New Year Challenge: DNFs

Last year, we each had one book that we did not finish.

For Luke, it was my top book for 2013, Code Name Verity which he was mystifyingly able to stop reading part way through.

For me, it was the somewhat lengthy Insurrection which I think would have benefited from me taking notes while reading.

Your Challenge: to complete your DNF book by the end of January 2014.

Then we will start anew with shiny new Challenges and maybe even a guest post or two.

Review 16: 'White Tiger'

Before I start, can I just take a minute to gloat over the fact that Luke quote "loved" his last Challenge book? Thanks. Oh and bro, you're probably not up to it yet, but there's a new one coming out later in the year. More Jacky Faber adventures!

Anyway, White Tiger. I don't think I'd go straight to 'love', but I did enjoy this book. As Luke said, main character named Emma, strong female protagonist, what's not to, um, enjoy?

I did enjoy all the modern China stuff, which the author clearly knows about from personal experience, as well as the history. Cute little girl, kickarse sidekick dude, fight scenes with girls kicking butt, it had a lot of things I enjoy. It was easy to read, and moved along quite well, building up the bad guys at a nice pace. And who doesn't love a good training montage?

I have three issues with the book. The first is that I didn't realise the major battle was, you know, the major battle. I would have liked it a bit more spectacular and terrifying. The second was the way her friends kept calling her 'cold blooded'. Now I know (or at least assume) that this is to set up the reveal in one of the later books about her true nature, but come on, no-one says that! A simple, "Dude, that's cold," would have done exactly the same thing and sounded like something someone somewhere might actually have said. And finally, the fact that Emma and her insta-love boyfriend are constantly not having to say anything, they just know, words aren't needed - then stop using words to tell me words aren't needed.

Despite that final paragraph to the contrary, I did enjoy this book, and would read the sequels - if Luke could assure that Emma was not going to continue to annoy the ever-loving shit out of me.

DNF Review 11: 'Insurrection'

This is our first Did Not Finish Challenge, which makes me a bit sad. I'm not even sure why I didn't finish, except that book? I'm pretty sure it's not you, it's me.

Or it might be you. Let's see.

You aren't really my favourite type of historical fiction. You spend a lot of time sounding like a history book giving a recount of battles or overarching policy. I prefer my historical fiction to be much more personal. Maybe you're trying to tell too much? More details and a shorter timeframe might have been better for me.

And speaking of personal, maybe I didn't persevere long enough (I read 348 out of 633 pages) but I didn't really connect with your hero. Maybe that's your point, and the whole thing is about how he's going to grow from this kinda boring, kinda self-centered, kinda average guy into this amazing leader of men and whatever. But you didn't make me want to stick around to find out. Plus he was having an affair with a married woman. I don't find that appealing.

And through no fault of your own, you are a book that I own. It's hard to compete against library books that demand to be read in a specific amount of time. And if FYA stopped recommending books I wanted to request, maybe this wouldn't have been a problem. But I'm sorry book, there are just too many things against you right now.

I have no doubt that you will be read sometime. Shall I aim for the Christmas holidays? I do want to finish you, because you cover a part of history that I'm not especially familiar with. But for right now, you are holding up this Challenge business, so I have to let you go. See you again.

I'm Reading: 'A Game Of Thrones'

I requested A Game Of Thrones from my library approximately a bajillion years ago. Then it came in for me, and I decided it was too much of a big undertaking (have you seen how thick this book is? Not to mention the many many books after it) so I gave it back, and requested it again. I think this may have happened a couple of times, and all the while I was itching to watch the TV show, but couldn't (COULD. NOT.) because I hadn't read the book.

It came in again recently (well, in the recent past. See: OMG SO LONG), and I started reading it, even though I was in the middle of my Challenge book. Bad idea, what was I thinking, etc.

In the first place, my Challenge book was obviously not going to read itself. And secondly, really not a good plan to read two books at the same time that feel the need to include family trees and/or maps in the front, and feature royal houses and multiple battles and things like that. I got a little confused, especially as wolves figure prominently at the start of each book and wait doesn't the wolf mean this? Or was it that? I soon forgot about my Challenge book's things, though (yay?), so it was all good.

I really enjoyed it. Even though it was SEVEN BAJILLION PAGES LONG and felt like it took me a trillion years to get though it, it felt like a quick read - as I was reading it. Does that make sense? I felt like I'd fly through a chapter or a few chapters, and then I'd look and there would still be a million chapters to go.

Since chapters are dedicated to specific characters, I didn't find it hard to keep them straight (even with my other-book issues). I also found it quite easy to put down, but I always wanted to pick it up again. And turns out there is not much need to keep people straight, as most of them will be dead by the end of the series (according to Facebook friends who clearly have more time/dedication than I do).

Also, Game of Thrones brings people together! I was at a party last weekend with different 'groups' like work friends and school friends and things, but at one point, there was a massive group comprised of people from all these groups, all going on about A/Game Of Thrones and then I ran away because ARGH SPOILERS.

Recommended! (Or you could just watch the TV show.)