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I know I mentioned, way back when I reviewed Arthur Golden’s “Memoirs of a Geisha,” that prior to reading, I had very little knowledge about that aspect of Japanese culture. When it came to Japanese early modern history, the same thing happened with James Clavell’s “Shogun.” I had kind of known that samurai were important and had a vague idea what a Shogun actually was, but that was about it. Post-Shogun, while I can’t claim to be an expert on that era of Japanese history, I do know a significant amount more than I did going in.

Japan during this time is feudal, and is in a perilous condition. There are internal dynastic problems, but most of all, is the coming of westerners into the very (very) inward looking Japan. The story is told from the point of view of John Blackthorne, a sailor on the first English ship to ever land in Japan (so far, it’s only the Portuguese who have had contact). Blackthorne ends up being shipwrecked, taken prisoner and eventually gets tangled up in a bid for power for the position of Shogun, the warrior/military ruler who controlled Japan. The way that Blackthorne gets involved in this struggle is far too varied, complicated and would take far too much space to explain here. Suffice to say, they make for an interesting plot.

It is the look into feudal Japanese culture that is the major interest in “Shogun.” There are so many aspects of Japanese culture that are explained- societal, political, cultural and economics- and does so in great detail. This book shows the complicated power structure in Japan, the samurai way of life and even important cultural niceties, such as the tea ceremony. The most interesting part is that it’s (for the most part) told from Blackthrone’s perspective. Like the reader, he’s a foreigner being introduced to these things for the first time.

A second aspect that of the book that is absolutely fascinating is the social struggle that takes place between the traditional Japanese ways versus the new western ideas being brought in. This struggle shows in many ways, including the attempts of the Jesuit priests to establish Catholicism in a land that has been dominated by Shinto and Buddhism for centuries. The best way that the general tradition versus new is shown in the relationship that develops between Blackthorne and Lady Mariko, a highborn Japanese samurai Lady (a relationship that any romance fan will completely enjoy).

“Shogun” is long and dense, and it took even me a fair amount of time to read. The sheer amount of history and culture and Clavell manages to pack into this book, not to mention the intrigue and extremely well written characters, made all the time spent reading it time well spent.

It’s been awhile since I’ve brought you back to The House of Night (both the series and the main setting inside said series). It’s been awhile since I went with the teen version of vampires, so I thought it might just be the time to come back to both. That’s why I’m continuing with the series. With all that in mind, I present you with a review of Chosen, book three in PC and Kristen Cast’s The House of Night series.

When we last left the series, Zoey (super almost-vampire extraordinaire) had just found out that the high priestess Neferet is bringing back dead fledglings and making them into monsters for unknown reasons. This included Stevie Ray, Zoey’s best friend. The book deals with Zoey trying to find a way to stop Stevie Ray and the others like her from losing themselves. Since she can’t let anyone else know about it, it mean keeping secrets from everyone, even as it chips away at the trust everyone has in her. Of course, it all explodes in spectacular fashion by the end.

I’ll be honest- I didn’t really like this book. It rates as an ‘okay’ 2/5 stars for me, but since I still want to review the rest of the series, I had to cover this one. It’s just a book that could also be titled ‘Zoey Makes the Worst Decision Every Time’ and that’s frustrating. It’s painful to read, because it’s hard to see the main character acting so stupidly. This is not a book with good characters (most of them are nothing but a cliché), but it’s a fairly solid one when it comes to plot (minus to ridiculous romance plotlines(s)). It gets the overall story going, setting up the Neferet vs. Zoey storyline nicely, and gives us a glimpse of just what’s at stake on a big picture level. That is important for any ongoing series. It might not be the best in the series, but it’s still a series worth reading.

Think back to high school. Remember your friends? Remember what they were like, how close you were? Most importantly, remember what secrets you told them? I’m willing to bet that some of those secrets were ones that you never, ever wanted anyone to find out (as is the nature of secrets). But of course, there’s that friend who did know…and it really is impossible to keep a secret once someone else knows. Wouldn’t it just be easier if that friend just…disappeared?

That’s the plot of Sara Shepard’s Pretty Little Liars, the first book in the series of the same name. Allison was the best friend of Aria, Emily, Hanna, and Spencer. She was the one who knew their deep, dark secrets. We don’t see Allison very long, but the reader gets the sense she was one manipulative queen bee, the type of ‘friend’ who would subtly send out nasty barbs about those secrets. She would, without saying it outright, remind you that she knew, and it could destroy you if she wanted to. Then, one night Allison just disappears without a trace, and deep down, beneath the fear, sadness, and grief, the other girls feel just a little relieved. No Allison, no risk of exposure. Flash forward a few years, and the girls have all dramatically drifted apart. They’re all dealing with normal teenage girl issues- boys, girls, pressure from parents, weight issues and, a whole slew of others (though in a more dramatic, overblown way than I remember from high school). Allison hasn’t been heard from and her disappearance remains a mystery…until the girls begin to get messages, signed only with the letter A. These messages are taunting and coy, telling each girl that they don’t only know their new secrets, but their old ones as well. The secrets that only Allison knew. These messages are genuinely threatening, and it makes them that much more menacing.

This is a fun book, so ridiculously dramatic and over the top that it’s enjoyable. It never takes itself seriously and never tries to tone down the melodrama, but it also keeps in mind that it’s touching on some really serious topics, such as eating disorders. The book is ridiculous, but it never treats those issues as though they’re funny. Is it the best portrayal of them? No, but it takes them seriously in a book that is far from serious. The only complaint I have is that I felt the mystery could have lasted a little longer, at least into the next book. A new mystery replaces it, and it promises to be just as good, but I still wish they had drawn the original one out a little longer. Other than that, I thought the book was a good one, especially for reminding me just how vicious and catty high schoolers can be. If there’s ever a book that demonstrates that you should keep your secrets to yourself, it’s this one.

I first saw The Clan of the Cave Bear on one of those 100 books to read before you die lists, and truth be told, it didn’t really sound all that appealing to me. Don’t get me wrong, I love history, but I’m a bit less into the prehistoric humanoids. How much can there really be to tell about cavemen (excuse the simplistic term)? Despite those reservations I decided to read the book anyway, and I’m glad I did.
Clan of the Cave Bear takes place in the time where Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons lived in the world together.

Ayla is a little girl when her village is destroyed and she’s the only survivor. She wanders and after being attacked by a huge ancestor to the lion, is injured and found by a tribe of Neanderthals. They decide to take the girl with them, though she is ‘other’. Ayla is different in more ways than appearance, and that becomes more obvious as she grows. Ayla is a tomboy in a world where, even though women do as much physical labour as men, there are clear gender divisions. Women cannot hunt for example. Yet Ayla defies all that. She teaches herself to hunt and when her child is threatened, she violates the laws to protect him. Those are only a few of the moments where Ayla is like a prehistoric feminist.

Another interesting factor in the book is the culture that surrounds the clan. It’s nowhere near as simple as your cliched caveman tale. There is an extreme amount of mysticism and religion. The bear is a sacred animal, and each person has their own spirit animal. There are medicine women and shamans who preform rituals of deep religious and symbolic value. There is also a large amount of conflicting politics in the story. The issue of succession as a leader and how a personal vendetta can affect the wellbeing of the clan is a key plot point. There is xenophobia and distrust of the ‘other’. All of that makes it feel real. Never could I have imagined a prehistoric culture being so captivating. Auel makes it so real that you can imagine that this is what early people did believe in. Romanticized yes, but The Clan of the Cave Bear is fascinating nonetheless.

I’ll come right out and say it- Coraline is one of the creepiest books I’ve ever read, especially in light of the fact it’s aimed at a young adult audience. It’s the creepy factor that makes me recommend this book to you.

A little girl named Coraline moves into a new home, a massive old house that is divided into apartments. Her parents basically ignore her and Coraline is a solitary girl. When she finds an old key that opens a locked door in a downstairs room, she opens it and goes through a tunnel, despite warnings. On the other side, there is an alternate world that mirrors her own. Here there is her Other Mother and Father, who are identical to her real ones except for the big black buttons for eyes. They treat her the opposite of her parents by showering her with affection and attention, and Coraline loves it. She prefers it to the real world in fact, though she slowly figures out there’s darkness lurking under the surface. It’s an evil that has no plans to let Coraline go.

The Other Mother is one of the creepiest characters I have ever read. She’s too sweet, too loving, and you know there has to be something wrong. She’s the perfect mother, who only wants Coraline to stay and be happy…except you know in your gut that this mother is not. It’s an ominous feeling and you feel a lot of dawning horror when you realize just how right your gut feeling is. Coraline is a great book. Coraline is a creepy book. Coraline certainly isn’t a book I’d suggest reading if you’re home all alone after dark.

When I first saw the movie trailer for the movie The Lightning Thief, I was super excited; I have a love of mythology, especially that of ancient Greece (Thank you Xena!). When I found out that the movie was actually an adaptation for a book, it got even more exciting (I’m the kind of person that has to read the book before they see the movie). While the movie sucked, I’m glad to report that the book was as amazing as I wanted it to be.

The Lightning Thief is book one in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. The book revolves around Perseus Jackson (named after the Greek hero), a twelve-year-old boy who turns out to be a demigod (who has a mortal mother and father who is a god). Now, if you know anything about Greek mythology, you know that the gods having children with mortals was far from rare (the Greek gods were far from models of good behaviour), so there’s plenty of other half bloods around. What is rare about Percy, is that his father is Poseidon, god of the sea (the three big gods –Poseidon, Zeus and Hades- all swore not to have mortal children after WWII, so Percy isn’t supposed to exist). Not only is Percy in trouble for being born, but he had also been accused of stealing Zeus’s master lightning bolt. He has monsters coming at him every which way, including harpies, chimeras and gorgons, and in order to prevent a war from breaking out amongst the gods, he has to go on a quest to find who really took the bolt and return it before the solstice.

The Lightning Thief is brilliantly written, the epic Greek adventures mythology into a modern setting. Even though it’s based in the US, the traveling of the heroes is no less than ancient Greek heroes sailing across the Aegean Sea. Having a working knowledge of mythology is a plus, but you don’t need it to enjoy the book- enough of the 5 W’s (who, what, when, where, why) are explained to give you an idea what’s going on. The book also gives a great twist ending, which as someone who enjoys mysteries, was a great addition to the plot. It also sets up the basis of the rest of the series, which had me intrigued from the moment it was set up. The movie might have been awful, but I still thank it for leading me to this amazing series.

Halloween is upon us, and with it of course comes our need to find ways to scare ourselves. There are so many wonderfully creepy things to seek out, from horror movies to scary games, each one a bit more frightening because of the season. It’s the perfect time to curl up in bed, blankets pulled up tight, lights bright to chase away any monsters in the shadows, and tell yourself a scary story. Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is one of the best examples to go for.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a collection of twenty-nine of the creepiest short stories aimed at a younger audience that I’ve ever read (and some of the creepiest illustrations aimed at any generation). There are haunted houses, escaped criminals, killers on the loose, magic, the supernatural, and fatal mistakes. One story, The Red Spot, still makes me shudder when I think about it, and I read it years ago. It was my worst childhood fear made real on the page, and it shows just how effective Schwartz’s writing is that it still freaks me out today.

Each story in the book ties into urban legends, the modern-day folklore, that will be familiar to many. Schwartz took some influence from other well-known authors that people have definitely heard of and mixed them into a spookily atmospheric tone that will send shivers down your spine. I have always been fascinated by urban legends, because they are modern day mythology. It tracks the way urbanization and the easy access of culture has influenced the way we tell our society wide stories. We have gone from the epic poems to ‘it happened to a friend of a friend of mine’ and how that reflects on the way the world has changed. This is the kind of thing that gets me excited, but I’m aware that not everyone is a nerd like me. Even if you’re not, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is an excellent read, spooky and close to haunting. It’s a good scare, whether or not you’re doing it for the Halloween season (though I do highly recommend it for then. Just saying).

I’ll admit right away that Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’s Diary is not a book I would have ever read of my own free will. If it hadn’t been assigned reading for my first year English literature class, I never would have read it. I didn’t expect to enjoy Bridget Jones’s Diary because there are a lot of things I dislike about ‘Chick Lit’. I hate stereotypes in general, and one that has me cringing is the clingy, dependent, and obsessed with finding a boyfriend/husband woman. What I hate more than that are characters who are under the impression that the only thing women think about are men and then nag a woman if they don’t have a boyfriend. Bridget Jones’s Diary had both these things I hate, but the funny thing is, is I still enjoyed the book.

Bridget Jones is a thirty something woman obsessed with her weight, the amount of alcohol she drinks, and the cigarettes she smokes. She’s neurotic, obsessive compulsive, and has very low impulse control. She’s torn between the two expectations that women face- one, that she’s supposed to be out living this crazy social life. Two, that if you’re not married by the time you’re thirty, you’re a spinster who will never get a man. Everyone in her life seems to be insistent in reminding Bridget of these things. She’s a working woman who has a weird love triangle going on. One guy is a jerk and the other a decent guy. The book is basically the crazy, downright hilarious hijinks in Bridget’s life as she tries to lose weight, stop smoking, get a boyfriend, and figure out her life.

Bridget Jones’s Diary was funny, and that’s the saving grace for me. There were parts that had me laughing out loud because the situations were so ridiculous. Another factor was that Bridget Jones’s Diary takes inspiration from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. It’s not even close when it comes to plot, but you really see it as a (very) loose adaptation of Austen’s book when you look at the characters. A lot of characters mirror those in Pride and Prejudice and it’s interesting to see how these personality types fit into a modern setting. That said, Bridget Jones is no Elizabeth Bennet. I enjoyed this book because it was a fun, easy read. There were times when the feminist in me shuddered and where I almost threw the book across the room, but I liked it for what it was. It’s Chick Lit, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, and honestly? I enjoyed reading it more than quite a few critically acclaimed classics I’ve read.

To call me a feminist just might be an understatement. I’m all about the strong female characters; Mulan is the best Disney girl and Eowyn is one of my fictional heroes (and not only because both those women kick butt. They have depths that are profound). So when I came across Tamora Pierce’s Alanna: The First Adventure, about a girl who wants to be a knight so disguises herself as a boy to do it, I knew it would be for me.

Alanna is the daughter of a wealthy noble in the magical land of Tortall, and despite what her father wants, does not go away and learn how to become a lady. Instead, she takes her brother’s (who wants to become a wizard, not a knight) place and heads off to knight training. Defying a genre trope, when Alanna arrives there, she isn’t the best page. One of the best parts of the story is that Alanna is far from the best. She’s small and understandably weaker physically, so that means that she both has to work harder and is a bully magnet. Yet she doesn’t give up, which is always a good lesson you want to teach. And what kind of adventure story would this be if there wasn’t some type of villain she has to go up against in the end?

This is one of those books that all girls should read (though it is geared towards a younger audience) should read to see just how kick butt female characters can be. Even more than that, it’s one all boys should read for the very same reason. It’s a book that can challenge stereotypes that society teaches all genders, and that’s important. Take it from me- that’s something there can never be enough of.

V C Andrews is one of my favourite authors. In fact, I own a good chunk of the books she’s written, including those written by the ghostwriter after her death. Unfortunately, most of her books cover some pretty taboo subjects that I understand will not be for everyone. That’s why I’m usually fairly hesitant to recommend her books (and always add a lot of trigger warnings when I do). I still really like them, so it makes me happy that
my favourite series isn’t as risqué, which makes me feel it’s not as much of a risk to recommend it to everyone.

Ruby is the first book in the Landry series. It takes us down to the Louisiana bayou, where Ruby lives with her conniving grandfather and kind grandmother. Her mother died giving birth to her, but there’s more to the story than Ruby has ever been told. On her deathbed, her grandmother tells Ruby that she has a twin sister. Their father was a married man who took one baby, while Ruby’s existence was kept a secret and she was left behind. When Ruby finds out another shocking secret concerning her boyfriend Paul, she goes to find her long lost father. The glitzy world that she finds herself in is nothing like she expected. Her stepmother hates her, he twin Giselle is cruel and hateful, especially when her boyfriend Beau begins to fall for Ruby.

Out of all of V C Andrew’s memorable characters, Ruby has always stood out to me. She is the most intriguing of them all (and V C Andrews has a lot of characters). You feel her whirlwind journey and it touches your heart. The setting itself, especially the bayou, is great. The culture of Louisiana, both the rich and the poor, is something we’re given a fine taste of. We also get a little bit of voodoo thrown in, and that’ll make any tale that much better. I’ll caution that the books does contain some pretty mature subject matter, thus is not for everyone. That said, if you’re feeling like a more adult book that touches on some heavy subjects and has an awesome storyline, then definitely look at getting your hands on a copy of Ruby.