Showing posts with label trilogy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trilogy. Show all posts

Saturday, 16 July 2016

Pokemon Go! Book tag

for those not familiar with 'Book Tags', a book Tag is a bit like a questionnaire with themes.

This is an original tag, meaning that I made it all up!
 (NB. video that accompanies this article is still in editing)




Pokémon Go Book Tag 

Just like Pokémon go features the original 151 Pokémon, we’re going back to the beginning! 

11.       Pikachu – what was the first book series you remember collecting?
22.       Bulbasaur – favourite made-up creature in a book?
33.       Charmander – favourite book where fire is present or important as a metaphor?
44.       Squirtle – the last book that made you cry?
55.       Pidgey – a book that got away (you lost or was never returned)
66.       Jigglypuff – favourite romantic/chick lit book or book with pink on the cover?
77.       Poliwag – a book you didn’t think you would enjoy, but surprised you?
88.       Golem – a book that scared you as a child?
99.       Slowpoke – which book did you feel like would never end but you really wanted to finish?
110.   Hypno – what was the last book that made you feel really bored or sleepy?
111.   Krabby – has a book ever made you angry? And if so, which one?
112.   Koffing – best death scene in a book?
113.   Togepi – a rare or hard to find book you wished you owned, but don’t?
114.   Eevee – the sweetest / cutest story you have ever read?
115.   Mewtwo – which standalone made you wish for a sequel?
Bonus Questions –
116.   Team Rocket – best phrase said by or used to refer to a villain?
117.   Team Instinct (yellow, Zapdos bird) – favourite team or group in a novel or series?
118.   Team Mystic (blue, Articuno bird) – favourite book that has magic in it?
119.   Team Valor (red, Moltres bird) – what series do you wish could be resurrected and continued on for one more title? 
220.   Gotta Catch ‘em all – which book are you most eagerly anticipating in the next year or so?

My answers
11.       First series brought for me was Beatrix potter, followed later on by chronicles of Narnia, but first I remember actively seeking out was goosebumps.
22.       Mr Tumnus, the lion, the witch and the wardrobe by C.S. Lewis Mr Tumnus is intended to be a pan like creature, a satyr, half man and half goat. We share a fondness for tea.
33.       Catching fire, Suzanne Collins, the hunger games. If you’ve read the book, this needs no explanation.
44.       The serpent king by jeff zentner …. Oh Travis, I still miss you and your staff that went everywhere with you.
55.       I thought I had lost my copy of the bloody chamber by angela carter, which of course was the basis for the film ‘the company of wolves’. So I brought the penguin 75th anniversary edition, which is beautiful. Hurrah!
66.       Where have all the boys gone? By Jenny Colgan. This book reminded me that love can pop up in unexpected places. And Ewan McGreggor has a small cameo in it. He is absolutely gorgeous in his cameo, of course.
77.       Cabal by Clive Barker – I enjoyed the film, nightbreed, and knew the book would be the complete opposite of that, which it was in many ways, but still enjoyed it just as much.
88.       The exorcist by Peter S. Blatty – I remember finding a copy of it in a supermarket when I was much, much, younger, and reading the synopsis along with the opening chapter very quickly before my mum noticed what I was looking at… it really creeped me out!
99.       Breaking dawn by Stephanie Meyer. I did finish it, but it took quite a while, the middle of the book was so dull and kind of pointless to me that it could have been cut out, and the remainder would have still been a decent book for fans of the twilight saga.
110.   Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides. I started it, I wanted to like it as I loved the virgin suicides, but I found myself bored very quickly, probably because incest as plot point has been done before (very common within Virginia Andrews’ books) but one day I will try again with it, just in case I wasn’t in the right mood for it, as it is rather a thick book.
111.   Can’t recall a book ever making me angry at the story itself. Angry on behalf of a character, the last time that happened would have been with The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner.
112.   The original ending of The little mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson. Go read it, it’s not a patch on what we know and love as the Disney story. Although Ursula made a much stronger villain than the sea witch in the original tale.
113.   The last unicorn & other stories by Peter S. Beagle. I have both the USA and UK dvds (there are differences), the graphic novel, a tattoo of the last unicorn herself, but have never obtained the book.
114.   Toss-up between Saddlebottom by dick king smith or the hen who dreamed she could fly by Sun-Mi Hwang. Both stories feature animals overcoming a challenge or obstacle and making their way towards attaining their dreams.
115.   It’s gotta be The Serpent King, I’d have loved to have seen Lydia and Dill several years later, to see how their careers have panned out.
116.   “He who shall not be named” – Lord Voldemort, Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. This phrase is said numerous times throughout the books in reference to Lord Voldemort.
117.   I’m in Hufflepuff house, and proud of it, Hufflepuff pride! It has to be the houses in harry potter.
118.   The worst witch by Jill Murphy, multiple spells cast by Mildred Hubble always back fire in humorous ways, and is treated in a light hearted manner in the books.
119.   Grave (Harper Connelly series) by Charlaine Harris. I loved Harper’s quiet, serious nature and the way her relationship with her step brother (no physical relation) and would have liked a final visit with them.
220.   The 3rd and final title in the sin eater’s daughter trilogy by Melinda Salisbury. I loved the first two books, and I know from following Melinda on twitter (and having met her in person) that the final book is well under way as a draft was submitted earlier this summer, and the cover art has been produced by the same artist who worked on her previous book covers, so now I am waiting for a release date!   

Friday, 4 March 2016

The Sin Eater's Daughter

Originally, this next post should have been about Middlesex, but I've just not been able to settle into it, so I will try again in a few weeks, however, I've had a few particular books sat on my shelf that I have only recently started itching to read.... and The Sin Eater's Daughter was one of those books.





Title: The Sin Eater's Daughter
Author: Melinda Salisbury
Date started: 03/03/16
Date finished: 04/03/16
Star Rating: 4 out of 5
Thoughts and Quotes:
Being a fan of the film 'the sin eater' which stared the late Heath Ledger, I was already familiar with the concept of a sin eater, one who 'consumes' the sins of the dying or recently deceased in order for that person's soul to pass on to the afterlife or heaven or where ever it is believed that we mortals go after death. I expected this novel to be about the family of whomever performs that role, and perhaps their training to be the next replacement, which to an extent, was the life of Twylla, the 17 year old protagonist of The Sin Eater's Daughter, before she learned she was destined to be Daunen Embodied, the living incarnation of the daughter of the two gods worshipped in the kingdom of Lormere. The Daunen Embodied is the queen's own executioner, only the royal family are immune to her touch, as within her skin, a deadly poison resides.

Twylla does not enjoy her role, but performs her duty in order to keep her queen happy and her family provided for, waiting for the day to arrive when she will marry the crown prince, Merek. Lormere has it's own rich history of myths and legends, one in particular, the sleeping prince, is reminiscent of the pied piper of hamlyn, with a grizzly twist, and folk songs, sung by Twylla at the court. A few of the lyrics appear in the book, appearing to follow the same tune as the sung version of "Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allen Poe. The only welcome distraction from Twylla's lonely life, is her new personal guard, Lief.

**Potential Spoiler Alert**








Lief helps Twylla see past what she believes is her destiny, and encourages her to choose a new future for herself....with him. Whilst the prince is a likeable character once we get to know him, I'm still team Lief, as he was the one that showed Twylla that she could indeed love as others do, as well as being a rather attractive piece of forbidden fruit.

I rather enjoyed reading The Sin Eater's daughter, which is the first in a trilogy, and I have the second book in the series, The Sleeping Prince, ready to go. I would have liked to have seen the queen get her comeuppance,  as her punishment is only hinted at in the book, as well as a little more detail into how deep her madness runs, of which it must run pretty deep as she wanted to marry her own biological son after her second husband had usurped her one time too many.

The cover art is beautiful, and I hope the third book will match, as the second book does, and I found the pacing to be quite steady, then speed up a little towards the third part of the book, where in all the major drama occurs. There are a few deaths along the way, and  several titbits of information as to what foods should be served to the sin eater for the eating of sins, such as crow should be served for a murderer.

I do not want to go into more detail as that would spoil the story for anyone who has not read it yet. This is a YA title, and suitable for anyone over the age of 13 due to mature themes.

Monday, 18 January 2016

#2.1 The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Don't you just hate it when life gets in the way of reading a good book? I am behind on my reading this January, and life events are to blame.

My thoughts so far on The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larson (regular readers of Bookshany will recall that Slip No. 2 from the Bookshany TBR Jar instructed to read the trilogy.):

I can easily picture in my mind what the characters look like, and having not yet watched the European made film versions of the book, nor the American re-make, I feel as though the American cast were well chosen based on appearances alone, based on the screen shots and publicity images that I recall from around the time of the film's release. We're not talking about book to film adaptations today though, that will be coming in the future!

I've enjoyed the translations so far, as the person responsible for changing the book from Larson's native Swedish tongue into English has done a cracking job with it. The language flows smoothly as it would have done had a British writer written the novel, and has avoided the cliché of using Americanisms in the text, e.g. kindergarten vs. nursery.

I won't reveal any spoilers at this point, as there isn't much to say just yet. The political side of the plot could happen tomorrow just as easily as it could have done when the book was set earlier this decade. And for Mikael Blomkvist, just like all great investigators who came before him, the mystery is afoot.

Having now finished the novel, I can give my final review:

Title: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Author: Steig Larson
Date Started: 03/01/16
Date Finished: 01/02/16
Star Rating: 4 out of 5

Thoughts and Quotes:

All crime novels have a question to be answered. The initial question raised by The Girl With The Dragon tattoo is this: 'what happened to Harriet Vanger on Hedeby Island?' This of course, is eventually answered, but is joined by a second question, 'what is Lisbeth Salander's secret? How does she do what she does?' This is also eventually answered, to an extent.

Lisbeth and Mikael do form a good team, and it is through their relationship that we learn more about Lisbeth herself. Lisbeth is an excellent heroine. She does suffer in many different ways through out the novel, as do most protagonists, she has her secrets and flaws, she is afraid of her own feelings, and in the moments where she is the victim, she does not fall into the standard 'perfect victim' trope, making her into a fully formed, realistic person, as we all, as individuals react differently when certain scenarios are thrust upon us, invading our ordinary lives.

"To Sally, who showed me the benefits to the sport of golf."