The Family from One End Street (Eve Garnett)

Imagine if you will,
~ bird-chirping weather.
~ the fragrance of warm, sun dried cotton clothes.
~ lying on a beach with your talkative family and wriggling your toes in the sand as you snarfed down sandwiches and slabs of fruit cake.
~ the nervous excitement of visiting your first ever unsupervised birthday party and then returning home with that pleasant tiredness.
~ your utter awe of the darkened movie theatre and the smell of popcorn tantalising your senses.
~ the small thrill of curling up in bed with an old, dog-eared book.
~ facing mum’s wrath when you came home with scabby knees, unravelling pigtails and a huge grin on your face.


Now tie all that up and what you have is a childhood that didn’t have much technology but what it did have was a tremendous capacity to create happy memories.


The Family from One End Street is one such tale.

Meet The Ruggles family that lives at No.1 One End Street in the fictional town of Otwell. Jo Ruggles is the local dustman and his wife Rosie is the local washerwoman. Jo and Rosie’s singular source of pride is their large brood of seven children. Yep, you read it right. Seven children. And each of these seven children has a distinctive personality and the promising ability to get into all kinds of mischief and mayhem. The Ruggles family is always low on funds but never on dignity. The Senior Ruggles rule their little clan with a blend of old-fashioned discipline, gentle cajolement and a gruff optimism.

The book is in episodic form with the total absence of an continuing plotline. Each chapter is devoted to the dreams, dramas and escapades of each the Ruggle children. And sometimes, even their long-suffering parents. The beauty of their mini-stories lies in the joy that they manage to eke out of their meagre means. Luckily, the author’s narration never has a patronizing accent. You don’t have weeping sagas about the travails of tight purses. What you have is an honest portrayal of playtime in ‘hand-me-down-clothes’.

We have all loved us some Famous Five. Whether it were boat-trips to family islands or bicycle trips to farmhouses run by rosy-cheeked farmwives or the endless summer trips that were remembered for the glorious picnic baskets; we loved them all.

But what about the (slightly) shabbily shod children who leaned over the fence and watched the FIVE ride along in their quaint caravans? What did those kids do to enjoy summer in all it’s sweltering glory?
Eve Garnett gives us a glimpse into the possible lives of such kids, albeit in an urban setting.

The book is a winner and was regarded as a groundbreaker back in the days when most children’s books were rooted in middle class sensibilities. If you need further urging....the book was nominated along with The Hobbit for the Carnegie Medal for Best Children’s Book and WON. Yep, it left our beloved Bilbo Baggins behind. So do read the book. You won't be disappointed.

It is sweet, honest and redolent with the whiff of a childhood that was devoid of apps.
RATING : 5/5

Iron Kissed (The Mercedes Thompson Series, #3)

Iron Kissed starts out as a more than competent Fantasy read. You would expect nothing less from the talented Patricia Briggs. Here’s an author who stays true to her genre. If unadulterated, supernatural fare is what you crave, Briggs does a stand-up job of delivering just that.

Events travel at a well-planned out pace. Gruesome murders occur. The wrong people get blamed. Magical objects disappear and true-to-their-nature, magically reappear. Powerful paranormal creatures make dire threats/ play subtle mind-games/ lay out not-so-subtle bone crunching fight sequences. And at the helm of it all, you have the Buffyesque heroine, Mercedes (Mercy) Thompson. Top it off with a believable love triangle that cushions, but never overpowers the main plot and you have another fine offering from the Mercedes Thompson Series.

It’s a steady read. You are reading, sometimes skipping a paragraph or two. It’s okay. Your eyes aren’t out on stalks but you are trudging along...

And then...

*WHAM*

With a handful of pages, Patricia Briggs elevates the book to a whole.new.level.

In a flash, it’s no longer just a slick, smart paranormal read.
It’s a sucker-punching of emotions. It’s a phase when you watch your favourite heroine go through so much physical pain, mental anguish, self-loathing and a debilitating sense of defeat, that you want to tear up whole walls with your bare hands. It’s a spot where a misunderstood, seemingly creepy character puts forth her pain with so much cathartic clarity that your throat closes up. The honesty of the words drives home the fact that reality with all it’s flesh and blood villains can be infinitely more scary than all the fantastical evil that lurks in the myths. It is concise...it is uncomfortable...and it leaves you heavy-hearted with the truth.

And so, the author (who has found an everlasting fan in me), rises from being just an honest writer of Fictional Fantasy to a weaver of poignant words and heartfelt emotions. Not many can do it without sinking in a puddle of purple prose. Briggs, though....pretty much RULES.

The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes

To have a slight measure of the pleasant chills that race up and down your spine when you delve into a meaty Holmes mystery, do read the introduction passage by Mark Gatiss (co-creator of BBC Entertainment’s Sherlock). Amidst a host of admirable emotions, Gatiss’ one nostalgic paragraph captured my fancy. It goes thusly,

“I’d never read any of the original stories until one fateful Saturday when, recovering from German measles, I was given a treat : a trip to WH Smith, and the purchase of any book I wanted. There, nestling amongst all the possible contenders for my shiny fifty-pence piece was a gorgeous, plump, purple Pan paperback, with a colour-tinted Sidney Paget illustration on the cover: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Everything about it promised the thrill of mystery and the faintly queasy allure of Victoriana with which I was already and headily in love. But first came the introduction. I can’t remember much about it now, except that it ended with the moving sentiment: I wish I were reading these stories for the first time.“

*I wish I were reading these stories for the first time*

Never has a statement so effectively captured the sheer bliss of nose-diving into an old and much cherished spot of literature. What prompted me to revisit the series was BBC Entertainment’s hugely popular and marvellously brilliant show : *SHERLOCK*. A fellow fan, sharp reviewer and possessor of the prodigious talent to pick the perfect book (Yes, Mith....I am talking about you) and yours truly were jamming up our Tumblr dashboards with the magnificence of a certain Mr. Benedict Cumberbatch. Said Cumberbatch has done a splendid job of yanking Mr.Holmes into modern day London and playing him with aplomb....... It doesn’t hurt that he’s very easy on the eyes too.

Ergo, when Cumberbatch (he of the cupid curls, vertiginous cheekbones and manic eye-glint) with his trusty bro-mate, Watson (Martin Freeman) graced the cover of yet another Sherlock edition, I had to lay my hands on it. All the foaming-at-the-mouth fans (and I mean that in the nicest way possible since I unashamedly head the pack) can be forgiven for labouring under the misconception that this book here, is a TV Series adaptation. It’s not.

Sadly...well, not really (because, *KNOCK KNOCK*, it’s Sherlock Holmes, the O.R.I.G.I.N.A.L.)...the book is a reprint of the twelve original mysteries as written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

So when Holmes is not marvelling over the cleverness of Irene Adler, he’s scratching his head over the sudden collapse of the Red-Haired League. Whether it’s the trivial case of the Blue Carbuncle or the horrifying finale of the Speckled Band, Holmes is striding about with a befuddled Watson in tow. Dignities are being restored....genteel ladies are being chivalrously rescued.....and pages are being fraught with drama, deceit and old-fashioned danger. In short, everything that you would expect from the most famous detective of all fictional times.

What could I write in my review that would add anything new to the reams that have been dedicated to the snarkiest sleuth of them all? How do I delve into a character that’s a delightful blend of humility and egotism? How do I gush and fawn over a mind that could dissect an individual down to the tiniest speck of dust on the tip of his frock-coat?

From the moment a knock falls at the door of 221B Baker Street, you know that you are in for a treat. From the pithy to the sensational, no case escaped the interest of Holmes and his partner in crime-solving, Dr.Watson. Holmes would settle down before the roaring fireplace, light his pipe, give the despairing individual a clinical onceover, draw his (almost always correct)conclusions and then just as quickly, proceed to unravel mysteries on the strength of observation, infallible logic and that essential spark of genius cloaked in eccentricities.

In the times of darkly dreaming Dexter and stiletto wearing Detective Kate Beckett, Holmes may pale in comparison. And then again....maybe he won’t. In the cold of Victorian London, amidst the ladies who sniffed into their lacy kerchiefs and the gentleman who blustered around in their breeches, Holmes cut a dashing figure. With his dry wit and baffling disguises, he plundered the murky underbelly (ah, how I love my clichés) of crime, and almost always got his man/woman/murderous cult.

Yes, we love our modern day detective-dramas and high-octane police chases. We love the forensics lab with it’s meticulously laid out tools. We love the fact that a well-worded Google search might just catch that horrendous serial killer by the end of the one hour episode.

But, as Steven Moffat (co-creator of BBC Entertainment’s Sherlock) puts it:

"Conan Doyle's stories were never about frock coats and gas light; they're about brilliant detection, dreadful villains and blood-curdling crimes – and frankly, to hell with the crinoline. Other detectives have cases, Sherlock Holmes has adventures, and that's what matters."

Flipped

I want to hire and float a conspicuous Blimp that declares in giant letters:

*WENDELIN VAN DRAANEN IS MY NEW FAVOURITE AUTHOR*

I don’t need a body of her work to make this declaration. One book is enough. One sweet, solitary book called Flipped is enough.
------------------------------------------------

Just before Second Grade was about to start, little Juli Baker fell instantly in love with her new next-door neighbour, Bryce Loski. She fell hard for his beautiful blue eyes and followed him around like an eager l’il pup. Sadly, little Bryce Loski didn’t return the sentiment. Juli Baker terrified him, with her heart-on-her-sleeve approach, her forthrightness, her intelligence and her niggling habit of sniffing his hair in class. Young life is a rigmarole of Juli being oblivious to Bryce’s dislike and Bryce making every possible polite/panicky attempt to ward off the little ball of spirited fire.

But perceptions change when Juli’s beloved Sycamore tree is cut down. Juli had loved the ancient tree with it’s moulting bark, sprawling branches and vertiginous height. Atop it’s highest arms, she had viewed the world in a whole new light. Even the breeze up there smelled different. As she imaginatively put it

“It smelled like ....sunshine. Like sunshine and wild grass and pomegranates and rain!”.

When the owner decides to get the tree lopped off, Juli puts up an isolated, valiant fight...but to no avail. As her little slice of heaven vanishes, Juli’s understanding of the world around her and Bryce in particular start shifting.

Dear ol’Bryce has been undergoing a mental growth too. Bludgeoned by some quick lessons in maturity, he slowly but steadily is experiencing a change in his *run-here-comes-madmonkey-Juli* viewpoint. Suddenly he wants to be caught by Juli...but Juli no longer wants to do the running.
------------------------------------------------

So yes, there’s nothing new in the plotline. Unrequited love which slowly changes seats is a plot that has been tried and tested in the annals of Ya-Lit for a lo-oong time.

But Flipped takes it to a whole new level.

First up, Juli Baker. How can anyone NOT love this brave, intelligent, massive-soul girl? Bryce’s astute grandfather wisely sums it up as

"Some of us get dipped in flat, some in satin, some in gloss. But every once in a while you find someone who’s iridescent, and when you do, nothing will ever compare."

Juli Baker is a brightly shining star and all her emotions annihilate you with their honesty.

Secondly, Bryce Loski. How could a girl like Juli fall for a seemingly shallow lad like Bryce? But that’s the beauty of it. The beauty of love that has been rammed down our collective sensibilities through that trite little phrase “Love is Blind”. Yes, Juli falls for the dark hair and brilliant blue eyes. It’s only when she sees him, as her dad would say, “In the proper light” that her long-standing infatuation falters. The sweet bit is that Bryce isn’t all that bad. But that’s for you to find out.

Thirdly, the author’s voice. With the *He Said-She Said* format, Wendelin Van Draanen strikes a massive gong in your heart. You remember your first crush, the clammy hands, the hammering heart, the need to have a tongue that spills something deeper than ‘erm...er...aah’. You recall the pain of unrequited love and cringe at embarrassing follies. You reminisce over that inner glow that came from having your affection returned. Flipped makes you proud that in the first flush of youth, you were a *Juli Baker*. If you got your emotions sullied by a cluck-faced Bryce Polski who didn’t know better, you lived and learned and stuck your nose up and got on with life.

And ultimately, Flipped makes you want to be a person like Bryce’s grandmother. I want, with all my heart and soul to be the kind of woman, that if a brave little girl is sitting up on a favourite tree to save it from being timbered off....I would sit right up there with her, by her side....all night.

If you haven’t read this book yet, PLEASE DO! It won't change your life. It won't make you suddenly see the light at the end of the tunnel. Hell, it would probably make a few of you scratch your heads and wonder what all the fuss is about. But...if you want to come away utterly enchanted with a fledgling love story that is innocent, carefully layered within sheets of startling maturity and soft sentimentalism, then Flipped is the book for you.

Little Women

"Dear little bird! See Jo, how tame it is. I like peeps better than the gulls: they are not so wild and handsome, but they seem happy, confiding little things. I used to call them my birds last summer, and Mother said they reminded her of me – busy, quaker-coloured creatures, always near the shore, and always chirping that contented little song of theirs. You are the gull, Jo, strong and wild, fond of the storm and the wind, flying far out to sea, and happy all alone. Meg is the turtledove, and Amy is like the lark she writes about, trying to get up among the clouds, but always dropping down into it’s nest again".

With these whimsical comparisons, the shy Beth captured the individual essences of each and every March sister.

Little Women, set at the turn of the Civil War; explored the lives, loves, quirks, joys, disappointments, shadows and triumphs of the March family. Uncomplicated fare that continues to enchant it’s readers even today.

For me, this classic tale has always been about Josephine (Jo) March.

Right from Page 1 onwards till the ambiguous end, I remain a member of the *Jo Fan Club*. She was blunt, honest and a no-frills-raggedy-cat to boot. At a time when social graces were the order of the day, Jo clomped through her genteel surroundings with all the grace of the proverbial bull in a china shop. She loved her family fiercely and no sacrifice was too great or too small where it was concerned. She pursued her writing career with all the highs-and-lows that plague fledgling authors.

When I was younger, I had read only the first section. So when I heard that Jo had turned down the loyal and cheeky Laurie, I was a tad disappointed. Now, as the years have passed and I have read both sections in their entirety, I am content with this decision. Laurie's lovable, carefree boy of Part 1 dissolved into a sulky, wilful young man in Part 2. And Prof.Bhaer (for all his poverty, seniority, shabbiness of appearance and at times, regressive outlook) was a true hero. As Jo aptly puts it, “ Mother would admire him for his warm heart, Father his wise head. I admire both, and feel rich in my new friend, Friedrich Bhaer.” Once more, our mighty heroine makes the right choice and gives us further cause to bolster her position on her pedestal.

Every female mind with literary leanings and a tomboyish demeanour will associate with Jo. We see our failings mirrored in her. We see a glimpse of our backbones in her strident ravings. We wish to write the next Great Novel. We claim to not fall prey to the failings of romance and yet, are pleasantly surprised and befuddled when that ‘one great love’ breaks all our misconceptions. Loving the home-nest, aching to fly from it and fiercely protecting it’s thistlelike comforts from condescending outsiders....we all, at some time, totally and absolutely “GET JO”.

At the end of the day, the tale of the March sisters is a cozy read with a hint of defiance. The holiday season is the perfect time to dig out this little gem, sink into a cushy sofa and lose yourself in a world that was simplistic and yet light-years ahead with it’s stab at realism.

DESTINED (House of Night, #9)

AWAKENED ended on an “yet-another-circle-of-hell-breaks-loose” note when nasty Neferet won the allegiance of the dreaded White Bull. The White Bull gifted her with a vessel (an instrument of destruction that would obey her every command). To earn this questionable gift, Neferet offered up Zoey’s unsuspecting mother as a sacrifice to the White Bull.

Unbeknownst to our arch villainess, the Goddess Nyx has returned Heath to the living world as the hidden soul inside the above mentioned killing-machine. Heath however, has no recollection of his past-life.

In DESTINED, Neferet under the guise of reformation, returns to the Tulsa House of Night with her 'gift'. The gift takes the form of a young, good-looking bodyguard by the name Aurox.

Besides battling constant evil, Zoey Redbird has a lot of necessary angst to deal with. She wants to support the newly transformed Rephaim’s wish to study in the school. This makes it tedious considering Rephaim’s past as a Raven Mocker and the constant resistance he faces from Sword Master Dragon Lankford who lost his beloved mate at the hands of Rephaim (back when he was a mucho-nasty bird-man). Zoey also has to make sense of her conflicting emotions around Aurox. Why does she feel a sense of attachment to a boy who slowly but surely transforms into a massive violent bull in the midst of a fight?

And then there is the driving need to find out who murdered her mother.
-------------------------------------------------------------

The House of Night series has always been a hit-and-miss affair. Sometimes you want to gnaw your arm off at the mind-numbing plotlines and juvenile portrayals of supposed world-savers. At other times, it exhibits flashes of charm and reels you right in.

DESTINED falls under the latter category.

The things I liked about this instalment:

~ Admirable Female Role-Models : I love strong female influences. Three characters appealed to my sensibilities in this book:
a) Zoey’s Grandmother : Grandma Redbird has always been a warm, wise, completely sorted Cherokee elder. In DESTINED, she deals with the death of her (albeit estranged) daughter and has a spine of steel as she is willing to do all that is necessary to discover the murderer. Her loyalty and love towards Zoey and the nerd-herd is as always a cup of hot cocoa before a roaring fire.
b) Prof. Lenobia : Horse-Mistress par excellence, Lenobia always came across as a dignified teacher who could be completely relied on by the students and faculty alike. Her emotions were put on the back-burner and only surfaced when she was around her beloved horses. But now, with the arrival of human help and fellow horse-lover, Travis Foster...Lenobia as a woman in denial emerges.
c) Thanatos : As the new sociology teacher for a select group, Vampyre Thanatos is a cool customer. Zoey very aptly compares her to The Lord of The Rings’s Elf Queen, Galadriel. Before you can say Frodo, she can transform from an astute professor to an eye-flashing, hair-flying pillar of rumbling anger. She plays a pivotal and supportive role in Destined.

~ The Rephaim and Kalona track : Kalona is a multi-faceted character. When he’s bad, he’s gruesome. You hate him with a fearful vengeance. When he’s atoning for his sins, or atleast being heartsick over losing the son that he loved, he makes you want to give him the now-famous Voldemort-Draco hug. He has matured into a delightfully grey individual who keeps you perpetually on your toes. Rephaim, now human-by day/ raven-by-night, has always been one of the more endearing male leads in the House of Night series. His attempts to fit in, his futile efforts to atone for his sins where Dragon Lankford is concerned and his need to justify his big, bad, daddy-with-wings makes him a poor-little-powerful guy.

~ Growth of certain characters : Keep your eyes peeled for Shaunee and Erik. Their plot-lines are fleshed out with the scope for future greatness and that makes these two characters much more likeable and readable. Dragon Lankford has always been a respectful figure looming in the background and finally, the man receives the print-space he deserves.

~ Rituals : As always, the casting of the circles has been one of my favourite bits. It is elemental and earthy and appeals to my nature-loving soul. Here, it is coupled with palpable drama which winds up the story with a tantalising *KA-BOOM* feeling.

My one small grouse:

The banter amongst the nerd-herd has grown weary. The wannabe teen-lingo and the over use of pop culture references grows old real fast. As always, Aphrodite is the saving grace with her saucy tongue and blunt observations.

At the end of the day, the House of Night series plods along on it’s Good v/s Evil journey. Promise of ensuing chaos and an appealing cliff-hanger makes DESTINED one of the better offerings of the mother-daughter duo.

See also : Marked (House of Night, #1)
See also : Betrayed (House of Night, #2)
See also : Chosen (House of Night, #3)
See also : Untamed (House of Night, #4)
See also : Hunted (House of Night, #5)
See also : Tempted (House of Night, #6)
See also : Burned (House of Night, #7)

See also : Awakened (House of Night, #8)

Moon Called (The Mercedes Thompson Series, #1)

I start 2012 with a book that does absolute justice to all the genres/ GoodReads shelves that I stacked it in.

a) Urban Fantasy – CHECK
b) Action – (*wiping blood off cut lip*) CHECK
c) Mystery – (*calming the goosebumps*) CHECK
d) Adventure – (*recovering from adrenaline rush*) CHECK
e) Interesting romantic interests – (*will-they, won’t they quandary*) CHECK
f) Strong female heroine worth emulating – (*pressing pen into the paper till a tear appears*) CHECK


Moon Called is the first in a truly triumphant series centered around a spunky heroine called Mercedes (Mercy)Thompson. Mercy is a mechanic in the Tri-Cities area of Washington state. She restores VWs and spends her spare time sharpening her karate skills. But more importantly, Mercy is a WALKER (a Native-American shapeshifter not influenced by the moon) who can turn into a coyote at will. Our heroine resides in a world teeming with Gray Lords, fae, vampires and the most fascinating of them all, werewolves. Raised by the Marrok (the alpha werewolf of all the North American werewolves), Mercy has seen, experienced and lived through a series of improbable events. Nothing really surprises her anymore. Not the fact that her next door neighbour is Adam Hauptman, the alpha of the Tri-Cities Werewolf pack, nor the fact that the current VW bus she is working on belongs to a friendly vampire and definitely not the added surprise that her newest recruit in the garage is a runaway teenage werewolf.

But when a rogue werewolf meets a grizzly end at Mercy’s hands (or her coyote paws, to be precise), Mercy soon learns that there is a dangerous conspiracy lurking in the dark. All the people who Mercy holds dear are in danger of an unseen enemy. And it’s up to our .444 Marlin toting heroine to deal with things that go bump in the night.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

First up, Buffy Summers would be bursting with pride. If anyone can tote the mantle of awesomeness around with the ease that Buffy did.....it’s Mercedes Thompson. Kudos to the author, Patricia Briggs for creating a heroine who is dignified mess of an unresolved past, a fraught-with-danger present and an uncertain future. Mercy is mouthy and sensible in equal measures. She fights like a fiend and deliberates like an army veteran. In short, she unashamedly kicks b***.

I also enjoyed the fact that the author actually gave us a well-researched, whole-hearted fantasy tale. Moon Called isn’t a romantic tryst thinly disguised as a supernatural read. It’s a full-fledged paranormal fiesta with romance as just one of the many poles holding it upright.

2011 ended with a firm resolution on my part to fill the New Year with erudite verse. I wanted to re-explore the classics, soak in some eloquent language and generally don the smarty-pants party-hat.
But I have to say true to my nature too. While I love me some Elizabeth Bennet, I equally adore an action-heroine. And when said action figure comes equipped with a cookie-dough heart, a wise disposition and the ability to keep a cool head when the world goes mad.....you bet your last fancy britches, that I will devour the book with glee.

The Son of Neptune (Heroes of Olympus, #2)

“When Rome fell, a lot of the legions just disappeared. We went underground, acting on secret orders from Jupiter himself: stay alive, recruit demigods and their children, keep Rome going. We’ve been doing that ever since, moving around to wherever Roman influence was the strongest. The last few centuries we have been in America.”

Sounds familiar? It does to Percy Jackson too. Perseus (Percy) Jackson (superstar demigod /self-effacing hero /North America’s confident answer to Harry Potter) has lost his mind. No, not the *I-see-conspiracy-theories-in-my-peripheral-vision-lost-his-mind*. Percy has been hit by a bout of amnesia, courtesy a certain manipulative Goddess. He doesn’t remember that he was a Greek demigod ,a son of Poseidon and a resourceful hero in the epic battle that saved the world from the wrath of Kronos. The only fact that he does recall is that he had a girlfriend called Annabeth (kudos to teenage boys for remembering the best bits).

Guided by the legendary Roman she-wolf Lupa, battling a pair of Gorgons who refuse to disintegrate/die, lugging a Goddess in road-kill disguise; Percy Jackson soon finds himself in Camp Jupiter, the roman equivalent of Camp Half-Blood.

Soon our favourite hero finds himself slap-bang in the middle of yet another doomed-to-despair Quest. Accompanying him are his two new friends and Camp Jupiter underdogs : Hazel Levesque and Frank Zhang.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Things that enchanted my reader’s palate like Ambrosia:

# 1: THE RETURN OF OL’SEAWEED BRAIN : When the battle for Olympus ended with Annabeth and Percy sharing an underwater kiss, I was ready to bid adieu to the likeable boy wonder. Any attempt to stretch the taffy by Rick Riordan would pale in comparison to the immensely popular 7-Book series. Atleast that’s what I, with my limited vision assumed. But Riordan is not a brilliant storyteller for nothing. He plunges Percy Jackson into a whole new can of worms (or basilisks, which seems more appropriate) and has you whooping like a herd of Party-Ponies. Percy’s trademark wit, droll acceptance of dastardly situations, unerring loyalty to friends (old and new) and the ability to fight like a fiend is displayed to full effect. The author has also done the wise job of adding a ring of maturity to Percy’s character. His new-found confidence adds a much-needed foil to the fledgling charms of Hazel and Frank.

# 2: HAZEL LEVESQUE : Such a brave and endearing heroine. She joins Hermione Granger and Annabeth Chase in the ranks of noteworthy YA Lit. role-models for young girls. Burdened by a dark past, unsure of a long future, adorably embarrassed around the boy she likes and a bad-a** warrior to round it up nicely, Hazel is a treat to read.

# 3: FRANK ZHANG. AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, FRANK ZHANG’S GRANDMOTHER: I cannot rave enough about the massive appeal of Frank Zhang without veering into *SPOILER* territory. Suffice to say, that the baby-faced, muscle-bound demigod keeps you hooked through his emotional trauma and growth. As for Granny Zhang....I was loving and hating her in equal measures. All that aristocratic arrogance duelling with a caring heart makes for one intimidating matriarch.

# 4: RICK RIORDAN’S SIGNATURE QUIRKS :
a) Mars (the Roman name for Ares) declaring the Quest was one of my favourite bits. When the God of War whips out a scroll and a ballpoint pen and scribbles a brusque, “Go to Alaska. Find Thanatos and free him. Come back by Sundown on June Twenty-fourth or die” with nary a hint of drama and the absolute absence of riddled prophecies....you got to love the big guy.
b) I had the biggest smile on my face when I read that Amazon.com is being run by.....you guessed it.....the condescending female warriors, *THE AMAZONS*. Their Queen sits on a throne made from a thousand copies of a book called “The Five Habits of Highly Aggressive Women”.(Seriously how can anyone not cackle over that?!?). It was borderline cheesy but vintage Riordan.
c) Thanatos (the God of Death) has a pure black iPad. As he whips it out, Frank Zhang hopes fervently, “ Please don’t let there be an App for reaping souls”. Again, adorable.

# 5: MOTHER EARTH UNPLUGGED : For nature lovers like me, who imagined Mother Earth to be a bosomy, *brimming-with-the-warmth-of-home -and-hearth* kind of genial lady....Gaia was an unexpected villain. A Goddess who invokes Giants, resurrects dead monsters, murmurs nasty thoughts into vulnerable minds, makes snarky promises to kill our favourite demigods and rears unearthly armies to overtake the world is NOT someone who would inspire the *Hug-A-Tree* emotion in you. And the best bit is that all these tender acts are being committed while the lady is still trapped underground. What will happen when she’s unleashed in all her grimy glory?--->*Delicious Shiver-Down-The-Spine Time*

# 6 : ACTION SEQUENCES : Here’s where you bring in all your cherished Die-Hard inspired adrenaline. The book is loaded with rip-roaring battle sequences. It gets the blood flowing and the inner warrior roars with whole-hearted approval.

# 7: SUPPORTING CHARACTERS :
a) Slimy, power-hungry Octavian who sees prophecies in the innards of stuffed toys.
b) Royal *you-lie-and-my-dogs-will-dismember-you* Reyna.
c) Ella, the twitchy red-feathered harpy with the quirk of spouting random bursts of dead-useful (and pointless) information.
d) Nico Di Angelo in a short (but hopefully epic) reappearance.
e) Iris, the Goddess of The Rainbow (and now the proprietor of R.O.F.L. –Rainbow Organic Foods and Lifestyle). Don't ask.
f) Terminus, the rule abiding God of Boundaries. Never has a pillar of stone been so pedantic. And so useful.

I cannot elaborate on any without spilling out the plot. All I can do is assure you that it’s a stellar casting.

# 8: ARION: Okay, which girl/woman does not want a celestial Horse that can break the sound barrier, run on water and up slippery slopes, cuss like a seasoned sailor and mutter grumpily “I will trample you to bits, silly baby man!”. I love this horse. I want this horse. Case closed.

--------------------------------------------------------------
Things that tasted like Iris’ gluten-free, sugar-free cupcake simulations (translation: things that left a bitter taste in my mouth)
*..........BLANK.........*

--------------------------------------------------------------

So, in conclusion, did I like HEROES OF OLYMPUS : THE SON OF NEPTUNE?
You bet your imperial gold/ celestial bronze/ stygian iron I DID!

I LOVED IT! (And I’m not one to use CAPSLOCK carelessly)

The book is an absolute treat. The return of old favourites stitched with the chutzpah of new arrivals worked like a charm. Yet again, Mythology and it's Gods left the hallowed portals and became cheekily shod with feet-of-clay. With a “it-could-go-anyway” cliffhanger, Rick Riordan has laid the groundwork for a delightful sequel.

ATHENA, make your MARK already!

The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus, #1)

"Seven Half-Bloods shall answer the call.
To storm or fire, the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath.
And foes bear arms to the doors of death."

Percy Jackson’s nerve-racking adventures ended with this cheery prophecy. The resourceful demigod had just fought The Second Olympian War and emerged victorious. When his friend and now, new oracle, Rachel Dare made the aforementioned divination, Percy hoped that it wasn’t something that he would have to deal with in this lifetime. His best bet was that this phenomenon would occur a few centuries down the road.

But doom-and-despair laden prophecies have the uncanny ability of hitting below the belt.

The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus, Book #1) is the story of Jason Grace, a teenager who is suffering from memory-loss. Jason has no clue as to why he is on a school bus for delinquent kids. He apparently also has a girlfriend, Piper McLean and a cheeky best friend, Leo Valdez.

When the school bully suddenly transforms into an ‘Anemoi Thuellai’ (sincerely scary Storm Spirit) and the school coach transforms into a ‘Satyr’ (we all know what that is), Jason has an inkling that amnesia is just the tip of a deeply embedded iceberg.

Dodging...well, dodgy incidents...Jason, Piper and Leo soon find themselves at Camp Half-Good. And Lo! And obviously... Behold! It’s QUEST TIME! Hera, the Queen of The Gods is missing. Olympus has been closed down by Zeus and none of the Gods are making contact with the outside world. A deeper, darker and more sinister force than the Titans is at work. And if the world has a fighting chance against these new evil, Jason will have to set out and save Hera before the Winter Solstice. In the true tradition of panic-inducing deadlines, the Winter Solstice is just four days away.

And so, Jason (the hero-with-no-clue), Piper (the heroine doomed to betray her friends) and Leo (the smart-talking sidekick with a troubled past) set out on a suicidal mission. Along the way, they will deal with malfunctioning mechanical dragons, power-crazed Wind Gods, cannibalistic Cyclopes, disturbing dreams and the ever-present possibility of meeting an extremely sticky end.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first book in the new Heroes of Olympus Series lives up to the Rick Riordan hype. The tongue-in-cheek author is definitely NOT a flash-in-the-pan. Just when you thought that he couldn’t recreate the adrenaline of Percy Jackson’s adventures, he promptly churns up a new and endearing hero. Besides Jason, you actively root for Piper and Leo and get drawn into their respective mental conflicts.

At the end of the day, it’s the Gods and Riordan’s treatment of celestial souls that keeps you hooked. Without being blasphemous, the author perfectly captures their powers, their mood-swings, their quirks and their vulnerabilities.

In all, it’s a magnificent door-stopper of a book. Packed with memorable characters, delightful witticisms and non-stop action, this is yet another winner from the talented author,

The Vampire Stalker

Never again shall I be disheartened by a lack-lustre cover or the done-to-death cliché on the blurb that goes, “Sometimes Truth is Stranger than Fiction”. Had I done so, I would have missed out on a zippy and engaging vamp read.

The author had me hooked at her dedication page. She offers her story to “those of you who have ever fallen in love with a character in a book”. I immediately meandered into a happy daydream starring Mr.Darcy/ Sirius Black/ Aragorn/ Michael Moscovitz. Every once in a while, literature (lofty/ fluffy as the case may be) throws up a character that sucks you right in. You become emotionally invested in their achievements and despairs. You cheer raucously as they deliver crackling dialogue or a well-aimed left hook. You blush dreamily or snort indelicately over their “affaires de coeur”. And today, in the tradition of the best net fiends, you plague the innumerable fan sites and whip up alternate endings and gratifying fan fiction.

The Vampire Stalker is the story of one such fan, Amy. Amy, like a gazillion others, is an ardent follower of The Otherworld Series. The Otherworld Series is a popular bit of vamp-lit based in an alternate, slightly quainter Chicago. It’s a Chicago that is plagued by vampires and the most feared amongst them is Vigo. The only person who can keep Vigo’s murderous exploits in check is Alexander Banks (and Amy’s favourite character). Alexander Banks is an extraordinarily talented vampire hunter and the main character which has kept Amy hooked to the books. Calling herself 'MrsAlexanderBanks8021' on a fansite pretty much sums up Amy’s adulation.

But what happens when Amy is suddenly attacked in present-day Chicago by a blonde haired miscreant who is eerily familiar to a ruthless fictional vampire and just as quickly rescued by a vigilante who bears a striking resemblance to a certain fictional vampire hunter? How does Amy face the chilling fact that baby-faced, vile villain Vigo has crossed over to her Chicago, determined to wreck untold damage in her oblivious neighbourhood? More interestingly, how does shy Amy deal with the fact that her biggest literary crush is now a living breathing handsome young boy catching a quick nap in her spare room??


The book had potential for greatness. According to me, it could have easily joined the ranks of addictive, million-tween and teen-fans-ripping-their-hair-out-in-feverish-enchantment vamp-lit. Amy was a sharp cookie with a soft centre. The main hero is NOT a vampire (thank the Gods!). He comes with enough baggage and just the right amount of oomph. The vampire in the story is not out for redemption, riddled with shades of grey. He is a dark character who is staying true to his evil side.

My biggest grouse was that there was a blink-and-you-miss-it explanation as to how the literary characters wandered out of the pages of a book. It was an interesting premise which could have been fledged out to greater effect. Moreover, all problems appear to be resolved with nary a struggle. There wasn’t much conflict....soul-searching......undead b**-kicking.....pangs of unrequited love....nothing. The absence of all these tried-and-tested ploys makes you feel that The Vampire Stalker was a cake that was pulled out of the oven much before it’s allotted time.

As a stand-alone book, it’s readable. As a continuing series, it has LOADS of potential. It could be *the.next.big.thing*. I hope the author comes out with a sequel. I sincerely do. I would read it.With unbridled Glee.