Bella, I just finished The Book Thief! What a story. The narration is so bizarre and took a bit of getting used to, but very compelling. I can't get enough WWII stories, so I eagerly lapped this one up. And I see a movie is being released this November with a great cast! One thing I was hoping was that we would hear more of Max's intervening story. But in most every way, what a powerful book! (Heads up: the language can be less than desirable at times.)

Haha, what a coincidence! I finished it recently, too. The story was relatively simple and small-scale, but, like many domestic WWII stories, it showed the drastic effect the war had on just one person. I liked the narration; it was, like you said, very compelling.
I agree about the language. I understood its presence a few times, but there were times when it was a bit distracting. There were parts of the book that I enjoyed less than others (there were certain aspects of the morality that I was not comfortable with), but I appreciated other parts of it, specifically the relationships: Liesel and Max, Hans Huberman...
I might not be rereading the book, but overall, I am glad I read it, as it was very unique.

I just finished Enders Game. It's an extremely engrossing and thought provoking story. It has a really original plot with great characters. I thought the last chapter got pretty far fetched but otherwise it felt very grounded.
I would definitely recommend it to any fan of Sci-fi.

I read a new book on the Kindle a week ago and really enjoyed it. It's called Wool, and is set in a future dystopia (one of my favorite genres ) and is set in the Silo, a survival shelter which houses thousands of people and goes over 100 stories deep into the ground. The outside is a toxic wasteland from a forgotten war centuries before and is deadly to humans and visible only be a few digital camera feeds located on the top floor of the Silo. Anyone deemed dangerous to the population (generally anyone wanting to go outside to see what's really there) is given a one way ticket to suit up, go outside, and given the task of cleaning the Silo's camera lenses with some Windex and wool cloth. No one ever comes back...indeed, the landscape is covered with the bodies of those who have gone before. Silo Sheriff Holston, whose wife was the last one to be sent to a "cleaning", uncovers some information she had been working on, info that points to the denizens of the silo having the proverbial wool pulled over their eyes, especially about what's really going on outside. And as he uncovers more evidence, he decides it may just be time to go investigate for himself...

Great book, and apparently the author, Hugh Howey, self-published and wrote the book during mornings and lunch breaks over the space of a year or two. It was originally going to be a single short story, but became so popular that he finished a 5-part original Silo Saga and then a 3 part series that introduces how the Silo came to be, and finished it off with a story to clean up all the loose ends. Either way it's about as addictive a read as I have experienced since The Hunger Games, and a major page turner. The characters are well realized and written, and the Silo feels like a real place. Part 1 is a free download if you have a Kindle, and the remainder wasn't particularly expensive. Definitely worth a look if the genre interests you, or if you're looking to delve into it for the first time.

The Pretender: Rebirth

7.5/10

My body shivers in anticipation as I open "The Pretender: Book 1 - Rebirth"...

How do you begin reading a book based on your favourite TV series? A TV series that took you on fantastic, mysterious journey but never found completion because it was cancelled for some piece-of-crap, short-lived, wrestling show? A TV series that asked more questions than it provided answers? How do you approach a book that delves into a world you left behind twelve years ago? There are really only two valid options. You can other hype the rebirth up to untold heights or lower your expectations so that nothing disappoints. In "Rebirth", by Steven Long Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle (the creators/writers of "The Pretender"), you will find an enjoyable, if flawed, return to the Centre Universe.

Firstly, you should know, upon reading this book, that "Rebirth" functions as a reboot of the series, it's not a continuation of the story from where the TV movie, "The Island of the Haunted" left off. Initially, this fact disappointed me but I knew this was the case before I began, so it wasn't a surprise. Secondly, there's a serious time-jump to the present day. Instead of being abducted by the Centre in 1963, Jarod has now been kidnapped in the year 1983, allowing for the use of modern scientific discoveries, technologies and references to important present day world events. Finally, given that we now live in a post-911 world, "Rebirth" has a slightly more cynical and darker tone than its pre-911 TV counterpart. The book also features some moderate coarse language and adult references.

I admit that "Rebirth" took some time to engross me. My brain kept trying to reconcile the novel with my beloved TV series and it just didn't work well, they're two different mediums. Eventually, I accepted that the Centre Universe in the book would be different in some ways to the TV series, and I began to lose myself in the story. The story doesn't reveal anything new for "Pretender" fans of old but it uses great slabs of the Pilot episode and reworks the story into something with haven't seen before but also helps new fans understand the Centre Universe. There are also playful nods to several episodes in the series. The last half or so of the story is made up of entirely new material but left unfinished - it's to be concluded in "The Pretender: Book 2 - Saving Luke".

"Rebirth" features many well-written passages but also some subpar writing. The language is often evocative but there are numerous spelling and grammar issues and sometimes even missing letters or minor words. I expected a more polished product. Sometimes there's more telling than showing, which is probably due to Steve and Craig finding their feet as novelists (they're trained scriptwriters). Hopefully, the books will improve in quality as they get more and more experience writing them. The story references many fashion labels, transportation models and other jargon that I often wasn't familiar with. There's also a lot of psychological and medical jargon but it's given context and explored in detail.

If there's one thing that stands out about "Rebirth", it's that the book has 'character'. The story oozes character. There are new larger-than-life characters; some of them weirder than they need to be. There's a new computer genius at the Centre in place of Broots and he's a combination of Broots, Angelo and a gross creep. I enjoyed most of the new characters but this particular character rubbed me the wrong way. I hope Broots enters the picture soon and does away with him. Now, for our beloved characters. Jarod, our Pretender hero is well-written. We get a little more insight into his thought-processes as he prepares for and initiates his Pretends. Miss Parker is present also but not properly-developed (this is "The Pretender", duh). She's a little colder than her TV counterpart but still recognisable. Sydney is disappointing. Here, he's but a shadow of his former self. Hopefully he makes more of an appearance in the following novel. Broots is nowhere to be seen, nor are Mr. Raines or Mr. Lyle etc. (but that's to be expected, we're early on in the rebirth of the series). Mr. Parker makes a rather short but memorable appearance. There are also nods to several special Pretender fans throughout the novel.

Finally, the cover design. I like "The Pretender" logo and the icy textured background but the text alignment and underlined text (subtitle, author names etc.) irritate my graphic design sensibilities.

All in all, "Rebirth" is an enjoyable but flawed novel. The book acts more as a refresher of the series for new fans to lead old and new fans into the rebirth of "The Pretender". Be prepared for something different. Where does the series go from here? We've been promised more novels, a series of graphic novels chronically the history of The Centre (awesome!) and hopefully, if all goes well, eventually a continuation and completion of the TV series in movies and/or a miniseries.

Here we go.

I tap the glass window to alert the man standing by, in the shadows.
"I'm finished!"

I just started Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief, this evening.

I'm only a few chapters in, but its pretty good so far. Gen cracks me up.

Spoiler

Useless the Elder and Useless the Younger

I recently read The Theif, Lady Haleth. Is this your first time? What do you think of it so far?
Gen is the best, by the way. Eddis comes in close second to favourite for me.

So, without knowing much about the book, I borrowed All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Remarque. The theme sounded interesting. I thought the narration would turn me off (largely descriptions-- "We went here, we did that, we ate this.") but it hasn't yet, and I do like the writing style at this point.

I read All Quiet on the Western Front when I was in high school and really liked it. Very somber book that explores the realities of WW1 and the oftentimes feeling of futility the whole conflict had. The movie version with Ernest Borgnine and Richard Thomas was pretty good too.

Thank-you for reminding me it was WWI. I immediately thought WWII.
I just finished the part where and the writing was very powerful, especially the scene when runs out of the hospital. That chapter convinced me to continue reading. I'll check out the movie, thanks!

I finished The Thief, and I agree that Gen is awesome. Snarky first person narrators always get me.

Hooray! Another Megan Whalen Turner fan? I re-read those books almost every year. And my list of books to re-read is pretty short.

But that said, I'm re-reading Mrs. Miniver right now, a collection of short chapters/fictional articles by Jan Struther. Her descriptive imagery is fantastic. I wish I could write so clearly and brilliantly in such a way that I could get the *feeling* of the day across. Not just the way the Autumn looks and smells and tastes, but how it feels.
If that makes any sense.

Also re-reading Two Collars, a children's book I've always loved.

I'm not sure if this falls under comics or books, but seeing as the comics thread has been dead for over a year, i figured posting here was safer than thread necromancy.

I just read two complete webcomics (which you can buy as books on Amazon -- so they count as books, right?) by author/illustrator Sarah Ellerton.

The story of Inverloch centers around a young man named Acheron, from a horned wolf-like race called the da'kor. After a chance encounter with an elf, he finds himself setting out on a seemingly innocent mission - that of trying to locate Kayn'dar, another elf who has been missing for the past twelve years.

Meeting up with new friends and companions along the way, he quickly begins to learn that the world is not quite the peaceful place he believed it to be - embroiled with prejudice, racial segregation, and hidden danger. And the truth behind Kayn'dar's disappearance is something none of the party would ever expect...

The second one, which i read first, is called Phoenix Requiem --

The Phoenix Requiem is a Victorian-inspired supernatural fantasy story about faith, love, death, and the things we believe in.

On a cold December night, a gentleman stumbles into the town of Esk, gunshot wounds leaving a trail of blood in the snow behind him. Despite making a full recovery at the hands of an inexperienced nurse - and deciding to make a new life for himself in the town - he is unable to escape the supernatural beings, both good and bad, that seem to follow him like shadows.

As they try to discover why, the nurse must question her beliefs and risk her own life in order to protect her family, her friends, and those that she loves.

The art is pretty good in Inverloch and downright spectacular in Phoenix Requiem, which one amazon reviewer described as "reading a Victorian painting". The writing is excellent as well -- there are lots of twists and turns, again particularly in Phoenix Requiem, but it's still easy to follow. I think i liked Inverloch a little better, if only because more of my predictions turned out to be correct, but both were very good and i'm sure i'll be reading them again.

In terms of content, Inverloch is a bit lighter both in tone and in objectionable content (some violence, does include magic ... that's pretty much it), but i would consider either one "safe" for reading by mature teens.

Bella, I just finished The Book Thief! What a story. The narration is so bizarre and took a bit of getting used to, but very compelling. I can't get enough WWII stories, so I eagerly lapped this one up. And I see a movie is being released this November with a great cast! One thing I was hoping was that we would hear more of Max's intervening story. But in most every way, what a powerful book! (Heads up: the language can be less than desirable at times.)

Haha, what a coincidence! I finished it recently, too. The story was relatively simple and small-scale, but, like many domestic WWII stories, it showed the drastic effect the war had on just one person. I liked the narration; it was, like you said, very compelling.
I agree about the language. I understood its presence a few times, but there were times when it was a bit distracting. There were parts of the book that I enjoyed less than others (there were certain aspects of the morality that I was not comfortable with), but I appreciated other parts of it, specifically the relationships: Liesel and Max, Hans Huberman...
I might not be rereading the book, but overall, I am glad I read it, as it was very unique.

I just saw the movie. I read the book 5ish years ago so I must re-read it. My friend has a signed copy from the author because she use to go to these reading/writting club meetings. Apparently the author is a very "humble" man. That is what she said.

I finished The Book Thief last night. I told myself I wouldn't, but that last 100 pages really does fly by.

I really enjoyed it. I'm not usually one for historical fiction, but this one came so highly recommended from the likes of johobbit and others that I had to try it. I really want to see the film now, if only for Geoffrey Rush as Hans.

Unlike Jo and Aslanisthebest, I wasn't bothered by the language, but I think that's more due to my own past reading habits and the heavy use of German than anything else.

Up next for me is the first book in the Auralia Strand series by Jeffrey Overstreet, which also comes to me highly recommended.

Very cool, shastastwin! And yes, do see the film when you can. Rush as Hans is superb; as is Emily Watson as the feisty Rosa, and Sophie Nélisse as Liesel. And Max ... dear Max! But there, I'm usurping this topic with Present ... somewhat.)

I have had a fair number of books on the go, yet my Mt. To Read pile continues to steadily grow. Many were of note, but one, In My Hands, is a particularly moving and disturbing "memoir of a holocaust survivor" by Irene Gut Opdyke from eastern Poland in the horrific WWII years. A hard read, emotionally, yet very inspirational seeing again those who determined to stand up against the Nazis at all costs, and in particular, by assisting those segments of the population who were so viciously targeted.

And I re-read the beloved Anne of Green Gables. ♥ The humour and memorable characters never fail to captivate me! And, yes, even though I have read this book many times, Matthew's death still gets to me!

As well, I am currently reading a couple of biographies, including Trapped by Dr. David J. Dawson. A NarniaWeb friend sent it up, and both my husband and I are gripped by his tale. 'Tis the story of a young Canadian doctor from Québec who was caught in the middle of opposing forces in Zaire in the late 70s during part of their terrible civil war. What a great storyteller! And I find that because he is from Montréal and went to Africa—two places I have also lived (the latter for only a couple of all-too-brief months)—I can relate to some really cool things in the book, bringing back abundant memories. My reading time is just before I sleep, so as the late afternoon approaches, I eagerly anticipate getting into the story again. The faith, strength, and courage with which God blessed Dr. Dawson and the other missionaries were so abundant, even as they lived with the daily reality of fear and death. The latter is certainly not toned down, but relying upon our faithful God is the focus.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Letters and Papers from Prison is another can't-put-down book. After having read Eric Metaxas' amazing bio on Bonhoeffer a couple of years ago, I was compelled to investigate this rock-solid, fascinating individual further. Still want to add to our library The Cost of Discipleship soon.

So i more-or-less just finished John Green's The Fault in Our Stars. I'd kind of been intending to read it for a while, i just hadn't made the time for some reason. Anyway, i've read it now.

The Fault in Our Stars is the story of Hazel Grace Lancaster, a sixteen-year-old with terminal cancer that is, for the moment, not actively killing her. At the insistence of her mother, she attends a cancer support group where she meets Augustus Waters, currently in remission. The story is about them falling in love, but also about the side effects of dying, leaving your mark in a temporary universe, cancer kid story cliches vs. real life, the insufficiency of glib sympathy, and Amsterdam.

It was a very interesting book for a number of reasons. Hazel is perhaps more philosophical than your average sixteen-year-old, and the book is as much about her thoughts on death, heroism, making your mark, knowing people, etc. as it is about her and Augustus falling in love. While in a way i think it would be interesting to have a conversation with her, it would also be intellectually exhausting.

John Green isn't a Christian, so while Augustus admits to believing in a capital-S "Something" after death, what comfort he and Hazel can find comes from other places than God. Some people might be uncomfortable with the way some more believing characters are portrayed, but i wasn't particularly offended, and the only one the author really makes fun of is actually based on himself. Apart from talk about death and the rather unpleasant consequences of terminal illnesses, there is also some language, drinking, kissing, and sex is alluded to but never described.

Books like this frustrate me in a way, in that it's obvious John Green has put a lot of thought into life, the universe and everything, but has come to very different conclusions than me. I'm not frustrated that he came to different conclusions, i get frustrated trying to come up with an answer for why i see things differently and wear myself out trying to cover all the bases.

To wrap up, i didn't exactly enjoy it (books that deal so much with death can't exactly be considered enjoyable, in my opinion) but i thought it was well-written, interesting, and worth reading for those mature enough to handle the subject matter. It has provoked a lot of food for thought, and i'm considering seeing the movie that's coming out this June.