Galaxy in Flames (Horus Heresy Book 3) - Ben Counter

Writing this without spoilers is going to be difficult...

It might come as a bit of a surprise to some of you that I have rather enjoyed reading about Space Marines in The Horus Heresy. I have watched every single character grow and change throughout the three books. Some for the better, some for the (much) worse.

I knew this book was going to be tough to read from an emotional point of view, I just wasn't prepared for HOW tough. I spent the last two books getting to really like two of the core characters. Their companionship grew throughout the novels and added a much needed lighter approach through some of the darker aspects of the novel. The characters are so well written, that they soom so real. I don't want to write spoilers in this but just make sure you either steel yourself because believe me, you will not be prepared for the way this novel ends!

What I am now going to talk about is the irony that struck me involving the Great Crusade. Clearly, this novel upset me but I take comfort in the characters standing up for what they believed in. They believed that their side of the argument was right, that they were doing the right thing and standing by their Emperor. Who told them to go and spread his word and destroy anyone who disagreed with the secular way of man. If that is what it right then what does that tell you about the other side? If I have learned one thing about the Imperium of Mankind, is that it has one warped sense of humour (no pun intended).

Either way, I enjoyedthe read and I have not cried over a book since Oy died in The Dark Tower, it goes to show how well written the book is and I look forward to the next installment. I doubt I will be prepared for that either!

False Gods (Horus Heresy Book 2) - Graham McNeill

I was apprehensive. I will easily and readily admit that I adored the characters in Horus Rising by Dan Abnett and looked forward to reading about their trials in the next instalment of the story. That it was written by another person gave me pause. What if they were different? What if they were shown in a different manner and everything I liked about them was stripped away and they were left flat?

There was nothing to worry about, the characters were developed further from the point where Abnett left them and were still essentially themselves. In fact, it would be safe to say that I am even more emotionally invested in them now than before.

The book is so masterfully written and carefully thought out that there were times that I genuinely feared for some of them. It made picking up the book, and putting it down, incredibly difficult and I found I had to take a break now and then to prepare myself for the outcomes. My heart was genuinely thudding during some of the events of the story, while others made me want to scream, 'If you just listen to that guy....' I'll say no more because I want you to go and read these yourself.

McNeill is another master of the craft and I really don't have a bad word to say about the novel either. There is a balance of action, character and intrigue so as not to make it dull in any way and I was more than eager to read. The action scenes are incredibly well written and I was gripped, heart pounding and for want of a better phrase, on the edge of my seat, needing to know who lived and who died...

The third book is written by yet a different author but this change does not scare me half as much as it did the first time, I look forward to reading it, though am scared for the future of some of these warrior characters, and shall let you know my thoughts afterwards

The Iron Man - Ted Hughes

 

It hasn't taken me that long to finish my latest read, partly because it is a children's story that I am looking at next term and partly because it is such an enjoyable tale.

It is a well known story and it has been around for a long time, first published in 1968, it has been read by many children at school. Even I can remember doing this story when I was in primary school and I hope to be able to recreate some of the fond memories with the children I will be working with.

This is a wonderful story. The plot is simplistic and easy to follow yet loses no enjoyability in this account. It has been hailed by some as a modern day fairy story and I agree with this description. The tale follows the formula for this genre. I don't want to divulge too many plot details as I want readers to go out and try this book but I will say that the growing friendship between a boy and a giant metal man is touching.

Another thing I really loved about this book was the rich description I found. It was beautiful to read and Hughes had a truly unique voice. The book will appeal to both the boys and girls in my group as it is aimed at children and every word Hughes has written shows this. The scenes are vivid without the language being to weighty. The pacing is spot on too, no point is over or underwritten, no word is dead weight in the novel, which makes a welcome change from some books I have read in the past!

The characters in the novel are also well thought out, simple yet balanced. They young boy who befriends the Iron Man will be easy for children to relate to and even the Iron Man himself comes across as a misunderstand giant who is just after something to eat!

I don't really have any criticisms of this novel as its one I grew up loving and one I was too happy to re-read as an adult. I hope the kids I work with will enjoy it as much as I did and still do and that they will attach good memories to it as well. I can only try my best to help them get the most out of it too. If you have never read this story, I would suggest you do so, it is a wonderful book!

Room 13 - Robert Swindells

This is the book I am looking at this half term with my guided reading group at school. I was given it to read over half term and I must say I enjoyed every word on the page. I tried to keep in mind that this is a story aimed at children while reading and found there was so much I discuss with my group.

The heroine of the book is a young girl named Fliss. She is about to embark on a school trip to Whitby for a 5 day stay. This is something I am doing during the summer term (albeit for a weekend rather than a week) so found it very easy to relate to. I understood her nerves about being away from home for the first time and will no doubt have to help several children cope with this too. She is the rough age of the group I work with and hope they will be able to identify with her too. Fliss is a balanced, well rounded character who's fears and hopes come through in an easy way. She has been expertly written and is supported by a group of characters who are as full as she is.

The plot itself is interesting and I found I wanted to know what happened next from the first page. It is a mild horror, which plays on popular superstitions about the number 13 and references the well known novel Dracula. Young boys in the story use Dracula to terrify the heroine and her friends in a comically typical boyish fashion. The pace of the plot is good and will be suitable for my group to follow without being too much. The plot is horror enough to keep the boys interested as well and anything that gets boys interested in reading is a winner in my book!

Swindell makes great use of language in the novel, it is easy to follow and yet will be enough of a challenge for my ten year olds. It will force them to look up words in a dictionary because I know they won't understand every word written. It's going to be a good book to work on and I am looking forward to seeing the children's reactions. 

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