Books-fifty2

Books that leave you hanging on the edge of your seat!

booksfifty2 — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 15:11:21 +0000

JK Rowling, Terry Goodkind, Lian Hearn, Marianne Curley, Anthony Horowitz, Trudi Canavan and Elizabeth Kostova. These are just some of the authors that I’ve read whose books leave me hanging on to the edge of my seat because they’re so damn good! Over the years I’ve read my fair share of books, some excellent and some not, but the authors that I’ve named above, in my opinion, have written some of the best books ever. Everytime I read one of these authors books, I’m left with a feeling of wanting more and more. An example is that I’m currently reading Terry Goodkind’s much acclaimed Sword of Trith novels and even though there are about 12 books in the series, I’m reading them so fast like its the end of the world or something. Now you might think that I’m a bit crazy (obsessed maybe, but not crazy) because I’m going through books like a madwomen, but think about it, have you ever read a book where the author gets your pulse racing and you can’t think about anything but the books because they’re written well and the plotline is just so exciting? Well I have had this happen to me numerous times and I love it! Because the sign of a good book and author is if it makes the reader feels this way, in my opinion. What do you guys think? What books have you read that leave you with wanting more?

Posted by Kirpal

Vampires, Vampires and more Vampires

booksfifty2 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:37:58 +0000

Don’t you ever feel that it’s all getting too much? True Blood, Twilight and the Vampires’s Assistant. Know what I’m talking about? What I’m trying to get at is that I don’t know about you, but I’m totally fed up of seeing vampires, hearing about vampires and reading vampires. It’s getting really obsessive, I mean come on, those Twilight Mom’s? Thats just bordering on crazy. I know the whole vampire thing is a bit reminiscent of the Harry Potter craze, but at least HP was properly written and had a good story! You all know how I feel about this, so I’m not going to go on about it.

What I’m trying to say is that, world get over it! Vampires and romantice love stories have been done to death with TV programmes like Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer! I mean theres nothing wrong with reviving the whole vampire genre because I think it’s quite cool, but only if its done properly. You all know the reasons why I believe Twilight is crap, but I saw a few episodes of True Blood and thats not that good. Again they focus on disgusting vampire sex with graphic images.

Before I got so fed up with even hearing the word vampire I did read the first book of the House of Night series, ‘Marked’ by PC and Kristen Cast and ‘The Reformed Vampires Support Group’ by Catherine Jinks. Now both of these books were actually good, in their own way. The main reason why they were good: they were believable! They both had a different take on vampires, but both were interesting. And this is the main thing about all this vampire craze, they aren’t real so authors can use the myth in any way they can. As long as they make the story believable and interesting, and it is these two things that are lacking in Twilight.

Posted by Kirpal

The Lizard Cage by Karen Connelly

booksfifty2 — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:27:26 +0000

Rarely does a book make such an impression where the characters stay with you along with their thoughts, making you look at life in a different perspective. The Lizard Cage I found is one of those books. Set in Burma or Mynamar as it is now illegally called, it tells the story of Teza who is a political prisoner in a Burmese jail and where he befriends a jailer and a young boy. The first half of the story unfolds through the eyes of Teza who is in solitary confinement and how he goes about his life inside, the daily routines, what he is thinking, we are also introduced to other mysterious characters that all play a central role to the plot, including a young boy in whose eyes the second half the story unfolds.

What I liked about the characters in this story was the way that each stood out individually, with their quirky traits and unusual names like ‘Free Salvador’. The story unfolded like in a movie and I couldn’t wait for it all to come together in the end, keeping me in its grip. You could tell that the author had done her research meticulously, as she blended real political news and circumstances currently in Burma into the plot as a backdrop, which made the characters seem authentic, giving you an insight into what living there would be like. The emotions that the main character went through seemed so real that you could relate to it and at times sit back and reflect. The only down side I would say is that towards the end, it kind of frizzled out and seemed to drag on a bit, but overall a very well written and thought provoking book, which I would recommend to everyone.

written by: Kuljit

Books into TV Series: Sword of Truth novels

booksfifty2 — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:29:41 +0000

Hey Guys, I know its been a long time since I’ve written anything but I was a bit busy and didn’t know what to write. Today I’m gonna talk about this fantastic book that I’ve just finished reading. Its an adult fantasy book called the Wizards First Rule by Terry Goodkind and they even made a TV programme about it called ‘Legend of the Seeker’ (On the Sci Fi channel). Anyway its not new, I think it was written in the 1990s, but I just started watching the TV series and I got completely hooked that I had to get the book. Both the TV series and the book is amazing, and goody for me the books are part of a 12 part series! I know 12 books is a bit much, with each of them being about 700 pages each, but if you’re into series reading and not that Twilight crap then you won’t mind.

So whats it about and why do I think its amazing? Well the basic story is about this simple woods guide called Richard Cypher who falls into this world of magic and evil wizards, and he holds the key to defeating this evil wizard called Darken Rahl. Along the way he has help from Zedd, a good wizard, Chase, his friend and Kahlan Amnell who Richard falls in love with, but can’t be with. So its a bit like a love story as well as being story of good over evil. The TV series is slightly different from the book, but the gist of the story is there.

So I’m writing this just to tell you guys about the book because I wanted to tell somebody and I definetely encourage you to read it and watch it on TV. (Double episodes com on the Sci Fi channel on Thurs from 8-10pm) Also, if you liked Xena and Hercules, you’ll definetely like Legend of the Seeker.

Posted by Kirpal

Twilight part 2-Breaking Dawn

booksfifty2 — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 15:21:52 +0000

The Twilight “saga” by Stephanie Meyer is just about the worst series of books that I have ever read. On my last blog about Twilight, I did say that I would read all the books because you can’t make a judgement without knowing what you’re talking about. But I have to tell you guys, I just wasted a good few days of my life reading this trash. Now I know I need some justifications for this rather serious judgement, so here there are:

Number one: Meyer did not redeem herself with Breaking Dawn, its just as bad as the others. The writing is bad, the chracters have no substance and the plot is really really boring. At one point I actually chucked the book across my bed because it was just too terrible for me to go on.

Number two: Vampires don’t sparkle. The whole characteristic of a vampire is that that they burn and die when they come out in the sun. You can’t change the chracteristics of a myth that everyone abides by and have been following since Bram Stokers Dracula!

Number Three: The titles of all four books really don’t make sense. Silly me I thought a title of a book was supposed to relate to the story, but Meyer’s doesn’t. (Considering that the plot doesn’t make sense, how will the title?) The only thing that remotely makes sense is the cover of the first book, with the apple which is all about forbidden love and Adam and Eve, and all of that. I’m geniunely confused as to what Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn have to do with the story. If anyone can tell me, I’d really like to know.

Number Four: Vampires can’t have children. Because they’re frozen at whatever stage thay became a vampire. And as Edward is supposed to be over a 100 years old, sperm doesn’t last that long. (Again with that whole changing the chracteristics of a vampire so that it seems unique when it really isn’t)

Number Five: The birthing scene. The most disgusting and horrible scene that I’ve ever read. I mean the “baby” rips its way out of Bella, nearly killing her. I know childbirth is supposed to hurt, but not like that. Ugh, how will they film that?

Number Six: What is with all that sex? The first part of the book is like soft porn! We know Bella’s desperate from earlier books, but all that sex in the book shows me how Meyer’s sexually repressed herself as the only plot I can find is Bella wanting it but Edward doesn’t and then Bella begs for it. Great story, isn’t it?

Number Seven: Again you have an adult, Jacob, “imprinting” on a baby, Bella’s daughter. Paedophile or what? This is twice now.

Number Eight: The writing’s just cheesy, I laughed out loud at nearly every sentence and it doesn’t make sense!

Meyer can’t write and the books have nothing on Harry Potter because it only appeals to teenage girls whereas HP appeals to everyone, young, old, female and male.

Now that I’ve finally read the whole damn series, I have no hope of watching the movies or to do anything related to it because Twilight is trash, in my opinion. Its not written well, the plots don’t make sense and the chracters have no substance. Now guys this is my own opinion so don’t hate me for it.

http://otahyoni.livejournal.com/130432.html

http://theantitwilightmovement.webs.com/home.htm

Posted by Kirpal

Books into Movies: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

booksfifty2 — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:14:59 +0000

Just saw Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince yesterday and I have to say it was really good. I don’t want to spoil the story for those of you who haven’t read the books, but by now who hasn’t? As an adaptation from a book, it was good. The director kept all the funny parts and weaved in all the darkness really well. I especially liked how it started with The Death Eaters going in and out of London and the camera following them, so it seems like we, the audience, was moving along as well. The acting of all the characters was excellent, especially Alan Rickman’s portrayal of Snape which was as monotonous as usual and Jim Broadbent as Professor Slughorn.

However, as with every single one of the Harry Potter movies they left some stuff out which I thought was pivotal to the story. For instance, the memory of the Gaunts which explains about the ring and Voldemorts mother and Hepzibah Smith’s Helga Hufflepuff cup memory. Both of these are Horcrux’s and wouldn’t it make sense to mention it so it would make sense in the Deathly Hallows movie? Also missing was the Battle of Hogwarts at the end of the movie when all the Death Eaters come into the school. But on the whole the movie was genuinely good and the special effects were amazing. Regardless of the missing scenes and the fact that Ron played Qudditch in the 5th movie and not this one, they can’t please all the Harry Potter fans. On the whole I loved this movie more than the others and I would strongly recommend going to see it.

Posted by Kirpal

Who was Shakesphere?

booksfifty2 — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:12:52 +0000

Just finished reading the The Shakesphere Secret by JJ Carrell and it revealed a lot of startling truths about Shakesphere. It revealed a lot about who Shakesphere really was and whether he actually wrote the plays. I mean think about it, Shakesphere was supposed to be this poor guy living in a poor part of London, how could he have written the plays? And we don’t even know much about him, all we know is when he was born, when he died, but we don’t know much.

The actual story of the book is about this woman, Kate who has to go on this quest after a series of murders based on Shakesphere plays. The story’s also baout the lost play of Shakesphere’s, ‘Cardenio’, but the book also reveals truths and secrets about Shakesphere himself. When I finished the book I wanted to do some more research so I found this really intresting website about a guy who had written a book called ‘The Shakesphere Conspiracy’ The website gives more information about the whole Shakesphere thing, but you guys should really read the book.

http://www.grahamphillips.net/shakespeare_secret/the_shakespeare_secret.htm

Posted by Kirpal

So far out it doesn’t make sense?

booksfifty2 — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:13:27 +0000

Do you ever get those books where you read the blurb and think its going to be really good, but then it turns out it be totally crappy? Well that’s what happened to me when I strated reading ‘The Lost Art’ by Simon Morden. What intrested me about the book was that it it was about Earth in the future (I think) and about how a seacrret was about to be uncovered where it had been kept in a Siberian monestry. Sounds good, does’nt it? Wrong! I got about a hundred pages in the book and I was bored, I kept on thinking to myself maybe the action will come if I just read a bit more, but it didn’t. In the end I just left the book and that’s something I never do.

I think the author was trying to make the story so far out there and different, that it just didn’t make any sense. I didn’t get whether Earth was supposed to be in the past or the future and I didn’t even understand the chracters. Maybe its because I don’t get or like sci-fi fantasy and this is normal for a sci-fi genre. Anyway, just wanted to put my thoughts down on books that you think are going to be good, but aren’t.

Posted by Kirpal

Book Review:Crusade by Elizabeth Laird

booksfifty2 — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:26:08 +0000

Crusade by Elizabeth Laird is historical fiction book which was highly entertaining and interesting to read.It is set during the 12th century at the time of the third crusade which was the major event going on the the time. I like this book because it is written from the point of view two boys, one called Salim a Muslim boy turned apprentice and the other called Adam, a Christian serf boy from England. The tale of the crusade is told through these two boys views, one view from England about why the Christians fought and the other from the Saracen side. Both boys have negative views about each other, but a series of events makes them reconsider this.

Laird writes in such detail that it really makes the reader involved in the story. the story is about friendship and differing religions. Those of you who might think that the book might be too heavy to read, shouldn’t because it is a very enjoyable book.

Posted by Kirpal

Twilight-you either love it or hate it

booksfifty2 — Tue, 26 May 2009 13:22:39 +0000

The Twilight series has seemed to rise up into a big thing these last few years, even rivalling the Harry Potter series. Last year I thought I’d see what the big deal was about the books. I was quite excited when I brought them because I needed to fill the void when the Harry Potter series ended. Oh, how I was disappointed.

Whilst reading the first Twilight book, I felt that there was something wrong with it, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it was. So I read the other two books, New Moon and Eclipse, still wondering what was wrong. Finally I asked my elder sister to read the first chapter of the first book and tell me what was wrong with it. She didn’t even read two paragraphs before she found out. Stephanie Meyer cannot write!

First of all, the storylines are so boring and dry. I mean there are what a few hundred pages in the first book of Bella slowly and boringly falling in love with Edward and then there is Bella and Edward together, and then finally at the end Meyer adds on this loose plot of vampires coming after Bella. This pattern follows all three books, a loose plot with something added on the end to give the story some action.

Secondly, the storyline isn’t even the only problem. The characters also don’t have any substance. First off you have Bella, who is portrayed as this female heroine who is so needy, always playing the damsel in distress and is described as being “plain” even though all the boys like her. Also, Bella is so desperate to have Edward that she doesn’t seem to mind giving up her plans for college for some boy and getting married. Meyer’s portrayal of Bella has put feminism back hundreds of years because millions of teenage girls actually aspire to be Bella!

Then we come to Edward, who is described as being this beautiful god like creature that is so perfect in every way, it’s actually sickening. He’s basically described as being God’s gift to man, which clearly he isn’t. (Taking out Bella’s engine from her car in Eclipse to prevent her from seeing Jacob)

The only O.K character in the series is Jacob Black who is portrayed as this sweet, boy-next-door type. But then Meyer ruins this as well in Eclipse by giving Jacob a whole personality change. He forcibly kisses Bella twice and she doesn’t seem to mind it at all! Hello? Sexual harassment or what?

The characters are not even the worst thing in Eclipse; the worst thing is when we learn that werewolves “imprint” themselves on their soul mates. That doesn’t seem like a bad thing, but when you have a teenage werewolf ‘imprint’ himself on a toddler, I don’t know about you but paedophile springs to my mind. What was Meyer thinking of?

I know I haven’t read all the Twilight books and I’m only making these judgements on the first three, but as a serious reader I cannot believe that these books have even been published when others have tried to ban Harry Potter. Although, I am curious to read the fourth book to see if Meyer has redeemed herself. I can literally go on forever talking about this series, but I’m going to direct you guys to two articles that I think best sums up the Twilight series better than me.

http://psa.blastmagazine.com/2008/08/16/twilight-sucks-and-not-in-a-good-way/

http://psa.blastmagazine.com/2008/08/23/twilight-a-follow-up-and-a-promise/

Posted by Kirpal