I adore this series. While raunchy, I always find it laugh out loud funny. In the latest installment, Betsy (Queen of the Vampires) finds herself all alone two weeks before her wedding. And I mean all alone. Friends, family, and fiance have all skedaddled.
I have to say, I was a bit dissapointed with this book. First of all, it almost felt like I had walked in on chapter three. I found myself right in the middle of a story I wasn't sure about. And the plot, for me anyway, kind of fell flat. I like Betsy as a character, but can only take so much of her without all her sidekicks for her to play off of.
This book just didn't have the same smack you in the face feel that other books have. But if you are a fan of this series, you have to read this book for some serious developments, none of which I am going to give away.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos HarperCollins Canada
*Originally reviewed for Edwards Magazien Book Club
http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_fiction_belong_me.html
http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_fiction_belong_me.html
Slight Change in my postings
Okay, here's the deal: as a book addict, I have several "pushers" including second hand books stores, book clubs, book groups and friends. One of my main contacts is Edwards Magazine book club. In fact, I manage the thing. Sooooo for my books that I receive through them I am going to, from now on, just post the link to the review.
I'm doing this for several reasons:
1. It's easier on me. Less time frigging around with the computer equals more time to read.
2. When I posted the same reviews on here that I have on the Edwards Book Club, I almost felt like I was cheating.
3. Self promotion. The more people that scoot on over to Edwards and read the reviews, the better for the magazine and book club.
So, there you have it. It might mean an extra click for you, but it means a lot less cutting and pasting for me.
Colleem
I'm doing this for several reasons:
1. It's easier on me. Less time frigging around with the computer equals more time to read.
2. When I posted the same reviews on here that I have on the Edwards Book Club, I almost felt like I was cheating.
3. Self promotion. The more people that scoot on over to Edwards and read the reviews, the better for the magazine and book club.
So, there you have it. It might mean an extra click for you, but it means a lot less cutting and pasting for me.
Colleem
Sharp Teeth By Toby Barlow HarperCollins Canada
*Originaly reviewed for Edwards magazine Book Club
http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_fiction_sharp_teeth.html
http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_fiction_sharp_teeth.html
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
The Book of Mary by Gail Sidonie Sobat Summach Press
Originaly reviewed for Edwards magazine Book Club
http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_fiction_book_mary.html
The Immaculate Conception. What if it wasn’t so Immaculate? What if a 14 year old Mary just didn’t want to be stoned for being unwed and pregnant? In a desperate plea to remain alive and trick a nice older man into marrying her, Mary makes up the story of the angel visiting her. Joseph marries her and she has her “miracle” baby. But all of a sudden the story takes on a life of it’s own, resulting in a jealous King and eventually zealot followers.
This is the premise of Gail Sidonie Sobat wonderfully entertaining novel The Book of Mary. Written as diary entries we see Mary grow from a sexually promiscuous teen into a caring, loving Mother and Healer. As a non practicing Catholic who is fairly open minded, the basic idea of Mary as a normal woman and Jesus as a baby conceived in love wasn’t hard on my psyche, but someone more devote in their religious beliefs may have a hard time with the novel.
I really enjoyed this novel and the writing style that was used. The language was very modern and easy flowing and the characters were very believable and likeable. The idea of Mary as a Healer was also a nice touch. I also like the fact that even though Jesus was a normal human, his life still took pretty much the same path as various religions teach..
The only thing that I feel took away from the story was the chapter that was written completely in the form of letters Mary wrote to various family and friends. I found this part of the book a bit boring and had a hard time not skimming. I think the book would have been more effective and flowing if the whole thing was written as diary entries.
Over all I liked this book a lot and I know that it will be one that is lent out and reread over the years.
http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_fiction_book_mary.html
The Immaculate Conception. What if it wasn’t so Immaculate? What if a 14 year old Mary just didn’t want to be stoned for being unwed and pregnant? In a desperate plea to remain alive and trick a nice older man into marrying her, Mary makes up the story of the angel visiting her. Joseph marries her and she has her “miracle” baby. But all of a sudden the story takes on a life of it’s own, resulting in a jealous King and eventually zealot followers.
This is the premise of Gail Sidonie Sobat wonderfully entertaining novel The Book of Mary. Written as diary entries we see Mary grow from a sexually promiscuous teen into a caring, loving Mother and Healer. As a non practicing Catholic who is fairly open minded, the basic idea of Mary as a normal woman and Jesus as a baby conceived in love wasn’t hard on my psyche, but someone more devote in their religious beliefs may have a hard time with the novel.
I really enjoyed this novel and the writing style that was used. The language was very modern and easy flowing and the characters were very believable and likeable. The idea of Mary as a Healer was also a nice touch. I also like the fact that even though Jesus was a normal human, his life still took pretty much the same path as various religions teach..
The only thing that I feel took away from the story was the chapter that was written completely in the form of letters Mary wrote to various family and friends. I found this part of the book a bit boring and had a hard time not skimming. I think the book would have been more effective and flowing if the whole thing was written as diary entries.
Over all I liked this book a lot and I know that it will be one that is lent out and reread over the years.
Growing Up Degrassi: Television, Identity and Youth Cultures Michele Byers, ed. Sumach Press
*Originally reviewed for Edwards Magazine Book Club
http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_non-fiction_degrassi.html
Everybody wants something they’ll never give up
Everybody wants something, they'll take your money and never give up.
The Zit Remedy
I was, and still am, a huge fan of Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High. I grew up rolling my eyes at the antics of Joey Jeremiah, secretly crushing on Wheels and wishing I was Caitlin. So when I discovered the book Growing up Degassi, I jumped at the chance to read it. And I’m glad I did. Part academia, and part reminiscence, this book has something for everyone.
A series of articles on Degrassi and it’s influences on youth culture, this book was like learning something new about a very old friend. I found myself nodding my head in agreement a lot of the time, but the book also allowed me to look at the series in a new light.
Some of the articles were a comparison between Degrassi Classic (Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High) and Degrassi the Next Generation., while others were a comparison of Degrassi Classic and other teen shows of the era, such as Beverly Hills 90210. The book tackles such topics as the representation of femininity, Aids, and drugs among other topics. There is also much discussion on how Degrassi: The Next Generation differs from Degrassi Classic in tone, topic and look. Almost 100% of the time, Degrassi Classic came out on top. And I don’t mind admitting I cheered a little.
What was great about this book was that the tone of the articles differed. Some were very academic, like “The Next Generation Goes Digital: Technology, the Medium and the Message” by Laura Tropp, while others, such as “True to My School: An American Love Affair with Degrassi” written by Brian C. Jones were memories from viewers . My favorite, was the article “That White Girl from That Show: Race and Ethnicity within Canadian Youth Culture” co-written by Rebecca J. Haines, who played Kathleen on Degrassi Classic. This article combined both the academic and the reminiscence and I found it interesting that someone who had a role in such an important youth show as Degrassi is now a top researcher in Youth Culture.
I really enjoyed reading this book, although I will admit I found myself struggling not to skim over some of the more academic pieces. It was great to revisit some of my favorite moments of Degrassi and also to be presented with a new way of thinking about the series.
.
http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_non-fiction_degrassi.html
Everybody wants something they’ll never give up
Everybody wants something, they'll take your money and never give up.
The Zit Remedy
I was, and still am, a huge fan of Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High. I grew up rolling my eyes at the antics of Joey Jeremiah, secretly crushing on Wheels and wishing I was Caitlin. So when I discovered the book Growing up Degassi, I jumped at the chance to read it. And I’m glad I did. Part academia, and part reminiscence, this book has something for everyone.
A series of articles on Degrassi and it’s influences on youth culture, this book was like learning something new about a very old friend. I found myself nodding my head in agreement a lot of the time, but the book also allowed me to look at the series in a new light.
Some of the articles were a comparison between Degrassi Classic (Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High) and Degrassi the Next Generation., while others were a comparison of Degrassi Classic and other teen shows of the era, such as Beverly Hills 90210. The book tackles such topics as the representation of femininity, Aids, and drugs among other topics. There is also much discussion on how Degrassi: The Next Generation differs from Degrassi Classic in tone, topic and look. Almost 100% of the time, Degrassi Classic came out on top. And I don’t mind admitting I cheered a little.
What was great about this book was that the tone of the articles differed. Some were very academic, like “The Next Generation Goes Digital: Technology, the Medium and the Message” by Laura Tropp, while others, such as “True to My School: An American Love Affair with Degrassi” written by Brian C. Jones were memories from viewers . My favorite, was the article “That White Girl from That Show: Race and Ethnicity within Canadian Youth Culture” co-written by Rebecca J. Haines, who played Kathleen on Degrassi Classic. This article combined both the academic and the reminiscence and I found it interesting that someone who had a role in such an important youth show as Degrassi is now a top researcher in Youth Culture.
I really enjoyed reading this book, although I will admit I found myself struggling not to skim over some of the more academic pieces. It was great to revisit some of my favorite moments of Degrassi and also to be presented with a new way of thinking about the series.
.
Staked by J.F. Lewis Simon and Schuster
*Originally reviewed for Edwards Magazine Book Club
http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_fiction_staked.html
If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be fun. Staked is a funny, off the cuff book about vampires, werewolves and strippers all living together as peacefully as they can. But with a head vampire with memory loss, a pack of religious werewolves and a stripper turned vampire, peaceful really isn’t possible.
Eric, a powerful vampire, suffers from short term memory loss and fits of black out rage. When he is set up for the murder of an alpha werewolf’s son, he sets out to find the real killers. But not before he turns his human girlfriend, Tabitha into a vampire and then sleeps with her very alive sister.
This was an easy book to get into, and I read it in an evening. It had everything a good vampire book should: lots of action, witty dialogue and sexy characters. I read a lot of vampire books, and I am not particularly found of the ones with a lot of sex in them. Thankfully this was not the case with Staked. While there were some sex scenes in it, they were very short and quite tastefully done.
The writing style was first person, but it switched back and forth from Eric and Tabitha. I thought at first that this would be jarring, going between the two perspectives, but it actually flowed quite nicely.
The plot kept me interested and the characters kept me guessing. The author had a way of giving you just enough information to follow the story, but always left a bit unknown, leading me to believe that a sequel is in the works. And I hope there is. Because I definitely want to read more about the characters and the world introduced in Staked.
http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_fiction_staked.html
If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be fun. Staked is a funny, off the cuff book about vampires, werewolves and strippers all living together as peacefully as they can. But with a head vampire with memory loss, a pack of religious werewolves and a stripper turned vampire, peaceful really isn’t possible.
Eric, a powerful vampire, suffers from short term memory loss and fits of black out rage. When he is set up for the murder of an alpha werewolf’s son, he sets out to find the real killers. But not before he turns his human girlfriend, Tabitha into a vampire and then sleeps with her very alive sister.
This was an easy book to get into, and I read it in an evening. It had everything a good vampire book should: lots of action, witty dialogue and sexy characters. I read a lot of vampire books, and I am not particularly found of the ones with a lot of sex in them. Thankfully this was not the case with Staked. While there were some sex scenes in it, they were very short and quite tastefully done.
The writing style was first person, but it switched back and forth from Eric and Tabitha. I thought at first that this would be jarring, going between the two perspectives, but it actually flowed quite nicely.
The plot kept me interested and the characters kept me guessing. The author had a way of giving you just enough information to follow the story, but always left a bit unknown, leading me to believe that a sequel is in the works. And I hope there is. Because I definitely want to read more about the characters and the world introduced in Staked.
The Mortal Instruments Book 2: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare McElderry Books
*Originally reviewed for Edwards Magazein Book Club
http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_YAfiction_city_ashes.html
City of Ashes, the sequel to City of Bones, continues the story of Clary Fray and her recent discovery of the Downworld and it’s inhabitants: vampires, werewolves and Shadowhunters. Oh and demons. Of which there are a lot.
As most sequels, this book had a lot to live up to. Would it be as good as the first? Would it keep readers interested? I say yes, on both counts. In fact, I enjoyed this book more than the first one. I found the writing sharper, the characters more realistic and the twist and turns. And some of the characters experience some real personal growth. The auther delves into main characters more deeply, and I found myself growing attached to them as a result.
As I said, there were unending twists and turns in the novel, none of which I feel were placed as a way to wow the reader. They all fit into the story line and enhanced the main plot. As this is touted as a trilogy, there is one more book to come, City of Glass, in March of 2009. I will impatiently await it’s release and look forward to yet another excellent fantasy novel by Cassandra Clare
http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_YAfiction_city_ashes.html
City of Ashes, the sequel to City of Bones, continues the story of Clary Fray and her recent discovery of the Downworld and it’s inhabitants: vampires, werewolves and Shadowhunters. Oh and demons. Of which there are a lot.
As most sequels, this book had a lot to live up to. Would it be as good as the first? Would it keep readers interested? I say yes, on both counts. In fact, I enjoyed this book more than the first one. I found the writing sharper, the characters more realistic and the twist and turns. And some of the characters experience some real personal growth. The auther delves into main characters more deeply, and I found myself growing attached to them as a result.
As I said, there were unending twists and turns in the novel, none of which I feel were placed as a way to wow the reader. They all fit into the story line and enhanced the main plot. As this is touted as a trilogy, there is one more book to come, City of Glass, in March of 2009. I will impatiently await it’s release and look forward to yet another excellent fantasy novel by Cassandra Clare
The Discomfort Zone by Jonathan Franzen HarperCollins
*Originally reviewed for Edwards Magazine Book Club
http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_non-fiction_discomfort.zone.html
The Discomfort Zone by Jonathan Franzen is a memoir. Of sorts. In it, Jonathan waxes poetic about his life growing up as a somewhat awkward, nerdy youth and a slightly disillusioned adult. Now, most memoirs that I have read have a theme; drunken parent, abuse, wild youth, mental illness etc. Not the Discomfort Zone. While I found in enjoyable enough, it was basically the ramblings of a person who, to me, had a pretty normal childhood. And while this doesn’t make it a bad memoir, I was left wondering why?
The author starts off in the present at his childhood house, then he goes into the past, then a bit closer to the present then more in the past. Throughout the book we are jumping back and forth through the author’s life. For me, it was a bit confusing. He talks for awhile about his college years. Then we are in his German class. But is it high school German or college German? And maybe it doesn’t matter. But for my mind and my enjoyment, I really needed to know. And he never uses first names for any of the people who are in his life except for his immediate family. Everyone is referred to by their last names, which I have to say I found very annoying. One woman he is in a long term relationship with is only ever referred to as “the Californian”. It is almost as if they were not important enough to warrant remembering or using their first names and to me this was a bit obnoxious.
I think that maybe I just didn’t “get” this book. While I did somewhat enjoy his style of writing and most of the memories I really didn’t understand the point of the book. But maybe I wasn’t supposed to. Maybe that’s the point.
http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_non-fiction_discomfort.zone.html
The Discomfort Zone by Jonathan Franzen is a memoir. Of sorts. In it, Jonathan waxes poetic about his life growing up as a somewhat awkward, nerdy youth and a slightly disillusioned adult. Now, most memoirs that I have read have a theme; drunken parent, abuse, wild youth, mental illness etc. Not the Discomfort Zone. While I found in enjoyable enough, it was basically the ramblings of a person who, to me, had a pretty normal childhood. And while this doesn’t make it a bad memoir, I was left wondering why?
The author starts off in the present at his childhood house, then he goes into the past, then a bit closer to the present then more in the past. Throughout the book we are jumping back and forth through the author’s life. For me, it was a bit confusing. He talks for awhile about his college years. Then we are in his German class. But is it high school German or college German? And maybe it doesn’t matter. But for my mind and my enjoyment, I really needed to know. And he never uses first names for any of the people who are in his life except for his immediate family. Everyone is referred to by their last names, which I have to say I found very annoying. One woman he is in a long term relationship with is only ever referred to as “the Californian”. It is almost as if they were not important enough to warrant remembering or using their first names and to me this was a bit obnoxious.
I think that maybe I just didn’t “get” this book. While I did somewhat enjoy his style of writing and most of the memories I really didn’t understand the point of the book. But maybe I wasn’t supposed to. Maybe that’s the point.
The Mortal Instruments Book 1: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare McElderry Books
*Originally reviewed for Edwards Magazine Book Club
http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_YAfiction_city_bones.html
Clary Fray goes to a club with her best friend Simon and ends up being a witness to a murder. Only problem is, no one else saw the killers and the victim’s body sort of vanished into thin air. For Clary this is the end of her normal life. She can now see demons and Shadowhunters, those that protect humans from demons. But why? This book is about her search for herself, who she really is and how she fits into the Shadowhunters’ plans for protecting the world from evil.
While this book is geared towards teens (ages 14 and up) I was hooked within the first page. It was a great read. All of the characters were interesting and, more importantly, believable. Even the bad guys. The plot moved at a good pace and had plenty of action. There were also a few twists and turns that I honestly didn’t see coming. And that’s always a bonus in a book. Fantasy novels set in our world are my favorite and this book definitely met all my needs.
http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_YAfiction_city_bones.html
Clary Fray goes to a club with her best friend Simon and ends up being a witness to a murder. Only problem is, no one else saw the killers and the victim’s body sort of vanished into thin air. For Clary this is the end of her normal life. She can now see demons and Shadowhunters, those that protect humans from demons. But why? This book is about her search for herself, who she really is and how she fits into the Shadowhunters’ plans for protecting the world from evil.
While this book is geared towards teens (ages 14 and up) I was hooked within the first page. It was a great read. All of the characters were interesting and, more importantly, believable. Even the bad guys. The plot moved at a good pace and had plenty of action. There were also a few twists and turns that I honestly didn’t see coming. And that’s always a bonus in a book. Fantasy novels set in our world are my favorite and this book definitely met all my needs.
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