Books 14, 15 and 16
Book 14: Divine By Choice by P.C. Cast - 358 pages
My little synposis: Shannon Parker is just adjusting to her life as Epona's Goddess Incarnate in Partholon - oh and being married to a sexy centaur - when she is suddenly pulled out of her new home reality and thrown back to modern-day Oklahoma. Given that she's pregnant with ClanFintan's baby, she hastens to get home, but not before determining what evil is sending the weather in Oklahoma crazy and why the hell Rhiannon brought her back in the first place. Oh, and what to do about the gorgeous Clint, her centaur husband's very human mirror image.
I really did not enjoy this book half as much as Divine By Mistake. I really think ClanFintan is a big part of the appeal of the story, and Clint just didn't quite stand up to the same role for me - I think a big part of ClanFintan's appeal is the fact that he is a centaur. Clint was far more moody and he got on my nerves. I also was really unhappy with the explanation Cast gave for why Rhiannon was so evil. I won't ruin it for anyone but for me some things are not acceptable even for the 'greater good' as the goddess Epona basically used as her excuse for letting certain things happen. And Shannon's justification for the turn her relationship with Clint took was just a total cop-out in my opinion - there's a big difference between your centaur husband and his human mirror image, no matter what reality you're in. I did enjoy the book, especially the first 100 or so pages, but I really just wanted to go back to Partholon, so I kinda dragged my heels further in. A shame really, because a lot of people have said how much they enjoyed this one, and given how much I loved the first one I was hoping too. Even so, I will read the third one Divine by Blood but I think I'll give it some time before I do.
14 / 50 books. 28% done!
6161 / 15000 pages. 41% done!
Book 15: Oddly Enough: Unbelievably outrageous but true stories from the news edited by Robert Basler - 256 pages
My little synopsis: As the title suggests, a collection of crazy stories collected by Reuters News over several years. Just those little 'What in the weird?' articles you find that fill up a page between the 'actual' news and the ads.
A very funny little read that I kind of just picked up when I was bored. Some of the stories are just absolutely ridiculous - plenty probably earned themselves a Darwin Award at some point. All in all, thoroughly enjoyable.
15 / 50 books. 30% done!
6417 / 15000 pages. 43% done!
Book 16: The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot by Jeffrey Archer - 101 pages
My little synopsis: The story of Jesus from when he meets his Judas till after his death is retold from the persepective of Judas by his son Benjamin. Apparently, Judas wasn't such the bad guy that everyone made him out to be.
This was very well done. Archer mixes his own narrative of Jesus' life with text from the various gospels to pull off a very good story. Having never actually sat down and read each specific gospel to identify the differences (my Catholic school upbringing seemed to focus more on the Old Testament, so I'm all over Genesis, but not so much Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), Archer has also provided a handy, dandy little reference section at the back that goes over some of the differences and similarities between this gospel and the four acknowledged ones. All in all, very interesting.
16 / 50 books. 32% done!
6518 / 15000 pages. 43% done!
Currently reading:
- From Modernism to Postmodernism: An Anthology edited by Lawrence Cahoone - 600 pages
- My Steve by Terri Irwin - 268 pages
- The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Volume 2: The One Tree by Stephen Donaldson - 472 pages
- Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs - 432 pages
And coming up:
- Angels and Demons by Dan Brown - 620 pages
- The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory - 486 pages
- Next by Michael Crichton - 540 pages