Note: This is probably going to be an über post
Okay, I have a lot of catching up to do with this:-
I can't actually remember when I read these books, so I'll do the first few in any order.
Tim Bowler - Frozen Fire/Starseeker/Apocalypse.
Mark gave me the last two of the three, I bought the first after reading. He's a brilliant writer, very chilly and tense style, but not stiflingly so (like horror games; you'd need to put it down after a few chapters because you'd be emotionally worn out.) Brilliant airy themes too, with clear morals, without patronising. Crisp characters, whom are as engaging as they are intriguing, and they always seem real.
Apocalypse is the most 'out there' in terms of story. He has a fantastic way of focusing on the characters, and still manages a twisting and turning plot, which I love.
8.5/10 for them all, also, thanks to Mark for showing me how brilliant Tim Bowler is
Next up is... Hmm, I managed to get most of the way through The
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy before pressure from the exams derailed my enjoyment of it, and I never quite got back to it.
You already know most of how brilliant Douglas Adams is and you know that you don't need me to tell you that if you haven't already, GO READ THIS TRILOGY OF FOUR
His style is just up my street, with him being capable of going completely off on one, and yet progress narrative (much in the same way Bowler does, albeit funnier.) 9/10
Percy Jackson series - I picked the first one up on the offchance that I might like it (after reading
Max Ride by James Patterson, which I also recommend, but it's not as good tbh - 7/10.)
A really enjoyable early teen-ish romp, brisk and funny style, and interesting and engaging characters make for something quite a lot more interesting than say, Harry Potter. The series hasn't let up yet, either, with four under his belt, Rick Riordan looks to be set to finish the series off with a bang. I recommend. 8.5/10.
Next -
Daniel X by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge - I thought it might've been for a slightly younger audience than Max Ride was, but as, if not more, enjoyable. James Patterson's style is light and fun (but can get irritating after a while...) which is where Michael Ledwidge helped a lot. Interesting all the way through, and I want to read the next one! 7.5/10
Another one from Mark -
Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman (who was in Looking Glass studios, which I LOVED! System Shock 2 <3). Lovely comic book styled story, but with more heart than the average one. More engaging characters, but perhaps didn't fit together perfectly . I still loved it though, and I would recommend! 8/10.
Runemarks by Joanne Harris - another in the mythology-in-real-life pile, and I'm a sucker for these stories
Fantastic style again, and a really enjoyable and fresh story (as things go...). Fit really well into the internal screen in my head, and kept me very entertained for quite a while! Recommend! 8.5/10
As an aside - I started
Life of Pi too, but got waylaid by exams and shiz, so, it's good so far (and I LOVE the existential philosophical stuff at the start <3)
Read the latest in the
Demonata Saga by Darren Shan, a no holds barred young adult horror (that doesn't go lightly on gore!). Interesting style, and has a fantastic ability to catch you out with a plot twist when you least expect it. Darren Shan is not afraid of either killing principal characters or totally ruining their lives, and currently, it's not looking pretty. Another recommendation - 8/10 for the series so far.
The Seventh Tower - The Fall by Garth Nix. One of my favourite authors without question. Not many books have reached the Abhorsen trilogy's brilliance as of yet, but this is a totally different book for a totally different audience. It's for a much younger reader, perhaps 12 or 13, but enjoyable. I wonder how he's able to write in all the different styles he does, and yet keep his feel. 7/10 (but on that note, READ
THE ABHORSEN TRILOGY and possibly
the Keys to the Kingdom saga too! Brilliant stuff! 9.5/10 and 8.5/10 respectively!
Nearing the end now, finally
The last book I read (and finished two nights ago) was
The Book with No Name by Anonymous.
Absolutely fantastic. The description on the back suits it perfectly - like Quentin Tarantino film. Expert pacing and excitement throughout, with a twisting and turning plot, people dying left and right in a right bloodbath, intruiging and exciting characters. My only problem is it ended so quickly it feels like I should still be reading it. Thank god I have the sequel
9/10.
And what I'm reading currently? Yeah, you've gotten this far, one more sentence isn't going to do much more harm
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Which is currently (at only 70 pages in!) so many different shades of amazing, I can't quite believe it. I think I may have just stumbled on something that is equal to the Abhorsen Trilogy. Please, go read it. Now. No really, do.
Right, I'm going to go get some ice to put my fingers in.