Tricksters Choice by Tamora Pierce

This is the first of two books by Tamora Pierce about a girl called Alianne. Her mother is the Lioness, the first lady Knight in centuries. You could say that she has a lot to live up to. Follow Alianne through her time as she decides what she wants to make of her life. The sequel to this book is Tricksters Queen.
I absolutly love this book, and all the others by Tamora Pierce. Set in a fantasy world, it has just the right amount of magic to make it amazing but still realistic. Tamora Pierce is a great writer and I strongly advise that you read all of her books.

"The Host" by Stephenie Meyer

Recently I have read, no re-read "The Host" by Stephenie Meyer, for at least the bazillllionth time. Although I have blogger about this book before, still not many people have read it, even though it is written by Stephenie Meyer, writer of "The Twilight Saga". It is a great book, definitely worth reading once if not again and again and again like me and my frineds which are fans of this book.

Although i should warn you many people i know have abandoned the book because they do not understand much for the first 100 pages or so (I totally disagree, I don't think it was complicated but i suppose the crowd has spoken) but the rest of the book explains it all iand is worth the confusion (if there is any).

Please give this book ago, i know you'll enjoy completing it.

Henry and the Flea - Brian Falkner

Hi everyone,

I read Brian Falkner's book "Henry and the Flea" to find out about his writing style and get an idea about the type of books he writes.

I quite liked Henry and the Flea. It was just a fun, effortless book to read, not too babyish and yet not too serious for teens, just something to read for pure fun and enjoyment.

It's about a boy called Daniel who has this 'super power' if you like, and uses it to get on to the team of the NZ Warriors. There he makes a valuable friend who teaches him valuable lessons about teen life, and helps him to deal with his teen problems. Read the book to find out more!

I reckon it'd appeal to a wide audience, particularly boys because it's every boy's dream to be a famous rugby player. And because it deals with a really common problem (splitting time between friends and other things), it's worth a read because you may find an answer to your own dilemma.

All in all, I think it's a great read, and give it 7/10. Recommend it to boys in the book club who like rugby.

The Crucible - Arthur Miller

Hello All,

This is another book that I was forced to read for Cambridge English (just like To Kill A Mockingbird). The Crucible by Arthur Miller is well worth a read, but I think that it would be better if people read it for their own amusement. I was supposed to read it and analyse it and think really deep about how the book ties into the world today which kind of sucked the fun out of it. There's Cambridge for you.

It's about the Salem Witch Trials which happened at Puritanical Salem, Massachusetts, in the 1600's I think. I won't spoil the story but it's about these idiotic bunch of teenage girls who make a silly mistake and then lie to cover it up, however those lies cost the lives of many innocent people.

Delving deeper into it, the book really shows how the minds of people work, and how lies keep getting bigger and the basic personality of people as a whole. It's very realistic. Also, Arthur Miller (who was accused of McCarthyism) wrote this book in an effort to show the public how the McCarthyism hunts were very similar to the Salem Witch Hunts. It shows the lengths people will go to to protect their name, reputation, their loved ones etc.

By the way, it's a play, so it's set out the way a normal play is set out. This is fun because you can get your friends to be different characters and read it out as if you're acting it out. We did this in English, but everyone was doing it in their normal voices which was kind of boring - so I decided to do my character (John Proctor) in an Indian accent which set up this trend. (I think the different accents we got after that were: German, French, Australian, Chinese, British, American and others)

Anyway, quite a riveting read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
4 stars from me

Twilight - An alternative view

Twilight - An alternative view

Seducing, heart-breakingly sweet, with plenty of tension and the everyday fantasy of an average teenager. Agreed. But to me, these elements of the romance threw me in the completely opposite direction. Many people absolutely fell in LOVE with this story. I didn't. And heres why.

Was it love? True love? Or was it just "love at first sight?" Frankly, none of us would really know what the characters themselves are feeling, simply as we are not Bella or Edward. Or Stephenie Meyer. But several events points to maybe not so much love at first sight or what I believe to be "true love," but something in between.

Edward. Most likely extremely attractive, as he is a vampire. More than that, he saves Bella's life. Very sweet. But is this all there is to falling in love? Appearances - lust. Saving your life - feeling indebted, or overjoyed that someone would do that for your sake. But what about loving the person for who they are? There was not an awful lot of communication and understanding between them before Bella confessed her feelings to the reader. Is this not, in essence, lacking understanding of each others personality?

Bella. Beautiful despite her modesty. Appears to be a weak girl who tries to be strong. More lust, more induction of the feeling to protect such an innocent figure. And whats more, the very reason Edward is attracted to her is her scent, and the fact that he cannot read her mind. It seems to me that none of the reasons included loving each other on the inside. How can this be true love?

Is this all there is to love? Surely they fell in love too fast. So fast it seemed unrealistic, or as if it was simply lust, or induction of impure feelings. This idea of love, Stephenie Meyer's idea of love, to me, was sickening. And because of it, any more details on their romance made me dislike the novel even more, all because of the doubt of whether or not this was true love.

Many people thoroughly enjoyed this book. And that is fine. We are all entitled to our own opinions, and especially our own ideas of such an abstract topic as love. But the fact that this is a romance novel, and again, one that failed to show me or make me feel love, is the reason for all this critisism. Feel free to comment and tell us your opinions on this book, and why you feel that way. Maybe you can even slightly change the way I feel about this novel.

- Carmen

Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind

This book Series has been made into a tv series. though the book is very long it has interesting twists and turns. set in a fantasy world with Confessers, sorcerers and wizards. Dark lords try to destroy the world. I believe it deserves a 9 out of 10.

Artemis Fowl book 6

Hello this book rules you should read it sometime so that you know what happens to artemis when he goes back in time to rescue a lemur from himself. thats why its a paradox, it will happen foreverforeverforeverforever and forever more.... lol

The Taggerung By Brian Jacques: MASTER BLOGGER

TAGGERUNG is the 14th Redwall adventure, by Brian Jacques, and it's got everything a Redwall lover could want.The story begins in Redwall Abbey with the birth of a baby otter named Deyna. But the celebration of this happy event is short lived: the young otter is kidnapped! And who steals the baby? None other than Sawney Rath, a savage ferret who leads a murderous band of rats, weasels, and foxes. Sawney Rath and his crew have not just stolen the baby to be mean or to get ransom; this baby is very important to them. The clan believes the baby is destined to become a warrior hero. All the signs and prophecies point to this otter baby. He will be their Taggerung --- a mythic leader of ancient legend. To fulfill this important prophecy, the evil clan whisks the otter away from his devastated parents and the kind folk of the Redwall community.

Stars From Me

The Hunting of the Last Dragon - Sherryl Jordan

Hi Everyone,

After the last Sherryl Jordan book that I read turned out to be a 'hopeless, lump of pus', I was a bit reluctant to read this one. But the passage from the book that was part of the blurb, captured my attention, and I decided to give Sherryl Jordan another chance.

"High overhead, a dragon flies on coppery wings, raining down fire and destruction on all that lies below. The last of the great beasts, it wreaks havoc everywhere it flies, burning the countryside and its terrified inhabitants to grey ash and cinders with its fiery breath. Desperate and frightened, the people pray for a hero to save them...".

After reading the book, Sherryl Jordan drastically increased the little honour I had for her books. The Hunting of the Last Dragon is a terrific book, fueled with great history, touching friendship, courage, strength and the heart to keep going.

Jude is no hero. Deeply traumatized after returning to find his village a charcoaled ruin and his family dead, he is picked up by a travelling fair, where he rescues the strange yet beautiful Jing-wei from a life as a caged freak.

Eluding their pursuers, Jude and Jing-wei meet Lan, a wise old Chinese woman who straightens Jing-wei's bound and crippled feet, and reveals to Jude his destiny. He alone must kill the last dragon.

With Jing-wei's help and Lan's ancient knowledge, Jude and Jing-wei set out to destroy the beast, and embark on the perilous journey that becomes the hunting of the last dragon.

It's a great young adult book that some Eragon fans may find enjoyable.

8/10 from me.

Dark Heart

This book is by a New Zealand author who writes fantasy books. This is a second series by Kirkpatrick. it is slightly related to the first series but you do not need to read them to understand this book. if you like magic, immortals and Gods who walk the earth this book has it. I would give this book a 8 out of 10 because its still is not the best bok i have read.