The Magicians - Lev Grossman

This is wonderfully, completely unlike what I expected it to be going in to the story. I said this on my online book club and it's really the only way I can think to describe it. Imagine Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia hooking up one drunken night and having a baby. Toss in an ending where all is not happily ever after and you'll get the idea of this book.

It starts out with a world weary teenager named Quentin. (Aren't they all?) He's intelligent, one of the smartest in his class in Brooklyn. What sets Quentin apart from his classmates that he secretly believes in magic and a world called Fillory. It's from a children's set of books that he's read over and over and over. He longs to become part of that world because he thinks it will solve a lot of issues he's had in his short, unremarkable life.

In actuality, he's not a normal teen. He's a magician and soon gets an invitation to attend Brakebills which is a magickal college in the Hudson Valley. He attends and advances quickly through the years there. He falls in love with another student named Alice. Along the way, he grows up, grows into his power, becomes a goose for a while, and learns some good lessons about controlling what you do. What you do eventually creates who you are.

I think that if you liked Harry Potter or ever wished you could find a Narnia of your own, you should read this book.

ok

So I'm slacking. I'm probably not going to get to the reviews on these three books:

The Sea of Monsters
Succubus Blues
Seeking Spirits: The Lost Cases of The Atlantic Paranormal Society

I did read them and I did enjoy them. But I think I've let too much time go in between finishing them and the review.

Up next: The Magicians by Lev Grossman.

Thanks for the shoutout, Lisa!

I owe you guys two reviews

They're going to be on The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan and Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead. I have some things to get done today but I should have them up for you by this evening.

I hope.

Sea Swept - Nora Roberts

Every NR fan I know has told me that I must read the Chesapeake Bay series. And "must" is always emphasized that way when they talk about it. I figured it should be good but I picked it up last year at the last book. I never blogged about it because I didn't want to go out of order here. lol ... yes, I know.

Anyway, Cameron Quinn came from a troubled past as did the rest of the boys that Stella and Ray Quinn adopted. She was unable to have kids so they kept their eye out for children who needed the assistance. Cam did. When they came across him thinking about stealing their Corvette, they never thought about it twice. Cam had been beaten severely and regular abuse from a mother who just didn't care left him wary and mistrusting of everyone. Ray and Stella assumed legal guardianship and fought to adopt him to give him a better life.

It took a while but eventually he came around and became part of the family. In time, they gave him brothers. Phillip and Ethan had gone through similar issues and eventually became absorbed into the family whole. They thought of themselves as brothers and they were at the heart of it.

Eventually, they grew up and left the nest as children so often do. Ethan stayed the closest, choosing to fish the waters of the river and bay. Phillip went into advertising in Baltimore. And Cameron went to Europe to race. I think he raced hydrofoils solely. They're those things that float just on top of the water. Our story really starts with Ray's accident.

He had collected another child and only had him for a few months when he ran into a telephone pole on the way back from Baltimore. It started a ripple effect for everyone connected with him. Cam came back from Europe. Ethan and Phillip moved back into the house after the funeral. Seth was still in a surly stage especially since he didn't really know Cam. He, like the rest of them, had been abused not only by his mother but by the men she brought home constantly. He trusted no one.

Enter Anna Spinelli, a social worker with a caring heart and an insight into the kind of troubles that can tear a child apart. Her only interest, at first, is the best interests of the child. She guides the Quinns through the process, all the while seeing that they're becoming a family unit. The inevitable happens (it IS a NR book after all) and she falls for Cam. Being male, he falls for her too but doesn't realize it until it's too late.

One question lingers over all of them. Was Ray's accident truly an accident or was it suicide?

The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan

Poor Percy Jackson. He's special ... in an odd sort of way. He suffers from ADHD and dyslexia. Because of that, he is constantly getting into trouble. He doesn't mean to. He doesn't WANT to get into trouble; it just sort of happens to him. All sorts of weird things happen to him.

It's not until he turns 11 that he finds out why. Percy is special but not because he's a troubled kid. He's a demigod. Half human. Half Greek God. It's a further shock to find out exactly who his father is. It's not just any Greek god. It's Poseidon and that's where the fun starts.

For those who don't know, Poseidon is the god of water in Greek mythology. And since water exists just about everywhere, you can see why he's so powerful. Percy finds all this out and then goes to a special place to be protected and learn to refine his powers. Right up until Poseidon and Zeus start to fight.

He's then sent on a quest to locate something that has been stolen from Zeus and return it to the most powerful of gods on Olympus. Does he do it? I'm not telling.

I liked this book. It was fun. It was a fast read and it was engaging enough to make me go back for the second book in the series. I'll definitely keep reading.

2010 goals

It's here already. I can hardly believe that a new year will be upon us by week's end. Time flew and it didn't all at the same time. It seems like it's gone in the blink of an eye and yet what was accomplished?

Next year, I've set myself a reading goal. I plan on reading 25 new books. New to me, that is. They don't have to be released next year. I'm starting out with Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. I'm also planning on listening to the audiobook version of The Magicians if I can figure out how to transfer it to my MP3 player. (I'm a little technologically challenged and realized that I downloaded it into the wrong format.) I am just doing a few rereads of old favorites to tide me over and keep me in the reading habit until 1/1/10. I've gone through Dance Upon the Air by Nora Roberts and I'm listening to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling. I have reviewed both of them here, I believe.

I'm also going to write a little more now that I have my own laptop. Kiwi Writers, watch out. 25K is my next goal in my book of shorts.

So here's to new beginnings and goal accomplishment ... see you in 2010!

Kiwi Writers

I may be mad. It's quite possible. But I signed up to do the Kiwi Writers mini challenge in January. It's the same concept as Nano but in the southern hemisphere and will focus on 25K of new material.

I think it's the perfect time to test out my new laptop, don't you? :o)

I think the Kiwi Writers allow for a bit more leeway in their rules. With Nano, it HAS to be new material. Kiwis would prefer it but won't ding you if it's not. January 2nd is rolling around fast and I have some work to do.

www.kiwiwriters.org

Bring. It. On.