I don’t know if any of you have ever read the CHERUB books, but CHERUB is a fictional division of MI5 (British Intelligence), in which all of the agents are children. It is believed that if criminals use children to commit crimes, authorities can use them to get back at the criminals.
CHERUB is written by Robert Muchamore. I have an exclusive interview (it’s going to be used on my fansite) with Rob (see below).
The Amber Spyglass, the third book in the His Dark Materials Trilogy, the story continues on from the last book (which ended rather abruptly).
In The Amber Spyglass, Lyra and Will continue on their quest, taking a side trip to the Underworld. After leaving the Underworld mostly unscathed, they go to Lord Asriel.
The whole Underworld thing is a bit overused, though a few new ideas were added. Regarding the Dæmons and the Underworld, I was able to predict what would happen later in the book (with the help of a small clue). There was, obviously, a precedent happening.
With several plot-twists, and unexpected happenings, the trilogy draws to a close. Darker than the first book, the book is nonetheless enjoyable. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending, which seemed a bit…odd, but whatever. The book was good anyway.
I strongly recommend that you read The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife before reading this book.
Have you read The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman? If so, there’s no doubt that you’ll like The Subtle Knife, part two of the series.
In The Subtle Knife, Lyra leaves her world…and ends up in ours. She soon meets Will, the bearer of the Subtle Knife, a knife with two extraordinary edges. One edge can cut through any material, while the other can cut doors to other worlds into the air.
Armed with the Knife an the Alethiometer, Lyra and Will set out on an unclear mission.
This book is a great sequel to it’s predecessor; unfortunately it ends rather abruptly. There are cool tie-ins with the previous book.
I highly recommend the His Dark Materials series, though you should definitely start with the first book (The Golden Compass).
“It tells the truth. As for how to read it, you’ll have to learn by yourself.” With these words, Lyra is given an Alethiometer. Armed with this mysterious tool, which will answer any question truthfully, she sets out on what will become an adventure, determined by an ancient prophecy.
The story takes place in another world, similar to ours. Geographic locations, like Oxford and London, exist…though they are different. Packed with action and mystery, the story flows well. Once you get into the book, you’ll have trouble stopping.
I really enjoyed the book, reading it in a couple days despite my busy schedule, and I’m presently waiting for the movie, which will be released in December.
If you want a believable fantasy book, try The Golden Compass. If you like it, there are a couple sequels.
Have you ever wondered what the most fair way to rate books is? Problem solved. I’ve come up with LibRate, a rating scheme that I think compares books in a semi-fair manner.
Okay, there are five options when you rate a book:
5. This rating applies only to Harry Potter
4. This rating, also known as “Beyond Really Good,” is for books like The Dark is Rising, Dragonriders of Pern, and Terrier. In other words, books that are exceptional…but of course none of them are exactly as good as Harry Potter.
3. Also known as “Really Good”. This rating is for enjoyable boks.
2. Also known as “Okay”. Use this rating for books that are sort of….”Eh, whatever”.
1. A.k.a. “Bleh!” Need I say more?
Now, you can also use decimals in your ratings as well.For example, 3.5 would be halfway between a “Really Good” book and a “Beyond Really Good” book. You should also note that the spacing between the ratings is not equal (see below chart). Though the space signifies a great difference is quality, it does not affect the way you form your decimals.
Well, that’s LibRate.
Note: Take this seriously at your own peril.
I finished my second reading of The Dark Is Rising series. The first was 4 to 5 years ago, and I remember being excited and enthralled by it. This time, looking at it more objectively, I noticed that there is an excitement building within the books similar to an orchestra rising to a crescendo. This is an impressive achievement for the author. The series is a masterful work of storytelling. It has the complexity of Tolkien without the heaviness. The language is filled with the High Magic making the reading an awesome poetical experience.
The story just touches on Arthurian legend, and yet it still has a strong Arthurian feel. The books are heavily laced with a mystical and magical sense of purpose and of destiny, though a wrong turning at one point or another could change the whole outcome. Read the rest at BookAdvice.net.
Podcasting Hacks is a great book on, well, podcasts.
In case you didn’t know, a podcast is “a Web-based audio broadcast via an RSS feed, accessed by subscription over the Internet” (definition from Dictionary.com).
Podcasting Hacks teaches you to subscribe to podcasts and (mainly) how to create them. The book covers everything from microphones to recording software to podcast websites. If you’ve ever thought “I wish I had a radio talkshow”, then you should read this book. There are other books on podcasting, but this is the most complete one I’ve seen so far.
It’s fairly easy to produce a podcast, though it takes up some of your time. For a great example of a podcast, check out PotterCast.com.
