Racing the Dark (2007)
Written by: Alaya Dawn Johnson
Genre: YA/Fantasy
Pages: 368 (Trade Paperback)

The premise: this one's a doozy, so we're going to BN.com: Racing the Dark is set in a land of volcanoes and earthquakes, plagues and typhoons, of island nations bound by fear of the spirits they imprisoned to control their volatile environment. Lana, a teenaged girl on a nameless backwater island, finds an ominous blood-red jewel that marks her as someone with power, setting in motion events that drive her away from her family and into an apprenticeship with a mysterious one-armed witch. Lana begins to learn the spells and incantations, each of which requires some form of sacrifice from the person who employs it. As Lana becomes more powerful, she is deceived into a sacrifice she is unwilling to make — the life of her own mother. When Lana dares to use a dark, ancient spell to save her mother's life, she is set onto a path toward becoming a creature beyond her wildest imaginings. This is an unforgettable coming-of-age story set in a world where wielding the power of magic requires understanding the true meaning of sacrifice.

Worth the Cash: even though Racing the Dark features a teenaged protagonist, it doesn't read like a YA novel. For starters, Johnson deals with some adult issues rather nicely. Also, the protagonist(s) grow, both physically and emotionally. Given the amount of time that passes in the course of this book alone, I suspect Lana and the other protagonists will be well into adulthood by time the trilogy draws to a close. Then there's the language issue: YA is sometimes said to have transparent writing styles that don't get in the way of the story and the characters, but while Johnson's writing isn't verbose or elaborate or dense, it's certainly NOT transparent. Readers who pick this book up not knowing it's YA will probably not figure it out by the time they finish reading. And that is an interesting thing. Not good or bad, but interesting. Personally, I was sucked in, especially at the beginning. This book is about the journey, and while the ending of the book is more like a pause in that journey rather than a completed one (this trilogy I suspect will tell ONE BIG STORY, so reading order is important), I felt pretty satisfied by time I put the book down. There's so much richness in the world Johnson's created, and there's so much to enjoy and relish. It's not often you get a fantasy that's not set in a medieval or modern world, and the island/Hawaiian/Japanese elements just really worked for the book, as well as keeping the fantasy world fresh. Johnson's debut doesn't read like a debut at all: it's deliberate and controlled and I'm really looking forward to seeing where this story goes, because it is complex and it is so much about the journey that I practically have no expectations. At least, not yet. Maybe by time I get my hands on the second book, The Burning City, I will. :)

Review Style: it's a pretty complex book, so I'm taking my time with this review. Expect spoilers, but in some cases, spoilers will ruin a book, and in others, they really don't. I think this is a case where spoilers don't ruin a book, but only YOU know how spoilers affect your reading experience, so if spoilers bother you beyond belief, there's no need to click the link below, which takes you to my LJ. You have everything you need right here.

However, the LJ does offer a reading list as well as cover commentary, so if the overall discussion doesn't bother you, hop on over! As always, comments and discussion are most welcome. :)

REVIEW: Alaya Dawn Johnson's RACING THE DARK

Happy Reading!

Book club selections @ calico_reaction. Hop on over! We'd love to have you!

December: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
January: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

This is a novel about--well, it's very convoluted. It's set in medieval Ireland. *Minor spoilers*
It begins with the wife of a half-wit Goatherd giving birth. Her husband has threatened to kill this last baby if it's another girl, so to avoid that, Mary and the midwife pretend it's a boy--with a couple deformities. They name the child Grey, and throughout his whole childhood, she runs with the boys, fights and plays with them--in short, is a boy. She isn't allowed to bathe with them (in order to keep her gender secret); she doesn't even know herself that she is a girl.
Her mother sends her to the local priest to work as an errand boy. For Grey, this is an enormous step up; in her former home, meat is an absolute luxury, and so on--most of the people in Grey's village are dirt poor (the anti-English sentiment, yes, does appear) and go by the names of "Smith", "Baker's son" and so on.
Then a priest from the monastery arrives, discovers Grey is a girl, and convinces her to come with him to his monastery. He uses her as leverage; in exchange for favors (like more food, or candles, or such), he lets the monk do what he likes to Grey.
Eventually, however, the plague arrives, and the whole world thinks the universe is going to end. (that's roughly the first half of the novel, I don't want to give away too much.)

This was an okay book. I thought it was an interesting look at what medieval life was like for the poor (usually it's from the nobility). What personally irritated me a lot, though, was Grey's passivity. It's true that her power is very limited, but it annoyed me that she didn't even try; never spoke up when the monk labeled her a deaf-mute.
I don't know. I think I'd give it a 3.5/5. Interesting setting, and the way that Grey changes is entirely plausible, and the setting is described gorgeously. Lots of swearing ( as in the f word, too), plenty of explicit sex, so I would be careful with recommendations.

I'm pretty into historical fiction, particularly Tudor fiction but have recently gotten into War of the Roses stuff. After doing a little research I realized there is far to much Tudor and Plantagenet fiction for me to even beginning to decide what is worth reading, so I thought I would ask here if anyone had any good recommendations.

Book: Wit'ch Fire by James Clemens
Pages: 428
Genre: Fantasy


Review: This was one of those slog-through books. Sure, there were cliff-hangers; sure, there were some cool-featured characters; sure, some of the fantasy concepts were pretty interesting--but the writing itself reminded me strongly of my first completed novel...somethin I wrote in fifth grade. It was very wearisome, and the weak prose led to weak story elements...Things just went downhill from there. The pacing was thrilling enough at times, but mostly it felt uneven--like when all the characters were in the caves. I thought that was just something that Ratingwould contribute to the beginning...and then I thought it was something that would just contribute to the middle...and eventually, I realized most of the book had been the characters wandering through the woods or underground with fake suspense being induced irregularly with fruitless one-line sentences and abrupt chapter endings. This isn't one I'll be lingering over.
: 3/5 Stars

Let's share our thoughts on graphic novels. I'm a big fan, but my tastes are quite specific, so I thought you guys might be able to suggest a few that I should try out.

As a teenager, I was particularly fond of Roman Dirge's Lenore, Serena Valentino's Gloomcookie, James O'Barr's The Crow and Daniel Clowes' Ghost World. I didn't rub along well with Serenity Rose, Jhonen Vasquez or any of the Voltaire books.

As an adult, I'm still really fond of Ghost World, but my tastes have veered away from the cutesy goth stuff. I'm working my way through The Walking Dead series at the moment (which is excellent for zombie fans), but I'm on book 9 of 10... I need to find something else to get stuck into whilst I wait for 11 to come out.

Recently, I picked up Rutu Modan's Exit Wounds and loved it - so understated, so emotional. I understand Marjane Satrapi's Persopolis is similar.

Frank Miller and Alan Moore don't interest me much, I'm not keen on fan-fic graphic novels (i.e. Buffy graphic novels) nor do I like superhero comics.

What are your favourite graphic novels? Why?

I just finished reading The Silver Blade (which was excellent, by the way) and it's left me with a desire to learn more about the period of time following the French Revolution known as "the Reign of Terror." I'm open to either fiction or non fiction. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks so much!

I have been contemplating what kind of giveaway I will do for Christmas/Hanukkah/Solstice/Name A Holiday, Any Holiday, and I have decided that I will end the year with a multi-week giveaway. You read that correctly. I'll be giving away one book (some new, some used, but all in excellent condition) each week, from now until New Year's Day.

So, are you ready for Week 1 of the Winter Holiday Book Giveaway Spectacular? Well, get ready, because here it comes!

Week 1
The first book on Elf Min's list is a hardback copy of "Wolf Who Rules", by Wen Spencer, the sequel to "Tinker". (And if I can find my paperback copy of "Tinker", I'll add it to the Giveaway, if the winner wants it.) Spencer is a solid, established writer of urban fantasy, and this book is a good example of her work, with a little romance thrown in the mix. And it has elves, which fits in with our winter holiday theme. *\:-)

If you would like to enter, post a response and tell me where you fall on the Naughty-to-Nice Continuum, where dangerously naughty is #1 and boringly nice is #10.

The winner of Thanksgiveaway is...

...the lovely and talented brightlion. Well done! Your copy of "Blind Fall", by Christopher Rice, will be winging its way to you soon.

And don't despair, giveaway faithful. I will be doing a special Christmas giveaway soon. *\:-)

X-post to book_worm, books, booksarelove, readplease, 50books_poc, and thereadingroom

Two really remarkable books, both in the coming of age category and one in the historical fiction genre by Hawaiian authors.

Title: Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers
Author: Lois Ann Yamanaka
Genre: Coming-of-age, Literary Fiction, Hawaiiana
My Rating: 10 out of 10 stars

Summary (from Good Reads): In her exuberant first novel, Lois-Ann Yamanaka tells the story of young Lovey Nariyoshi, who lives in bleak, impoverished Hilo, Hawaii, a place where Japanese- Americans like Lovey find no facsimile of themselves in pop culture, and no trace of their lives reflected in the media. Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers crackles with the language of pidginHawaiian Creoledistinguishing for a new generation of readers one of the most vibrant voices in contemporary culture.

My Review: ( Read more... )



TItle: All I Asking For is My Body
Author: Milton Murayama
Genre: Historical fiction, coming of age, literary fiction, Hawaiiana
My Rating: 10 out of 10 stars

My Review: ( Read more... )

I'm also on GoodReads if anyone wants to find me there.

( A Spot of Bother )

More reviews at http://lovebooks-letter4no1.blogspot.com/

I am looking for a christmas gift for my fiancee. She has been looking into various majors for college, and wanted a book on Middle Eastern History so she can make sure that is somehing she would be interested in. Does anyone have any good suggestions that won't be too tedious?

Title: Shadow Queen
Auther: Deborah Kalin
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 302
Rating: 3.5/5

From the Blurb

'I put out a hand to steady myself as the vision took me. The parquetry floor washed to black... As if sparked by the hard galre, a fire burst and raged through the room, the flames hot enough to crisp bones and raise the smell of marrow burning to cinders. And me in the middle, wrapped int he balck shroud of the dead.'

For Matilde of House Svanaten, accession to the Turasi throne is long overdue. But her imperious grandmother remains reluctant to hand over power.

When Matilde's mysterious aunt, Helena, turns up for the Turasi's most important festival, suspicions abound. Why has Helena returned? And why are there soldiers from the despised Ilthean empire massed at the southern border?

Hard on Helena's arrival, Matilde is struck by a vision marning of doom. And it isn't long before a powerful enemy strikes at the very heart of power, leaving a trail of death and destruction in his wake.

After narrowly surviving, the conflgration that shatters her entire world, Matilde must pit herself against her family's conqueror in a battle not just for the throne, but for her very existence.

review here @ my journal

Hello again all!! Nice to see you and such. I once again humbly ask your opinions on actually a fair few books today.

We start with rachel caine and her vampire series. is she any good? is it another vamp rip-off?
The Suicide Collectors: David Oppengaard. Good? Not good? a Hard and stodgy read?

Brian James and Daniel Waters (Zombie Blondes and Generation Dead). Lame? Un-lame? Rip-offs?

Anything by Mary Downing Hahn? Too much american "oh journey journey journey" stuff? or good?

Marlene Perez? A cheap tacky rip off of the vamp genre?

The Chosen One- Carol Lynch Williams. Interesting? Boring? Too religious?

AND FINALLY! Has anyone got any 'classics' they could reccomend? I'm interested in everything by Austen and Bronte. But outside of them; I don't know many classics.

Thanks all!!!! You know I love you and such, .

Hey guys!

So me and my friend decided to read 65 books in year. It will start this December and end on December 2010. So that's 65 books in a year. I personally decided to have my goal at 100. My friend does not want the 100 books in year idea because she said that it's too impossible. She said that we have lots of things to do next year because of school. But I believe that I could reach the 100 books in a year. It's part of my New Year's resolution too. Reading books is fun and I love it!

So I really don't know where to start. My favorite books are Harry Potter. I'm just asking book suggestions from you guys. I'd go with ANY genre as long as the plot is good. I don't care if it's as long as a phone book or if it's Twilight(that came from a Stephenie Meyer hater). I'm not a teenage girly bubblegum pageanty reader. I actually love those books that make me cry. Those that are inspiring. I go for comedy more than anything else. I love those that I could relate to.I love those books that have heart. But really, ANY book will do. Thanks in advance!

If this kind of post is prohibited then I'm sorry and feel free to remove it.

Paolo Bacigalupi’s The Windup Girl is intelligent and frightening. Agricultural companies rule the world, distributing sterilized versions of crops long ruined with diseases like blister rust, cibiscosis, and scabis mold. The Earth of the future is one gone to waste; politics, climate, and resources like food and energy (i.e. oil) have deteriorated. In Thailand, the government has set up factions to control their most precious material: a genebank containing original crop DNA free from existing disease and genetic enhancement, the epitome of all that is natural and good to the Thai people.

With plagues ravaging crops and making people sick (and Agricultural companies barely staying on top of the latest strain), the Thai government is determined to police imports and keep their country thriving amidst a global crisis that threatens to metaphorically tear down the pumps that keep the capital from drowning in seawater. The Environment Ministry monitors the borders under the guidance of Captain Jaidee--one of five narrative viewpoints--the ‘Tiger of Bangkok’. He ruthlessly enforces the law, going so far as burning incoming material under even the faintest trace of suspicion. Jaidee’s earned himself a reputation that grates against the Trade Ministry’s ability to import and export items and profit from more lucrative, albeit shady, deals.

( Read the rest! )

Photo from belfasttelegraph.co.uk

There is always magic in the worlds of epic fantasies, but in the world of the Starks and the Lannisters and whatever is left of the broken House of the Targaryens, magic brings with it a sense of doom, and the smell of spilled blood. The dragons have fallen, the king has turned into a fat drunk who likes hunting more than figuring out how to save a kingdom deep in debt, and the gods are mere silent faces carved in the bark of trees. You can pray to them, but they do not answer.

This world, like most magical worlds, has a forest, but the forest is kept behind a Wall like the wild creature that it is. The phrase “to take up the black” means to be one of the men who guards the Wall. These men do not take wives nor sire children. The punishment for desertion is death. Not surprisingly they’re having serious budget and manpower problems.

All of the Houses have honor, and follies; all of the Houses have pain. They’ve all fought in a war where they’ve lost parents and siblings and children. Every House yearns for revenge, yet every House has also sinned.

In A Game of Thrones, the summer has lasted for years, and now everyone is fearing the bitter cold. The longer the summer, the longer the winter, they say.

The Stark words are, Winter is coming. To paraphrase: We are all going to be seriously fucked.

Oh, yes. And soon.

Marked
P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast
YA fiction; fantasy; series
306 pages

Enter the dark, magical world of The House of Night, a world very much like our own, except here vampyres have always existed. Sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird has just been Marked as a fledgling vampyre and joins the House of Night, a school where she will train to become an adult vampire. That is, if she makes it through the Change--and not all of those who are Marked do. It sucks to begin a new life, especially away from her friends, and on top of that, Zoey is no average fledgling. She has been chosen as special by the vampyre Goddess Nyx. Zoey discovers she has amazing powers, but along with her powers come bloodlust and an unfortunate ability to Imprint her human ex-boyfriend. To add to her stress, 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 group, 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.

I was pleasantly surprised that I was so engrossed in the first book in the House of Night series. I really enjoyed the storyline and I really like the unique take on "vampyres" in this series. It does remind me a bit of Hogwarts, but to me, that is a positive thing. The only thing I did not care for is some of the immature language spouted off by some of the characters, but then again, this is written for a younger audtience than myself. However, I feel like as this series progresses, it will get even more darker and more interesting. I cannot wait to read the rest of the books.

Books read this year: 46/50.

Briar Rose by Jane Yolen is about a girl named Becca who decides to search for her family inheritance after the death of her Grandmother Gemma. The story is based around the German fairy tale Briar Rose aka Sleeping Beauty which was Gemma's favorite story when she was still alive. ( Read more... )

(This has been cut because of the length and plot details).

67. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat - Oliver Sacks - 256 pages (8/10)

I like how the cover matches my usericon, hah. Yay, Magritte.

I've been meaning to read this book for years. How could you not with a title like that? Dr. Oliver Sacks is a guest star on a podcast I regularly listen to, Radio Lab, and after hearing certain cases, I knew it was long past time I read his book. Sacks has been a neurologist for many years, and this book was his first. Published in 1985, it details the strange and amazing cases he's come across during his career. This book is amusing, fascinating, and touching.

One interesting case was a man who had alcohol amnesia. He was in his late fifties, but he thought he was 19 in 1945. Whenever he mentioned his brother, he mentioned that he was in accountancy school and was engaged to a nice girl, even though at the time of the book his brother had been an accountant for thirty years. Up until the age of 19 he could remember his life perfectly, but everything after that was a blur. Sacks would see the man one day and the next day the patient would introduce himself again. Each case detailed in this book is unique and varied.

The book is well-organized: "The book comprises 24 essays split into 4 sections which each deal with a particular aspect of brain function such as deficits and excesses in the first two sections (with particular emphasis on the right hemisphere of the brain) while the third and fourth describe phenomenological manifestations with reference to spontaneous reminiscences, altered perceptions, and extraordinary qualities of mind found in "retardates" (Sacks, 163)

I always took advantage what it was like to go through day-to-day life with no neurological disorders. I can't fathom what it must be like to not be able to trust your sight, or to not be sure where your body parts are, or to not remember ten minutes ago. Sack's main thesis of the book is that human identity is still preserved, no matter how debilitating a disorder an individual has. A person with severe amnesia can still recognize someone he or she loves. A person with severe mental disabilities can still love deeply and find passion in past times. Identity persists.


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