September 2011

Books read but not reviewed,

September 2011

Assassins Creed Renaissance (2009) Oliver Bowden, Puffin books

ISBN 978-0-141-04630-3

Assassins Creed Brotherhood (2010) Oliver Bowden, Puffin books

ISBN 978-0-241-95171-2

Goblinz! (2002) Kaye Umansky, Puffin Books

ISBN 0-141-31329-3

Books read but not reviewed

Here are some of the books I have read but not reviewed.

April 2011

Charmed Life (1977) Diana Wynne Jones, Collins

ISBN 0-00-675515-1

Holes (1998) Louis Sacher, Bloomsbury,

ISBN 0-7475-4459-x 

May 2011

Abomination (1998) Robert Swindells, Corgi

ISBN 978-0-552-55588-3

July 2011

 

Pegasus and the flame (2011) Kate O’Hearn, Hodder

ISBN 978-0-340-99740-6

August 2011

Rip Van Winkle (1990) Washington Irving, Longman Group Ltd.

ISBN 0-582-53530-1

Regency Collection:

Rosalyn and the Scoundrel, Anne Herries

Lady Knightley’s Secret, Anne Ashley

Mills and Boon

ISBN 0-263-84423-4

 

writing sample

Here is another writing sample, feel free to comment.

As the morning sun shone its first rays across the meadow and along to the village, Allit began stirring with life. Parents and children rose from their beds, dressed, and broke their fast. The house of Bertha and Tanner was no exception, although their young house guest was somewhat shy and unsure. Kestle still sat by the fire, legs stretched across the blankets where he had slept.

 “Come along Kestle, help Marle and Marva gather eggs outside. I’ll get porridge started, or should we have the eggs for breakfast?”

“Porridge thanks” replied Kestle as he rose to follow the children outside. Tanner came back inside in their place, offering his wife a smile.

 “It’s done. There will be a meeting in the storage barn before evening meal. Will you keep the children occupied?”

“Of course. I can take them all to the meadow for games as long as there is still light” smiled Bertha, “you won’t be too late?”

“No, shouldn’t be longer than an hour or so”. Tanner looked over at the door as the children returned, arms laden with warm brown eggs. “In the basket for your mother. Careful not to break any”. When they had done as he asked and come over to sit at the table, Tanner asked “How about Kestle stays with us for a bit? A new friend to play with?”

Update

HI everyone Sorry I have not been updating the blog for a while, I have been very ill, and then I had a fair few family things to sort out. I have not been writing a review of every book I read anymore as it was time consuming, and I felt that some of that time should be devoted to research and writing. Both of these are coming along nicely. There is a lot of planning for Vandar, and I have created character profiles, and setting profiles. The actual text of the book is now just over 5000 words, and as the next five or so chapters are all planned, this will go up quickly. I will shortly be publishing lists of books I have read. If any are appealing to you, let me know and I'll post a review. Gail

Artemis Fowl, The Seventh Dwarf

Artemis Fowl, The Seventh Dwarf (2004) Eoin Colfer, Puffin
ISBN 0-141-31800-7

This is a short book written for world book day and available to children for just a pound or free with a book token received from school. It is part of a set of books about the character of Artemis Fowl. Artemis is a boy whose father is missing. Nobody has been able to find him. Artemis cannot accept that his father is gone, and being highly intelligent, sets about finding his father by himself. He also wants to do something for his mother, who is devastated by the disappearance of his father, “I will find him,” he whispered once in his mother’s arms.

Finding out about the secret world of fairies, Artemis is convinced that this world can help him. There is just one problem, humans must not know about the fairy world. This world is different to our own, yet has a clear set of rules, and there are limits to the special abilities of those within it. This use of clear boundaries helps us to see it as more real, as if you could stumble across a secret world of fairies.

This is a stand-alone story that also fits with the other books. The characters are well drawn, and the plot clear, so it is fine if you have not read any of the previous novels. Even though the story can be read independently, there are references to other tales, making the reader curious. Extra details about characters background and past actions help to give them further depth.

There is also plenty of dialogue in the text, helping to keep the story fast paced. This is great for a children’s story as it keeps their attention throughout. The dialogue also helps to give further insight into the characters themselves, and to reveal details of the plot.

There are often little placement lines written in italics at the start of a section of text. These quickly allow the reader to know exactly when and where they are. For instance, “police plaza. Haven City. The Lower Elements.” This is useful to younger readers who may find it harder to work out where they are or keep track. More cleverly, it enables the writer to keep the text shorter by omitting such information from the main body of the text, which would have to be written in a longer style. It also helps to break the text into manageable chunks, easier to cope with for young readers.

I had not read any of the books about Artemis Fowl before, although I had certainly heard of them. They are clearly best selling children’s books for a reason. They are well written, have an original concept, and they are easy and entertaining to read. I hope to read more of these soon.

What I have learned so far;
· Fantasy worlds should have limits and rules just like our world.
· To use such rules and limits to inform/drive plot and characters.
· A characters history and background is important as it gives depth.

The Lost Throne

The Lost Throne (2008) Chris Kuzneski, Puffin Books
ISBN 978-0-141-03707-3

This is a crime thriller with an interesting historical twist. The book is fairly long, about 593 pages, and 76 chapters plus prologue and epilogue. Having said that, I wasn’t bored at any point, and the story is revealed through multiple narrative voices, necessitating that the book be split into key sections (chapters) to change voice. There are three main viewpoints in the book; the Interpol and Greek police investigation, the mercenaries and their associate characters, and finally, the Spartan warriors.

At this point I should probably explain that the book is set in modern times, but the crime is in a Greek Orthodox monastery, virtually untouched/closed off since medieval times. On top of this, there are continual links to historic relics and cultures, especially archaic Greece, and the ancient Spartan city-state. This is one of the reasons that the book appealed to me, as I spent three years studying ancient history and archaeology at university, a lot of it looking at Greece.

There is lots of research evident in this book, and it is the detail that makes it so successful. These details provide the clues to linking up what is happening, and solving the crime. The observance of these details is what enables some of the characters to survive the dramatic ending to the story. The text is quite graphic in places, and those details also form part of the clues. The graphic detail is necessary to explain links and conclusions, as well as reflecting the brutal nature of the Spartan warrior culture. This culture, and that of the orthodox monks are portrayed very well.

The pace of the story is also well thought out. There are plenty of ups and downs, as well as spurts of rapid action. These bursts of action get more and more frequent as you travel through the story. Events move on at a faster pace, and viewpoint or narrative voices switch more readily. This all works together to create a sense of urgency and tension for the dramatic conclusion of the novel.

I enjoyed this book because of the historical and cultural aspects to it. I thought that they were very well done. It is unusual for someone to write about the Spartan cultures in fiction. Most people stick to Athenian statesmen or artisans, or Macedonian leaders like Alexander the Great. I also found that the pace and the tension hooked me in, urging me on to complete the book. The questions it throws at readers made me very reluctant to put the book down, as I wanted to know what the answer was! I am one of those people who find it difficult to let go until I know WHY. In this book, that was of just as much importance as the who!

What I have learned so far;
· The importance of detail to a novel
· Effective use of details in a story
· An example of how to use pace to good advantage, and to create tension and questions with it.

A Test Of Truth, Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

A Test Of Truth, Sir Gawain And The Green Knight (1988) Barrie Wade, Arnold-Wheaton ISBN: 0-560-09013-7

This is a very short book with many illustrations. It is a book that is aimed at enticing reluctant readers, and works very well. The story is not a new one, and there is even a version told by the notable J. R. Tolkein.

The story is based upon Sir Gawain, a knight in King Arthur’s kingdom. Gawain is the only night brave enough to challenge the Green Knight, knowing that it will probably cause his death. He does this to uphold the honour of Camelot. It is that honour, and his personal honour that has him not just agreeing to go to his death at the hands of the green knight a year later, but actively seek out his fate.

The book simplifies the story so that it is short in length without dummying it down. Challenging vocabulary is used such as “withered” and “gruesome”. This helps to extend readers vocabulary as well as making the story much more interesting. This effect is supported by the use of words related to the stories setting, such as “revelry”. Words and phrases are also repeated to aid readers in remembering them, although not so much as to turn the text into a story for a much younger child.

Almost every other page has a wonderfully detailed and colourful piece of artwork that is designed to illustrate what the text is describing. They successfully mix modern art and colours with those of the past, including some medieval motifs in the decoration. The images help the reader to understand and appreciate the story being told through the text. They add another layer of meaning to the words, and make the book so much more appealing to a reluctant reader. Teens who struggle to read will be attracted by the short length of the volume, and the amount of pictures in the book.

This story is a moral tale or parable. It demonstrates the value of honesty, keeping promises, and personal honour. It accomplishes all of this without preaching to readers. Understanding of these lessons comes from following the struggles and thoughts of the characters. This is the sign of a great tale, and I enjoyed reading it very much.

What I have learned;

· Writing can contain messages for readers, ie, life lessons and moral values.
· Tales can be re-told or adapted to suit different needs.