i am reading a new and very interesting series by Libba Bray. This is the first series she has written and i am quite enjoying it. The first book in the series is called A Great and Terrible Beauty and it was recommended to me by an awesome patron (who shall remain nameless!)
The series features Gemma Doyle, a sixteen year old English girl, who had been raised for most of her life in India, who soon discovers that she has an amazing ability, the ability to See. She begins having visions, sees the deaths of someone close to her, and from there her life spirals out of control. Gemma is now sent to a "finishing school" in England where she explores her new ability and the power that she is able to call upon to take her into The Realms, a magic plane of existence, where creatures of light and dark coexist, although not always peaceably...
Book two is called Rebel Angels (and it was great too) and i am now reading Book three which is called The Sweet Far Thing.
Hope this review helps you find a new favorite to add to you book list!
C'ya at the Library!
Barb
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
What Emily's Been Reading
I just finished reading Running Hot by Jayne Ann Krentz. I really enjoyed this book. When I read I like books that have really strong characters and so I really like it when I find an author that has created people that I feel like I know. Jayne Anne Krentz is one of those authors. This book is the 6th book in the Arcane Society series and she has done something a little different. Half the series in set in Regency England and the other half is set in modern day United States. Because the series is split between time periods she is also publishing them under two different authors. The Regency ones are published by Amanda Quick and the modern day ones are published by Jayne Ann Krentz. I'd never seen an author split a series like that and thought it intriguing but it is a little confusing. Just remember that they do still read better if you read the series in order.
Have a nice day!
Have a nice day!
I've discovered a new online toy -- it's called www.goodreads.com. Basically it's an online, booklover's community. You can suggest and rate books with a five star rating system, see what other people are reading, test your trivia smarts, watch book trailers and discuss with friends all over the country what you thought of your latest read. I'm only just starting, but if you want to see what I've rated so far go to http://www.goodreads.com/sassette
I wanted to talk this week about a book I've recently read. Years ago, for school, I was required to read Lord of the Flies by Golding. I think that I was one of the very few of my classmates who really "got" this book. At the very least I am the only person I've talked to since reading it who would rate it a five star book. I was then and am still fascinated by the concept of a world without adults. I ponder often what would happen to our friends and neighbors if society and the thin veil of civilization that we wrap about ourselves were to all of a sudden disappear. I wonder what my reaction would be, how I would cope, if suddenly I was thrust into a situation where all the rules changed in the blink of an eye. Gone by Michael Grant explores all of those concepts with a classically science fiction twist. Like Lord of the Flies the characters are all kids. Unlike Lord of the Flies, the characters all live next to a nuclear power plant that had a small accident nearly 15 years ago. Now everyone over the age of 14 has disappeared with out warning and everyone else is left to fend for themselves. I think the most interesting comparison between these books is the use of young people to tell a story. The question on forums and among adult reviewers of the books is why children. The answer that occurs to me is that kids, in a situation where civilization disappears, will have the most honest responses. We, as adults, like to think that we have things under control. Surely if stranded on an island or put under a 10 mile bubble, we would be able to organize and take care of ourselves and others. Certainly, there would not be the chaos that is described in these stories. After reading these stories--after pondering the ramifications--I have to say that, from what I've seen, civility and humanity are very thin veneers. While I would hope for the sake of the human race that I am wrong, I must say that I think that Grant and Golding had it right. When all of the rules disappear, a person's true colors shine through. It would be hard to say how I would react to the situation, but I do know that based on what I've seen of human nature, it would be a crazy ride.
I wanted to talk this week about a book I've recently read. Years ago, for school, I was required to read Lord of the Flies by Golding. I think that I was one of the very few of my classmates who really "got" this book. At the very least I am the only person I've talked to since reading it who would rate it a five star book. I was then and am still fascinated by the concept of a world without adults. I ponder often what would happen to our friends and neighbors if society and the thin veil of civilization that we wrap about ourselves were to all of a sudden disappear. I wonder what my reaction would be, how I would cope, if suddenly I was thrust into a situation where all the rules changed in the blink of an eye. Gone by Michael Grant explores all of those concepts with a classically science fiction twist. Like Lord of the Flies the characters are all kids. Unlike Lord of the Flies, the characters all live next to a nuclear power plant that had a small accident nearly 15 years ago. Now everyone over the age of 14 has disappeared with out warning and everyone else is left to fend for themselves. I think the most interesting comparison between these books is the use of young people to tell a story. The question on forums and among adult reviewers of the books is why children. The answer that occurs to me is that kids, in a situation where civilization disappears, will have the most honest responses. We, as adults, like to think that we have things under control. Surely if stranded on an island or put under a 10 mile bubble, we would be able to organize and take care of ourselves and others. Certainly, there would not be the chaos that is described in these stories. After reading these stories--after pondering the ramifications--I have to say that, from what I've seen, civility and humanity are very thin veneers. While I would hope for the sake of the human race that I am wrong, I must say that I think that Grant and Golding had it right. When all of the rules disappear, a person's true colors shine through. It would be hard to say how I would react to the situation, but I do know that based on what I've seen of human nature, it would be a crazy ride.
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