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The Ring of Solomon

The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud.
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH;(November 2, 2010)
ISBN-10: 1423123727 
...then as the book arrived and I was setting it atop my horrendous tbr pile I began to wonder...
Could Stroud really capture the essence of Bartimaeus once again?  Could he find the same insulting humor in the djinni as he once had?

I feared I'd be disappointed so I read a few other books before I finally picked up The Ring of Solomon.

I didn't have to read too long before I knew without a doubt that Bartimaeus was back in all his glory!   I smiled and chuckled and even laughed at times while reading this book... Jonathan Stroud had done it again! He had successfully given me yet another fun book to read!

I will keep it with the trilogy and read it again one day.
If you read the first trilogy let me put your mind to rest and tell you that I promise you will like this book too!

No, it does not take place in England as the trilogy did.  But that doesn't matter.  What does matter is Bartimaeus has returned once again, and if Jonathan Stroud is smart (and I think he is) ..he won't "release" Bartimaeus, but keep him as his slave for more books to come!

Any book he writes that has Bartimaeus in it, is a book I will buy, devour and totally enjoy!
Thanks Mr. Stroud ! I hope I haven't seen the last of that particular djinni !!

posted by DesLily | 7:17 AM | 5 comments 
The Book of Air & Shadows

The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber.
Publisher: William Morrow;(March 27, 2007)
ISBN-10: 0060874465 
I felt as if I kept loosing who was being talked about and where did this one come from etc.. but I persisted!  The book was broken up a bit with ciphered letters at the end of most of the chapters. In the beginning, reading them can be quite a challenge, but after a bit I could read them without a problem. (except they were italic and I hate reading pages of italic.)
And I will say I liked the idea of this story even if it isn't a new one and  as many mysteries do, the last 1/4 of the book came alive with action and I was pleased with the ending.

I think others who don't have the difficulty I seem to have with too many names will find this quite a decent read, so I don't want to leave you all thinking it's a "stinker".. it's not.  But I do feel I kept loosing touch with the book, putting it down and not rushing to pick it up again. (that and finishing making the afghan probably had something to do with it..heh)

My reading is about as fast a molasses flowing  in winter!  I can't believe this is only my second book in January! Needless to say I won't be posting a "what I read in January" post!

posted by DesLily | 7:29 AM | 9 comments 

Publisher: Little, Brown Books(September 14, 2010)
ISBN-10: 031605609X 
Funke takes readers on a new adventure into a magical place where the dark side of fairy tales holds sway. Jacob Reckless, like his father before him, escapes into the Mirrorworld, and all is well until his younger brother, Will, follows him in and falls under the enchantment of the Dark Fairy. Through an injury, she turns him slowly into a Goyl, a person made of stone. Jacob is determined to rescue his brother and restore him to himself. Accompanied by his companion, a shape-shifter girl/vixen named Fox, and Will's girlfriend, Clara, Jacob journeys with Will to find the antidote to the spell. With a large cast, including a dwarf, powerful fairies born from water, deadly moths, man-eating sirens, unicorns, and the terrifying Tailor with fingers ending in blades and needles, the story includes multiple fairy-tale motifs as the characters grapple with fear and despair while on their seemingly hopeless quest. The action picks up midway through the book and races to an exciting climax. Despite some loose plotting and broadly drawn characters, readers are pulled into the thrill of the story. The themes of guilt, responsibility, abandonment, and love, in the context of the many dangers in the Mirrorworld, contribute to a serious tone. Ultimately the characters keep faith with what matters most to each of them.

Cornelia Funke has to go down as one of the best story tellers there are.  She is fantastic.
This book is a young persons book but she still has ways of making her story interesting to even old folks like me.

Now, I'm not saying that I love, love, love this book.  I am afraid she spoiled me on the Inkheart series and this doesn't come close to that. But it still was enjoyable.  I wouldn't say it's for everyone, but as a YA book it's very very good. (in my opinion that is)

What I found a nice touch was that every so often a "fairy tale" is mentioned, such as Snow White and Rapunzel, I thought it was quite clever how she did it.

I am sorry I took so long to finish reading this book.. I was being torn between the book and crocheting (still crocheting ) and even television, which i generally share with reading and it's not a problem.

In all honest here I have to say that this read for a younger person quite a bit more then Inkheart did.  So if you liked Inkheart and you think you might like this book.. well.. you might but I don't think it's up to Inkheart standards.

But I'm still glad I read it.  I'm glad to remember what a really excellent story teller Cornelia Funke is.

posted by DesLily | 12:15 PM | 6 comments