25 Apr

ANZAC Day 2012

Posted by rocalisa in Not Really Books.

25 Apr

Just finished Fire and Hemlock

Posted by rocalisa in Author Reads, Finished. Tagged: , , , .

For starters, here’s my immediate reaction as written down on Goodreads as I marked the book as finished.

Kristen’s Read-Along starts officially on Friday, and I’m really hoping to have a really good discussion there and maybe more to add here (or at least some links). I took lots of notes as I went and I may even add those here (probably password protected) as there’s some really good stuff in the book.

Fire and HemlockFire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved rereading this. It was nice to read it on Kindle and be able to mark passages as I go (that helps me absorb a text I find) and loved the Garth Nix intro and especially the transcript of a DWJ speech about heroic journeys and writing F&H.

I remember this as being the catalyst that set me off to find out more about Thomas the Rhymer and Tam Lin, so it was very interesting to read it nearly 20 years later and from the other side, with the ballads well established in my head. It let me pick out meaning that I had missed before and made the read more enjoyable – but I still missed pretty much all the things DWJ mentioned in the speech at the end, so I guess there’s a lot more for me to unpick in future reads.

It remains a great story as well as a brilliant interweaving of myth into a modern story.

I also found it had dated less than the earlier books. It still had horrible parents, but at least nobody got hit around this time.

The only thing that caught me out was when Polly was at the practice with the quartet, and they needed to find out when her next train home would be. Everyone looked at Ann, who leaned down to look in her bag. For a moment, I really thought she was going to pull out a smart phone and look it up that way. Of course, what she did pull out was a paper timetable.

A huge thumbs up. You have to pay attention as you read, but boy is it worth it.

View all my reviews

16 Apr

Update: 16th April 2012

Posted by rocalisa in Sidebar Update. Tagged: , , , .

So, a couple of books finished since the last time I updated the sidebar.

It took me a while, but I’ve finished Decision at Doona. I found it rather slow going at first and, if I’m honest, rather boring. But once the plot finally got going when the families arrived on Doona, it picked up a lot and I zoomed on to the finish. It won’t ever be one of my favourite Anne McCaffrey books, but it ended up being a solid read and I rated it a solid 6/10.

I don’t know that I had a favourite part, but the image of Todd with his rope tail so he could be like his friend was particularly lovely.

Today, I finished A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix. This book showed up on my Amazon recommended books list and I thought it interesting enough that I bought it when it came out. While I can’t describe the exact sub-genre it might fit in, I generally like books like this, so it seemed a risk worth taking. It took me a while to read, but I think that was more because I couldn’t find much time to read (it is the school holidays, after all) rather than due to the book itself. When I got to read it, it moved along quickly.

A Confusion of Princes didn’t blow me away, but it was an enjoyable read and I’m certainly not sorry I read it. It ended up rated as 7/10, my standard rating for a good and enjoyable book that doesn’t really raise itself above my expected acceptable level.

And the actual sidebar update:

Currently Reading
UPDATED		 Reading with Marcus

Fire and Hemlock

A Book Dragon

Also Reading:

Author Reads Progress:

16 Apr

Starting Fire and Hemlock

Posted by rocalisa in Author Reads. Tagged: , .

I know it isn’t the next book in my Diana Wynne Jones Author Read (it isn’t even close – I’m actually 10 books away), but Kristen over at We Be Reading is having a Read-Along for Fire and Hemlock and as I have very fond memories of this one, I couldn’t wait to join in. It technically started a few days ago but it turns out I did need to wait a little as I really wanted to finish my current book before starting the next (I have too many books I’m “also reading” right now as it is.)

But I’m caught up now and I’ve opened up my lovely, new ebook edition and read the introduction by Garth Nix. Even that, I found fascinating as his “best of the best” list of favourite Diana Wynne Jones books is almost exactly the same as mine.

  • Power of Three
  • Archer’s Goon
  • Dogsbody
  • Eight Days of Luke
  • Charmed Life
  • Enchanted Glass
  • Howl’s Moving Castle
  • Fire and Hemlock

I haven’t had a chance to read Charmed Life yet, so I can’t say if that will be a favourite or not, and I’ve only read Enchanted Glass once (and it was, well, enchanting), but otherwise, we’re in bang-on agreement.

Co-incidence being what it is, the book I wanted to finish before starting was A Confusion of Princes, which is Garth Nix’s latest book, so I’m feeling suitably in balance with the universe right now and looking forward to seeing how I find Fire and Hemlock when I reread it with older eyes.

(I don’t think I’ve read it since it first came out and I was 15 back in 1984, so it’s going to be much older eyes!)

Onward!

6 Apr

Thea is evil

Posted by rocalisa in New Books.

The False Prince

Thea over at The Book Smugglers is evil.

One click shopping is evil.

Automatic downloads to Kindle are evil.

I’ve just read Thea’s review of a book I’d never heard of before. It’s called The False Prince by Jennifer A. Neilsen and it sounds really excellent. Here’s the blurb and make sure you go and read Thea’s review.

THE FALSE PRINCE is the thrilling first book in a brand-new trilogy filled with danger and deceit and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end.

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner’s motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword’s point — he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage’s rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner’s sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.

I have an automatic aversion to thief and assassin books, so a review has to be good to convince me to try such a book. That doesn’t mean I don’t read them – I adore both Fitz from Robin Hobb’s Six Duchies books and Eugenedies from Megan Whalen Turner’s Thief books – but you’ve got to work on me. Thea managed it with ease.

Let me know if you buy it because then I won’t be the only one caught out by her evil book smuggling ways.

:)

6 Apr

Update: 6th April 2012

Posted by rocalisa in Uncategorized, Sidebar Update. Tagged: , , , , , .

Two books finished since my last update. (“Father, it’s been two books since my last confession.” Sorry, we’ve been studying for Marcus’ First Reconciliation later in the month, and that’s what sprang to mind after I’d typed that first sentence.)

I really enjoyed Robert Charles Wilson’s Spin. I’m so glad I finally read it and I rated it 9/10. The only reason I haven’t immediately bought the sequel (Axis) is that I know I want to read some other things in between and I’m trying only to buy when I’m up to reading. (It never works of course, see later in this post.)

Then I decided to go for something different and read my next Mary Stewart, Nine Coaches Waiting. This is one I’d read before, but as I continued through it, I found that I really only remembered the beginning. I did remember one big turning point (relating to who did or didn’t do what) but I didn’t really remember the end at all. I was slow to get going (maybe because that’s the part I remembered) and then I got a gastric bug and felt far too dreadful to read for several days, but once I picked it up again when I was feeling better, I motored through it, reading the second 2/3rds in a day or so. I loved it. It got a 9/10 as well.

The next one in the Mary Stewart Read is My Brother Michael. That’s one of the ones where I picked up a ratty paperback second hand probably when I was a teenager (lo, those may years ago) and then never got around to reading it. So I popped over to Amazon to pick up an ebook copy and, to my absolute delight, found that The Crystal Cave came up in my search results. I’ve been lamenting for a while that Mary Stewart’s Merlin/Arthurian books weren’t available as ebooks as I’d love to read them again – as I will be when I get that far – and as with pretty much any book these days, I’d rather do so on my Kindle. Yippee, hooray and other exclamations of joy! Now they are. I bought the original Merlin trilogy (The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills and The Last Enchantment) as a birthday present (thank you Jacqui for your contribution to my birthday books) and I’ll pick up the last two later in my read. There is one very happy Mary Stewart fan over here.

I’ve started Anne McCaffrey’s Decision at Doona now, mostly because I borrowed the book from a friend (I know I used to own this, but I can’t find it) and I’m going to be seeing her in a few days and want to be able to give it back.

March turned out to be an bit of an expensive book buying month for me, as I bought 21 books (my birthday was the excuse for at least some of them), 12 of which were electronic copies of books I own in paper.

  • Power of Three – Diana Wynne Jones (already own in paper, getting for the Author Read)
  • Dragonquest – Anne McCaffrey (already own in paper, getting for the Author Read)
  • Fair Game – Patricia Briggs (new release, latest Anna and Charles book, which I loved)
  • Oracle’s Moon - Thea Thompson (new release, latest Elder Races book although I’m a couple behind)
  • Discount Armageddon – Seanan McGuire (new release, love her Mira Grant books and this sounds fascinating)
  • A Song for Summer – Eva Ibbotson (on sale, already own in paper, getting for the Author Read)
  • The Morning Gift – Eva Ibbotson (on sale, already own in paper, getting for the Author Read)
  • Declare – Tim Powers (heard about on A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast and sounded fascinating, enjoyed it a lot)
  • Changer – Jane Lindskold (my favourite Jane Lindskold series, already own in paper and been self-published by the author)
  • Changer’s Daughter – Jane Lindskold (sequel to Changer, originally called Legends Walking, already own in paper, self-published by the author)
  • A Dream of Stone and Shadow – Marjorie M. Liu (own in paper, collecting as an ebook)
  • Requiem for Ashes – David Crossman (got a good review on Dear Author and I decided to buy it for US$0.99)
  • Stray – Andrea K. Höst (had a good review on a blog – sorry, I can’t remember where – so gave it a try and loved it)
  • A Confusion of Princes – Garth Nix (new release, sounded like my kind of thing and he’s meant to be a good author)
  • Lab Rat One - Andrea K. Höst (sequel to Stray because I want to know what happens next)
  • The Scorpio Races – Maggie Stiefvater (heard good things about it and it was on sale)
  • The Hounds of the Morrigan – Pat O’Shea (on sale, own in paper and loved it many years ago)
  • The Crystal Cave – Mary Stewart (already own in paper, getting for the Author Read)
  • The Hollow Hills – Mary Stewart (already own in paper, getting for the Author Read)
  • The Last Enchantment – Mary Stewart (already own in paper, getting for the Author Read)
  • My Brother Michael – Mary Stewart (already own in paper, getting for the Author Read)

And the actual sidebar update:

Currently Reading
UPDATED		 Reading with Marcus

Decision at Doona

A Book Dragon

Also Reading:

Author Reads Progress:

27 Mar

Sidebar Update: 27th March, 2012

Posted by rocalisa in Sidebar Update.

Clearly, if I’m going to be reading steadily, even if I’m not managing to comment on each book (though I still want to), I’ll be doing these updates more often than I imagined.

I’ve just finished Cart and Cwidder. It was my next Diana Wynne Jones book to read and I decided that since yesterday (although I guess it’s today for much of the world) was the first anniversary of her death, that would be a good time to read it.

It’s a short, children’s fantasy and I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed it. I find myself wanting to get on to Power of Three quickly so that then the next Dalemark book will be due for reading.

I find I’m not in the mood for long fantasy at present (which is annoying as I wanted to keep up with Robin Hobb’s Tawny Man trilogy with one of my Goodreads groups) so I had been thinking I might read Garth Nix’s A Confusion of Princes next, since I’d just got it for my Kindle.

However, today I was listening to an old edition (2006) of Courtney Brown’s Science Fiction and Politics podcast and the book in question was Robert Charles Wilson’s Spin (I’m listening to the first pair of Spin podcasts as I work my way down the list. I’ll get to the second pair eventually). I’ve had an ebook of that since Tor did their 12 free ebooks on launching their Tor.com website, but I’ve never got to reading it. I’ve heard it’s very good, but it was never the right time. Now I find I want to read it – and need to do so before listening to the second podcast on the book since I don’t want to be spoiled. So on to Spin it is.

Currently Reading
UPDATED		 Reading with Marcus

Spin

A Book Dragon

Also Reading:

Author Reads Progress:

26 Mar

Sidebar update: 26th March, 2012

Posted by rocalisa in Introduction, Sidebar Update.

I’ve decided to add a new feature to my blog posts (sporadic though they are). I keep my current reading details over in the sidebar, but I know as someone who mostly reads blogs is an RSS reader, that often updates on the actual blog template can be missed. So I’ll add an update to the actual feed as well each time I update the sidebar.

Currently Reading Reading with Marcus

Cart and Cwidder

A Book Dragon

Also Reading:

Author Reads Progress:

23 Jan

The Ring of Allaire by Susan Dexter

Posted by rocalisa in Finished. Tagged: , .

The Ring of Allaire (Wizard's Destiny)The Ring of Allaire by Susan Dexter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have never considered my comments on books to count as “reviews”. They’re just my thoughts and feelings on the book I’ve recently finished. In the case of The Ring of Allaire this is even more true than usual as I barely talk about the contents of the book (a lovely and charming tale, it might perhaps be considered a little “old-fashioned” these days), and instead reflect on how reading it made me feel.

I had been looking forward to rereading this ever since I discovered Susan Dexter had updated it and released it as an ebook. It took me long enough to get to it that I now have all three in the trilogy waiting on my Kindle (or technically up on Amazon ready for me to download to my Kindle whenever I’m ready). I have fond memories of reading the series back when it came out in the 1980s and while it was more a case of feelings than specific memories, that was enough to make me want to read them again.

I was surprised by how slowly I read this – it took me two weeks, with other books read at the same time – which is unusual for me. And I wasn’t reading slowly because I was bored or not enjoying myself, but more because that just became the pace that seemed appropriate. It turned into a leisurely read, and perhaps that’s just what I needed over the summer holidays. (I’m also very tired right now, so again, maybe leisurely was best.)

For all that I read it slowly, I really did enjoy it. The story built and felt very familiar, for all that it must be 25 years or something since I read it. Here I mean familiar is a good way, just as I mean leisurely in a good way. It was a warm and relaxing read over a most un-summery two weeks of summer and that turned out to be perfect.

I remembered most of the characters pretty well (but I forgot Minstrel – how could I possibly forget darling little Minstrel, the canary) and I knew what the twist at the end was going to be, but that didn’t hurt the story at all. Instead, it was interesting to watch the progress of plot and characters already knowing it, as I hadn’t on my first reading. I don’t think it changed my reading of the book (it certainly didn’t change my feelings for the book), but it did leave me feeling justified about which characters I preferred, which I guess means the author did her job well.

1981 pb cover

I had no idea, while reading, what Ms Dexter might have changed and what she left the same. I have my paperbacks down stairs (and their covers are so much prettier than these self-published new editions, but I can’t blame the author for that as I assume she doesn’t have the rights to use the paper editions’ covers) and I could have gone and checked it out, but I didn’t feel any need to do that. I just followed the story and enjoyed it.

I’m looking forward to moving on to book two, but as with the reading of this one, I’m not feeling desperate to rush into it (which is good, since I started the 900-odd page Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb today). Instead, I’m feeling decidedly leisurely about it. In this harried day and age, there often isn’t much time for leisurely any more. Many thanks to Susan Dexter for allowing me to rediscover it with her charming trilogy.

View all my reviews

14 Jan

New cover/release for The Splendour Falls

Posted by rocalisa in Book Covers. Tagged: .

I finally finished The Ring of Allaire today. I’ve really enjoyed it, but found myself reading it very slowly. Hopefully there will be some comments on it up soon.

When I went to change the “Currently Reading” widget back to The Splendour Falls, I had to go back to Goodreads to get the page link for it and I saw there was a new cover showing up, one that matches the very pretty covers that I prefer. I had to hunt around a bit for it – it didn’t show up on Amazon.com at all, but I found it as a pre-order on Amazon.co.uk with a release date of 30th April, 2012. At the moment it only shows as a paperback, but I’m hoping an ebook edition will turn up as well.

I’m not sure if I like it as much as some of the others or not, but I definitely like it better than the very 1980s-looking painting of a castle that is the cover I had up before. I do think it suits Emily and the slightly ghostly feeling of the story rather well.

The Splendour Falls

I’ve updated my Author Reads page for Susanna Kearsley with this cover as it matches most of the others ones best. If they keep this up, they will be a full matching set and then the books will make it into my Dream Library as well.

13 Jan

Why is it…

Posted by rocalisa in Tossing it out. Tagged: .

…that after you’ve had books on hold at the library for months, six of them come available at once?

I was planning a quiet rereading January for the rest of the month, but now I have a bunch of other things to read, so I can finish them and send them back. And, of course, they’re all those big, heavy things made out of paper where if you fall asleep while reading one, it drops onto you face and breaks your nose.

There’s also a kind of unofficial read-a-long happening at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books where the amazing DocTurtle takes on the challenge of reading romace books Sarah chooses for him. Apparently we’re going to get the first couple of chapters of Meljean Brook’s The Iron Duke in the next few days. Since I have the book but have never read it, this seemed to be a good (and hopefully amusing) opportunity to see what I think of it. However, it’s also not a reread.

I think perhaps it will have to be a Library Books (+ The Iron Duke) January followed by a Rereads February (at least February has 29 days this year).

Of maybe not. I’ll pick up the books from the library and decide as I go along.

11 Jan

What the Librarian Did by Karina Bliss

Posted by rocalisa in Finished. Tagged: , .

What the Librarian Did (Harlequin Superromance, #1622)What the Librarian Did by Karina Bliss
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I saw this one recommended on Dear Author some time last year. The fact is was written by a New Zealander and set it New Zealand attracted me, as did the librarian/ex-rock star pairing. All the same, I never got around to reading it.

I don’t remember what made me decide to request it just before Christmas, but I did and it turned up at the library for me. Again, I didn’t get around to reading it. I was going to take it back, but something made me renew it instead.

So on Sunday, I finally got around to starting it. And I sat there, ignoring my poor, home-on-holidays, child and read through to the end.

This is a very fun read. I enjoyed the local setting and both main characters. I found Rachel and her backstory to be strong and her responses both to her past and Devin to be pretty realistic. I’m not so sure about Devin, but he was such a fun character that I didn’t care how realistic the idea of an ex-rock star at Auckland University was.

The sub-plot with Mark, and both Rachel’s reaction to her and later, his to her revelation, held true. However, I did feel that he started to take over the story towards the end and while he was the catalyst that brought Rachel and Devin back together, it felt a little bit like he was getting in the way.

There were some lovely little sub-plots that didn’t have the opportunity to be fleshed out as much as I might have liked because of the length of the work. That’s actually high praise rather than a criticism as Karina Bliss manages to make such points an enjoyable part of the story, despite the restricted word count. I’m especially thinking of Devin’s mother’s shoes under the bed and the introduction of Matthew; at single title length they could have been given full secondary status, but here’s there’s not room. I was delighted by them and their presence in the story all the same.

I’m not sure how many luxury private planes with the capability to fly of New Zealand to LA are ever on the ground at Auckland airport (but I don’t live in those kinds of circles, so what am I to say what the reality is) but I was perfectly happy to let that slide as part of the story.

I would have liked a slightly more solid ending; somehow it felt a bit wishy-washy, even though it fitted the characters very well. I think that’s very much a case of “it’s me, not you” as I don’t even know how I’d have liked it done differently, as as a bit more time passes since I finished the book, the happier I am with the ending.

I would like to know how things turned out with Zander in the long run, but that’s a minor plot point and doesn’t really need further clarification. It’s just that the completist in me wants to know.

I’d be perfectly willing to read Karina Bliss again. And to recommend this to anyone wanting a pleasant romance with some mild angst. A very good read.

View all my reviews

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