Ella Enchanted - Gail Carson Levine

Title: Ella Enchanted
Author: Gail Carson Levine
File Size (Pages): 1513 KB (272)
Published: 2012 (first published 1997)
Challenges: Eclectic Reader, E-book, I Love Libraries, Snagged @ the Library, Readers to the Rescue
Genre: Children's, Fantasy
Edition: E-book
Source: Library

Description: At her birth, Ella of Frell was the unfortunate recipient of a foolish fairy's gift -- the "gift' of obedience. Ella must obey any order given to her, whether it's hopping on one foot for a day and a half, or chopping off her own head! But strong-willed Ella does not tamely accept her fate. Against a bold backdrop of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella goes on a quest to break the curse -- once and for all.

In this incredible debut novel comes the richly entertaining story of Ella of Frell, who at birth was given the gift of obedience by a fairy. Ella soon realizes that this gift is little better than a curse, for how can she truly be herself if at anytime anyone can order her to hop on one foot, or cut off her hand, or betray her kingdom'and she'll have to obey?  (from Goodreads)

Thoughts: I read this book to fulfill the Eclectic Reading challenge and had heard a number of good things about the book that I felt that I needed to check out this book. 

I felt that the first half of the book was disjointed and I didn't know where the book was headed, but I did enjoy the second half of the book and felt that it was better than the first half.  While the first half felt disjointed to me, one could definitely see elements from the Cinderella fairy tale.

Bottom line: Felt that the first half was a bit disjointed, but saw many elements of the Cinderella fairy tale in the second half.  I would highly recommend the book for middle-grade readers and recommend the book for adults who enjoy fairy tale retellings.

Rating: 3.2/5

If you have read this book, what did you like or not like about it?

The Eclectic Reader Challenge 2015

I tried this challenge last year and got a few of the categories completed, but hopefully I can do a little better this coming year.

The categories are:

• Retellings (fairy tales, legends or myths)
• A Book set in a country starting with the letter S (eg. Spain, Sweden, South Africa, Singapore, Slovakia)
• PI Crime (fiction featuring a private investigator)
• A novel published before you were born
• Contemporary Romance
• Fiction for Foodies (fiction featuring food/food related business)
• Microhistory (Nonfiction)
• Science fiction set in space
• Sports (Fiction or nonfiction)
• Featuring diversity
• Epistolary Fiction (fiction written in the format of letters/emails/diary entries)
• Middle Grade/ YA Adventure

Here is what I am going to be reading:

1. Retellings: Ella Enchanted
2. A Book set in a country with the letter S: (Sweden) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
3. PI Crime: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line
4. A Novel Published before I was born: The Age of Innocence
5. Contemporary Romance: Anna and the French Kiss
6. Fiction for Foodies:
7. Microhistory: The Disappearing Spoon
8. Science Fiction set in space: Foundation
9. Sports: '67: the Maple Leafs, their sensational victory, and the end of an empire
10. Featuring Diversity: The Color Purple
11. Epistolary Fiction: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
12. Middle Grade/YA Adventure: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

I will link up my reviews not only here, but also at the link provided by Book'Out at the sign up page.  If you wish to join me, you can do so at Book'Out.

HHhH - Laurent Binet

Title: HHhH
Author: Laurent Binet, Sam Taylor (translator)
Pages: 330
Published: 2012 (first published 2009)
Challenges: I Love Libraries, Eclectic Reading, Historical Fiction
Genre: Historical Fiction, War Fiction, Translation, Literary Fiction
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Library

Description: HHhH: “Himmlers Hirn heisst Heydrich”, or “Himmler’s brain is called Heydrich”. The most dangerous man in Hitler’s cabinet, Reinhard Heydrich was known as the “Butcher of Prague.” He was feared by all and loathed by most. With his cold Aryan features and implacable cruelty, Heydrich seemed indestructible—until two men, a Slovak and a Czech recruited by the British secret service, killed him in broad daylight on a bustling street in Prague, and thus changed the course of History.

Who were these men, arguably two of the most discreet heroes of the twentieth century? In Laurent Binet’s captivating debut novel, we follow Jozef Gabćik and Jan Kubiš from their dramatic escape of Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia to England; from their recruitment to their harrowing parachute drop into a war zone, from their stealth attack on Heydrich’s car to their own brutal death in the basement of a Prague church.

A seemingly effortlessly blend of historical truth, personal memory, and Laurent Binet’s remarkable imagination, HHhH—an international bestseller and winner of the prestigious Prix Goncourt du Premier Roman—is a work at once thrilling and intellectually engrossing, a fast-paced novel of the Second World War that is also a profound meditation on the nature of writing and the debt we owe to history. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I first heard about this novel through Hear...Read This! as one of their first selections and because the book sounded interesting.  I had never heard about Reinhard Heydrich (may have heard his name his name in course of my history courses in university, but it never probably clicked in my head) and once I had received the book, I did some research on him and trust me he was not one you wanted to cross, both in life and in death.

What I liked about the most about the book is that the chapters were very short, mostly about a third to a half page and that you could see the author's thought process, at least I think it was, interjected with a bit of history of the Czech resistance movement.  It was interesting to read a book that took from the Axis side that didn't involved the civilian population.

If there was something that bothered me was that when the author would spend a lot of time in the present and not return to the historical aspect of the book as quickly as I would have liked the author to.

Bottom line: If you are a fan of war fiction, I would highly recommend the book.  Even if you like reading historical fiction that presents something that isn't your typical historical fiction and something more with a literary bent.  Recommended.

Rating: 3.9/5

Pages for 2014: 7073

Princess Elizabeth's Spy - Susan Elia MacNeal

Title: Princess Elizabeth's Spy
Author: Susan Elia MacNeal
Pages: 352
Published: 2012
Challenges: I Love Libraries, Eclectic, Historical Fiction
Genre: Mystery fiction, Historical fiction
Edition: Paperback
Source: Library

Description: As World War II sweeps the continent and England steels itself against German attack, Maggie Hope, former secretary to Prime Minister Winston Churchill, completes her training to become a spy for MI-5. Spirited, strong-willed, and possessing one of the sharpest minds in government for mathematics and code-breaking, she fully expects to be sent abroad to gather intelligence for the British front. Instead, to her great disappointment, she is dispatched to go undercover at Windsor Castle, where she will tutor the young Princess Elizabeth in math. Yet castle life quickly proves more dangerous—and deadly—than Maggie ever expected. The upstairs-downstairs world at Windsor is thrown into disarray by a shocking murder, which draws Maggie into a vast conspiracy that places the entire royal family in peril. And as she races to save England from a most disturbing fate, Maggie realizes that a quick wit is her best defense, and that the smallest clues can unravel the biggest secrets, even within her own family. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I quite enjoyed this read, even though it took me a little longer to read this book than I would have liked (I had other books to complete at the time. which meant that I had to set aside this book).  While it wasn't a book that won't exactly blow one's mind, it definitely did its job and is a example of what I would expect from what is coined as a cozy mystery.  In otherwords, it does its job and doesn't try to be something that its not.  And its the sort of book that one could easily read in a few days and even if you had to put it down for a bit, it wouldn't be hard to pick up the book where you left off.

Bottom line: If you are a fan of cozy mysteries and have read the first book in the series, I would recommend this book.  And even if you haven't read the first book in the series (it wouldn't hurt), the story is separate enough for one to pick up the book and enjoy it and you probably wouldn't lose much, even though there are some things that are related in the book to the first one in the series.  Recommended.

Rating: 4/5

Pages for 2014: 6743

Somewhere in France - Jennifer Robson

Title: Somewhere in France: A Novel of the Great War
Author: Jennifer Robson
Pages: 400
Published: 2013
Challenges: I Love Libraries, War Through the Generations, Historical Fiction, Eclectic Reading
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance
Edition: Paperback
Source: Library

Description: Lady Elizabeth Neville-Ashford wants to travel the world, pursue a career, and marry for love. But in 1914, the stifling restrictions of aristocratic British society and her mother’s rigid expectations forbid Lily from following her heart. When war breaks out, the spirited young woman seizes her chance for independence. Defying her parents, she moves to London and eventually becomes an ambulance driver in the newly formed Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps—an exciting and treacherous job that takes her close to the Western Front.

Assigned to a field hospital in France, Lily is reunited with Robert Fraser, her dear brother Edward’s best friend. The handsome Scottish surgeon has always encouraged Lily’s dreams. She doesn’t care that Robbie grew up in poverty—she yearns for their friendly affection to become something more. Lily is the most beautiful—and forbidden—woman Robbie has ever known. Fearful for her life, he’s determined to keep her safe, even if it means breaking her heart.

In a world divided by class, filled with uncertainty and death, can their hope for love survive. . . or will it become another casualty of this tragic war? (via Goodreads.com)

Thoughts: Saw this book recommended on a blog somewhere (this may be a bit redundant, as most books I read come from blog recommendations) and it intrigued me.  Luckily for me, I was able to get a library copy fairly quickly and hence I was able to finish the book within fairly short order.

What appealed me to the book was the fact that it reminded a lot of the plot line of Downton Abbey and it also appealed to me in that it looked to be a fairly easy read and something that I could read in short order, which I was able to.

Now that I have had sometime to let the book soak in and my thoughts to be properly formulated, I was reminded of Sarah's Key, in that it was a book that I could easily put down for a period of time and pick up just as easily without missing too much of the storyline.

While the book was nothing too memorable, the writing was decent enough and I liked the characters, even if the book became a bit too cliched for my liking.

Bottom line: If you gravitate towards lighter fiction and are a fan of Downton Abbey, I would recommend this read or even if you need something lighter for a bit.  Recommended.

Rating: 3.75/5

Pages for 2014: 4466

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen - Lucy Knisley

Title:  Relish: My Life in the Kitchen
Author:  Lucy Knisley
Pages:  192
Published:  2013
Challenges:  Foodies Read, Nonfiction, I Love Libraries, Eclectic Reader
Genre:  Graphic, Memoir, Nonfiction
Edition:  Paperback
Source:  Library

Description:  A vibrant, food-themed memoir from beloved indie cartoonist Lucy Knisley.

Lucy Knisley loves food. The daughter of a chef and a gourmet, this talented young cartoonist comes by her obsession honestly. In her forthright, thoughtful, and funny memoir, Lucy traces key episodes in her life thus far, framed by what she was eating at the time and lessons learned about food, cooking, and life. Each chapter is bookended with an illustrated recipe—many of them treasured family dishes, and a few of them Lucy's original inventions.  (via Goodreads)

Thoughts:  I can't recall how I had first heard about the book, but however I was able to hear about the book, I am glad I was able to find out about it.  It was a nice break from the heavier reading that I had been taking over the past month or so and really liked the illustrations that graced the book and particularly liked the recipes that ended each chapter.  

I had several favourite sections in the book.  My first favourite was the chapter on Junk food and how she craved it while on a trip with her dad.  I also enjoyed the sections on Mexico and Japan and her adventures there.  I also liked the one on when she and friend had some amazing croissants and how she tried to replicate them after coming back from that particular trip.

Bottom line: Overall, it was an enjoyable read and would consider purchasing a copy or at least request the book again and write/photocopy the recipes that I would be interested in making at some point.  The illustrations were really well done and the story really engaged me as a reader and really liked the small glimpse that I was able to get into Lucy's life and her love of food.  I look forward to whatever Ms. Knisley has in store next.  Recommended.

Rating: 4.25/5

Pages for 2014: 3392

Eclectic Reader Challenge 2014

I was perusing the challenges on A Novel Challenge and this looked interesting.  I don't know what did it for me, but I think it was the categories that were included in the challenge.

To sign up, go to Book'd Out.  Details of the challenge are below copied from the blog:

 In it’s third year, the aim of The Eclectic Reader 2014 Challenge is to push you outside your comfort zone by reading up to 12 books during the year from 12 different categories.

Join in:

• The challenge will run from January 1st to December 31st 2014. Participants may join at any time up until December 1st 2014

• Create a blog post committing to  your participation in this challenge.

*  If you don’t have a blog you are still welcome to sign up. You can create a shelf for the challenge at Goodreads or LibraryThing or a similar site Just include your name and a link to your shelf.

• Post your name, blog name, and the direct link to your challenge post in the Linky using the link below

Click here to enter your link to sign up for the challenge

• Select, read and review a book from each genre listed below during the year for a total of 12 books. A book may be in print, electronic or audio format.

*  You can choose your books as you go or create a list in advance. You may combine this challenge with others if you wish.

*  Where a book is identified by more than one genre eg historical romance, it may only count for either the historical fiction or romantic fiction genres – not both.

*  You can read your chosen titles in any order, at any pace, just complete the challenge by December 31st 2014 to be eligible for the prize drawing.

Categories

1. Award Winning
2. True Crime (Non Fiction)
3. Romantic Comedy
4. Alternate History Fiction
5. Graphic Novel
6. Cosy Mystery Fiction
7. Gothic Fiction
8. War/Military Fiction
9. Anthology
10. Medical Thriller Fiction
11. Travel (Non Fiction)
12. Published in 2014

If you need some ideas for what to read in the above categories I suggest you search Listopia at Goodreads for example click here for a list that includes Alternate History titles

• Each time you read and review a book as part of this challenge, make sure you identify it by adding either a direct statement  and /or the challenge image badge to the post. If you tweet use the tag #eclecticreader or @bookdout

• Share your review with other challenge participants by posting your name/blog name and title of the book with a direct link to your review in the Linky.