Monday 30 April 2018

World without end

World Without End
Author: Ken Follett
ISBN: 9780330456920


Hi Everyone

Mission accompished!  I have read all 1237 pages.... so proud of myself 😀

So what did I think?

To start of with it is not for the faint hearted it.  I cannot understate this fact.  It has been written by a man and this man is Ken Follett - I have read a couple of his stories and he doesn't leave much out.  How can you when you have 1237 pages :)

But, I couldn't stop turning the pages.  I sat reading night after night. Week after week.  Following every character.  Every scene and event.  The historical matters in these pages were extremely interesting even though it was fictional.  I was drawn into the chaos and schemes, love, loss and everything beyond.  Truly this has just about everything possible within the pages.

I have laughed, gasped, cryed, been in shock and wanted to scream!

I think I had an issue with just about every character at some stage.  No one was left unscared though out the events.  Really if you read it you will understand.  Even as I write this I am stuck for how to explain even one character to you.  They all changed and grew, going from child to adult.  I found something to love in every one of the characters but they also found a way to drive me mad; really irritate me to the max.

I have enjoyed this book as much as 'Pillars of the Earth' which was the first in the series.  And I have the third and final in the trilogy - Edge of Eternity - on my to be read list.  I don't think you need to read the first book in the series but it is worth reading first.  See what you think.


Description: 

On the day after Halloween, in the year 1327, four children slip away from the cathedral city of Kingsbridge. They are a thief, a bully, a boy genius and a girl who wants to be a doctor. In the forest they see two men killed.
As adults, their lives will be braided together by ambition, love, greed and revenge. They will see prosperity and famine, plague and war. One boy will travel the world but come home in the end; the other will be a powerful, corrupt nobleman. One girl will defy the might of the medieval church; the other will pursue an impossible love. And always they will live under the long shadow of the unexplained killing they witnessed on that fateful childhood day.

This was available from: Book Depository,  Fishpond and Amazon


Happy reading



World Without End (The Pillars of the Earth #2)

Thursday 12 April 2018

Star of light

Star of Light
Author: Patricia St John
ISBN: 978-0-8024-6577-1


Hi Everyone

It's been a while since my last post for a couple of reasons.  First being that my kids and students come first and its been a busy term.  Second because I was challenged to read some of the books from my bookcase and the first one on the top left shelf was a 1256 pages long!  I also have a few books coming up that authors have sent to me.... so keep watching this space there is more coming your way very soon.

This book is part of the Sonlight curriculum, I have a few books from this curriculum is really is a good curriculum to follow through.  Star of Light is an easy little read and was first published in 1954.  While reading it I was able to sense the different era of which the book was written.  The characters were nice, the plot was nice, the scenes were nice.  It reminded me of a Sunday school book.  Because of this I think is best suited for a younger reader with a good reading vocab and comprehension.  I enjoyed it but found myself wanting to skip pages as it didn't really move fast enough.  I would have liked to read more about what happens to the little blind sister, Kinza.  I felt she could have added more depth to the story.

So, with the students I have coming through, I (in my opinion) think 10-12 years cover recommendation is a little on the older side.

Overall though, it really is a good read.  It has some talking points in the story line and definately has a good moral principle behind the plot.

Description:

Hamid does not want his little blind sister, Kinza, to be sold to a beggar, by thier stepfather, so he decides to rescue her.  Together they escape from thier mountain village to a town where there may be a new home for Kinza.  But this is only the start of their adventures.  Will Kinza be safe?  What will happen to Hamid who dares not to go back home.


This was available from: AmazonBook depository and Fishpond


Happy reading