My Thoughts: American Gods by Neil Gaiman

"Shadow had done three years in prison. He was big enough, and looked don't fuck-with-me enough that his biggest problem was killing time. So he kept himself in shape, and taught himself coin tricks, nd thought a lot about how much he loved his wife."


The moment Shadow is released from prison his life changes, his wife is dead having been killed in a car crash is a compromising position with his best friend, and on the way to her funeral he meets a man who will change his world.


Shadow suddenly becomes the employee of Wednesday half god/half con man. He runs every time this man calls taking him on various jobs across the States, and meeting a number of random gods. In every place he travels he meets gods from each of the countries that Americans originated from, all brought over by the beliefs of migrants and many forgotten by the current breed of Americans.


And that's not all he has to deal with: His undead wife keeps returning asking to be brought to life. Oh, yeah and...


"...all the gods that people have ever imagined are still with us... And that there are new gods out there, gods of computers and telephones and whatever, and that they all seem to think there isn't room for them both in the world. And that some kind of war is kins of likely."


The story of Shadow and of the war of the gods is interspersed with my favorite chapters, those from the past which show the arrival of migrants and gods arriving to the shores of America, my most favorite being the chapter entitled 'Coming to America' about twin African children sold to slave traders and shipped to America, that language just pulls you right in, and you feel like you have stepped into another novel.
Challenges:
999 (Fantasy)
A-Z: Author
The Dream King 1/12
The Genre Challenge 4/10
Fourth Annual NaJuReMoNoMo 3/5
The Chunkster Challege (640 pages) 1/6
Other Reviews worth checking out:
A Striped Armchair
Rhinoa's Ramblings

Chunkster Chllenge 09

The Chunkster Challenge

*A chunkster is 450 pages or more of ADULT literature (fiction or
nonfiction) Don't complain folks, I read all thousands of pages of the
Twilight series and they were good, but not a challenge.
A chunkster should be a challenge.
*If you read large type
books your book will need to be 525 pages or more I asked around and
the average LT book is 10-15% longer or more so I think that was a fair
estimate.
*No Audio books in the chunkster. It just doesn't seem
right. Words on paper for this one folks.
* You may start any time after
signing up. You must complete your reads before or on Nov 15th.
*Short
Stories and Essay collections will not be counted.
*Books may crossover
with other challenges (see option 4 for a collaborative effort
with TBR challenge)
*Only option 4 requires that you make a set
list of books to complete the challenge
Those are the basics. Here are your
options:
*The Chubby Chunkster - this option is for the reader who
has a large tome or two to read, but really doesn't want to commit to more than
that. 2 books is all you need to finish this challenge.
*Do These Books
Make my Butt Look Big? - this option is for the slightly heavier reader who
wants to commit to 3-5 Chunksters over the next ten
months.
*Mor-book-ly Obese - This is for the truly out of
control chunkster. For this level of challenge you must commit to 6 or
more chunksters OR three tomes of 750 pages or more. You know you want
to.....go on and give in to your cravings.

And lastly, in an
intriguing collaboration with the wildly popular Miz B of the TBR Challenge we
have:
*Too Big To Ignore Anymore - this option is for
those chunksters on your TBR list. You may select any number
of books over 450 pages but you must LIST THEM to complete the challenge and
they must be on your TBR list as well (honor code folk, I don't have
time to be the challenge police)
Please sign Mr. Linky with the DIRECT LINK
to your blog post about this challenge!

I'm going for option 3 as I think I will easily read 6 if not more chunksters, infact I'm reading one at the moment - The Northern Clemeny, a 750 page brick of a book. I'm not going to list my books I'll just add them as I read them.

My Thoughts: The Tales of the Beedle and the Bard.

Do you ever build books up too much before you get around to reading them and then feel let down?

Now I know that had this book been by a different author, hadn't had a slight link to a series I loved I would have regarded it much more highly.
As with the Harry Potter books I expected to start this and not put it down until the very last word. I expected to feel like a little kid again lost in another world. I expected that this book would remain a favorite.
It was ok.
That's probably unfair. I did enjoy some of the little stories, and they are good little alternative fairy tales and I will keep the book so when I have kids I have some slightly sinister fairy tales for them to read, but this only gets 3 stars out of 5 for me.

Have you read it? What did you think?

Challenges:

A-Z (AUTHOR) (1/26)

999 (Fairy tales) (2/81)

Fourth Annual NaJuReMoNoMo (book 2)

Challenge Addict Alert

I wish people would stop creatig irresistable challenges. The Dream King Challenge is all about my 2008 discovery, Neil Gaiman.

The Rules (Copy and Pasted)
The Dream King Challenge will run from 1 January 2009 - 31 December 2009. You can join at any time during the year.This is a partial list of Neil's works that I've compiled. Use it to help you choose your level of participation.
There are four different levels:
Neophyte: Read one work and watch one movie
Acolyte: Read three works (from three different categories) and watch one movie
Devotee: Read six works (from six different categories) and watch one movie
Zealot: Read twelve works (from at least six different categories) and watch one movie

There will also be mini-challenges (with prizes!) and other fun activities during the year. Re-reads are okay - I'm sure a lot of us have already read a few of Neil's books before. This challenge can (and will!) overlap with other challenges. I would suggest J. Kaye's Young Adult Reading Challenge and Laza's Graphic Novel Challenge. If you'd like to join, leave a comment below or send an email to xjessideex [at] gmail [dot] com. I'll send you an invitation to post on the blog.

I'm going for Devotee, he is on many lists already. This is what I am hoping read:
Comics/Graphic Novels:
Stardust or Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnals

Movies:
Beowulf

Novels:
American Gods (I am half way through already)
Anansi Boys

Short Stories:
Smoke and Mirrors

Young Adult:
The Day I swapped Dad for Two Goldfish

Others:
Probably Now We Are Sick ( A poetry collection)

And I'll have to find an Audiobook as my last one.

My Thoughts: Beauty by Robin McKinley

McKinley has taken the classic fairytale Beauty and the Beast and reworked it into her own tale, presenting it to a new audience. I was really worried that this would be a modern take on the fairy tale, in a modern world, but I had nothing to worry about this book is set far enough back in history to contain the magic of a fairytale.
Beauty (an ungainly teenager) is removed from a life of poverty and a loving family when her father one day picks her a rose from the Beasts castle. She has to choose to live with the beast or give her father's life. Like any dutiful daughter it is her freedom which she chooses to forsake.
McKinley's depiction of the Beast's castle is mesmerising, I felt like I was back as a kid again, marvelling at Bedknobs and Broomsticks or Cinderella (can't ever recall having seen Beauty and the Beast - think Disney rereleased it when I was a teen and to cool to be watching stuff like that :rolleyes: The dishes fill themselves, she is dressed and pampered by invisible servants, and the ground of the castle change daily so she is never bored. She also has our fantasy library, more books than you could ever read, and it contains books not yet published, a view of the future she will not live to see.
Yes we all know how this story has to end, and McKinley sticks very close to the story, yet I was still wishing she would go back to him quickly before he faded away.
This may be kids fiction but definately is a must for anyone who loved/loves a happy ending and a fantasy world. Great for 9 year olds but also those of us who wish to escape to a magical world for a few hours. I'll definately be checking out her other books.

Challenges:

Fourth Annual NaJuReMoNoMo 1/5

999 Challenge 2/81

YA fiction 1/12

A-Z Challenge: Title 1/26

Other Reviews worth checking out:

Things Mean a Lot

Raidergirl 3

Rhiona's Ramblings

Have you reviewed this? If so pop a link to your review in the comments section

Exploration: Latin American Fiction - Reviews Here!

The aim of this challenge is to read 4 Latin American books between now and the 30th April, if you haven't signed up go here for more info.
And we now have a gorgeous button (above) made by Bethany - thanks so much!
Leave links to your reviews here in the comments section and I'll add them to this post.

Reviews:
Malinche by Laura Esquivel Reviewed by Ex Libris
In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alveraz, Reviewed by Richard

Rescue Challenge starts today! Reviews here

The Rescue Challenge starts today, why not make your new years resolution to read some of those neglected books on your TBR pile (or mountain if your anything like me). You just have to aim to read between 3 - 6 books. Books can count for other challenges. Leave links to your reviews and/or progress in the comments section here - Mr Linky doesn't like me so I can't get that working.
Want to sign up go here