Rhinoa's Ramblings

Manga Challenge Reviews : July - September

2009-09-30T23:59:00.001Z

Please post the links to your manga challenge reviews using Mister Linky below. If you do not have a blog please feel free to email me and I can post it for you. Alternatively please add it to the comments section on this post.

Once again please feel free to read more than 6 if you have the time and money. I know I will be!

Booking Through Thursday

2009-07-16T09:53:00.003Z

Follow-up to last week’s question from Booking Through Thursday:
Do you keep all your unread books together, like books in a waiting room? Or are they scattered throughout your shelves, mingling like party-goers waiting for the host to come along?

It's been ages since I have been home to do one of these questions and it's good to be back. I don't keep my TBR books together. I have a number of different shelves and I organise my books by genre at the moment and then by series (but not yet alphabetically, that is to anal even for me! Although I do for my dvds and computer games...). I have pulled out my challenge books for the most part for this year and have them stacked by month I hope to read them. It's pretty flexible though as I like to give myself room to change my mind. I have so many TBR books that they would need their own sets of shelves and it would be way too depressing to see all the books I own and have not yet read all stacked together.

The cat in the bathroom sink is Merlin. He usually prefers lying in the bath but this time he managed to get comfortable in the sink.

The Iron Fairies 1 & 2

2009-07-16T08:42:00.003Z

Rating : 3.0/5
Number of Pages :
Series : #1 & 2 Iron Fairies
Format : Fairy Tale, Journal
Reason for Reading : 999 Challenge, recommenation from Mariel

Presented as a story and the journal of one of the miners who makes iron fairies, these are beautiful books with iron covers. Based on the orignal story and illustrations by Ashley Sutton. Set in the 1900s a group if children came across 3 rusted books in the garden that told the story of an old cottage in Western Australia. Underneath the cottage are hidden tunnels of grumpy old men who make iron fairies representing parts of the garden above them.

Sometimes though the ore isn't in the right concentration and a blue fairy is made. These are mischevious and naughty and they try to get the miners to make more of them. Throughout the books are clues that reveal a key for an online game which I haven't figured out yet. The third book is currently awaiting release and I will defintely be getting a copy when it comes out.

The Iron Fairies can be found here and you can get the iron fairies as well as the books themselves. These would make a great gift and feel one of a kind and special. Ideal for anyone who likes their books to look and feel special.

Blueberry Girl - Neil Gaiman

2009-07-16T08:32:00.004Z

Rating : 3.5/5
Number of Pages : 32
Format : Poem for Children
Reason for Reading : Dream King Challenge

A poem written by Neil Gaiman illustrated by Charles Vess. This was originally written for Tori Amos' daughter Tash and Neil eventually published it which I am very glad about. It follows a much loved baby who grows into a woman, travelling the world and its wonders. It is the wishes a parent may have for their daughter and the daughers wishes as well.

These are some of my favourite of Vess's illustrations and it was such a beautiful poem. If we do decide to have children and one is a daughter I can definitely see myself reading them this poem before bed. Such a beautiful gift.

The Princess Bride - William Goldman

2009-07-16T08:19:00.002Z

Rating : 3.5/5
Number of Pages : 399
Format : Fantasy Adventure Novel
Reason for Reading : 999 Challenge

The classic fantasy adventure novel that became a hit film. Buttercup lives on a farm and grows up to be one of the most beautiful women in the world. On the farm lives farm hand Westly. They fall in love and Westly leaves to make his fortune ready to marry Buttercup. While he is away though news comes back to the farm that his ship has ben captured by the Dread Pirate Roberts who is known for leaving none alive. Buttercup goes into mourning with a broken heart which only increases her beauty attracting Prince Humperdink. She agrees to marry him as long as he realises there will be no love between them.

As the marriage draws closer Buttercup is kidnapped by a clever dwarf, giant Fezzik and Master swordsman Inigo Montoya. Someone is following them who may be able to out match them all, the mysterious man in black, who seems determined to get to Buttercup. The plot slowly starts to unravel as we learn more about the dastardly Prince Humperdink, the loyal Fezzik and Inigo who is out for revenge for the death of his father. The identity of the Man in Black in also revealed.

This is a true classic adventure tale. There is something for everyone no matter the age or gender. The film is an excellent adaptation which I highly recommend. My only problem with this was that it was written as if it was adapted from a longer novel with a sequel. The story goes that William Goldman was read the original story by his father when he was ill who missed out all he non action parts making a much better novel. Reading it all I wanted to do was get a copy of the original novel and the follow up which really spoilt it for me. Turns out (thanks Mariel) that this was all a joke and it is an orignal story by Goldman. I am not sure which was more dissapointing...

Undead and Wed & Undead and Unemployed - MaryJanice Davidson

2009-07-14T11:05:00.004Z

Rating : 3.5/5
Number of Pages : 260
Series : #1 Queen Betsy
Format : Urban Fantasy Novel
Reason for Reading : 999 Challenge, to continue with the series

Betsy's full name is Elizbeth Taylor, but don't call her that or she may rip your throat out. Sh is going about her life having the worst day ever. She has been sacked from her job and when she gets home she gets run over right outside her house petting her ungrateful cat. The next thing she knows is she wakes up in the morgue in the worst outfit ever. Seems she has been made a vampire with a few quirks.

She wasn't turned by traditional vampire turning means, but was attached by creatures some time ago which seems to have caused her change. Turns out being a vampire makes her have a serious effect on men. She isn't fazed by by holy water or sunlight and can make reference to "god" with no dire consequences unlike the other vampires she meets. Two in particular stand out: the sexy Sinclair and the sterotype Nostro. They both want them on their side as they try to take each other out.

Sex and the City meets sassy vampires. Betsy has a craving for the latest hot shoes and wants to try out of the vamp politics. This was a lot of fun and a great start to the series. Betsy and her friends Jessica and Nick (who are great characters) have great wit and I can't wait to see more of Betsy and "Sink-Lair".

Rating : 3.5/5
Number of Pages : 213
Series : #2 Queen Betsy
Format : Urban Fantasy Novel
Reason for Reading : 999 Challenge, to continue with the series

Betsy is back and is trying to refuse being made Queen of all the vampires. It seems her special vampire powers set her apart from the others and the prophecies say she is their Queen. Unfortunately she has been saddled with a King which she is not happy about at all. To make things more complicated it seems she can see and communicate with ghosts.

Betsy gets a job in a Macy's shoe store, her dream job, but her vampire life keeps interfering. Sinclair won't leave her alone, determined to be her consort in all aspects much to her bisgust (and silent enjoyment). Unfortunately there seems to be a slayer in town killing vampires. They don't seem to understand that not all vampires are blood thirsty monsters and some are good and don't inflict pain and suffering on humans.

Another great installment, I am definitely hooked on this series and will be continuing with it soon. I love the humor, the sexiness and the attitude.

The Tale of One Bad Rat - Bryan Talbot

2009-07-14T10:39:00.003Z

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 136
Format : Graphic Novel
Reason for Reading : Graphic Novel Challenge

Helen Potter and her pet rat who she rescued from the school lab are runaways. She has an interest in Beatrix Potter who was also named Helen and takes comfort in copying her drawings. She falls in with a friendly lad from Newcastle who lets her live in his squat with his friends. After her rat is killed by a cat she leaves and moves to the Lake District where Beatrix Potter is from.

She can't bear physical touch and during the course of the novel the reason is explained. She is a victim of abuse from a close family member. The book deals with how she deals with what has happened to her as well as the many Beatrix Potter parallels. The drawings are perfect to accompany the story and bring it to life in a way words alone could not.

It is at times a difficult novel to read, but it is definitely an important one that I highly recommend. The issue of abuse is not something to brush under the carpet no matter how painful it is and it needs discussing. I really loved this graphic novel and I really appreciated that the ending was not happy ever after and sugar coated, it was far more realistic and true to life.

Other reviews : Stuff as Dreams are Made on

The Whole Story and Other Stories - Ali Smith

2009-07-10T09:31:00.003Z

Rating : 3.5/5
Number of Pages : 208
Format : Fiction Anthology
Reason for Reading : 999 Challenge

Twelve short stories are collected here by Scottish author Ali Smith. Rather than go through all of them I will just mention a few that really caught my imagination. Being Quick is a strange story were Death is seen at a Kings Cross train station. The narrator switches between the person who saw Death and their partner at home and you are unsure reading the tale if one will die or is dead. Very unsettling and complicate yet so very simple.

May is a tale of someone who falls in love with a tree. Again the tale is told from two narrators perspective giving both sides of the story. Believe Me is a tale of two lovers lying in bed together claiming they are sharing the same man. It is unclear if they are both teasing the other or speaking the truth. The Heart of the Story follows three drunk women who go to a church for midnight mass to wamr up. After being thrown out two leave to get a taxi and it is implied the youngest is homeless. The Start of Things tells the story of a breakup and how it began.

There are definite themes running through the tales which leads to a sense of cohensiveness. Many are to do with relationships and also nature (in particular trees). Ali also often switches narrative throughout the stories giving different perspectives which she is particularly adept at. She plays the pronoun game a lot not specifying whether her narrators are male or female which led me to check her sexuality. It was no surprise to find out she is a lesbian which means her tales are unspecific as to whether her characters were straight or in gay relationships which was interesting. I liked the ambiguity and it makes each tale read slightly differently depending on your assumptions so you get more than one story per reading!

A Wolf at the Door - Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling

2009-07-10T08:45:00.003Z

Rating : 3.5/5
Number of Pages : 166
Format : Teenage Fiction, Fairy Tale Anthology
Reason for Reading : 999 Challenge

An anthology of re-told fairy tales collected by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling. These tales are aimed at younger readers than the previous collections I have read, but were nonetheless enjoyable. There are 13 tales in all by a variety of different authors.

The Months of Manhattan - Delia Sherman

Liz Wallach is a good daughter who inherits bad-tempered step sister Beth Dodson. Liz gets lost doing a school project in the MET and stumbles across a magic painting entitled The Twelve Months of Manhattan. Since then all she has is good luck so Beth tries the same thing getting nothing but bad luck.

Cinder Elephant - Jane Yolen

A re-telling of Cinderella where Elly is a large girl that the Prince falls in love with. The moral at the end reads "If you love a waist, you waste a love".

Instructions - Neil Gaiman

Instructions for safely passing through a fairy tale.

Mrs Big: Jack and the Beanstalk Retold - Michael Cadnum

After Mrs Big steps on a milmaid, her husband buys a house in the clouds from a travelling peddlar. One day a thief comes to their house from a beanstalk grown from beans from a travelling peddlar. Mrs Big's husband ends up dying and she goes after the peddlar who started the whole thing.

Falada: The Goose Girls Horse - Nancy Farmer

A happier version of The Goose Girl where Falada manages to keep her head and return whole to Elfland.

A Wolf at the Door - Tannith Lee

After the Ice Age the animals have learnt to talk. One day Glasina finds a particularly verbose wolf and takes him home. He acts human and she realises to break the spell on him she will have to kiss him and then marry him. This will really mess up her travel plans...

Ali Baba and the Forty Allies - Janeen Web

Alberto Barbarino is a goth loner who is teased and called Ali Baba. One day he finds the treasure of 40 aliens in a disused mine.

Swans - Kelly Link

A mixture of Rumplestiltskin and The Wild Swans. Emma hasn't spoken since her mother who could spin gold died. Her father remarries a woman who can't stand noise and she turns everyone but Emma into swans.

The Kingdom of Melting Glances - Katherine Vazaken

Taken from 2 Portuguese legends. Rosa has a lily on her face who makes her magical. After her parents melt away she befriends a hummingbird, but her sisters injure it terribly. Rosa travels to the Palace of the Sun to nurse it back to health.

Hansel's Eyes - Garth Nix

A modern re-telling of Hansel and Grettal who are caught by a witch in a Playstation shop. She wants Hansels eyes for her own.

Becoming Chaise - Kathe Koja

The Ugly Duckling meets school nerd. The point is that she was never a duckling, always a swan.

The Seven Stage a Comeback - Gregory Maguire

The seven dwarves march out with the glass coffin and a bit of the poisoned apple to reclaim what is theirs.

The Twelve Dancing Princesses - Patricia A McKillip

A fairy standard re-telling of the original story about 12 Princesses who disappear every evening to dance the night away.

My favourites were Cinder Elephant, A Wolf at the Door, The Kingdom of Melting Glances, Becoming Chaise and The Seven Stage a Comeback. My main favourites were the tales of stories I wasn't too familiar with or that put a really new spin on an old story.

Personal Demon - Kelley Armstrong

2009-07-10T08:22:00.003Z

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 476
Series : #8 Women of the Otherworld
Format : Urban Fantasy Novel
Reason for Reading : 999 Challenge, to continue with the series

Hope Adams is a rare kind of half demon called an Expisco. She has none of the demonic superpowers, but has a love of chaos and can sense it. This includes hearing peoples chaotic thoughts and being able to sense where violent acts have taken place. She is working on fine tuning her talents, but first she must pay back a debt to Cabal leader Benicio Cortz. Her and her sometime werewolf lover Karl Marsden had their lives saved by Benicio and they long for the debt to be paid so they can continue their lives.

Benicio turns out unexpectedly to talk to Hope whie Karl is in Europe. He has a plan for her to infiltrate a local supernatural gang who are taking more risks than they should. He wants her to go undercover and keep tabs on their plans and actions with a fake identity. She agrees as long as Lucas and Paige from the Council are in on the plan and can monitor her from a distance. After passing an initiation test she is welcomed into the group and soon starts getting sucked in to the chaos surrounding the group, particularly the handsome Jaz. Things become complicated when Karl hears about what is going on and returns to find Hope on the lap of Jaz. A string of important murders also starts and it is up to Hope, Karl, Paige and Lucas to find out who the killers are and capture them before more supernaturals die.

This was fast paced and intense with some sexy bits thrown in for good measure. An excellent addition to one of the best urban fantasy series around at the moment. I love Armstrongs characters, her protagonists change from book to book keeping the stories fresh and exciting. Hope is a fairly new character appaering in No Humans Involved and her back story is introduced in short story Chaotic which is included in the Dates from Hell Anthology. I am really looking forward to reading the next in the series, Living with the Dead.

The Reformed Vampire Support Group - Catherine Jinks

2009-07-03T11:37:00.003Z

Rating : 3.0/5
Number of Pages : 355
Format : Teenage Fiction, Vampire/Werewolf novel
Reason for Reading : Vampire Challenge

Nina was fanged in 1973 when she was 15. Since then she has trying to live as a reformed vampire dining off Guinea Pigs. There are a little group of them that meet every week in a local church with Priest Father Ramon to try to come to terms with what they are and offer each other support, guidance and therapy. Being a vampire is no easy thing. It is not a glamorous lifestyle like in the books, they are best by illness, have to wear dark glasses all the time and everyone wants to kill them. They are not the deadly predator with supernatural skills portrayed in fantasy and horror novels. Nina deals with this by writing her own fantasy vampire series with Zadia Bloodstone as the intrepid vampire heronine with all the usual superpowers.

Life changes when one of their own is murdered (a stake through the heart does the trick). They find a silver bullet as a clue and pursue their lead to the very unsavoury Barry McKinnon and his son Dermind. They are running an illegal werewolf baiting racket and Nina, Dave (another vampire) and Father Ramon manage to get caught in the middle whilst looking for the killer. Barry and Dermind will stop at nothing to keep their werewolf who is worht upwards of a hundred thousand dollars...

This book should have been amazing. It has some of the best ideas I have come across in a long time regarding vampire fiction. I loved that they were sick all the time and totally the opposite of the stories. Another great idea was that Nina contributed to the misconception by writing supernatural vampire fiction of her own. There is also Bridget, an elderly vampire who spends her time knitting. Unforatunately it fell a bit flat. It wasn't really explained why they were so sick all the time. What started as a fun murder mystery became a bit more of an action tale, but it just missed the mark somehow for me.

Other Reviews: Becky's Book Reviews

June Summary

2009-07-02T07:42:00.003Z

This month has been much better for reading. I have been getting a lot of time at the weekends to catch up although I think this will change this month. My only problem now is that I am quite behind on reviews. When I go away with work I don't have a chance to get any done, I am going to have to be disciplined and schedule some I think so they are not all posted at the same time and that way I can do them when I am at home. At the moment I am 11 reviews behind which is the most I have ever been.

Books Read = 19, Total = 100
Pages Read = 4,476, Total = 21,321

Manga Challenge : 3/6 plus 8 alternatives
Scott Westerfeld Mini Challenge : 0/3
Arthurian Challenge II : 1/6 (read 6-8 books)
What's in a Name Challenge II : 3/6
Challenge with Nymeth : 1/5
Challenge with Mariel : 0/5
The Dream King Challenge : 2/3 plus 1 film (Coraline)
999 Challenge : 59/81
Graphic Novel Challenge II : 2/12
Guardian Challenge : 42/50
Opon upon a Time Challenge : 5/5 COMPLETED
Vampire Challenge : 0/2
666 Reading Challenge : 4/3
6Cozy Murders Challenge : 3/6
GLBT Challenge : 0/6 Starts July
Sookie Stackhouse Challenge : 0/9 Starts July

Manga Challenge Reviews April - June

2009-06-30T23:59:00.002Z

Little (Grrl) Lost - Charles de Lint

2009-06-26T09:33:00.002Z

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 271
Format : Fantasy, Teenage Fiction Novel
Reason for Reading : 999 Challenge, I love Charles de Lint

TJ has moved from a farm in the country to the city with her family when their fortunes take a turn for the worse. Unfortuantely this means giving up her beloved horse Red. One night she hears something in the walls on her house and it turns out that a family of Littles are living there. She meets Elizabeth who is the complete opposite to her. She is a Little with a really big personality into punk and making her own cool clothes. TJ is more of a goody goody and she tries to help Elizabeth who has run away from home and her controlling parents.

To learn more about LIttles and the myth that they can change into birds and fly, they try to find author Sheri Piper who seems to be the only other human who knows about Littles. Unforatuntely things do not go as planned. With Elizabeth hidden in her backpack, TJ is set upon by a gang of boys and loses her. They each have their own adventures as they are forced to go their seperate ways. Elizabeth meets more Littles, the fey folk and explores the Goblin market. TJ is finally noticed by boys and opens up about Elizabeth to two very different reactions.

This was a great story. Charles de Lint fast became one of my favourite authors and this book reminds me just why. He blends fantasy and fairy tale perfectly. He also has such a way with characters that really brings them to life. I wish I had Littles living in my flat.

Across the Wall - Garth Nix

2009-06-26T09:09:00.003Z

Rating : 3.5/5
Number of Pages : 352
Format : Fantasy Anthology
Reason for Reading : 999 Challenge

An anthology of fantasy stories by Garth Nix, most well known for his Abhorsen Trilogy. There is quite a mixture of different stories included in the collection which includes a story set around the Abhorsen stories. Instead of reviewing all the stories I will just mention some of the ones that really stood out.

Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case

A tale of Nicholas from the Abhorsen series who lives in Ancelstierre. His ambition is to return to the Old Kingdom and see Lirael. His uncle will help him if he answers some questions for the mysterious Department Thirteen. Dorrance runs the Department and is an eccentric who owns a strange free magic creature in a case form the Old Kingdom and Nicholas is convinced it is still alive.

Lightening Bringer

This was my favourite in the collection. It mixed controlling minds, seeing auras, lightening, sex and love. It reminded me of The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman which is another story I love.

Down to Scum Quarter

A fun "choose your own adventure" story that plays with Zoro and the Three Muskateers. Very silly but a lot of fun.

Hearts Desire

A re-telling of the Merlin/Nimue myth from Arthurian legends. To gain power one must catch a star and give up their heart's desire. Merlin caught his star years ago and knows his future and now it is the turn of Nimue.

Hope Chest

A fantasy Western tale about a baby girl who is found on a train with a note saying her name is Alice May Susan and she will bring good luck. She is adopted along with a mysterious trunk which none can open until she turns 16. What she finds inside helps her go after a dangerous cult leader called The Master.

Three Roses

A sad and poignant tale about a man who growa beautiful roses for the love of his dead wife.

One thing I really enjoyed about this collection was the introduction to each story by Nix. They give you an idea of what the story is about and why he wrote it and what it was written for. I really look forward to reading more of his writing.

The Uncommon Reader - Alan Bennet

2009-06-26T08:55:00.002Z

Rating : 3.0/5
Number of Pages : 124
Format : Fiction Novel
Reason for Reading : Library Reading Group

One night whilst walking her ill tempered corgi's in the palace grounds, the Queen stumbles across a travlling library. Her manners lead her to check out a book and she is not one to turn down a challenge so she finishes reading it. She doesn't enjoy it but on returning it she tries again advised by Norman Seakins, a young man from the kitchen whose interest is primarily gay books.

The second book is a big hit with her and she quickly becomes hooked on reading. However, her advisors are not happy about this sudden turn in events. They worry that her reading is elitist and doesn't teach the public anything. She seems to come out with what they consider inappropriate questions and comments to visiting dignitaries. She takes books in her carriage with her hidden below the window and is always recommendting a good book to everyone including the Prime Minister.

I mostly loved this but I felt the ending was a let down. It was an excellent premise and it made me wonder much more about the Queen and what her hobbies might be. What must it be like to live her life? The problem was how to end it, it didn't really go anywhere and I wondered what Bennet's motivation was for writing it.

Binu and the Great Wall - Su Tong

2009-06-26T08:28:00.006Z

Rating : 4.5/5
Number of Pages : 291
Series : Canongate Mythology Series
Format : Mythology, Folklore, Fairy Tale
Reason for Reading : 999 Challenge, to continue with the series

Binu's husband has been taken as one of the local men to build the Great Wall of China. They were quite poor despite Binu's good looks. Binu loves her husband Wan Qiliang and when the wether starts to turn cold she worries he will need his winter coat. So she sets out on a journey by foot from her home Peach Villiage to travel to find him across Great Swallow Mountain and give him his coat. With her travels a blind frog that was once a blind woman looking for her lost son.

The journey is long and hard with many interesting adventures along the way. Binu is set upon by many sleezy men as she is a woman travelling alone. No one in North Moutain can cry naturally through their eyes and the woman have learnt to cry through various other body parts for example their hair, feet, breasts and ears. This "skill" saves Binu as well as putting her in more danger on many occassions on her journey.

A blend of mythology, folklore and fairy tale, this tale would be ideal for anyone who loves these themes or enjoyed Sky Burial by Xinran. I really loved this tale, it really captured my imagination and the language was beautiful. I really felt for Binu on her amazing journey of devotion for her husband. No one seemed to understand her love for Wan Qiliang which is a shame. Oh and don't expect a traditional fairy tale "and they lived happily ever after" ending...

Sookie Stackhouse Reading Challenge

2009-06-23T09:36:00.004Z

This looks like a really fun challenge and is hosted here by Beth Fish. Taken from the blog:

The Rules:

1. Between July 1, 2009, and June 30, 2010, catch up on Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire series. No matter if you're starting with book 1 or book 8, you have a year to read all about Sookie. Read Sookie in print, listen to the audio, read an eBook -- format is not an issue.

2. Sign up using Mr. Linky. Put your name in the top box. For the bottom box, please use the URL that links specifically to your blog post about this challenge, not to your blog's home page.

3. After July 4, I'll create a post with another Mr. Linky where you can link your reviews so everyone can read them track your progress.4. If you don't have a blog and want to join in, sign up in the comments here. Later, let us know about your progress by leaving comments on the review link page.

The Books:

Dead Until Dark

Living Dead in Dallas

Club Dead

Dead to the World

Dead as a Doornail

Definitely Dead

All Together Dead

From Dead to Worse

Dead and Gone

I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to starting this, but realistically it most likely won't be until next year that I get stuck in.

Once Upon a Time III Challenge Wrap Up

2009-06-20T18:44:00.003Z

I signed up for Quest the First throughout 21/3/09 - 20/6/09. The review site is here with links to all the reviews (well it did when Mr Linky was working) and the main post was here. Quest the First involved reading 5 books covering at least one of the following mythology, fantasy, fairy tale and folklore. I read the following for the challenge with links to my reviews:

1. The Good Fairies of New York - Martin Millar (Fairy Tale, Fantasy)
2. The Indigo King - James A Owen (Fantasy, Mythology)
3. Castle Waiting - Linda Medley (Fairy Tale)
4. I am Morgan Le Fey - Nancy Springer (Mythology)
5. The Prague Golem: Jewish Stories of the Ghetto (Folklore)

I enjoyed all five reads, especially The Indigo King by James A Owen which is part of one of my current favourite series. I can't wait for next years challenge to roll around again...!

The Prague Golem; Jewish Stories of the Ghetto

2009-06-20T18:37:00.006Z

Rating : 3.0/5
Number of Pages : 63
Format : Folklore Anthology
Reason for Reading : Once Upon a Time III Challenge

A collection of legends and folklore surrounding the Prague Golem, it's creation and the Jews living in Prague. It is made up of a series of short tales in roughly chronological order including tales of the New-Old Sysnagogue, the Quiet Jew and Rabbi Loew who famously created the Golem to save the Jews of Prague.

There are some lovely pen drawings to accompany the tales and it was interesting to read stories from an area I have visited. I was lucky enough to visit the Jewish cemetary on my second trip to Prague and get a photo of Loew's grave as well as visit the New-Old Synagogue. Reading these tales made me want to go back again.

I think the story that most stuck in my mind was that entitled Rabbi Loew and the Rose which tells of the death of Loew. He was quite the inventor making a devide that told him every time the angel of death was near as well as the famous Golem.

Fool Moon - Jim Butcher

2009-06-20T18:14:00.004Z

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 391
Series : #2 Dresden Files
Format : Urban Fantasy, Mystery
Reason for Reading : 666 Challenge, Mystery Read-A-Thon

Wizard Harry Dresden is back in another supernatural mytery. A series of murders are happening around the full moon and it seems like werewolves. This is not as simples as that as it turns out there are four types of werewolf. There are loup-garou's who are cursed to be werewolves and have amazing strength and when they change they loose their humanity. There are classic werewolves and also hexenwolves who wear a magicl amulet giving them the power of werevoles and causing their change. Lastly there are those that are wolves that can shapeshift and take on the appearence of humans.

He is initally hired by Murphy from the Chicago PD to help with the case after a long period of no work, but soon loses her trust. His protege becomes involved in the case but doesn't hang around for long causing even more problems between Harry and Murphy. He also has a love interest in the form of journalist Susan who he isn't sure is around to get aheads up on supernatural happenings for her paper.

The plot is quite complicated with lots of twists and turns, but it sweeps the reader along and it wasn't too complicated that I lost my place. I really like Harry and his pragmatic approach to the supernatural. I will definitely be continuing further with the series in the near future. Every time I read one of them though I am reminded that the series was sadly cancelled after the first series. It was so good, I really miss it but hopefully the books will keep going much longer and will remain as enthralling.

Real Murders - Charlaine Harris

2009-06-20T17:53:00.002Z

Rating : 4.0/5
Number of Pages : 290
Series : #1 Aurora Teagarden Mystery
Format : Mystery
Reason for Reading : Cozy Mystery Challenge, Mystery Read-A-Thon

Aurora (Roe) Teagarden is part of Real Murders, a club that meets every month to discuss murders that have really happened, who they think really committed them and to sometimes have guest speakers in. This month Roe is leading the lecture, but when she arrives at the hall she discovers the body of one of the members having been killed to resemble one of their famous cases. To make matters worse, it was the case she was about to discuss that very month.

The whole group quickly become suspects along with visiting mystery author Robin Crusoe. Investigating the case is Arthur Smith who is also a member of the club. Roe is drawn to both men as the case gets more complicated. More killings happen to the group members and the murder weapons turn up in the possession of others. It seems the killer must be someone in the group which is extrememly unsettling as they close in on Roe after threatening her mother's life.

This was a great start to the series, I couldn't put it down. I liked Roe as a main character and am looking forward to meeting her again in the future and seeing how her love life is doing. The idea of a real murders group sounds like fun as well if a little macabre.

A Short History of Myth - Karen Armstrong

2009-06-17T09:32:00.004Z

Rating : 2.5/5
Number of Pages : 165
Series : Canongate Myth Series
Format : Mythology, Non-Fiction
Reason for Reading : 999 Challenge, to continue with the series

A look at mythology over the ages: The Paleaolithic Period, The Neolithic Period, The Early Civilisations, The Axial Age, The Post-Axial Age and The Great Western Transformation. It discusses different myths and how they have been shaped by the times and environment around them. Armstrong takes us up to modern time where science leads the way and discredits many myths.

I don't have too much to say about this book sadly. I thought it tried to cover far too much in too small a volume. I thought it would spend more time discussing what myth is and defining it and I also disagreed with some of the statements she made and how some of the myths and timepoints were interpreted. A very average read, maybe more suited to someone just dipping into mythology for the first time.

A Fine and Private Place - Peter S Beagle

2009-06-17T08:53:00.004Z

Rating : 4.5/5
Number of Pages : 290
Format : Fantasy, Ghost Story
Reason for Reading : 999 Challenge

A beautiful story of haunting love. Michael Morgan wakes up in a coffin at his own funeral. Turns out he is dead and is wife is suspected of poisoning and murdering him. He meets Mr Rebeck who is an alive ghost haunting and living in the cemetary with a raven that keeps him in food. He has taken himself away from life after he went bankrupt and lost his pharmacy business. It is up to Mr Rebeck to teach Michael about death and being a ghost.

Death is not the end for Michael. Ghosts lose their memories over time including human mannerisms like walking on the ground properly, but Michael is determined to keep himself together. He meets Laura, another recent ghost who was hit by a car. She had thought about sucicide when alive but never went through with it. It also seems that Mr Rebeck has another chance at a more usual life when he meets widow Mrs Klapper who may be able to help him come back to the world.

This was such a beautiful book. The language was consuming somehow, really pulling me in. I loved Beagle's ideas of death and what happens after we die. His characters were really interesting and there were some great surprises throughout the story. It's a ghost story but more a look at humanity and what makes a person. Highly recommended

The Three Theban Plays - Sophocles

2009-06-17T08:18:00.004Z

Rating : 3.5/5
Number of Pages : 424
Format : Literary Fiction, Play
Reason for Reading : Guardian Challenge

Three plays are collected in this volume surrounding Oedipus and his family. Oedipus was famous for killing his father and marrying his mother after being abandoned at birth. The first play is Antigone which follows the daughter of Oedipus and his wife/mother Jocasta. Her brothers have both died and while Eteocles is given a proper burial, Polynices is left out without any rites by their uncle Creon. Antigone is distraught and goes against Creon's wishes (he is the King after Oedipus) and tries to cover his body bringing about more sorrow to the doomed family.

Oedipus the King follows which shows the sequence of events leading up to Oedipus learning the truth about his birth and the crimes he has committed. It has him summoning the shepherd who is the sole witness of the death of Laius and it also emerges how he grew up not knowing his real parents. It's a sad tale as Oedipus did so much to try and avoid fulfilling the prophecy. The final play is Oedipus at Colonus which finishes the story of Oedpius after his exile. It concludes his story taking it to his death in Athens with Theseus. His daughters Antigone and Ismene are with him at the end.

I really enjoyed all three plays although I do feel that having Antigone first was out of order and it should have been the final play in the collection. I would really like to see them performed live, especially Oedipus the King which is the most powerful of the three with the truths it reveals. A must for all mythology fans.