2013 Reading Challenge Update #2

Tuesday, 25 June 2013

2013 Reading Challenge Update #2

Back in January we set ourselves some reading goals for the year - five books or series we vowed to read in 2013 and a total number of books to be read over the year as well.

Welcome to our second progress update....!

Ria... 20/30 books read, 3/5 books vowed to read

I'm quite proudly powering through my reading goals, with only 10 more books till I hit my target! I also finished Brave New World and Farenheit 451, both of which I happily enjoyed, albeit they were both rather weird books. I've now bought, started and am loving Harry: A History and hope to finish/review it soon in time for LeakyCon in about 2 months. City of Bones is still on my to be read list, though I've heard some pretty rough reviews for it so forgive me if I seem a little reluctant to start...The Casual Vacancy and The Resistance are both still sat on my shelf but I'm having far too much fun discovering new authors and finding more bargain books in charity shops to care too much!

Niina... 12/35 books read

I'm doing pretty good with my reading challenge but I've only given out one 5 star rating so far, to Ashfall by Mike Mullin. Other books that I've really enjoyed this year are Love Is The Higher Law by David Levithan and The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams. My biggest disappointment so far this year is probably Blackbirds by Chuck Wending. It's not that I didn't enjoy it, but I thought I would enjoy it so much more!

Anjali... 26/40 books read, 2/5 books vowed to read

I'm feeling really pleased with my 26 books read so far! Not so pleased that only 2 of those are ones I vowed back in January to read, but nevertheless, I'm having a grand time! Last Reading Challenge Update I had already read Daughter of Smoke and Bone from my 'vow to read' list, but since then I've also read Feedback, by Robison Wells, which was on that same list. I really enjoyed the first in that series, Variant, so it was exciting to read the sequel. Sequels can often be a hit and miss I find, but Feedback was just as amazing as Variant. 5 stars, Robison, 5 stars. Despite only having read 2 out of 5, I have actually just started another from that list: The Twelve, by Justin Cronin, the sequel to The Passage. The first one was amazing, so I'm excited that I'm diving into another one of Cronin's adventures. In regards to other, non 'vow-list' books, I loved Carter Beats the Devil, by Glen David Owen. Ultraviolet, and it's sequel, Quicksilver, by R.J. Anderson were both really great too (you can read about my trip to the Quicksilver book launch here). And All Over the Place, by Serena Clarke was very good too! I haven't been sleeping as much as I should lately because of all these books...I've diagnosed myself with Just-One-More-Chapter-Itis.

Laura... 14/25 books read, 3/5 books vowed to read

I've read 14 out of 25 books so far! And have managed to read 3 book from my 5 to read list, I have now read: Miranda Hart - Is It Just Me? Sophia Kinsella - I've Got Your Number and Matthew Quick - The Silver Linings Playbook. I've actually managed to read one of those without realising it was on my list of books I vowed to read! The Sophia Kinsella book however I did purposely pre-order and waited weeks for, although I'm glad I did because I loved it! I'll be honest and say I pretty much forgot about how many books I was supposed to read this year but the number keeps steadily increasing as I delve through my 'to-read' shelf. So far I've enjoyed all the books I've finished and Goodreads says i'm 5 books ahead of schedule. - woo!

Lucy... 9/25 books read, 1/5 books vowed to read

I have read 9 books now which is slightly better but I truly believe that I will not get 37 books read by the end of the year. I've changed my goal number of books to 25 because I believe it's a slightly more achievable target. I have purchased Sever but apart from that, my vow to read books haven't been read yet. There is still six months left of the year though so hopefully, they will all be read by then. The books I have read have been brilliant however. Some of the more notable ones include Will Grayson Will Grayson by John Green and Charlotte Street by Danny Wallace. I'm also starting Game of Thrones and I am loving it so far!!! 

Erin... 31/52 books read, 1/5 books vowed to read

Even though I did hit a bit of a reading slump not too long ago I’ve still managed to pass the halfway mark. Notable favourites since our last challenge update would definitely have to be Mr Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore (review here) and Club Monstrosity (review here) although I still haven’t given out any 5 star ratings this year! Amongst the 31 books total I have crossed another one off of my ‘books we vow to read’ list. Fractured by Teri Terry was one of the sequels that I was really looking forward to this year but sadly I felt it was disappointing compared to the previous book (Slated). I’m currently working on Lord Of The Flies which was also in my five choices.

What are your reading goals for 2013?

Post by Erin / Images via Goodreads

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The Looking Glass Wars | Frank Beddor | Review

Monday, 24 June 2013

The Looking Glass Wars | Frank Beddor | Review

In Victorian England, Lewis Carrol publishes the story of little Alice and her adventures in the magical world of Wonderland. The story, so he says, is based on the tale told to him by a young girl named Alice Liddel. But this is not the true story of Wonderland - Alice’s name isn’t even spelt right. 

The Looking Glass Wars is the true story of Alyss Heart, a mischievous, gifted princess and heir to the Wonderland throne. Alyss’ life is thrown into chaos when her outcast Aunt Redd storms her family’s castle and murders her parents. She’s forced to flee through the Pool of Tears with Royal Bodyguard, the strong and stoic Hatter Madigan. Suddenly separated in the void, Alyss lands alone and vulnerable in the middle of Victorian London. There she befriends a lowly author Reverend Charles Dodgson in the hope that he will tell her story to help Hatter find. Hatter on the other hand has landed miles away from Alyss but he’s willing to walk the earth to find the lost Princess and return her Wonderland to claim her rightful place at the throne from her bloodthirsty aunt. 

The Looking Glass Wars aims to challenge everything we know and love about the original story of mad tea parties, talking flowers and late-running rabbits with pocket watches. Instead it’s a story of blood cold murder, political power struggles and a fantastical battle over the power of Imagination. 

So what’s my verdict? 

At the beginning of the book Beddor warns those of “a more sensitive disposition might prefer reading Lewis Carrol’s classic fairytale…” and this is certainly not a pretty story. Beddor creates a world completely different to the original tale, turning the innocent Alice into Alyss the lost, warrior princess; the Mad Hatter into the silent but deadly Hatter Madigan; and even the grinning Cheshire Cat into The Cat, Redd’s cruel assassin. He does, however, manage to keep some of the more warped elements of Wonderland and there’s still an element of magic in the story. 

Alyss Heart’s tale is fast paced and, at times, confusing. There were many points I had to go back and try to figure out what just happened. In fact the most captivating parts of the story weren’t the action packed and trilling, but the moments in the real world as Alyss and Hatter struggle to both adjust to life without Imagination as well as desperately trying to find each other to return home. 

Some may find this a sacrilege to take Carrol’s work and distort the original story, but I found the whole concept and change in characters refreshing. Alyss herself is quite a cliche character and it really the colourful cast of supporting characters make the tale come alive. It’s young adult fiction at it’s simplest and some may find the plot a little juvenile but as a fan of reworked stories I personally loved Beddor’s creativity with both the plot and characters.

Reading Soundtrack: 

Alice (Underground): Avril Lavigne; Breath of Life: Florence + The Machine; People Are Strange: The Doors; Broken Crown: Mumford & Sons; Rebellion (Lies): Arcade Fire; Closer To The Edge: 30 Seconds To Mars; White Rabbit: Grace Potter & the Nocturnals

For lovers of

The original Alice in Wonderland stories, Wicked, the ‘Once Upon A Time…’ series

This post was written by regular reviewer Ria, get to know her here.
*image (c)Ria Cagampang

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World War Z: An Oral History Of The Zombie War | Max Brooks | Review

Wednesday, 19 June 2013

World War Z: An Oral History Of The Zombie War | Max Brooks | Review

"They say great times make great men. I don't buy it. I saw a lot of weakness, a lot of filth. People who should have risen to the challenge and either couldn't or wouldn't. Greed, fear, stupidity and hate. I saw it before the war, I see it today. [...] I don't know if great times make great men, but I know they can kill them.” - Max Brooks, Word War Z

If you have read a few of my posts here at Blogger's Bookshelf you know that I'm a big zombie fan. I want you to keep that in mind because I'm pretty sure that is going to reflect this review. But now when you're aware of that, let's roll...

World War Z has a really interesting concept. It's written like a documentary book even if it's obviously based on fiction (there hasn't been a world war against Zombies that I know of). The book consists of interviews with people that in different ways played an important role in the World War Z (yes, that was the world war against zombies that I just talked about). That pretty much concludes what the books is all about.

This is not my favorite zombie novel, but it's one of the most interesting ones I've read. Max Brooks truly knows his zombies and the details in this books is massively impressive. If you find yourself in a zombie apocalypse you would love to have Max Brooks number, because he would know what to do! Max Brook's sense of detail is amazing. This man have thought about everything! It gives you the feeling that you're reading about something that have actually happened. It's kind of scary sometimes... I really found many of the chapters really intriguing and interesting and I had to discuss many of the scenarios with anyone who was around to listen. It really gets your head spinning and that my friends, that's always a good thing!

But even if I'm a die hard zombie fan I have to confess that there was a few things that I struggled with while I read this book. The book is divided into so many different chapters and every chapter is an interview with a new person. That makes the characters a bit alienated from you. You never get to know them and you never start caring about them (there's a few exceptions though, there was a few stories that actually touched my heart on a more personal level). And in the same way as I found many of the interviews interesting I also struggled with quite a few. Not having any interest in anything that has to do with the military I found the chapters that were full of military terms and strategy quite boring and hard to get through.

Over all I really enjoyed many aspects about this book and I really admire Max Brooks for his work. This is a must read for every zombie fan! But there was also too many parts that I actually struggled with to give it a 5 star rating. So I give World War Z 4/5 stars.

And by the way, I'm really excited to see the movie that's based on this book and that's coming out this summer. I've been excited about it since I first saw the trailer a few months ago. You can go and watch the trailer here.

This post was written by regular reviewer Niina, get to know her here.

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Guest Review | The Luxe | Anna Godbersen

Tuesday, 18 June 2013

Guest Review | The Luxe | Anna Godbersen

Pretty girls in pretty dresses, partying until dawn.
Irresistible boys with mischievous smiles and dangerous intentions.
White lies, dark secrets, and scandalous hookups.
This is Manhattan, 1899.

Beautiful sisters Elizabeth and Diana Holland rule Manhattan’s social scene. Or so it appears. When the girls discover their status among New York City’s elite is far from secure, suddenly everyone—from the backstabbing socialite Penelope Hayes, to the debonair bachelor Henry Schoonmaker, to the spiteful maid Lina Broud—threatens Elizabeth’s and Diana’s golden future.

With the fate of the Hollands resting on her shoulders, Elizabeth must choose between family duty and true love. But when her carriage overturns near the East River, the girl whose glittering life lit up the city’s gossip pages is swallowed by the rough current. As all of New York grieves, some begin to wonder whether life at the top proved too much for this ethereal beauty, or if, perhaps, someone wanted to see Manhattan’s most celebrated daughter disappear...

In a world of luxury and deception, where appearance matters above everything and breaking the social code means running the risk of being ostracized forever, five teenagers lead dangerously scandalous lives.

What I have to say

To be honest, when I started reading The Luxe I was a bit disappointed. I thought I'd got tricked and lured in by a beautiful cover once again (umm because hellohuuu, have you seen that cover? Yeah. And it's even nicer in real life!). It begins with a prologue - the funeral of Elizabeth Holland, one of the main protagonists and then the story skips back couple of weeks earlier (so it's not like that was a spoiler).

Anyway, the first few chapters are pretty much about introducing the characters properly, as there are multiple third-person povs, and creating atmosphere which took a bit too long for me but in hindsight it might have been useful because I do feel like I got to know the character's personalities and motivations and even though they are kind of stereotypical, they have depth.

About the stereotypes: I think I wouldn't have noticed this as much if The Luxe hadn't been praised as the Gossip Girl of 1899, but obviously I paid more attention to parallels and stuff after noticing that reference several times. Anyone else thinks Penelope is just so Blair?

Apart from the stereotypes and lifestyle though I missed the Gossip-Girl-everything-is-twisted-and-full-of-schemes part, however, halfway through that kind of changed! Also, let me just say that I absolutely enjoyed reading the many descriptions of the beautiful dresses the girls got to wear, especially loved Elizabeth's little sister Diana's wardrobe!

Diana was my favourite character anyway, bookish and full of mischief; her scenes were never boring! Also, the little romance going on between her and a certain male was probably my favourite in the book, I'm rooting for them in the series! Oh another observation of mine: sometimes this actually reminded me even more of the British reality show Made in Chelsea than Gossip Girl, anyone else thought about that?!

The ending with it's kind-of-cliffhanger surprised me at first but I saw certain things coming, nevertheless I'm looking forward to continuing this series soon and I can really recommend this to anyone who would like to get started in the historical young adult genre without wanting to read something really difficult to understand due to old words as Anna Godbersen kept it rather glamorous yet simple.

This review was written by guest blogger Lulu (find her blog here).
Don't forget to check out our interview with Lulu here!
Photo c/o Lulu

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I've Got Your Number | Sophie Kinsella | Review

Monday, 17 June 2013

I've Got Your Number | Sophie Kinsella | Review

Not only does Poppy loose her engagement ring but she also looses her phone. Talk about having a bad day! No things start to look up when she finds someone else's phone in a bin - working completely fine. So finders keepers as the saying goes. Now as she's desperately searching for her ring, the owner of the phone desperately wants it back. Could this be the start of an interesting friendship?!

Now this book was on my list of books I vowed to read this year, and I was extremely eager I pre ordered it from Amazon and as soon as it arrived I started reading it. I was immediately hooked!

Poppy is a brilliant character who made me laugh so much through this book. She however is not the only interesting character in to pop up. Poppy is engaged to Marcus who was a character I loved to hate. Whilst on the other end of the phone is Sam who from very first contact I was both interested and intrigued by. The conversations between characters were realistic and amusing and much like conversations I have between my own friends.

The story continues, the chaos carries on and the relationships tangle. Like many chic-lit stories there is two guys and one girl and the whole way through the reader is left thinking, who is she going to end up in? I won't give it away - don't worry. However what I will say is that it was a brilliant way to make a decision!

Now if you've read a Sophie Kinsella book before this is definitely one for you, and if you haven't.... where have you been!?!?! Go and get this one, download it or whatever because I'll definitely be reading it again in the near future.

This post was written by regular reviewer Laura, get to know her here.
Image from Goodreads

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Alone | Robert J.Crane | Review

Sunday, 16 June 2013

Alone | Robert J.Crane | Review

Since getting my Kindle a few months ago, I've downloaded a good dozen or so free books. Free books are the best. However, sometimes free books are a bit of a hit and miss. And Alone, by Robert J. Crane, has me confused as to whether or not it was one of those hit and misses. You'll see what I mean...

We first meet 17 year old Sienna Nealon, the main character, in her house, slightly freaking out because her mother has vanished and her home is being broken into by ruffians. In the first chapter, we learn that Sienna is no ordinary girl - she has lived alone with her mother in their small house all her life, never leaving it, never having contact with the outside world, trying to follow all the rules that her mother had drilled into her head for so long. Basically, Sienna is a prisoner in her own house. Escaping the house, Sienna is on the run. As the story goes on, she discovers that the ridiculously huge man pursuing her is named Wolfe, that there's a agency called the Directorate who want her to join them, that her mother wasn't the person Sienna thought she was, and Sienna knows very little about everything, including herself.

I was really drawn into it just by the first page, but then I found myself drifting into the 'meh' and the 'whatever' zones, for some reason. I can't really put my finger on it, but there was something about it that suddenly changed and I didn't like it as much as the first chapter or so. Nevertheless, it was a nice short read that had some good parts in it, and some fun characters. Sienna herself is an interesting character, and although we're probably supposed to cheer for her and want her to do well etc, I found myself almost shocked at some of the things she said and the character in her that emerged more and more as the story went on. Perhaps it was because I didn't really know what I was expecting in the story (or from the characters), that I found it difficult to keep reading at points, and I found it hard not be annoyed by Sienna and her actions.

It's written in first person, which was actually perfect for the story, I think, as there were things we didn't realise/didn't find out about until deep into the book, simply because Sienna hadn't revealed it to us, or to any of the other characters. So that put an interesting spin on things. Overall, I think I would give it a two and a half stars (couldn't figure out how to take half a star off up there). I liked the original idea (or rather, what I thought it was going to be about - I think I expected something like that movie Hanna, but it ended up sort of like X-Men or something similar, which was fine, but not what I was thinking), but then it got a little bit 'samey' near the end. 'Samey' as in the same, or similar, to a lot of other ideas out there. I might, however, read the next one and see where it goes. But it won't moving up to the top of my 'to-read' list.

Image from Goodreads

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