Challenge Wrap Up #3 - Take A Chance Challenge

I just about finished the Take A Chance Challenge in the nick of time, and I have to say, it's been fun! The randomness of this challenge led to me being pleasantly surprised a couple of times, and slightly disappointed a couple of times.

I created a list of the nine books I'd read as part of this challenge on 14 June 2009, and some five months later, I'm done!

The nine books I eventually read were:

1. John Christopher – The Death of Grass

2. Terry Pratchett – A Hat Full Of Sky

3. Orsan Scott Card – Ender’s Game

4. John Le Carre – A Murder Of Quality

5. Susan Hill – The Beacon

6. Gabriel Garcia Marquez – News Of A Kidnapping

7. David Guterson – East of the Mountains

8. Ann Brashares - The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants

9. JK Rowling - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

This challenge also included some "lit riffing", which I did to REM's Diminished. I thoroughly enjoyed writing that "short story".

So, my favourites from this challenge have been John Christopher's The Death of Grass, Oscar Scott Card's Ender's Game, and Marquez's News Of A Kidnapping - the only non-fiction book read for this challenge.

I didn't really enjoy a couple of the others, but, when you take a chance, you have to be prepared to win some, lose some. Considering some of the amazing finds, I'm quite happy to let the so-called "duds" go.

Thanks again Jenners, for coming up with such a fun and creative challenge!

David Guterson - East of the Mountains

Background: This is the final book read, as part of the Take A Chance Challenge hosted by Jenners. Challenge#7, i.e. Random Bestseller reads:

Go to Random.org and, using the True Random Number Generator, enter the number 1950 for the min. and 2008 for the max. and then hit generate. Then go to this site and find the year that Random.org generated for you and click on it. Then find the bestseller list for the week that would contain your birthday for that year. Choose one of the bestsellers from the list that comes up, read it and write about it.

So, I came up with 1999, May 6, and the book I ended up picking was David Guterson's bestseller, East of the Mountains.

Review:

While a 1999 bestseller is promising, I regret to say I didn't finish this book. Ordinarily, I wouldn't have picked the book up, but, let's face it: the whole point of this challenge was to pick books I wouldn't have normally "taken a chance on". The thing is, the book is really beautifully written, with amazing descriptions about the landscapes, that the author brings to life:

At the far end of Keechelus Lake, the sky eastward opened wide over distant coulees, buttes, and canyons, all swathed in morning light. Ahead lay a low film of red on the horizon where the sun was new; the road wound down through a a stand of grand firs with long, broad, flat needles.

The story revolves around Dr. Ben Givens, a widower suffering from terminal cancer. He decides to go on a last hunting trip, from which he never intends to return, as he meticulously plans his death, so that it seems like an accident. Essentially, he doesn't want his daughter and grandson to undergo the pains of seeing him suffering.

However, almost before he starts his journey, his plans are turned upside down, by an accident, but he continues with his dogs, on foot, reflecting on the life gone by.

It does sound like an interesting read, but the minute the book started talking about hunting, and killing small birds, I stopped reading it. I don't know why, but, it just made me wary. It's weird, because I enjoy a good murder mystery. My love for reading started with crime thrillers, and I have read some reasonably gory books centring around misanthropists and misogynists. Yet, I just can't stomach cruelty to animals... and, I don't get why!

I'm not going to bother rating this book, because clearly, it's not for me, but, I am going to spend some time introspecting as to why cruelty to animals hits me so hard. I stopped reading this about two weeks ago, and I'm still at a loss.

Any ideas? Do any of you feel strongly about something that you can't really explain as well? Is it just a temporary thing? Please help!

John Christopher - The Death Of Grass

Background: While this month, my blog entries seem to be focused a lot on the Take A Chance challenge, it's only because the challenge is up end of month, and I am actually trying to finish it. After this, I only have one more challenge to tackle, and I've already started the final book (David Guterson's East of the Mountain).

This is challenge#1, i.e. "Random Book Selection". My random directions included going to the fiction corner at Waterstones, and selecting the fourteenth book from the third shelf on the second book-case. Coming up with a Penguin Modern Classic, I think, was a shade of luck.

I don't normally compare or contrast books, but, the best way to define this book would be Lord of the Flies meeting The Road. Considering The Death of Grass was published in the 1950s, and The Road in the 21st century, it might not be the fairest statement, but, when I finished the book, that's the first thing that came to my mind.

Survival of the fittest. That's what it's about - even if it means civilised people killing their fellow citizens, contemplating leaving a young boy to die, heartlessly killing a couple, and keeping their eyes on reaching a "safe haven" of sorts. Finding comfort in the fact that they will be able to re-acquaint themselves with humanity upon reaching this haven, the protagonists (and their countrymen) resort to barbarism and anarchism, just to survive.

He stared up at her, incredulously, while she did so, and was still staring when the bullets began tearing through his body. He shrieked once or twice, and then was quiet. She went on firing until the magazine was exhausted. There was comparative silence after that, broken only by Mary's sobbing.

A developed country, England, is in turmoil, after the Chung-Li virus has wiped out all their "grass" and "grass crops," including rice and wheat. The Chung-Li virus has already caused widespread disruption in Asia, and the Europeans had seen them resort to their worst sides as the resulting famine ensured the lack of food for everyone. However, they attributed the disaster to the "lack of thoroughness" of the Asiatics, and figured that being in a developed country, they would never stoop so low.

The ecosystem is collapsing, but the government issues some false press that the virus is in control, in order to calm the civilians, and prevent them from panicking and acting out of haste. However, what the government has in mind is, for lack of better words, scary. Atomic bombs can deplete life; subsequently drastically decreasing the number of mouths to feed. Aid from the United States has come to a halt, and now, England is battling alone.

John Custance, an architect in London, on a heads up from a close friend, decides to make a break for his brother's farm in the North, with his family and close friends. There, he figures, they will all be safe, until the crisis is over, and they can return to normalcy.

However, what ensues begs the question: Can their lives ever return to what it used to be like? The journey up North is difficult, violent, and life-changing in every way imaginable. People kill for food, for shelter, for survival. The fall of the government has just led to people's darker sides taking over, and we see brutal scenes of rape, as well as, pure cold-blooded killing. Some members of the group are trying to hold on to their humanity. Some have left it behind, with the single goal of reaching the farm in mind.

This is a bleak depressing book, which makes me question my faith in humanity. When push comes to shove, will we resort to killing our own to survive? When the ecosystems break down, will we sacrifice everything that supposedly differentiates us from other beings, just to make it? Will we do anything in the world to protect our friends, families and loved ones? Even if it means compromising on the ideals we've always believed in?

Just as most of the book is bleak and disheartening, the ending is unbelievably despondent, and you're just left gaping, wondering how on earth did humanity end up like this. And then, you thank your stars that this is merely fiction...

...But, for how long?

Can you imagine killing someone in cold blood, just because they have shelter and food? And how would you react when you knew the odds were against you, but, you knew exactly what you had to do if you wanted to live another day?

Rating : A

Susan Hill - The Beacon

Background: I ended up picking this book for the Take A Chance Challenge#5. You might have noticed that in my original book selection, I had opted for Mary Higgins Clark's Just Take My Heart. However, that book is not out in paperback yet, so... I went back to the phone book and found the name "Hill".

With Howard's End Is On The Landing out recently, and loads of bloggers reviewing it, I figured Susan Hill was the sensible choice! And so, here it is... Susan Hill's The Beacon. Just for the record, this is the first Susan Hill I've read....

The book opens with Mrs. Prime's peaceful death at The Beacon, where she lives with one of her children, May. Two of the others have married locally, and quiet, almost reticent Frank lives in London. May had gone to London to study to escape from the bleak country-life, but, hallucinations and nightmares drove her to return to the safety of home within the year.

While May is contemplating making the call to her siblings, she tries to figure out if she should call Frank - Frank who betrayed the entire family, and who they haven't spoken to since. This leads to retrospection: looking back at how events unfolded, and the impact it had on the family as a whole.

Mostly written in May's voice, this book does explore a very interesting topic. Frank's ultimate betrayal is writing a book in first person, entitled The Story Of One Boy's Brutal Childhood, where he talks of his life in the "cupboard under the stairs" (very Harry Potter-like), and the abuse he suffered at the hands of his older siblings and father. However, as the other children (now adults) remember it, this is mere fabrication, and none of it ever happened. However, as they live in a small village in Ireland, the family name has been tarnished, and it's almost impossible for them to vindicate themselves. Also, a doubt has formed in everyone's mind, and the siblings themselves cannot determine what's the truth, and what they have deleted from their memories.

While the premise is interesting, i.e. how a memoir like Frank's victimises the family, the book in itself fell flat. It started off being interesting, but as it progressed, it left a lot to be desired... specially the ending, which was at best ambiguous. Based on this, I don't think I'll be seeking out more of Susan Hill's works.

Rating: 2.5

Orson Scott Card - Ender's Game

I picked up this book as part of the Take A Chance Challenge, under Challenge#3: Birth Year Book: "Find a book that was published or copyrighted in the year of your birth. Read the book and write about it." For better or for worst, I was born in 1985, and as I haven't read much fantasy this year, I opted for this gem of a book, and I must say it was a great choice. I loved the book, and it makes me wonder why I don't read more fantasy.

Ender, the protagonist, is six years old when the book starts, and, deemed a genius. A 'third', i.e. the third offspring in a day and age where only two children are allowed, Ender is 'special' - the government requested his parents to have a third child, due to their exceptional genes. The first two children were both 'monitored', but due to minor inadequacies, they were deemed not good enough.

What does the government want little geniuses for? To train in battle, lest the "buggers" (an alien civilization that resembles insects) invade again, and this time, everyone's running scared despite humanity prevailing stronger in both the previous invasions. Humans need a strong leader, a capable one, and Ender is chosen, after being closely monitored by the government, by literally having a monitor "installed" on him.

The characters are extremely well-drawn, be it six year old Ender, his old brother Peter, and their sister, Val - or - Ender's friends from battle school. Dink and Petra remain two favorites, whereas Bean was almost a repeat of Ender's character.

While the book is far-fetched, there is a strong feeling of reality as Ender's character grows and matures, and swings between different emotional states, as people continuously toy with him. He's not perfect, but, he does what he's meant to better than anyone else.

And this is Ender's journey, training in battle, playing 'games' with fellow genius children, battling it out, and aiming for just one thing: winning. But as the government and the teachers keep changing the rules, to test Ender further and further, one wonders: is Ender going to make it, or will he succumb to his darkest nightmares?

Rating: 4

Ann Brashares - The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants

This book was recommended to me by a younger cousin, and I figured, it'll be a fun young adult book, which would be a pleasant distraction from most of the reading I've done this year. Also, I was planning on reading a young-adult book for the Take A Chance Challenge #9. Figured, by the challenge's name, I should try a book I wouldn't normally pick up. At the outset, I might as well say that I didn't really enjoy this book. The characters were shallow, the plot not that great, and I couldn't really sympathize or relate to any of the characters. Considering there are four characters, this is slightly depressing.

Reviewing haiku-style:

Not recommended Shallow characters, dull plot, Summer! Says it all.

Reviewing limerick-style:

Apart during the summer for the first time, Four best friends deal with this so-called crime, A pair of pants they swear to share, Through the summer, post it to one another to wear. And, in the end, it's all sublime.

Reviewing free verse-style:

'Tis the story of four friends, who spend a summer apart,

In Greece, at camp, at home, and at dad's.

They learn, they grow, they mature, make choices,

Write letters to each other, echoing their head's voices.

Lena at Greece, with her grandparents who she's never met,

They trying fixing her up with a boy - she starts to fret.

Things blow out of proportion on a misunderstanding -

Lena, filled with guilt, spends her summer repenting.

Then there's Carmen, excited to spend the summer with her father,

Unknown to her, she's about to meet her step-mother,

Anger and fury at her dad, leads her to break a window pane,

She runs away back home, on the first plane.

Bridget is away at a sports camp, where she makes new friends,

Meets an older boy, an instructor, who she wants as a boyfriend.

They're attracted to each other, but can't really date,

But an impulsive decision leads them to await their fate.

Finally, there's Tibby, who's at home, working at a store,

The manager's mean, the job a chore!

She befriends young Bailey, dying of cancer, full of life,

Turns out the relationship they form leads to strife.

As each of their summer takes a turn for the worse,

Almost as though things were cursed,

The pants are in the hands of one of the friends,

Gives them courage to make amends.

And when the friends meet each other at the end,

They remind each other of how the pants were a godsend!

Rating: 1

J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Background: I saw the penultimate Harry Potter movie on Wednesday, and was quite astounded that I did not recall most of the book, which I had read in summer 2005. It slowly came back to me, as the movie progressed, but I couldn't help feeling I was missing a fair bit. So, I dug out the book from the back of my bookshelf, to re-read it, and much to my surprise, I really enjoyed it, this time 'round (I had been fairly disappointed with my first read). This post is not going to be a book review, but, more of a book vs. movie post, as there were a fair few interesting discrepancies, which I'd like to explore.

Review: There is always a lot of excitement, when the movie adaptation of a popular book is released, specially when the movie in question is Harry Potter, which has had a cult-following world-wide. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is no different. Packed with adventure, romance, and suspense, this adaptation follows Harry Potter and his friends (and enemies) into their sixth year at Hogwarts, where academics are tougher, quidditch more important, and the quest to find out more about The Dark Lord superseding almost everything else.

Death Eaters have become more powerful, and are wreaking havoc in both: the Muggle and wizard world. Harry Potter is still struggling to cope with the death of Sirius Black, his godfather, but avoids talking about it to anyone. Like most other parents, Ron Weasley's mother is paranoid about the safety of the children, and is being more protective than usual. Her 'special' clock, which shows the location of each family member, as opposed to the time, has all its hands on 'Mortal Peril' (this bit is missed out in the book).

Just before term starts, and Harry and his friends are in Diagon Alley, picking up their books and other materials for school. They see Draco going into Borgin & Burkes, a shop famous for its involvement with Dark Magic, and they try eavesdropping on the conversation going on inside. Based on it, Harry is convinced that Draco has become one of Voldemort's latest recruits, but, Hermione and Ron disregard this theory.

There is a new Potions teacher at school now, Professor Slughorn, and Snape finally gets the role he's been eyeing for a long time: Defense Against The Dark Arts. Dumbledore, the Headmaster, tells Harry he's going to give the teenager private lessons this year, which turns out to be sessions looking into the memories of various people involving Voldemort: from the time Dumbledore went into the orphanage to tell him that he is a wizard, to before his birth.

And of course, the reason why the book is called The Half-Blood Prince: Harry hasn't bought his Potions text book, and ends up picking one out from the cupboard in the classroom. The book he picks out has instructions over and above the texts, which makes him seem like a gifted Potions student, causing Hermione to be envious and Slughorn to think Harry is a natural. The book also has some spells written by its previous owner, and they seem like harmless fun to Harry. Hermione, of course, has another view: the book is dangerous! In the book is scrolled: This book is the property of The Half Blood Prince.

Finally, the  romantic element: first off, there's Hermione and Ron. When Ron has an exceptional quidditch game, and Lavendar kisses him, Hermione walks out, and avoids Ron, making things increasingly uncomfortable for Harry. The whole time, when Ron and Lavendar are going out is dotted with Hermione's blatant envy and she goes as far as going to a Christmas party with a despicable student, just to make Ron jealous. Simultaneously, Harry has feelings for Ginny, but as she's going out with Dean, he cannot do anything about it... specially, as she's his best friend's sister.

So, now, book vx. movie:

Due to the numerous sub-plots in the book, the movie was always going to be a tough one - trading off between time, and story. My main gripe with the movie was that it focused way too much on the teenage romance, as opposed to the plots that made the book gripping, i.e. Volemort's history. The book has about six memories, involving Voldemort. The movie, only two.

The book is also considerably darker than the movie, as various characters are under the Imperius curse, and act on it. They show Dumbledore's arm as burnt, but they never explain why in the movie either, whereas the book does say it was to do with finding and destroying Voldemort's ring. While explaining some of these concepts would make the movie more complicated to a Harry Potter novice, it probably gives a better insight into how things worked in the wizarding world, how bad things had become, and the sacrifices that needed to be made.

The final scenes of the book: the great fight, and the funeral of an important character were completely omitted from the movie, and I struggled to understand why. The final fight is one of the most gripping parts of the book, and the funeral in the book is described so vividly, that I can imagine it being incredible on the screen.

Many of the important characters either have a miniscule role, or aren't existent in the movie, at all, with Tonks and Lupin coming to mind. However, Luna still exists in the movie, which makes the whole thing slightly bizarre.

The movie has an additional scene, where some of the Death Eaters attack the Weasley's home during Christmas, but, I still am unable to determine what this adds to the plot, other than making Mrs. Weasley more paranoid and scared. The graphics though, were amazing.

Actually, the graphics throughout the movie were far superior to some of the other movies (barring the Chamber of Secrets chess game). This might have something to do with not that many magical creatures being displayed on the screen. Even in the opening scene, when the bridge breaks, I was amazed at how well they had directed it. The dialogue was fast, and witty, and while it's always tough to capture the essence of the book, I thought the movie did a reasonably good job. Think the movie was aimed more towards children, whereas the book targeted at young adults.

The language in the book did depress me somewhat, with the characters using words like 'prat', or, 'making rude hand gestures'. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I still think children's books should steer clear of these elements.

Movie rating: 3 Book rating: 4

Gabriel Garcia Marquez - News of a Kidnapping

Background:

This is another one for the Take A Chance Challenge, hosted by Jenners at Find Your Next Book Here: Public Spying. I commute for a couple of hours daily, and loads of people around me are reading something or the other; some books that I'm intrigued by, and some books I see and go: Meh. I saw someone reading this book, and my curiosity piqued. I love Gabriel Garcia Marquez's works, but surprisingly, I hadn't stumbled upon this one before. So, I made a mental note of it. With a book by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, one can't go wrong, right?

Review:

This non-fictional book traces the last few months of Pablo Escobar's freedom, as he used every trick in the book to ensure he wasn't extradited to the United States. Kidnapping important socio-political figures, like journalists and family members of politicians in high places, Escobar attempts to leverage his bargaining power with the President/Government of Colombia.

This book follows both, the life in captivity (relationships with each other, the guards, their fears, and hopes) for the ten hostages, as well as the struggle their family went through, trying to get them released - from trying to convince the President, to avoiding an armed raid, lest it led to someone innocent dying. While the President is pressured by the families and the media to take a stand that will ensure the hostages' release sooner, he sticks by what he believes in.

The Constituent Assembly, shrouded in uncertainties, would meet in the next few days, and he could not allow weakness on the part of the government to result in an amnesty for the drug traffickers.

As he says:

"The real threat came at those moments when we faced the temptation or risk, or even the rumor of a possibility of an amnesty" - in short, the unthinkable danger that the conscience of the Constituent Assembly would also be taken hostage.

This book is scary, it reminds us of the devil Escobar was, and how all of Medellin was in his hands; a result of the charitable works in the marginal neighborhoods where the spent their impoverished childhoods.

Luck and a clandestine life had left Escobar in charge of the hen house, and he became a legend who controlled everything. ... At the height of his splendor, people put up altars with his pictures and lit candles to him in the slums of Medellin. It was believed he could perform miracles. No Colombian in history ever possessed or exercised a talent like his for sharing public opinion. And none had a greater power to corrupt. The most unsettling and dangerous aspect of his personality was his total inability to distinguish between good and evil.

The story is gripping, haunting and fantastic. It is an insight into Colombian history, Escobar himself, and the trials and tribulations of the hostages and their families. Despite being a work of non-fiction, not being grossly exaggerated, and despite knowing what happens to Escobar eventually, the book still reads like fiction, with one caveat: by the style of writing, it was easy to tell which hostages had been killed, and which survived, from the very beginning.

What makes this book very 'real' is that Marquez interviewed all the protagonists he could, and then retold their stories. In fact, Maruja (one of the hostages) and Alberto Villamizar (a Colombian politician) approached Marquez to write about her sixteen month captivity. The book itself has minimal exaggeration, as Marquez weaves his magic making all of us hope that something like this never befalls anyone ever again.

If you've ever wondered about the enigma that is Escobar, read this book, for a combination of Marquez's style of writing, and the story itself makes this book simply unputdownable.

Rating: 5

John le Carré - A Murder Of Quality

Background:

This book was also picked up as part of the Take A Chance Challenge - Judge A Book By Its Cover. The copy of the book has a cover identical to the one on the left, and I fell in love with it! I've only read one le Carré before: The Constant Gardener. That was about four years ago, and while I liked the book, for some reason I can't pinpoint, I've never picked up another one... until now!

So, what's so special about the cover? Well, for starters, it's simple. It's not glossy, like most covers out there. Instead, it's got a matte finish, with the title of the book being glossy. I love the way the title is sprawled, the font and the color. Finally, there's the picture: it shows a hut in the middle of nowhere.

Taking all of the above into account, you know it's got to be a good mystery. The author is well-known, the cover is simple (which would normally signify the plot being simple and not overtly convoluted, which tarnishes most mystery books), and it's got the 'surprise' factor: "where is this happening? Is it realistic?" And most importantly, is it a proper 'whodunnit', with ample clues scattered around, to that the inner detective can piece them together?

It's always amazing, when you pick up a book randomly, and it turns out to be fantastic, meeting your expectations almost all the way.

Review:

An unpopular teacher's wife is killed in a prestigious boarding school, Carne. A school where 'perception dies with puberty,' and one of its oldest teachers claims never to have taught a student. Instead, the rare scholar that does go through has ignored the 'cult of mediocrity' which the school has propagated through the generations.

A murder in a school is always going to be talked about - by the students, the staff, and the media. However, what makes this murder slightly more bizarre is the fact that the victim wrote to Christian Voice, claiming that her husband was going to kill her. By the time Miss Aisla, the editor, received the letter, and got in touch with an old friend, George Smiley, to help her investigate the veracity of it, Stella Rode was dead. So, you have the obvious suspect: the husband! But, what if he has an airtight alibi?

As Smiley sets out to determine who the culprit is, the reader is given an insight into how respectable people really aren't as straightforward as you'd expect them to be. Conversely, they tend to be petty and small-minded, attracting attention to themselves, as possible suspects, for... if it comes down to that, everyone has a motive.

The book is not complicated; it doesn't twist and turn, looking for the 'shock' ending. However, what le Carré masterfully does is, weave a story, which keeps the user engrossed and guessing. Honestly, I didn't figure out who the perpetrator was, but, when it was disclosed, almost casually, I wasn't surprised. The other thing is, the book was kept short and simple, at 180 pages, and that's what a good mystery novel should do!

Rating: 4

Terry Pratchett - A Hat Full Of Sky

Background:

This book was picked up as part of the Take A Chance Challenge - Random Word Selection. The word I picked out was 'sky', and I entered the word in Amazon. The second result I got was A Hat Full Of Sky, and it was an easy decision. I've never read a Terry Pratchett book before, but I've had wonderful things about his books, and figured, this is a golden opportunity handed over to me on a silver plate. How can I refuse? It was a great start to the challenge, for I loved the book, and am going to try reading more of Pratchett. So, if you have any recommendations, please let me know.

Review:

This is the sequel to The Wee Free Men, and it follows Tiffany Arching's adventures, this time with her being an apprentice to research witch, Miss Level. Tiffany, still relatively new to the world of witches, hopes to learn from her employer, and become a fully qualified witch, during her apprenticeship. However, things don't quite pan out that way, as she helps Miss Level take care of the needy in the village, without actually using any magic. Miss Level says a witch doesn't always need to do magic. All a witch needs to do is not 'go to the bad side'.

However, Tiffany has one trick, which she hasn't shared with anyone yet - she can step out of her body at will, leaving it an empty vessel. What she doesn't know is, an ancient and bodiless spirit (a hiver) is just waiting to inhabit her body, and take over. And so it does. What ensues is drama, as the cleverest of witches (Granny Weatherwax, Miss Level) and the Nac Mac Feegles (a wee fairy race (they are extremely tiny), who protect Tiffany, from the time she acted as their 'Kelda' - this was done in the previous book of the series) attempt to get rid of the hiver, and bring the real Tiffany back, before the hiver takes over completely, and Tiffany is lost forever, in her body. At the same time, the hiver's disregard for anything moral coupled with Tiffany's powers wreaks havoc, as she turns a man into a toad, 'borrows' Miss Level's broomstick, and goes on an expensive shopping spree which, without her powers, she'd never be able to afford... she's turning over to the 'bad side'.

This is a well-written page-turner, which has oodles of dry humor. The characters are extremely well-drawn, and one cannot help but associate with all of them, from Tiffany to the Nac Mac Feegles (who are probably the best drawn out group). Despite the Nac Mac Feegles being drunken thieves, you admire them being loyal and good=hearted, while simultaneously appreciating the lack of conscientiousness. There's a part in the book where Miss Level is horrified that they're talking about invading her body, to get the hiver out, for it would mean invading her privacy. They reply saying they've already read her diary, and if it was that personal, she wouldn't keep it in the sock drawer. And when Tiffany goes on a perilous mission, one of the Nac Mac Feegles joins her, saying he's promised his wife that he'd help her eliminate the hiver.

As you'd expect for any children/young adult book, it demarcates between good and bad, courage and cowardice, loyalty and flippancy. The obnoxious fall, and the good rise to the occasion to help. So, the feel-good affect that this book has is an added bonus.

Rating: 4

Books for the 'Take A Chance' Challenge

So, I finally switched my 'lazy' button off, and decided to shortlist the books for the Take A Chance challenge, which I'd blogged about earlier.

Unfortunately, it doesn't run very long, and hence, the shortlist of books that I'll be 'taking a chance' on. I'm quite looking forward to starting with this, soon - hopefully in a couple of days.

1. Random Book Selection : John Christopher - The Death of Grass

2. Random Word {Sky} : Terry Pratchett - A Hat Full Of Sky

3. Birth Year Book {1985} : Orsan Scott Card - Ender's Game

4. Judge A Book By Its Cover : John Le Carre - A Murder Of Quality

5. Phoning An Author {Hill} : Susan Hill - The Beacon

6. Public Spying : Gabriel Garcia Marquez - News Of A Kidnapping

7. Random Bestseller {Year : 1999 | Birthday : May 6} : David Guterson - East of the Mountains

8. Lit Riff : Diminished - REM

9. Poetic Review : The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants

10. Movie/Book Comparison : Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Has anyone read the above? Am I in for a pleasant ride, or an unpleasant one? Do you have any preferences for #8 (Lit Riff) and #10 (Movie/Book comparison)? I haven't heard of four of the above books, and already have two of them, so... it should be an unpredictable blast and a half.

Thanks again, Jenners!