2011 Challenges Round-up

Yeah. I failed. But it's OK, coz 2012 is going to be epic, and I'm totally going to complete the bajillion challenges I've signed up for (I'm nothing if not optimistic).

In the meantime, here's how I did (or rather, didn't do) in the 2011 challenges I signed up for:

-Books to Movies, created by Two Bibliomaniacs. I aimed for Oscar Buzz, which was to read eight books and watch the movie adaptations. Since starting the challenge, I read/watched a total of... four. These included A Little Princess, The Last Unicorn, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and A Christmas Carol.

-Books I Should Have Read By Now, hosted by Gabriel Reads. My aim was to chip the below off my TBR list:

1. A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
2. Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey.
3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
4. The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford.
5. The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
6. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.
7. If I Stay by Gayle Forman.
8. Dracula by Bram Stoker.
9. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare.
10. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
11. Delirium by Lauren Oliver.
12. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins.

The bolded/linked books are the ones I actually got to, bringing me to a total of four out of 12. *hangs head*

-Aussie Author Challenge, hosted by Booklover Book Reviews. I aimed for "true blue" status, which meant 12 books from at least nine different Aussie authors. I read I Came to Say Goodbye and Ghost Child by Caroline Overington, Cargo by Jessica Au, Not Meeting Mr Right by Anita Heiss and The Nest by Paul Jennings, giving me a total of five books from four different authors. Despite my failure, I've signed up for the challenge once again, coz I really want to read more Aussie books.

-Classic Bribe, created by Quirky Girls Read. The aim was to read at least one classic by September, which I actually did (A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett), however I totally forgot to post about it when the challenge ended, so I kinda failed anyway. Whoops!

...OK, so I didn't do so great on the challenge front this year, but I had a lot of fun trying - and that's the important thing, right?!

Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

I feel like I'm the last person in the world to have read this book.

I put it off for a long time because (I'm embarrassed to admit) of the size. I love big books, don't get me wrong, but I love new books more, and tend to prefer to speed through three shorter ones in the time it takes to get through one massive tome. You might say I'm a tad impatient. But the other week, when I was trying to decide what to read, my fiance - who reads about four books per year and has managed to read this one - insisted I pick up The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, coz he liked it so much. So I relented. I was curious to know what all the fuss was about.

I'd heard from the fiance, and others, that the first quarter is pretty slow going. And it really was. There were a few times when my eyes glazed over from boredom. While it laid the groundwork for the whole book (and, I'm assuming, the whole series), not a lot happens in the way of plot. Sure, we meet the main characters, but it takes an incredibly long time for them to finally meet each other and get things going. Even seemingly minor characters are given a detailed history, which I could appreciate on one level but also found quite tiresome on another, as I waited for the main story to start rolling. When it finally does, it's definitely a page-turner. It's an awesome mystery, with a fantastic cast of suspects and a fascinating set of clues.

But what really kept me turning the page was the chemistry between the two protagonists, Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander. As I mentioned, it takes awhile for them to hook up, but it's worth the wait. They work amazingly together, and I have to admit, though it made me impatient, the slow build to their meeting lays a strong foundation for the characters, both individually and as a team. I really liked Blomkvist, but like so many others it was Lisbeth Salander who really stole the show for me. She's definitely a strange and unique character, but she's super strong, got a lot of 'tude and can do some pretty clever things with a tattoo needle (this is significant in a spoilery way).

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo doesn't shy away from violence, and though I was prepared for some brutal scenes, they still managed to shock me. Certain parts are incredibly uncomfortable to read - as they should be - and while initially I thought it was unnecessarily graphic, these details did make events that unfolded later (and the reader's understanding of certain characters) all the more powerful. It is the kind of book that stays on your mind even when you're not reading it, with the kind of characters you champion forever.

Rating: 4/5

Spoilery Talking Points

• I loved discovering what really happened to Harriet. I suspected just about every character of murdering her at some point, and it's to Larsson's credit that both twists - who was responsible for Harriet's disappearance, and what actually happened to her - came as surprises to me. While both things did cross my mind, there were so many other possibilities that I wasn't really expecting them. I love a good twist!
• Maybe I'm dense, but I didn't really get what Salander was doing with the bank accounts at the end - or maybe I should say, I didn't get why she was doing it. I felt that wasn't really explained properly. Perhaps it's covered in the next book?

Eye Candy
I'd seen the trailer for the upcoming English language adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo a few times before reading it, so I pretty much had the entire cast stuck in my head while reading the book.

Fine Print
Genre: Crime

Published: 2008

Get It: Better World Books

Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

I was surprised at the strong reaction I had to City of Bones, the story of the mysterious underworld of New York City (no, not the mob - the paranormal). You see, it made me freaking mad.

I wasn't mad the whole way through, of course. At first, I felt kinda "meh", and wondered why everyone raves about the book so much - more specifically, the love interest, Jace Wayland (he just wasn't doing it for me)...

Then, about a third of the way in, I really got into the action and found it hard to put down. I loved Clary, the strong, smart, quick-witted protagonist, and Jace was growing on me. I enjoyed their relationship, and thought how refreshing it was that there were no apparent obstacles for them being together (though I did wonder how the tension would be sustained throughout the rest of the series)...

Little did I know there was a big freaking twist at the end...

Yeah, that about sums up how I feel about the book right now. I liked it overall; though there were a few inconsistencies in the plot, it moved along at a good pace and provided plenty of action, while the characters were all likable and real (er, as real as Shadowhunters can be, that is). I saw one twist coming a mile away, but there was another that, as you might be able to tell, I was NOT expecting. I usually enjoy when that happens - it's definitely a sign of good writing - but this one just made me very cranky. I nearly threw my book across the room, I was so mad; instead I just ranted to my poor fiance for five minutes while he nodded along with a bemused expression on his face that said, "I'm trying to look interested because it interests you, but really I don't care, because it's a BOOK." When that didn't satisfy me, I went to Google - yep, I looked up spoilers. They calmed me enough to make me want to continue with the series... but I'm still kinda mad.

Rating: 3/5

Spoilery Talking Points

• There's not much I can say except... WTF?! I was not expecting incest in this book. I was most shocked that, in all the praise I'd read for it, I'd never come across any mention of this little twist. I wondered how everyone could swoon over Jace if he's in love with his sister. Which made me think maybe she wasn't after all, and sent me searching for spoilers. But I was still surprised the book ended with you thinking Clary and Jace are siblings... in love. Seriously, WTF?!
• One thing I wasn't surprised about was Valentine being Clary's father. What a creep! I was kinda disappointed with Jace in the end when he so readily believed everything Valentine said... but then, I guess he'd be pretty messed up after the years of emotional and physical abuse he endured. That hunting bird story?! Yikes.
• I'm sure there were other things I wanted to discuss, but I'm finding it hard to get past anything other than the brother/sister thing right now... Was anyone else as shocked or angry as me after reading this book?

Eye Candy
With Jamie Campbell Bower and Lily Collins cast as Jace and Clary in the upcoming movie, I automatically pictured them.

I think Lily totally works for Clary, but despite Jamie Campbell Bower's prettiness, Jace was coming off more creepy than cool when I pictured him. So I didn't get far before I switched to picturing...

Alex Pettyfer, circa 2008 when he had longer hair on his head and less on his face. Also, before I knew he was such a douche. Though the douchiness kinda works for Jace (well, the arrogant part of it anyway). As for the others, I pictured Nina Dobrev as Isabelle, Ethan Peck as Alec and Penn Badgley as Simon.

Fine Print
Genre: Young Adult/Paranormal
Published: 2007
Publisher: Walker Books
Get it: Book Depository

Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Hellooooooo, PeeGale!

That's right, I finally read The Hunger Games. I finally understand what all the hype is about. I was afraid it wouldn't live up to it - but it did! I've avoided it for so long because this kind of story is not usually my thing. Y'know, the whole dystopian future thing, where the most popular reality TV show is so, so much scarier than Jersey Shore, as the country watches children fight to the death - it just doesn't usually do it for me. Except now I think maybe it does. Or this series does, at least.


What really drew me in was the characters. They're brilliantly established with a surprising amount of depth - especially Gale, who barely gets any face time in the book and yet is such a strong presense. I immediately liked the fierce Katniss, and was so happy to meet a protagonist who could put the "hero" in heroine. Collins' prose is well-paced and easy-to-read, and while a half-starved fighter like Katniss isn't exactly someone I have a lot in common with, I was completely immersed in her, feeling everything she felt. To the point where I'm firmly on the fence between Peeta and Gale. Seriously, those guys - wow, who could pick between them? Team PeeGale all the way!


I have to admit, initially I was a bit suss about reading yet ANOTHER love triangle, and a couple of times I did think, "Really? The only way to survive is to get all romantic?!" But hey, I'm a sucker for romance, so I guess the citizens of the Capitol must be, too. Plus, Collins has crafted such great characters that it's a very interesting triangle, at least. The only thing I don't like is that Katniss can't choose both... or can she? Does polygamy fly in YA? Probably not - maybe I'll have to check out the fanfic to get my way. Until then, I'm launching straight in to Catching Fire. I'm addicted. It's about time, right?


Rating: 4/5


Spoilery Talking Points

• Rue, ohmygosh, that was hard to read. 
• A couple of things I still don't quite get are why Peeta teamed up with the Careers to start with (the only thing I could think of was to keep them away from Katniss?!), and also what the hell was going on with those muttations. Were they just made to look like the dead contestants? Or had they actually been transformed into those wolfie creatures? Huh?
• I wanted more Gale - especially at the end. I felt a bit robbed of his reunion with Katniss, and I wanted to know his reaction to everything that went down in the Games.
• I felt so bad for Peeta at the end. He's done so much for Katniss and loved her for so long, without her even knowing. Poor guy!

Eye Candy
I can see now why there's been so much controversy over the casting. But I think Jennifer Lawrence will make a great Katniss - the guys, I'm not so sure about. Especially Josh Hutcherson as Peeta. Though I guess he must have done something impressive to be cast. Still, he's definitely not my idea of Peeta. In my head, for the moment, the characters look like:

Nina Dobrev (Katniss)

Gregg Sulkin (Gale)

Alex Pettyfer (Peeta)

 

Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Yep, I finally read If I Stay.

It's taken me this long because, while I picked it up last year, out of curiousity for the story of a girl who loses her family in a car crash and has to decide whether she wants to live or die - that curiousity wasn't strong enough to overcome my fear of being utterly depressed by it. So it sat languishing at the bottom of my TBR pile for months. And months. Then I started blogging, and Where She Went came out, and my feed was filled with ridonkulous amounts of praise for both novels. That motivated me to finally see what I was missing out on (and also the fact that SPOILER thanks to Where She Went reviews, I knew that Mia chose to stay and that assuaged my fears somewhat).

Which brings me to today. I started reading If I Stay on the bus this morning, and continued on the bus on the way home. Five hours later, I'm finished, and boy have I been on an emotional rollercoaster. Starting with dread (for what I knew was coming), climbing to love, love, love (for Mia, Mia's family, and especially for Adam), before rocketing down to despair and then, ultimately, smoothing out to a sense of hope. I was surprised to find that, like the blurb on the back says, the book IS actually life-affirming. Simply and elegantly told, with wonderful, realistic characters and raw, touching emotions, I absolutely loved If I Stay. So now I sit here, sad, but not utterly depressed - a good thing, for sure. But my mind is starting to go into overdrive thinking about what I've just read - not such a good thing considering it's about 10 minutes past my bedtime. Hopefully if I get all those thoughts out now they won't haunt my dreams. But Mia might. Teddy definitely will.

Rating: 4/5

Talking Points (Spoilers if you're still living under a rock and haven't read it yet)

• The scenes that got to me the most: The state of Mia's dad after the crash - I wanted to vomit. The flashback to Mia and her mum shopping while her mum was in labour with Teddy - in that scene, more than any other, I really "saw" Mia's mum and felt the full tragedy. Then, anything involving Teddy - the moment Mia realises he's gone, her urge to cuddle him and feel his curls and the realisation she never will again - oh, God, talk about pulling the heartstrings. Finally, the end, when Adam's begging Mia to stay and she makes her choice. Sigh.
• Speaking of Adam - OK, now I see what all the fuss is about. Swoon alert!
• The book definitely got me thinking about what would you do if, God forbid, you were faced with Mia's choice? I honestly couldn't answer. I like how the book ended; how Mia realised there was still a lot to live for and especially how by living, she could hold on to the memory of her family, but goodness, if I was in that position, I don't know if I could do it.
• I'm kinda glad it took me this long to read If I Stay, because now I can't wait to dive into Where She Went! I'm tempted to start now, but I really must be getting to bed...

Eye Candy

I know Mia is supposed to be a brunette, but the only person I could picture was Emma Stone in all her red-headed awesomeness (none of this blonde Emma)...

...Perhaps because the happy, quirky family scene that the book opened with instantly reminded me of Easy A (LOVE that movie).

As for Adam, well the first person who popped into my head was Adam Brody (maybe it was the name?), but then I remembered the creepy rock star he played in Jennifer's Body and I soon got rid of that image. Thankfully, Darren Criss quickly filled in. Not convinced he's a good Adam? How about this...

Look how hot he is with a guitar! If that isn't Adam, I don't know what is. What's that? You're still not sure?!

You asked for it! OK, I really just wanted an excuse to post this picture.



I don't need an excuse to post this one. Phwoar! Thankyou, Darren Criss, I no longer feel sad.

Fine Print
Genre: Young Adult
Get It: Book Depository

Challenge: Books I Should Have Read By Now

Challenges: Books to Movies and Books I Should Have Read By Now

Because I totally don't have enough to do (*cough*), I've decided to take on a couple more book challenges! Since I started this blog I've only signed up for the Aussie Author Challenge, which is hosted by Booklover Book Reviews, and I've read three out of 12 Aussie books so far.

There are so many fun challenges listed over at A Novel Challenge, but I was particularly drawn to two - I think because they're both things I'd do on my own, anyway.

The first is the Books to Movie Challange, created by Two Bibliomaniacs. As you can probably tell if you've read this blog before, I'm kinda obsessed with adaptations, and pretty much always watch the movie versions of books and vice versa, so this is the perfect challenge for me. Here are the deets (BTW, I'm aiming for Oscar Buzz):

"The rules are SIMPLE.  Read a book.  Watch the movie.  Both milestones must be completed in order to receive full marks.  There are 4 levels of participation to choose from.
Straight to Video – Read 2 books and view the film adaptations.
Limited Release – Read 4 books and view the film adaptations.
Blockbuster – Read 6 books and view the film adaptations.
Oscar Buzz – Read 8 books and view the film adaptations.
The challenge begins June 1st and will finish December 31st." 

The other challenge I've decided to sign up for is Books I Should Have Read By Now, hosted by Gabriel Reads. Considering my TBR pile of books that I own (not including books I want to read, but don't own) was 112 at last count, and has grown considerably since then, I think I seriously need to get cracking on this challenge. Here are the deets:

"My goal is to read two classic books each month from June 1st to December 31st, 2011. That adds up to twelve classics between now and the end of the year... Now for the fun part: I'm inviting any interested book bloggers to join in on this challenge. The books you choose don't have to be classics, but they do have to be books that you own that you should have read by now. Any of those tomes that are collecting dust on your shelf are free game.There are three levels that you can take on for this challenge:
Casual Reader: At least 1 book a month
Avid Reader: At least 2 books a month
Voracious Reader: At least 3 books a month"

I'm going to try for two books a month for this challenge, sticking to either classics or books that everyone raves about. Here's what I'm thinking:

1. A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
2. Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey.
3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
4. The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford.
5. The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
6. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.
7. If I Stay by Gayle Forman.
8. Dracula by Bram Stoker.
9. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare.
10. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
11. Delirium by Lauren Oliver.
12. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins.

Phew, I better get reading!

Updated to add: As Molly from Quirky Girls Read pointed out, quite a few of Books I Should Have Read By Now are classics that can double up towards their Classic Bribe challenge. So I'll be participating in this one, too! It involves reading at least one classic by September 5 - I think I can do that!