A Typical Bookworm Problem!

Hello, there!

So far, I've just posted my reviews on some of the books I've been reading for the past year, and the past months, as I followed my reading challenges, both of them to read at least twenty books in twelve months. This year, I'm almost there, there's only three books left!

If you are like me, probably you have a to-read least with over a hundred titles, and every time you read one, you end up adding two or three more to the list. It's an ever growing novel bucket list. Right? So, there's a point in which we bookworms asks ourselves, "and now? What I will read next?", and the answer simply doesn't come, because we have so many options, that we don't even know for which genre we are in the mood for. Maybe fantasy, or romance, or a nice chicklit to relax a bit after your last reading left you reeling on your sit. Personally, it happens to me a lot. So I decided to find a possible way out for our little big dilemma.

True to my love for Harry Potter and The Hunger Games, I went for the method that lead them both to be two of the greatest stories I've ever read: the sorting.

Let me introduce you to my to-read jar.

Isn't it cute?

I got the idea from Pinterest, and I loved it! So I searched my house, grabbed one of the many empty jam jars left around, and used an old stencil to decorate it, painting those butterflies, and the black arabesque on the other side, in acrylic. Very homemade, nothing very hard for us who don't do very well with art (but still love it), and true to its purpose. Inside, I put little papers with all those titles I've been adding to my to-read list over the years, and they look pretty much like this:

I was going to make them handwritten at first, but then I typed them; after all, it was faster. Those went into the jar folded in two, so I wouldn't cheat. From there, I would I pick randomly, and voilá! There is my next reading. The fun thing is that anything can come out, but I admit (not very proudly) that more than once I returned the paper to the jar, whether because I wanted to leave that book for another, better moment, or simply because I couldn't get it yet (as you know, some books are more difficult to find than others), and went for another I already had in the ever growing pile. 

It has worked so far. Sometimes we don't read not because we don't have books, but because we have too many, and all of them present a unique path, with their own charms and twists and turns, luring us in... All of them at the same time. So here it is an idea to help you make the choice. If not for reading the first book that comes out sorted, at least you can clear your head and discover which genre you feel more like reading this time.

Please, feel free to comment and leave your questions! Also, you can visit me in my Pinterest account, here https://es.pinterest.com/cintiatch/, and see my collection of book covers. And if you don't know what to read next on whatever genre you like (or want to try something new), and need recommendations, feel free to leave a comment, and I'll do my best to help you to figure out your next book!

Thanks for reading!

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Review - The Hunger Games

Original Title: The Hunger Games
Series: The Hunger Games, #1
Author: Suzanne Collins
Published: September 14th 2008
Publisher: Scholastic Press

*THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*

"I can’t go down without a fight. Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to… to show the Capitol they don’t own me. That I’m more than just a piece in their Games" (Peeta Mellark)

First of all, I have to say that I never thought I would read this book. Ever. I came to know it a few years ago and upon seeing it had such a big fandom, and such fame, I ignored it, because I tend to stay away from stories when they are so... massive. And even more when they present a dystopian society, because it's just not my thing. But definitely, I have to take back my words. This book blew me away, in a way I never thought it could. I started reading it after watching the movie, expecting... well, what we all expect. A movie made for the requests of the audience, with very little respect (or none at all) for the original story told in the book. I was gladly proved wrong. The movie follows the book in every little detail, and it's worth the watch, something we don't always find in adaptations. In this case, the story deserves all the fame it has, and all the fuss around it. The way it is told made me understand why it was turned into a movie, because it is a big, delicious piece of candy that filmmakers just couldn’t resist. 

In despite of knowing what was going to happen, this book hooked me from page one, it was impossible to put down, and when I did, I wanted to go back to it. I started reading, and when I looked at the clock, I realized I had been reading for four or five hours straight. This book promises to grab you and never let go. The first-person, present narrative makes it a lot more original, because you go with Katniss step by step, she doesn't know what will happen, and neither you do. You walk with her through District 12, the Capitol and the arena, and learn about them through her eyes, and love and hate with her. 

After reading this, I started seeing the world around me differently. The criticism to the way the rich and powerful seek entertainment in a totalitarian society, with the [bloody] death of those under its thumb, who are already dying of starvation, or in accidents, working for the Capitol without receiving anything in return, apart from a few things that are barely enough to survive, in a world marked by injustice, whose realities the Capitol chooses to ignore, gave me a lot to think. It’s a world in which the pillars of society are oppression, fear, and back-breaking work, and the Hunger Games are entertainment for the rich, and a punishment for the poor. In this world lives Katniss Everdeen, a sixteen-year-old girl who, despite her age, has become the mother and supporter of her family, doing what her own mother was incapable of, going hunting so her family could eat. She’s older than her age, and every time she speaks, you can see it. She’s not the typical leading girl of this kind of stories, but a woman who rightfully earns the word “heroine”; she had to grow up quickly so that her family could survive, even risking her own life, asking for food, knowing that her name was being put for the Reaping. Her concerns are not those of a normal teenage girl, there’s no silly romance or triangle, and it makes the story all the more unique.

The parade scene in the Capitol simply says it all. Those who handle the power and the money spare no expense when it comes to entertainment, even when the cost of it is the lives of those so called tributes. They promise, through the Games, an exaltation that means nothing. There’s no glory on winning the games, because the price is too high. I was shocked when I learned that the tributes from District 1 and 2 –people like Cato, Clove, Glimmer, and Marvel– were volunteers, and were prepared their whole lives for the Hunger Games. Because I realised they actually prepare children to kill other people. Being chosen at the Reaping is a death sentence only being willing to kill can be eluded, and there’s no possible bonds of friendship between the tributes, because, once they go into the arena, they all turn into deadly enemies (Rue and Katniss are the exception to the rule). The victors may win, but their lives end up destroyed, by trauma, nightmares, guilt… All for the entertainment of those who, safe in their Capitol houses, with all the imaginable food and eccentric comforts, couldn’t, under any circumstances, know the starvation and hardships lived in the arena, and in the Districts, and keep going with their lives when people are actually dying for their fun. 

The tributes are treated like heroes, dressed with the best garments, and treated like royalty in those four few days before they send them to the slaughter. And then, the Hunger Games begin. Katniss is a natural survivor; life has taught her to rely on her wits and skills to survive and keep her family alive; she knows how to handle herself in the arena. It is chilling how at some point (you can't say exactly when, but it happens), it is like Katniss forgets where she is, and internalizes the arena; she passes from prey to huntress, and slowly starts to spiral into the madness brought by the urge of survival, living in constant fear, but at the same time, trying to stay alive. However, Peeta's story is different; and that’s what I like about the love story in this book. It’s not your typical teen romance. Peeta’s ability with words and tendency to be adorable for the audience, crafts a romance that, ultimately, is what ends up saving their lives, and becomes the only hold to power left for the Capitol. Peeta is the only one who thinks about the real consequence of the Games for the Victors, because even winning is being doomed. Doomed to not really being the owner of your own life. Even when he knows he couldn’t escape it, he’s determined to be himself until the last minute, and not to let the Capitol use him as a chess piece they can move as they please. That is his rebellion, his statement that no one can use him just like that, even when he knows that if he doesn’t kill, he’ll die sooner. And I love him for that. Peeta is the most sensible character, and unlike Katniss, he never had to struggle so much to survive, so these Games are twice as difficult for him. Which makes the scene with the berries a lot more... amazing, because it means "No matter what, you don't owe me. It's my life and you don't get to decide when I have to live or die".

In short, I loved this book, and I recommended to everyone who hasn’t read it. Do not be blinded by the success of the movie, and give it a chance. Look at me! I was never going to read this in my life, and when I did, I ended up loving it. 

Only one more thing:

" ...Happy Hunger Games...! ... And may the odds be forever in your favor...! "

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Review - The Adventure of the Speckled Band

Original Title: The Adventure of the Speckled Band
Series: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Published: 1891

Excellent! One of the best, and most mysterious and intriguing cases I've read! It had everything I love in a Sherlock Holmes story, and it kept me guessing to very end. I couldn't put it down! Among the stories I've been reading this days, this one is, hands down, the best! Very recommended if you are a Sherlock fan!

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Review - The Five Orange Pips

Original Title: The Five Orange Pips
Series: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, #5
Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Published: 1891

Let me clarify that I love Sherlock Holmes, and his stories. But this one... Not the best. Let me explain why. This story shows more the man than the detective; we see him as a human being, who also makes mistakes, and unfortunately, this time, that mistake costs the life of his client. Personally, I think this story had great potential, but it isn't fully seized. Sherlock's amazing deduction skills barely appear, for starters, and it is the element I enjoy the most in his cases. And on the other hand, there is the mention of the Klu Klux Klan, and with such thing, I think that there's a lot of other ways to tell more complex stories; I mean, with such an element (with both historical background and consequences), the case could have been a lot deeper, because it presents a huge range of possibilities, that, in my opinion, aren't fully developed. It could have been better. Still good, don't get me wrong, but not as good as other cases I've read, in which the author's genius can be read in both Sherlock's words and actions.

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Review - The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle

Original Title: The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle
Series: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, #7
Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Published: 1891

One of the best cases I've read, and as always, Sherlock Holmes' ability in deduction has a great place. The resolution was a bit rushed, but it showed us another face of the detective; that is, the man, who, for the first time, doesn't turn the culprit into justice, and merely returns the missing jewel to its owner. Great Sherlock Holmes story!

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Review - The Man With the Twisted Lip

Original Title: The Man With the Twisted Lip
Series: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, #6
Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Published: 1891

Not bad, but no the best, neither. Sherlock has amazing cases, in which his deduction skills shine bright. This time, his investigation takes us from an opium den in London to Kent, and it is an entertaining ride. But I found this case extremely similar to the one from another story, the one titled "A Case of Identity", which also tells about a missing man, and a matter of disguise (I could tell who the culprit was before Sherlock gave his solution). Still, not bad, but it could have been better; as I like to say, with Sherlock Holmes, it is never time wasted!

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Review - The Boscombe Valley Mystery

Original Title: The Boscombe Valley Mystery
Series: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, #4
Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Published: 1891

Excellent! The solution was a bit rushed, but I loved Sherlock, as always. He teaches me a bit more about deduction and observation with every story, and compells me to pay more attention to the world around me; to the details, as he says. Not the best of his cases, but still, worth the time and reading!

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Review - A Case of Identity

Original Title: A Case of Identity
Series: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, #3
Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Published: 1891

It's a great case, it has all the ingredients that make a Sherlock Holmes story, and I love how, when the client comes to 221 Baker Street, her case sounds so strange and so complex, and then Holmes reveals the solution as something so simple... You just wonder "how does he do it?", and the truth is that his deductions make me try to do the same; I start watching closely around me trying to see everything Sherlock would see, because, as he says, it is necessary to pay attention to the details, those are the ones that give away most of the information. As I always say, with Sherlock Holmes, it is never time wasted!

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Review - The Red Headed League

Original Title: The Red Headed League

Series: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, #2

Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Published: 1891

It's a Sherlock Holmes story, of course it is good! But not the best, I have to say. I've read other cases, and this one is, so far, the one that hooked me the least. But still, not bad.

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Review - Obsidian

Original Title: Obsidian

Series: Lux, #1

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout 

Published: November 2011
Publisher: Entangled Teen

Ok, I have mixed feelings about this book. I read it because a friend told me to, and I was needing something to keep up with my reading challenge; and also because I saw a lot of people talking about it, so I decided to give it a try. 

First of all, I have to say, Katy is an annoying character from time to time. I didn't like the fact that the first thing she thought about meeting Daemon was of how kissable his lips were... For me, it's not a good way to start. But still, I was surprised of how the story hooked me, it's a fast paced read, the narration is rather simple but not bad, and it has what it takes to keep a reader turning pages until the end, with the right amount of suspense at the end of every chapter that makes you keep reading. I liked Daemon more than I care to admit; he's tender and sweet, but you don't fully know that until you read that few scenes at the end, from his point of view, and until then, he's quite difficult to stand for me. He's sarcastic, and I just don't like his attitude (but again, neither does Katy).

Honestly, I just don't care much if a supposed romance involves spending half the time talking about how hot the guy is, and how sexy he looks shirtless, but still, for her he's the most annoying being in the whole universe. If a romance is more physical than about true feelings, it is not so attractive for me, even when he is her knight in shining armor more than once.

I noticed, also, that it's the first YA novel I read in which high school is reflected as it truly is, and not as I read it in other books. This one shows the real life of teenagers, without hiding anything that is in plain sight (you know, gossips, prom, after prom dates... all that - though I must say, sometimes I don't quite get everything, because I'm from Argentina, and here we don't have proms, so many things they take for granted aren't so heard-of here).

I found very original that they were beings of light, the Lux, and their enemies were beings of Darkness, the Arum. It puts an end to stereotypes about aliens, and that's a bonus point, because it exudes originality, and shows a true and great use of the imagination; plus, it's a very graphic reflection of the eternal struggle between good and evil, light and darkness, and I liked the detail very much.

Overall, it's not a bad read, just not the kind of thing I like the most. Historical reads are still my favorites. But it's a good read for YA and Sci-fi fans. Will I read the rest of the saga? I don't know. Maybe.

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Review - The Underdog

Original Title: The Underdog

Author: Agatha Christie

Published: 1951
Publisher: HarperCollins

Great mystery!! I loved the way it was told, and I always like a character like Hercules Poirot, with weird habits, but a brilliant mind. I had read this story as a kid, many years ago, and I didn't remember much of it, but it was good to read it again. It has a great setting, and a good depicting of the English upper class.

I read little by Agatha Christie, but she's definitely one of the best authors of mystery tales I've ver read. Read it, you won't regret it!

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Review - Emerald Green

Original Title: Smaragdgrün

Series: Edelstein-Trilogie, #1 (Precious Stone Trilogy #2)

Author: Kerstin Gier
Published: January 5th 2010
Publisher: Arena Verlag

AND NOW WHAT...??

I don't want to get back to my life. I tried to slow down during the last pages, I really tried... but the book ended. I confess, I didn't want it, I wasn't ready to say goodbye. How do you do that with characters whose journey you joined, and shared their worries, their happiness, their tears, their laughter...? How can you know things they don't, and resist the urge to tell them? 

I will miss them. This isn't fair! I want more! It got me turning pages since the very start, and I enjoyed every minute! I literally held my breath in some parts, specially at the end, because the unexpected definitely has a big place in this story. For those who read it and know the last chapters, yeah, I didn't see that coming in a million years.

I admit that I didn't really care about what happened outside the world of the Guardians and the Circle of Twelve... You know, the whole green costume party at Cynthia Dale's house and all the teen affairs... I read those parts without truly giving them my attention, I only wanted to know more about the other travelers, and the gems, and the true purpose of the evil count of St. Germain. 

Kerstin Gier creates cliffhangers that are simply MEAN. Because you need to know more. A detail I loved, from the very first book, and that I forgot to mention in my other reviews, is the fact that she puts little quotes and records from the Annals of the Guardians at the beginning of each chapter. It's a different way of start, and the books wouldn't be the same without them. In fact, I returned more than once to Ruby Red and Sapphire Blue to check the list of the time travelers, and see their gemstones and animals, in an attempt to guess what would happen next, and deduce Aunt Maddy's visions, who, by the way, along with Xemerius, has the funniest lines in the whole story.

The discoveries in this book are breathtaking. About Gwen, her family, the count of St. Germain, the Florentine Alliance... They had me turning pages late at night, I couldn't put it down. Gwen and Gideon are lovely together, Gideon in love is very sweet, though I have to say, I didn't trust him for most of the book (but again, neither did Gwen, and she's the one telling the story, so, therefore, I didn't trust him either). But still... As it happened in the previous books, the love story didn't grab me so much, my main attention was over the Guardians, the cronograph, the Circle of Twelve, Lucy and Paul... I love when Gwen's 21st century mind clashes with the 18th century one, specially during the lessons with Mr. Giordano, and the ball scene, and the way she expressed her jealousy over Gideon and Lady Lavinia's all-too-much deep neckline... It had me laughing out loud for quite a while! Oh, and James... a whole different story, but I liked what happened to him; he deserved it.

(By the way, once again, my applause to Madame Rossini! I loved Gwen's dress for the ball, and I could see it in my head! So beautiful!).

Besides one or two points that are not totally clear, it is an AMAZING STORY. I truly loved it and I didn't want it to end! Definitely, a must-read for all those who love adventure, time travel, fantasy, and of course, breathtaking surprises and cliffhangers that will leave you reeling on your sit. You won't be disappointed!

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Review - Sapphire Blue

Original Title: Saphirblau
Series: Edelstein-Trilogie, #1 (Precious Stone Trilogy #2)
Author: Kerstin Gier
Published: January 5th 2010
Publisher: Arena 

I loved it! I devoured it! I couldn't put it down!
The saga only got better, and better. It had that effect in which you forget you are reading, and the words simply create the movie in your head!

I turned the pages because I needed it! I had to know more. I loved the characters, and Xemerius, definitely, is the best addition in the whole trilogy. His interventions had me laughing out loud, he's one of those characters that can light even the darkest mood! 

In Sapphire Blue, Gwendolyn and Gideon's adventures through time continue, and this time, the responsibilities fall in Gwen's shoulders heavier than ever, because, in a few days, she needs to learn everything her cousin Charlotte (the one who supposedly carried the time travel gen in the family) learned almost since birth (like history, dancing the minuet... everything that can help her fit in the 18th century), at the same time dealing with a mission she doesn't truly understands, involving going over and over to the past, to find the other travellers, scattered through history, to ask for a bit of their blood, to add it to the cronograph, and finally close the Circle of Twelve. Personally, I enjoy very, very much, the visits to Madame Rossini's atelier, because of an insane, but amazing, love I feel for period clothing. Authenticité! (oh, and the idea of a corset made out of carbon fiber it's something I applaud; really original).

The love story was sweet, Gideon really knows how to win a girl's heart, but it didn't fully... How to say it? Well... it didn't truly hooked me, I was more worried about Lucy and Paul, the cronograph, the other travellers, and the count of St. Germain, if you know what I mean... It was lovely, don't get me wrong, but I was more interested in the whole time travel plot than in how much time they spent kissing while elapsing. But that doesn't took away the five big stars I give to it.

The only thing I wish is that we could know also the other travellers, the ones listed, but never visited (at least, not in a scene we could read), like Opal, Cornelian, Aquamarine... Though, besides that, it was truly a travelling experience. Both for Gwen and Gideon, and for me, passing the pages. I truly felt like I was there, with them, in the soirée, and with her every time she visited... that someone you will know about when you read it, while elapsing.

It has everything a book needs to have to make you keep turning the pages. I loved it! The whole saga made me hold my breath until the very last word! Read it, you won't regret it!

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Review - Ruby Red

Original Title: Rubinrot
Series: Edelstein-Trilogie, #1 (Precious Stone Trilogy #1)
Author: Kerstin Gier
Published: January 6th 2009
Publisher: Arena Verlag

LOVED IT

I must confess that I started this book with a secret fear. Finding it, in the first place, was a total nightmare. It was sold out in my entire city, and in stores, they offered me to buy the second and third book of the trilogy, apparently without noticing that I couldn't do much with them without the first one. I tried with every possible bookstore, without success, and I ended up ordering it online. But my fear was that, after all that trouble, I would end up discovering that the book wasn't worth the effort.

But, luckily, that didn't happened. I was hooked on the story from chapter one, and I couldn't put it down! I was never a big fan of time travel, but this definitely made a great story that made me love it, and even think about the Circle of Twelve, named after gemstones, and the cronograph, trying to guess what was about to happen, when I had to put it down...

The characters are great, all of them are particular and have something that makes them special, and the story is fast-paced. I loved everything about, and that BIG cliffhanger at the end simply made me want more. Ineeded to know more! It's a great read, and I recommend it for all those who love to read adventures and fantasy. It doesn't disappoint, I promise!

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Review - The Secret of Pembrooke Park

Original Title: The Secret of Pembrooke Park
Series: -
Author: Julie Klassen
Published: December 2nd, 2014
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

*THE NEXT REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*

First of all, I owe the reading of this book to my friend Brittany, who outdid herself sending it to me, and though a year has passed since I read this amazing book, and perhaps I can't remember all the little details in it, I want to leave my opinion here. How couldn't I? After all, it was my first book by this great author, and the one that made me say YES to the rest of them. Back then, as it was the only book I had ever read by Julie Klassen, I didn't have any other to compare it with. But now, even when I do, I don't want to compare it. This book is unique to me.

Abigail Foster is the eldest daughter in a family with financial troubles, who has almost given up the hope of ever getting married. She's been in love with a family friend, Gilbert Scott, since she can remember; she pictured their life together, in their house and with their children, and thinks he returns that love, until she discovers he favors her beautiful younger sister, Louisa, who has half the brain she has. In addition to their broken heart, her father looses a big amount of money, and they need to leave the house and rent it if they don't want to end up destitute. And it is there when they receive a strange, mysterious offer, from a distant relative of Mr. Foster, to take Pembrooke Park as a temporary home, a house which has been mysteriously abandoned, and by the looks of it, abruptly, and has old rumors of a treasure swirling around it. 

I loved Abigail. She's a smart, practical young woman, capable of all the accomplishments expected from a lady, but also ready to roll up her sleeves, and work to get things done. And William, oh, I fell in love with him since the first moment I met him. He falls in love hard and fast, he is completely enchanted with her, and wants her to notice him, but at the same time, he knows she's been in love for years with another man, and can't understand how he overlooked her beauty, her intelligence, and all of her charms, when he's so completely smitten with her. Their love story is so great! I found myself eager to get scenes with them together, telling William to step ahead and steal a kiss, even when she still wasn't sure about her feelings for him (and the first kiss, oh! I re-read that scene a thousand times!). They both team up when the mysteries start to mount, willing to solve them, and finally put to the rest the ghosts that still haunt the family, and the house.

The mystery had me at the edge of my seat, and all those unexpected twists and turns made me gasp and left me openmouthed more than once. The noises in the house at night, the rumors of a secret room no one was able to find, with the rumor of the treasure inside of it, and even more creepy, the pages of a diary she receives on the post every day, written years ago, but mirroring her own questions, about the house, its former occupants, and the murders that stain its history with blood, figured out from the mumblings of an old woman to whom no one pays attention, but who used to be Pembrooke Park's housekeeper, and witnessed all those moments that defined both the house and the Pembrooke family.

The historical accuracy is awesome, and worthy of applause. It is a pleasure to read something so wonderful and fully researched, and get details about the traditions of an era that it is gone. I loved the masked ball scene, and how the way women were considered is depicted. Spinsters at the age of twenty-three, and more or less worthy according to her dowry or the money and prestige her family could have, even above her personality, her talents or her heart (something it is very well seen on Leah Chapman's character). And of course, the dresses, the masks, the music, and everything.

All the characters are well depicted, with its own personality, and are lovable, though some of them truly deserve a punch in the face, like Louisa, the biggest flirt in all London who isn't aware that she can endanger her family's reputation with her attitude towards all the suitors and admirers her stunning beauty attracts; and Miles, who, in despite of all the difficulties he went through, with his siblings and his parents, never understood that clinging to material things would never bring him the peace of mind he needed. 

The Secret of Pembrooke Park it is a fun, great read, and I wish I could do justice to all its wonderfulness. I couldn't put it down, and at the same time, I didn't want to read it too fast, wanting to relish in every page and enjoy each little detail, after longing to read it for so long! I fully recommend it to anyone who loves the genre (and doesn't know this author), I promise it doesn't disappoint!

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