Tagged: coming of age

Books

My life as a rhombus by

I don’t tutor high school students.

It’s funny. I’ve never read any books by Justine Larbaleister but I read her blog and when she recommended My life as a rhombus I guess I was feeling in a suggestible mood because I ordered it right then. And I’m glad I did; its a good solid read, engaging enough to make me delay setting out for the train last Friday evening until I finished it. Course then I had to reread the last chapter because I’d skim-read so much of it.

21 October 2009
Books

Skellig by

by David Almond

I’ll be honest, I picked this up because back when I had telly I thought the ads on Sky for the film version looked cool and interesting. And then the book showed up at work. I love it when that happens :)

14 August 2009
Books

Hero by

I grabbed this at work, while wondering if I should catalogue it as a children’s book or as a Young Adult. In the end, I figured it mentions sex, I’ll go...

26 July 2009
Books

Dragonhaven by

I keep having these conversations with Dad.
I’m at my computer. He says, “What are you doing?” I mutter something, because the screen has a lot of squiggles on it so he already knows what I’m doing.

Jake has grown up at the Makepeace Institute of Integrated Dragon Studies. It is one of the last refuges of the only real Dragon, the Draco australiensis and a host of other creatures. But conserving the dragons isn’t everyone’s idea of the right thing to do. Plenty of people think that the day dragons go extinct just can’t come soon enough. But one day Jake comes across a dying female dragon, and the poacher she has just killed, and her one remaining baby dragon.

18 December 2008
Books

The Hero and the Crown by

She could not remember a time when she had not known the story; she had grown up knowing it.

Aerin is the only child of the king of Damar, yet she has never really been accepted there. The story of her mother, witchwoman who enspelled her father, has left her untrusted. Especially by the sol, the aristocracy. But slowly she finds a role and a place for herself. And in the end she is the one who becomes:”(this is not really a spoiler. Cause it is a YA fantasy novel. How do you really expect it to end?)”: both inspiration and legend.

2 November 2008
Books

Purple Hibiscus by

Things started to fall apart at home when my brother, Jaja, did not go to communion and Papa flung his heavy missal across the room and broke the figurines on the étagére.

Kambili, the teenage narrator of the book, is a 15 year old girl. In many ways she lives a priveliged life in Nigeria. Her father owns factories; he is a “big man” in the community. A fact that is brought home to her when she visits her less well off aunt and cousins. But wealth doesn’t equal happiness. Kamibili and her brother Jaja live under the strict rules of their father and his fiercely religious beliefs.

14 August 2008
Books

The Tooth Fairy by

Read for the Once Upon A Time Challenge See also: Author’s Site ; Scooter Chronicles ; SF site ; Tier 3000 I’ve read a few Graham Joyce books at this stage;...

11 May 2008
Books

Poison Study by

Locked in darkness that surrounded me like a coffin, I had nothing to distract me from my memories. Vivid recollections waited to ambush me whenever my mind wandered.

The monarchy of Ixia has recently been overthrown by Commander Ambrose and is now ruled by the Code of Behaviour. Punishments are absolute; there is no leeway or excuse that will save you if you break the rules, whether you simply didn’t wear the correct uniform or killed someone. So Yelena expects nothing but a hanging after she killed the son of a high ranking General. But she is offered a slight chance when she is given the choice of either accepting her hanging or becoming the food-taster for the Commander. She accepts the position, and so is poisoned to ensure her loyalty, she’ll need access to the antidote that only Valek, the Commander’s second-in-command can provide.

29 November 2007
Moving Pictures / Reviews

Sixty Six dir. by

It is the summer of 1966, and Bernie Reuben is looking forward to his Bar Mitzvah. All his life he has been overlooked and forgotten, by his family and by everyone...

4 November 2006
Books

Shaman’s Crossing by

Book #1 The Soldier Son ISBN: 0007196148 RobinHobb.com I remember well the first time I saw the magic of the plainspeople I’m a big fan of Hobb’s Fittz books, so I...

15 July 2006
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