Monthly Archives: November 2012

Friday 30th November – Austenland, reviewed by Mrs V.

This book comes into the category of guilty pleasures for me – it is Chick Lit, but definitely the very best kind of Chick Lit!

Jane Hayes has a bit of difficulty finding a man, because none of them live up to her expectations. Jane is completely obsessed with Mr Darcy, but not just the character in the novel Pride and Prejudice, oh no, he has to specifically be the Mr Darcy portrayed by Colin Firth in the BBC production of Pride and Prejudice.

Her Great Aunt (who knows all about it because she found Jane’s copy of P&P hidden in a plant pot) leaves her a holiday in a Jane Austen theme park in her will, so Jane goes along, but discovers that actually living as a woman in Austen’s period is not nearly the same thing as reading or daydreaming about it. But, amongst the top-boots and fans, will she find true love?

I loved this book because…

It made me giggle.
It was a really quick read.
I’ve got just a tiny bit of a Mr Darcy/Colin Firth crush myself!

Austenland is by Shannon Hale, Pride and Prejudice is by Jane Austen.

Thursday 29th November – The Book Thief reviewed by BM

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The Book Thief, I thought, was a brilliantly well written book. After a few chapters I fell completely in love with it. The whole concept of the story totally drew me in. Based in War World II, the book begins with a introduction by the darkest story teller of them all. Death. ( Known by friends as The Grim Reaper ) The book tells the tale of little German girl, Liesel and her struggle of growing up in Nazi Germany. This was an utterly wonderful book and I recommend it to all.

The Book Thief is by Marcus Zusak

Wednesday 28th November – Game of Thrones, reviewed by JMc

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Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin, is a unique spin on the historical era of the 11th – 15th century. It mainly evolves around several different characters whom are all brilliant in many different ways.

With nail-biting moments and emotional content, Game of Thrones will have you on the edge of your seats!

But this doesn’t stop here, oh no! Following this great success, Martin has released a further 6 books along with a 7th and an 8th following after that! This series is amongst the many other series (different from Game of Thrones), that this stunning author has conjured from his amazing imagination, naming this one as A Song of Ice and Fire. This has been a great success and I hope that anyone who dares to pick up and read this fantastic will be stunned and engrossed in this book as I have been.

Game of Thrones is by George R. R. Martin

Tuesday 27th November – Until I Die reviewed by ND

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Until I Die is a grippng tale about a deadly fight for love. Kate Mercier has a difficult relationship with gorgeous undead boyfriend Vincent. Vincent is the typical supernatural “monster”, but don’t let that put you off. This book is about a creature you’ve probably never heard of before now – a revenant. Basically, they reanimate three days after they die by sacrificing their own life to save another. They spend the rest of eternity saving human lives to survive (I guess they turn into dust otherwise, whatever).

But Kate is mortal and Vincent will outlive her by several centuries, so they go searching for a solution to save their undying love (no pun intended). Unfortunately, the bad guys – numa, who die betraying someone and spend the rest of eternity killing innocent people – are out to destroy Vincent for good. Much more exciting than your typical love story. WARNING: SECOND BOOK IN SERIES. BOOK 1 IS DIE FOR ME. READ THAT ONE FIRST.

Until I Die is by Amy Plum and is the second book in the Revenants series.

Monday 26th November – Book Week Scotland

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This week is Book Week Scotland 2012, so all the posts this week will be about books – my team of reviewers have been very busy reading and then writing about the books they enjoy, and they will be sharing their book reviews with you all week.

We’re going to start off with a review of our Book of the Week, the latest Diary of a Wimpy Kid book – The Third Wheel, by Jeff Kinney, reviewed by CS.

The Third Wheel is soooo funny! I am addicted to Wimpy Kid books, so I was really pleased when I saw that there was a new one out. The Third Wheel is all about when everyone else except Greg (and Rowley) has a girlfriend and they really need to get one before the Valentine Day Dance. It’s full of cartoons and jokes and the bit about the toilet paper is really, really good.

Friday 23rd November – TimeRiders competition

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TimeRiders byAlex Scarrow is an exciting series of books about what would happen if some of the major events in history were changed. There are currently six books in the set, with the seventh due out soon, set in time periods like Ancient Rome, the dinosaur age, the American Civil War, the Great Fire of London…

Now you could star in the next TimeRiders book, by taking part in the TimeRiders TimeChange Challenge and deciding what you would change in history – click on the TimeRiders button to go to Alex Scarrow’s site and find out the full details of the competition.

Thursday 22nd November – Movember

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It is the month of Movember, where men grow out their moustaches to show their support in the battle against prostate cancer, and for some it is more personal than for others. Several of WCHS’s teachers are doing Movember, including Mr Sloan, Mr Weston, Mr Payne, Mr Simpson and others. Many men have been lost to prostate cancer, along with Mr Sloan’s friend’s dad and Mr Weston’s dad’s friend, but all of these teachers have decided to help raise money. Although next to none of the teachers are willing to keep their ‘staches, a few are willing to dye them bright colours for a little extra money. They’ve picked up several nicknames including classics like Mario and Luigi. All donations are appreciated.

Wednesday 21st November – Flipside

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The December issue of Flipside is now out – and to celebrate the release of a certain very popular game, it is a special Armageddon issue. Read about animal extinction, end of the world scenarios, how to prepare for Doomsday and other cheerful things!

The current edition of Flipside is kept on the main library desk.

Tuesday 20th November – The Eternal Ones, reviewed by MO

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The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller is a novel about a girl, Haven Moore, who used to have visions about what she believed was her past life. I thought the novel was an excellent read as it taught the reader two important messages, which are: Sometimes you should leave the past, in the past and to be careful who you trust. I loved this book as I believe that there is no other book like it and that it created it’s own category. I would encourage everyone to read this book. I can’t wait for the next one!

Monday 19th November – Book of the Week

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This week the Book of the Week is The Thornthwaite Inheritance, by Gareth P Jones, chosen because it is witty, clever and mysterious. Not to mention macabre.

It is the story of twins Lorelli and Ovid who on their thirteenth birthday make a pact to stop trying to kill each other…

The blurb says

Lorelli and Ovid Thornthwaite are not like most thirteen-year-old children. They live in a huge and creepy mansion, they don’t go to school, and they are the heirs to a vast fortune. But what makes the Thornthwaite twins even more unusual is their determination to kill each other!

When their murderous sibling rivalry is called off it soon becomes apparent that one of them can’t stop trying to kill the other… but who is really causing the trouble, and will they both survive to find out where the real danger lies?