christianreader | Kiwiria's June Reads

Still busy with my knitting, but that doesn't mean I've stopped reading altogether fortunately :-)

Among the Hidden - Margaret Peterson Haddix, 4/5, 153 pages
I read about this book through a "25 Books/Series to read if you love The Hunger Games" list. It sounded fascinating, so I thought I'd give it a try.

It's... troubling. A lot darker than I had expected from a childrens book. A quick read and actually a rather thought-provoking one. In some ways it reminded me of Nancy Kress' Beggars in Spain - in atmosphere more than in plot though. I liked it very much, though I'm not sure I'll be reading the rest of the series. As far as I could tell they're more a series of companion novels than actual sequels, and I'm more interested in reading about a resolution than about other Shadow Children.

I might very well change my mind if this book ends up haunting my mind though.

Very well written and atmospheric.

Poison Study - Maria V. Snyder, 5/5, Audiobook ~10hrs
I started listening to this with no particular expectations. I'd never read a review of it, but just kept seeing it all over the place, so I figured it was about time.

I ended up LOVING it!!! One of the best books I've read in a very, very long time. It's a brilliant story that incorporates several of my favourite bookish ideas: Teaching of a craft - check. Latent magical abilities - check. Surprising romance - check. Friends among enemies - check.

Excellent book that's nicely contained.

While I Live - John Marsden, 3.5/5, 249
It took me a surprisingly long time to read this. I liked it, but never really got caught up in the book, the way I did the original series. I missed Fi - she got far too little pagetime. Fortunately Homer was there though (I never really warmed to Lee). Still, it's a fascinating insight into life after war - especially considering the great amounts of land Australia had to give up.

I'll probably eventually read the rest of the series as well, as I do love Ellie and want to hear more about how she manages, but they're not my top priority just now.

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen*, 5/5, Audiobook ~20hrs
I can't remember how many times I've read this book, and I've seen the BBC mini-series even more times. It never fails to draw me in.

Some things struck me...
* Mrs. Bennet really is insufferable! I thought it very telling that Mr. Bennet tells Lizzie that he couldn't bear it if "she also found herself in a position where she couldn't respect her spouse". How awful.
* Mr. Bennet ends up calling Wickham his favourite son-in-law? In self-irony I hope.
* Lizzie and especially Jane really did fall in love remarkably quick.
* Austen doesn't seem very capable of writing happy married couples, does she? At least, I can't think of any.
* I need to rewatch the mini-series now!

Taken at Dusk - C.C. Hunter, 3.5/5, 380 pages
It took me a surprisingly long time to finish this book, but I think that has more to do with the fact that I haven't been in a reading mood (a shocker, I know!) than with the book itself. Last night I suddenly got in the mood again and read 200 pages in one evening, so it can't have been all bad.

I enjoyed this follow-up to the Shadow Falls series. Sure, it has its faults - Kylie is still quite the Mary Sue, and at times the plot is incredibly disjointed - but generally it's just plain fun, so I can forgive it its faults. I liked that we got a few more answers this time, and LOVED Miranda's kangaroo :D That made me laugh out loud.

I'm annoyed by both Lucas and Derek, so don't know what outcome I'm hoping for there... preferably neither, I guess.

Garden Spells - Sarah Addison Allen, 4.5/5, Audiobook ~10hrs
What a delightfully charming book! I had no clue what to expect when I picked it up, but loved it pretty much from the very first page (or audiobook equivalent ;) ). I liked the characters, I enjoyed the plot, I completely fell in love with Bay. I can't elaborate without starting to gush, but it's just one of those genuinely feel-good books.

If this is a standard representation of Sarah Addison Allen's writing, I'll definitely be reading more of her work!

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K. Rowling*, 5/5, 223 pages
As always, the magic drew me in completely, and I pretty much read this in one sitting :)

Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card*, 5/5, Audiobook ~12hrs
Love, love, love, love this book. So much love for this book! If you haven't read it yet -- what are you waiting for? Among the top ten books I've read EVER.

Needles and Pearls - Gil McNeil, 4/5, 371 pages
Lovely feel-good novel. I loved the first book in the series, and wanted to see if the sequel(s) lived up to it. This one definitely did. There's no real plot to it, just a description of 8 months in the life of Jo Mackenzie, but between her quirky neighbours, her energetic sons, her famous TV-speaker best friend and the local Diva, life is never dull.

I want a local yarn shop like Jo's though!

The Host - Stephenie Meyer*, 5/5, 619 pages
So very different from the Twilight series. I was in a reading rut and needed something to get me kick-started again. This was just the ticket :) I still love it. Extremely well written and impossible to put down.

Most recommendable: A tie between Garden Spells and Poison Study. Very different, but both terrific.
Oh, and a shout out to Ender's Game of course. Usually I only mention new reads here, but it's just sooooo good! :-D