Category: Reading Challenges

Book Challenges, Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Gen Lit, Literary Criticism, Reading, Reading Challenges

The Lit Bitch has entered the 2012 Historic Fiction Reading Challenge

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on The Lit Bitch has entered the 2012 Historic Fiction Reading Challenge

It’s that time of year again, reading challenge time! I can hardly believe it!

Over the next couple of weeks I’ll be posting my entries for various challenges here as I sign up and I will also have a special page/section devoted to my entries which will have lists of books I plan on reading.

As per usual I’ll post my reviews throughout the year and add the buttons on my sidebars.

So here is the first challenge sign up of 2012: the Historic Fiction Reading Challenge hosted by Historical Tapestry. For more details about my entry and goals please see my the Historic Fiction Reading Challenge 2012 page.

If you are interested in signing up or for more details about the challenge it self, please visit the Historic Tapestry blog.

Book Challenges, Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Gen Lit, Literary Criticism, Reading, Reading Challenges

Review: Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare

by The Lit Bitch4 Comments on Review: Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare

Lies. Betrayal. Danger. Deception. Anger. Adventure. Passion. Love. All of which await eager readers in Cassandra Clare’s latest installment of The Infernal Devices, Clockwork Prince. Clare flawlessly blends action, sci-fi/fantasy, YA, pararomance, and steampunk together magically.

While romance is a huge part of this latest book, it does not over power the adventure. For me, other YA sagas such as Twilight, the love story overpowered the action and adventure, especially in the second book making it less enjoyable but in this series….there was a delicate balance which made it exceptionally hard to put down!

In the midst of all the YA romance there is a richly satisfying mystery and adventure. Tales or betrayal, lies, deception, and unrequited love all cloak this book in a silky velvet darkness that  fully encompasses all the characters and plot not just a singular aspect of the story.  Add in the clockwork angels, automatons, and steam powered inventions and you have one perfectly constructed Steampunk novel! Continue reading “Review: Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare” →

Book Challenges, Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Gen Lit, Literary Criticism, Reading, Reading Challenges

Review: The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Review: The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

What would you do if you had a face that could literally stop time? Or if you could really clone yourself? How about meet and greet your fav literary character? In the world of SpecOps and LiteraTec (Literary Detective division) extrodinaire, Thursday Next, all of these things are possible.

My sister recommended the book, The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde, to me a few weeks back…and now that she wants to commandeer the book from me, I figured I better get a move on since she will be wanting it by Christmas no doubt.

This speculative fiction book is a hodge-podge mixture of sci-fi, fantasy, time travel, YA, mystery/detective novel, steampunk, and vampire/werewolf fiction all in one…and the best part, it’s all based on classic British Literature. Set in 1985 Great Britain, detective Thursday Next (a Crimean War vet) is living in an alternative universe where time travel (among many things) are all possible.

Next is sent to investigate a puzzling case, someone has taken Charles Dickens’s original manuscript for Martin Chuzzlewit. The LiteraTec task force suspects notorious mass murderer and thief Acheron Hades…except there is one problem, no one knows what he looks like except Next. Continue reading “Review: The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde” →

Book Challenges, Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Gen Lit, Literary Criticism, Reading, Reading Challenges

Review: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

by The Lit Bitch7 Comments on Review: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Bah humbug! The snow is falling, Christmas carolers are in the streets London, dinner is in the oven, families are laughing around the fire, and Ebenezer Scrooge is busy ‘bah humbug-ing’ everyones Christmas cheer!

In the timeless classic A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Scrooge is visited by three ghosts: Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future. The ghosts are sent to help Scrooge realize the importance of giving, being thankful, and of course being merry during the holiday season.

I decided to read this book for both the Victorian Literature and the Christmas Spirit reading challenges since I have never actually read the classic novel.

As a child I remember watching the Muppets version of this book but that’s about it….and I just have to go on record….I love the Muppets Christmas Carol! I know lots of families read this book to their families every year as part of their holiday tradition as it is relatively short (surprisingly for a Victorian era novel….and a Dickens novel!)

Needless to say I was really excited to start it especially during the holidays….something to get me really excited for Christmas. Continue reading “Review: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens” →

Book Challenges, Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Gen Lit, Literary Criticism, Reading, Reading Challenges

2012 Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire Series) Reading Challenge, Sign up now!

by The Lit Bitch17 Comments on 2012 Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire Series) Reading Challenge, Sign up now!

Winter is coming.

Well I guess technically winter is already here in Oregon’s as is it almost everywhere else in the Northern hemisphere….LOL :).

As many of you know I am hosting the Outlander series reading challenge again this year…..and I know I said I was a little over epic book series, but I am totally going to make an exception for this series! I have heard such great things about the Game of Thrones (a Song of Ice and Fire series) and I have had the first 2 books on my shelf at home begging me to read them.

The time has come, I can no longer ignore the books….I must read them!! I am dying to watch the HBO Game of Thrones series as I hear it rivals even that of the books but sadly I have to wait till it comes out on DVD which will probably be sometime in March…which is just enough time for me to read the Song of Ice and Fire series and what better excuse than a reading challenge.

I am hosting a very informal reading challenge for the Song of Ice and Fire series here on my blog this year for those of you who are in want of motivation to read this series. The rules are simple, read the Song of Ice and Fire series…post comments, blog about it, review the series….totally up to you!

You must sign up for the series here via Mr Linky and please also spread the love by grabbing the button and posting to your blog.

Grab the button by copy/pasting the code below to your blog or by locating the Song of Ice and Fire Series Reading Challenge button on the main page: Continue reading “2012 Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire Series) Reading Challenge, Sign up now!” →