Read-A-Thon Updates and Mini-challenges

Hour 2 & 7 PM: The second minichallenge - Reading in Translation 

I've read a few translated books (Haruki Murakami, Steig Larsson, Paulo Coelho, Flaubert, etc)

For a book that I'd like to read in the original, I pick the Mahabharata. This is a superlong Indian epic, written in Sanskrit, a language that formed the basis of all Indian languages. It's still taught in schools (rather like Latin).
The Mahabharata and the Ramayana have been translated many times but all translations must necessarily be flavored by both the translator and the times he/she lives in.

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8:00 PM/Hour 3: 
Completed the short story Intuition by J.Meyers - I started late and spent the first hour cheerleading other Readathon-ers.
Also, Twitter is pretty distracting!
For my next book, I'm going offline, though still on my laptop. Remember, I'm only reading ebooks this Read-a-thon!

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9:30 PM Hour 4: Turn to Page 32 Minichallenge
For this challenge, you must turn to page 32 of the book you are currently reading (or the nearest page with text on it) and find the most entertaining phrase to complete the following sentence:
"I would rather read than ________ any day!"

"I would rather read than seen you promenading through town all covered with the stuff."
--- Page 32 of Emily and the Dark Angel by Jo Bev.

10:30 PM/Hour 5: I've just finished my first book - the fun historical romance "Emily and the Dark Angel" by Jo Beverly
Pages read = 17+191 
Currently Reading = BattlePug by Mike Norton

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11:20 PM/Hour 6: Minichallenge Bon Appetit
I'm reading Mike Norton's Battlepug, the graphic novel. Our party would include pets! So the food would be Pedigree dog food, kibbles, chewable toys AND oh yes, adult food - dog-shaped biscuits, and chicken kebabs with cucumber dip from turkey (one of the locations)
Pages read = 17+191 
Currently Reading = BattlePug by Mike Norton & The Tough Guide to Fantasyland by DWJ
Both are incredibly funny!

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12:50 PM/Hour 7:
Pages read = 17+191+66
Book Finished = Mike Norton's Battlepug
Thanks to NetGalley for the graphic novel


I'm going to read and then sleep for several hours now, no updates till morning!
Will probably get more done without twitter and other distractions...that is one huge drawback to doing the entire readathon on my laptop only via ebooks and egalleys.

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12:20 AM/Hour 18:

I'm amazed at just how much I read in the 12 offline hours - I finished both The Gathering and The Calling by Kelley Armstrong. These are fantastic YA stories written by an author at the top of her game.

A Full Read-a-thon update: 
Reading:The Tough Guide to Fantasyland by Diane Wynne Jones
Munching: Watermelon juice
Listening: To the grunts and baby noises my two-month old is making as he stretches 

Books finished: Mike Norton's Battlepugs, Kelley Armstrong's The Gathering & The Calling, J. Meyer's Intuitive (short story), Jo Beverly's Emily and the Dark Angel
 
Total pages read: 17+191+66+326+368
Total reading time: 12hrs approx
Total cheer comments: 25-ish

Check out #readathon and @deepratap on twitter for more updates 

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2 PM/ Hour 21: Acrostic Minichallenge  
BattlePugs = Bizarre Animal Tales Told in exciting Punny Ultra Good Story!

I'm re-reading Kelley Armstrong's Frostbitten while spending most of time visiting other blogs.

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4 PM/Hour 23: MadLib Minichallenge


Taken from Kelley Armstrong's Frostbitten, are a bunch of nouns, verbs etc arranged into the sentence below - 


This ____snow____ is ____icey____! ____Elena____ has never ____paced___ so much. The ____Kelley____ I'm currently ____rumbling____ is ____canine____ and ____freshly___. When this is over, I will ____sniff____ for ____weeks____.

Pinterest now the Third most popular Social site!

Launched in March 2010, Pinterest is a now familiar online sight - but far more so now than even 6 months ago.
For myself, I only heard about it a couple of months ago, and then waited for an invite before logging in via twitter. But in those two months (Jan-Feb '12), Pinterest grew by 50%!
Clearly, this image sharing site is a Phenomenon.

Why is it so popular?
Nothing like facebook, it focuses purely on interests! 
Hobbies, Crafts, Fashion, Home are the widest categories, and what's better than getting to connect with friends on mutual interests? The average pinterest user spends 20 min a day on the site, which is much more than the average time on twitter or facebook.
Why do you use Pinterest? What's your best board? Have you linked your IRL friends on it, via facebook?
For more book-related pinning, go here.


More reading:

Pinterest Is Now the Third Most Popular Social Network in the U.S. (Social times)

2012 Digital Marketer: Benchmark and Trend Report(Experia)

My son (and the reason for the no-blog-post weeks)

Day 3

We have a baby!
The baby arrived earlier than the due date, and has taken up all available time since then.
He is now a couple of weeks old, and with a lot of help at home, I should be able to return to regular blog posts soon.

Here is a pic of Aaryan (our son's name). I am now reading a couple of books, so expect reviews to go up starting tomorrow. Meanwhile, thanks for sticking by my blog, and continuing to follow- I appreciate your comments and views very much!

P.S. Any books you recommend on Childcare and Parenting? :D

Missing: One McCaffrey

The recent passing (21st Nov,2011) of Anne McCaffrey will affect all SFF readers everywhere. While she isn't my "all time fav" author, her books have been part of my reading repetoire, and I'm sure, part of many other scifi-fantasy lovers' reading lists.


Her DragonRiders of Pern stories defined dragons in books, and set the bar for other authors to beat. While reading her books now might feel a little trite, it is only because she was the first to write in that style, and has been inspiration for many other popular writers.
A good place to start would be the Harper Hall books.


Not just Pern: If you haven't read any non-Pern McCaffrey books, may I suggest the Acorna series, or the Planet Raiders series, or the Crystal universe. Yes, she was a prolific writer with a long career!


Need inspiration?
Here are some of the best covers, in a Tor post written by the cover illustrator himself, Michael Whelan: 
The Inspiration of Anne McCaffrey (Tor.com)

The Crippled God - The Malazan Book of the Fallen

I've been making my way through the epic to end all epics: The Malazan Book of the Fallen.
This is the final tome, #10, in Steven Erikson's award-winning series. I'm in the last stretch, with maybe 50 pages to go.

Page 75 (of 928 pages) 

'If it weren't for me you'd still be clinging halfway up that cliff, a clutch of bones with birds nesting in your hair and spiders in your eye sockets.' 

'If it weren't for you I'd never have tried climbing it.'

'Yes you would' 

'Why do you say that?'                                    

'Because, Stormy, you never think.'

Mini Review:

The Malazan series is for a reader with stamina and patience. The books are long-winded, and span millenia, numerous races, Gods and more.  

(This is my excuse for having a longer than 2 sentence teaser). In the end, it is all worth it!

I'd recommend this series to fans of fantasy, Stephen King's The Dark Tower series, war stories.

Do read a recent post, perhaps a review of the latest Buffy graphic novel by Joss Whedon.

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To join into the TT fun, visit the link below!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

Teaser Tuesdays #32 - Kings of the North by E. Moon

The latest offering, so new it still smells of the publishing house, from Elizabeth Moon continues the Legend of Paksennarion. 

From Chapter 1 of Kings of the North (The Deed of Paksenarrion):

Then, sudden and strong: betrayal and warning.
Kieri scarcely breathed.
Betrayal? Danger? Who?
They lie. She— But that was interrupted; his right cheek seemed to feel more pressure.

I'm very close to finishing it, so I can say that this book is aimed at readers familiar to the world, but not necessarily to Paks. The story revolves around Kieri, the newly crowned King, and other newly promoted Dukes & Captains from the previous book. Paks is inconspicous, so read this for new plotlines, and plenty of fight scenes.
On the flip side - the story feels a little stale now, and some characters don't develop interesting depth in the novel. 
Check out the full review here tomorrow!
What's in your hands and on your ereaders this week?

Book Blogger Hop #20: Many Monies for books?

It's time for another Book Blogger Hop, courtesy of Crazy for Books!

 

"If I gave you £50 (or $80) and sent you into a bookshop right now, what would be in your basket when you finally staggered to the till?"

Wow, *does some quick math*, that would be Rs. 4000, which is a LOT of books! (or in my case a few hardcover novels).

I'd pick up The Crippled God by Steven Erikson, another copy of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, for a friend. My recent read of The Wise Man's Fear (my review is here) would go into this basket too, for a gift or re-read (already I don't think I could carry this presumably infinitely-sized basket!).

What else? I should still have enough for one.more.book. right?

I'd get some Manga - Its been ages since I've read any. Maybe some Patricia Briggs, if there is anything new that I haven't read yet...

This is dangerous (read expensive) territory now and I can't resist the bookstores this weekend!!

Review: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

My Summary: The story begins with the bartering of a young orphan theif - Locke Lamora. Trained as a thief before he is 5, the boy couldn't remain circumspect and stick to small, regular-paying thieving routines. Having pisssed off the wrong people, Locke now faces being sold or killed.

Luckily for us all, he is sold to Chains,his eventual father-figure and teacher with a grudge against the Nobility of Camarra. Locke begins working as a Gentleman Bastard, a tiny group with a Robin Hood-esque sensibility against the rich crime lords in the city. 

Plus:  A couple of great characters, lots of intricate plots and good buildup towards how and why Locke and the GBs exist. This is a truly swash-buckling tale, and it reads very differently from most of the Fantasy out there.

Minus: The story does tend to get very tangled towards the  middle, and the plot wanders. Give yourself some time and patience here, it all comes together at the end! A lot of cursing is used, however.

I first read the The Lies of Locke Lamora last year and I was taken aback by the almost European 18th century world and Locke's audacity. As we move through time and back again, we see Locke's training develop and him grow into a mastermind of disguises. Re-reading this book unveils forgotten tidbits and layers of mystery in the storyline, a great set up for Book #2:Red Seas Under Red Skies.

I would recommend this to: Patrick Rothfuss (The Name of the Wind) fans, Malazan fans, Brandon Sanderson readers, Jim Butcher readers. Folks who enjoy fantasy - the kind that emulates another society, with great characters.

Buy: The Lies of Locke Lamora from Amazon

What does your bookcase look like? Here's Mine!

Being installed by the carpenter

The big event of my day is getting bookshelves installed in our apartment.
To answer some of the questions you might have:

• Yes, we had NO bookcases
• Yes, some people do live like that (i.e. my husband)

My books being stacked!

A Close Peek into what I buy

I have a fairly small collection - a lot of books had to be given away when I moved to the US and back again. Got to get some more books to fill these up, right?

I've also turned to my Kindle for newer books.

I've shown you mine, now show me yours!

Link to photos of your books, bookshelves, or write a post about your bookcases and let me know. I will add links at the bottom of this post to you!

The Most Beautiful Public Libraries in the US

Dear World: Thank You For Libraries!

Here are a few of my favorites from a recent Flavorwire list of Top 10 "most-beautiful-from-the-outside public" libraries in the US:

The renovation shown above is so different from anything the government can afford in India!

Chicago Public Library - My one-time haunt while I lived in Chicago..Pure pleasure to see it and its gargoyles! Well-beloved gargoyles standing guard over your books, how reassuring.

This Salt Lake city public library seems super inviting - that wall of windows just draws people in, I'd think.
For all 10 libraries that made the cut, go to Flavorwire
What do you like best?

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Next time, I'll look for gorgeous libraries in Europe and across the world. 
Do you have a picture of your local library? Do share it with me @ deepalipratap@gmail.com - I will feature a post on this if we have enough libraries!

Review: Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

Rating: A

Description: "The Last Battle has started. The seals on the Dark One’s prison are crumbling. The Pattern itself is unraveling, and the armies of the Shadow have begun to boil out of the Blight...It is time to toss the dice"

Length: 864 pages of Hardcover (no ebook for 1 more year)

Overview: This is the most hotly anticipated book of the year (currently on a number of Amazon Bestseller Lists)! As the penultimate book in the Wheel of Time series, Towers of Midnight is about a lot of things, but there are two main focuses here - Tying off several hanging stories and prophecies, AND  bringing all the required players to the site of the Final Showdown. A very fast-paced novel, there were very few moments that I could bear to put this book down (I read till 4 AM!)

Plus: A lot of resolutions, several plot-lines were tied up nicely. Rand was more of 'hidden' character in this book. Not to say that he didn't have a lot to say and do, but Rand came in at pivotal moments in other character's stories and changed the game. We didn't see too many Rand POV chapters, if I recall. Still, the phenomenal amount of work he got done in this manner! Perrin, not one of my fav characters, had one of the key Moments of Awesome in the book - and it was about time!! 

Brandon's writing has really improved from his previous work on the series (The Gathering Storm). His ability to enter a character's personality and write multiple timelines is clearly growing, and hopefully will hit the sweet spot in the Final novel.

Minus: While this peeve is not about the actual book itself, it is more of a publisher gripe - why is the ebook being released one year after the hardcover? Not sure what the logic is. People do get used to reading on the Kindle, and especially for long, heavy books like this, I would have loved to be able to have the ebook option.

The focus clearly was on timelines, plots and resolving several open threads. Brandon had to hustle to be able to fit it all in and bring the diverse characters upto speed. I don't blame him for this, and I know he is able to write thrilling, deep characters, as we saw in The Way of Kings.

Overall: A very, very, strong setup for the finale - The Last Battle.

You will like this if: You are a high/epic fantasy reader, or like anything by George R. R. Martin, Steven Erikson, Robert Jordan. If you have read Brandon Sanderson's books, this is for you. If you haven't picked up the series yet, what better time than now? The next and final book is coming, and you have 13 books to go for entertainment..Unlike poor souls like me who waited 15 years for the complete series and The Last Battle.

Buy from Amazon: by Jordan's, Sanderson's Towers of Midnight (Hardcover) (2010) (Towers of Midnight (Wheel of Time))

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New to the series? Read my review of the entire series here.

My detailed analysis of the last book, The Gathering Storm, is here.

A review of Brandon's last book, The Way of Kings is here.

Watch the Trailer for Towers of Midnight here: 
Trailer - Towers of Midnight (a.k.a Most Anticipated Book of the Year)

Teaser Tuesday #18 - Towers of Midnight

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should be Reading.

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We pre-ordered this penultimate book in the Wheel of Time series from Amazon and it arrived today, the day of release (and the day before my bday!) SQUEE

"A wave of wrongness washed over her, a warping in the air, the Pattern itself rippling. A balescream it was called - a moment when creation itself howled in pain."

New to the series? Read my review of the entire series here.

My detailed analysis of the last book, The Gathering Storm, is here.

Watch the Trailer for Towers of Midnight here: 
Trailer - Towers of Midnight (a.k.a Most Anticipated Book of the Year)

Bai, I disappear to read.

Trailer - Towers of Midnight (a.k.a Most Anticipated Book of the Year)

The regular old-timers on this blog know that I have long been a fan of Robert Jordan's (my review of the Wheel of Time is linked there). When The Gathering Storm, Book 12, came out, I read it with bated breath, and reviewed it in detail. I read Brandon Sanderson's entire Mistborn series to understand his writing style, and it paid off when TGS was released. Now, I am loyal to both authors, independently and together. 

That is why I am SO excited about Towers of Midnight - the penultimate book in the Wheel of Time series!! I have this on pre-order for my birthday.

Here is the Trailer, and the Making of the Trailer (after the break)

New Feature: Readers with e-readers

I love getting to know all you bloggers and visitors better, and I thought others might as well!

Hence, this blogger spotlight will feature folks with ereaders of any kind.

Here are some sample questions below - I'd like to end up with a few really interesting, funny questions, and will need Your help with those!

*****

Give us an idea of who you are:

Describe a typical day or send me a Photo of the region u live/your bookshelf/whatever. You can do both - photos are better! 

• What e-reader do you own and how did you get it?
• Did you consider other readers in the market? Why did you pick this one?
• What's the top thing you like about it?
• What is your favourite recent read?
• When do you read a paper book and when do you pick up an ebook?
• Where do you like to read? Did that change with an e-reader?
• Have you transformed your reading style or frequency?
• If your e-reader could have one magic feature, what would it be? (Top of Wishlist, really)

Now it is your turn!! Leave a comment if you would like to be a "Readers with e-reader" spotlit blogger.

And don't forget to help me with the questions - I need your suggestions!

Review: The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

Grade: A+

Excerpt:

Speak again the ancient oaths,

Life before death.

Strength before weakness.

Journey before Destination.

and return to men the Shards they once bore.

The Knights Radiant must stand again

Length: 1008 Pages, 19680 Kindle Pages

The buzz over this book has been phenomenal. Brandon Sanderson has to be one of the most marketed authors today, across genres. It seems strange that this first book was published in 2005, given that he has managed to publish Five books in five years. There are three central characters: 1) Kaladin - A man trained to be a surgeon, turned into a slave, forced to work in highly dangerous debilitating conditions and find leadership within himself. 2) Shallan - A young, gently-brought up lady with a fervor for scholarship and some strange talents with art. 3) Dalinar - An aging general, brother to the dead King, beset by doubts about himself, dreams, and his way of life.

Teaser Tuesday #9 - A Song of Fire and Ice - A clash of Kings

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along!

"All that about the thunder of the drums, sunlight flashing on armor, magnificent destriers snorting and prancing? Well, the drums gave me headaches, the sunlight flashing on my armor cooked me up

like a harvest day goose, and those magnificent destriers shit everywhere."

Pg. 49

My TT is from A Song of Fire and Ice - A Clash of Kings, the second book in the famous series by George R. R. Martin. I do like the irreverant tone of this teaser!

Grand Round Up - July

Wins:

Catchy Name Contest! got the most number of views (~100)

Followed by Fantastic thought for the day
and http://readseverything.blogspot.com/2010/07/amazon-releasing-next-kindle-at-139.html

418 visits this month!

Data was taken from 2nd July till today.

Most Read Posts:

Amazon's Kindle patent, a competition killer?

Reviews:

FIFA Time Read!

Review: Chicagoland Vampires by Chloe Neill
Update and Review: Twice Bitten, Chicagoland Vampires by Chloe Neill
Teaser Tuesday #5 - The Spook's Apprentice

Ebook Related:

Readability - The battle of the Kindle vs. Paper vs. iPad

Amazon releasing next Kindle at $139

Amazon's Kindle patent Revealed!

Teaser Tuesdays:

Teaser Tuesday - A Game of Thrones

Teaser Tuesday #4 - Conflict of Honors

Teaser Tuesday #5 - The Spook's Apprentice

Teaser Tuesday #6 - Bridge of Birds