tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80791950819986887922024-03-13T07:13:15.592-07:00StarLitBook reviews by an editor.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079195081998688792.post-30040184220475232682013-09-02T08:00:00.000-07:002013-09-02T08:00:06.333-07:00The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4502507-the-last-olympian?ac=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fjsHLCscA0E/Uh4p_BXik3I/AAAAAAAABUw/Zn4qLtQcfX0/s320/250px-Lastolympian.gif" width="208"></a></div>
<b>The battle Percy has been dreading is about to begin. </b>The cruise ship carrying Kronos and his minions approaches New York, while the titan Typhon is havocing his way across the continent to meet Kronos at the gates of Olympus. Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and all the other inhabitants of Camp Half-blood are on the alert and preparing to defend their divine parents. But there's a mole at the camp, someone giving the enemy critical information, and even worse (in Percy's opinion) is that the Great Prophecy is predicting a truly terrible 16th birthday. I mean, who wants their soul reaped the day they turn 16?<br>
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I've finally read it. The finale of the <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/40736-percy-jackson-and-the-olympians" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Percy Jackson and the Olympians</a> series by <a href="http://www.rickriordan.com/home.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rick Riordan</a> has come and gone, and I remain. But seriously, it feels good to catch up with the story, since I'm already halfway through the next series, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/51379-heroes-of-olympus" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Heroes of Olympus</a>. <b>In <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4502507-the-last-olympian?ac=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>The Last Olympian</i></a>, you have the culmination of several plotlines</b>: the war between the Olympians and the Titans, the rivalry of Percy and Luke, the revelation of the Great Prophecy, and the resolution of the Annabeth-Percy-Rachel love triangle. It's a lot of threads to tie up, or cut, as the Fates decide, but Rick Riordan gets the job done.<br>
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<a href="http://starlitreading.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-last-olympian-by-rick-riordan.html#more">Read full article >>></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079195081998688792.post-18833304132856804652013-09-01T08:00:00.000-07:002013-09-03T09:22:52.173-07:00Suggested Book for September 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/244572.Charmed_Life?ac=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-96t2xbNf5Yg/UhvCX3z-JfI/AAAAAAAABRU/jHOdcPjHfbs/s320/Charmed-Life2.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Charmed Life</i><br />by Diana Wynne Jones</b></span><br />
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Cat Chant is downright depressed when he and his sister Gwendolyn are sent to live with the enchanter Chrestomanci. It's a much more comfortable life, of course; Chrestomanci is wealthy and lives on a beautiful estate, and Gwendolyn can study witchcraft with superior teachers, but it's a very different life from the one Cat is used to, and he's not happy about it. Gwendolyn, of course, has ideas of her own as to what their new life should be like. And <b>if she doesn't get her way, things could get distinctly uncomfortable for everyone.</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/244572.Charmed_Life?ac=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Charmed Life</i></a> by <a href="http://www.dianawynnejones.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Diana Wynne Jones</a> is the first book in the <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/43763-chrestomanci" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chrestomanci series</a>. It introduces readers to a world like our own, but suffused with magic and strange creatures. <b>It's a wonderfully silly and fun book, suitable for all ages.</b> If you enjoyed the world of wizards and muggles in Harry Potter, you'll be sure to love the world of Chrestomanci.<br />
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View my <a href="http://starlitreading.blogspot.ca/p/suggested-authors-i-j.html">suggested books by Diana Wynne Jones</a><br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 10px; padding: 0; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bestsfbooks.com/b/4569/Charmed-Life-Diana-Wynne-Jones" style="border: none;"><img src="http://www.bestsfbooks.com/sfback/b/4569.jpg" style="border: none; height: 23px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 107px;" /><br />Charmed Life</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079195081998688792.post-83588560080860344442013-08-29T08:00:00.000-07:002013-08-29T08:00:05.926-07:00The Gunslinger by Stephen King<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43615.The_Gunslinger" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RpMq4GN8KJg/Uh0sN2IedZI/AAAAAAAABUA/2fsL0rry2Uo/s1600/gun.jpg"></a></div>
<b>Driven by vengeance, Roland Deschain, the last Gunslinger, must catch the man in black.</b> The pursuit leads the last gunslinger across the Mojave desert to the end of the known world, for he will allow nothing to deter him from discovering the secret of the Dark Tower. Or will he?<br>
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My synopsis will join the ranks of thousands of variations on "The man in black flees across the desert, and the last Gunslinger follows." And there's a reason we've all used that line to build from: you just can't say much of anything else about the story without giving things away. It's quite short. <b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43615.The_Gunslinger" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>The Gunslinger</i></a> is the first part of <a href="http://www.stephenking.com/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stephen King</a>'s <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/40750-the-dark-tower" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dark Tower</a> series, which he regards as a single long work, rather than a series.</b> It is part Western, part fantasy, part horror. But don't think <i>Cowboys and Aliens</i>; I did say it was part horror.<br>
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<a href="http://starlitreading.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-gunslinger-by-stephen-king.html#more">Read full article >>></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079195081998688792.post-31647643598960650982013-08-22T08:00:00.000-07:002013-09-05T15:20:29.893-07:00Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/367158.Fire_and_Hemlock?ac=1" rel="nofollow" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X0u6HSCcBqM/UhOxZYNmfWI/AAAAAAAABQk/u8LEZ8QU0c8/s320/fire+and+hemlock.jpg" width="214"></a></div>
Polly's having trouble remembering. For some reason, she seems to have two conflicting sets of memories, memories which lead back to meeting Tom Lynn at Hunsdon House on Hallowe'en. <b>Something strange happened to her as a teenager, something tied to the make-believe stories she and Tom created about Tan Coul and his assistant, Hero</b>. Something about them coming true.<br>
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<a href="http://www.dianawynnejones.com/dwjflash.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Diana Wynne Jones</a>'s books often straddle age groups. Much like the <a href="http://starlitreading.blogspot.ca/p/suggested-authors-r-s.html">Harry Potter</a> series, her <a href="http://starlitreading.blogspot.ca/p/suggested-authors-i-j.html">Castle</a> and Chrestomanci books are written for children or young adults, but can easily be enjoyed by adults. The same is true of <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/367158.Fire_and_Hemlock?ac=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Fire and Hemlock</i></a>, which is a coming-of-age story. But <i>Fire and Hemlock</i>, on the other hand, is definitely not written for children. <b>It's the story of a young adult for adults. And it's wonderful.</b><br>
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<a href="http://starlitreading.blogspot.com/2013/08/fire-and-hemlock-by-diana-wynne-jones.html#more">Read full article >>></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079195081998688792.post-83946263339159138392013-08-19T08:00:00.000-07:002013-09-05T15:20:56.750-07:00The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12127750-the-mark-of-athena" rel="nofollow" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x_E4zT-SLC0/UgKQKjo7q5I/AAAAAAAABB8/932QlGy4O7E/s1600/athena.jpg"></a>
Annabeth, Jason, Piper, and Leo have arrived at Camp Jupiter in the <i>Argo II</i>. The Roman demigods, newly victorious after their battle against the giants, are wary of the Greek demigods, and for good reason. Misunderstandings between the two groups have led to battles and even wars in the past. <b>Percy, Hazel, and Leo must try to focus the Romans on their common enemy: Gaea and the giants, before strife can erupt against the Greeks.</b> And, as usual, there's a terrible prophecy to contend with:<br>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Seven half-bloods shall answer the call.<br>
To storm or fire, the world must fall.<br>
An oath to keep with a final breath,<br>
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.</i></div>
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But Annabeth has a prophecy of her own to worry about, one that may tear the two camps apart.<br>
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<a href="http://starlitreading.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-mark-of-athena-by-rick-riordan.html#more">Read full article >>></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079195081998688792.post-65006469298139419382013-08-15T08:00:00.000-07:002013-09-05T15:21:15.444-07:00The White Queen by Philippa Gregory<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BrX3ckxVLSA/UfwqGV3Pa9I/AAAAAAAABBU/laB2P5c6Ojk/s320/the-white-queen3.jpg" width="214"></div>
Elizabeth Woodhall may be queen, but she is not safe. The Cousins War has never really ended, and even though her husband, King Edward IV, is the anointed king of England, Elizabeth knows from experience that the sons of York are ambitious and loyal only to their own interest. Elizabeth's love for Edward, her desire to see the best for her children, and her mother's diligent use of magic has made Elizabeth the greatest lady at the most magnificent court in Europe. But those who rise far have the farthest to fall. <b>Elizabeth must protect the interests of her family using every means available to her if she is to ensure the legacy of the house of York</b>. Only time will tell if she can remain at the pinnacle of the wheel of fortune.<br>
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This was my second time reading <a href="http://www.philippagregory.com/">Philippa Gregory</a> within a two week period. I picked up her book <i>The Lady of the Rivers</i> from the bargain table at my local bookstore on a whim, and quite enjoyed it. <b>When I looked up <i>Lady</i>, I saw it was actually book three in the Cousins' War series, which is currently at six books long</b>. So, I got my hands on number one, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5971165-the-white-queen"><i>The White Queen</i></a>.<br>
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<a href="http://starlitreading.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-white-queen-by-philippa-gregory.html#more">Read full article >>></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079195081998688792.post-51870581151692348402013-08-13T08:00:00.000-07:002013-08-13T08:00:05.123-07:002312 by Kim Stanley Robinson<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11830394-2312" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xXO0nWBnIWQ/Ufrn4n1b07I/AAAAAAAABAs/OS1mljUCtt4/s320/2312.jpg" width="206"></a></div>
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The year is 2312 and the exodus from earth has begun. With the discovery of terraforming and interplanetary travel, humanity has colonized the solar system in an attempt to preserve their ways of life. Swan er Hong has lived her life on Mercury as an artist, often using her own body as a canvas. <b>When her grandmother dies, she inherits data on a little-known conspiracy and is launched on a dangerous investigation with strange new allies</b>. And all the while she must
grapple with the implications of the modifications she's made to herself over the years, modifications which now may threaten the integrity of her investigation.<br>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://kimstanleyrobinson.info/">Kim Stanley Robinson</a> was first brought to my attention by a <a href="http://starlitreading.blogspot.ca/2011/11/pacific-edge-by-kim-stanley-robinson.html">guest post on this blog</a>, and when I saw <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11830394-2312" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>2312</i></a> on the list of <a href="http://www.sfwa.org/nebula-awards/" target="_blank">Nebula nominees</a> (and since I had a hankering for some hard SF) I nominated it for my book club and it was selected. Fast forward to now:<b> my hankering for hard SF has been sated, and I'm reminded why I often stay with YA and fantasy</b>. <i>2312</i> was interesting--I got through its 561 pages in about a week, which says something about the quality of the writing--but I'm left without a really strong impression of the story, which says something else entirely.</div>
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<a href="http://starlitreading.blogspot.com/2013/08/2312-by-kim-stanley-robinson.html#more">Read full article >>></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079195081998688792.post-44209833466548223902013-08-08T08:00:00.000-07:002013-08-09T11:15:10.220-07:00Suggested book for August 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9542439-the-lady-of-the-rivers" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pebZReiy2DI/UfwxCHe7SHI/AAAAAAAABBk/ubapk2t3QnA/s1600/rivers.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>The Lady of the Rivers</i> by Philippa Gregory</span></b><br />
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Jacquetta has heard the story of Melusina, a river goddess who fell in love with a human man, many times as a child. It is said her family is descended from Melusina, and that the eldest girl of each generation is blessed with some of Melusina's power. In Jacquetta's case it seems to be true: sometimes she can foresee. And while Jacquetta is a beautiful young woman from a powerful family in English-controlled France, it is her power that attracts the most powerful man in France: John, Duke of Bedford. <b>But not all are as accepting of Jacquetta's unique gifts, especially when her friendship with the unpopular queen thrusts her into a prominent place at the English court</b>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9542439-the-lady-of-the-rivers?ac=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>The Lady of the Rivers</i></a> (Book 3 in the Cousins' War series) by <a href="http://www.philippagregory.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Phillipa Gregory</a> is a story of romance and intrigue at the English court at the beginning of the Wars of the Roses, known then as the Cousins' War. <b>Pick it up for the history, enjoy it for the magic, and read it again for characters.</b><br />
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View my <a href="http://starlitreading.blogspot.ca/p/suggested-authors-g-h.html">suggested books by Phillipa Gregory</a>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079195081998688792.post-87481773847729545142013-08-05T08:00:00.000-07:002013-08-08T09:39:57.254-07:00Book reviews are back!I hope.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8_LkSDBMEvU/UgPJlOzm93I/AAAAAAAABCo/nHyFuoqKjiA/s1600/books1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8_LkSDBMEvU/UgPJlOzm93I/AAAAAAAABCo/nHyFuoqKjiA/s200/books1.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>It's been nearly a year since I've written anything for my beloved blog</b>. I've come to gaze at it a few times since last September, but felt too sheepish to settle my fingers on the keys and write. Also, I have been quite busy. YES, I know. Everyone says that. But there are many busy people in this world, and I have become one of them.<br />
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I've come to realize I miss chatting about the books I read. Being busy hasn't stopped me from reading as much as always, just from writing about it. And <b>I miss that reflection, so I'm going to endeavour to continue to review.</b><br />
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But here's the inevitable disclaimer: life may just get in the way again. Hopefully, if it does happen, it won't be for too long.<br />
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<b>What do you have to look forward to? <i>2312</i> by Kim Stanley Robinson<i>, The Lady of the Rivers</i> by Philippa Gregory, and <i>The Mark of Athena</i> by Rick Riordan.</b><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079195081998688792.post-42523955051609758722012-09-10T13:30:00.001-07:002012-09-10T13:30:08.593-07:00Life gets in the way... againJust wanted to give everyone a heads-up that I'll be taking a break from posting as I leave on my honeymoon. I'm off to Paris and Rome, and will have little time for writing posts (let alone reading!) as I sightsee across France and Italy. I'll be back in action in October, in time to post on something scary. I've recently discovered Stephen King...<br />
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Anyway, have a fabulous September!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1dfdTb9T-rg/UE4Ke_co03I/AAAAAAAAASI/dI47EGZZHjE/s1600/98552-european-honeymoon-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1dfdTb9T-rg/UE4Ke_co03I/AAAAAAAAASI/dI47EGZZHjE/s320/98552-european-honeymoon-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079195081998688792.post-15646907536021498952012-09-04T12:15:00.000-07:002012-09-05T12:28:20.163-07:00Voices by Ursula K. Le Guin<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13647.Voices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-flJo41NhArw/UEZSHRCqFBI/AAAAAAAAAQw/VO4TO_SCB_k/s1600/Voices_hc_s.jpg"></a></div>
Once, Ansul was a light of reason and education on the Western Shore. But, for the past seventeen years, it's been occupied by the Alds of the western desert. They, believing that all writing is a sin and a form of devil-worship, destroyed Ansul's library and university. The occupied population has resorted to hiding their remaining books, often finding ways to bring them secretly to the house of Arcamand, where the old Waylord of Ansul resides. Memer is a resident of the house of Arcamand. Since she was a small child, she's had the secret ability to enter a hidden room in the house, and enjoyed nothing more than spending time with the books there. When the Waylord discovers her ability to enter the room, he begins to teach her to read and write, and to appreciate the written word in all its forms. But trouble is brewing in Ansul, and subterranean whispers for liberty break the surface when Orrec Caspro, the great poet and orator, arrives in Ansul, seeking the lost books of the old university.<br>
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<a href="http://starlitreading.blogspot.com/2012/09/voices-by-ursula-k-le-guin.html#more">Read full article >>></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079195081998688792.post-79098712557932763792012-09-02T09:54:00.001-07:002012-09-02T09:54:09.014-07:00Contest for word nerdsI'm on the board of the <a href="http://www.editors.ca/" target="_blank">Editors' Association of Canada</a>, <span id="goog_2084255212"></span>BC branch (<a href="http://www.editors.ca/branches/bc/index.html" target="_blank">EAC-BC</a>)<span id="goog_2084255213"></span>, and <b>we are currently holding a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EAC.BC/app_228910107186452" target="_blank">contest on our Facebook page</a></b>. Stop by for the chance to win one of the following:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>a free 2012/2013 EAC-BC seminar</b></li>
<li><b>a $100 Amazon gift card</b></li>
<li><b>2 EAC-BC prize packs</b></li>
</ul>
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$100 to spend at Amazon will get you a lot of used books, or an e-reader. Perfect for us book nerds.</div>
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So, on behalf of EAC-BC, <b>I urge you to share, share, share this contest with your network</b>. As of today, there are only a few entries, so your chances to win are good! The contest closes Sept. 22, 2012 at 12am EST, and is open internationally.<br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079195081998688792.post-27596544352024217962012-08-24T10:10:00.000-07:002012-08-24T12:55:32.616-07:00Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vSkQuaejz-4/UDe0fLEH8SI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/rFu7bZ03fNo/s1600/Catching_Fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vSkQuaejz-4/UDe0fLEH8SI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/rFu7bZ03fNo/s320/Catching_Fire.jpg" width="214"></a></div>
Katniss Everdeen has returned home to District 12, after winning the Hunger Games with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Her life returns to normal, for the most part: she's living with her mother and sister, albeit in a big, fancy house in the Victor's Square; she hunts with Gale, although their relationship is newly awkward; and she doesn't see much of Peeta, and is not sure what to think of that. But <b>as the Victor's Tour approaches, Katniss receives a terrifying visit from President Snow himself. He warns her that her feigned love for Peeta hasn't convinced the population of the districts, and that they now stand at the edge of revolt, emboldened by her own actions during the Hunger Games</b>. She has to convince the people of the districts that she's truly in love with Peeta, or the people she does love will suffer the consequences.<br>
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<a href="http://starlitreading.blogspot.com/2012/08/catching-fire-by-suzanne-collins.html#more">Read full article >>></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079195081998688792.post-15116152193510711462012-08-06T18:51:00.000-07:002012-09-04T12:32:06.781-07:00Suggested book for August 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51019.Cat_s_Eye" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z4FEULe9HeA/UCB0Fn8Yu8I/AAAAAAAAAOs/ejwKD88P8bw/s320/catseye.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>Cat's Eye</i><br />
by Margaret Atwood</span></b><br />
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When a gallery in Toronto wants to do a retrospective of her work, Elaine Risley returns to the city of her youth and finds herself reliving important moments from her childhood and adolescence. She revisits her trio of childhood friends and their casual cruelties. She rediscovers her teenage years and the forces that help shape her into an artist. And she reexamines her first marriage and its implications on her present. Will what she learns free her from the ghosts of her past? Or will a part of her still remain prisoner?<br />
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I avoided reading <a href="http://www.margaretatwood.ca/" target="_blank">Margaret Atwood</a> for years because of all of the hype around her as "the best Canadian writer of our times." What if I didn't like her? Or worse, what if I really liked her and suddenly became compelled to spend my scant money on her complete works or start parroting lines from her books to my peers? Well, I'm afraid the worst happened. This book spoke to me. It moved me. The politics of childhood stay with us all of our lives. <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51019.Cat_s_Eye" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cat's Eye</a> is a wonderful read because it's so vivid, and it reminds me that reminiscing on the simplicity of our childhoods can be misleading--everyday wasn't just running around on the playground and seeing your favourite teacher at school. Children can be cruel, even the kind ones. But you can't have the sour without the sweet in life, and I'd definitely categorize time spent reading this book as "sweet" time. You'll be happy to know, however, that I've kept my favourite lines to myself.<br />
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View my <a href="http://starlitreading.blogspot.ca/p/suggested-authors-b.html">suggested books by Margaret Atwood</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079195081998688792.post-11216423159717645172012-07-20T08:00:00.000-07:002013-08-02T15:01:25.674-07:00Suggested book for July 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/402045.The_Mists_of_Avalon" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7bnmk7alpm4/UAcqR3ewRQI/AAAAAAAAAMs/sxglMLgwISs/s320/mists.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>The Mists of Avalon</i> by Marion Zimmer Bradley</span></b><br />
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At Tintagel castle, Morgaine spends her days in the company of her mother and aunt, until the fateful day her mother is introduced to the new king, Uther Pendragon. Their meeting ignites a conflict between Uther and Morgaine's father, Gorlois, than culminates in Gorlois's death and the conception of Morgaine's half-brother, Arthur Pendragon. <b>Follow Morgaine and the other women of Camelot, as they discover the wonders of Avalon, the intrigues of a Christian court, and the atrocities of war</b>.<br />
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I first picked up <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/402045.The_Mists_of_Avalon" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>The Mists of Avalon</i></a> by <a href="http://www.mzbworks.com/" target="_blank">Marion Zimmer Bradley</a> because it had the word Avalon on the cover, and a lovely picture of a woman holding a sword. When I started reading, I discovered a version of Arthurian legend told through the eyes of its women. It's difficult to adequately describe the feeling I get when I read this book: I feel transported. This story takes the reader to a world that most people consider male-dominated, and shows readers the important, even magnificent, roles that women might have played. Of course, this is a fictitious story, and I don't actually believe that the ladies of Avalon had any kind of mystical power, or that Avalon even existed. <b>But this story has a way of grabbing you, and like <a href="http://www.starlitreading.blogspot.ca/2011/08/review-tehanu-by-ursula-k-le-guin.html"><i>Tehanu</i></a> by <a href="http://www.ursulakleguin.com/UKL_info.html" target="_blank">Ursula K. Le Guin</a>, forcing you to see the integrity and import of women's lives, even when they're doing such mundane activities as carding wool, spinning, or sewing</b>.<br />
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View my <a href="http://starlitreading.blogspot.ca/p/suggested-authors-b.html">suggested books by Marion Zimmer Bradley</a><br />
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<div style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 10px; padding: 0; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bestsfbooks.com/b/1829/The-Mists-of-Avalon-Marion-Zimmer-Bradley" style="border: none;"><img src="http://www.bestsfbooks.com/sfback/b/1829.jpg" style="border: none; height: 23px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 107px;" /><br />The Mists of Avalon</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079195081998688792.post-24542314276141899032012-07-18T12:58:00.000-07:002013-09-05T15:28:23.581-07:00Life events get in the wayFor those of you who are wondering why I've been posting so sporadically lately, here's why: I'm getting married in a few weeks. Wedding planning has sucked up a great deal of my free time over the past months.<br />
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I hope to get back to posting on a more regular basis sometime in August.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r7vwS7zSpVo/UAcVIuOrXII/AAAAAAAAAMg/V9XlrADcIN0/s1600/Wedding_rings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r7vwS7zSpVo/UAcVIuOrXII/AAAAAAAAAMg/V9XlrADcIN0/s200/Wedding_rings.jpg" width="200" /></a>
However, I expect that while I'll be posting more often starting in August, it will probably be less often than I have been posting in the past; probably 3-4 times per month instead of 5 or 6.<br />
<br />
C'est la vie.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079195081998688792.post-69578753833651866512012-06-25T12:42:00.000-07:002012-07-19T16:06:53.156-07:00Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8855321-leviathan-wakes" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dHLiuVjtSrM/T-isNicca_I/AAAAAAAAAMU/0YNQUOSwxf8/s320/Leviathan-wakes-220x344.jpg" width="204"></a></div>
Life has become very different in the Belt. It's gone beyond the oddly elongated bodies of the Belters and their tolerance to low gravity: <b>in an abandoned ship, a new lifeform is growing</b>. Jim Holden has to watch his friends and shipmates get nuked when they stumble too close to the secret; the fall-out of which is potential inter-planetary war. And Detective Miller is on the hunt for a missing Earther with important connections. Both are on a trajectory toward a gruesome discovery, but what will happen to human civilization when they arrive?<br>
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The book jacket describes <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8855321-leviathan-wakes" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Leviathan Wakes</a></i> by <a href="http://www.danielabraham.com/james-s-a-corey/" target="_blank">James S. A. Corey</a> as a "kick-ass space opera." Now, I don't know what a space opera is; when I imagine it, I see fat aliens wearing pig-tailed wigs and viking helmets, and somehow I don't think that's what they're going for. So, after reading this book, I would say a space opera is genre-bending sci-fi, since <b>this book is equal parts sci-fi and noir, with some horror thrown in</b>.<br>
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<a href="http://starlitreading.blogspot.com/2012/06/leviathan-wakes-by-james-s-corey.html#more">Read full article >>></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079195081998688792.post-42268837220081592942012-06-20T09:15:00.001-07:002012-07-19T16:09:26.971-07:00The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2767052-the-hunger-games" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PVAxBmmkGPY/T-H14LSHx-I/AAAAAAAAAMI/zl5x_F3t2Vo/s320/hunger.jpg" width="212"></a></div>
Ever since the unsuccessful rebellion of the thirteen districts against Panem's government, tributes from each of the remaining twelve districts have been required to participate in the Hunger Games. <b>Every year, one boy and one girl from each district are randomly selected to fight to the death in a carefully controlled environment</b>. In the 174th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen volunteers as the tribute in place of her sister Prim. Katniss travels to the Capitol with fellow tribute Peeta, to participate in a televised event that will undoubtedly claim both their lives.<br>
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I watched the film version of <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2767052-the-hunger-games" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Hunger Games</a></i> by <a href="http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/" target="_blank">Suzanne Collins</a> first, and found it to be lacking in emotional tension. I was hoping for something a little more intense in the book. Unfortunately, that didn't pan out, but<b> reading the book did help me better understand Katniss's character</b>. What I took for a flat plot and lack of acting chops in the movie turns out to the result of a staggeringly rational and humourless protagonist. She's naive and confused for most of the book, but her thoughts are described so thoroughly that readers can't help but relate to her.<br>
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<a href="http://starlitreading.blogspot.com/2012/06/hunger-games-by-suzanne-collins.html#more">Read full article >>></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079195081998688792.post-58568376015521822302012-06-08T08:00:00.000-07:002012-07-19T16:12:14.770-07:00Vision in White by Nora Roberts<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12378927-vision-in-white" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xNPVb4rv1Kw/T8-BD7BR3WI/AAAAAAAAAKw/t_plMuTkUWY/s320/n284029.jpg" width="222"></a></div>
What do you get when you combine an absent father, a narcicistic and manipulative mother, and an innate talent for photography? Mackensie Eliot, the staff photographer at Vows, a high-end, all-inclusive, wedding venue in Greenwich. Even though Mac is surrounded by marital bliss, she's never been able to master the long-term commitment. So, <b>when a sexy schoolteacher harbouring an old crush enters her life, she's swept up by passion and romance more quickly than she could have anticipated</b>. But is she equipped for real love, or will she let it slip through her fingers?<br>
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Well, I managed to hold out for 15+ years, but this past weekend I finally gave in and read a romance, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12378927-vision-in-white" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Vision in White</i></a> by <a href="http://www.noraroberts.com/" target="_blank">Nora Roberts</a>. And you know what? I liked it. I suppose <b>I was expecting Harlequin, so the focus on all of Mac's personal relationships and not just her budding romance with Carter was a relief</b>. I must admit the greatest draw for me personally was the wedding venue angle, since I will be experiencing matrimony myself in August.<br>
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<a href="http://starlitreading.blogspot.com/2012/06/vision-in-white-by-nora-roberts.html#more">Read full article >>></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079195081998688792.post-14652183174104880502012-06-06T11:34:00.001-07:002012-09-04T12:32:32.878-07:00Suggested book for June 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1295.The_Clan_of_the_Cave_Bear" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S4Q8Yj0sY6s/T8-iO1YiZkI/AAAAAAAAAK8/2zTOBnzMwcI/s320/clan+of+the+cave+bear.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>The Clan of the Cave Bear</i> by Jean M. Auel</span></b><br />
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Ayla is little more than an infant when an earthquake destroys her home and claims her family. She wanders for days without food and shelter, eventually falling prey to a cave lion, who visciously slashes her leg. Wounded and alone, she's found on the brink of death by Iza, the medicine woman of the Clan. She adopts Ayla as a daughter and raises her to be a medicine woman of her line. <b>But Ayla is different from the rest of the Clan, and there are some who never truly accept her</b>. She must find the strength within herself to find her place in a confusing and dangerous world.<br />
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In <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1295.The_Clan_of_the_Cave_Bear" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>The Clan of the Cave Bear</i></a>, <a href="http://www.jeanauel.com/" target="_blank">Jean M. Auel</a> gives readers her unique perspective on the lives of neanderthals. By making the protagonist homo sapiens, it gives readers a comfortable lens through which to view this very different and yet very similar race of humans. <b>Ayla herself is a highly likeable protagonist: she has plenty of gumption and curiosity, and the situations she gets herself into will keep you turning tha pages</b>. Be warned however; while Auel's sweeping exposition on subjects like cultural evolution and ecology are interesting and informative, to some readers they grow repetitive by the end of the book (or in any subsequent readings). <br />
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This book is the first of her Earth's Children series. NB: In <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40493.The_Valley_of_Horses" target="_blank"><i>The Valley of Horses</i></a>, the second book in the series, Auel's style morphs to include elements of the romance genre, including explicit love scenes.<br />
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View my <a href="http://starlitreading.blogspot.ca/p/suggested-authors-b.html">suggested books by Jean M. Auel</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079195081998688792.post-8431367193764289662012-05-28T13:37:00.000-07:002012-09-04T12:32:44.912-07:00Suggested Book for May 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pGsHG11Al1w/T8PenoGEbvI/AAAAAAAAAJs/dHM-OLdHcSo/s1600/sabriel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pGsHG11Al1w/T8PenoGEbvI/AAAAAAAAAJs/dHM-OLdHcSo/s320/sabriel.jpg" width="193" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Sabriel</i> by Garth Nix</b></span><br />
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After finishing school in Northern Ancelstierre, Sabriel must leave the life she's known behind and enter the Old Kingdom to search for her missing father. <b>The Old Kingdom may be the place of her birth, but it's strange and full of dangerous magic, and of course, the Dead</b>. Charter magic-trained she may be, but Sabriel is unprepared for the trials that face a budding Abhorsen. Chased by powerful Dead creatures and armed only with the bells of a necromancer and the advice of a Free Magic cat, Sabriel journeys north to find her father and the source of a terrible new power that threatens Life.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/518848.Sabriel" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Sabriel</i></a> is the first book in the Abhorsen series by <a href="http://www.garthnix.com/" target="_blank">Garth Nix</a>. It's high fantasy at its best, in my opinion. <b>I always find myself immediately drawn into the enthralling world of Charter Magic, Free Magic, and Necromancy, unable to put the books down until I've finished the series (usually in a single weekend).</b><br />
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View my <a href="http://starlitreading.blogspot.ca/p/suggested-authors-m-n.html">suggested books by Garth Nix</a><br />
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<div style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 10px; padding: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bestsfbooks.com/b/4160/Sabriel-Garth-Nix" style="border: medium none;"><img src="http://www.bestsfbooks.com/sfback/b/4160.jpg" style="border: medium none; height: 23px; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; width: 107px;" /><br />Sabriel</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079195081998688792.post-41493388646883988002012-04-16T16:15:00.004-07:002013-09-05T15:24:58.708-07:00Twin-Bred by Karen A. Wyle<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12793339-twin-bred" rel="nofollow" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fGsFm5UivL8/T4ynsGRFENI/AAAAAAAAAGc/svHNVPz2cV4/s320/TWIN-BRED+COVER+PIC.jpg" width="208"></a></div>
Mara Cadell is a human scientist on Tofarn. Like every other human, the Tofa, Tofarn's indigenous inhabitants, are a mystery to her. <b>But it's become clear that humans and Tofa are on the path towards conflict if a way of communicating and mediating disputes isn't found</b>. She begins the LEVI project, named after her long-dead twin (who she has kept alive in her mind), in attempt to forge a bridge between species. Human and tofa children will share a uterus and be raised together, in an attempt to create mutual understanding.<br>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12793339-twin-bred" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twin-Bred</a> has an interesting premise, but that's where my appreciation of the story ends. Each chapter opens with a snippet of one of Mara's reports on the LEVI project, but <a href="http://www.karenawyle.net/" target="_blank">Karen A. Wyle</a> may as well have written the whole book in report-form for all the
excitement it engenders in readers. <b>The book is written in such a flat, clinical way that I was unable get excited about anything that happened</b>. I was praying for war just so some suspense would be created. <br>
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<a href="http://starlitreading.blogspot.com/2012/04/twin-bred-by-karen-wyle.html#more">Read full article >>></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079195081998688792.post-1862420520136953472012-04-13T09:15:00.002-07:002012-07-19T16:23:05.719-07:00The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2120932.The_Battle_of_the_Labyrinth" rel="nofollow" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P5t4ySQ-auE/T4hQcNBBSrI/AAAAAAAAAGM/VVy3By4mwqg/s320/250px-PercyBattleLabyrinth.jpg" width="213"></a></div>
It's the day before Percy leaves for Camp and he's already being attacked by monster-cheerleaders. He fights them off and escapes with the help of Rachel Elizabeth Dare, a mortal who can see through the Mist. Annabeth's not happy about their new friendship, and gives Percy the cold shoulder when they get to Camp. <b>He doesn't have much time to ponder her response before he, Annabeth, Grover, and Tyson are sent on a quest to find Daedalus, the creator of the Labyrinth, before Luke and his cronies do</b>. An attack on Camp Half-blood by Kronos's army is imminent, and finding Daedalus may be the only way to save it. But Annabeth has been given a secret prophecy, and refuses to share it in its entirety. All Percy knows is that the last line rhymes with breath, and he's pretty sure its not "meth."<br>
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<a href="http://starlitreading.blogspot.com/2012/04/battle-of-labyrinth-by-rick-riordan.html#more">Read full article >>></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079195081998688792.post-75234584439778653082012-04-05T08:00:00.000-07:002012-07-19T16:24:26.041-07:00When the Morning Comes by Cindy Woodsmall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/633044.When_the_Morning_Comes" rel="nofollow" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DEFoCXAEOXs/T3zUz2RF2LI/AAAAAAAAAEc/17OdYn2FwEc/s320/When-the-Morning-Comes.jpg" width="213"></a></div>
<b>Hannah Lapp has left her Old Order Amish community and ex-fiance behind to live in the <i>Englischer</i> world with her aunt Zabeth</b>. She finds the difference in culture, the moral ambiguity, and the complex demands of her new world distressing, but tries her best to cope. She finds a new friend in Zabeth's quasi-son Martin, and develops a protectiveness for Martin's nephew and niece. Meanwhile, back in Owl's Perch, Paul Waddell, Hannah's ex-fiance, is waiting for her to come home. Sarah, her sister, suffers a mental break, and Mary, her best friend, gets married against doctor's orders. Will Hannah be able to stay away when she learns what's happening back home?<br>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/633044.When_the_Morning_Comes" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>When the Morning Comes</i></a> is the second book in the Sisters of the Quilt series by <a href="http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cindy Woodsmall</a>. The first book in the series, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201104.When_the_Heart_Cries" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>When the Heart Cries</i></a>, was my book club's pick for March, and I liked it enough that I decided to finish the series and find out what happens to Hannah. Until we read <i>Heart Cries</i>, I had no idea that the Amish romance sub-genre even existed. I was half-expecting rushed couplings in the hayloft, or lusty beaus tearing off prayer <i>kapps</i> and aprons in fits of passion. Instead, what I discovered was melodrama, and <b><i>When the Morning Comes</i> is a continuation of the dramatic events of the first book</b>.<br>
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<a href="http://starlitreading.blogspot.com/2012/04/when-morning-comes-by-cindy-woodsmall.html#more">Read full article >>></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8079195081998688792.post-159274779041386862012-04-03T10:59:00.000-07:002012-07-19T16:25:52.772-07:00The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/561456.The_Titan_s_Curse" rel="nofollow" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fFrx8l2mKT0/T4O71ZKCVEI/AAAAAAAAAE0/PPg8Q21dUKU/s320/250px-The_titan%27s_curse.jpg" width="220"></a></div>
Life takes another turn for the worse for Percy during a run-in with a manticore. The manticore's target is two young demigods, and during the battle, he reveals some disturbing new information about Kronos's growing army. <b>The hunters of Artemis turn up just in time to save Percy, Grover, and Thalia, but Annabeth disappears with the retreating manticore, and the heroes are forced to return to Camp Half-blood without her</b>. A quest is quickly dispatched to find Artemis, who's gone awol since the manticore battle (Annabeth is presumed dead). Rejected from the quest team, Percy trails them in secret, hoping to find Annabeth on the way. It becomes progressively clearer that Artemis is in the West, and that her disappearance is tied to Kronos's gathering army and its new General.<br>
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<a href="http://starlitreading.blogspot.com/2012/04/titans-curse-by-rick-riordan.html#more">Read full article >>></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2