New Spring, by Robert Jordan

I had to read this prequel to The Wheel of Time at some point or another. So I ordered it at the same time I ordered Mistborn. Although nothing really unexpected happens and the story only covers up to Lan's bonding by Moiraine, I still enjoyed the book. Discovering Moiraine, Lan and Siuan when they were young was fun and .. it made me want to start reading the whole series once more now that I have some extra information. Plus I just love the universe and the characters to much.

Mistborn, by Brandon Sanderson

I bought this book after reading the latest volume of the Wheel of Time co-written by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, since I enjoyed the book and read good reviews about Mistborn.

I really enjoyed the book and couldn't put it down, which resulted in two nights in a row with very little sleep. The characters are diverse and easy to like. Vin and Kelsier are credible and both make good heros. I wasn't too happy about the character development of young Venture. I thought he became a bit of a mop after an intriguing beginning, and then all of a sudden he gets a key role. It really feels like the end of the novel could have used a lot more writing up: too many things happen at once and "by luck".

But it's still a really nice read and I have already started reading the book for a second time, at a much slower rate.

The Gathering Storm, by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

I know I know the illustration is horrible ! I really really wonder why they keep choosing the cheesy graphics. Sorry for the artist, but I just can't stand them. Luckily I bought the hard cover book by mistake on Amazon and the illustration is just on the jacket ! So when I took the book with me during my train trip and on the bus, I had a very smooth book with me. By the way, I am used to reading this series in the cheap edition (pocket edition) but the hard cover book is really nice ! I love the feel of the pages, how thick the book is, and yet so light ! Perfect.

On with the story. I have re-read all 11 books I had from the series before buying "The Knife of Dreams", the last book entirely written by Robert Jordan before his death. While the beginning of the series is great, books 9 and 10 are exceedingly slow and boring. Number 11, that I read a couple of months ago, gets back on track.




All 11 books are in the picture below (the first one is a prequel I think .. I haven't read it yet anyway).


Then Robert Jordan died. Luckily for all the fans, Brandon Sanderson, fantasy author and WOT fan, was able to take on the job to write the end of the series, based on notes from Robert Jordan, sometimes even entire chapters already written down. There are still two more books to be published, but "The Gathering Storm" was really really good.

So many things happening, and a great end. I am already re-reading "The Knife of Dreams" (slowly this time) and will re-read "The Gathering Storm" after that. I just love being in the universe Robert Jordan created. Like many fans, I feel as if the main characters of the series were old friends.

Looking forward to the two last books !

Dead right, by Peter Robinson

Police thriller. Starts with a very simple dead youth, and gets more and more complex.

Interesting to read, good characters and themes specific to the story. I thought the book ended a little bit too soon, without giving all the final results and answers to all the little things that had started to develop in the book. I suppose it's good for imagination, but I still prefer when a book finishes the story.

I enjoyed the book, but I don't think it will stay engraved in my memory.

Utopia, by Lincoln Child

A fantastic thriller. I really enjoyed discovering this amazing amusement park with all its technology and perfect immersion words. The plot is set little by little and keeps you turning page after page .. for a long time: the book is huge ! It had me falling asleep at 3AM several nights in a row.

Only draw back: I sometimes felt like the author wrote technical details just to show off (look, I know this and that about weapons, or about computers ...).

Other than that, the characters are interesting, and there are more than enough events and turns in the plot to keep the reader entertained. I hope they'll make one great movie out of the book: I want to see these Worlds come true ;D

Earthsea (the trilogy) by Ursula K. Le Guin

One book that doesn't come from the library ..

I recently went to the cinema to see Tales from Earthsea from the studio Ghibli. I liked the universe a lot, the drawings and details of course, but thought too much was going on for too little explanations. And then I was lent this book, which is the inspiration for the film.

The book as I read it is a trilogy containing A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan and The Farthest Shore. All three stories are related through the life of Sparrowhawk (Ged) the wizard. Earthsea seems a beautiful (but dangerous !) universe. It seems that there are other stories of Earthsea, and more books by Ursula Le Guin. I'll be hunting for them in the library, for sure !

I wish Ghibli could illustrate the complete stories of Earthsea with their wonderful animations ...

The smoke jumper, by Nicholas Evans

Years ago, I've read "The horse whisperer" by the same author. I think I read it in one go. Then I lent it to my mother, and she did just the same, not talking to me for a day or two. Then came my brother, and the story repeated itself.

So when I spotted this book in the library I knew I had to borrow it. And I really quite liked it! First of all, I learned about smoke jumpers, which I didn't know existed. Then the story takes you in and it becomes increasingly hard to put the book down. Nothing revolutionary, but a fantastic reading, which made me laugh and cry (man, that letter !!!). Perfect escape from your everyday life :)

The house of spirits, by Isabel Allende

I'm on my way to read all of Isabel Allende's books. And I really liked that one. It had a huge diversity of characters, ideas and moods. As always, magic is present, as if it was the most natural thing. It was nice to meet the Del Valle again (although it might be the first time she introduced them .. I haven't read her books in chronological order at all).

Rosa the beautiful, Clara the mystic, Blanca in the middle and Alba with fresh new ideas yet love for her grand-father. Somehow, you leave the book as if you really knew the characters: there's a lot of them, but each is given enough time and depth that they all have a life of their own. Of course I'd recommend this book :)

The Good Life, by Jay McInerney

Can't quite remember what got me interested by this book at the library. Maybe the fact that it was brand new. I like unread books. In any case, the story is set in New York. Although I found NY life slightly too complicated for me and fogging the story, I went on reading.
As it was my first book dealing with 9/11 I enjoyed the descriptions of the reactions of people and the general ambiance in the town. I didn't like the love story too much though. Generally, I have the impression that there were too many side characters half-involved in the story without enough depth. Or maybe not. I don't know. Not a huge fan of the book, but I still found it entertaining.

Restless, by William Boyd

Had a good surprise at the library: they had just received a bunch of books in English. Although I always borrow books in German (I am trying to read through "Die Farbe Blau" right now, but of course it's a slow process), I enjoy a lot more reading in English and French. And I do like reading brand new books.

Anyhow, this is a really nice spy story. A page turner, two lifes told simultaneously. I enjoyed both lifes, and the different perspective it gave on WW2. It was a good read, but I think this is one of these book that would slip out of my memory really fast, if not for this blog.

Sheltering Rain, by Jojo Moyes

This book is the reason why I wrote that "Bad Chili" was really different from my usual romantic books. I (without any big surprise here) borrowed it from the library because I liked its cover very much and thought a little romance would be nice.

I found the first half of the book rather slow and boring, with the same things repeating again and again. This is why I left "Sheltering Rain" to read "Bad Chilli" and only went back to it after I finished the latter. However, the last third becomes increasingly interesting and involving and I had difficulties putting the book down yesterday night (although I had a terrible headache) and again this morning (although I should really have hurried up and gotten to work). I finally managed to settle in tonight and finish it of.

A story across three generations of women (grand-mother, mother and daughter), I realise now. With long accumulated resentment and differences in lifestyle. Quite nicely done, from Hong Kong to Ireland to London. Well, I liked the book, liked how the characters evolved even if it was very classic. There was some unpredicted (by me) events to keep the story entertaining.

Right. I think I have one more book in French, and then I'm left with the German books I borrowed from the library.

Bad Chili, by Joe R. Lansdale

Andrew lent me that book. Quite a change from my usual romantic books :D

I enjoyed the writing style, learned new vocabulary and expressions. The book is a real page turner, but that keeps a relaxed atmosphere (I mean, there is no equivalent to super stressing music in bad horror movies in this book -- if anybody can understand what I mean here, I'll be happy). Somehow it reminded me of the style of "The stranger, by Albert Camus". Except that there isn't any swearing in Camus' book.

The two main characters are witty and good fighters, which is quite vital in the story. It is full of violence. A friend told me she couldn't read all the description about the violent videos. But what I found the most disturbing in the end was the description of domestic violence. It also reveals life in smaller towns in Texas, and describes a cool tornado. In any case, I really enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more from the author.

I don't think I'm ever going to be asked to write book reviews if anybody in the business reads my blog .. I hope you don't mind my style and senseless remarks. This is just what comes through my mind without any structuring or anything (in case it wasn't obvious already).


[Joe R. Lansdale's entry on Wikipedia]

Lady of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Diana L. Paxson

I went back to the library last Wednesday, and got so many books the lady at the checkout wanted to stop at the first of my three piles. lol. And a woman behind me in the queue showed her son that I had borrowed books in English and French (she seemed impressed). She doesn't know that she should be impressed that I borrowed German books, but hey.

I spotted this book from the English shelves and thought I had to borrow it. After all, I really like the world of Avalon, the priestesses and the Goddess. This was also the best book so far: I didn't get angry at the characters. It is split in three parts in which we follow different characters at different time points. I also like how spirits come back to life several times. Also, this book fits between Priestess of Avalon and the Mists of Avalon, so it was interesting to see another point of view. I just found out how big the collection was .. I hope I'll get to find the other ones one my one at the library :)

I enjoyed this book (and read it in two or three days), liked the themes. I would always like to have more small details on everyday life to really feel in the universe of Avalon, but I suppose it could get boring.

Priestess of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley

In November 2006, I read "The Mists of Avalon", by the same author. I liked her description of Avalon and its religion a lot and that was my main reason for borrowing "Priestess of Avalon".

I prefered the writing style in the second book, but I liked the description of religion in both. Feminism didn't disturb me (although I find that for a feminist book, women still have a tendency to hide their nature and take the will of their husbands for an order). I really enjoyed the criticisms the author writes about Christianism and how she explains how and why it took over the Roman gods and the Goddess of Avalon.

What I totally disliked was the unability of the powerful women to positively influence their children. But maybe it is something that really happens in life: people involved in a fight or a cause are sometimes the best contradictors of their own cause in their private life.

All in all, I found both books entertaining, easy to read and real page turners. I enjoyed some of the ideas, but was often angry at the behaviour of the main characters, which I don't particularly enjoy when it becomes recurrent).


[Wikipedia article on The Mists of Avalon],[Wikipedia article on Marion Zimmer Bradley]

The Valkyries, by Paulo Coelho

Borrowed from the library in Münster. I had rather high hopes for that book, as I read "At once a modern-day adventure, a metaphysical battle with self doubt and fear, a true story of two people striving to understand one another, and a supernatural encounter with angels, The Valkyries is ultimately a story about forgiving our past and believing in our future."

If it had less biblical references, I might have enjoyed it, but as it is, it was rather a pain to read the book. I have to say that I am allergic to religion these days. I am not against spiritualism though, and I had hopes that this would be a purely spiritual book. I might have to read it again later.

The plot was OK, with some exotism but not too much (more like not enough). The story about forgiving our past and believing in our future is presented heavily. The road to the encounter with the angels is oversimplified, so that the readers can feel a connection and be involved in the story. Exotic words and themes are put together with basic notions, but it didn't do it for me. In the end, I found the book superficial and pretentious.

We'll see if I like it better if I ever read it again.

[Wikipedia article about the author (in French)],[Wikipedia: The Valkiries (English)]