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Jessie S. (----strangeling): Books Read in 2006 I've decided to use this notebook feature to keep track of how many
books I read this year. I don't have a goal or anything, I'm just
curious. I've been going a bit slowish for some reason... 1 The Beggar Queen by Lloyd Alexander
This was the last of the Westmark trilogy, and I enjoyed it, but
definitely not as much as his Prydain Chronicles. ***¾ 2 Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones
Loved this. So rad. It's a retelling of the ballads of "Tam Lin" and
"Thomas the Rhymer," and very complex and compelling. My only issue is
I can't figure out what happened at the end, but that seems to be the
general consensus among the reviews I've read of it. ****½ 3 The Healer's Keep by Victoria Hanley This kept me glued to the pages, as well. I was super chuffed that the protagonists from The Seer and the Sword
were included in this companion novel, even if it was to a much lesser
degree. Some of the characters did seem a bit Mary Sue/Gary Stu-ish,
though, but they were still likable. Jasper was my favorite. **** 4 Troll Mill by Katherine Langrish I snatched this up as soon as I saw it at Borders last week. I was hoping the author would write a sequel to Troll Fell,
and after a year or two of waiting, this is it! Really exciting and fun
read. I love that it's influenced by Scandinavian mythology (I
think....in regards to the creatures and names and whatnot), and hope
that she follows this book up, as well. ****¼ 5 The Grey King by Susan Cooper I know it's not a commonly held opinion among fans of The Dark is Rising sequence,
but I actually have prefered the books with the Drews, rather than just
Will Stanton, but this was still a great read. I'm grateful for the
little Welsh pronunciation lesson Bran gave Will, otherwise I would
have been way off the mark with the names. My only complaint is not
enough Merriman, but overall it was really exciting and I'm anxious to
start the final volume of the series. **** 6 Wolfskin by Juliet Marillier Given the impact the Sevenwaters
trilogy had on me, I expected to adore this - I wasn't really
disappointed, I just didn't get into it as much. I was slow getting
into it at first, but it picked up for me once they reached the Light
Isles and Nessa's perspective was introduced. I love the way that
nature and the spirits of the earth are given such reverence in the
author's works, and how she draws on mythology. Perhaps the reason why
I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would was because the
bleakness of it - but I think that tone was appropriate given that
Norse culture was a major part of the story. It was still a stunning,
compelling novel. **** 7 A Riddle of Roses by Caryl Cude Mullin Quick,
nice book, if a little predictable. The action was basically non-stop,
so there weren't any lagging points. I found the main character really
unlikable, though - she truly was "a stick-in-the-mud," as one of the
sidekicks accurately put it. Other than that, fun, light stuff. *** 8 The Owl Service by Alan Garner o_O <-----pretty much sums up my reaction to this book. Bafflement, hardcore. * 9 Red Moon and Black Mountain by Joy Chant This was really good - it's a shame it's out-of-print, because it's one
of those lesser-known fantasy gems. The author has quite a rich voice,
and the way she demonstrates the evolution and turmoil occuring within
one of the main characters is very thought-provoking and realistic.
Excellent book, overall. **** 10 The Dark Hills Divide by Patrick Carman I
really enjoyed this, and want to read the next book in the series. I
was completely off with who the villain ended up being, though, LOL.
**** 11 Doctor Illuminatus by Martin Booth I liked this book enough to hope to read the second book in the series,
but it wasn't really spectacular or anything. It did keep me interested
through out, and curious about some of the historical information it
contains, wanting to learn more about alchemy. I did find some of the
subject matter to perhaps be a bit heavy for the intended audience -
the debate of whether one can practice something considered occult and
at the same time be Christian, the idea of 'playing god' and creating a
being from dead matter, Beelzebub, etc. Overall, it was pretty
intriguing to read. ***½ 12 Magyk by Angie Sage Dude,
I loved this so much, I could not put it down. It's really exciting and
clever - I love the whimsical way the author writes and switches points
of view. It really did make me think of Harry Potter - not like
it's the same plot or anything, just the whole vibe of it and how you
can get sucked into it. Seriously awesome. I want the second book now!
****½
13 Fairest by Gail Carson Levine Woo hoo, I
finally got picked to review a book from the HarperCollins First Look
program! I loved this even more than Ella Enchanted. It's a definite
page-turner, and really original. I could definitely relate to the main
character. ****¼ 14 Wren's Quest by Sherwood Smith This is the second Wren book, and I really enjoyed it. I hope to get a copy of the next book soon. ***¾
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