by Kay | Oct 18, 2014 | Events for the Bookish |
It’s readathon season!! WhooHooo!!! I have been looking forward to this all month and cannot wait to get started.
Once again, I am going to be hosting the Show It Off! challenge at Hour 8 – so stay tuned for that! The books I am showing off this year are both recent acquisitions, so I am rather excited to share.
What’cha reading?
I am going for a completely different approach this year, focussing on one long novel I have been putting off completing for years and… graphic novels!
I started reading A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin way back before Season 2 of the series had even aired. Unfortunately… I got stuck. At page 728, if my bookmark is correct. Well, I plan to finish this tome today! I am only 300 or so pages to the end, so completion is feasible!
Y’all have probably noticed that I have really gotten into comic books these past few months, so it made sense to add a few to my pile for when Clash of Kings gets a bit too dense. I’ve got some well-loved favourites in my sack, namely the first volumes of Saga and Y: The Last Man as well as Joss Whedon’s Fray and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. In case I really want something different, I’ve also got an anthology: Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells. I picked up this Ellen Datlow anthology at BEA last year and think it is a good volume to try some different authors from.
Opening Questions
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
La France!
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Hmm… I am not sure. Probably most eager to complete Clash of Kings – if only so that I can start on the next book!
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
ALL MY TEAS. I don’t get much of a chance to brew tea during the week (too much work!) and so this will be a chance for me to try some of those odd teas I’ve had sitting in my cupboard.
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
Oh, hello. I’m Kay – I read fantasy and YA and Sci-Fi and other awesome, awesome books. I’ve been blogging about books since 2009 and it totally changed how I view books and publishers and the whole she-bang. This is my 4th time participating in Dewey’s readathon and I will be hosting a challenge at Hour 8!
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?
I wasn’t able to do the Spring readathon *sad face* and last took part in October 2013. This year I am taking a completely different approach for the readathon (all explained above!).
End of Event Meme
1) Which hour was most daunting for you?
Hour 8, just as my challenge was about to start! There were so many things that could go wrong….
2) Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
Go with Graphic Novels – Saga was a great readathon pick this year!
3) What were the names of the books you read? Which book did you enjoy most?
Clash of Kings and Saga – I was surprised how much I loved getting back into the GoT universe!
4) How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
100%! Cannot wait for the next readathon! Hope to host a challenge again:)
Updates
Hour 1: Lunch has been had, and I have a masala chai in hand. Starting off with Clash of kings!
Hour 3: I needed appropriate Game of Thrones music while reading, so turned to 8tracks. Love this Arya Stark mix!
Hour 4: Clash of Kings is dragging a bit – although maybe that’s just my lack of chocolate talking. May start in on Saga instead…
Pages read: 72
Hour 6: I am a fair ways through Saga (love it) but think I shall be returning to Clash of Kings. Reaaaallly want to finish that during the readathon!
Hour 8: My Show it off challenge is getting some fantastic responses this year! It’s distracted me from my books but it’s the best kind of distraction 🙂
Mini-Challenges
Don’t get me wrong: I like a latte in the morning. Vanilla Soya Extra-hot Grande, if I can get to a Starbucks – and an espresso with milk if I cannot. But tea is my comfort drink. There is nothing a cuppa cannot fix – I guess I am just very British that way. #TeamCSLewis
Quotable Quotes Challenge at Breathes Books
“There are gods, she told herself, and there are true knights too. All the stories can’t be lies.” Sansa, A Clash of Kings p. 757
Name your #readathon challenge! Mine is rather epic…. The Last Clash of Knight Saga!
by Kay | Oct 12, 2014 | Reviews |
Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter
Series: Gallagher Girls #4
Published by Hyperion on 2010
Pages: 273
Genres: Contemporary YA, Young Adult
Source: Purchased myself
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Rating:
Also in this series: Out of Sight, Out of Time, United We SpyWhen Cammie Morgan enrolled at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, she knew she was preparing for the dangerous life of a spy. She just didn't know that life would start during her junior year of high school. But that's exactly what happened when Cammie faced off against a mysterious organisation called the Circle of Cavan.
Now even Cammie 'the Chemeleon' can't hide. Danger has followed her to London where she discovers one of her most trusted allies has been labelled a double agent. The Gallagher Girls quickly realise that the Circle's agents are closer than they'd feared - maybe even within the Gallagher Academy's own walls. Cammie and her room mates must call upon old friends if they want to find the traitor at their beloved school before it's too late.
Thoughts: I’m surprised every time I pick up a Gallagher Girls book. It always starts off the same:
- Page 2: My god these characters are juvenile.
- Page 3: Honestly, how many excited can anyone possibly get about a teenaged boy?
- Page 5: OK WOW. Everything just got real really fast – the world is a lie, and everyone is a liar – this is life/death here, people!
In other words, Ally Carter manages to make the Gallagher Girls real teenagers (worried about nails, and boys, and their homework) while still involving them in life-or-death scenarios. To make things even better, there is are about 10 underlying mysteries that have been woven through the series. With each book we get more revelations that often lead to more questions than answers. I’m reminded – bizarrely enough – of the Harry Potter books. Of how no one would answer Harry’s questions because of his age – but his age, determination and friends were what gave him the ability to succeed where grown-ups failed. Same goes for Cammie.
Only the Good Spy Young gave me so many answers I’m been waiting for! We find out more about Mr. Solomon (oh, Mr. Solomon), Blackthorne Institute and – shockingly enough – Zach (oh, Zach). Read it to find out, but I let me just say I loved it all. Each revelation made the books grittier and darker – always an improvement, in my mind!
But, most of all, I loved what Cammie did as she uncovered each new piece of information. She was smart and logical while still recognizing her emotions. She discussed it with her friends and didn’t just fall into a boy’s arms. YA heroines could learn a lot from Cammie – she was a Gallagher Girl through and through.
Bottom line? This series gets better and better with every book: darker, more complicated and utterly kick-ass. They are light reads but highly enjoyable.
by Kay | Oct 8, 2014 | Weekly Feature |
“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that are being eagerly anticipated.
This Shattered World (Starbound #2) by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Goodreads – December 23rd 2014 by Disney-Hyperion
The second installment in the epic Starbound trilogy introduces a new pair of star-crossed lovers on two sides of a bloody war.
Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.
Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet’s rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.
Rebellion is in Flynn’s blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.
Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.
WORDS cannot EXPRESS how DESPERATELY I want this book. I practically start hyperventilating just thinking about it. *hand flails* Anyhow, This Shattered World is the follow-up to the amazing These Broken Stars which I read and adored last year. (That’s right, a whole YEAR ago. Why must I be tortured so??) The book completely changed my mind about YA Science Fiction and made me a die-hard fan of the authors.
In short, go pick up These Broken Stars so that you can join me in the agony that is waiting for This Shattered World!
by Kay | Sep 29, 2014 | Reviews |
Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniels #1
Published by Penguin on 2012-12-31
Pages: 384
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchased myself
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Rating:
Also in this series: Magic BurnsWhen the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it arose, leaving all kinds of paranormal problems in its wake.
Kate Daniels is a down-on-her-luck mercenary who makes her living cleaning up these magical problems. But when Kate's guardian is murdered, her quest for justice draws her into a power struggle between two strong factions within Atlanta's magic circles.
The Masters of the Dead, necromancers who can control vampires, and the Pack, a paramilitary clan of shapechangers, blame each other for a series of bizarre killings—and the death of Kate's guardian may be part of the same mystery. Pressured by both sides to find the killer, Kate realizes she's way out of her league—but she wouldn't have it any other way…
Thoughts: People have been nagging me to read the Kate Daniels series for years. I distinctly remember a friend sneaking the first book into my basket at Forbidden Planet way back in 2010. “You love Patricia Briggs,” they said, “so you’ll love Ilona Andrews.” I am glad to say they were right! As Magic Bites was this month’s pick on the VF Goodreads group, I finally had a great excuse to start reading it. Now I am thrilled to have found a new series to love!
Let me start off with the “negative”: Magic Bites could be called stereotypical urban fantasy. It features a badass-yet-vulnerable!female heroine, a murder mystery and a whole lot of scary-hot!shapeshifters. If you aren’t a fan of those things – or if you are fed up with seeing them over and over in your books – you might be put off by Magic Bites. I for one don’t mind a stereotype if it is well executed – which is exactly what Magic Bites succeeds in.
On to the good: the world building in this verse is fantastic. Set in a world where technology no longer dominates and magic has resurfaced after a 4000 year break, the book merges familiar elements of our world with some old-fashioned elements. What if you could no longer rely on your car because “magic” kicks in at noon? Well, it makes sense to go out and get a steed. Rich men ride Mustangs, but not the type with an engine. I just… love that!
Magic Bites throws you straight into this universe with little explanation. This technique can sometimes backfire, but for me, it made uncovering the details and politics all the more exciting. To be honest, that was the most interesting part of the whole book, as the murder mystery was somewhat lackluster. It wasn’t that it wasn’t interesting, rather I was not yet invested in the characters enough to really care whether they succeeded.
But the great potential here for me to fall in love with the characters. Kate Daniels is snarky in that charming way – sending a saucer of milk instead of a cocktail to the local pack’s head were-lion. While Curran, the aforementioned cat, seems to have a lovely sense of humour underneath all his macho-alphaness. I can easily see how – with a bit more exposure – they could become favourites.
Bottom line? Magic Bites sets up a fantastically complex and original universe that I am eager to explore. While I don’t quite have that emotional pull towards the characters, I can see the potential and cannot wait to start the next book.
