Read Your Own Books Marathon: Update

Finally got the time to start the marathon in earnest. Still had to go to the university on Friday, making it quite impossible to read yesterday. However, I was able to finish my first book for the marathon this morning! I read Blood Beast by Darren Shan. That brings my stats to this:

• Books read: 1
• Total pages read: 269
• Goal books read: 2
• Goal total pages read: 750
• Pages to go till goal: 431

I'm now starting in the second book of the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning, Bloodfever. I hope I can finish it today, so I'll surpass my goal!

*****

Update No. 2! I have finished Bloodfever. It was pretty awesome. I don't know if I liked it better than the first, but it definitely was a 4.5 star read. Of course it ends on a massive cliffhanger, so I'm glad I have the next part of the series Faefever close by! I think I will start reading it tonight, but I don't think I will be able to finish it, as I have to work on a boring Engineering project tomorrow. I guess I'll just try to squeeze in as much reading as I can! My updated stats:

• Books read: 2
• Total pages read: 606
• Goal books read: 2
• Goal total pages read: 750
• Pages to go till goal: 144

Read Your Own Books Marathon!

I'm joining The Bibliophilic Book Blog's Read Your Own Books Read-A-Thon! This is a great way to read all of those books you have once bought, but never got to because you have all these review copies piling up. As I probably own about a hundred books that I haven't read yet, I'm definitely in for this challenge!

My Goals:

• Finish 2 books
• Read 750 pages
• Be very proud of myself
• Post about my progress at least once every day

The Read-A-Thon will run from Thursday the 15th till Sunday 18th. That means it is starting today! However, you can still sign up and win pretty awesome stuff. Just hop over to The Bibliophilic Book Blog and join the fun. If you're participating, feel free to leave me a comment. I love checking on others to see how they're doing (:

Review: Storm Front by Jim Butcher

Storm Front by Jim Butcher
(The Dresden Files #1)

4 out of 5 stars

Published by Penguin Group US

I really liked this book. It being a first book in a very long series, there were a lot of characters to learn to know, but the main characters voice was very distinct, and I loved him immediately.

Harry the wizard for hire takes on a case of a woman, searching for her husband. He expects that he's just having an affair, but he'll look into it anyway. However, this case is not as simple as it looks on first glance. When his help is also needed by the police in a suspicious investigation, Harry might be in over his head.

This might even be the first UF book I've read with a manly main character, and I was pleasantly surprised. Even though Harry is pretty much the ultimate geek that is attracted to about every woman he sees, I still liked him because deep down, he's quite kick-ass.

The world Mr Butcher sketches here is highly entertaining and interesting. He has a slightly different take on vampires and other supernaturals, that make me curious for the next books in the series.

Storm Front is action-packed with a fast moving plot, and a great introduction into this series.

Blurb

HARRY DRESDEN — WIZARD
Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.

Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he's the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the "everyday" world is actually full of strange and magical things—and most don't play well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a—well, whatever.

There's just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry's seeing dollar signs. But where there's black magic, there's a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry's name. And that's when things start to get interesting.

Magic. It can get a guy killed.

Other reviews you might be interested in

• Review: Dark Lover by J.R. Ward (5/5 stars)
• Review: Every Which Way But Dead by Kim Harrison (4/5 stars)
• Review: Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning (4.5/5 stars)

More links

• Author page
• Penguin Group US
• Goodreads

Author Awesomeness: Patrick Rothfuss Writes a Rhyme

This is something I came across last week and it made me smile so long my cheeks were starting to hurt.


For those of you who don't know who Patrick Rothfuss is, he is the writer of the awesome books The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear. He was having a photo contest on his blog, calling on all fans to picture his newest book in an unusual setting. This, as did his previous contest, results in thousands and thousands of beautiful, funny, or plain weird pictures.

Well, as a little thank you to all of the entries, Pat has made a very cool framing narrative thingy with a selection of the entries. It's hard to explain, but it FRIGGIN' AWESOME.

Go check it out on his blog!

Review: Marked by P.C. Cast

Marked by P.C. Cast
(House of Night #1)

3.5 out of 5 stars

320 pages
Published by St. Martin's Press

I picked this book up, expecting some kind of female Harry Potter, but this time with vampires (or "vampyres" as they are called in Marked).

Well, this book was nothing like that. It was somehow a lot more mystique, otherworldly. When Zoey "Marked" by a vampyre Tracker, she has to be sent to the House of Night, otherwise she will die a horrible death. Here she learns about vampyre society while she is changing. Here no one of the fledglings know if they will survive the change, or if their body will reject it.

I quite liked the House of Night and Cast's concept of vampires. They worship the Goddess of the Night, Nyx. This means that there are several rituals led by the leader of the school, High Priestess Neferet. The rituals were detailed, reminding me a bit of Wiccan rituals, with the summoning of the elements and the closing of a circle.

However, I did dislike the way Ms Cast tried to not so subtly convince us with her morals. She especially has a strange conception of what defines being a slut. You want to kiss a guy that is hot and nice to you? Such a slut. You're wearing a tight short dress? Well, you must have bought that in a ho store. And if you have to take it from Ms Cast, giving a guy a blowjob is truly the most horrible thing a girl can do, 'cause you know, you'd only do that if you were forced. I really didn't like her condescending tone. This will just give teenagers that read these books the idea that every small sexual desire for a guy is totally wrong and disgusting and slutty. Such a judgemental attitude is strange for a character that is a teenager herself, without being influenced in these ideas by anyone around her. I got the idea Ms Cast wanted to give us a message, and put these words badly disguised in her main characters mouth.

Another thing I thought was pretty weird, especially in the first half of the book, is how Ms Cast is trying way too hard to sound like a teenager. References to Paris anorexia and Pamela Anderson's boobs stand out between completely normal conversations, standing out in a not so good way. Again, it felt like Ms Cast was criticising modern day society through Zoey.

This book is somewhere between a 3 and a 4 star rating, depending on my mood. This book was surprisingly different, not at all what I was expecting. Yet, I couldn't stand the author's attitude. I will read the next book in the series though, I'm curious to see where these books go.

Blurb

The House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird's world, vampyres have always existed.  In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire--that is, if she makes it through the Change.  Not all of those who are chosen do.  

It's tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling.  She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx.  But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers.  When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny--with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

Other reviews you might be interested in

• Review: The Fury by L.J. Smith (4/5 stars)
• Review: The Demon Kiss by Lacey Weatherford (4.5/5 stars)
• Review: Need by Carrie Jones (4/5 stars)

More links

• Author page
• St. Martin's Press
• Goodreads

Review: Photographs & Phantoms by Cindy Spencer Pape

Photographs & Phantoms by Cindy Spencer Pape
(Gaslight Chronicles #1.5)

3 out of 5 stars

50 pages - Novella
Published by Carina Press

A sweet little novella set in 19th century Brighton, England.

Photographs & Phantoms is pretty much your standard romance short story. There is the girl with the problem, in this case a ghost that seems to target clients she takes photographs of, and there is the awesome-wizard-guy that comes to save her. And while he's playing Superinvestigator, they fall in love.

The mystery was actually pretty good, I liked how everything came together in the end. Although I think the ending was quite abrupt, I would have liked to see a few more pages about the how's and why's.

While being advertised as a steampunk romance, this book was a little bit too light on the steampunk references for my taste. This book could just as well been set in the "ordinary" 19th century, it wouldn't have changed a thing. Luckily, I like normal historical novels too, so this was an entertainingly quick afternoon's read.

Blurb

Brighton, 1855
As a member of the Order of the Round Table, Kendall Lake is overqualified to be investigating strange phenomena at a seaside photography studio. But since the photographer is related to the Order's most powerful sorcerer, Kendall reluctantly boards a dirigible to Brighton.

Amy Deland is haunted by a shadow that appears in some of her recent portraits. In each case, the subject died within days of the sitting. Does she have her grandmother's gift of foresight, or has she somehow caused the deaths?

As Kendall and Amy search for answers, their investigation draws them together in a most improper way—but it seems the evil presence in the studio is determined to keep them apart…

Other reviews you might be interested in

• Review: Like Clockwork by Bonnie Dee (4/5 stars)
• Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (4/5 stars)

More links

• Author's website
• Carina Press
• Goodreads

What Makes a Good Cover?

Quite a while ago, Pavarti asked me to do a guest post on her blog, preferably about book covers. Now, a few months later, the post is finally there! I would like to thank Pavarti for letting me talk about my biggest passion of all time: books!

When you are standing in front of your local bookstore's fantasy section, or romance section, or whatever section is your favourite, there is one thing that immediately will catch your eye. The book covers. They all have different shapes, different colours, that make them unique. They will try to draw you in, mysteriously hinting at their insides. Some of them you will love instantly. Others will make you frown, or more likely, you won't even notice them. What makes a good cover?


Read my post on Pavarti's blog! >>