When I first picked up Rooms I was intrigued, partly because I love the feel of a new book in my hands and all the possibilities that invites and partly because of the questions the cover invokes. A large coastal home nestled among trees; cloudy skies and choppy water frame the picture. Mysterious. I tried to ignore the fact that many of the blurbs compared Rooms to The Shack, and dove into the story head first.
In a nutshell, Rooms is about Micah Taylor, a successful Seattle software designer, and the choice he has to make between worldly success and knowing God. Micah receives a letter from his long deceased great uncle that catapults him into a world of supernatural encounters, small decisions leading with major consequences and shifting realities. With each step Micah takes closer to God he loses a piece of his success leading him to face the question what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Rooms is a well-written, solid Christian suspense novel. The gist of the story is very compelling and Rubart creates some very strong moments of suspense and emotion. I did feel that at times the pace of the story suffered because of the amount of description and detail he wrote in. For example I found it very difficult to relax into the plot at the beginning because of all the brand names Rubart used to describe the lifestyle of Micah, and later I skimmed over descriptions of the sea, forests and weather to get to the meat of the scene.
Despite some scenes of forced emotional intensity and a rather awkward final page or so, overall I think this is a good read. Rubart successfully pulls the reader along Micah’s journey while challenging them to search their own hearts and ask what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his soul.
**This is a book review I wrote for the website http://www.manitobachristianonline.com/ If you are interested in reading more of my book reviews click on the link and scroll to the bottom of the page. A new review will be posted every couple of weeks.
Showing posts with label fiction friday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fiction friday. Show all posts
Friday, January 7, 2011
Friday, December 10, 2010
Fiction Friday - SENSE AND SENSIBILTY by Jane Austen
Do you ever have those times when all you want to do is sit back with an old friend and have a good chat? Times when you'd give anything for just a few minutes of peace and quiet to catch up with your pal except your pal died 193 years ago so you have to settle for reading one of the spectacular books she wrote? Yeah, me too.
I firmly believe that had I had the chance to know Jane Austen we would have been great friends. She was spunky and witty and completely divine and the work she left behind is an unmatched commentary of life and the role and expectations of women in society in the late 1700s. Of her six completed novels Sense and Sensibility is my favourite except for Pride and Prejudice, oh and Northanger Abbey and Persuasion...anyway, it is one of my top six favourite Jane Austen novels.
Sense and Sensibility is the story of two sisters who are polar opposites. Elinor, the elder sister, is practical, levelheaded and responsible whereas Marianne, the younger sister, is emotional, sentimental and impulsive. Although both sisters find themselves disappointed in love, it is how they each deal with the disappointment and what they learn about themselves and each other that propels the story.
Austen created a cast of characters that bring humor and light and charm to this novel in a way that is truly timeless. From the selfish sister in law to the nosey neighbors to the empathetic and unlikely rescuer of the Dashwoods, the characters give the landscape of country cottages, rolling hillsides and opulent galas colour and life. The joys and heartaches experienced by the Dashwoods are so universal that contemporary readers will easily find themselves identifying with these characters and the journey they are on.
I love classic literature so much that it never occurred to me that some readers find Austen, Dickens and Bronte too daunting and therefore stick with contemporary fiction. How sad! So today my hope is to inspire just one person who has never spent an afternoon with Jane to pick up Sense and Sensibility (the book first, then you may watch the movie) get lost in her world of wit and charm and recovered love.
I firmly believe that had I had the chance to know Jane Austen we would have been great friends. She was spunky and witty and completely divine and the work she left behind is an unmatched commentary of life and the role and expectations of women in society in the late 1700s. Of her six completed novels Sense and Sensibility is my favourite except for Pride and Prejudice, oh and Northanger Abbey and Persuasion...anyway, it is one of my top six favourite Jane Austen novels.
Sense and Sensibility is the story of two sisters who are polar opposites. Elinor, the elder sister, is practical, levelheaded and responsible whereas Marianne, the younger sister, is emotional, sentimental and impulsive. Although both sisters find themselves disappointed in love, it is how they each deal with the disappointment and what they learn about themselves and each other that propels the story.
Austen created a cast of characters that bring humor and light and charm to this novel in a way that is truly timeless. From the selfish sister in law to the nosey neighbors to the empathetic and unlikely rescuer of the Dashwoods, the characters give the landscape of country cottages, rolling hillsides and opulent galas colour and life. The joys and heartaches experienced by the Dashwoods are so universal that contemporary readers will easily find themselves identifying with these characters and the journey they are on.
I love classic literature so much that it never occurred to me that some readers find Austen, Dickens and Bronte too daunting and therefore stick with contemporary fiction. How sad! So today my hope is to inspire just one person who has never spent an afternoon with Jane to pick up Sense and Sensibility (the book first, then you may watch the movie) get lost in her world of wit and charm and recovered love.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Fiction Friday - For Sadie by Nichole M. Forbes
Since many of you have been asking I thought I would give you a little sample of the fiction I write. This short story was written for a contest with my writers group. Although I didn't win I did get some very good feedback so after brushing it up a little I'm offering it to you. Enjoy!
The house was still except for the soft creaking of Violet Dane’s chair as she rocked back and forth, back and forth. She had spent many years in the same rocking chair at the same window. She watched as the world wandered in and out of her view from the front room of her colonial style home.
Her grandfather had built this house, his dream house, when he was a young man. Three stories, five bedrooms, two formal sitting rooms, a den and a library; it was a thing of beauty. New to North America and naive to the harsh winters that the prairies could bring, his neighbors mocked the young Irishman and his ‘monstrosity,’ and wondered how he would ever heat it. But Colum Dane had a creative mind and perseverance. It took him nearly ten years to complete but the ten inch stone walls, six fireplaces and large wood stove in the kitchen kept the family warm in the winter for nearly a hundred years.
Violet loved to walk through the spacious rooms of her family home and remember happier, busier times. First, when she was a young girl and later when the house was filled with her own children. The sounds of laughter and chaos would echo through the halls. Now the only sounds in the house were the slow shuffle of her footsteps on the pristine hardwood floors and the conversations she had with Sadie, her younger sister.
Violet reached for her china cup and saucer that sat on the side table to her left. The grandfather clock in the dining room chimed, and right on cue the sound of children’s voices floated into the sitting room through the open window.
“Sadie, it’s the children. They are walking to school; hurry or you’ll miss them!” Violet called into the kitchen and she leaned forward in her chair so she could see the all the way down the street. She loved this time of the day, the children all freshly washed and excited for a day of play and learning. As always every child who passed her house smiled and waved as they balanced on the short stone wall that marked Violet’s front garden.
Often mothers would admonish their children for walking so near to Ms. Danes’ flowers but Violet never minded. She always said it kept her young to have children around her.
“It keeps me young,” Violet said aloud. She looked over her shoulder to see if Sadie was coming. “You’re going to miss the children.”
Sadie emerged from the kitchen and ambled over to the window. Just then two little girls came skipping down the street holding hands. Sadie watched them intently for a moment.
“Remind you of anyone?” Violet laughed. Sadie smiled back at Violet then returned to the kitchen. Violet sat back in her chair and closed her eyes. She could see two other little girls very clearly in her mind’s eye. The older one walked straight and tall, carrying her books close to her chest. Everything from the crisply pressed skirt to the simple braid that hung down her back said responsibility and order. The attention to detail that was so visible in the older girl was in stark contrast to the younger girl’s free spirit.
The younger girl had wild blonde curls that framed her face like a lion’s mane. Her clothes hung from her willowy body haphazardly and she bounced rather than walked down the sidewalk. It was almost as though the younger girl moved through time to music that only she could hear. She was as impulsive and daring as her sister was responsible. A more unlikely pair you wouldn’t find but they were inseparable.
“And still are,” Violet said to no one in particular as she eased from her rocking chair. She stood for a moment, allowing all of her aching joints to adjust to the new position and watched the last of the children cross the street into the schoolyard. She turned away from the window and scanned the room with a critical eye.
“Something is amiss-” Violet whispered as she looked from table to mantle to sofa. “Ha! There it is! I know you thought you’d get me this time, Sadie!” Violet picked up her cane and limped over to the sofa where she plucked one silver hair from the pillow and put it in her pocket. She then picked up the sateen pillow, shook it exactly four times, set it down and with the side of her hand pushed a dimple into the middle of the pillow.
“Humph, you’re not funny, Missy,” Violet made her way into the kitchen where Sadie was standing next to an open recipe book. “So what kind shall it be today?”
Sadie stepped away from the counter allowing Violet to have a closer look.
“Ah, I should have known. Oatmeal Raisin, all right then. Have a seat and I’ll get to work.”
The sisters spent the next twenty minutes in comfortable silence as Violet measured, mixed and stirred. As she spooned the lumpy mixture onto the baking sheet she was reminded, as always, of another day years ago.
The sisters returned from school to find a note from their mother waiting for them beside a plate of cookies. The note said mother was out running errands but she would return before supper and that Violet was to pour the milk for their snack.
“But I don’t like ginger snaps, Vi. I’d rather have oatmeal raisin cookies,” Sadie whined.
“Sadie Rose, you’ll eat what’s in front of you,” Violet used her best imitation of their mother. “I have a test tomorrow so I am going upstairs to study. Do not bother me!” Violet took a ginger snap off the plate, turned on her heel and stalked importantly from the room.
The beeping of the timer brought Violet back to the present. She opened the oven and the room was instantly filled with the smells of warm oatmeal and sweet cinnamon. Violet carefully lifted the warm cookies off the baking sheet and laid them on the cooling rack.
“Let them cool for a couple of minutes before you take one, I’m feeling tired, I am going to rest for a bit.” Violet said and smiled at Sadie before leaving the room.
She shuffled over to the sofa and slowly lowered herself onto the worn velvet surface. She lifted one leg then the other onto the sofa and then reclined, allowing the warmth of the morning sunshine to wash over her. She exhaled deeply and closed her eyes.
Violet was sitting in the middles of her bedroom floor, books strewn around her as she took notes from one and cross referenced another.
“Vi? Vi, are you in there?” Sadie whispered. Violet could see her sister’s clear blue eye peering through the keyhole.
“Sadie! Go away, I’m studying!” Violet shouted and threw her shoe at the door.
“Ouch! Vi, you don’t have to get so angry! I was just going to ask you to help me make oatmeal raisin cookies!” Sadie said. Violet could hear the hurt in her sister’s voice, and it made her feel a little bad, but she had an important test the next day.
“Sadie, I’ll help you later. Promise,” Violet sighed.
“Fine,” Sadie said and Violet could hear her stomping all the way back down the stairs.
“You should have waited, I would have come,” Violet mumbled. “But I made you cookies today, do you forgive me?” Violet exhaled slowly and then she was gone.
Thursday morning the police arrived at Violet’s house to check on her. Neighbors had become concerned when they didn’t see her in her front window waving at the children as they passed so they called the local precinct. The police found her laid out peacefully on her ornate sofa in her pristine living room. When they entered the kitchen, looking for a the name or phone number of a family member they were stunned to see thousands upon thousands of cookies in sealed plastic bags covering ever possible surface. When they opened cupboards more cookies fell out.
The younger of the two officers picked up one of the bags and turned it over in his hand. There was a label that read ‘For Sadie’ on it. He glanced around the room, noticing that each bag bore a similar label. When he turned to ask his partner what her take was he notice a single newspaper clipping taped to the ancient refrigerator. It read;
On Tuesday last, the Dane family of 543 Elm Row, suffered a tragedy when their youngest daughter, Sadie Rose, age 10, perished in a house fire that was believed to be a result of overstocking the wood stove. She leaves her parents Edward and Clarisse Dane and older sister Violet, age 14, who was home alone with her at the time of the incident.
The newspaper bore a date from 75 years earlier.
The house was still except for the soft creaking of Violet Dane’s chair as she rocked back and forth, back and forth. She had spent many years in the same rocking chair at the same window. She watched as the world wandered in and out of her view from the front room of her colonial style home.
Her grandfather had built this house, his dream house, when he was a young man. Three stories, five bedrooms, two formal sitting rooms, a den and a library; it was a thing of beauty. New to North America and naive to the harsh winters that the prairies could bring, his neighbors mocked the young Irishman and his ‘monstrosity,’ and wondered how he would ever heat it. But Colum Dane had a creative mind and perseverance. It took him nearly ten years to complete but the ten inch stone walls, six fireplaces and large wood stove in the kitchen kept the family warm in the winter for nearly a hundred years.
Violet loved to walk through the spacious rooms of her family home and remember happier, busier times. First, when she was a young girl and later when the house was filled with her own children. The sounds of laughter and chaos would echo through the halls. Now the only sounds in the house were the slow shuffle of her footsteps on the pristine hardwood floors and the conversations she had with Sadie, her younger sister.
Violet reached for her china cup and saucer that sat on the side table to her left. The grandfather clock in the dining room chimed, and right on cue the sound of children’s voices floated into the sitting room through the open window.
“Sadie, it’s the children. They are walking to school; hurry or you’ll miss them!” Violet called into the kitchen and she leaned forward in her chair so she could see the all the way down the street. She loved this time of the day, the children all freshly washed and excited for a day of play and learning. As always every child who passed her house smiled and waved as they balanced on the short stone wall that marked Violet’s front garden.
Often mothers would admonish their children for walking so near to Ms. Danes’ flowers but Violet never minded. She always said it kept her young to have children around her.
“It keeps me young,” Violet said aloud. She looked over her shoulder to see if Sadie was coming. “You’re going to miss the children.”
Sadie emerged from the kitchen and ambled over to the window. Just then two little girls came skipping down the street holding hands. Sadie watched them intently for a moment.
“Remind you of anyone?” Violet laughed. Sadie smiled back at Violet then returned to the kitchen. Violet sat back in her chair and closed her eyes. She could see two other little girls very clearly in her mind’s eye. The older one walked straight and tall, carrying her books close to her chest. Everything from the crisply pressed skirt to the simple braid that hung down her back said responsibility and order. The attention to detail that was so visible in the older girl was in stark contrast to the younger girl’s free spirit.
The younger girl had wild blonde curls that framed her face like a lion’s mane. Her clothes hung from her willowy body haphazardly and she bounced rather than walked down the sidewalk. It was almost as though the younger girl moved through time to music that only she could hear. She was as impulsive and daring as her sister was responsible. A more unlikely pair you wouldn’t find but they were inseparable.
“And still are,” Violet said to no one in particular as she eased from her rocking chair. She stood for a moment, allowing all of her aching joints to adjust to the new position and watched the last of the children cross the street into the schoolyard. She turned away from the window and scanned the room with a critical eye.
“Something is amiss-” Violet whispered as she looked from table to mantle to sofa. “Ha! There it is! I know you thought you’d get me this time, Sadie!” Violet picked up her cane and limped over to the sofa where she plucked one silver hair from the pillow and put it in her pocket. She then picked up the sateen pillow, shook it exactly four times, set it down and with the side of her hand pushed a dimple into the middle of the pillow.
“Humph, you’re not funny, Missy,” Violet made her way into the kitchen where Sadie was standing next to an open recipe book. “So what kind shall it be today?”
Sadie stepped away from the counter allowing Violet to have a closer look.
“Ah, I should have known. Oatmeal Raisin, all right then. Have a seat and I’ll get to work.”
The sisters spent the next twenty minutes in comfortable silence as Violet measured, mixed and stirred. As she spooned the lumpy mixture onto the baking sheet she was reminded, as always, of another day years ago.
The sisters returned from school to find a note from their mother waiting for them beside a plate of cookies. The note said mother was out running errands but she would return before supper and that Violet was to pour the milk for their snack.
“But I don’t like ginger snaps, Vi. I’d rather have oatmeal raisin cookies,” Sadie whined.
“Sadie Rose, you’ll eat what’s in front of you,” Violet used her best imitation of their mother. “I have a test tomorrow so I am going upstairs to study. Do not bother me!” Violet took a ginger snap off the plate, turned on her heel and stalked importantly from the room.
The beeping of the timer brought Violet back to the present. She opened the oven and the room was instantly filled with the smells of warm oatmeal and sweet cinnamon. Violet carefully lifted the warm cookies off the baking sheet and laid them on the cooling rack.
“Let them cool for a couple of minutes before you take one, I’m feeling tired, I am going to rest for a bit.” Violet said and smiled at Sadie before leaving the room.
She shuffled over to the sofa and slowly lowered herself onto the worn velvet surface. She lifted one leg then the other onto the sofa and then reclined, allowing the warmth of the morning sunshine to wash over her. She exhaled deeply and closed her eyes.
Violet was sitting in the middles of her bedroom floor, books strewn around her as she took notes from one and cross referenced another.
“Vi? Vi, are you in there?” Sadie whispered. Violet could see her sister’s clear blue eye peering through the keyhole.
“Sadie! Go away, I’m studying!” Violet shouted and threw her shoe at the door.
“Ouch! Vi, you don’t have to get so angry! I was just going to ask you to help me make oatmeal raisin cookies!” Sadie said. Violet could hear the hurt in her sister’s voice, and it made her feel a little bad, but she had an important test the next day.
“Sadie, I’ll help you later. Promise,” Violet sighed.
“Fine,” Sadie said and Violet could hear her stomping all the way back down the stairs.
“You should have waited, I would have come,” Violet mumbled. “But I made you cookies today, do you forgive me?” Violet exhaled slowly and then she was gone.
Thursday morning the police arrived at Violet’s house to check on her. Neighbors had become concerned when they didn’t see her in her front window waving at the children as they passed so they called the local precinct. The police found her laid out peacefully on her ornate sofa in her pristine living room. When they entered the kitchen, looking for a the name or phone number of a family member they were stunned to see thousands upon thousands of cookies in sealed plastic bags covering ever possible surface. When they opened cupboards more cookies fell out.
The younger of the two officers picked up one of the bags and turned it over in his hand. There was a label that read ‘For Sadie’ on it. He glanced around the room, noticing that each bag bore a similar label. When he turned to ask his partner what her take was he notice a single newspaper clipping taped to the ancient refrigerator. It read;
On Tuesday last, the Dane family of 543 Elm Row, suffered a tragedy when their youngest daughter, Sadie Rose, age 10, perished in a house fire that was believed to be a result of overstocking the wood stove. She leaves her parents Edward and Clarisse Dane and older sister Violet, age 14, who was home alone with her at the time of the incident.
The newspaper bore a date from 75 years earlier.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Fiction Friday - WATER FOR ELEPHANTS by Sara Gruen
All right, if you know me you have probably heard me rant incessantly about how awesome this book is but I just can't stop!
Released in 2006, WATER FOR ELEPHANTS has been my go to book suggestion for years. I have bought it for Christmas presents, birthday presents and randomly given it away to people who need a taste of good storytelling.
Gruen has created some of the most compelling characters in modern literature, Jacob the veterinary student turned circus vet, Marlena the beautiful performer caught in an abusive marriage with the explosive equestrian director, August and most of all Rosie, the charming elephant that ties these characters together.
Jacob Jankowski was an ivy league student until his parents death, just ten days before graduation. Left with nothing but an overwhelming sense of loss, Jacob wanders away from the life he had and unknowingly into the centre of the tumultuous Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. There he meets a wild array of characters including Kinko the dwarf clown, Camel the alcoholic roustabout, Barbara the cooch girl and of course Marlena and August.
When the circus acquires Rosie, the elephant whose only apparent trick is drinking gin and eating copious amounts of watermelon, Jacob gets pulled further into the complicated life that surrounds his new found family of ragtag performers and working men. His disdain for August's cruelty and his growing love for Marlena forces Jacob into keeping a secret that impacts the rest of his life.
As the 90 or 93 year old Jacob narrates the story of his experience aboard the circus train the reader is guided through the wonderful and strange world of this Depression-era circus. We are treated to vivid descriptions of the life and habits of the circus in a way that adds to the flavour and pace of the story. Every paragraph and page leaves the reader hungry for more. Each scene is laid out perfectly, with the right balance of character, action and description.
Pick up WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, read it and let it become one of your favourites too!
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS the movie, featuring Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon and Christof Waltz, is due to be released in Spring of 2011.
Released in 2006, WATER FOR ELEPHANTS has been my go to book suggestion for years. I have bought it for Christmas presents, birthday presents and randomly given it away to people who need a taste of good storytelling.
Gruen has created some of the most compelling characters in modern literature, Jacob the veterinary student turned circus vet, Marlena the beautiful performer caught in an abusive marriage with the explosive equestrian director, August and most of all Rosie, the charming elephant that ties these characters together.
Jacob Jankowski was an ivy league student until his parents death, just ten days before graduation. Left with nothing but an overwhelming sense of loss, Jacob wanders away from the life he had and unknowingly into the centre of the tumultuous Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. There he meets a wild array of characters including Kinko the dwarf clown, Camel the alcoholic roustabout, Barbara the cooch girl and of course Marlena and August.
When the circus acquires Rosie, the elephant whose only apparent trick is drinking gin and eating copious amounts of watermelon, Jacob gets pulled further into the complicated life that surrounds his new found family of ragtag performers and working men. His disdain for August's cruelty and his growing love for Marlena forces Jacob into keeping a secret that impacts the rest of his life.
As the 90 or 93 year old Jacob narrates the story of his experience aboard the circus train the reader is guided through the wonderful and strange world of this Depression-era circus. We are treated to vivid descriptions of the life and habits of the circus in a way that adds to the flavour and pace of the story. Every paragraph and page leaves the reader hungry for more. Each scene is laid out perfectly, with the right balance of character, action and description.
Pick up WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, read it and let it become one of your favourites too!
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS the movie, featuring Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon and Christof Waltz, is due to be released in Spring of 2011.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Fiction Friday - KILLERBYTE by Cat Connor
Cliches like 'edge of your seat' and 'page turner' are often used to describe well written suspense books and now I know why. Although I am not a seasoned reader of thrillers I must say this book has everything you'd want in a thriller and some things you wouldn't expect.
KILLERBYTE is the week-in-the-life tale of FBI agent Ellie Conway as she simultaneously hides from and hunts a cyber psycho who is doing his best to scare her to death before he kills her. Along for the ride is Ellie's friend and recent love interest Mac Connelly. This pair spends 400 pages dodging bullets, house explosions and creepy email messages. When they are not finding bodies (or parts of bodies) in cars, trees and dumpsters they are attempting to sort through the evidence and figure out who the killer really is.
Connor does a phenomenal job of creating characters that have real human reactions to unreal situations. Ellie Conway is an intelligent, fiercely independent and resourceful FBI agent that weathers this emotional roller coaster with wit, focus and a macabre sense of humor. The reader is drawn into Ellie's world easily through Connor's perfect balance of descriptive detail and action sequences. Her ability to write in detail about police and FBI procedure and the DC area only enhances the realism and suspense that builds through out the story.
Connor leaves no stone unturned and no body untouched as she guides us through the adventure, terror and mystery that is KILLERBYTE.
KILLERBYTE is available on Amazon and is published by Rebel ePublishers. **I'm giving this an older teen/adult reader rating due to some graphic crimes scene description and coarse language
KILLERBYTE is the week-in-the-life tale of FBI agent Ellie Conway as she simultaneously hides from and hunts a cyber psycho who is doing his best to scare her to death before he kills her. Along for the ride is Ellie's friend and recent love interest Mac Connelly. This pair spends 400 pages dodging bullets, house explosions and creepy email messages. When they are not finding bodies (or parts of bodies) in cars, trees and dumpsters they are attempting to sort through the evidence and figure out who the killer really is.
Connor does a phenomenal job of creating characters that have real human reactions to unreal situations. Ellie Conway is an intelligent, fiercely independent and resourceful FBI agent that weathers this emotional roller coaster with wit, focus and a macabre sense of humor. The reader is drawn into Ellie's world easily through Connor's perfect balance of descriptive detail and action sequences. Her ability to write in detail about police and FBI procedure and the DC area only enhances the realism and suspense that builds through out the story.
Connor leaves no stone unturned and no body untouched as she guides us through the adventure, terror and mystery that is KILLERBYTE.
KILLERBYTE is available on Amazon and is published by Rebel ePublishers. **I'm giving this an older teen/adult reader rating due to some graphic crimes scene description and coarse language
Friday, October 29, 2010
Fiction Friday - The CRONICLES OF VLADIMIR TOD by Heather Brewer
In honour of Halloween weekend for this week's Fiction Friday I am featuring the kind of spooky I can handle. Most people who know me know that I have a bit of a fear of vampires and bats but Heather Brewer and her unlikely half vampire hero have all but cured me of that.
Eighth Grade Bites is the first in a five book series that takes the reader deep into the vampire world, Elysia, and to the equally as terrifying world of a high school student. Vlad may be half vampire but he is all teenager. He deals with bullies, first loves and the ups and downs of friendship all while trying to uncover the mystery of his parents' deaths. He also has a minor problem of dodging the slayers who instictually hunt him and members of the Elysian council who want him dead for their own reasons.
Throughout the series we learn that high school Bites, Slays, Bleeds, Burns and Kills and being the chosen one isn't all that its cracked up to be. Brewer creates memorable, endearing, and loathsome characters that the reader is drawn to but would never want to meet in a dark alley. The story weaves seamlessly through five books, never dropping the suspense or tone for a minute. This series is a true word-treat for any reader.
This Halloween weekend pick up all five books, lock your doors, turn down the lights and scare yourself bloody!
**Note - These books can be found in the Young Adult section of your bookstore and are appropriate for the same crowd who enjoyed the Harry Potter books.
Eighth Grade Bites is the first in a five book series that takes the reader deep into the vampire world, Elysia, and to the equally as terrifying world of a high school student. Vlad may be half vampire but he is all teenager. He deals with bullies, first loves and the ups and downs of friendship all while trying to uncover the mystery of his parents' deaths. He also has a minor problem of dodging the slayers who instictually hunt him and members of the Elysian council who want him dead for their own reasons.
Throughout the series we learn that high school Bites, Slays, Bleeds, Burns and Kills and being the chosen one isn't all that its cracked up to be. Brewer creates memorable, endearing, and loathsome characters that the reader is drawn to but would never want to meet in a dark alley. The story weaves seamlessly through five books, never dropping the suspense or tone for a minute. This series is a true word-treat for any reader.
This Halloween weekend pick up all five books, lock your doors, turn down the lights and scare yourself bloody!
**Note - These books can be found in the Young Adult section of your bookstore and are appropriate for the same crowd who enjoyed the Harry Potter books.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Fiction Friday: FALL by Colin McAdam
The more time I spend writing and chatting with other writers the more important I think it is to support up and coming authors and home grown Canadian authors. That's why this week's Fiction Friday pick is by Canada's own Colin McAdam.
FALL was a finalist for the Giller Prize this past year and after soaking in the pages of this dark and twisty book I can see why. McAdam pulls you through his story word by word and before you realise it you are tangled up in the delusions, lies and guilt of his main character. Noel is an intelligent yet socially awkward senior at St. Ebury, an elite boarding school in Ottawa, who sees himself as the perfect sidekick to his popular and charismatic roommate, Julius.
His curiosity about Julius, his friends and his girlfriend, Fall takes a dark turn into obsession. Noel becomes inwardly disgusted and frustrated by Julius' oblivion and crass behavior while outwardly he continues to play the role of the devoted roommate. Noel's angst builds to the boiling point when one night he conceives a plan that is sure to win him Fall and give him the status and respect he deserves.
This book is a handful and not one that the average reader could breeze through but it is definitely worth the time to sit back and savour one of Canada's best and brightest authors. Well done, Mr. McAdam!
FALL was a finalist for the Giller Prize this past year and after soaking in the pages of this dark and twisty book I can see why. McAdam pulls you through his story word by word and before you realise it you are tangled up in the delusions, lies and guilt of his main character. Noel is an intelligent yet socially awkward senior at St. Ebury, an elite boarding school in Ottawa, who sees himself as the perfect sidekick to his popular and charismatic roommate, Julius.
His curiosity about Julius, his friends and his girlfriend, Fall takes a dark turn into obsession. Noel becomes inwardly disgusted and frustrated by Julius' oblivion and crass behavior while outwardly he continues to play the role of the devoted roommate. Noel's angst builds to the boiling point when one night he conceives a plan that is sure to win him Fall and give him the status and respect he deserves.
This book is a handful and not one that the average reader could breeze through but it is definitely worth the time to sit back and savour one of Canada's best and brightest authors. Well done, Mr. McAdam!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Fiction Friday - The Truth About Delilah Blue
The Truth About Delilah Blue - Tish Cohen
Tish Cohen is one of my favourite authors and she has done it again. I am wowed, bowled over and in love with this quirky cast of characters that Cohen has created for this gem of a tale.
The Truth About Delilah Blue is, on the surface, a story about a young wanna-be art student who is willing to go to nearly any lengths to get the art degree she desires while she juggles the responsibilities of caring for her ailing father and the shock of dealing with the truth about how they came to be on their own. As the reader dives into this perfectly sculpted story the line between right and wrong gets blurred and just as in 'real life' no one in Delilah's world is entirely good or entirely bad.
It takes little more than the first few pages to fall in love with Delilah, her life and her author. So before you head out to the lake, board a plane or sink into your comfy couch be sure to pick up this fantastic read...you won't be sorry!
Tish Cohen is one of my favourite authors and she has done it again. I am wowed, bowled over and in love with this quirky cast of characters that Cohen has created for this gem of a tale.
The Truth About Delilah Blue is, on the surface, a story about a young wanna-be art student who is willing to go to nearly any lengths to get the art degree she desires while she juggles the responsibilities of caring for her ailing father and the shock of dealing with the truth about how they came to be on their own. As the reader dives into this perfectly sculpted story the line between right and wrong gets blurred and just as in 'real life' no one in Delilah's world is entirely good or entirely bad.
It takes little more than the first few pages to fall in love with Delilah, her life and her author. So before you head out to the lake, board a plane or sink into your comfy couch be sure to pick up this fantastic read...you won't be sorry!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)