The Reader's Nook

Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult

2010-06-21T08:57:00.001+10:00

Title: Plain Truth
Author: Jodi Picoult
Publication Date: 2003
Blurb: The discovery of a dead infant in an Amish barn shakes Lancaster County to its core. But the police investigation leads to a more shocking disclosure: circumstantial evidence suggests that eighteen-year-old Katie Fisher, an unmarried Amish woman believed to be the newborn's mother, took the child's life. When Ellie Hathaway, a disillusioned big-city attorney, comes to Paradise, Pennsylvania, to defend Katie, two cultures collide -- and for the first time in her high-profile career, Ellie faces a system of justice very different from her own. Delving deep inside the world of those who live "plain," Ellie must find a way to reach Katie on her terms. And as she unravels a tangled murder case, Ellie also looks deep within -- to confront her own fears and desires when a man from her past reenters her life.

My Thoughts: Katie is a young Amish girl who is charged with murdering her newborn baby. The problem is that Katie claims that she’s never been pregnant and never given birth despite all the evidence that says otherwise. Ellie, a distant relation of the family decides, reluctantly, to defend Katie but the catch is that in order to make sure Katie doesn’t skip bail Ellie must live with her and her family for the entirety of the court case. Slowly over the course of the novel the truth starts to come out, but could Katie, a gentle young Amish girl be guilty of murdering her own baby?

I’ve been wanting to read Plain Truth for a while now as I’m interested in finding out more about the Amish. I finally got around to reading it recently and I must say it didn’t disappoint! This was another very interesting and compelling read from Jodi Picoult. I usually get bored reading about court cases, but Picoult somehow manages to keep them interesting and wanting you to read on. I also really enjoyed reading about the Amish people, how they live and the ideals that they live by.

This is definitely one of my favourite Picoult books!

Rating: ****

New to my 'to read pile'

2010-06-18T10:01:00.003+10:00

These are a few books that I've recently added to my 'to read pile'. There's not as many this time around as I haven't been book buying as much (am refraining from visiting the Book Depository website - too addictive!) recently so I've been taking advantage of my local public library.

Bought:

Title: The Carrie Diaries
Author: Candace Bushnell
Publication Date: 2010

Blurb: Before Carrie Bradshaw became the queen of the New York City social scene, she was a regular girl growing up in the suburbs of Connecticut. How did she turn into one of the most-read social observers of our generation? The Carrie Diaries opens in Carrie's senior year of high school. She and her best friends are inseparable - and then Sebastian Kydd comes into the picture. Sebastian is a bad boy - older, intriguing and unpredictable. Carrie falls into the relationship that she was always supposed to have in high school - until a friends betrayal makes her question everything. With her high school days coming to a close, Carrie will realise it?s finally time to go after everything she ever wanted. Fans of Sex and the City will love seeing Carrie Bradshaw evolve from a regular girl into a sharp, insightful writer. And we'll see what brings Carrie to her beloved New York City, where the next Carrie Diaries book will take place.

Borrowed:

Title: Ambition
Author: Kate Brian
Release Date: 2008

Blurb: The higher you climb, the farther you have to fall....Reed Brennan knew being elected president of exclusive Billings Hall would change her life. What she didn't count on was being dumped by her boyfriend, Josh Hollis, or being held responsible for a fire that destroyed Easton Academy's oldest building.And now the administration wants to shut Billings down. Forever. As president, it's up to Reed to save Billings Hall. What better way to win over the head-master than to host a glam fund-raising event in New York City? Everyone needs a date, and the newly single Reed is the most eligible girl on campus. All of Easton's hottest boys are angling to take her out, and for once, Reed's biggest problem is which one to choose.Reed has never felt so popular or powerful -- until the police start asking questions about Cheyenne Martin's death. Excited party buzz quickly turns to whispered rumors and dark moods, and one thing becomes clear: There is someone who wants to see Billings, and Reed, go down. And they will do anything to make it happen.

Title: The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella (Twilight Saga)
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Release Date: 2010
Blurb: Bree Tanner can barely remember life before she had uncannily powerful senses, superhuman reflexes and unstoppable physical strength. Life before she had a relentless thirst for blood....life before she became a vampire.
All Bree knows is that living with her fellow newborns has few certainties and even fewer rules: watch your back, don't draw attention to yourself and, above all, make it home by sunrise or die. What she doesn't know: her time as an immortal is quickly running out. Then Bree finds an unexpected friend in Diego, a newborn just as curious as Bree about their mysterious creator, whom they know only as her. As they come to realise that the newborns are pawns in a game larger than anything they could have imagined, Bree and Diego must choose sides and decide whom to trust. But when everything you know about vampires is based on a lie, how do you find the truth?

Title: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls
Author: Steve Hockensmith
Release Date: 2010
Blurb: Journey Back to Regency England-Land of the Undead! Readers will witness the birth of a heroine in Dawn of the Dreadfuls a thrilling prequel set four years before the horrific events of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. As our story opens, the Bennet sisters are enjoying a peaceful life in the English country side. They idle away the days reading, gardening, and daydreaming about future husbands until a funeral at the local parish goes strangely and horribly awry. Suddenly corpses are springing from the soft earth and only one family can stop them. As the bodies pile up, we watch Elizabeth Bennet evolve from a naive young teenager into a savage slayer of the undead. Along the way, two men vie for her affections: Master Hawksworth is a powerful warrior who trains her to kill, while thoughtful Dr. Keckilpenny seeks to conquer the walking dead using science instead of strength. Will either man win the prize of Elizabeth's heart? Or will their hearts be feasted upon by hordes of marauding zombies? Complete with romance, action, comedy, and an army of shambling corpses, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls will have Jane Austen rolling in her grave and just might inspire her to crawl out of it!

Inner Circle and Legacy by Kate Brian (Private novels)

2010-06-17T10:38:00.000+10:00

Title: Inner Circle & Legacy (Private, Book 6)
Author: Kate Brian
Series: Private
Other books in the series:
Private
Invitation Only
Untouchable
Confessions

Blurb - Inner Circle:
Reed Brennan arrived at Easton Academy expecting to find an idyllic private school experience -- challenging classes, adorably preppy boys, and a chance to create a new life for herself. Instead, she discovered lies, deception, blackmail, and...murder. But, thankfully, the killers were caught and the nightmare is finally over. Now, with a new school year ahead of her, Reed steps back on Easton's ivy-covered campus ready to start over. So when the headmaster announces that billings is forbidden from holding their traditional, secretive initiation, Reed is relieved. She champions the new rules and the six new girls the administration has picked to live in Billings Hall: Constance, Missy, Lorna, Kiki, Astrid, and newcomer Sabine. But Reed's fellow Billings resident and new nemesis, Cheyenne Martin, believes the changes are a mockery of Billings history. Despite the new rules, Cheyenne vows to keep the old ways alive, no matter what -- or who -- stands in her way...

Blurb - Legacy:
The price of power...After Cheyenne Martin's death, everyone at Easton Academy is struggling to recover from yet another tragedy--especially the girls of Billings Hall. With Cheyenne gone, they need to elect a new leader. And who better than Reed Brennan, the ultimate Billings Girls? As the new Billings president, Reed suddenly has access to power she never imagined. Gossip is reported to her immediately, she has first dibs on everything from dining tables to dorm rooms, and Billings's most powerful alumnae are at her beck and call. So when Easton's students discover they're the only prep school on the East Coast not invited to this year's all-inclusive Legacy party, everyone turns to Reed to get them back on the list. Reed is the most powerful girl at Easton. She revels in her newfound status, but knows better than anyone that the Bilings leaders have a tainted legacy: Ariana was institutionalized, Noelle was expelled, and Cheyenne just died. History has a way of repeating itself at Easton, and now that Reed has everything she's ever wanted, she has everything to lose.

My Thoughts:
These books are my guilty pleasure at the moment. They’re part of the Private series by Kate Brian and are about a young girl Reed Brennan. In the first books Reed has just arrived at the prestigious Easton Academy and is trying to work her way into the elite world of a group called The Billings Girls. In Inner Circle Reed is recovering from a horrifying experience that happened in the previous books (I’m trying not to give anything away!) and Billings House is being run by a girl called Cheyenne who is taking all the power to her head. Against the wishes of the new principal, and against Reed’s conscience, Cheyenne and the rest of the girls in the house have decided to go ahead with the usual initiations for the new Billings girls.

It’s interesting to see what life in a private boarding school is like, especially with girls that are that rich. I also kind of enjoyed (even though I don’t condone it) the initiations that the girls had to go through and the level of bitchiness that was in the house. I think it was the level of juiciness that was in the story! lol It was nice to see Reed sticking up for herself and the other girls though especially in a world of high school peer pressure and bullying.

In Legacy, the students at Easton are looking forward to the yearly Legacy Ball. This is an event that only third generation Easton students can attend, however they’re crushed to find out that nobody has received their invites for the year. So Reed and her friends decide that they have to find out what’s going on and find a way to get into the ball.

I really enjoyed the touch of mystery that was in Legacy. This was probably a little lighter than Inner Circle, with a new coffee shop opening at the school (yes please!) and the big issue being that the students might not have been able to attend a dance and that their dress purchases would have gone to waste. But of course like all the books in the Private series, it ends with a cliff hanger that made me reserve the next book in the series.

Ratings: Both get ****

Book Trailer - Uglies & The Host

2010-06-10T09:49:00.003+10:00

This is a Book Trailer that I made up for a couple of books. The first is for Uglies by Scott Westerfeld and the second is for The Host: A Novel by Stephenie Meyer. They're very basic book trailers, so don't expect too much! lol I had made them to be displayed in the Library that I work in, so unfortunately we couldn't have any sound.
I'm very happy to note too that the Uglies trailer has been shown by library designer Kevin Hennah in his talks around Australia and Asia so that's a bit of an ego boost :)

I'll be hopefully posting more of my own and other people's book trailers in the future for you to look at. Publishers have started making up their own trailers and there's some great ones out there.

more about "Book Trailer - Uglies & The Host", posted with vodpod

Read The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner for free!

2010-06-08T09:29:00.000+10:00

If you head on over to http://www.breetanner.com/ you'll be able to read The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner for free until July 5 2010. I know I'm curious to see what Stephenie Meyer's new book will be like, but I think I'll wait for the actual book to read it. Has anyone else read it yet? What did you think?

Thanks to Skerricks for posting about this on her blog.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

Review: House Rules by Jodi Picoult

2010-06-05T20:29:00.000+10:00

Title: House Rules
Author: Jodi Picoult
Publication Date: March 2010

Blurb: House Rules is about Jacob Hunt, a teenage boy with Asperger’s Syndrome. He’s hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, and like many kids with AS, Jacob has a special focus on one subject – in his case, forensic analysis. He’s always showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner he keeps in his room, and telling the cops what they need to do…and he’s usually right. But then one day his tutor is found dead, and the police come to question him. All of the hallmark behaviors of Asperger’s – not looking someone in the eye, stimulatory tics and twitches, inappropriate affect – can look a heck of a lot like guilt to law enforcement personnel -- and suddenly, Jacob finds himself accused of murder.

My Thoughts: Jacob Hunt is a teenage boy with Aspegers Syndrome. He can't look people in the eye, can't relate to other people's feelings, often says innappropriate things, has ticks and twitches he can't control especially when he's upset, can only wear and eat certain colours on certain days and needs to take breaks in a special room to calm himself down, amongst other things. Jacob is also obsessed with forensics, and often shows up at crime scenes to help the police. All of these things are characteristics of a person with Aspergers. However, when Jacob's tutor, Jess is found dead the police come to the conclusion that these characteristics also point towards Jacob being guilty of her murder.

After a couple of disappointing releases Jodi Picoult is back to her usual fantastic work with House Rules. I literally flew through this book just because I didn't want to put it down. I found all the details about the court case and Aspergers Syndrome really interesting and I now know a lot more about both of these topics than I did before. What I liked most about House Rules was how Picoult made Jacob a character I could empathise with and grow to like. I have read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night and didn't have this experience with that book at all. I also liked how you got to see each person's point of view as Picoult had her chapters from various people's point of view. So you got to see the impact Jacob's Aspergers and his court case have on his mother, Emma and his brother, Theo and also get the story from the point of view of Jacob's lawyer, Oliver and the police officer that arrested him. The ending was a little predictable, I had solved the case before I was halfway through the book, but I still enjoyed reading on to see if I was right and to see how exactly the story would end up.

I would definitely recommend this book!

Rating: ****

Recommended Blogs

2010-06-04T13:14:00.000+10:00

I know I’m always looking for good blogs to subscribe to, because there are so many that offer interesting information, book recommendations or just great reading. I thought that I’d list the ones that I follow every now and then and there might be some amongst them that you guys would like to follow too.

The Story Siren is a blog run by a lady from the United States. She has a great love of reading, especially Young Adult Fiction and so that’s what her blog is about. She has some great reviews and recommendations, and posts many upcoming titles, competitions and author interviews.

Windowpane Memoirs is very similar to The Story Siren, as it’s also a blog dedicated to Young Adult Fiction. I love this quote from the blog’s author, Michelle, “When I think about a writer creating worlds beyond reach I imagine their faces reflecting upon a windowpane; observing all that can be printed in words only with an artist’s heart. Windowpane Memoirs is also full of great reviews and recommendations of Young Adult Fiction. Michelle also posts upcoming releases, author interviews and chats and some competitions (although these are for US residents only, unfortunately)

Tanzanite’s Shelf and Stuff feeds my love of Historical Fiction. It’s a blog run my Daphne who shares her love of history and historical fiction with her readers. She not only reviews new fiction and non fiction books but also some older titles too. She runs some great competitions, and posts about upcoming new releases (both fiction and non fiction) as well as news and information about Historical Fiction. If you like Historical Fiction then this is definitely the blog for you (although beware, your wish list will grow every time you read it!)

Skerricks is one of the blogs I read for my work, and which I get lots of great library related news, and website and resource recommendations that I can then pass on to the students and teachers who work at the school I work at. It’s run by Ruth who is a Teacher Librarian at a school in New South Wales. My favourite part about the Skerricks blog is the Good Ideas for School Libraries entries, which show the changes Ruth has made to her library and the great ideas that she’s introduced.

Review: The Thistle and the Rose by Jean Plaidy

2010-05-31T15:39:00.000+10:00

Title: The Thistle and the Rose
Author: Jean Plaidy
Publication Date: January 2004

Blurb: Princess Margaret Tudor is the greatest prize when her father, Henry VII, negotiates the Treaty of Perpetual Peace with neighboring Scotland. The betrothal is meant to end decades of bloody border wars, but it becomes a love match: To Margaret's surprise, she finds joy in her marriage to the dashing James IV of Scotland, a man sixteen years her senior. But the marriage, and the peace it brings to both nations, does not last. When King James is struck down by the armies of Henry VIII, Margaret - Princess of England, but Queen of Scotland - finds herself torn between loyalty to the land and family of her birth and to that of her baby son, now King of the Scots. She decides to remain in Scotland and carve out her own destiny, surviving a scandalous second marriage and battling with both her son and her brother to the very end. Like all the Tudors, Margaret's life would be one of turmoil and controversy, but through her descendants, England and Scotland would unite as one nation, under one rule, and find peace.

My Thoughts: Whenever I read about the Tudor family it’s usually about Henry, his wives and children or the Grey sisters, so this is the first book that I’ve read that has been solely about Margaret Tudor, sister of Henry VIII. The story starts off when Margaret is 12 years old and is betrothed to King James IV of Scotland. I found this part very interesting, as it showed a little of Margaret’s relationship with Henry, her fears about marriage and all the festivities that went on because of it. Margaret falls in love with James as soon as she meets him, and theirs is a loving marriage, despite his many mistresses and illegitimate children. However, James dies young and Margaret is left a young widow, and mother to an infant king.

Like her brother, Margaret was ruled by passion and spontaneity which led to her next two marriages. She seemed to fall in love very quickly which caused great scandal and unhappiness for her. She spent the rest of her life trying to fight for control over her son and torn between her loyalty to England, her brother’s country and her home, and Scotland, her son’s country and the country she married into.

I love that Jean Plaidy writes about the more obscure and less written about characters in history. As I said before though, I haven’t read a lot about Margaret Tudor so I can’t say for sure how historically accurate it was. I did find it very interesting and entertaining though, although I find that I generally enjoy historical fiction by Allison Weir and Philippa Gregory just that little bit more. I think that those interested in history and the Tudor period will very much enjoy this book by Jean Plaidy.

Rating: ***

New to my 'to read pile'

2010-05-27T12:56:00.001+10:00

I've got a few 'new' books that have been added to the top of my 'to read pile' in the past week so I thought I'd share them with you. I'm looking forward to digging into these, some young adult, some adult and some non fiction. I've bought a couple of them, won one of them through Good Reads and the rest I've gotten through my local public library.

Won:

Title:[Refuge]e

Author: Adnan Mahmutovic

Publication Date: October 2005

Blurb: Mahmutović's work does not wallow in self-pity, nor do his characters. Inside the plain cover holds stories and poetry that speak truths, those that may cause one to feel discomfort, pity, and anger, yet Mahmutović does not ask the reader to feel this way, does not use his words to soothe or affect some change, instead, he says, "[RUFUGE]E is not a comfort. It is not a real shelter [...] whatever you, the reader, immerse yourself in here, whatever you find here to lift you up as being, be my guest.

Bought:

Title: The Secret Bride: In The Court of Henry VIII

Author: Diane Haeger
Publication Date: 2008
Blurb: Mary Tudor, the headstrong younger sister of the ruthless King Henry VII, has always been her brother's favorite-but now she is also an important political bargaining chip. When she is promised to the elderly, ailing King Louis of France, a heartbroken Mary accepts her fate, but not before extracting a promise from her brother: When the old king dies, her next marriage shall be solely of her choosing. For Mary has a forbidden passion, and is determined, through her own cunning, courage, and boldness, to forge her own destiny. The Secret Bride is the triumphant tale of one extraordinary woman who meant to stay true to her heart and live her life just as her royal brother did-by her own rules...

Title: The Sisters Who Would Be Queen: Mary, Katherine, and Lady Jane Grey
Author: Leanda De Lisle
Publication Date: September 2008
Blurb: Mary, Katherine, and Jane Grey–sisters whose mere existence nearly toppled a kingdom and altered a nation’s destiny–are the captivating subjects of Leanda de Lisle’s new book. The Sisters Who Would Be Queen breathes fresh life into these three young women, who were victimized in the notoriously vicious Tudor power struggle and whose heirs would otherwise probably be ruling England today.

Borrowed:

Title: House Rules: A Novel
Author: Jodi Picoult
Publication Date: March 2010
Blurb: House Rules is about Jacob Hunt, a teenage boy with Asperger’s Syndrome. He’s hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, and like many kids with AS, Jacob has a special focus on one subject – in his case, forensic analysis. He’s always showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner he keeps in his room, and telling the cops what they need to do…and he’s usually right. But then one day his tutor is found dead, and the police come to question him. All of the hallmark behaviors of Asperger’s – not looking someone in the eye, stimulatory tics and twitches, inappropriate affect – can look a heck of a lot like guilt to law enforcement personnel -- and suddenly, Jacob finds himself accused of murder.

Title: Inner Circle (Private, Book 5)
Author: Kate Brian
Publication Date: August 2007

Blurb: Reed Brennan arrived at Easton Academy expecting to find an idyllic private school experience -- challenging classes, adorably preppy boys, and a chance to create a new life for herself. Instead, she discovered lies, deception, blackmail, and...murder. But, thankfully, the killers were caught and the nightmare is finally over. Now, with a new school year ahead of her, Reed steps back on Easton's ivy-covered campus ready to start over. So when the headmaster announces that billings is forbidden from holding their traditional, secretive initiation, Reed is relieved. She champions the new rules and the six new girls the administration has picked to live in Billings Hall: Constance, Missy, Lorna, Kiki, Astrid, and newcomer Sabine. But Reed's fellow Billings resident and new nemesis, Cheyenne Martin, believes the changes are a mockery of Billings history. Despite the new rules, Cheyenne vows to keep the old ways alive, no matter what -- or who -- stands in her way...

Title: Legacy (Private, Book 6)
Author: Kate Brian
Publication Date: February 2008
Blurb: The price of power...After Cheyenne Martin's death, everyone at Easton Academy is struggling to recover from yet another tragedy--especially the girls of Billings Hall. With Cheyenne gone, they need to elect a new leader. And who better than Reed Brennan, the ultimate Billings Girls? As the new Billings president, Reed suddenly has access to power she never imagined. Gossip is reported to her immediately, she has first dibs on everything from dining tables to dorm rooms, and Billings's most powerful alumnae are at her beck and call. So when Easton's students discover they're the only prep school on the East Coast not invited to this year's all-inclusive Legacy party, everyone turns to Reed to get them back on the list. Reed is the most powerful girl at Easton. She revels in her newfound status, but knows better than anyone that the Bilings leaders have a tainted legacy: Ariana was institutionalized, Noelle was expelled, and Cheyenne just died. History has a way of repeating itself at Easton, and now that Reed has everything she's ever wanted, she has everything to lose.

Title: Plain Truth
Author: Jodi Picoult
Publication Date: November 2004
Blurb: The discovery of a dead infant in an Amish barn shakes Lancaster County to its core. But the police investigation leads to a more shocking disclosure: circumstantial evidence suggests that eighteen-year-old Katie Fisher, an unmarried Amish woman believed to be the newborn's mother, took the child's life. When Ellie Hathaway, a disillusioned big-city attorney, comes to Paradise, Pennsylvania, to defend Katie, two cultures collide -- and for the first time in her high-profile career, Ellie faces a system of justice very different from her own. Delving deep inside the world of those who live "plain," Ellie must find a way to reach Katie on her terms. And as she unravels a tangled murder case, Ellie also looks deep within -- to confront her own fears and desires when a man from her past reenters her life.

Wish List

2010-05-25T08:32:00.000+10:00

The following are some books, which haven't been released yet, that I've added to my ever growing wish list. I know they're a little random, but I do like different genres and I do read both young adult and adult fiction.

Claire de Lune
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella

The Wedding Planner
For the King's Favor
The Red Queen: A Novel

Review: The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

2010-05-24T14:57:00.000+10:00

Title: The Last Song
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Release date: 2009

Blurb: Seventeen-year-old Veronica 'Ronnie' Miller's life was turned upside down when her parents divorced and her father moved to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains alienated from her parents, particularly her father...until her mother decides it would be in everyone's best interest if she and her brother spent the summer with him. Resentful and rebellious, Ronnie rejects her father's attempts to reach out to her and threatens to return to New York before the summer's end. But soon Ronnie meets Will, the last person she'd thought she'd ever be attracted to, and finds herself falling for him, opening herself up to the greatest happiness - and pain - that she has ever known. In the tradition of his beloved novel 'A Walk to Remember', Nicholas Sparks brings us a deeply moving story of a young girl's first encounter with heartbreak - and love.

My Thoughts: I went into The Last Song expecting it to be a light read, something more entertaining than deep. And it was entertaining, but there was so much more to it than that. The book was also very touching, very deep and a great coming of age story.

Ronnie Miller is horrified and angry to find that her mother has decided that she and her younger brother, Jonah, will be spending the summer with their father in Wrightsville Beach. Ronnie hasn't spoken to her father for the past three years since he left her mother, and, after her arrival spends as much time as possible away from the house, trying to stay away from her father and his incessant piano playing. Because of this she meets the interesting but dark Blaze, the dangerous Marcus and Will, someone she never thought she could fall in love with, but does. As the story moves along Ronnie becomes a much more likeable character (I found her a little childish at first) and you can see her growing and accepting her father.

I found it interesting that, even though Ronnie is the main character, the chapters changed from her point of view to that of her father and Will. I find in some books this is hard to follow, especially if there are too many people included, but The Last Song was very easy to follow, as each character stood on their own, with their own distinct personalities.

Like all of Nicholas Sparks' other books this also has a twist at the end, which results in some very sad and touching moments. A piece of advice, make sure that you have some tissues with you while you read the last few chapters of the book!

I definitely recommend this book, although I'm sure girls will get more pleasure out of it than the guys. It's a wonderful coming of age story, and includes topics like family, illness and love.
Rating: 4/5

Tomorrow, when the war began movie

2009-09-18T09:30:00.000+10:00

I've just found out recently that the book Tomorrow, When the War Began
by John Marsden is to be made into a movie! Filming hasn't started yet, as the movie has just been anounced but apparently Caitlin Stasey (Rachel from Neighbours) is to play Ellie, and Lincoln Lewis (Geoff from Home and Away) are set to play Ellie and Kevin.

You can find the IMDB entry here where they have a little bit of info about the movie and also a forum for questions/comments and news. You can also see some of the cast listed here although most of them aren't listed on IMDB yet so I'm not sure if it's the final list.

For those who don't know Tomorrow, When the War Began follows the journey of Ellie and a group of seven others who band together to fight when Australia is invaded by an unknown enemy. Renowned screenwriter Stuart Beattie, whose credits include Australia and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, will write and direct.

A Reading Meme

2009-09-18T08:41:00.000+10:00

I found this meme at Tanzanite's Shelf and Stuff a Historical Fiction blog that I read and thought I'd give it a go. It's part of the 2009 Book Blogger Appreciation Week. Give it a go if you like.

We encourage you to be creative with this!
Please choose one or two questions to answer or try to answer all the questions in five words or less.
Or choose a picture to answer a question!
Brevity is the goal of today!

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
Sometimes. I like picking at things so rice crackers etc.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
No I hate marking books. I won't even write my name in it. I just feel like it ruins them and will niggle at me everytime I read it.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?Laying the book flat open?
I'm terrible with this, I dog ear my books and occassionally leave it lying flat open. I've tried to use bookmarks in the past but I just lose them or forget to use them.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
Both, but mostly fiction.

Hard copy or audiobooks?
I prefer hard copies, but I've taken up walking and have tried a couple of audio books which I've found quite good.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?
I can put the book down at any point, I have to read to the top of the next page though.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
No

What are you currently reading?
The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

What is the last book you bought?
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?
I only read one at a time.

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?
I love curling up in bed at night and reading before I go to sleep, but I can and do read in other places and at other times.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
I don't mind, either is fine.

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)
My newest and favourite books go on the top shelf and then I work down from there.

The Ruby Ring review

2009-09-10T09:03:00.000+10:00

The Ruby Ring
Diane Haeger
2005
Rating: Good

The Ruby Ring begins in 1520 Rome, a city in mourning for their beloved Raphael Sanzio. Raphael, a mastro painter was well loved in Rome and now lays in state in the Pantheon. Meanwhile a young woman, Margherita Luti seeks refuge in a nearby convent. She, who was born a bakers daughter in a humble neighbourhood on the Tiber, is now an outcast with many powerful enemies. Margherita was Raphael's beloved, his mistress and his model for many of his Madonna paintings. Theirs was a true and lasting love, but now that Raphael is gone the convent is Margherita's only hope for a safe and peaceful life. The Mother Superior finally agrees to allow Margherita to stay, despite her reputation, but with one catch. She must give up the ruby ring she wears, which was given to her by Raphael and the ring that she wore in Raphael's scandalous 'wedding portrait'. As Margherita makes her choice she thinks back over the years she spent with Raphael, and their love.

Despite the slow start, The Ruby Ring is a beautiful love story about two people, from vastly different backgrounds, who were truly and deeply in love. I loved reading about Raphael's passion and the sumptuous era which included characters like Leonardo DaVinci, Michaelangelo, Pope Leo X and more! As I mentioned earlier though, the book did start off slowly and felt like it took a while to read, in comparison to other books. The writing got a little dull in places and the couple a bit over the top in their romance, but it was interesting and enjoyable to read about Rome at that time and the powerful figures who surrounded them.

New to my 'to read pile'

2009-09-03T08:20:00.000+10:00

Ah, third time lucky for this post! I've seen quite a few posts around called In my Mailbox where people blog about what books they've received in the mail. I wanted to do a similar thing, but because most of my books don't come in the mail I'm going to post about which books are on my to read pile. These are books that I've either bought or borrowed from my public library.

Bought:
The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
The first in a stunning new series, The Cousins War, is set amid the tumult and intrigue of The War of the Roses. Internationally bestselling author Philippa Gregory brings this family drama to colourful life through its women, beginning with the story of Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen The White Queen tells the story of a common woman who ascends to royalty by virtue of her beauty, a woman who rises to the demands of her position and fights tenaciously for the success of her family, a woman whose two sons become the central figures in a mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the Princes in the Tower whose fate remains unknown to this day. From her uniquely qualified perspective, Philippa Gregory explores the most famous unsolved mystery, informed by impeccable research and framed by her inimitable storytelling skills.

Borrowed:
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
As the Revolutionary War begins, thirteen-year-old Isabel wages her own fight...for freedom. Promised freedom upon the death of their owner, she and her sister, Ruth, in a cruel twist of fate become the property of a malicious New York City couple, the Locktons, who have no sympathy for the American Revolution and even less for Ruth and Isabel. When Isabel meets Curzon, a slave with ties to the Patriots, he encourages her to spy on her owners, who know details of British plans for invasion. She is reluctant at first, but when the unthinkable happens to Ruth, Isabel realizes her loyalty is available to the bidder who can provide her with freedom. From acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson comes this compelling, impeccably researched novel that shows the lengths we can go to cast off our chains, both physical and spiritual.

Magic Flutes by Eva Ibbotson
Spring, 1922 Tessa is a beautiful, tiny, dark-eyed princess - who's given up her duties to follow her heart, working for nothing backstage at the Viennese opera. No one there knows who she really is, or that a fairytale castle is missing its princess, and Tessa is determined to keep it that way. But secret lives can be complicated. When a wealthy, handsome Englishman discovers this bewitching urchin backstage,Tessa's two lives collide - and in escaping her inheritance, she finds her destiny...

River Secrets by Shannon Hale
Razo has never been anything but ordinary. He's not very fast, or tall, or strong, so when he's invited to join an elite mission escorting the ambassador into Tira, Bayern's great enemy, he's sure it's only out of pity. But when they arrive in the strange southern country, it is Razo who finds the first dead body. As they try to learn more from the Tirans about the ever increasing murders, Razo is the only Bayern soldier able to befriend both the high and low born, including the beautiful Lady Dasha. And as Razo finds allies among the Tirans, he realizes that it may be up to him to get the Bayern army safely home again.

The Star of Kazan by Eba Ibbotson
In this award-winning novel, set in pre-World War I Vienna, a young servant girl learns that she is actually an aristocrat whose true home is an ancient castle. There, Annika discovers that all is not as it seems in the lives of her newfound family.

Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho
In this fable-like novel Veronika decides to kill herself when faced with all that is wrong with the world and how powerless she feels to change anything. Although she survives her initial suicide attempt, she is committed to a mental hospital where she begins to wrestle with the meaning of mental illness and whether forced drugging should be inflicted on patients who don't fit into the narrow definition of "normal." The strength and tragedy of Veronika's fictional story was instrumental in passing new government regulations in Brazil that have made it more difficult to have a person involuntarily committed. Like any great storyteller, Coelho has used the realm of fiction to magically infiltrate and alter the realm of reality.

Wish List

2009-08-25T14:10:00.000+10:00

I'm constantly finding new release books that I would love to read. I've been in a young adult mood so most of the books I've chosen to show here are in that category. The following are a few that I've found recently.

Cleopatra's Daughter
Michelle Moran
September 15, 2009

Her Fearful Symmetry
Audrey Niffenegger
September 29, 2009

The Queen's Mistake: In the Court of Henry VIII
Diane Haeger
October 6, 2009

Once a Witch
Carolyn MacCullough
August 26, 2009

The Cupcake Queen
Heather Hepler
September 17, 2009

Sphinx's Princess
Esther Friesner
September 22, 2009

The Tear Collector
Patrick Jones
September 01, 2009

Enna Burning review

2009-08-25T09:50:00.000+10:00

Enna Burning
Shannon Hale
2004
Rating: Good

I didn't realise that Enna Burning was part of a series, nor have I read the book before it, The Goose Girl but this didn't really matter. The books have the same group of characters, with some new ones thrown in, but the stories are quite separate.
Enna Burning is about 16 year old Enna, friend of the Princess Isi from the previous The Goose Girl book. She had returned to her home in the Forest to care for her sick mother, who at the start of this book has died. Enna lives with her brother who finds a piece of vellum which teaches him to light a fire without spark or flint. Enna becomes worried about her brother when the warm energy of the fire becomes destructive and Leifer becomes controlled by his desire to burn. When Bayern goes to war, Leifer helps Bayern's army win by burning their enemies, however in the process he is killed by the fire. Enna finds the parchment and decides that she has to use it in order to save her friends and Bayern. She sneaks into enemy camps, burning small things, at first but later in a big battle lets the fire take control of her and nearly gets killed in the process. Her friend, Isi, has similar abilities with wind, which she is losing control of so the two girls set off to a kingdom in the south to find the fire-worshipers who can hopefully help them.
Enna Burning is a unique story and fairy tale aimed for teenagers. There's lots of very graphic and gory moments throughout the book with many people being burnt alive. It was very difficult to like Enna during these parts as it's hard to understand the control that the fire has over her, but she redeems herself in the end. Enna Burning has elements of romance, fantasy, drama and adventure, and is a book that I'd recommend.

Wings review

2009-08-20T08:30:00.001+10:00

Wings
Aprilynne Pike
2009
Rating: Very Good

Laurel's family has just moved to a new town so her father can open a bookstore. This means that Laurel, who has been homeschooled all of her life will have to start going to high school. She quickly becomes friends with David, despite feeling closed in at school. But then Laurel finds a bump on her back, which keeps getting bigger and bigger. At first she ignores it and hides it from her family and friends, but eventually she has to tell David when she wakes up to find a wing-like blossom has grown from the bump.
David and Laurel set about trying to figure out what's going on with her body. David, the science wizz, concludes after looking at Laurel's cells through a microscope that she is more plant than human. But it takes a trip back to the woods behind her old house and an encounter with the handsome Timani for Laurel to realise that she's a faerie! She also learns that it's up to her to save her old home from the evil that is trying to take it away from her, her parents and the faeries that live there.
Wings was a really enjoyable story to read. It had a unique twist, was funny at times and overall a very entertaining story. Laurel was a very likeable character, although I felt that David was a little boring at times. But both them, and the other surrounding characters grow through the novel and you really get to know them.
Another blogger mentioned something about the possibility of there being a sequel which would be interesting, especially with the growing love triangle between Laurel, David and Timani.

Exchanging Lives review

2009-08-15T21:50:00.000+10:00

Exchanging Lives
Kathy Buchanan
April, 2009 (Australia)
Rating: Good

Exchanging Lives is a very light and fun novel about two young girls from Sydney, Australia. Charlie and Annie used to be friends, but once they hit high school, Annie joined the popular group and pushed Charlie away. Now both girls have been chosen for an exchange student program where they will spend 3 months in America with a host family. Annie is supposed to be going to New York where she's excited about checking out the latest fashions, and Charlie is supposed to go to a small town in Ohio, where she's excited about finding out what living on a real farm will be like. But their parents, who are also friends, decide to pull the ultimate switcheroo and send Charlie to New York and Annie to Ohio with interesting results.
Exchanging Lives was a nice story about what real friendship is about, and making the most of what life throws your way. Both girls learn a lot about themselves and each other in their 3 months away, and also to look beyond their first impressions of places and the people they live with.

Second Star to the Right review

2009-08-15T21:25:00.000+10:00

Second Star to the Right
Deborah Hautzig

2008 (first published 1981)

Rating: Very Good

Second Star to the Right is an incredibly moving story about 14 year old Leslie Hiller. Leslie is a perfectionist and constantly worries about disappointing her mother. To take control, and she believes, to make herself happy she decides to go on a diet. But things get out of control, when Leslie can't stop dieting. She starts eating less and less, believing that she'll know when she's thin enough. But she's never thin enough. Soon Leslie is throwing up whatever she eats, throwing food out her bedroom window and is too exhausted to even go to school. Leslie is aware that she's slowly killing herself and that she needs help, but finds it impossible to bring herself to eat.

Leslie is soon admitted to hospital, where the treatments and reactions to anorexia seem very dated. It frustrated me so much whenever someone asked Leslie 'couldn't you just eat a little so you put on weight?', not realising there was more to her problem than that.

There is no proper outcome at the end of the novel, which left me wanting to know what happened to Leslie. But overall Second Star to the Right was a very good, and often sad, read. I found it very interesting to see anorexia through the mind of someone suffering from it.

The Year my Sister got Lucky review

2009-08-13T08:40:00.000+10:00

The Year My Sister Got Lucky
Aimee Friedman
June 2009
Rating: Very Good

Katie and her sister Michaela are extremely close, more like best friends. They have lived in New York all their lives, both attend a prestigious ballet school and both love their lives in New York. Or so it seems.
Katie is devestated when she finds out that she has to move with her family to a small town, called Fir Lake, in upstate New York. It's nothing like her beloved New York City. The people are overly friendly, her new ballet school is, to put it bluntly, a joke and they actually live near real cows! Katie immediately sticks out like a sore thumb, with her 'New York' sense of style and attitude. But to her surprise and horror, Michaela fits in straight away.

As Michaela settles into her new country life, making friends, gaining a footballer boyfriend, joining the yearbook team and attending homecoming, she and Katie grow apart. Katie finally does start making friends and trying new things, but she does this reluctantly. And then she finds out that Michaela has been hiding things from her, important things that she would usually tell Katie. Can these sisters also be best friends?

I had added The Year my Sister got Lucky to my wish list on Amazon, only to have it bought by my Library the next day. What a coincidence! And I'm glad I got to read it too, as it was a wonderful and entertaining book, with a great message about how your attitude effects your situation. Both Katie and Michaela were likeable, in their own way. Neither of them were perfect and made plenty of mistakes through the book, but this was part of what made them so likeable and real. The Year my Sister got Lucky is a great story about sisterhood, change and growing up that I'd definitely recommend.

The Lovely Bones

2009-08-11T14:45:00.001+10:00

I know I said this blog would be mainly about reading, but who doesn't love it when they're favourite books are turned into movies? I always get excited, even though I know most of the time the movie won't measure up to the book. I saw the movie trailer for The Lovely Bones the other day, and it looks good! So I thought I'd share it. The movie is due for release on December 11 in the US and December 26 in Australia. Of course you can see the release dates for other countries here

Pink review

2009-08-09T10:57:00.001+10:00

Pink

Lili Wilkinson

2009

Rating: Excellent

Blurb: "The pink jumper was practically glowing in my grey bedroom. It was like a tiny bit of Dorothy's Oz in boring old black-and-white Kansas. Pink was for girls. Ava Simpson is trying on a whole new image. Stripping the black dye from her hair, she heads off to the Billy Hughes School for Academic Excellence, leaving her uber-cool girlfriend, Chloe, behind. Ava is quickly taken under the wing of perky, popular Alexis who insists that: a) she's a perfect match for handsome Ethan; and b) she absolutely must audition for the school musical. But while she's busy trying to fit in - with Chloe, with Alexis and her Pastel friends, even with the misfits in the stage crew - Ava fails to notice that her shiny reinvented life is far more fragile than she imagined."

I've often seen Lili Wilkinson's books around but have never had the chance to read any. When I saw Pink though I knew I had to read it, especially since one of my favourite colours is pink.

I can honestly say I really enjoyed reading Pink. Ava's story and her struggle with her identity and sexuality were very real, honest and something I think most people can relate with. Pink shows that it's okay to be unsure of who you are and who you want to be, but that in the end it's important to just be yourself and not be ashamed of any aspect of yourself. All of the characters were easy to identify with, many of them hiding parts of their lives as well.

Pink was very well written, with quick snappy and funny dialogue, and conversations and stories seemingly straight out of a schoolyard. I loved the fact that a lot of the places frequented in the book are places I visit a lot too, Melbourne being my local city. I will definitely be hunting down more of Wilkinson's books in the future.

Castile for Isabella review

2009-08-07T12:35:00.000+10:00

Castile for Isabella

Jean Plaidy

2008

Historical Fiction

Rating: Very Good

Blurb: "Fifteenth-century Spain is rent with intrigue and threatened by civil war. Here, the young Isabella becomes the pawn of her half-crazed mother and a virtual prisoner at the licentious court of her half-brother Henry IV.

At just sixteen years old, is she already fated to be the victim of the Queen's revenge, the Archbishop's ambition and the lust of the lecherous Don Pedro Giron? Numbed by grief and fear, Isabella remains steadfast in her determination to marry Ferdinand, the handsome young Prince of Aragon, her only true betrothed."

I usually always enjoy Jean Plaidy's books, mainly because I can read about historical figures who aren't necessarily as well known (although she still does write about the more well known figures in history). This book was no exception. It was interesting to find out more about Isabella of Castile, who was the mother of Katharine of Aragon. The book covered her earlier years, from being a child through to becoming Queen of Castile. You see that her journey wasn't easy, with the people around her either trying to throw her off course or pushing her to take the throne early. It was nice to see that despite all of this, Isabella stayed true to her beliefs and her goal of marrying Ferdinand.

Overall this was another well written book by Jean Plaidy. The only problem that I had was that some of it seemed a little disjointed, but this could have been the way I read it. The other thing was that 4 year old Isabella seemed almost too mature for her age, with a rather large vocabulary. But it was an entertaining read and very interesting to find out more about a figure in history that I didn't know much about.

Knickles & Dimes: New release

2009-08-06T18:56:00.000+10:00

Knickles and Dimes
Jillian Hewitt
2009

I've just found out about a great sounding novel called 'Knickles & Dimes' by first time author Jillian Hewitt. Knickles & Dimes is about 20-something year old Keira Knickle who seems to have a great life. She has a good job, a decent apartment and is very attractive, but this isn't enough for Keira. She's looking for a change in her life. That change comes when she meets a man who seems perfect. He can offer her everything she's ever dreamed of. But her friends and family warn Keira not to get in over her head. Before she knows it though, it seems Keira has gone over the edge!

You can find out more information about Knickles & Dimes and it's author here and it is currently available for purchase.

I think Knickles & Dimes looks like a great light hearted read and I'm definitely adding it to my wish list.

New Releases late 2009

2009-08-04T20:13:00.000+10:00

Here are a few books which are due for release from now to the end of the year, which I'm particularly excited about!

Book Promotions

2009-08-04T09:54:00.000+10:00

Do you need help promoting your book?
Are you an author or publisher that has, or will soon, publish a book that you would like to promote? I have a few ways that I may be able to help.
If you are at all interested please don't hesitate to contact me at thereadersnook(at)hotmail(dot)com.

Promotional Possibilities:

Book Reviews:
I love reading and reviewing a book is an easy way to pick up people's interest. I plan to review quite a range of different fiction, both young adult and adult. If you would like to provide a book and add it to my review pile, let me know. I will happily accept advance reader copies, as well as already published books. If you aren't able to send me a copy, I can try to obtain one on my own too. I'm a big user of my local public library, however, their stock is quite limited so I may be unable to access a copy of the book through them. I plan not only to post reviews on this blog, but to also post on my young adult based blog, Turning the Pages and Amazon.

I also have a wish list which I update regularly on Amazon which you can find here. I'll also be posting here with items that I add to my wish list, so you'll be able to see what kind of books I enjoy reading.

Contests:
Who doesn't enjoy free books? I know I do, so in the future I hope to run some competitions myself. I am always happy to host a giveaway.

New Reads:
If you have a book which is going to be released soon, feel free to let me know. I will post about upcoming releases regularly.

Do you have anything else in mind? Feel free to email me with any suggestions! As a book lover I would love to promote reading and share my love of reading with other people. I hope to hear from you soon.
Thanks,

Envy: A Luxe novel

2009-08-03T21:32:00.000+10:00

Envy
Anna Godbersen
2009
Rating: Very Good

Blurb: “Two months have passed since the dramatic homecoming of Elizabeth Holland – Manhattan society eagerly awaits her return. But Elizabeth won’t rejoin her sister Diana’s side. The whispers are beginning – is all as it seems behind closed doors? Uptown, Henry and Penelope Schoonmaker are the city’s most celebrated couple. But despite the glittering diamond she wears, the newlyweds share little more than scorn for each other. Manhattan’s most envied residents appear to have everything they desire: wealth, beauty, happiness. However, in a city where appearance is everything, sometimes the most practiced smiles hide the most scandalous secrets.”

I must admit, the first thing that attracted me to the Luxe series was the covers. Who could resist those beautiful dresses?! Not me!
I wasn’t sure how ’Envy’ would span out and if I’d like it considering Henry and Penelope…… But I wasn’t disappointed. Envy was just as good and just as addictive, juicy and scandalous as the first two books in the Luxe series!Although despite all the juiciness it’s nice to see some of the characters growing up a bit and starting to stand up for themselves.
I’m excited that the fourth book ‘Splendour’ is not far off being released, although I’m sad to hear that it’s going to be the last book in the series.

Welcome

2009-08-03T21:14:00.000+10:00

I’ve always had a huge love for reading and books, ever since I was quite young. I remember going to the Library when I was young and borrowing up the maximum of 50 books each time. And I’d read them too!

I’ve been inspired by some great blogs like The Story Siren and Windowpane Memoirs and have decided to try creating my own blog. I intend to post as many reviews and book related news as I can and maybe in the future, depending on the following I get possibly competitions.

I should probably introduce myself too. My name is Claire and I’m a 23 year old from Melbourne, Australia. I read a large range of fiction, including young adult, mainstream, historical fiction and whatever else takes my fancy.

I also have another blog which I run for the School Library I work at which is called Turning the Pages although I mainly post about young adult fiction and things more directed towards a high school student.