Navigating the Journey

**Update
Ginny Jacques has launched her website. Here is the link.

                                                                                                                                                                  
I've decided my blog needs more stuff. Content is king, as they say.

So, I'm going to give you the scoop on the books I'm reading before I review them, a little before-and-after.

Starting with Zinovy's Journey, by Ginny Jaques. Here is the author's book trailer. I hope to have the link to her site up soon, too.

I realize I've said that I'm going to give you information on the book before I review it, but I have to stress the words "give you." I plan to make information on the books I review available for interested parties, but I don't plan on reading it myself, if I can avoid it, until after I'm done reviewing. I find that reading the reviews of others inevitably impacts my own. 

So, please enjoy my first video content ever.

Treespeaker by Katie W. Stewart

Jakan has a fulfilling life. He is a father and a husband, and more, he is Treespeaker to his people, the fifth tribe of Arrakesh. He interprets the will of Arrakesh, helping his people to thrive in their forest home. One day, a stranger named Beldror arrives from the outside. The villagers make him welcome, but Jakan senses that this visitor is hiding something dark. Jakan's worst fears are confirmed when Beldror uses his powers to turn the minds of the villagers against Jakan, even his own son, Dovan. Jakan is driven from the forest. It is up to Jakan to follow Arrakesh's last words of guidance in the hopes that he can wrest power back from Beldror before the Arrakeshi and their way of life are destroyed.

Suggested book for October, 2011

The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood

Genre: Science fiction

In a dystopian future populated by rakunks, pigoons, and the CorpSeCorps, mankind is nearly wiped out by "the waterless flood." Toby and Ren, former followers of Adam One and members of God's Gardeners are some of the few survivors; one locked in the quarantine room of a brothel, the other hiding in a high-end spa. Discover the world of Oryx and Crake from another perspective in The Year of the Flood, by Margaret Atwood.

View my suggested books by Margaret Atwood

The Year of the Flood

Memory by Linda Nagata

Jubilee is a rambunctious child in a dangerous world, but her childhood is cut short when her brother, Jolly, is taken by the silver. The silver is by nature unpredictable. Sometimes it creates, sometimes it destroys, but it is always deadly to the players it touches. That's why she's so disturbed when, just before being taken, her brother tells her that he called the silver. Years later, a stranger appears out of the silver looking for Jolly. But no one can survive in the silver, and Jolly was taken years before. Troubled by the questions this man raises, Jubilee sets out to discover the truth of her brother's disappearance.

The Once and Future King by T. H. White

Everyone knows the story of Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. It's the story of mighty and chivalrous knights having adventures under the reign of the just King Arthur. It's the story of the love affair between Lancelot and Guenever. And it's the story of Arthur's fall at the hands of his son, Mordred. T. H. White has taken the famous text Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory and re-written it in four parts: Aurthur's childhood, his early kingship and the young lives of the Orkney clan, Lancelot's adventures and his relationship with Guenever, and the fall of the Round Table. 

Suggested book for September, 2011

Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop

Genre: Fantasy

Discover an entrancing world in Anne Bishop's Daughter of the Blood. It's the first installment in the Black Jewels trilogy, and it launches readers into a darkly erotic world of seduction, intrigue, and fated love. After centuries of slavery, Daemon Sadi and Lucivar Yaslana are given new hope: a prophecy of the coming of a new queen, one fated to be more powerful than any in history. Join them as they search for the woman who will set them free. Just remember, among the Blood, there is no law against murder.

View my suggested books by Anne Bishop

Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle

Sandy and Dennys Murry, the "normal" Murry children, accidentally interfere with one of their father's experiments, transporting themselves back into human history. Waking up, Sandy and Dennys discover that they've arrived in a prehistoric human settlement, where mythical creatures exist. Unwittingly, the twins are caught up in the drama surrounding Noah, the builder of the Biblical ark, and the nephilim, fallen angels living on earth. It's a story of the power of love, where Sandy and Dennys are challenged to rise above the greed inherent in humanity.

Suggested book for August, 2011

The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley

Genre: Young adult fantasy

A story about growing up and learning to trust yourself. Robin McKinley tells the story of an awkward princess whose stubborn nature leads her to find her inner strength. Whether her perseverance will be enough to save her kingdom from an insidious evil is up to you to discover.

View my suggested books for Robin McKinley

The Hero and the Crown

Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin

Tenar, once the White Lady of Gont and Priestess of Atuan, is alone. Her husband is dead and her children have gone. While she accustoms herself to her new, isolated life, a young girl is abused and nearly killed. Tenar takes the girl in and loves her, even though there are those who see only the child's scars. Then Ged, Archmage of Roke, returns to Gont on the back of a dragon. Tenar's relationships with Ged and the child, Therru, blossom, bringing her a new perspective that enriches her life. However, her love for such outlandish people isolates her further, and draws violence from her neighbours.