November 30, Top 5 Wednesday

This weekly book meme officiated in November 2013. Every week there is a new topic and your list of 5 nominates will be based off this topic. For further information check out the Goodreads Page.

The theme this week is: Favorite Villains 

1. Long John Silver from Treasure Island by R.L. Stevenson

One legged manipulative and fearful pirate, Silver gains the trust of protagonist Jim Hawkins, only to reveal himself to be the leader of a mutiny, planning to murder the ship's officers once the treasure is found. I actually like the guy. Not his cruelty and blood thirst, but his imagination and wit. He was one head above most of the pirates not only because he was feared, but because he dared to do things no one done before.

2.  Count Dracula by Bram Stoker 

  
A picturesque figure of the gothic-fiction world. Bram Stocker sets rules about what a vampire should be and was followed by many authors in gothic-fiction and vampire topic. But only reading the book I realized, how twisted modern vampire fiction has become. So for me Count Dracula is the father of all Gothic villains.

3. Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë 

He is not 100% villain as in most of the books. Life makes him such a heartless and vindictive person and he is like a demon for this area and most of his deeds cannot be called anything but evil. He does not show any mercy in his revenge,  but still he encourages sympathy. 

4. Annie Wilkes from Misery by Stephen King

Anne Marie Wilkes, better known as Annie Wilkes, is the main antagonist in Stephen King's 1987 novel Misery. Annie is a severely mentally ill, demented and obsessive nurse and the self-proclaimed biggest fan of her favorite author, Paul Sheldon. This character is so sick and freighting that I like her so much for that.

5. Woland (Satan) from The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

Woland is the mysterious foreigner and a professor who is "in Moscow to present a performance of 'black magic' and then expose its machinations". This exposure never occurs; Woland instead exposes the greed and bourgeois behaviour of the spectators themselves. His visit to Moscow sets the plot rolling and turns the world upside-down. This is the most honest and worthy devil I have read about. 

November 1, Top Ten Tuesday

       Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Visit their blog for more details on how to participate. Each week they will post a new Top Ten list on specific topic.
      This week topic is:   

Top Ten Books To Read If Your Book Club Likes (if your book club likes historical fiction, inspiring stories, YA books, non-fiction, controversial books to debate about, or pick a specific book. 

       For me it is kind of challenge since I do not have my own book club and I am not part of any other. But if I would be a part of book club, I would think that we read historical fiction. So here are my top 10 historical fiction novels:

1. The Mark of Zorro by Johnston McCulley

The story of the legendary Zorro, a Californian nobleman living in Los Angeles during Mexican rule. A well known Zorro is an outlaw who stand to protect local and commoners against tyranny of officials and other villains.

2. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The story is taking place in the 50s of 20th century in rural America. The segregation is blossoming and Afro-American help is used in almost every white household.  The difficult relationship between employer and employees, the silent struggle between them, personal drama and a good deal of humor: all that can be found in this wonderful book.

3. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray 

The book follows the lives of Becky Sharp and Emmy Sedley, their families and friends during and after the Napoleonic Wars. Originally a satirical work by Thackeray portraits the panoramic view of English society.

  

4. Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini

Perhaps one of the best characters created by Sabatini. Although Captain Blood is a fictional figure, much of the historical background of the novel is based on facts: The Monmouth rebellion and Glorious Revolution.

5. Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell

The series features the character of Richard Sharpe, an English soldier during the Napoleonic Wars and consists of 11 books. Richartd Sharpe is a common soldier who gets commission on a battlefield and has to struggle for acceptance and respect from his fellow officers and from the men he commands. So if I need to choose only one book I would go with Sharpe's Rifles. 

6. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Can you find any other such a novel that describes not only historical events (Napoleon’s war action in Europe and Asia) but also describes the life in the details of the huge country starting from dinner parties hosted by the nobility and finishing by peasants’ day-to-day being. And even this is not all. The overall view of honor, love, faith, self-understanding, betrayal, cowardice and many other moral aspects are traced through 2 generations and different social layers of society.

7.  The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo

Very sad and depressive story is set in Paris, France in the Late Middle Ages, during the reign of Louis XI. Actually the main character of the story is the building Notre-Dame de Paris itself. There is lots of description of Paris as well that give a vivid impression about the at that time.

8. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

A novel that was so acclaimed and seems soon forgotten. The incredible  story of Polish American student Jacob and performer Marlena takes place in America in the 30s and depicts the life of a traveling circus.

 9. Aubrey/Maturin Book by Patrick O'Brian

Again the great series set during the Napoleonic Wars and centering on the friendship between Captain Jack Aubrey and ship's surgeon Stephen Maturin. The series consists of 20 books, of which I read only 4. So if I have to, I will choose the first one Master and Commander as here we get to know the main characters.

10. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

It is needless to say anything about this book. It is one of the best novels reflecting the norms and customs of the English society in the beginning of the 19th century.

Quote of the day #1

Catriona by R.L. Stevenson
Alan Breck Stewart to David Balfour:

Statue of Alan Stewart and David Balfour in Edinburgh

"Them that cannae tell the truth," he observed to myself as we went on again, "should be aye mindful to leave an honest, handy lee behind them. If folk dinnae ken what ye're doing, Davie, they're terrible taken up with it; but if they think they ken, they care nae mair for it than what I do for pease porridge". 

      That is funny truth in the statement from Stevenson's book. How many times I was compelled not to tell truth about myself. There was nothing sinister in my motives. It might be variety of reasons: I really dislike the person, I was introduced to; I really do not trust the person anymore and do not want to share anything with them; or I am just terribly tired of the small talk with unfamiliar people. You know how it is: What is your name? Where are you from? Why did you come here? Are you single? What do you do? And so on and so forth for one thousand times. I get sick and bored of those talks sometimes.  

      Naturally, this is part of communication culture and how you get to know a new person without asking and answering? But in most of the cases this questionnaire just remains small talk, the one you have been through millions of times. So sometimes I wonder if I add something peculiar and unexpected about my live story, how it will turn out: will it come back to me one day in the form of a stupid gossip or will the person be satisfied with the answer and settled with what he thinks my character is, as it is suggested by Stevenson.

The Lunar Chronicles

 

     These books are absolutely enchanting. I would call it the biggest shocker this year. I have picked Cinder as a recommendation of participants of Popsugarreadingchalenge and was not waiting for anything special. But I actually loved the series. The main characters are strong and alive. Each new book brings additional members to the squad and every of them have a unique personality, strengths and weaknesses.
      Though it is a YA series it is not overloaded with love stories. We get the first introduction and get the idea who will date whom, but there is no lingering description of kisses, hugs and feelings altogether. Actually, there are even more friendship relationships in the books than love. Throughout the series the friends are split so many times that they need to learn how to work in different teams, overcome their fears and gain trust.
The story is quite original: re-telling of old fairy tales in new unexpected way.


Author: Marissa Meyer

Original title: Cinder
Pages: 448
Edition Language:
Series: Lunar Chronicles 1 

       Cinder is a young cyborg-mechanic in New Beijing. She has no civil rights as a second class citizen and is totally under control of her heartless stepmother. Her story is based on the Cinderella story and of course she meets a charming prince Kai, who takes vivid interest in her without knowing she is a cyborg. After her submission by her adopt mother to cure testing, Cinder discovers that she is also of Luna origin and has a special device to control her Luna charms.
       During the royal ball Cinder is trying to save the prince from marriage with the queen of Luna Levana. At this point she reveals that, first of all she is cyborg, second of all that she is Luna, and finally she reveals to Levana that she is the lost Princess Selene of Luna whom she tried to kill 11 years ago.


Original title: Scarlet
Pages: 512
Edition Language:
Series: Lunar Chronicles 2

       Scarlet is another rewritten fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood". I would say this is my favorite love line in the series. I saw quite many reviews on this book and most of the people find it boring. I just LOVE it)) A young farmer girl is looking after her grandma's farm and tries to solve her grandma disappearance. In a local pub where she delivers vegetables she meets handsome, but rather strange young man by the nickname "Wolf".
        From this point it is quite clear that those two are destined to be together. Maybe this is the boring part, but I like how they learn to like each other, how she trust him and how he fights the animal instincts and learn to live normal human life. Wolf promises Scarlet to find her grandma and they start their journey to Paris. Of course, nothing is so simple and he turns out to be an obedient dog of Luna people and leads Scarlet directly to the trap.
       In parallel the story of Cinder is continued. She escapes the prison together with a new character Thorne, a thief and spaceship hijacker. Cinder still does not believe that she is a princess and is searching for evidence and answers. She remembers part of the report where was discovered that her past is somehow connected to a French pilot Michelle Benoit who is naturally turning to be Scarlet's grandma. Cinder saves Scarlet in Paris and the four of escapes the Earth on the space ship Rampion.

Original title: Cress

Pages: 592
Edition Language:
Series: Lunar Chronicles 3

        The 3rd book has new character Crescent (Cress) Moon Darnel, a talented hacker imprisoned in a satellite in space. She spends last 7 years on a ship spying on Earth leaders and covering military movements of the Luna army to earth. She is in love with Earth and one particular Earthman - Thorne. She waits as Rapunzel for a brave Thorne to save her.
       When Cinder contacts her, Cress asks for help to escape satellite. But the rescue expedition goes totally wrong. Thaumaturge Sybil Mira sends the satellite to crash on Earth together with Cress and Thorne on board. Scarlet is imprisoned by Sybil Mira, Wolf is wondered and Cinder gets new passenger Jacin Clay.
           After the miraculous landing of satellite in Sahara, Thorn is not able to see anything and Cress is actually seeing the Earth from Earth for the first time. It is quite sweet and touching to follow how those two are trying to deal with problems and cooperate together. They need to reach any city to let Cinder know they alive.
In the meanwhile Cinder brings Wolf to North Africa to Dr. Erland to heal. Kai asks queen Levana to marry him in exchange for an antidote for the plague and the safety of his people against "animal" attacks.
          By coincidence all crew members except Scarlet, who is imprisoned on the Moon, meet in Africa and plot to stop Kai's wedding. They need to get into the palace and kidnap the prince before the wedding. All that goes well expect they lose Jacin Clay, who betrays them to Sybil Mira.

Original title: Winter

Pages: 832
Edition Language: English
Series: Lunar Chronicles 4 

       "Winter" is the last book of the series is based on "Snow White" fairy tale. This book describes the relations between mentally ill queen Levana's stepdaughter Winter and royal guard Jacin Clay. Winter also saves Scarlet from the royal court and keeps her as her pet in a zoo.
        The rest of the events are following: Kai is returned to the palace, and again agrees to marry Levana but the ceremony should be on the Moon. Cinder and the crew get on Kai's spaceship to reach the Moon and start a revolution. After Clay helps Scarlet and Winter escape, they try to recruit mutated wolf-like human soldiers in bunkers. Knowing that queen Levana poisons Winter's favorite apple candy with plague and give it to her in a forest. Winter is dying and infect everyone around her.
          Cinder, who was captured and presented on a wedding day as present to Kai fight queen Levana's charms and jump in a lake to save her live. Saved by Clay and Thorn they learn that Winter is in mortal danger. Covered by Cress hacking they steal a lot of antidote and rush to save their friends. In the day of Levana's coronation an enormous battle takes place leading to Levana's death and Cinder recognition as queen of Luna.

Altogether I am not a big fan of YA books, but these series I liked for a number of reasons:
1. The plot is strong and consistent. There are minor mistakes, but the whole impression is quite positive and it does not leave you with the questions like: "What was that? Why this passage here at all? What's the purpose of this description?"

2. Characters are absolutely terrific. Well written, everyone has its individuality. And I mean not only main characters: Sybil Mira, Aimer, Alpha Strong and others. Very convincing and realistic!

3. The story is not overloaded with love lines. "Make love, not war" does not apply here and I liked it. We can see first time affection, but real feeling comes during the endurance of time, distance and rough going.

4. Many other topics are raised in the books as well: racism, prejudice, home violence, poverty, political “behind the curtain” games. And these topics are nicely introduced to the story through the characters and their lives, thus that we see the imperfection even in a perfect world.

5. The setting and idea of the stories is also very fascinating: post WW4 Earth, Luna and its people, inter planet flights, biological weapon, biological mutation, cyborgs, androids with humor and satellite imprisoning.

Rating of the series 

    5/5