A Little Princess

Last week I went to the library and I was looking through the books for children and young adults in English to see if there were any good books. I came across one book in particular. One I haven't read in a long time, but that I have loved since the first time I did read it. That book was A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

I first read this book when I was about 6 or 7 years old. It was not long after the newest movie adaptation of sorts had been released, and my dad had taken us out one evening to the shops and we ended up in a bookstore where he either told us we could choose a book each, or I bugged him until he got me a book. Either way I came home with the book and proceeded to read it. I loved it, and read it many times as a child.

Fast forward to last week and I decided to borrow it and read it. I have to say that I love the book as much as I ever did as a child. I'm not sure what it is exactly that made me love this book but I think maybe it's the fact that there is some mystery and romanticism to it. It also has some great imagery and descriptions. Having read it again, as well as having read The Secret Garden over New Years, it makes me want to go and rediscover more books from my childhood that I loved and read many times. I'm thinking I might see if the library has Little Women and borrow that and re-read it.

The Stormlord Trilogy Book Review.

Title/Author: The Stormlord Trilogy: The Last Stormlord, Stormlord Rising and Stormlord's Exile by Glenda Larke
Publisher/Year: Orbit Books. 2009, 2010 and 2011.
How I Got This: The library
Why I Read It: It looked interesting and I enjoy fantasy novels
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Ever get one of those moments when you read a book and finish it and then just want to tell everyone about it?

A few weeks ago I started reading a trilogy of books called The Stormlord Trilogy(Goodreads lists them as the Watergivers trilogy) by Glenda Larke. The books are The Last Stormlord, Stormlord Rising and Stormlord's Exile. They are about 600 pages each and tell the story of a parched land(The Quartern) where those who have water have power. Some are born with the ability to manipulate water and they, at their strongest are- The stormlords, rainlords and reeves. They each have their roles to play in society in order to ensure the lands of the Quartern recieve enough rain to fill their cisterns and to make sure nobody wastes that water.

The first book starts with the land in grave peril. There is only one stormlord left in the land with the ability to bring rain to the Quartern and he is old and ill. The rainlords are sent on a hunt to try find more people with water powers. It does not however remain as simple as that with not all the rainlords being content to do what they are told. What follows are power struggles as the different peoples in the land fight for what they believe and to have power over the sole stormlord in the Quartern once the previous one has passed away.

Cities are burned, enemies made and destroyed as easily as friends are made.

Into this all comes mysterious new power giving a rainlord the ability to shift sands after a near death experience as well as a man with a mysterious painting talent and a girl who he claims is his great granddaughter and both with the ability to change the future.

But the most important character of all is the waterless (born without the right to free water), outcast, son of a man who may turn out to be either the saviour or the death of the Quartern. Born with water powers his story intersects in the lives of every character in the books. Imprisoned by a rogue rainlord after his town and family are destroyed and/or imprisoned he is educated and taught to use his water powers but not expected to think much for himself. He rebels against what is expected and forges his own path that changes everything.

My favourite thing about these books is although different chapters will focus on different characters you are never left to read about the same characters for long enough to get bored and really just want to see what is happening to another character (something that I occasionally have felt whilst reading The Wheel of Time series).

My second favourite thing about these books is the pace. The first book is over 600 pages long and the other two are just on and under 600 pages but they don't drag. They are fun to read- I read the second and third books in the last four days without getting bored.

And last but not least- as a trilogy that is complete, you aren't left waiting months or years to read the next book that might be written. You aren't left with an annoying cliffhanger ending that makes you want to cry because the next book is nowhere in sight. Anticipation is great and all but with fantasy books that run to 600 pages the wait can just turn a person off if it all drags on too long!

If you are looking for a great fantasy read then I would strongly recommend these books. I would not hesitate to reread them in the future myself.

Babbling About Books

So I've just been sitting here this evening thinking about books.

About 6 months ago on Facebook I started following a page called Books Are Magic. I came across it via a friend sharing one of their pictures and just kept following. Almost everytime I see one of the pictures/memes they post I have to agree with them. Sometimes I read whatever it is and just want to yell and scream out "THAT'S MEEEEEEEEE!". I also through these pictures come across a Tumblr page called Confessions of a Compulsive Reader. There goes the rest of my evening!

Anyway I think I will share here a few of the things that Books Are Magic have shared on their page with you. My favourites as you will. And then maybe if I can motivate myself I will do this more again.

Here we go in no particular order:

1.

This one is one that is very, very true for me. My friends in high school would literally drag me out of bookstores or even just grab my arm before I could walk in. If I forced myself to walk past without going in they congratulated me.

2.

This one is so true that I did actually laugh when I read it. I have quite often said that when I get my own house I will have a room in that house that would be a dedicated library. A room where I can have my books and sit and read and just relax and escape from the world all around. It will have an epic cushioned window seat and bookshelves that line the walls to the ceiling. It will have at least one beanbag and it will be mine.

3.

This one was only posted today but I would definitely agree with it. Sometimes something happens in a book and I just have to shut the book, squeeze my eyes shut and breathe. Either that or I yell at the character something along the line of "Nooo! You stupid! Don't do that! Grrrr!"

4.

Oh books, how I wish I could dedicate my time to you. And my entire paycheck. Alas! 'Tis not to be!

I used to work right near a bookstore in Sydney called Basement Books. It was heaven and hell all in one. I spent most lunchtimes in there and I am pretty sure I bought at least one book a week there... at least. I love that shop. If I was going to the city of a weekend too, then I would also visit. A year or so after that I was working somewhere else and found a St Vincent De Paul shop with a fantastic and extremely cheap selection of second hand books. I got most of the Kathy Reichs and Patrica Cornwell books I own from there. I miss working near that shop.

5.

This is probably the most accurate description I have ever seen and read for a bookworm and the need to finish a book or read before bed. It is entirely true for me and I am sure many other people. I frequently fool myself into thinking I am going to go to bed early or that I can survive of 5 hours sleep. It never works out as planned.

6.

My friends have often joked about the size of my handbags or the amount of stuff I take with me. The truth? I refuse to buy a handbag unless it is big enough for my wallet, glasses case, keys, drink bottle and... a book. Bonus points to a bag that is big enough to hold a hardcover novel. Triple bonus points if it is big enough for that second book to take with me for when I finish the first one. In fact if I go somewhere without a book... I kind of feel naked.

7.

This one ties in with the previous one. I always want to take more books with me than there is room for. Recently I went to Estonia for just over a week. I had several books I wanted to finish but couldn't take them all. In the end I compromised and took a couple of books and my Kobo ereader. It is for reasons like this I bought the Kobo in the first place. It will never replace the need for real books though. I went to Spain in September and took one book with me only. I read it one and a half times on that trip between all the touristy stuff.

8.

This is pretty much accurate. I read books in bed every day. I would rather be lying on my bed and reading most of the time than sitting on the couch in the loungeroom. I think this all comes from the fact that reading in my room as a kid was a lot quieter than reading in the loungeroom. Also that's where my books are all kept.

9.

This one just made me laugh when I saw it. Pretty much describes my feelings when I really get into a book. I imagine exactly how the characters are and then nothing can really change that even if the book gets made into a movie.

10.

This is a true problem for me at times. I get really into my books and don't notice what is happening around me sometimes. And it's not just something that has started happening now I am a bit older. When I was in primary school we had something called Silent Reading Time for about 15 minutes after recess. One day I got so sucked into the book I was reading that it wasn't until about 15 minutes after everyone had got up to go sit on the floor and listen to the teacher that I noticed I was the only person still sitting at the desks. I was about 8 at the time too. Woops!


~~ Random Logic ~~