The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige

The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige is the second book in the Dorothy Must Die series. In other words, giving a synopsis is not really possible. All I will say is that it picks up exactly where the first book, Dorothy Must Die, ended.

I found this horribly disappointing. I read YA so that I can find books that will inspire the kids I teach to read. If I can barely keep my eyes open while reading something, it sure as hell won't pass for my dyslexic, Ritalin-dependant teens. In other words, very little happened. There was a lot of walking.

Once again, a book has been divided into three pieces so that readers will be forced to buy three books instead of just one. How do I know this? 

1. This isn't the size of Lord of the Rings where the size could make it a reasonable idea.
2. There is no individual story in either book - rather it is one continuation. 

I really hate feeling like I have been taken for a sucker by a publishing company. Considering the price of books in this country, I feel doubly pissed off. ZAR300! Three times (three books in the series)! That is almost ZAR1000! Which is about 10% of my salary. Is it worth it? Not a friggin chance in hell. Of course, this is not the first time I have been caught out on this. Which raises many questions. How far should a teacher go to encourage reading? It is the most important skill any person can acquire. Hunting for books for individuals should be a priority. But at that price? I just can't do it. Not with the way everything is just getting more and more expensive. But that is a rant for another place. Maybe publishers should start considering this too. It might also help eliminate the second book syndrome where ... duhduh daaaa ... nothing happens. Maybe it would save them money too. After all, I cannot be the first person who has been put off by a grotty second book.

I will not be continuing this series. And if I do, it will be because I borrowed it from someone. Two stars - and that was me being nice. (I have no idea why I was being nice.)

Bout of Books 18

Nothing starts off a new year like a readathon!

I almost missed the announcement of Bout of Books 18, what with Blogger's new layout where I now have to hunt to find the blogs I subscribe to. Luckily Facebook saved the day. I found out in time!

I have yet to figure out what I am going to read (10 minutes having passed since discovering the start of BoB), but I am sure I will figure it out soon enough. It isn't as though my TBR pile is lacking after all. I also like the idea of getting ahead of my 2017 reading goal right from the word go.

To all other participants, I wish you hours of quiet time, exciting books and coffee.

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 2nd and runs through Sunday, January 8th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 18 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin

Something dreadful happened to Tess when she was a teenager. By dreadful, I mean really, really dreadful. Perhaps the worst thing besides being raped or murdered (or raped and murdered). Decades later she is forced to face the reality that the person who was arrested for the crime might not have been guilty. Of course, she has always wondered this. Someone, after all, has been planting blackeyed susans under her bedroom windows.

I really enjoyed this, but I can completely understand why some people would not. I think it would be less the read than the disappointment thereafter. But, I loved that (Yip, I am being vague. Any more detail and I would completely ruin it for you.). I loved how this book got into my head, made my dreams extra weird (and a bit scary), and had me just as tense and as terrified as Tess was - especially for her daughter who is now a teenager. I also really enjoyed that this was not your average predictable thriller. No. There were surprises along the way, and definitely a few "You've got to be kidding me!" moments.

“Closure doesn’t exist,” she responds smoothly. “Just … awareness. That you can’t ever go back. That you know a truth about life’s randomness that most other people don’t.”

― Julia Heaberlin, Black-Eyed Susans

Another thing I really appreciated was the research that went into this book. Not only was the psychology behind this realistic (for extreme cases - I had stumbled upon this information while researching a book), but the forensic science was up to date and correlated with other things I had read (particularly from Kathy Reichs - and we all know what line of work she is in). Basically, I came out of this feeling that I had learnt something. This book also covered important social themes - themes that are particularly relevant in a day where prejudice and bias is seeming acceptable again. (And here I thought the world was progressing. How disappointing.)

I should probably also mention the format of the book. Instead of having an info dump of the events in the past, I had to piece everything together. One chapter was in the past, one in the present, past, present, and so on. But the past chapters pick up after the 'dreadful thing', so even that is left to the reader to find out slowly. I liked that, as it kept me completely involved in the book and turning pages.

I would recommend this for fans of Kathy Reichs's Tempy Brennan series, or just fans of thrillers. I gave this 4 stars on Goodreads. For a thriller, I found it original and a pretty good example of the genre - and not badly written either.

Puppies!

Where has the time gone? It was just yesterday, surely, when the schools closed and I was deemed free. Yay! I had such good intentions. I was going to rebuild cabinets in the kitchen, I was going to sort out my garden and get it flourishing again, I was going to fix up the veggie garden, I was going to read my TBR pile (almost) flat, and I was going to get this blog and all my reviews in and up to date. Well, surprise, surprise, none of that has happened. I have two good excuses: 1) we are in the middle of a hectic drought, so doing anything in the garden is pointless, and 2) I got puppies!

Tougie

Puppies: the devourers of time (and toes and shoes), the creators of work (I have mopped floors endlessly), and bundles of fun (if you can keep your fingers out the way). To those who have been following me, you will know I lost my Staffie to cancer in June. Tortuga (Tougie) was such an awesome dog, and he left a very big hole in the house and our hearts. Because this is Africa and safety is a genuine concern, I knew I had to get past Tougie and get another dog. I phoned around at the different animal rescue organisations (definitely not supporting breeders after reading Kathy Reich's Bones in Her Pocket), and finally hit the jackpot. Save-a-Pet in Port Elizabeth had what they thought were Staffie puppies who had just reached the age to adopt that morning. I tossed my mom in the car and we headed down there keeping closely to the speed limit. We didn't want someone to come and pip us at the post.

Pic from Save-a-Pet. The box they were
 found in

At Save-a-Pet we heard the horrifying story of the four puppies (one of which we were planning to adopt). They had been found in a burger box on a rubbish tip at 12 hours old. I gather that there were more than the four in the box, but only those had made it. Two looked like Staffie pups, two looked like Labradors. They were hand reared on puppy formula.

Pic from Save-a-Pet. How little they
were.

Choosing one was a difficult task. They looked far too cute, wobbling around on unsteady legs, the little yips they gave us as they wanted to be loved... My heart broke. But, my mom and I decided that we would adopt the little girl - the 'Staffie' one. She was feisty and curious. At Save-a-Pet, they had named her Chilli (after a burger) because she was the spicy one. We couldn't take her home that day, as they were in quarantine for two weeks having just had their inoculations; and Save-a-Pet don't just let you take a puppy home. No, they send an inspector out to check your property to make sure that your property is suitable. I suspect it also prevents people from picking up dogs for dog fighting - yes... there is that problem going around too. (Some people should be shot - slowly.)

Mom and I on the big day!

Anyway, two weeks passed. Mom and I were busy puppy-proofing the house. Electric chords were lifted, I cleaned up the back garden (did I just accidentally do something on my to-do list?), the carpet was lifted and rolled up... We then made a bed for our new little madam, bought some toys and got out Tougie's blankets and gave them a good wash to freshen them up.

Finally the day came! We arrived there at 8am, even though their business hours say 10am (they said we could come early). Our little girl was excited to see us and came running up to the fence of the enclosure! My heart was full. And then... we heard that two of the other puppies were being adopted that day, but one was not. The people who were to adopt him did not pass the inspection. I just couldn't leave him behind all on his own. (He was too small to put with the bigger dogs.) Mom and I shared some eye-to-eye communication, and then we declared that we would take him too. Which is why I have two puppies and not the planned one. It also explains why we have a pup that looks like it has a lot of Lab in him - a new venture for us - a family who has only had Staffies and Alsatians before.

Neagley

I could just leave the story there, but I will take it just a few minutes later. Because these shelters are full, many of these dogs don't get to walk on grass. Our lot had never seen grass before. When we got home and popped them on the lawn for some very necessary ablutions, they looked quite funny trying to figure out what the spongy green stuff under their feet was. In fact, it took them three days to be able to run in a straight line on the grass. Today, they love rolling around on it.

Oh! I haven't told you what their names are! This is Neagley (right). Her name was taken from the Jack Reacher books by Lee Child. Sergeant Neagley is a character that pops up every now and again. She was a military cop along with Jack. She is tough and capable. My Neagley is looking a lot less like a Staffie now that she is getting a bit older, but time will tell what we have. So far, she is living up to her name. In fact, stroppy bitch would not be an incorrect description of her.

Sherlock

And this is Sherlock (left). You don't need any explanation as to where I got that name from. Can't you just picture him with a deer stalker and pipe? His permanent wrinkly forehead makes it look like he is always deep in thought. He seems to have a gentler nature and is quite independent. He has no objection exploring the garden when Neags is napping (or pulling something apart).

I don't regret getting two puppies at all. They keep each other company, they chase each other around the garden, and what difference does it make whether I mop up one pee or two? Training is proving a bit trickier as I rarely know who made the puddle. Oh, and the other little problem with training. Apparently I have the best trained cats ever. They come when I call. Neagley and Sherlock have a healthy fear of the cats, so when I call the pups and the cats come running to me, they are not quite keen on joining in. We will be taking them off to puppy school in the new year. With luck that will iron out a few minor issues.

ETA: Although I really wanted to have all of 2016's reads reviewed in 2016, I don't think that is going to happen. I will be popping them up into the beginning of 2017. New Year's resolution? Don't fall behind on reviews (again)!

The Heir Chronicles by Cinda Williams Chima

I picked the first three in the series up because I really enjoyed Cinda Williams Chima's Seven Realms series. Being October and in the middle of setting a gazillion exam papers (are you getting bored of me mentioning this? I m getting bored of doing it...), I needed something light and fun and not requiring any serious thought. Of course, having worked myself to a stand still, only getting 3 to 4 hours sleep a night for a month, trying to make my deadlines, I had a 'senior' or 'blonde' moment and picked up book 2 instead of book 1. That was not such a good idea, as I am sure you could guess, being a fantasy series. However, besides the fact that I spoilt book 1 completely, at least I was lucky enough to choose a series where the second book follows a new character. But... this has made reviewing the first two books a bit tricky.

The Warrior Heir

In The Warrior Heir, we meet Jack. He thinks he is just an ordinary teenager, but, of course, he is not. What he is though, I will leave you to find out. In this magical world, some people are born with weir stones near their hearts. This makes them either warriors, wizards, sorcerers,enchanters or seers. (The rest of us, I am afraid, are just Muggles - or Anaweir as they are called in this world.) To add to the complexities of this world there is also a long running feud between the white and red roses.

 This was fun to read. The action ran through the pages non-stop. I do have to question the sense of some of the adults in here. I think YA should stop encouraging the myth that as soon as you pass 21 your IQ decreases in leaps and bounds.

I wish I had read this book first (as opposed to book 2 - senior moment). I spoilt myself very badly, which I think took something out the 'Wow' factor, or the 'Hey! I was right!" factor. It makes it hard to comment on the suspense because I already knew the outcome.

This is an interesting world Chima has created. The use of 'class' is definitely a very good reflection on the prejudiced world we live in.

While giving this a 3 star rating, I think I would have given it a 5, had I read this when I was 14.

The Wizard Heir

In this addition to the series, we meet Seph. Seph knows he can do things - especially when he is not intending to. The book starts with him accidentally burning down a night club full of people. Woops! Seph gets sent to a special school, but things are not what they seem. He meets people like him. But... this ain't Hogwarts!

The plot in this is interesting and maintains the suspense throughout. It is targeted at a younger YA audience though, so I am not the intended demographic. To be honest though, this is hitting the spot. It is light and fun and predictable (yes, yes - did anyone not work out that ...).

This was nice to read during hectic moments in life. I also gave it 3 stars, but again, just in case you missed it, I am far too old to be the target audience for this.

The Dragon Heir

Another interesting installment.


This book follows Jason and Madison (who you meet in book 2) as the war continues. What role could someone who is not a powerful wizard play? In fact, what role could an anti-wizard play? Can the kids keep the defences up and running considering the odds they are facing? You would have to read this to find out.


I was impressed with the bold move Chima made in here. I did not expect that. Each book follows different characters; book 1 - Jack, book 2 - Joseph etc. It gives different perspectives and adds to the overall story. But I miss the characters from the earlier books. I feel that they almost become background secondary characters in the other books. Which is a bit disappointing once one has got to know and like the characters. I felt that all the personality they had developed in a prior book is lost as soon as they are no longer the main character of the next book. I could not feel Jack in here, and Seph was a completely foreign being. He was definitely not the boy I had grown to know in book 2. And I have to ask the question that I tend to ask while reading YA. WHERE THE BLAZES ARE THE ADULTS? Seriously, I consider myself to be challenged in the maternal instinct department, but hell, not even I would leave a bunch of kids to do THAT all alone while I went off on a different adventure.

This one has a fairly conclusive ending, so I am going to leave it here for now. While it isn't a bad series for younger readers, I am not dying to know what happens next. Another 3 stars from me.

The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

Another one of my 50c finds at the School Feeding Fund's book sale.

Tom Ripley has not had an easy life. He was orphaned as a child and raised by a cold aunt. Now, as an adult, he is dabbling in white collar crime because he still can't get a break. But things change when he gets asked to find the wealthy Dicky Greenleaf in Greece and convince him to come home. (Jaws music should probably be playing at this point.)

I think I have realised why I struggle with books with the bad guy as the protagonist. I am a goody two shoes. I have this ridiculous fear of getting into trouble. So this is my mental process while reading books like this: What are you doing? You are never going to get away with that! ... Oh you idiot! You are going to be in SOOO much trouble! ... Dude! You're insane. WTF! There is no way you are going to pull that off! ... etc., etc.,etc.. I have to force myself to realise that, should this be real, I would want the guy trussed up well and tossed in jail indefinitely. But the thought of all that trouble...

In other words, my reading experience of this was draining and suspenseful; I could use that old cliche: like watching a train wreck in slow motion. But having said that, it was an interesting read. I could also see similarities between Tom and Patrick Bateman from 'American Psycho' by Bret Easton Ellis. 'The Talented Mr Ripley' was far less graphic though, so it was much less repulsive to read.

I probably should also mention that this is one of the few books I have read where I have noticed the correct use of the gerund. Patricia Highsmith managed to take me on one hell of a ride because of the characters she created. Even though I would detest someone like Tom, I could feel sympathy for him, and, (which is odd) want him to succeed - or at least get away with what he did. I felt Tom's hurt, embarrassment and discomfort when things stopped going well for him with Dicky. Although Marge should have been seen as a caring character, I constantly saw her as a potential hindrance. I think this all goes to show that Tom was a brilliant narrator.

This is probably deserved 3.5 stars from me, if not more.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

When a reluctant learner gives you a book to read because they liked the book - you read it. You read it even if your TBR pile has multiplied and had children. You read it even if you have absolutely no interest in the book whatsoever. So I read this.

Eddie is killed in a freak accident at work while trying to save a child. What follows are his experiences in heaven, meeting people whose lives touched his, or whose lives he touched.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven is not a slog to read. It goes quickly - very quickly. The other thing I liked about it is that it highlighted that there is more than one side to every situation. A point that many people could do with some reminding about. But, I will be honest here, I didn't enjoy it. Let me explain. While I was happy that there were two sides to every issue, I felt that the reasons given for some of the actions of some people were not adequate in justifying their actions, and were definitely not adequate for understanding, let alone forgiveness. Take, for example, an extremely (physically) abusive parent. One sole decent act later on in life does not justify nor make up for years of beating one's children. Yes, it might show another side to a person who might have just been considered a monster, but it only raises more questions. Why could somebody who was clearly capable of understanding and forgiveness and immense self-sacrifice beat their kids without cause? See. Those are the things I am questioning after reading this.

I do not know if this was intended for a young audience, but it was written as though it was. The vocabulary and sentence structure was the opposite of challenging. Even the print was suited for the visually challenged. The best part of this was the very beginning when you know Eddie is going to die, but don't know how. The suspense was done fairly well there.

But the review that Junior got at school was that I thought his philosophy on life was interesting. I liked how there were two sides to every situation. And I liked how even what would seem irrelevant events, could cause chain reactions or cause an effect and effect people years later. I told her I thought I was a very interesting read.

I know I am not the intended audience for books like this. I am an atheist. I don't believe in heaven. I also feel that Mitch Albom knows just as much as everyone else does about the 'afterlife' - absolutely bloody nothing. So while I can see what he is trying to do (besides run on the shirt tails of Tuesday's with Morrie, his first book which got acclaim from Opera), I just don't see him as an expert on any of this. His guess on the afterlife is as good as yours and mine. His theories for living life are as good as yours and mine.

I gave this 3 stars. It was Ok.