Messenger - Lois Lowry

When I was in fourth grade I read a book that I immediately feel in love with. The Giver by Lois Lowry.  I read it many times between then and now, and it is still a favourite of mine. A few years ago I learned that Lowry has since written more books in the series. I admit I was not very excited at first, because I also learned that it was not about Jonas (the main character), and it was him I wanted to learn more about. However last year, while in France, I came across a copy of the second book (Gathering Blue), in Enlgish!, so I had to give it a try.  I really enjoyed it.

So now I have read the third book in the series (with the fourth, and final, sitting next to me).  Messenger follows one of the characters from the second novel and links three main characters together (although without naming one of them). I will admit that when I saw one of the characters again I squealed out loud! I really enjoyed it. Although I did find that the book moved through the story really quickly, I have to remember that it is labelled juvenile fiction, and is aimed at 10 year olds.

Once again Lowry has written a story that has captured my imagination, and I am well past her target age. I only wish I could have read these books when I was back in grade four (although Messenger was not written until 2004).  I recommend this book to anyone who is in its target age (about 8 -13), and anyone who is a fan of The Giver (although read the second one first).  This novel got a 4/5 stars from me!!

Serenity: Better Days - Joss Whedon & Co.

This is the second book in the Serenity series that fills in the gap between the tv show Firefly and the movie Serenity.  I enjoyed reading Better Days, and found that it was better than the first one, though not quite as enjoyable as the third. (I guess this is a case of it gets better as it goes).  One thing that I am enjoying about graphic novels are the graphics. I found these were well drawn and ignited my imagination. They definitely enhanced the story and had a lot of details hidden away in the pages. I found that I could just study the pictures for ages and still enjoy them.

I have not read a lot of graphic novels, outside of the Serenity series, so I do not have a whole lot to compare this to.  This book is different from the other two because it was composed of a bunch of shorter stories, a number of vignettes of a grander story arch (which is the story arch of the whole Firefly world). These stories brought me back into the world of the show. It read like the tv show played, and I rather enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend this to other firefly fans.

Overall I would give it 4/5 stars!

A Stolen Life - Jaycee Dugard

At the young age of 11, Jaycee Dugard was kidnapped and held prisoner for 18 years before she finally escaped with her two daughters. A Stolen Life is her story, her memoir.

This was a hard story to read. What happened to Jaycee was beyond words. I could not fathom what happened, nor how the two responsible could justify it. Yet in the end she is able to forgive her captors and move on, as much as she can, to normal life.  All she wants for her children is a normal life, one that she was never able to have.  I think back to my teens years, and how much I experienced and all the things I would have missed out on had I been missing for 18 years, I would not even be back yet!  My heart breaks and weeps for all that she missed, and all that she went through.

From a more literary/readability standpoint I have to say that this was well written.  She wrote the book from the mind-
frame that she was in at the. Consequently at the beginning it is as if an 11 year old is telling you the story.  Throughout the book she jumps back in, current time, to fill you in on what was happening outside of her life, and reflections based on what she currently knows.  Some people might find this confusing if they have trouble following narrative that does not follow a straight line, however I did not find it to difficult to follow.  I have read memories before that are poorly written, and while you can't fault them for telling their story, they just are not written well enough.  This was definitely NOT the case. It was very well written, even without a ghost writer, and she got her story and message across very well.

I would recommend this book for others to read. I feel that it reminds us that horrible things still happen in our day and age and that we need to pay attention to things that do not feel right or just feels odd. But even while it reminds us of the bad in the world, it also shows us that there is hope.  There is good out there that offsets the bad. Light to outshine the dark.  I give this memoir a 4/5 stars.  I will warn you that the earlier chapters especially are a little graphic, although not so much explicit, it could be a trigger for some people, especially those who have experienced abuse in the past.

Serenity Vol. I & III - Joss Whedon & Co.

There are three graphic novels (I believe) in the Serenity series. These novels fill in the gaps in between the show, Firefly, and the movie, Serenity.  Firefly is a television show created by Joss Whedon that aired in 2002.  It is a space western and only lasted one season, sadly. I started watching these at the end of last year with some friends, and found that they are actually really good. The film, Serenity, was released a few years later and attempted to summarize what happens in the last 5ish seasons of the show, although mostly just how the show would have ended.  There were a lot of gaps. These graphic novels help to fill in the gaps.

I read these books out of order because it was the order I could get them in at the library.  I also did not seem to need to read them in order because there were not really

spoilers crossing one book to the other (I have, after all, seen how it all ends in the movie).

The first graphic novel that Whedon released was called Those Left Behind.  I read this about two weeks ago and already forget what the plot line was.  That really isn't a great sign. All I really remember of it was that it read like an episode of Firefly, which I really enjoyed.  The graphics were different that I am used to, but I still really enjoyed them. They definitely lit up my imagination and helped to create the story.  In this book the crew of Serenity take on a job that turns out to be a trap set by an old enemy, and that is all I can remember. :(  I still give this particular novel a 3/5 because I did enjoy it while reading it, and would definitely read it again.  I think the only problem with graphic novels is that I tend to read them fairly quickly and miss out some of t
he story because of it.  I didn't take the time to read the pictures of this one like I did with the next two.

The third graphic novel of the series is called A Shepherd's Tale and tells the background story of Shepherd Book, and boy was it a background story. I really enjoyed this story. You don't learn a whole lot about Shepherd (a pastor in this future world) in the television show or in the film. In the film you learn that he left the crew and stayed on one of the planets to guide the people.  In the first novel you find out why he decided to stay behind.   This novel handled the background telling different than other books I read. Instead of being a linear regression it told the story backwards. It started with Book's death and then had narratives of what had happened that brought him to that point. Starting with where he was just prior to joining Serenity at the beginning of episode one. The last story was of him as a young man, living at home with his father and what drove him away from there in the first place.

This third novel made me want to go back and re-watch the series because it completely changed how I viewed this character and made me understand him a lot more. That is something that I think a good book should do. It should make you re-think something and make you take a look at it in a different light. And although this book did it through making me re-look at his character in the television series, it still made me look at him in a new light, and by consequence other people I meet. Sometimes when I hear someone's background story it is a little disappointing because it does not truly feel like it fits, but this time it did. For that I give it a 4/5 starts. Much better than the first one, I read it a little slower and truly enjoyed the story line.

The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

I absolutely loved The Night Circus. It is definitely one of my favourite books of the year. I first discovered this book by a YouTuber who gave it an excellent review. It seemed interesting so I placed a hold on it at the library.

Erin Morgenstern crafter a magical novel about circuses, loves, and the consequences of an old rivalry. The Night Circus takes place at the turn of the 20th century. A young girl, sent to live with her father after her mother's death, learns that she has a unique gift that her father intends to train her in. So confident in his daughter's abilities that he challenges an old rival. This challenge is one that they have had many times. Each of them train their protégé in their own unique way. Once the training is complete these students enter a challenge that they have been bound to since childhood, one in which they cannot escape from. The outcome of this challenge is to determine whose method of teaching is better, but the challenge is not as straightforward as that.

Enter the Night Circus. A beautiful and surreal experience for any circus goer. When one enters the night circus they enter a world of black and white. A world of the strange and extraordinary. The patrons of this unique circus never know when it will show up, nor how long it will stay, they can simply enjoy the time that they are given, walking through the grounds, amazed and mystified by all that they see and hear. None of them know that this circus is in fact a stage for a contest, and what they see are the results of the competitors. Not even the circus members themselves know of what is really happening in their world.

Then things start to happen.  It is hard to keep such a competition a secret, and the effects start to leak out and effect those closest to the competitors.

I enjoyed every moment of the story that Morgenstern wrote. A fairy tale as good as those of old. One that I would definitely read again and again.

I gave this novel a 5/5 starts. The first one this year. I would recommend this book to anyone. This book entranced me like none I have read in a while, and probably none I will read for a while yet.

A Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin

A Game of Thrones first came out in the 90s, but has had a resurgence in popularity because of theHBO series based on the books.  I have not seen the series yet, and have not decided if I will or not (there is some sex in the book and I do not particularly want to see those scenes play out). However this book has been on my to-read list for a few years now, and I finally got around to picking it up and reading it.

A Game of Thrones is a fairly long book, but I was happy to find that it did not feel long. The book moved along at a steady pace and I did not find it overwhelmed with either dialogue or description. The part that was hardest to follow along was the lineages. There are a LOT of characters in the books that are all related to each other in some way or other. It was a little hard to keep track of who was on whose side and why, how they were related and what their purpose in the story line was. Thankfully the book had an appendix that laid out the family lineages which made everything a lot easier.

This book is the type of fictional story that I really enjoy. I love reading about other worlds with complex backstories and characters with a lot of depth. I feel that there is much more backstory than I will ever learn even if I ever do finish the series. This actually makes me happy because it makes the world feel so much more real.

For those who do not know the story line it is about this kingdom, which is made up of 7 kingdoms, each ruled by a different family. Back before the book starts the king of this world was usurped and most of his family killed. The only two remaining children were forced to leave their lands and live as paupers.  This book is primarily about the Starks, the family from the north where there is snow even in the summer. Eddard Stark is best friends with the current King and there is something off in the kingdom. Stark is worried about what the Lannisters are up to, thinking they might be trying to steal the kingdom for themselves. The problem: the king's wife is a Lannister.

George R.R. Martin created a fantastical world with Kings and Queens, Knights and Dragons. A world that feels as if it could be real. Although the book was long when I finished it I wished I could start on the sequel immediately, which tells me how good the book actually is. I haven't started the second book yet, mostly because the length is a bit intimidating and I want to catch up on my goal before I start another really long book.

Overall I give Martin's novel a 4/5 stars.  I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy or historical fiction. A great book. :)