Book Review 14: Void & Onix Bowl by Fernanda Liedo & Macarena Matrajt

I have read many cat stories... more than I can count. Short stories, YA novels, memoirs, and children's books. Most of which I have really enjoyed. But I have never read anything like this. 

Void and Onix Bowl is a story within a story. It follows a mommy cat telling a bedtime story to her three kittens. One of the kittens is especially curious, and as most cat people know, this is exactly how a real cat would act. It captures the playful nature of kittens really well, and simultaneously makes the story very heartwarming. The author did a good job of making it fun and enjoyable to read. 

Along with the descriptive storytelling, I really liked the vivid and colourful illustrations. This would be the perfect bedtime story for anyone who likes fantasy, fables and cats. Maybe I am a bit biased, but as a cat lover (and especially a black cat lover), I really enjoyed Void and Onix Bowl. I would give this book a 4/5. 

 

Book Review 9: Throne of Glass by Sara J. Maas

I first heard about the Throne of Glass series a few years ago (through social media.) When I started researching on what the book was about, I was intrigued. The story follows Celaena Sardothien (Adarlan's most dangerous assassin), as she competes for the chance to become The King of Adarlan's Champion. The King promises her total freedom after four years of being his lackey...if she wins. The readers witness Celaena's journey from being a dangerous assassin to fighting for her freedom. 

Despite Celaena's cocky nature, you can't help but fall in love with her. Having gone through such a rough childhood and adolescence, she grows to be a strong and independent eighteen year old. Her spirit and headstrong personality reminded me a lot of Raisa Ana Marianna from the Seven Realms series (one of my favourite book series.) 

In addition to the parallels between Raisa and Celaena, both the Throne of Glass series and Seven Realms series have a similar undertone to them. If you are a fan of one of these series', I think you may enjoy the other one just as much. Sarah J. Maas does a great job of hooking her readers in with fantasy, love and friendship. We learn right from the get go of Celaena's deadly demeanor, However, Maas does a nice job of successfully humanizing her through out the book by introducing us to some her hobbies and interests as we get further into the story. 

The Throne of Glass book series consists of five books in the series (and a sixth one underway.) I am looking forward to continuing on with the series and reading more of Calaena Sardothien's adventures. 

Happy Reading! =)

2016 Reading Challenge.

2015 I did not actively read as much as I had hoped. My book list was ever growing but some days I just didn't feel like reading. There were only a handful of books I read this year which were page turners. The last few months of 2015, I decided to join my local book club (again) to force myself to read more (for lack of a better word.) The very first book club book just happened to be a lovely book I'd read before; The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. 

I'd been a member of the online Good Reads community for quite some time now, but I'd been relatively inactive on it. I've started using the app more lately, and it's helped me find some good books which I've added to my TBR book list. One nice feature Good Reads has on it is a "Reading Challenge" page. Members challenge themselves to read a certain amount of books for the year. I was going through many of the other members' reading challenges, and noticed numbers like 50, 75, 100 and some even as high as 200! 

I wanted to challenge myself to reach a realistic reading goal. At first I was going to do a 30 book reading challenge. Then I decided to start off with 25. At first I thought it was a low goal, considering that so many others' wanted to read 100 books! However, a good friend of mine reminded me not to compare my goals with others. Maybe those people have more time to read, but there's nothing to be ashamed of. Furthermore, the most important thing is not the quantity of books but the quality! Hopefully I can reach my goal and will read some enjoyable books along the way. 

Happy Reading! =) 

Book Review 8: Ms. Marvel (Crushed) by Willow Wilson

I have always enjoyed watching superhero movies and T.V. shows. However, I had never read any of the comic books until very recently. I used to read Archie comics and the Saturday morning comic strips in the newspaper, but that was as far as my interest in comic books went. Until the movies had been released, I didn't know which superhero was from D.C. Comics and which was from Marvel. 

A few months ago I decided, since I enjoy the movie/T.V. shows so much, I should go back to the original source and try reading the comic books, just for kicks. I picked up several different kinds from my local library; some I enjoyed, some not so much.

A couple of weeks ago, I got a hold of Ms. Marvel. I had heard about (the new) Ms. Marvel when she was first introduced a couple of years ago. The new face of Ms. Marvel was Kamala Khan, a sixteen year old Muslim Pakistani superhero. I remember hearing both positive and negative reviews about Ms. Marvel at the time. Some people were excited to see that Marvel was coming out with more diverse and multicultural superheroes, some were outraged that the new Ms. Marvel was Muslim, and others (Muslims) were not satisfied with the way the comic book portrayed the average Muslim family. 

I sat down with the comic book, thinking I'll probably just read a few pages and then be on with my way. I was intrigued and found myself laughing out loud at a few parts. It was funny, relatable and exciting. I couldn't put it down, and before I knew it, I read the entire book in one sitting! The way Kamala's family was portrayed, everything Kamala was going through, I felt like I was reading about my own adolescent experience (as a Muslim). 

Wilson made it a point not to shove Kamala's religious beliefs down the readers' throat. It's very subtle and overall, Ms. Marvel is a story about a teenage girl like any other. She has her doubts, her fears and a loving family (who at times annoy her.) 

I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend the Ms. Marvel series to anyone who likes comic books. I intend to go back and read it starting from the first issue.

 

 

Happy Reading! =)

Game of Thrones Season Finale Review (MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!)

All my social media feeds are currently full of really pissed off Game of Thrones fans venting about who died on last night's season finale. Normally, I would also be one of those fans. However, since the internet is dark and full of spoilers (and some cocky book readers), I already knew from several months ago that Jon Snow was going to die.

I tried reading the first book years ago, but I found it tedious and too detailed for my taste. So I didn't continue reading them and just stuck to the TV series. However, there's many book readers on online forums saying things like, "Well, if you didn't want to know the spoiler, then you should have read the books long ago!" So I'm just going to say what every Game of Thrones TV show watcher is thinking right now: We've finally reached a somewhat mutual point in the story line where book readers don't have the opportunity to spoil the story line for the rest of us who haven't read the books!

Can we take a step back, wipe our Jon Snow tears and talk about how awesome Theon Greyjoy was in last night's episode?! There is no doubt, Theon did horrible things. However, I've had a soft spot for him ever since the day his sister tried to rescue him from the Boltons. Since the beginning of season five, all I've really wanted is for Theon to save Sansa, and for the two of them to join forces and kick Ramsey's butt! When Theon pushed that woman off the roof and grabbed Sansa's hand, I had a shred of hope left for the two of them. I was happy to see there is a bit light at the end of Sansa's tunnel and that Theon is the one helping her out of this hellhole.

I find it funny that everyone is causing an uproar about Jon Snow's death but nobody seems to care that Myrcella died (in the arms of her father). The Lannisters are terrible human beings, but did Myrcella really deserve to die? She was completely naïve and innocent in all this craziness. On that note, what did everyone think of Cersei's atonement? I kept reading online, people saying she deserved her punishment and humiliation. But I found that scene extremely cringe worthy and hard to watch. Much to my surprise, I actually felt bad for her. It's interesting how the characters on Game of Thrones are so three dimensional that you start to feel bad for the "villians" and begin to hate the "heroes."

What was up with Drogon mimicking my cat by licking himself and taking a short nap while the people of Mereen were in trouble?! And am I the only one annoyed by the lack of direwolves this season?

I have nothing to say about Arya Stark because quite frankly, that story line is so twisted that it goes over my head and I truly have no idea what's going on there... But I was shocked to see Arya going blind.

People have stated "If you think this has a happy ending, then you haven't been paying attention." The only thing that really shocks me about the story now is that Daenerys and Tyrion have actually made it this far. Since George R. R. Martin loves to kill off beloved characters, here is my little plea for Mr. Martin: We all love Ramsey Bolton. Please protect him and let him survive till the end of the series. Please don't let Theon and Sansa kick his ***! We don't want to see the demise of Ramsey Bolton. ;)

What are your thoughts and opinions about the Game of Thrones season finale and/or the entire season so far?

Reading Slump

Most of us have probably gone through reading slumps in our life time. On days that you've gotten too busy or those lazy days that you would rather binge-watch your favourite TV show, we've all been there. It's important not to feel guilty about it. Even though you may not be reading as much as you'd like, those books are not going anywhere. Once you find some free time and your TV shows are on summer break, you can always go back, pick up those books and start reading. Remember, there is no deadline when it comes to how many books you should be reading or how many pages you need to read a day.

I went through a bit of a reading slump recently where I wasn't able to read for a good month or two because I just didn't have the time. However, I've been able to pick myself up and start reading again! The wonderful thing about reading slumps is that it feels so good when you start reading again and have a hard time putting your book down! I've been reading most nights, and on days that I don't feel like reading: well it's okay! No book police will come breathe over my shoulder and tell me that I'm being bad! Hehe. =)

I also think it is important to remember that there is no race on how many books one can read. I follow many Instragammers who post like 7-8 books with captions that say things like "These are all the books I read all month!" Well good for them! However, there is no reason for me to feel bad. Everyone reads and enjoys books at their own pace. Some people may read a novel in one sitting, others may take a few weeks to finish, there's no shame in that. Reading should be a hobby, not an obligation. People should read because they want to not because they have to.

Happy Reading! =)

Book Review 7: "Warriors" series by Erin Hunter

The Warriors book series is written by Erin Hunter, which is actually a pseudonym used by six different authors. The series follows the lives of four cat clans. The cat clans include Thundeclan, Shadowclan, Riverclan and Windclan.

The first Warriors book (Into The Wild) starts off with Rusty, a beautiful ginger "kittypet" (housecat) who decides to leave his warm comfortable home to become a "warrior" (feral cat). Once he meets the rest of the warrior cats, adventure ensues.

When I told my husband about these books, he asked me if the cats fought with swords and weapons. Although the cats in the book(s) have been personified, they behave like regular cats. They are often described bathing, purring, growling, and hissing just like any other cat.

The terminology in the book can be quite amusing. They use words like "kittypet" to describe a housecat, "thunderpath" to describe the main road, and "monster" to describe the cars that drive through the "thunderpath."

Though these are children's books, don't be mistaken; they are not for the faint of heart. Due to the nature of feral cat colonies, these books are true to their behaviours and the cats can be very violent. The violence often leads to graphic and untimely deaths of some of the characters in the book. I shed a few tears for some of the cats who died.

The books were overall enjoyable, and I read most of book 6 (The Darkest Hour) in one sitting. It was really hard to put down and I wanted to see how the story played out. However, the story has way too many characters to follow. Since the cat's names are so unique, it can get very confusing at times, and it's hard to remember which cat belongs to which clan, or which kits (kittens) belong to which queen (mother). Furthermore, the cats' names change as they get higher up in the warrior hierarchy. For example, "Rusty" the kittypet becomes "Firepaw" the warrior, and he proceeds to become "Fireheart" and then "Firestar" as the story moves along. Another thing I didn't like about the series was that it ended really abruptly.

About 3/4 way into The Darkest Hour, the book takes an unexpected turn, which is why my eyes were glued to the book. The story doesn't end the way you'd think.

Despite it's downfalls, I would still recommend this series to anyone who loves cats and adventure. They are full of love, cuteness, betrayal and honour. If you are not a cat person, you can also try Erin Hunter's other book series' Seekers (which is about bears) or Survivors (which is about dogs.)

Please Note: The series I read is only the first series of Warriors books. They are followed by three more Warriors series', each consisting of six books.

Happy Reading! =)

Some of the many Warriors books. There are also standalone Warriors books, mangas and Warriors guides.

 

Firepaw is the protagonist in the series and definitely my favourire character. Graypaw is his best friend in the story and they have the cutest kitty bromance ever.

 

 

Quoted from book 2 (Forest of Secrets).

 

My own kittypets striking their Warrior pose! =)

 

 

New Books!

My online book order has arrived! They came a lot faster than I had anticipated. I placed my order last Friday, and they arrived yesterday (Friday); in exactly a week. I was under the impression that online orders take 3-6 weeks to reach their destination, so I was pleasantly surprised!

Here are the three new books I added to my home library collection.

The Enchanter Heir (book 4 from the Heir Chronicles), The Sorcerer Heir (book 5 from the Heir Chronicles), and Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows (book 7 from the Harry Potter series.)

My parents bought me the first 6 Harry Potter books many years ago, before the 7th and final book was released, but I never got around to buying book 7 until now. My Harry Potter series is finally complete! Although I've read these books before, I will definitely re-read them again one day. Now that Bloomsbury came out with these new covers, my Harry Potter book covers are all mismatched. But I still think it gives them character and I absolutely love all seven of them!

The Enchanter Heir and The Sorcerer Heir are the last two books in the Heir Chronicles series by Cinda Williams Chima. The First book by Chima I ever read was The Wizard Heir, which is actually book two in the Heir Chronicles, and then I proceeded to read The Warrior Heir (which is book one!) All was well though, because The Warrior Heir and The Wizard Heir are actually companion novels that follow completely different characters. The main characters and storylines from each of these books don't come together until The Dragon Heir (book 3.)

I don't have any of Cinda William Chima's other books, so now that my Harry Potter series is complete, my Heir Chronicles series is not! My next mission is to add The Warrior Heir, The Wizard Heir and The Dragon Heir to my book collection! I also want to buy The Seven Realms series, also by Cinda Williams Chima because I think her books are all brilliant, and love both series'!

Happy Reading! =)

Buying Books

Most of us readers know the struggle of buying books and never getting around to reading them because we keep borrowing books from the library and neglecting the books we own. OR, we buy more new books which just keep adding to our TBR pile. One of my good friends came up with a good solution for this dilemma: Alternate between reading a library book and an owned book. I just started doing this recently, and it seems as though my owned books are slowly making their way down my "books I've read" list. I bought the Chronicles of Narnia series a few years ago but never completed it. I just finished reading Prince Caspian last week, now I have three more Narnia books to go until I finish the series!

As if owning 20 unread books wasn't bad enough, I just bought a few new books last week! My friend (the same one who suggested the alternate reading pattern) sent me a Chapters Gift Card for my Birthday a couple of weeks ago, which I used to make an online purchase. My books should come any day now. I won't reveal what books I bought until they arrive in the mail.

Normally, I like buying used books for two reasons: brand new books can be expensive. If you are patient and look really hard, you can find used books at thrift shops and/or libraries for really good prices. The second reason is because I often buy them from libraries. I know libraries normally do book sale fundraisers to help with the cost of the library, and I absolutely love supporting my local libraries.

What kind of books do you usually buy? Do you buy brand new book, or used books? Do you prefer paperbacks, hardcovers, or e-books? Please share in the comments section below.

Happy Reading! =)

Incomplete Book Series: The Golden Cat

A few years back, I had splurged on some used books at my local library book sale. Many of these books have remained untouched over the years. I may have read one or two of them, nevertheless, there's still many unread books on my shelf.

In an attempt to read some of the books I own, I picked "The Golden Cat" by Gabriel King off my shelf as my next read. I kept thinking this lovely little gem was a standalone and was in the mood of reading something fun and easy. Nothing too dramatic, and I am definitely not in the mood for a tear jerker right now. To my surprise, it turns out The Golden Cat is book two in a series of four books. So I began going on a hunt to find Book 1 (The Wild Road) at my local libraries, to see if they have either physical or electronic copies. Unfortunately, living in a small city, with not too many libraries around, this book was nowhere to be found. Grrr.

I am still trying to find book 1 to the series (but am having no luck whatsoever.) One of the previous libraries I used to go to would do Interlibrary loans. If they did not have any copies of a book someone wanted, they would "borrow" it from another library within the province. If I get lucky, I may be able to find "The Wild Road." on an interlibrary loan. I love reading series' but I also hate the feeling of wanting to read a not-so-well-known series, because they are so much harder to find than the mainstream ones. Has this ever happened to you? Did you finally end up finding the book(s) you were looking for?

Book Review 6: The Seven Realms Series

I have previously reviewed "The Demon King" but now that I've completed all four Seven Realms books, I thought I'd do a overall review of the entire series. Let me start off by saying, the first time I was introduced to Cinda Williams Chima was a few years ago, when I got my hands on "The Wizard Heir" which is book two from her other fantasy series, titled "The Heir Chronicles." When I learned she wrote another series, I knew I had to read it. The Heir Chronicles are set in modern day times, while The Seven Realms is high fantasy.

As soon as I started reading The Demon King, I just fell in love with it and it became one of my favourite book series'. It had everything in it that I wanted in a book; magic, betrayal, romance, and twists and turns that leave you at the edge of your seat. The two main characters are Raisa Ana Marianna and Han Allister. Raisa is heir to the throne to her mom's Queendom. She is stubborn, headstrong, causes trouble, and you can't help but love her for it. Han Allister is a former streetlord who often tries to do the right thing, but trouble seems to find him wherever he goes. We follow their journeys as individuals and their worlds eventually collide.

As the story progresses, so does the character development. Chima does a great job of keeping you interested and getting you emotionally attached. Without giving away any spoilers, I will say this; you may get attached to some characters that don't make it till the end. Having previously read The Heir Chronicles, I knew to expect some gore and deaths. There was one particular character which I expected to die early on, but he/she (surprisingly) survived .

The series ended very well. It left me satisfied, and I felt like it tied up all the loose ends. I was happy with the way things turned out. However, I am sad that there will no longer be any future Seven Realms for me to look forward to! On the contrary, I still have to read Chima's most recent book, The Enchanter's Heir. And if memory serves correctly, There will be one more book in the Heir Chronicles after the Enchanter's Heir. I really do hope Cinda Williams Chima decides to write more books in the future, because I absolutely love her!

Happy Birthday C.S. Lewis

The first time I was introduced to the magical world of Narnia was back in 1995, when my fifth grade teacher, Mr. Adams, read The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe with us. Followed by a viewing of the BBC mini series.

Never had I heard of secret wardrobes, friendships with gentle and caring fauns or eating meals with talking beavers. I'd never been exposed to such wonder and enchantment before. I was amazed, fascinated and instantly fell in love with it. 

The genius behind this magical world was C.S. Lewis. It was only a few years ago that I discovered this book was part of a seven book series. I bought the entire series in a Special Edition version; one massive book with all seven stories in them. Fully equipped with a map of Narnia and it's surrounding countries. I've read the first three novels so far. They are written in an old fashioned style which can often make it a bit of a tedious read but they are still pretty awesome! 

So let's all grab our Turkish delight and celebrate this wondrous occasion! 

I close by saying: Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen of Narnia! 

Book Review 3: The Demon King

So I finally got around to reading one of the many books on my "books I want to read" list. I usually like to complete one book series before starting on another (I'm currently going through the Percy Jackson series, Warriors cat series, Chronicles of Narnia series, and now The Seven Realms series) but I just couldn't help myself from grabbing a hold of The Demon King when I found it readily available at my local library. The Demon King is book one from the (planned) four part Seven Realms series. Having recently read the first three books of the Heir Chronicles by the same author (Cinda Williams Chima), I knew I wanted to check out any other book(s) she had written. Although The Demon King was different from the Heir series, it was equally as enjoyable. The Heir series dealt with fantasy in the modern world, while The Seven Realms series is more high fantasy in the Royal Queendom of Fellsmarch. It follows the story of Han Allister who is a reformed streetlord still constantly getting himself into trouble with the Raggers, his previous streetlord posse. Meanwhile, Raisa ana Marianna is the heir to the Fellsmarch throne. I don't want to give away too much, but I found this story a bit more complex than the Heir series since there was a lot more information to absorb. But I will say this; it was one of those books which was hard for me to put down. Cinda Williams Chima grasped onto my attention with this epic tale of love, loss, and self discovery. An intriguing page turner to say the least. There are currently two books out in the series; The Demon King and The Exiled Queen. Book three is due to come out around late August or mid September, which will be titled The Gray Wolf Throne, I'm really excited for it's release! One of my favourite passages in The Demon King was a scene in which Han stands up to his mother, who is constantly on his back about getting a better job so he can feed his family (Mam, and kid sister Mari.) This passage is just too awesome not to share. I remember getting goosebumps the moment I read it. Enjoy!

     Mam's breath hissed out, like he'd confirmed all her worst fears. "You're cursed, Hanson Allister, and you'll come to a bad end," she said. "It's no wonder you're in trouble when you're out on the streets all day long. When you run with street gangs, thieving and robbing..."
     "I'm not with the Raggers anymore," Han interrupted. "I promised you back in the fall."
     Mam plowed on as he hadn't spoken. "When you take up with ill-favored sorts like Lucius Frowsley. We may be poor, but at least we've always been honest."
     Something broke loose inside Han, and when he opened his mouth the words came spilling out. "We're honest? Well, honest won't fill our bellies. Honest doesn't pay the rent. It's been me supporting us for the past year, and it's a lot harder without slide-hand. Be my guest if you think you can keep us out of debtor's prison taking in washing and picking rags. And if we do go to prison, what do you think will happen to Mari?"
     Mam stood speechless, eyes very blue, her lips as white as the rest of her face. Then she snatched up a stick from the kindling pile and swung it at him. Reflexively, he gripped her wrist and held it. They glared at each other for a long moment, married by blood and anger. Slowly anger drained away, leaving only the linkage of blood.
     "I'm not going to let you hit me anymore," Han said quietly. "I've already had one beating today. That's enough."


http://www.cindachima.com/Demon_King/Demon_King.htm