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..)

Julia Blackburn: With Billie

WITH BILLIE by Julia Blackburn (2005) is an arrangement of interviews which Linda Kuehl did in the early 1970ies – shortly before she committed suicide. These interviews are from several persons who knew Billie Holiday, the fantastic jazz singer also known as Lady Day who died at the age of 44. These interviews were used several times since then when anyone started to work on anything about Lady – as her friends called her.

I believe that you can’t know a person thoroughly – and I do believe that there is nothing existing like "the one and only truth" when it comes to people and their life. It is like looking trough a kaleidoscope: Everyone has another angle on looking on another one. No one sees exactly the same thing another does.

So this book is partly contradictory. It is like an arrangement of mini biographies about this people with anecdotes of Billie in it – but it is a great read about the jazz scene and of course Billie Holiday!

When I am reading (auto-) biographies I am immediately becoming the friend of the person, who is the certain character. This makes my circle of friends very glamorous. ;”)

Back to the book: I would not recommend this book to you if you are a complete Billie Holiday beginner: Because of these several persons who are all telling their story, it is not always in chronological order. So in the end, you could have trouble to remember how often Billie Holiday was arrested and when she was where. This is really a confusing book if you do not know anything about Billie Holiday or the "jazz people" from that era.

Another thing that is not like I hoped for: There is only one picture of Lady in it. (At least in the German edition -which has the same cover as seen here - with the chihuahua in it. - She had several - and a boxer named Mister.) and with this entire people in the book I think that some pictures would have helped to get the dramatis personae clear. Besides that: I love pictures.. :")

Even if you have never heard before of Billie Holiday or simply dislike her and her music and intend to stay uninterested: You should know this song – so please: Spare a little time with this amazing piece of music and social criticism:

• Living literally: Wear a white gardenia, red nail polish and use Maybelline cosmetics if you like to. And of course: Listen to one of the greatest voices of Jazz: Billie Holiday!!

I am a huge fan of Billie Holiday and I am going to read several other books about her - so, if you are interested: Please visited this blog now and then.. To everyone who can’t stand her: There will be some time between the Billie posts.. ;”)

WITH BILLIE fits in one of my challenges: The LGBT challenge – because there are several indications of Billie’s lesbian affaires.

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:

LGBT Book Challenge 2011

So - yes, another challenge.. Makes three. :")

This one is hosted by Brighton Blogger whose blog is Book after Book. The name of the challenge is LGBT Book Challenge 2011 - and I got to confess that I stumbled over LGBT because I did not know what this means. :") Well, now I know - and I am signing in. Here're the rules (I copied them from Brighton Blogger's Blog.):

• 
  
  The challenge will run from January, 1st 2011 to December, 31st 2011


• 
  
  Because I’m also completing another challenge, I’m not setting a goal. You can decide how many books you want to read during the year. Obviously: the more you read, the more prize draws you’ll be able to enter! See the section “Resources” below for some suggestions.


• 
  
  What qualifies as LGBT reading? I will accept reviews of books whose author is LBGT, whose topic is LGBT and/or whose characters (even minor ones) are LGBT. Fiction and non-fiction titles are equally accepted.


• 
  
  The challenge is open to bloggers and non bloggers alike.


• 
  
  There will be monthly prizes for participants.

Brighton Blogger did not set a goal but I think I will be heading for at least 5 books - and hope that I'll be able to connect them with the other two challenges I am participating in.. :")

1. ASH by Malinda Lo (2009)

2. WITH BILLIE by Julia Blackburn (2005)

3. THE WAR AGAINST MISS WINTER by Kathryn Miller Haines (2007)

4. VALLEY OF THE DOLLS by Jacqueline Susann (1966)

5. HEX HALL by Rachel Hawkins (2010)

Uhm, now it's February and I have already five books? Well, I think I will go on - let's see what this year will bring ;"):

6. DEMONGLASS (HEX HALL ; 2) by Rachel Hawkins (2011)

7. ALL-NIGHT PARTY by Andrea Barnet (2001)

Yay, this is going to be a great year!!! :")