It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

A fun book meme by Sheila of Book Journey. A fun way for book bloggers to share their reading week.

I have been off Uni the last two weeks and have another week before I go back. As a result I have made up for the lack of time spent reading running up to Christmas. Basically I have done very little else. So it's been a good week and a good start to the New Year. I also had a book clear out and made up for it by buying 13 books (I needed them - honest). And I signed up for yet one more challenge but it links in to my personal challenge so I am confident I won't fail it.

Last Week I Read (I have linked them up to my reviews);

 Discovery of Witches by Deborak Harkness. This is the first part of a series. I enjoyed it but it wasn't quite as good as I was expecting it to be. Good enough though that I want to read the next one when it comes out.

 Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare. The first play I read for Shakespeare month. Also the first I have read since school. Very much enjoyed it and a good start I think.

 Zoo City by Lauren Beukes. This was for the sci fi a month challenge. Another great start. I very much enjoyed this book and I'm glad I read it. Highly recommend it too.

 Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Again for Shakespeare month. I LOVED this one. I can't rave about it enough. Wonder how the others will live up to this.

 Waking the Witch by Kelley Armstrong. The 11th book in the Women of the Otherworld series. This time narrated by Savannah. I enjoyed it but nowhere near as good as the early books. Read more like a YA.


Just now I am reading;

 Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell. I am reading this for Mixing it Up 2012 challenge and for my own personal classic a month challenge. I am loving this book. I have almost finished it and I'm quite sad about that.

Next I plan to read;

 King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard. This is for the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen challenge. I'm looking forward to this. Curious as to what it will be like

The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights by John Steinbeck. This is for the classics challenge I just signed up for. I could have just used Cranford but I am very much looking forward to this so picked it instead. I love Steinbeck and when I discovered last year that he had written a book about King Arthur it went straight onto my TR list.

How was your reading week? Hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have.

Just One More Challenge - Classics

So I have decided to take on just one more challenge. A bit of a cheat since it coincides with one of my personal challenges and that's to read one classic each month of the year. For this one I just have to read 7 and take part in the prompts. I am arriving to this quite late and haven't yet started the first book I plan on reading. So it will be a while before I respond to this months prompt. It looks to be quite an interesting way to get to know more about various books and authors and other bloggers.

The challenge was put together by Katherine of Novembers Autumn. If you are interested in signing up you can do so here.  The rules are;

Write a post on your blog with a list of the seven works you hope to read in 2012 and why you chose them-- but don't feel bound by the list. 

Please include a link back to this page in your post, so others can learn about the challenge and join us. 

Fill out the form at the bottom, linking to your post.

Check back on the 4th of each month.

One extra rule is that only 3 of the 7 can be re-reads. I have more than 7 classics in my tbr pile and have picked out the ones I want to do for this challenge. Here they are although not necessarily in order;

The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights - John Steinbeck
The Three Musketeers - Alexander Dumas
Villette  - Charlotte Bronte
Spring Snow - Yukio Mishima
The Leopard - Tomasi di Lampedusa
The Bell - Iris Murdoch
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain

All books that I am very much looking forward to so it will be difficult choosing which one comes first.

Waking The Witch - Kelley Armstrong

Little Savannah is all grown up now and is determined to prove that she can fly solo on an investigation. With Paige and Lucas on holiday she takes the opportunity to do just that. Three women have been murdered in a nearby small town and there are some hints that the supernatural is involved. Savannah believes her biggest obstacle will be overcoming her inability to empathise of hold back her impatience and so she swoops in straight away. Turns out someone knows exactly who she is and Savannah is in danger of becoming a victim herself.

This is the 11th book in the series (which I gather is ending soon). I have to say that I have been disappointed with the last few instalments of the series. I was especially disappointed with "Frostbitten" because it also involved everyones favourite pack and yet didn't hold a candle to the earlier books. As a result I put off reading this one until it was released in paperback and even then it took me another 6 months. It also meant that my expectations of it were lowered. Having said that I was actually pleasantly surprised when I did pick it up. It was nice once again to read about characters I know so well even if there was little mention of most of the others.

Like all of Armstrong's female characters Savannah is strong, feisty and out to prove herself to everyone. She first appeared in "Stolen", the second book, as a troubled 12 year old. She is now 21 and still troubled but with a little more maturity. I liked her character back then and there is still enough of the rebel in her to see recognise her. Basically she is grown up but Armstrong has still been able to keep the fundamentals of her character which I liked. She is a fun character to watch.

Although the series has been written for adults this one felt more like a YA which I know the author has been writing more of recently. I don't think it was Savannah's young age or first steps into independence that gave it that feel. It just lacked the complexity of the first few books. The earlier ones had more detailed story lines than this and so it made for a very quick read. I could have done it in a day if I wasn't reading other things at the same time. In fact this book leads directly to the next as there are still unanswered questions and  it involves some of the same people. I think early on she would have done this as one novel rather than two. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it because I did. I just think it's maybe a sign that the series is winding down.

Last criticism and it's mainly due to my hunger for more. I was a little disappointed at how little the other characters in the series were mentioned. We usually get snippets of how each of them are doing even if they are in no way prominent in the book. This didn't really happen much. We heard from Jaime but only as a means of research. We heard from Paige and Lucas but only because Savannah had to check in with them. And of course we heard from Adam who was the only one who had more than a couple of lines. The others were lucky if they got a mention. As I said though that's all down to me and my nosiness. I know if Savannah was real she would be annoyed if the others stole her limelight. I just hope the last book of the series will have more of everyone.

A good read which has made me look forward to the last two books in the series.

Macbeth - William Shakespeare

Macbeth and his friend Banquo return form a victorious battle where they come across three witches. The witches predict that Macbeth will first become Thane of Cawdor and then King of Scotland. They also predict that Banquo will be the father of future Kings of Scotland. Both decide to laugh it off until a messenger arrives informing Macbeth that the King has made him Thane of Cawdor. This gets Macbeth to thinking and when her returns he tells his good wife Lady Macbeth all that has occurred. Not willing to wait she encourages Macbeth to murder the King. Having done so Macbeth still isn't happy. He wants his descendants to benefit too and so kills Banquo. The ghost of Banquo then haunts him and his men begin to believe he is going mad. Soon they discover the truth and with the help of the son of the previous King they stand against Macbeth. Macbeth believes he is invincible however, as the witches have since told him that no man born of a woman will kill him.

Out of all the books I was planning to read for this challenge this was the one I was most looking forward to. I actually started reading it a few weeks before Christmas whilst in a book shop. I had to force myself to put it down. It's really that good. I read somewhere that it's very similar to Antony and Cleopatra. I honestly didn't know that when I planned my reading order. Having said that I can see the similarities. Cleopatra and Lady Macbeth are said to be very similar. Sure, I doubt that Lady Macbeth is the beauty that Cleopatra was meant to be but thanks to both the men in their lives ended up at odds with their fellow men. Like Cleopatra too I loved the character Lady Macbeth. If it wasn't for her there probably wouldn't have been a play as Macbeth lacked the courage to carry out the murder without her. Of course after the first one he was able to do the others no problem.

The best speech was probably when Macbeth was murdering his King. However, my favourite scene is the witches. Their scenes were the ones I was looking forward to the most. I bet their lines are among the most famous. I know I've came across several of them in other books/films/television. The one that was brought to mind though was Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters (one of my favourites by this author). I am definitely going to have to read that again at some point this year. Another favourite scene was Lady Macbeth sleepwalking and trying to wash the blood from her hands.

Despite the fact that it was a play there was definitely atmosphere there. I imagine that it could be quite creepy to see it performed. I could picture lots of dark settings (obviously not only including the witch scenes). This play was everything I expected it to be and more. It's definitely at the top of my list of performances I want to see. If you haven't read this I highly recommend that you do.

Shakespeare Month challenge by A Literary Odyssey. More links here.

Zoo City - Lauren Beukes

Zoo City is set in a world where if you do something wrong your karma comes back in the form of an animal. An animal you have to slug around as separation can lead to sickness and death. This is what happened to Zinzi. Despite having everything she needed she led a fast paced life which ended with her living in Zoo city with a sloth and a mass of drug bills. Scams and searching for lost things are the only way she is able to survive. On finding one lost thing she is caught up in a murder and the pay she was relying on is no longer coming in. She has no choice but to take the one job she hates. Missing persons. Reluctantly she starts investigating but soon finds that there is more to this than she is being told. It's not long before she is in danger herself.

This was more alternate universe than sci fi but it was a great way to ease in to the challenge. I've been wanting to read it since I saw it reviewed in SFX over a year ago and then when it won the Arthur C. Clark award. From the first page I was immediately sucked in to the story. Not so much for the mystery behind the girl who had gone missing. It was for the story behind the animals. The book is split up with interviews and news items and a lot of it links back to when animals first appeared and how those with them are then ostracised from society. We see it first hand with Zinzi who has to overcome prejudice just so she can carry out her investigation. I loved it and the whole idea of it. Reminded me very much of the animals in Philip Pullman's Northern Lights. In fact there is even a reference to it but of course in this book it's not scene in quite so much a positive light.

I loved the atmosphere of the book and the fast pace. The setting was perfect. You definitely got the feel of Zinzi living in what can only be a slum but there is a sense of community too. Zoos (as they are called) pull together although there is still gangs and killings. As I said the mystery was secondary for me but I still enjoyed it. While I did have my suspicions as to who was really up to no good I certainly wasn't expecting the final outcome.

I would give the book a full star rating apart from one complaint. It felt like the ending was just a little too rushed. I would have liked it pulled out just a little bit more. Other than that it was a brilliant read and I did like the very ending of the book. I would like to hope that another book set in this universe might be on the cards as I would love to read more.

This is the first book I read for Ellie's sci fi challenge over at Curiosity Killed the Bookworm. Ellie picked this one for anyone who wanted to read along although it no one had to in order to join the challenge. If you want to see what others have been reading Ellie has posted links here.

Antony and Cleopatra - William Shakespeare

Since the death of Julius Caesar Antony has ruled Rome alongside two others. However, instead of looking after his affairs at home he spends all his time with Cleopatra in Egypt. This leads to discontent among his people and with Octavius Caesar and Lepidus who rule beside him. News of his wife rising up against Caesar and then dying for it doesn't even move him to leave Cleopatra's side. Eventually Caesar demands that he returns to do something about Pompey and his pirates. Whilst home their friendship is mended through a marriage between Antony and Caesar's sister. It doesn't last though and Antony is soon back in the arms of Cleopatra. Caesar has had enough  and soon the two friends are at war.

I have to confess that this is the first Shakespeare I have read since school. It's something I have always wanted to do but the longer I left it the more worried I became about not understanding the language. I must admit that it did take getting used to but I soon forgot about how odd it felt and got into the swing of the story. It helped that this edition has an excellent introduction and a section at the back to explain all those odd words (highly recommend the Penguin books).

I loved the story. Poor Antony is so ensnared by Cleopatra that he is willing to lose everything on her behalf. Snubs his friends by handing over lands to her. I loved Cleopatra. I thought she was a fantastic character. So selfish and spoiled and vain. Yet the ending showed that she did love Antony and that she had some pride. My favourite scene was the messenger coming to tell her that Antony had married. You had to feel so sorry for the messenger who was clearly terrified of telling her. Especially when she didn't take it well. This was followed by her being reassured that Octavia was a plain woman and had nothing in the way of Cleopatra's beauty. Like the jealous ex being told that the new girlfriend isn't pretty. I'm sure we have all seen this in other books/films/tv.

Antony on the other hand wasn't exactly a favourite of mine. I should feel sorry for him as he was so besotted with Cleopatra that he was willing to lose everything (and did). Yet I couldn't. Through out the play he is criticised for losing his manhood to Cleo. He gives up everything for her and yet when he is away and trying to mend his friendship with Caesar he marries a woman he doesn't love. When it comes to battle he ignores his friends advice and loses. When Cleopatra loses confidence and runs he blames her and wants to kill her (so much for love). Even one of his closest friends turns his back on him.

Whilst I did enjoy the play and would like to see it performed I couldn't help but have other images in my head as I was reading it. On Christmas Eve my dad had us watch "Carry On Cleo". Not exactly a Christmas film but we sat and watched it. As a result I couldn't help but picture the cast of Carry On in these roles. Bit difficult to take seriously when you have that running through your head. Managed to get over it though.

I read this as part of Shakespeare Reading month hosted by Allie of A Literary Odyssey (a fantastic blog, especially if you like your classics). If you want to see other reviews she has posted links here.

A Discovery Of Witches - Deborah Harkness

Diana Bishop has spent her entire life ignoring the fact that she is a witch despite the fact that she is the last in a long line of a famous family. Her parents were killed despite being powerful and so Diana just wants to be human. She focuses instead on her studies and is now a respectable historian taking time away from teaching at Yale to do some research in Oxford. When she calls for a manuscript to help with her research she ignores the fact that it is clearly magical and sends it back. All of a sudden she has the attention of witches, demons and vampires and not the good kind. Only one vampire is standing between her and the unwanted attention and to make matters worse her powers have decided to come out and play. She has to find out why only she can call the manuscript and how to control her powers before it's too late.

This book seemed to be focusing on the research and historical side of the story at first. This type of writing has always appealed to me (one of the reasons why I loved The Historian). Sadly it didn't stay focused on that. All of a sudden it became about a forbidden romance between a witch and a vampire. Diana is unaware that it is forbidden for creatures to be romantically involved and by the time she finds out it's too late. The only way to prevent ramifications is for Diana to become a vampire herself. Thankfully it didn't really go the whole Twilight route as neither Matthew or Diana want that. However, there were plenty of times Twilight was brought to mind. Mainly because of Matthew's protectiveness of Diana and his old fashioned attitude to love. Also the fact that Diana lets him a lot of the time. Not always. She started off as a fairly strong character but seemed to become more and more reliant on Matthew as time went on. Occasionally she would show some of her original strength though.

There were far too many parts of this book which were completely unnecessary. Detailed descriptions of almost every meal for one thing. I am sure that there were aspects of Diana's time in France which could have been cut down and no difference would have been made to the story or the connection the reader makes to the character. I was also disappointed at how much time Diana spent away from Oxford. I enjoyed the time there better than in France and New York.

Having said all that I did have fun reading the book. As I said I liked the historical aspect and that didn't completely disappear. The whole story didn't just revolve around Diana and Matthew and their forbidden love. It was also about the next step in the creatures evolution. Diana was a strong character for most of the book and whilst I did feel she changed I still like her for the most part. I also like where the story is going. The second book (which comes out this year) is set in the past and I believe a few famous historical characters pop up. I'm looking forward to that. An easy start to the New Year.