Saturday, September 27, 2008

Mistress of Spices by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni


Rating: 4/5


Review: This is an enchanting tale about a woman who is bound by her oath to use her spices to help people in need and to never have desires of her own. Of course, she inevitably falls for a young man, and trouble soon follows. The book is quite different from the movie, however. In the movie, Tilo is young and beautiful, whereas in the book, she his old through the majority of it. The secondary characters are pretty much the same, though, and her relationship with the spices was portrayed well in the movie. The book is full of magic and wonder. The author has a beautiful way of describing each scene, and helping the reader to see through Tilo's eyes. Her descriptions and her words make me want to know more about these spices of which she writes, and to explore further the wonders of Indian culture.


Book Description: Magical, tantalizing, and sensual, The Mistress of Spices is the story of Tilo, a young woman born in another time, in a faraway place, who is trained in the ancient art of spices and ordained as a mistress charged with special powers. Once fully initiated in a rite of fire, the now immortal Tilo--in the gnarled and arthritic body of an old woman--travels through time to Oakland, California, where she opens a shop from which she administers spices as curatives to her customers. An unexpected romance with a handsome stranger eventually forces her to choose between the supernatural life of an immortal and the vicissitudes of modern life. Spellbinding and hypnotizing, The Mistress of Spices is a tale of joy and sorrow and one special woman's magical powers.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris


Rating: 5/5


Review: The book is definitely not quite as raunchy as the tv show on HBO that has been based on it (seriously, what is up with HBO and raunchy sex). Sookie Stackhouse is an interesting character in that she can hear other people's thoughts and inner most desires. This is something she's had to live with all of her life, and it gets pretty overwhelming at times. In walks Bill the vampire, and her life is changed forever. She can't hear his thoughts, and the quiet she has with his presence is amazing to her. Vampire Bill is interesting enough, but I was more intrigued by Sam, Sookie's shapechanging boss. He's been in love with her for some time, but he's never wanted to do anything about it until she falls for a vampire. Sookie can't read his thoughts either, by the way. I see a love triangle forming here. The story is fun, sometimes very dark, and often creepy and mysterious. I will certainly have to continue this series.


Book Description: Sookie Stackhouse is just a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. Until the vampire of her dreams walks into her life-and one of her coworkers checks out....Maybe having a vampire for a boyfriend isn't such a bright idea.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine


Rating: 5/5
Review: This was a wonderful story, and much better then the movie, which I loved. Ella has far more troubles and adventures in this book, and there are a few things that the movie portrayed that didn't happen in the book. The ending was very sweet. I loved Ella's personality, her bravery, and her kindness. This will definitely have to go down on my wishlist, as I would certainly read it again and again.
Book Description: 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? Against a bold tapestry of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella's quest to break the curse once and for all and discover who she really is is as sharply funny as Catherine, Called Birdy and as richly poignant as Beauty, and has all the marks of a classic in the making.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Wizard's Hall by Jane Yolen

Rating: 5/5

Review: This was a great little book. If you love fantasy and you're ever in the need for a fast read, I highly reccomend it. The story had a hint of Harry Potter, but it has plenty of it's own original elements too.

Book Description: Poor Henry. It’s not enough that his mother has sent him away from home to learn magic. It’s not enough that everyone at his new school calls him Thornmallow because he’s “prickly on the outside, squishy within.” It’s not enough that the only talent he shows at Wizard’s Hall is an ability to make messes of even the simplest spells. Now, when Wizard’s Hall is threatened by a cruel sorcerer’s fearsome beast, it is up to Henry--er, Thornmallow--to figure out how to save not only his new friends but also the entire school for wizards.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson


Rating: 5/5


My Review: This was an excellent piece of fantasy. It was unique, interesting, mysterious, and fun. As always, I love to read about strong women, and Sarene is that and more. She's a wonderful main character in this story who isn't afraid of standing up to anyone. She wishes to be loved, but will not change her ways just to get it. Raoden is a fallen prince who must find the power within himself in order to truly be free. The struggles and triumphs of these two would-be lovers is a thrilling experience I know fans of fantasy will enjoy. It's a book for everyone.


Book Description: Elantris was the capital of Arelon: gigantic, beautiful, literally radiant, filled with benevolent beings who used their powerful magical abilities for the benefit of all. Yet each of these demigods was once an ordinary person until touched by the mysterious transforming power of the Shaod. Ten years ago, without warning, the magic failed. Elantrians became wizened, leper-like, powerless creatures, and Elantris itself dark, filthy, and crumbling.Arelon's new capital, Kae, crouches in the shadow of Elantris. Princess Sarene of Teod arrives for a marriage of state with Crown Prince Raoden, hoping -- based on their correspondence -- to also find love. She finds instead that Raoden has died and she is considered his widow. Both Teod and Arelon are under threat as the last remaining holdouts against the imperial ambitions of the ruthless religious fanatics of Fjordell. So Sarene decides to use her new status to counter the machinations of Hrathen, a Fjordell high priest who has come to Kae to convert Arelon and claim it for his emperor and his god. But neither Sarene nor Hrathen suspect the truth about Prince Raoden. Stricken by the same curse that ruined Elantris, Raoden was secretly exiled by his father to the dark city. His struggle to help the wretches trapped there begins a series of events that will bring hope to Arelon, and perhaps reveal the secret of Elantris itself.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen


Rating: 5/5


Review: This was a great book about a woman who was horribly betrayed, and works on getting revenge with the help of a guy who saved her life. There's a bit of humor here amd there, and the storyline moves swiftly from scene to scene. The characters were well developed, and the heroine of the novel was wonderfully spirited and sarcastic. I'll definitely have to check out more by this author.


Book Description: Chaz Perrone might be the only marine scientist in the world who doesn’t know which way the Gulf Stream runs. He might also be the only one who went into biology just to make a killing, and now he’s found a way–doctoring water samples so that a ruthless agribusiness tycoon can continue illegally dumping fertilizer into the endangered Everglades. When Chaz suspects that his wife, Joey, has figured out his scam, he pushes her overboard from a cruise liner into the night-dark Atlantic. Unfortunately for Chaz, his wife doesn’t die in the fall.Clinging blindly to a bale of Jamaican pot, Joey Perrone is plucked from the ocean by former cop and current loner Mick Stranahan. Instead of rushing to the police and reporting her husband’s crime, Joey decides to stay dead and (with Mick’s help) screw with Chaz until he screws himself.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Behind Again

Well, I've been rather busy lately, so I've gotten behind again.
Here's what I read since my last entry:

Haunted Ground by Erin Hart (Good)
Affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cosy by James Anderson (Very Good)
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen (Very Good)