Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Title: Uglies

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Date Read: From December 14^th to December 16^th, 2011

On TBR for: 351 days

Format: Physical Book

Source: Gift - Christmas gift





The world of Uglies is our own, but after we damaged our planet and ourselves almost to the point of no return, society gets restarted in a place where everything is self-sufficient and no one is discriminated based on their physical appearance because, ta-dahh, everyone is pretty. Well, not everyone, everyone over the age of 16, because before that they are not old enough to go under the knife. So, these young teenagers who have yet to discover the wonders of cosmetic surgery are called Uglies. Because it's what they are – Ugly.

Tally is one of those, months away from getting her operation, and she can't hardly wait to join the rest of her friends in the parties and being simply amazing. She is the last of her mates to turn 16, so she feels really alone in Uglyville, so much that she decides to go sneak up to New Pretty Town, to check on her BFF, Peris, who has been there for so long and hasn't bothered to write. Or call.

Things do not go exactly as planned, Tally is trespassing after all, but she satisfies her need to see her friend, who makes her promise not to get into more trouble before she gets the operation, and she meets someone else doing the same as her, Shay, who becomes her new best friend.

They do stuff together all the time, enjoying their time left in Uglyville to play all the pranks they want, Shay even teaches Tally to hoverboard (yes, hooerboard, think Marty McFly and Back to the Future). But when the big day looms close (and it's the big day for both of them, they share a birthday), Shay tells Tally she doesn't want to pretty (*gasp* The Horror!), instead she is going to runaway and join a group of rebels who also don't want to be pretty, known as Smokies (they live in The Smoke). Shay would have liked to have Tally runaway with her, but Tally is not having that. She wants to be pretty. But since she is in such good terms with Shay, she promises to think about it, and Shay leaves her a coded message on how to get to The Smoke.

Tally would never use that, of course, if The Powers That Be hadn't noticed Shay's leaving and Shay's new best friend. As it was, they made her an Ultimatum, she either had to help them catch the Smokies (breaking a promise to Shay of not telling her secret) or she would be ugly forever. Poor Tally thinks, and thinks, and decides to help TPTB somewhat – she'll go to Smoke, see what it's all about, and then she'll decide whether to betray her friend's trust or not.

And so, with hoverboard in hand, a pack full of concentrated Spaghetti Bolognese, Tally hovers away to get to The Smoke, not without perils, since this girl almost got roasted alive (this section remind me of The Hunger Games).

And let me stop here before I summarize the entire book. (There aren't many spoilers, though, most of this is on the back cover, only much more concentrated summarized)

Anyway... It took sometime to have the courage to pick this book up. Why? Well, to me beauty is, of course, in the eye of the beholder, and my eyes are sometimes different from other eyes. So, this world where everyone was pretty, it wasn't gathering points with me. But I started the book, and I understood the concept of beauty used here – mainstream beauty, evening out differences, going for the big eyes, pouting mouth look of innocence, that ensured that there was a biological/psychological need to protect and love that person. I would be utterly miserable in that world, of course, but I can understand the reasons why it worked. As I continued reading I could also see how this world could be seen as school metaphor – the younger Uglies earning to enter that cool place that is New Pretty Town (*ahem, cof, High School, cof*).

Tally, with her eagerness to also be pretty, never really impressed me. She was fun, but had the book been about someone else, it would have been the same for me – I was reading for the world and the society, not the characters. In fact, I will continue reading the series for those reasons, even if there was some growth, at least where Tally is concerned. There was also a bit of romance in there, which, unsurprisingly, didn't impress me either.

This book's strengths are both the worldbuilding, and the action. There is plenty of action going on, from Tally and Shay's pranks, to the lone trip of Tally through the wasteland that our world has become, to the events on Smoke, rescue missions, hiding and going undercover. Lots of stuff that kept the pages flying by.

It did end on a cliffhanger (one has to ensure that readers will pick up the next book, right?), and as such I want to know what happens next. I also want to learn more about the world.


Rating: 4 out of 5

Other Reviews: A Journey of Books | Book Chick City | Este Meu Cantinho | The Non Reluctant Reader

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

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Title: Entwined

Author: Heather Dixon

Date Read: January 3^rd

On TBR for: 2 days

Format: ebook

Source: Bought

Challenges?: 2012 Outdo Yourself, Off the Shelf 2012, Fairy Tales Retold





Entwined is a retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses Fairytale. We start with Azalea preparing for a ball – her first one! – and dreading having to dance with the King, who is a very stiff dancer. But her mother is ill and someone has to take her place, and being the oldest of 11, the job falls to her.

But the ball never goes as planned – first the King never appears, then it ends prematurely. There are bad news, the eleven princesses become motherless. But they gain a little sister. The house enters in mourning, meaning that all their dresses are dyed black, the windows are draped in black, they cannot go out except on Royal Business, and *gasp* they cannot dance. And if there is something that these sisters like doing, it is dancing.

But this is a world with magic, and with magic they find a perfect place to dance – a silver forest with a magical pavilion, with music aplenty, and a guardian – Keeper, who is trapped there and wants their help to escape.

What first stands out on this book are the sheer number of characters – of course there would be many, it's the 12 Dancing Princesses, after all, but all of them get to be rather different from the others. And I really liked that they were so neatly named – bless the King with his organization and rules complex! – it was easier to set them apart this way. And what is this revolutionary technique? Well, they are named in alphabetical order: Azalea, Bramble, Clover, Delphinium, Eve, Flora and Goldenrod, Hollyhock, Ivy, Jessamine, Kale and Lily! The older ones got more action, of course, and more screen time. But the young ones were adorable as well!

As for the story, it was sweet, not without its sadness and perils. But in the end, the feeling I have of this book is that it was sweet. I really liked the King and his part on the story, and was glad that the fact that he was mourning his wife was not forgotten. He was stiff, and it was understandable that the girls felt unloved, but all the time I couldn't hate him for it. And the more the story progressed, the more I liked him as a character – he did love his daughters, although I think he didn't really know what to do with so many of them and that he was overwhelmed by their energy and liveliness.

Keeper's part of the story did make my brain churn since he first appeared – there was something in him that put me on guard (unlike, for instance, Fairweller, who is despised by Azalea and Co., and who I did like him from the start). But Keeper's mystery soon became rather obvious, although I wasn't sure how it was going to play out. In the end it worked out fine (better than I had hoped) although it was a bit a cheating there to get to the happy ending – but I'm glad it ended that way.

I also liked the writing on this one – there was a hint of humour throughout it that I enjoyed, from arguments with magic sugar teeth, to sisterly gossiping and teasing. I loved the interactions between characters, especially between sisters. There were, however, parts where I felt a bit lost about the surroundings and about who was holding the little ones, especially Lily, who kept changing hands between sisters.

To sum it up, Entwined is a really sweet book, with very good characters. Well worth reading.


Rating: 4 out of 5

Other Reviews: Bewitched Bookworms | Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing | Confessions of a Book Addict | Cuidado com o Dálmata | Curling up by the Fire | Good Books & Good Wine | The Nerd's Wife

Similar Readings: Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier [LT|GR]

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

December Ins and Outs

Last Ins and Outs of 2011 and so little books reviews on December. The Shame! (Even more shameful - there are still some November reviews pending)

Surprisingly, there are not that many books acquired - it's not that Santa wasn't nice, he just got a little late and the books are still somewhere between the North Pole and Portugal (I hope. It would be the first time to have a book come via Australia.).
On the reading side things were good - lots of books read, even if not all of them good!

INS
Bought - physical bookCatch-22 by Joseph Heller
It arrived a little later than expected - after all it was bought on the same day as Slaughterhouse 5 (received in November)

Bought - ebook
Entwined by Heather Dixon
My first actually bought ebook! And only because it was at a fantastic price ($0.99) and Jen said it was good!

Swap sites
*Bookmooch*
The Field Guide by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Freebies
*For Review - LibraryThing Member Giveaway*
Bedtime Stories for Cats by Amy Neftzger


*For Review - LibraryThing EarlyReviewers*
Enchantment by Pati Nagle

*Gifts*

The Weather Makers: How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth by Tim Flannery
Christmas gift from my uncle

Mistwood by Leah Cypess
My Secret Santa's gift, who turned out to be, unsurprisingly, Jen. Thanks!

These were not the only books I received for Christmas. There are 6 more that I received. Kind-of. They are still in the mail - you'll see them in January. I hope.

OUTS

Physical books
The bloody chamber: and other stories Angela Carter
The Bloody Chamber is listed as a must have in dark fairytale retellings, and as such I had high expectations for it. It turned out not to be as good as I hoped – there was a repetition of themes, the writing managed, quite at the same time, entrance me and annoy me and there was just something missing in some of the stories. Also I started this book by reading the introduction which, although quite good as an analysis of the book, completely ruins the experience of someone reading the stories for the first time.

Rating: 3 out of 5


Carta del fin del mundo by José Manuel Fajardo [Letter from the End of the World]
A book that I wanted to read for a long, long time. This book is a letter from a sailor to his brother, from the New World, about his troubles and fears, about being in a strange land with strange people. It was rather nice, and I really like Fajardo's writing.

Rating: 4 out of 5



Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
This was on the shelf for quite some time (almost a year!). A Dystopia where everyone turns pretty at when they turn 16 - they have an operation which evens out their features. Tally can't wait to turn pretty and join her friends, but when she is denied her operation because of a new friend who ran away, she goes in search for her, torn between breaking a promise or being ugly for the rest of her life. It was a nice read, there was plenty of action, and it left me wanting to know more about this world.

Rating: 4 out of 5


The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror by Christopher Moore
A joint reading with Jen, but it wasn't the best of books. Not very Christmas-y, except that it takes place during Christmas. A bit of non-sense humour, but it was rather poorly done. And I just thought that the zombies were unnecessary. And the epilogue as well.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5



Temeraire by Naomi Novik
I had been eyeing this one for ages, and still didn't pick it up. Even if there are dragons. That was strange. But I finally read it! It is a good book, think Eragon meets Master and Commander. The dragons were really fun, but I found the main character a bit too stiff (it does provide some amusing moments, too). I found the language also a bit stiff, but I think that was the translation only. I'll continue this series (but in English).

Rating: 4 out of 5


The Oxford Murders by Guillermo Martínez
I have seen the movie based on this book, but I didn't remember who-had-dunnit when I started. Eventually I remembered. But it was an okay read, I liked the parts that had to do with mathematics. Not mindblowing, but still nice for a fast a read.

Rating: 3 out of 5




The Field Guide by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
This feels much like an introduction to the series. The Grace kids move into an old house, and discover it has been inhabited by something else. Very fast read (1 day!), and the illustrations are simply lovely.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5






Ebooks
*For Review*

The Trees by Todd Brabander - Review
Bedtime Stories for Cats by Amy Neftzger - Review
Enchantment by Pati Nagle - Review



TBR Variation: -2 (From 203 to 201) Yey!

The Broken Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin

Title: The Broken Kingdoms

Author: N. K. Jemisin

Date Read: From November 26 to November 30, 2011

On TBR for: 19 days

Format: Physical book

Source: Bought - New








Back to the world of Sky, roughly ten years after the end of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, The Broken Kingdoms is the story of Oree, a blind artist who lives in the city below the palace-Sky, now turned into palace/tree. She sells knick-knacks and souvenirs to the pilgrims that go to worship the new godlings (and even the old god Itempas). And she paints, but that's just for her.

One day she finds someone in a pile of muck, and like the good person she is, she takes him home and treats him. She even gives him a name: Shiny. Why does she give him a name? One, because he never talks (he can talk, he just chooses not to - this isn't a story about the blind and the mute), and two, because he shines (but only in the morning).

And let me backtrack a bit here, because you surely recall that I told you Oree is blind. She IS blind, but she can see magic, its glow allows her to see parts of the world. It does help her a lot, especially because Sky is so infused with it. And it allows her to become really chummy with all kinds of godlings. So she knows, more or less, what she has in her hands with Shiny. And still adventure ensues.

There is part that is a continuation of the plots of the previous book, but The Broken Kingdoms is a book on its own. I found myself hating characters I once loved, and loving characters I once hated, just because there was a shift in perspective. And I loved that it happened.

Oree as a character captivated me like Yeine never did. She is spunky and feisty, and more importantly, gets things done. The big problem with this book is, having read the first one, the mystery of Shiny is no mystery at all (except for Oree, of course). But I did like to see his character unfold, and was surprised by how much I ended up liking him.

And that surprise is not exclusive to Shiny. I was surprised how much I ended up liking this book, considering that the first one didn't blow me off my feet. I really liked the ending, and I am now ready for the next/last one in the series, The Kingdom of Gods.


Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Other Reviews: Cuidado com o Dálmata | Fantasy Café | Libri Touches | The Broke and the Bookish

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

Challenges, Challenges, part 2

Just another one, because it sounded fun. Most categories are somewhat easy, but I'm having some trouble finding something in my TBR pile with a creepy crawly in the title. Maybe I'll have to (finally) get a copy of Lord of the Flies...

What's in a Name 5
hosted by Beth Fish Reads



Here's How It Works

Between January 1 and December 31, 2012, read one book in each of the following categories:

1. A book with a topographical feature (land formation) in the title: Black Hills, Purgatory Ridge, Emily of Deep Valley
2. A book with something you'd see in the sky in the title: Moon Called, Seeing Stars, Cloud Atlas
3. A book with a creepy crawly in the title: Little Bee, Spider Bones, The Witches of Worm
4. A book with a type of house in the title: The Glass Castle, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Ape House
5. A book with something you'd carry in your pocket, purse, or backpack in the title: Sarah's Key, The Scarlet Letter, Devlin Diary
6. A book with a something you'd find on a calendar in the title: Day of the Jackal, Elegy for April, Freaky Friday, Year of Magical Thinking

The book titles are just suggestions, you can read whatever book you want to fit the category.

Other Things to Know

• Books may be any form (audio, print, e-book).
• Books may overlap other challenges.
• Books may not overlap categories; you need a different book for each category.
• Creativity for matching the categories is not only allowed but encouraged.
• You do not have to make a list of books before hand.
• You do not have to read through the categories in any particular order.

2011 Ins and Outs - The Stats

Another year comes to an end, another year in reading (and reviewing, although there has been very little of that this past month). After spending this week looking back, making these lists of things I liked, and things I want for the next year, it's only right that I make a summary of my reading, isn't it? (Even if it isn't, I'll do it anyway.)

So, here they are, the Ins and Outs of 2011 (that come before the December ones, I'm afraid).


INS
Total books acquired: 111

Breakdown by source
Bought (65)
New: 41
In a Bookfair: 18
Used: 5
Ebook: 1

Swapsites (32)
Bookmooch: 28
WinkingBooks: 4

Freebies (14)
Gifts: 7
Won on a giveaway: 1
For Review - physical book: 2
For Review - ebook: 4

Not included: Kindle freebies


OUTS
Total books read: 86!

Out of these 86, 9 were review copies. 70 books were actual, paper and ink and cover, books. 16 were ebooks. (I did juggle 2 books between book, ebook and audiobook) 17 were graphic novels or mangas (and 3 of those were digital galleys). 2 were short stories.

Languages: I read 70 books in English, 11 in Portuguese and 5 in Spanish.

Ratings:
I liked most of the books I've read this year: 57 received a rating of 4 stars or more. But there were some that didn't impressed me: 6 books received a rating of 2 stars or less. The average rating was 3.81.

Length:
Now, with ebooks this won't be accurate - I took the value of a paperback edition of the same book in the cases there was one, but some of the books pages were calculated based on the number of pages on pdf, or Adobe digital editions, or using the simple rule of number of pages on my cellphone divided by 4.

Longest book: A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin with 835 pages
Average length: 286 pages
Total number of pages: 24611 pages
16 books were 500 pages or longer
45 books had 250 pages or less

Time to read:
Average time it takes to read one book: 9 days - but reading multiple books at the same time.
A book was finished, on average, every 4.2 days (this is completely bogus - some days I read more than one books, especially if was it mangas, some months I finished only one book.)
Average number of pages read each day: 68

TBR CHANGES
Start value: 170 books
End value: 201 books

I have 31 more books in my TBR list than at the end of last year. SHAME! I'll be working on clearing it on 2012.
Taking into account my rate of reading of the last 2 and a half years, and if I read nothing but books on my TBR, and add nothing to it, I should clear it on July of 2014. See you then!




Oh, wait, there is more!

Next year I will be doing some Challenges - trying to read more, and just clear the TBR list mount. And an unofficial challenge will be also to cut down a bit on the getting more books side (I foresee that I'll fail this one). Maybe keep things on a 1:1 ratio?

I still have lots of books to review (from November and December), but those also will come next year.

Until then, I hope you have a lot fun on New Year's Eve, and make the best out of 2012 (unless the world ends on the first day)!

Enchantment by Pati Nagle

I received this book in ebook format from the Author, through LibraryThing Early Reviewers

Enchantment

Holly Parker’s life changes forever when she visits Enchantment Spring with her older sister Madison. They hike through the woods, and when they reach the spring, Holly’s disappointed. A concrete coffin full of water? She expected a pool surrounded by flowers, birds, dancing dragonflies.

But fine. They eat the lunch they packed, and lounge around in the sunshine a while. As they get ready to leave, Holly dabbles her fingers in the water.

And sees a face beneath the surface.

The joy of first love fills her, but Holly’s happiness turns to horror when she learns that the government plans to demolish Enchantment Spring. Her passion for Ohlan — the beautiful water spirit who inhabits the spring — is so strong that she’ll gladly risk her life, standing between the spring and the backhoes, to save him.


The description does tell what happens in this book – at least until the part I gave up on it.

And why did I give up, you would ask. For starters, I didn't really like Holly, the main character. Was she a bad girl? No, of course not. But she never left the page – she was just words, and never made me believe she was real. The pacing of the beginning had a lot to do with it – it doesn't take long for the face to appear in the spring – it must have been one or two pages, just slightly longer than in the description. But that would have been fine, if the main character wasn't suddenly head over heels over this face – before she even establishes he is real.

From then on it was hard to take anything seriously in this book. There was much of Holly's research that felt badly organized, and a tad bit too easy. And then the girl goes on jumping into conclusions that were 99% wishful thinking (just not to call it delusion) on her part, and 1% logic.

I got to the point where I asked myself “Do you care about the main character?” The answer was no. “Do you want to know if Ohlan is real or not?” Not really. “Do you want to know why he is weak?” Couldn't care less. “Do you want to read about Holly's first love?” Love? That's not love. “Do you care at all about what is going to happen next?” No, not really. So that's why I gave up on the book, even though I tried, for the sake of making a proper review. I just didn't care enough about any of it.


Rating: 1 out of 5 - Did not Finish


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

Top 10 of 2011 - Top 10 Books I'm looking forward to in 2012

The last day of the week of the Top 10 of 2011, hosted by Confessions of a Bookaholic, A Life Bound By Books, Fiktshun and Two Chicks on Books. Today we look forward and see what books I am waiting for in 2012.

Only there is a slight problem. It won't be only books coming out in 2012, because I tend to read oldies, and obscure series that have been published for a while. There are just a few books that make me rush to the bookstore (ie. Bookdepository). But here they are, the books I want to read in 2012



Top 10 Books I'm looking forward to in 2012
Books coming out in 2012:

1 - Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.

I have been waiting for so long for this book! I loved Graceling and Fire, so I really want Bitterblue to be published!

Expected to be out: May 2012


2 - Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier

The series is set in Alban, an imagined version of ancient Scotland. Until recent times, a wary tolerance has existed between the human residents of Alban and the uncanny Good Folk. Then Keldec ascends the throne, and the kingdom becomes a place of fear where magic is shunned, neighbour turns on neighbour and no secret is safe. When fifteen-year-old Nevyn suffers an unthinkable betrayal of trust, she finds herself all alone in a world turned hostile. The secret she guards so closely could be her doom. It could also be the key to Alban's future.

Shadowfell is a story of tyranny and rebellion; of magic and of human courage.

Another series by Juliet Marillier! Squee! Set in Scotland! Double Squee!

Expected to be out: Fall 2012


3 - Flame of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier
There is no proper description for this one (it's not like I need it - it's Juliet Marillier and Sevenwaters, I'll read it no matter what the backcover says). But I found this, posted by the author:

"I am pleased with Return to Sevenwaters [Previous, temporary title - it has changed to Flame of Sevenwaters] so far. Maeve is an interesting narrator. Her character has been shaped by the traumatic accident in her childhood and her resulting injury, and also by the fact that she has spent ten years living at Harrowfield as a foster daughter of Bran and Liadan before returning home at the age of 20. Young Finbar, aged 7, also has a major part to play in the story."

Expected to be out: November 2012


4 - Sorrow's Knot by Erin Bow

In the world of Sorrow’s Knot, the dead do not rest easy. Every patch of shadow might be home to something hungry and nearly invisible, something deadly. The dead can only be repelled or destroyed with magically knotted cords and yarns. The women who tie these knots are called binders.

Otter is the daughter of Willow, a binder of great power. She’s a proud and privileged girl who takes it for granted that she will be a binder some day herself. But when Willow’s power begins to turn inward and tear her apart, Otter finds herself trapped with a responsibility she’s not ready for, and a power she no longer wants.

Plain Kate surprised me so much that I really want to keep reading this author!

Expected to be out: Sometime 2012


Already Published - Not Owned/Still waiting for them

5 - The Kingdom of Gods by N.K. Jemisin

For two thousand years the Arameri family has ruled the world by enslaving the very gods that created mortalkind. Now the gods are free, and the Arameri’s ruthless grip is slipping. Yet they are all that stands between peace and world-spanning, unending war.

Shahar, last scion of the family, must choose her loyalties. She yearns to trust Sieh, the godling she loves. Yet her duty as Arameri heir is to uphold the family’s interests, even if that means using and destroying everyone she cares for.

As long-suppressed rage and terrible new magics consume the world, the Maelstrom — which even gods fear — is summoned forth. Shahar and Sieh: mortal and god, lovers and enemies. Can they stand together against the chaos that threatens the Kingdom of the Gods?

The final book in the Inheritance Trilogy, and it features Sieh! Of course I want it!

Status: Still on the wishlist.


6 - The Poison Eaters: and Other Stories by Holly Black

Poisonous girls whose kisses will kill. A fateful eating contest with the devil. Faeries who return to Ironside, searching for love. A junior prom turned bacchanalia. In twelve short stories, eerie and brimming with suspense and unexpected humor, Holly Black twists the fantastical creatures you thought you knew in ways you’ll never expect.

A collection of short stories by Holly Black, and one of the stories has spinned of as a new book (still to be published, sometime in 2013).

Status: Still on the wishlist.


7 - I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

Meet Ed Kennedy — underage cabdriver, pathetic cardplayer, and useless at romance. He lives in a shack with his coffee-addicted dog, the Doorman, and he’s hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence, until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery. That’s when the first Ace arrives. That’s when Ed becomes the messenger...
Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary), until only one question remains: Who’s behind Ed’s mission?

Good reviews left me curious, and after reading the Book Thief, I know I'll keep reading this author.

Status: Still on the wishlist.


8 - The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Everyone is saying this book is great, and I'm not a girl to say no to a great book!

Status: On its way!


9 - The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Told in Kvothe's own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen. The intimate narrative of his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, and his life as a fugitive after the murder of a king form a gripping coming-of-age story unrivaled in recent literature. A high-action story written with a poet's hand, The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that will transport readers into the body and mind of a wizard.

Another book everyone is singing it's praises, and I want to know what all the fuss is about!

Status: On its way!


Already Owned - New Year's Resolution (I needed a 10th book!)

10 - The Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko

Set in modern day Moscow, Night Watch is a world as elaborate and imaginative as Tolkien or the best Asimov. Living among us are the "Others," an ancient race of humans with supernatural powers who swear allegiance to either the Dark or the Light. A thousand-year treaty has maintained the balance of power, and the two sides coexist in an uneasy truce. But an ancient prophecy decrees that one supreme "Other" will rise up and tip the balance, plunging the world into a catastrophic war between the Dark and the Light. When a young boy with extraordinary powers emerges, fulfilling the first half of the prophecy, will the forces of the Light be able to keep the Dark from corrupting the boy and destroying the world?

Not the book that has been on my TBR longest, but it has been there for a long, long time. I keep saying I'll read it, but I never do. So here is my New Year's Resolution. I'll finally read The Night Watch!



Extra:
Any book published by Megan Whalen Turner will make me run to the bookshop, and although there are two more books planned in the Queen's Thief series, they will not be coming any time soon. But if they do, I'll buy them! And then read them! And then read them again, and again, and again.

Top 10 of 2011 - Top 10 Characters in 2011

The fourth day of the week of the Top 10 of 2011, hosted by Confessions of a Bookaholic, A Life Bound By Books, Fiktshun and Two Chicks on Books. Today's theme is Awesome Characters!

This is made a little differently - I tried to find categories, and have a winner for each. Also, I tried to keep yesterday's characters out of this one, so no category for best boyfriend material. You can see the winner and the nominees for that one here.



Top 10 Characters in 2011

Best Female Character of 2011: Rae/Sunshine in Sunshine
This was not an easy pick. So many awesome female characters this year! It was a close fight between Rae/Sunshine, Oree and Katsa. And if it had come to blows, I'm sure Katsa would win (ie. survive), but since I am picking, I chose Rae. Why? Because I love the way she thinks, and because I connected the most with her. Of all the characters, she felt the most real, the most human.

Runner-ups:	Oree in The Broken Kingdoms
	Katsa in Graceling

Best Male Character of 2011: Gen in The Thief
I said I wouldn't repeat yesterday's post, but you know what? Though luck. Gen is simply amazing and he deserves this spot. Best Male Character! He is just awesome. And let's leave it at that.

Runner-ups:	Luis in Valiant/Ironside
	Fool in The Assassin's Apprentice
	Zander in Transformation/Revelation
	Everyone in yesterday's post

Best Villain of 2011: Gollum in The Hobbit
This is a bit a cheating, because Gollum is not that much of a Villain, and not on The Hobbit anyway. But Best Villain doesn't mean the most villainous of characters - it means characters that I love so much even if they are on the dark side (they do have cookies). Gollum is one of my favourites, especially in Lord of the Rings, but the chapter "Riddles in the Dark" is my favourite, and this is a way of paying homage to Gollum.

Runner-ups:	Linay in Plain Kate
	Loethar in King's Wrath

Best Sidekick of 2011: Rudy in The Book Thief
It was a close call on whether to put Rudy in the Sidekick category or the Brat one, because he most certainly is a brat. He would most certainly win on both categories. He is Liesel friend and companion in her thieving activities, and all he asks in return is: A kiss! Even if he is covered in mud (or other foul things) and insults her from time to time (meaning: in an almost everyday basis)

Proof of Awesomeness:

A book floated down the Amper River. A boy jumped in, caught up to it, and held it in his right hand. He grinned. He stood waist-deep in the icy, Decemberish water.
“How about a kiss, Saumensch?” he said.

Best Brat of 2011: Mina in My Name is Mina
And now for the brats. I could put Gen in here, because he most certainly a brat. Rudy would give him a run for his money in bratiness. And Artemis wouldn't be far behind, and he would play dirty to come out on top. But I have to give Mina the first place on this. She is the female version of Calvin (from Calvin and Hobbes), the terror for any teacher because she is smart, and she knows it, but she thinks so outside the box that there is no box anymore - which translate as being extremely weird. But that's why I adore her!

Runner-ups:	Artemis in Artemis Fowl
	Arya in A Song of Ice and Fire series

Best Royalty of 2011: Attolia in The Queen of Attolia
There is always some royalty in fantasy, and with this year's batch it was no different. I had plenty of minor lords and ladies, princes and princesses, kings and queens to choose from, but the award goes to Attolia. She comes off cold and dangerous, and maybe she is both, a bit. But that is a result of her life and of the betrayals she suffered. She is strong and intelligent, and not devoid of heart. It was an amazing character to discover, and to unravel.

Runner-ups:

Eddis in The Queen of Attolia

Best Parental Figure of 2011: Hans Hubermann in The Book Thief
Not necessarily a parent, but that one character that teaches and helps the Hero/Heroine to stay on the good Path. You know, Dumbledore to Harry, or Bilbo to Frodo, or Gandalf to pretty much everyone... But the award goes to Hans Hubermann, because there is no one quite like him: from late night reading lessons to accordion music, he made everything in his power to be the best father to Liesel. And in my opinion, he was.

Runner-ups:	Yvonne in Sunshine
	Chade in The Assassin's Apprentice

Best Talking Cat of 2011: Taggle in Plain Kate
I like cats, so I enjoy seeing felines in my books, and this year had quite a few of them. From Varjak Paw to Bedtime stories for Cats, with at least two re-tellings of Puss-on-Boots in between, there was no shortage of cats (not all of them talkative, true), but it was Taggle that stole my heart. Not only did I wish to have a cat like him, I wish to have a friend like him.

Proof of Awesomeness:

Taggle was absorbed in the meat pie. ‘It’s covered in BREAD,’ he huffed. ‘What fool has covered MEAT with BREAD?'

Best Magical Being of 2011: Temeraire in His Majesty's Dragon
Another hard category. First, what is a Magical Being? Would Rae/Sunshine be one? She is not entirely human, is she? What about Death? And all the Gods in the Inheritance Series? And Talking Cats would probably also fit in here. So, who to choose? Well, you can never go wrong with dragons, and Temeraire is a very fun dragon. He loves to read, well to be read to, since there aren't any books being published for dragons. And he is very smart, very loyal, and very compassionate.


Proof of Awesomeness:

“Does he read to you?” Lady Allendale asked Temeraire, amused.
“Yes; you see, I cannot hold them myself, for they are too small, and also I cannot turn the pages very well,” Temeraire said.

Best Dwarf of 2011: Tyrion in A Game of Thones and A Clash of Kings
You could say I created this category just for Tyrion, after all there aren't that many dwarfs in literature. But you would be forgetting that I re-read the Hobbit this year, and if there is something that book isn't lacking, it is dwarfs. Still, Tyrion tops them all (all 13 of them), even if I adore that book. Why? Because Tyrion is made of pure win, with only that not-so-minor flaw that he is a Lannister.