Review: The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

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

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

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

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'

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

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

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

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

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

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.