Tuesday, 30 October 2018
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker.
To play along just do the following:
The Golden Tower by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare.
Here we are again at the end of another series. I marked this one as to be read in 2013 together with the whole series. Since then, I have become much more selective about marking down books in a series … if only for the simple reason that a whole series, especially of four books or more, is taking up quite a bit of real estate on Mt. TBR and I have to be realistic that even after cleaning out there are still titles on there that I’ll probably never get to. So whatever goes on there now has undergone some more vetting.
Keeping in mind that this series is aimed at a much younger audience than the books these two great storytellers usually write I was still somewhat saddened by the discovery that even though this is the big finale the page count was on the rather slim side. And yet the plot managed to be overall well-paced and tied up quite neatly at the end. Well, for most parts, I still have some questions about what is going to happen next and about that thing that happened near the end and how that will work out and … I might not actually be done with this series at all but it seems the plot that set out to achieve certain things over the course of five books is finished. For now. Maybe there will be a second cycle? That would actually fit in quite neatly. Time allowing and all, because I definitely wouldn’t want writing time taking away from the other series … just saying that there might be some potential for those unresolved issues. If you want to read it that way. Any other way this is a very satisfying final book in a very well-conceived middle-grade series.
How do you decide which books you add to your reading lists? Are you picky or does everything go on there? And how do you keep it organised? Share your methods and teasers in the comments!
To play along just do the following:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
The Golden Tower by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare.
 |
| The Golden Tower – Scholastic Press |
Back then he’d been worried about eyeless fish and getting lost in the tunnels. Now, those worries seemed to belong to a different. person.
— Chapter 4
“For every time I didn’t trust him. We have to trust the people we love.”
— Chapter 15
Here we are again at the end of another series. I marked this one as to be read in 2013 together with the whole series. Since then, I have become much more selective about marking down books in a series … if only for the simple reason that a whole series, especially of four books or more, is taking up quite a bit of real estate on Mt. TBR and I have to be realistic that even after cleaning out there are still titles on there that I’ll probably never get to. So whatever goes on there now has undergone some more vetting.
Keeping in mind that this series is aimed at a much younger audience than the books these two great storytellers usually write I was still somewhat saddened by the discovery that even though this is the big finale the page count was on the rather slim side. And yet the plot managed to be overall well-paced and tied up quite neatly at the end. Well, for most parts, I still have some questions about what is going to happen next and about that thing that happened near the end and how that will work out and … I might not actually be done with this series at all but it seems the plot that set out to achieve certain things over the course of five books is finished. For now. Maybe there will be a second cycle? That would actually fit in quite neatly. Time allowing and all, because I definitely wouldn’t want writing time taking away from the other series … just saying that there might be some potential for those unresolved issues. If you want to read it that way. Any other way this is a very satisfying final book in a very well-conceived middle-grade series.
How do you decide which books you add to your reading lists? Are you picky or does everything go on there? And how do you keep it organised? Share your methods and teasers in the comments!
Tuesday, 16 October 2018
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker.
To play along just do the following:
Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire.
A very dear friend kept pestering me to finally get around to reading this book. And sometimes pestering works! She also warned me that this would be on the short side and that I’d wish there was more. Which also turned out to be true. That, however, doesn’t mean that pestering will work every time.
This story cleverly plays on children’s habit of inhabiting worlds other than their own and actually expands it into a method that those children indeed go missing into those worlds through doors only they can find. Or rather the doors find them and reach out across dimensions and space to have a child that fits there perfectly, better than in its native dimension. That is until that other world perhaps decides that the fit isn’t quite as perfect and delivers the child back. Maybe with only a little time passed, maybe with a lot of time passed but definitely forever altered. And because such an alteration is often difficult there is a system in place where these children can go to either cope or move on … or try to find a way back.
The premise alone is very intriguing. Add to that a crime aspect of suddenly occurring murders after a new arrival and no one eager to trust the other while forced to somehow work together to survive and you have a thoroughly entertaining read. I obviously wish that there was more – and luckily there are more stories set in this universe. But I doubt that the crew will come together like this again. I would definitely like seeing them maybe visit each others’ worlds or maybe see them together after some time apart … which would also totally destroy their idea of a happy end so maybe not.
Which book have you discovered because of a friend? Share your finds and teasers in the comments!
To play along just do the following:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire.
 |
| Every Heart a Doorway – Tor |
“You had milk, I had science,” said Jack. “It’s amazing how much of culinary achievement can be summarized by that sentence. Cheese making, for example. The perfect intersection of milk, science, and foolish disregard for the laws of nature.”
— Chapter 7
“I am a genius of infinite potential and highly limited patience. People shouldn’t try me so.”
— Chapter 7
A very dear friend kept pestering me to finally get around to reading this book. And sometimes pestering works! She also warned me that this would be on the short side and that I’d wish there was more. Which also turned out to be true. That, however, doesn’t mean that pestering will work every time.
This story cleverly plays on children’s habit of inhabiting worlds other than their own and actually expands it into a method that those children indeed go missing into those worlds through doors only they can find. Or rather the doors find them and reach out across dimensions and space to have a child that fits there perfectly, better than in its native dimension. That is until that other world perhaps decides that the fit isn’t quite as perfect and delivers the child back. Maybe with only a little time passed, maybe with a lot of time passed but definitely forever altered. And because such an alteration is often difficult there is a system in place where these children can go to either cope or move on … or try to find a way back.
The premise alone is very intriguing. Add to that a crime aspect of suddenly occurring murders after a new arrival and no one eager to trust the other while forced to somehow work together to survive and you have a thoroughly entertaining read. I obviously wish that there was more – and luckily there are more stories set in this universe. But I doubt that the crew will come together like this again. I would definitely like seeing them maybe visit each others’ worlds or maybe see them together after some time apart … which would also totally destroy their idea of a happy end so maybe not.
Which book have you discovered because of a friend? Share your finds and teasers in the comments!
Tuesday, 9 October 2018
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker.
To play along just do the following:
The Lost Sisters by Holly Black.
Holly Black is one of those authors (to me at least) who you hear are not only great at their craft but also at talking about it. And I’m more than happy to report that I found that to be true when I got to listen to her during the Boston Teen Author Festival last month. (For such a short visit I certainly got the whole dosage of bookish stuff, I’m so very lucky). She’s also one of those authors to whom I’d more than happily entrust parts of that reader’s heart of mine in the certain knowledge that she will utterly torture it (in a wickedly wonderful way … some readers are strange in that respect).
This is a companion and also a bridge between the brilliant The Cruel Prince and the possibly equally fabulous The Wicked King. If you’ve read the first book, you’ll get at least a little insight into that shocking betrayal that happened … and if you haven’t read it … what the heck are you waiting for, there is a second book coming out in January, which I’m desperately waiting for and which is luckily teased at with an excerpt at the end of this.
Holly is a master-world-builder, which is more than true, but she’s also so very good at character development. After reading this short side trip into Taryn’s mind and way of thinking I’m still not at peace with her yet I find that I understand why she did it and what her thought process was. And that’s not something every writer is capable of doing if you’ve been in the actual protagonist’s head for a whole book before that. Now, there is another point of view that I’d very much like to see (several actually) but I doubt we’ll get a glimpse into that wicked head anytime soon.
Which author has confirmed your admiration of them when you got to meet them? Share your experiences and teasers in the comments!
To play along just do the following:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
The Lost Sisters by Holly Black.
 |
| The Lost Sisters – Little, Brown Books for Young Readers |
Let’s start with a love story. Or maybe it’s another horror story. It seems like the difference is mostly in where the ending comes.
— 6%
She turned to me, head tilted, her expression pure confusion. As though I had no reason to be afraid of a broken heart. She had no idea how dangerous a broken heart could be. You do, though. You know.
— 20%
Holly Black is one of those authors (to me at least) who you hear are not only great at their craft but also at talking about it. And I’m more than happy to report that I found that to be true when I got to listen to her during the Boston Teen Author Festival last month. (For such a short visit I certainly got the whole dosage of bookish stuff, I’m so very lucky). She’s also one of those authors to whom I’d more than happily entrust parts of that reader’s heart of mine in the certain knowledge that she will utterly torture it (in a wickedly wonderful way … some readers are strange in that respect).
This is a companion and also a bridge between the brilliant The Cruel Prince and the possibly equally fabulous The Wicked King. If you’ve read the first book, you’ll get at least a little insight into that shocking betrayal that happened … and if you haven’t read it … what the heck are you waiting for, there is a second book coming out in January, which I’m desperately waiting for and which is luckily teased at with an excerpt at the end of this.
Holly is a master-world-builder, which is more than true, but she’s also so very good at character development. After reading this short side trip into Taryn’s mind and way of thinking I’m still not at peace with her yet I find that I understand why she did it and what her thought process was. And that’s not something every writer is capable of doing if you’ve been in the actual protagonist’s head for a whole book before that. Now, there is another point of view that I’d very much like to see (several actually) but I doubt we’ll get a glimpse into that wicked head anytime soon.
Which author has confirmed your admiration of them when you got to meet them? Share your experiences and teasers in the comments!
Tuesday, 2 October 2018
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker.
To play along just do the following:
The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig.
Have you ever stared at an old map long enough that you were convinced the creatures in the margins moved? I certainly have so it should come as no surprise that I was easily caught by the intriguing net this story spins.
If the person on the helm of the ship believes in the map and the cartographer did an accurate version of the place and believed in it as well at the time, you can sail anywhere and anywhen if you have the right map … and if you haven’t used that map before. This is such a great idea and the places described are just fantastic. So many possibilities. But for this particular crew it’s also a curse as the captain is fixated on returning to a time and place to change the past to what he thinks is the better outcome on a personal level.
I love how this is simultaneously a historical story set in Hawaii before the fall of the kingdom and also a fantastical story with the ability to hop around to other places with a very unique system of rules and conditions. I’m still not quite sure how that last manoeuvre works, but I’ll have a deeper look at it when I’m more awake and not trying to figure out everything all at once.
The other thing I deeply enjoyed was how the main character Nix is the very focus, her ambitions and future or possible lack thereof, how she relates to her surroundings of people and places alike, and how she finally manages to take the helm (sorry, there had to be a seafaring pun) for her destiny. Even though her methods and moral are definitely in the ambiguous grey area. Well, not considering where she’s from as she has her pick and choose there. But I like how she is her own person first and for example the potential love interest of someone else second. Or third. It’s a very subtle thing but quite well done in the whole scheme of things while still veering on the romantic side.
On to the next book, wherever the winds may lead us … did I mention that duologies are nice, especially when both books are already out?
If you could travel to any place, any map, real or fictional, which one would you go to? Share your choices and teasers in the comments!
To play along just do the following:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig.
 |
| The Girl From Everywhere – Hot Key Books |
“I won that money fair and square. Or do you disapprove of gambling too?”
I weighed the purse in my hand. “Yes … but not enough to give it back.”
— Chapter 8
“Paradise is a promise no god bothers to keep. There’s only now, and tomorrow nothing will be the same, whether we like it or not.”
— Chapter 33
Have you ever stared at an old map long enough that you were convinced the creatures in the margins moved? I certainly have so it should come as no surprise that I was easily caught by the intriguing net this story spins.
If the person on the helm of the ship believes in the map and the cartographer did an accurate version of the place and believed in it as well at the time, you can sail anywhere and anywhen if you have the right map … and if you haven’t used that map before. This is such a great idea and the places described are just fantastic. So many possibilities. But for this particular crew it’s also a curse as the captain is fixated on returning to a time and place to change the past to what he thinks is the better outcome on a personal level.
I love how this is simultaneously a historical story set in Hawaii before the fall of the kingdom and also a fantastical story with the ability to hop around to other places with a very unique system of rules and conditions. I’m still not quite sure how that last manoeuvre works, but I’ll have a deeper look at it when I’m more awake and not trying to figure out everything all at once.
The other thing I deeply enjoyed was how the main character Nix is the very focus, her ambitions and future or possible lack thereof, how she relates to her surroundings of people and places alike, and how she finally manages to take the helm (sorry, there had to be a seafaring pun) for her destiny. Even though her methods and moral are definitely in the ambiguous grey area. Well, not considering where she’s from as she has her pick and choose there. But I like how she is her own person first and for example the potential love interest of someone else second. Or third. It’s a very subtle thing but quite well done in the whole scheme of things while still veering on the romantic side.
On to the next book, wherever the winds may lead us … did I mention that duologies are nice, especially when both books are already out?
If you could travel to any place, any map, real or fictional, which one would you go to? Share your choices and teasers in the comments!
Tuesday, 25 September 2018
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker.
To play along just do the following:
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green.
This book has been for several reasons sort of haunting me for the past couple of months and I’m now absurdly happy that it’s finally out and people get to read it because for a lack of a better descriptor it is absolutely remarkable. And I promise that is the last time I’m going to use that descriptor because it is possibly more than a little cheesy.
This book is wonderful on so many levels because there are so many things to take away from it in as many readings as you like. On the surface level, it’s a purely enjoyable piece of speculative fiction that will keep you guessing what is going on and how all of the strings tie together. And then there are all the social and psychological aspects that open up if you want them to. If you’ve read the book you’ll know what I mean when I say that I was especially hooked by the idea that initial fame n the one hand transforms itself you but also transforms itself if you keep on feeding until it becomes its own entity that is most definitely able to destroy you.
Another aspect is maybe very obvious, but nevertheless not less important because of it. This idea of othering that which is different or rather making a deal of that which is other and instead of being open to learn and explore to react with suspicion and hate. This is very obviously not hidden in most cases. I love how clear this book is on this message while also not badgering you about it. I like to think of it as offering the tools and details to make an informed decision first in the fictional world and then maybe transfer the findings to the real world. Because while there are (not yet) giant sculptures standing in major cities around the globe there are enough groups and individuals that are scarily reminiscent of those Defenders. And what this fanaticism can lead to becomes glaringly, painfully obvious by the end of the book.
The end itself is a sort of cliffhanger, so there is going to be a second book (triple cheer for that), which I am quite happy about because while this is a debut it’s an incredibly well-crafted one and the author clearly displays a high talent for storytelling, which I’m looking forward to exploring in his further writings.
I get to see Hank for his book tour in Boston tomorrow (no, I’m not usually able to cross the pond for a book launch so this is especially exciting). Which author have you travelled to see live or seen live in general? Share your experiences and teasers in the comments!
To play along just do the following:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green.
 |
| An Absolutely Remarkable Thing – Dutton |
It is amazing how disconcerting a single vile, manipulative person can be even if you have never and (hopefully) will never see them. The power that each of us has over complete strangers to make them feel terrible and frightened and weak is amazing.
— Chapter 3
This dumb little moment was the first time I heard a stranger hating me in public. I knew then, for real, that thousands of people were having that exact conversation all over the world every moment of every day. Those people were real, and their thoughts were formed by overblown or just straight made-up stories about me that I could never adequately defend myself against.
— Chapter 12
This book has been for several reasons sort of haunting me for the past couple of months and I’m now absurdly happy that it’s finally out and people get to read it because for a lack of a better descriptor it is absolutely remarkable. And I promise that is the last time I’m going to use that descriptor because it is possibly more than a little cheesy.
This book is wonderful on so many levels because there are so many things to take away from it in as many readings as you like. On the surface level, it’s a purely enjoyable piece of speculative fiction that will keep you guessing what is going on and how all of the strings tie together. And then there are all the social and psychological aspects that open up if you want them to. If you’ve read the book you’ll know what I mean when I say that I was especially hooked by the idea that initial fame n the one hand transforms itself you but also transforms itself if you keep on feeding until it becomes its own entity that is most definitely able to destroy you.
Another aspect is maybe very obvious, but nevertheless not less important because of it. This idea of othering that which is different or rather making a deal of that which is other and instead of being open to learn and explore to react with suspicion and hate. This is very obviously not hidden in most cases. I love how clear this book is on this message while also not badgering you about it. I like to think of it as offering the tools and details to make an informed decision first in the fictional world and then maybe transfer the findings to the real world. Because while there are (not yet) giant sculptures standing in major cities around the globe there are enough groups and individuals that are scarily reminiscent of those Defenders. And what this fanaticism can lead to becomes glaringly, painfully obvious by the end of the book.
The end itself is a sort of cliffhanger, so there is going to be a second book (triple cheer for that), which I am quite happy about because while this is a debut it’s an incredibly well-crafted one and the author clearly displays a high talent for storytelling, which I’m looking forward to exploring in his further writings.
I get to see Hank for his book tour in Boston tomorrow (no, I’m not usually able to cross the pond for a book launch so this is especially exciting). Which author have you travelled to see live or seen live in general? Share your experiences and teasers in the comments!
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