rating: 2 out of 5





*Kindle Store*
Shatter by Elizabeth C. Mock

[Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5






TBR Variation: +7 (From 196 to 203)

The book thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief

The setting is Germany 1939, and the narrator is Death. That was the reason I didn't read the book sooner. Didn't matter the many reviews singing its praises and telling there was humour in it. So, why did I read it? A read-along with Jen from Cuidado com o Dálmata and p7 from Bookeater/Booklover.

And yes, it's set during World War II, and in no way the author sugar-coated any of it. There is Death and deaths aplenty, like expected. And like all the reviews seemed to point to, it was a really good book.

The voice in which Death (and here I was expecting Terry Pratchett's DEATH) tells the story is rather unique. A mixture of satirical and resigned acceptance of the human nature. I really loved the way Death described the colour of the sky, how it changes – I think I'll never look at the sky quite in the same way.

Death also loves spoilers, and starts this book by telling the three moments she meets with Liesel, the star of this story. The first time, and this is when the story-proper begins, Liesel is 9, and she just lost her brother when they were on their way to Molching to be adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Hubermann. Liesel has her first encounter with Death, but also her first moment of thievery, for she is The Book Thief.

And so begin the adventures of Liesel in Himmel Street. Her new Mama, Rosa, is a source of new vocabulary, specially in terms of insults. Papa Hans is a wonderful man that eases this little girl into her new life, with his accordion, and late night vigils. And then there is Rudy, who dreams he is Jesse Owens and tries time and time again to win a kiss from Liesel. But there are more characters, of course. Late additions include the mayor's wife, who helps the Book Thief have access to books, in more ways than one; and Max, the Jewish fist-fighter, who comes collecting an old promise, and brightens Liesel's life. The characters are amazing, but I have a special fondness for Rudy, Hans and Max. They help Liesel, each in their own way, and each of them has their own strengths.

But let's not forget this is set in World War II. I'm not fond of that period of history, and I usually don't like literature about it. There are exceptions, of course (Everything is Illuminated is one of them, but probably because it focuses so little on WWII), and this book just joined the club. I really liked that we had a view of German families, not Jewish, and not exactly wealthy. And how some, fitting the superior race profile, didn't really care for Nazi politics.

The writing style was another thing that I also liked. It was concise (some would say choppy), but in a few words the author managed to write beautiful and so truthful sentences. I also loved the little asides, that presented the facts, or definitions, needed to continue with the story, without really breaking its flow.

I enjoyed the book a lot, a good book, I kept thinking throughout the first 9 parts of it. But it was the 10^th that did it. It's tragic and sad, and for once I was glad of Death's spoilers, I could ease my heart a bit, getting ready for what was to come. Yet it caught me by surprise, and oh, how my heart ached with Liesel's. Fear not, there is a bit of an happy ending. And speaking of endings, this is a book that ends beautifully – with Death saying: “I am haunted by humans.”

Jen's Review

p7's Review

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Other Reviews: Estante de Livros | The Broke and Bookish

This Book on: LibraryThing | GoodReads | BookDepository UK | Book Depository US | Amazon UK| Amazon US| Wook | Wook

Shatter by Elizabeth C. Mock

Shatter

Growing up during the chaos of the Nabosian War, Faela Durante and her entire generation never knew what it meant to live in a time of peace. Though the war ended years ago, the devastation has not. Every decision, no matter how seemingly insignificant, has a consequence and some consequences can never be predicted. But some are foretold.

Less than a year ago, Faela, the first Tereskan mind healer in generations, disappeared from her family home in Finalaran scared and pregnant. Hunted and living as an outcast, Faela searches for a legend that might be her only hope of gaining atonement and returning to her son. When her journey collides with two strangers and a prophecy, she must choose between trusting those around her or endangering her mission. With her past refusing to stay behind her, the consequences of Faela's choices will risk more than her own fate.

With such a synopsis, I would have expected this book to be pretty much about Faela. There was a lot that was about her in the story, but there were also a lot of others characters that interacted with Faela, and travelled with her, each with their own motivations.

Let's start with the two strangers mentioned on the back cover. One uses her as a human shield against the other, and being the good person she is, she decides to play judge and settle their differences. She ends up with a boy in her debt, Jair (the Destroyer), and this means trailing along with her through the forest to an uncertain destination.

What about the other stranger? He goes away for a bit (he is in need of some shopping) but he returns, intent on having his revenge on Jair, because he stole a bit more than just his boots. But on finding our party of two again, he ends up saving the day – for they are in trouble. But just barely, as he, Kade, comes very close to dying. And so Faela in now in debt to him (although not really, she managed to stop his certain death), and since they are all in pretty bad shape they have to rest until they can go on their way. But some bounty hunters appear! They are looking for Jair, and Kade is looking for them, and Faela is related to them. Isn't it a small world?

But these bounty hunters don't join the gang (of three, so far). Who joins is a couple that has been looking for Faela, Mireya a young girl that is something like an oracle and her husband Dathien who is her protector. Mireya had spoken a prophecy about Faela, and decided she needed to help her. And they are not the only ones who join up. The twins Eve and Sheridan come looking for Kade, as he is their prime suspect for a heinous crime, and Eve brings along a bard that hides who he is.

So, with our party of 8 (sometimes 10 for the brief periods the bounty hunters join in), we travelled through the kingdom of Nabos, trying to find the answers Faela is looking for. Why the others go with her? One, because she is kind of an anathema when it comes to magic. Two, because she is searching for something that is only a legend, and that no one believes is real. Well, no one apart from Mireya. And three, because there is like a web of people that want to get other people and have promised to care of other that makes disentangling the group kind of hard.

So, what did I think of it. The short version is I liked it. I did, there was a really nice set of magic, divided into colours, that made it easy to understand what everyone did. And the story of Faela is sad but I loved to find out about it. What I really did like was the banter between characters. Not all of them, but Sheridan and Jair were really funny (together or with anyone else). And the dynamic of Kade and Faela was also very good.

To tell the truth, I liked Faela. She wasn't a teenager bent on adventure and excitement. She was a grown woman, who had made something really bad, and was trying to fix it the best way she could, not for her, but for her son, who she had to leave behind, but was never far from her thoughts. She liked solitude and calm, and sometimes the big group got too much for her, and that is something I can relate to.

The ending was a cliffhanger, not a very mean one, but still, it was heart-wrenching because of the tragedy of it. And now I want to know what happens next.


Rating: 4 out of 5

This Book on: LibraryThing | GoodReads | Amazon UK| Amazon US

Finding Fiona by Emily Ann Ward

Finding Fiona
I received this book in ebook format from the Author, through LibraryThing Member Giveaway

The victim of a brutal attack, Fiona could remember little about her life until she meets someone who claims to be from her past. He tells her that her parents were killed for a human replication machine. He's shocked to discover she's still alive since her body was found in the wreckage of the fire. 

She soon travels to her old home in New York to figure out what happened to her and her family. She needs to find out who she is, but more importantly, confront the men who killed her parents.

The synopsis explains what goes on the book rather well. There is Fiona who suffers from amnesia, and is in search of who she is. There is a bit of science-y things that have to do with human replication (not to confuse with cloning, very different things). And there is crime and mystery as well.

It sounded promising, but this book just didn't work out for me. Not the writing, that seemed too fast and too dry, not the characters, with whom I couldn't connect with, and especially not the science. Because in science fiction, I have to believe the science works, no matter how strange it seems. In this case it just made my eyebrow go up while I questioned: “Seriously?”.

And as for the mystery, I didn't expect much surprises and on that account, I was not disappointed. It had a nice twist in the ending, that I have to admit didn't cross my mind, but apart from that it all fitted the characters' suspicions.

And speaking of characters, and since I said they didn't work out for me, let me elaborate. Fiona, the main character, was probably the one I had most trouble with. She was confusing, but not in the way of “I don't know who I am”, more like she couldn't make up her mind about things. I also found her lacking some depth, and I would have liked to have the amnesia part more explored, the sense of not knowing who she was. Apart from her relationship with Hannah, the woman who helps her when she is found after her attack, the interactions with the other characters felt a bit flat. And that includes her past boyfriend.

This is a rather short book, and maybe it's meant to be taken more lightly than I have. But for that I would have expected a lighter theme, or some humour in it, or maybe some actual romance. As it is, this book remains just an unsatisfying execution to a good idea.


Rating: 2 out of 5

This Book on: LibraryThing | GoodReads | Amazon UK (Kindle)| Amazon US (Kindle)

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Books That Have Been On My Shelf For The Longest But I've Never Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week a theme for a list is suggested. This week is Top Ten Books That Have Been On My Shelf For The Longest But I've Never Read (shame on me). Although these not be the ones that have been the longest on my shelf (only recently did I start tracking when I got those). And I tried to not include gifts, because it's more likely that those don't fit my tastes, so I do tend to leave them to collect those.

• Orsinian Tales by Ursula K. Le Guin
  This one has been staring at me for so long. Really, really long, and even though I sometimes pick it up intending to read it next, I never do.

• The Compass Rose by Ursula K. Le Guin
  Another one by Ursula K. Le Guin, but this one, I actually gave it a try but abandoned it about 3 pages into it. To read later, I said. That was probably in 2005.

• Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
  Another one that I started and then stopped, saving it for later (probably around 2000 or 2001). I think the problem was at that time, I didn't give up on books. I saved them for later. 

• The Children of Húrin by J. R. R. Tolkien
  This book came out in 2007, and I had to have it. So I bought it almost straight away. It's still collecting dust on the shelf.

• The Successor by Ismail Kadare
  Another that I bought sometime in 2007, intending to read as soon as I got it. Yep, also collecting dust.

• Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
  Ahh, Moby Dick. I do intend to read this one. It's one of those books that I intend to read some time during my life. And as such I bought a copy of it about 7 or 8 years ago. Some time during my live I will read it.

• The Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko
  Maybe not that long in the shelves (I'll say about 3 years), but considering the amount of books that have come and been read since this one, it's a shame it's still there. Because I do intend to read it. Sometime.

• The Language of Stones by Robert Carter
  This one was a gift, but it sounds like something I might like - celtic historical fiction. Well, Arthurian, I later discovered during a first aborted try at this book. One day I'll pick it up again and see what was it that made me stop reading 6 or 7 years ago.

• Lizard Tails by Juan Marsé
  Another gift, this one when I was at the hospital in 2002. I liked the title and the cover, but for some reason, never actually read it.

• The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2006 by Brian Greene
  And the last in the list, because this one it's easy to know how long it has been on the shelf. Another gift, but since it's non-fiction, it might be a while before I actually pick it up.

My Name is Mina by David Almond

My Name is Mina

"My name is Mina and I love the night. Anything seems possible at night when the rest of the world has gone to sleep. It’s dark and silent in the house, but if I listen close, I hear the beat beat beat of my heart. I hear the creak and crack of the house. I hear my mum breathing gently in her sleep in the room next door."

So starts this book. I vaguely remembered Mina from Skellig – she was this strange girl who quoted William Blake and was home schooled. The basic reason to getting this book was because it was pretty. Yeah, it's a kind of prequel to Skellig. But it's so pretty!

My version

And once I got it I realized it wasn't just the cover. My Name is Mina is something of a diary book, not the regular Dear Diary type, but one where Mina rambles about stuff she likes, and writes her bizarre thoughts. In her words, a diary of exciting things, and exciting things of course cannot be written in boring typeface – so the book is pretty cool inside too.

There is not really a plot as such, it's just Mina telling about herself, how she hated school and how she loves her tree and her cat and making up words. But Mina is lovely and I had great fun reading more about her and getting to know her. She is a strange kid, and I couldn't help but relate to her. She had weird ideas and thoughts, and she was usually up to no good (especially when she was in school – think Calvin, from Calvin and Hobbes). There were parts for laughs and smiles, and parts for really laughing at loud.

Yet another pretty cover

But underneath it all, we still had a little girl still trying to come to terms with the death of her father. There were parts that really warmed my heart, some that really made me wish for something good to happen to her, something exciting and magical (well, I guess it did, in Skellig).

I really enjoyed this book, a mixture of fun and aww moments. It's for younger audiences, but I think anyone can love it. I sure did. (Plus, pretty cover!)


Rating: 4.5 out of 5

This Book on: LibraryThing | GoodReads | BookDepository UK | Book Depository US | Amazon UK| Amazon US| Gam.co | Wook | Wook

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Hobbit

It's been more than 10 years since I first read The Hobbit. I was young, amazed from just finishing The Lord of the Rings, and quite inexperienced when it came to reading in English. But read I did, because I needed more (MORE!!!!). And now, with the movie being shot somewhere in New Zealand (2012 why don't you come?), I decided it was time for a re-read.

So, there I was, back again in the hole where a hobbit lived, Mr. Bilbo Baggins. It was easy to immerse myself in the world of Middle Earth, my image of them now very much influenced by The Lord of the Rings movies.

But back to the story. Mr. Bilbo Baggins, a decent sort of hobbit, much fond of good food, and blowing smoke rings on his pipe, and not at all prone to adventure, finds himself in just that: an adventure. To blame is Gandalf, who brought to his step 13 dwarves: Thorin, Balin, Kili and Fili, Dori, Nori and Ori, Oin and Gloin, Dwalin, Bifur, Bofur and Bombur (yes, I had to look them up, I could only remember 11). The dwarves are in need of a burglar for their expedition, and Gandalf thinks Bilbo is just the man for the job (although he has never done any burglary before). The Dwarves are going to the Lonely Mountain to reclaim their rightful treasure from Smaug, the dragon (and get rid of him, but it's mostly the treasure part). And Bilbo finds himself agreeing to this. And off they go to have adventures, with trolls and elves and goblins and wargs and all kinds of magical creatures (and all the while Bilbo wishes he had never left his cosy hobbit hole).

The Hobbit is great fun – there is a tone to the entire things that just makes you smile and chuckle. Also, there is something in the writing that just makes you leave the pages and go to Middle Earth. I knew I loved this book, I had the first time, and I was sure I would love it now as well.

There were, of course some differences, I found it easier to read now, and was a bit shocked at the amount of death in the book – a book I regard as young adult and/or children's literature. But I think I ended up loving it more (I wasn't sure it was possible). I think I was reminded that I not only loved the story, but also the way it was told, its puns and twists of language, the songs (The songs! The part that I least liked in Lord of the Rings but that I loved in The Hobbit!), and the complaining and bickering of dwarves and hobbit.

The parts that I recalled with fondness were still there, and I found myself loving them more still. The riddles in the dark, the entrance of Beorn's House, the escape from the Elf King... I looked forward to those scenes and they didn't disappoint.

I can't wait to see the adaptation in the big screen, The Hobbit is a favourite of mine. Worth reading, even if the world of Lord of the Rings seems too daunting. And totally worth re-reading it!


Rating: 5 out of 5

Other Reviews: Libri Touches

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