Meridian by Amber Kizer

I pick books for the most strange reasons.. Amber Kizer likes to bake and loves the smell of lilies.. (At least so says a little piece of information about her in the German version of the book I am about to review now..) Well.. Enough reason for me to pick up a book by her which sounded also interesting (Hey - I might be strange but I am not crazy..): MERIDIAN (2009).

On her 16th birthday Meridian learns that it is no coincidence at all that so many animals are dying near to her - she is a Fenestra which means she is a link between life and death. Through her the souls of dying creatures find their way to heaven. (Well.. you might have guessed it since "fenestra" is latin for "window"..) By now it were just small creatures but very soon also the souls of human beings will start to look for a way through her - and as long as she is not fully educated it could kill her. Besides that before her education is finished also the Aternocti could turn her into one of them. They are more kind of a dark fenestra version and who won't be considerate of Meridian's family.. So she leaves her home to live with her grandaunt Merry - who is an old Fenestra and will train her.

That her grandaunt Merry is always near when people die and that a little girl does her last breath in Meridian's arms is more than just annoying religious fanatics - so they call for kind of a witch-hunt. Also not good for Meridian that Merry's own lifetime is close to an end and time is short to finish her training. Lucky for her that gruff Tens and his wolf Custos will look after her.. 

~ The Turkish cover.. I like it.. reminds me of TV series Charmed.. ~

This book is the first of the Fenestra series - but it is also understandable even if you do decide to not read on for it has kind of an end. An open end - but still no cliffhanger.. Which is actually a thing I like about this book for I am not too sure whether I go on reading this series or not.. (I put the follow up on my wish list so universe is going to decide for me.. that's a cheap solution.. but I might say it works.. and just by the way in Germany the second book was just released last year and whether next book will follow or not is yet to see.. ) I was a bit disappointed because I had the feeling one could have get more from that witch hunt plot.. well.. yes.. it is a series.. so maybe I should.. hm... 

Frankly I had a bit trouble to relate to the characters - though I like that Meridian suffers from chronic pain because of the souls going through her. Not because I want her to suffer of course - but there are few heroes/heroines who suffer from chronic pain and so this really was a big plus. And for sure I love the German cover (actually the cover photo is used quite often here.. I found at least two other books using it..) - I think the girl looks a little bit like Penélope Cruz.. What do you think?

~ The German title means: Meridian - dark embrace ~

Again - I am unsure whether I will read this series on or not.. well.. maybe.. at some sunny day..

I read in it 2011 for last years READ OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE CHALLENGE - and that it was.. 

Thank you very much for reading!

Irene

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Have you ever picked a book because of it's cover - and it's title? I do that frequently.. And I also did it when I decided to read MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN by Ransom Riggs (2011).

In a nut-shell:

Jacob listens a lot to his grandfather who tells him stories about his childhood in a home for peculiar children - and monster which where after them. When Jacob grows up to be a teenager he notices that those stories are more likely chiffred stories of grandfather's life as a jewish child in a children's home during WWII - but then his grandfather dies in a gruesome way - and Jacob is sure that he saw one of the monsters there - but: did he really? Or is he going to loose his mind? Now he tries to find out - and together with his father (a hobby ornithologist) he travels to the Welsh island where the children's home was..  there might still be some of those peculiar children.. - maybe..

~ picture from the book - source: The Globe and Mail ~

A very fast read - nothing which is too high brow - or will make you think too much.. Frankly there were at least two occasions in this book which almost made my flesh creep.. But I am not really a tough reader.. So most of you might just smile a bit snotty now.. - so this might really be NOT scary at all for you..

I just adore those old photographs in this books. (like the one of the cover..) In my opinion there could have been more of them.. Well.. Actually I am collecting old pictures - because I like to think about the stories behind them..

Have a look at the German cover - which is very much like the original - I like both covers - but maybe I like it a tiny bit more in green.. :

~ the German title means: The island of the peculiar children ~

This book is one of at least two books.. And I think I will read the second book too - though I fear it won't be as nice as this one..

But the best thing just before I end this post: Apparently my favourite recent director Tim Burton is thinking about doing an adaptation for this!! Can't wait to watch that one!!

Your's very well and truly

Irene

Rachel Hawkins: Demonglass

DEMONGLASS (2011) is the 2nd book in Rachel Hawkins’ HEX HALL series.

~ I try to avoid spoilers, but here this is not really possible. So, please: If you like to read the first book and don’t want to have it spoiled ignore the following part. Thank you. ~

In a nutshell:

Sophia “Sophie” Mercer has found out that she is a demon and now she spends the summer with her friends Jenna (a lesbian Vampire) and Cal (the gardener of Hex Hall) in England with her father. She wants to get rid of her magic but this is a dangerous thing to do, so her family and friends are not happy about this. And: there is another thing that brought her to the UK: Archer, whom she loves and who appeared to be a demon hunter was seen in London several times.

As you may remember I liked the first book very much – this time I am not that excited: The second book is less funny. Or it is the German translation which in parts made me ... sigh. Yes, it made me sigh. Maybe I expected to much? Anyhow, this book is a nice read in between. I still like it and want to read the following book(s?).

I love Jenna and want to know what happened to her – this book ends with the meanest cliffhanger ever!! :”)

The German title is “DUNKLE MAGIE” (which means: Dark Magic) and even the cover is this time not as pretty as the first one was. (Really, I think it is ME not the book..)

DEMONGLASS fits into


The Read Outside Your Comfort Zone Challenge 2011,


because I am generally no YA and fantasy reader.




and also into



The LGBT Book Challenge 2011

because of my favourite character Jenna, the lesbian vampire.

Rachel Hawkins: Hex Hall

I picked HEX HALL (2010) by Rachel Hawkins simply because of the (German) cover - and because this year I am reading outside my comfort zone.

In a nutshell:

USA. Young witch Sophie Mercer is - after one of her spells went wrong - sent to a magical reform school: Hecate Hall (called Hex Hall) in Georgia.

She immediately fells for Archer - an attractive Warlock - and also almost immediately gets in trouble with three other witches and some teachers.

Her best friend and roommate Jenna - a vampire with a fondness for everything pink - gets in trouble too - in really, really deep trouble: One witch died before Sophie arrived in Hex Hall and an other is now attacked - and it seemed like the malefactor was a vampire - bad times for beeing the only vampire among the pupils.. And it was not the last attack towards a witch on Hex Hall...

Let's make it short: I loved it. Well, sometimes I was a bit annoyed by the extremely-cool-youth-language but that was not that bad. And: It is was very funny to read it. I love the characters - and I am going to read the second book from the HEX HALL SERIES too.

Here is the German cover:

The German edition has an added title: WILDER ZAUBER (= wild sortilege).

This book fits in two of my challenges:

The Read Outside of your Comfort Zone Challenge 2011

- because I don't read Ya and/ or fantasy that often


and

The LGBT Book Challenge 2011

because my favourite character Jenna is a lesbian vampire. I did not know that and so I did not pick this book on purpose for this challenge.

Actually this main-character-is-a-witch-and-her-best-friend-is-a-lesbian reminds me of HEX a UK TV-Series - where the best friend is a lesbian ghost. (And also my favourite character..)

Malinda Lo: Ash

ASH by Malinda Lo (2009) is the first book, which I read to come out of my comfort zone and which also fits into the LGBT Book Challenge.

In a nutshell: Aisling’s father dies shortly after he had married again. Aisling, called Ash, now has to live with her stepmother and stepsisters who treat her like a slave. Than the prince gives a ball…

- Wait! Does this remind you of something? Well, you’re right: This is kind of a Cinderella story. But - :

Ash knows from old fairytales that fairies are used to take human beings with them – without a possibility return. From Ash’s point of view this sounds very alluring. She finally finds Sidhean, a male fairy, who is interested. But then Ash meets Kaisa, the royal huntress, who is quite fascinating…

Fans of fairytales may be enchanted to hear that there are some fairytales told in this book – I had some trouble with it, because it slowed the tempo of the novel down.

What I liked best was that in this book lesbian relationships are nothing irregular. Most books about women who fell for other women focus on the problems with the persons around them. In this case it is completely different: It’s a full acceptance of their sexuality – though there is not much sexuality in this book. ;”) But: Imagine how relaxed the world would be if this part of difficulties would vanish. Yes, a drop in the ocean, I know - but we got to start somewhere when we want universal peace, haven't we? ;")

Malinda Lo (<- here is the link to her webside) lives with her partner in Northern California. This is her debut novel.

Talking of Cinderella: Every Christmas Season German television stations broadcast the Czech movie of 1973: Tři oříšky pro Popelku (=Three nuts for Cinderella - UK title: Three wishes for Cinderella) – which I LOVE. I fell madly for Libuše Šafránková who played Cinderella and I still love this melody: