The Hobbit - J R R Tolkien

Maybe I jumped on the band wagon a bit with this one but after seeing the film I felt a bit guilty about never reading the book. I have now remedied the situation and here's what I think.

The book was very easy to read, maybe because it is primarily published as a children's book. I was a bit apprehensive at first as it was written in 1937 and Tolkien also has a bit of a reputation of being wordy but I was pleasantly surprised. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read without having to decipher any meanings or read between the lines. The reader is drawn into the world by the brilliant narrations of the author, not cajoled or bullied into believing that the world is reality, like some books I have read. The style is down to earth and friendly, however each character was his own voice which is distinct! Never at any time does Gandalf sound like Bilbo.

The songs in the novel add another element that is rarely found in other stories in this genre. They add a level of humour on some occasions, for example, when the dwarves are captured by the goblins and marched off to the under mountain they inhabit, they sing a song with onomatopoeic words. The scene would otherwise be full of threat. Some would think that this device detracts from the scene but I feel it adds to an otherwise dangerous scene. The song of the elves as the heroes approach Rivendell for the first time. It adds a sense of mischief and wonderment to what would be an otherwise bland scene.

The world that Tolkien writes in is perfect, there is no other word to describe it, just perfect. There is so much detail that the reader learns which makes the novel rich, however there is much that is not touched on and this is what makes the world complete. The added mystery of not knowing anything is far better than having every aspect explained. Gandalf's power is never explained, nor is where Beorn originates from and it is this that makes the world seem real.

There are many other brilliant points about this novel and I could go on and on about it however, it would be better if you went and found out for yourselves, go and read this book, its well worth it!

Mr Stink - David Walliams

 

I had to read this book as its the one we are going to be studying next term, as apposed to The Diamond Girls by Jacqueline Wilson. I was surprised to get the note about it but was happy to pick up an actual book and read it in two hours, much to the disgust of my colleague. (I informed him fast reading was my super power which made this OK)

I enjoyed this novel and think it will appeal to a wider audience than the Jacqueline Wilson one - mainly the boys as it is less 'girly'. The characters are just as good, certainly more likable and easier to bond with. The two main characters are surrounded by a rich support cast and the way they interact is wonderfully close to reality. Add to that the brilliant narrative voice of Walliams and you've got a winning novel.


The reason I feel this book will appeal to both boys and girls is that both the two protagonists, Mr Stink and Chloe, are easy to sympathise with. I am sure the girls will be able to put themselves in Chloe's place and so will the boys. She is far from perfect but has a good heart, she has family issues and its a joy to watch the resolution of these towards the end of the novel. There are also characters you love to hate and I hope literacy next term will be enjoyable.

The  use of humour in the novel works particularly well, I found parts of the narrative laugh out loud funny and it made me glad I was reading this from the comfort of my living room rather than anywhere public. I can't really praise the book enough, my only hope is that the children enjoy it as much as I have. I couldn't put the book down and as such, read it in a couple of hours. I'd advise anyone to give this book a go, its well worth it

Leopard Moon - Jeanette Battista

This book was a break away from my normal reads, usually I shy away from paranormal romance novels, I think they're over done and as such, rather dull. This novel was a pleasant surprise for me and here's why.

The first thing that grabbed my attention was the likability of the characters, the heroine, although rather young for my tastes, had her head screwed on straight. She was the most level headed seventeen year old I have encountered in a book (although not real life). She's running from a psychotic family member and seems to be doing very well at it. She also happens to be a Were-Leopard to add a bit of spice in the mix. The support cast are as likable as she is, despite having tough streaks to them. The characters, heroes and villains alike are well written and from the start of the novel grab you, leaving you wanting to know more about them.

The novel is very well written and is easy to read at the same time, the plot is somewhat simpler than my normal read and I believe this is partly why I enjoyed it. It's nice to keep things simple sometimes, something that a lot of fantasy fiction authors forget. In this novel there is no chance of forgetting who's who or who is doing what or even who is on who's side, it made a refreshing change.

 I liked this novel so much I am struggling to find a bad point to make - aside from the odd spelling error here and there and a couple of words omitted in error, I'm hard pressed to find one. As I mentioned earlier, the age of the heroine and hero are a bit young but that is just a matter of taste and not a flaw in the novel itself.

If you fancy an easy read then this really is a novel you'll enjoy. I'd recommend it for these reasons, it's effective in it's simplicity.

Death or Redemption - Gregory Stoakes

I write this review while swigging a lemsip and feeling a bit rubbish. The winter cold has caught up with me it seems. Still, no rest for the wicked, I shall to the best I can with this review before retiring to the comfort and warmth of my bed!

Stoakes has done a good job with this novel, you can tell it's a first attempt but I shall come to that shortly. If I say only one thing (and I won't) about the upsides of this novel it is this; Stoakes can write a fight. The fight scenes are some of the best ones I have read in a while. They pacing is perfect and as I couldn't read fast enough as swords clashed together. There was no shortage of gore and guts either, nor is Stoakes afraid to have his characters injured in a fight either - a good quality in an author!

The characters in this novel are very well thought out too. I love a decent character as regular readers will know and Stoakes doesn't let you down in this area. The hero, Ishbun, grows throughout the story and it is a pleasure to watch him learn from his mistakes. He isn't the only one who travels a physical and mental journey either, the support cast all go through a steep learning curve to get where they need to be and it is this that made the book a good read for me.

The world building in the novel has been well thought through, I enjoyed reading the journey from the desert to a more temperate climate. I loved how it was described and how the group dynamic changed once Ishbun, a native to the desert, arrived in the cooler zones of the north. It was well written!

This book is not perfect. The pacing of the book is a little off, at times it was a bit slow and I felt that some of the passages could have been omitted.Then there is the grammatical problems in the novel. This is a pet peeve of mine and I must say there are a few in this novel. How you can mistake foul and fowl I don't know. (this isn't the only word mis-use) It makes some of the passages difficult to read and really jolts you out of the world. There are also passages that don't make sense, for example, 'The blood pumped freely once more and Nemisa turn to stand and run.' These are simple mistakes that could be simply solved with either another round of editing or by having someone else go through the last draft.

The other bug-bear with the novel was the dialogue. People don't speak in formal English, we use clipped language and contractions, 'It is not' sounds wrong when written as speech, 'It isn't' sounds far better in my opinion and would make the novel easier to read.

All in all this was a decent read, despite the novel needing another round of editing, and I would recommend giving it a go.