Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte...

This book is....wow. I dont know how else to describe it! A heartwarming tale, with a passionate romance that will make your heart leap out of it's cage! Its a period book, with ladies and gentlemen and bonnets and carraiges but it still speaks to people today. I dont doubt why.

Jane Eyre is an orphan with no beauty. Her uncle had adopted her and his dying wish was that his wife would bring her up as her own. Hard chance. Her aunt Reed hated her, her cousins bullied her and her childhood was a misery. She was a passionate girl but she was forced to bottle up her feelings lest she be severely punished.
Eventually, she gets sent off to boarding school. A cold, crude place...she was very talented and rose high in her studies. She became independent and advertises for a job.
Now this is where the real story starts...she had taken up a job as a governess for a girl called Adele, the ward of a certain Mr. Rochester. The romance springs up here...and I love Charlotte Bronte's idea of love...
Mr. Rochester is considered rather ugly. Jane very plain. Yet, the two of them see in the other something to love, soemthing to cherish and treasure. The sweeping romance about two minds, very alike, two people whose match seems to have been made in heaven...a girl's strive for love and independence...Jane Eyre is a true heroine.

Sabriel by Garth Nix

Hey people! hope you've all been chillaxing! this book is about a girl names Sabriel. she is the daughter of Abhorsen (the title passed down though generations to the family line of GOOD necromancers (not bad)) and when her father visits her through the Death realm she is worried he is dead so she goes out in search of him and to rid the world of Kerrigor (the most evil Dead creature there is). she gets a few companions along the way aswell so shes not a total loner =D i REALI liked this book and since it is the 1st book in the Old Kingdom trilogy by Garth Nix i cant WAIT to read the others!!! if you like magic and adventure and have a good imagination to see what the creatures look like you should SOOO read this!! but if you dont have the imagination to picture it then i think you should SOO read this (notice how there 1 O difference??) it even has a bit of romance in there although 1 bit is a bit freaky zekey.. have fun reading and keep it up!!!

The First Apostle - James Becker

This is the first book I read for the holidays and it was one I just randomly picked off the shelf. I was quite lucky that is wasn't a hopeless lump of droppings, and it in fact turned into one of my favourites.

An Englishwoman is found dead in a house near Rome, her neck broken. Her distraught husband enlists the help of his closest friend, policeman Chris Bronson, who discovers an ancient inscription on a slab of stone above their fireplace. It translates as '-Here Lie the Liars.' Pursued across Europe, Bronson and his ex-wife uncover a trail of clues that lead them back to the shadowy beginnings of Christianity; to an ancient code inscribed upon a stone; to a chalice decorated with mysterious symbols. And to a deadly conspiracy which will rock the foundations of our modern world if revealed. (That's the blurb).
It's quite a fantastic book, very similar to Dan Brown style, but then again I guess there isn't much variation when it comes to thrillers except perhaps you could change the religion being destroyed to something like a golden duck or whatever. Nevertheless, it keeps the pages turning and does suck you in with it's mixture of fact and fiction, and great storyline. Some people may find it hard to read and take some of the information in (I had a little trouble), but take it slow and thankfully there is a little simplified run down of the historical info so we can get alright with it. I give it a 9/10 simply because it's awesome. Definitely give it a go!

Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less by Jeffery Archer

Multi-millionaires. Did every millionaire make their money by rightful means? Well not this one. Harvey Metcalfe is a smart crook. Right now he has a big scam going on. The promised riches of the oil trade are completely fake and four men find themselves penniless overnight. But he cheated the wrong people this time. The four - an heir to an earldom, a doctor, an art dealor, an Oxford professor all plot an extravagent plan for revenge. Will they be successful in scamming the big scammer himself? A book-like drama of the famous Ocean 11, Ocean 12, Ocean 13 series. The tension is high and huge amounts of money are at stake.
I rate this book a 7/10

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold is the book that was recommended to me for the English authors theme.

The book was okay, not something to go all crazy about and yet not something too dull for reading. It's a really hard book to read, and everything happens really quickly that it is hard to understand what is happening.
Nevertheless, from what I read, it appears to be about some spy who wants to retire, and has one last mission to do before he can.
The ending is quite tragic, and there is a major twist in the plot further in the book. But the book is really hard to understand - that's a really big issue. Most descriptions are nice and short - which is good. Some parts were a little boring but if you keep on, it does get more interesting.

Overall, it gets a 5.5/10 from me because I had a really hard time keeping up with it, although it does have a good plot.

The Fellowship of the Ring

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. One of the greatest books written and also a great film (because it's made in NZ)!!.

Everyone already knows what the plot is so there's no point in me elaborating. I'm just going to say that it is worth reading the book, even if you have already watched the movie (indeed, I didn't know that it was actually a book until Year 9 - ha). There are some major events in the book that do not occur in the film, such as "The Old Forest" (oooh) and some extra chapters at the start of the book which explain heaps of things such as the way hobbits live, and the situation at present and what was happening while Tolkien was writing the book etc (aaah). This may be a pull factor for some people to read but it kind of turns into a boring history lesson at the beginning.

One major thing I hated with the book was the fact that there were all these weird place names and people who you don't even know (but I think you're expected to know from reading the prequels or something), but in the school library we have a book called "The Guide to Middle-Earth" or something, which is sort of like a dictionary of the terms in all three books, which is handy to have while your reading.
Another thing I personally hated, was all the descriptions. There were heaps and heaps of descriptions of places which annoyed me because I wanted the story to go on, and they were extremely hard to visualise. Watching the movie before reading the book is an advantage here because then you know what some of the places are supposed to look like.

Those are just two cons about the book that I can think of right now, otherwise its fine. It's kind of hard to read, but take it slow and it won't be a problem.

I may as well fuse the second and third books into this review as well because it follows the same pattern. It's hard to understand what's happening sometimes (which is where watching the movie comes in handy), and the long descriptions and totally random, never-heard-before place names make more appearances.

BUT!!!!! The story doesn't finish once Frodo destroys the Ring (you all know he did so no spoiling occurred). The story continues about them going back to Minas Tirith and going back home and certain events happen during that time so make sure you read the third book at least because there's still some stuff to know if you've only watched the movies.

So overall, it's a great book that just has a few minor hitches (which may only apply to some people like meself), otherwise it's a fine read - but you probably won't bother because you've seen the movie, I know.

6.8/10 from me across all three books

Black Hearts of Battersea by Joan Aiken

Taking place during the reign of King James III in the early 19th century when England was still sadly plagued by wolves a young orphan named Simon was bound to travel to London for an adventure of a lifetime.
With a desire to learn painting Simon encounters lots of different types of people and makes new friends.
While desperately seeking his old friend Dr Foo Field secrets are discovered will it be Simon in danger or others.Twisting and turning through the forest seeking allies and companions.
Joan Aiken puts Simon and Friendsin a life changing adventure which will lead them one step closer to the secrets and truth.

This review was written by Joanna Wong

I found the Flambards book more interesting than expected. It is set in the age where cars are just been invented and planes are still being perfected. The novel is particularly about a girl that is growing up and when she reaches twenty one she will be able to claim the fortune her parents left her. When she is sent to the Flambards she discovers a passion for horses as the family there are obsessed with horses and hunting. However the youngest of the two sons longs to fly planes and other mechanical devices and he will do anything to reach that dream. The girl undergoes exciting adventures and different loves during her time at the Flambards.

Snowfall...by KM Peyton

This is a really nice book. It is set in the late 1800s/ early 1900s I think. It is about a girl called Charlotte, who has lived her whole life as a 'good girl' with her grandfather. When she was almost made to marry this man who she absolutely revolts, she had to put her foot down. When her brother, whos travelled all over the country, came in for a visit, she saw her way of escape. Lying to her grandfather, she sets off to the mountains, to hike with her brother and his friends.
The book is amazing...well-written, not very action packed, but really easy going; with conflicts of the mind, hopeless loves, friendship...friendship is a main aspect of the book I think. The book really grabbed my attenion from the start, and its very intriguing, I couldnt put it down once I had started. Its a heartwarming tale, of love and friendship, and a story that I will really remember. The characters are so varient, so real, and develop throughout the story. You really feel like you KNOW the characters. There is a cold, cruel twist at the end...not saying anything more about it, but it leaves you horrified and in tears.
The book has subtle humour, a tragic romance, a nice plot, everything that I love about a story. I guess this is more of a girly book, but anyone can read the book and enjoy it, (unless they're into the really hardcore science fictiony books) and I give it a two thumbs up.

This book.. was not what I expected

Rosemary for Remembrance and Rue for Repentance are the first two books in the series by Felicity Pulman. At first, I thought it was going to be the usual Sherlock Holmes mysteries, with detectives, clues, the unsuspected culprit subtly appearing in the beginning of the story... but no. This series is set in the medieval times, and Janna is far from a detective. Just a rather observant, strong-willed herbalist with revenge on her mind.

The story is fast paced, twisting all the way until you finally "click." That is, understand the reason for the lies, the "murder," and the ravaging villagers who burned down Janna's home in their rage. But it is this twisting - making you guess and then proving your hypothesis wrong - that makes the story so interesting and fast paced till the end. Not to mention not-put-down-able. (I was reading this at 1 am!) And Janna's quick temper and accusative attitude just makes it all the more interesting. Instead of being annoyed at her stupidity, her accusations actually made the story even more absorbing. Because her guess, was pretty much, my guess. Of who the culprit was, that is. And her accusations make you go "YES! THAT'S IT"... until you find out that you/Janna was wrong. Oops.

Of course, Janna's rash actions often gets her in trouble. But that's okay, after all, she isn't really a detective. Just trying to figure out the truth behind the murder... of her mother. And most of all, it's her will to hold on, that strength in her character - to survive and to bring justice to the injustice - that makes you want to cheer her on.

Overall, this was one of the best mysteries I've ever read. A mystery with an interesting storyline woven within.

- Carmen