Top Ten Tuesday: Books that Feature Travel

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week has a different theme & you can find all the details about how to join in HERE.

Today's theme is Books that Feature Travel and I have to admit that I initially thought I was going to struggle to come up with 10 books to include. I haven't actually read many road trip books but when I sat down to think of it I managed to come up with plenty of stories that involve travel in some form or another.

Anyway, lets have a look at a few of my favourites (links will take you to my reviews):

The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien

You don't get many journeys more epic than the one that Bilbo Baggins takes with Gandalf and the dwarves when they travel across the mountains to take back their home! Full of adventure, magical creatures, dragons and treasure this is a book I've read many times over the years and I really enjoyed the recent film adaptation too. I'm looking forward to watching the next two movies.

The Clan of the Cave Bear - Jean M. Auel

Jean M. Auel's Earth's Children series has been one of my favourites since I was a teenager (the less said about the 6th and final book the better though!) and I've lost count of the number of times I've read them. The series is set around the time of the last ice age (35,000 years ago) and follows a young girl Ayla as she travels across whole continents in search of a place to call home. I love this series for the rich historical data but more for the emotional journey that Ayla goes on as she grows up and finds her place in the world.

From What I Remember - Stacy Kramer & Valerie Thomas

From What I Remember is a more traditional road trip story that shows how one of the school's hottest guys Max ends up in Mexico with geek girl Kylie. The book is absolutely hilarious and I loved every minute of it!

Tiger's Curse - Colleen Houck

Colleen Houck's Tiger series follows Kelsey on a journey across India as she tries to help brothers Ren and Kishan break a 300 year old curse. You get to visit various temples and the jungle, learn about some of the Indian gods and goddesses and fall in love with not one but two gorgeous Indian princes who have been cursed to spend the majority of their time living as tigers.

Between Shades of Gray - Ruta Sepetys

Between Shades of Gray is the heartbreaking story of a young Lithuanian girl called Lina and her family as they are captured by Soviet guards and forced to travel across Europe to a Siberian work camp in the Arctic circle. Set during WWII and based on true stories this book highlights the atrocities committed by Stalin and is an incredibly emotional read but it is a book that I can't recommend highly enough. If you haven't come across this book before take a few minutes to watch this video of the author Ruta Sepetys as she talks about the inspiration behind the story but make sure you have tissues to hand because you're sure to need them!


Ruta Sepetys discusses her upcoming novel, Between Shades of Gray from Penguin Young Readers Group on Vimeo.

A Conspiracy of Alchemists - Liesel Schwarz

Liesel Schwarz's steampunk adventure takes you across Europe stopping off at London, Paris, Venice and Constantinople. Main character Elle is a dirigible pilot so you'll get to fly in an airship but you also enjoy a luxury ride on the Orient Express!

Demons of the Ocean - Justin Somper

If you enjoy books aimed at a slightly younger audience or are looking for a fun family read then I'd definitely recommend Justin Somper's Vampirates series. Sail the seven seas with twins Grace and Connor in this futuristic world where the seas have risen and the waters are controlled by both pirates and vampirates (yes, you did read that right vampirates - vampires who are also pirates!)

Poison Princess - Kresley Cole

I love Kresley Cole's adult books so I was excited to get my hands on her first YA novel Poison Princess last year. Set in the future after an apocalyptic event that Evie had been having visions of before it happened this is a fab story and something that's really unique. Main characters are based on the Major Arcana cards found in a Tarot deck and each have different powers and abilities. Evie teams up with sexy Cajun Jack to try and search for answers and they travel across the country looking for the other main players.

Fire and Thorns - Rae Carson

Fire and Thorns is a fabulous fantasy adventure that follows princess Elisa when she is sent far from home to marry a man she has never met. Follow her epic journey across the desert as she fights to find a place for herself in a new country when she doesn't know who her enemies are.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

My last pick is a little bit of a cheat because although The Night Circus travels the world the focus of the story is much more on what is happening inside the circus than outside of it. It is such a beautiful novel that I couldn't resist including it anyway though and I can't recommend it highly enough!

So what books did you include on your list? Did we have any of the same picks? Leave me a link to your post in the comments and I'll stop by and check it out!

Review: The Land of Painted Caves - Jean M. Auel

Europe is in the grip of the Ice Age.  Its harsh but spectacularly beautiful terrain supports many varieties of animal but few people.  They are Cro-Magnons - the first anatomically modern people - and Neanderthals, the other race with whom we shared that cold, ancient land.

Ayla is a Cro-Magnon child who lost her parents in an earthquake and was adopted by a tribe of Neanderthal, the Clan.  The Clan's wary suspicion was gradually transformed into acceptance of this girl, so different from them, under the guidance of its medicine woman Iza and its wise holy man Creb.  But Broud, the Clan's future leader, becomes an implacable enemy, and causes her exile.  Forced into dangerous isolation, she eventually finds her soul mate and fellow Cro-Magnon, Jondalar.

Their epic journey across Europe is complete and Ayla and Jondalar join his people in the region now known as south-west France.

Settling into the rhythm of life in the Ninth Cave, the couple find much pleasure in their baby daughter and in being reunited with friends and family.  Ayla plays a vital role in the area of healing: her knowledge of plants and herbs, gleaned from her days with the Clan, strikes awe in her new tribe.  They are also both impressed by and wary of her uncanny affinity with long-time companions, the mare Whinney and Wolf.

But, torn between her desire to concentrate on her new child and the rigours of her training as a Zelandoni acolyte, Ayla finds her relationship with Jondalar moving into stormy waters.  Can she manage to balance her sense of destiny with her heart?

Earth's Children Series:
The Clan of the Cave Bear
The Valley of Horses
The Mammoth Hunters
The Plains of Passage
The Shelters of Stone
The Land of Painted Caves

Visit Jean M. Auel's Website for more information.

Review:
This is such a hard review for me to write.  I've spent the last 10 years waiting to get my hands on this book and I spent a good chunk of February & March re-reading the first 5 books (that's approx 4,000 pages of the tiniest writing you can imagine!) so you can probably guess how much I wanted to love it.  I am so disappointed to have reached the end of the final book in the series only to be left with so many questions.  There were so many plot lines that I wanted to see tied up, stories of characters I've loved that I needed to have resolved but I guess I'm just going to have to use my imagination.  I know I probably had high expectations but when you invest so much time in a series (I've read all of the books at least 5 times) you can't help but want the best ending possible.

I knew from the last 2 books in the series to expect repetition of Ayla's entire life story and I probably found it worse because I'd only just finished re-reading the books but if things had just been mentioned once I could have forgiven it.  The fact that it was repeated every time they met new people, along with the constant reminders of Ayla's long list of names and ties was enough to drive me insane.  Especially since they met a lot of new people on their journey to look at the painted caves!  Then when it comes to the descriptions of the caves I found the first couple really interesting but by the time you hear about what felt like cave number 50 it starts to wear thin.  There are only so many times you can describe a picture of a horse (or any other animal) before it becomes dull and hard to read.  It felt more like Jean M Auel's travel diary from when she visited the caves herself than part of the story - even Ayla mentioned that she didn't want to see any more caves at one point!  It could have been so much more powerful if less caves had been mentioned. 

The story is in 3 parts and I found the jumps between sections jarring, without any kind of warning you'd start the next chapter and find you'd fast forwarded 4 years (which is probably a good thing really as the book would have been even longer if we'd had to read about those lost years too).  The first time it happened I had to go back a few pages to try and work out what was going on in case I'd missed something, I even wondered if my copy had pages missing.  For the first half of the book I was annoyed that Ayla was being forced into becoming an acolyte when all she wanted was to be Jondalar's mate and have a family.  Then suddenly she completely changes her mind and decides it's what she wants after all (despite the fact that she's spent the last 3 books dead against the idea).  It just didn't ring true to her character but I wish that was the only thing that surprised me about her and Jondalar.  Other parts were so unbelievable that it was almost like reading about entirely new characters that we've never met before.

The highlight of the book for me (alongside the first couple of painted caves that were described) was the appearance of some characters we haven't seen since very early on in the series.  I was so excited when they first made an appearance and couldn't wait to hear about what they'd been up to but unfortunately we didn't get to see as much of them as I hoped for.  Another thing seriously missing was the Clan - we didn't meet a single Clan member in the whole book which really shocked me.  I honestly expected that they would have made contact with some of the local Clans especially as this was something they were discussing in The Shelters of Stone and The Land of Painted Caves ends approximately 7 years later!  Surely at some point in those 7 years Willamar would have gone on one of those trading missions he is so famous for?  I also could have screamed at the fact that every time Ayla opened her mouth someone would comment on her foreign accent.  Even Jondalar's family and people she knew well were reminded of how far she must have travelled every time she spoke, seriously I'm sure the novelty would have worn off, at least for the people she has been living with for years.

Although I didn't hate this installment it is definitely my least favorite book in the series and it could have been so much better.  I'm still very sad to reach the end and have to say goodbye to these characters.  I know I'll re-read the series again in the future, I tend to pick it up every few years when I want an old favorite to fall back on.  What remains to be seen is if I pick this one up again or if I finish my next read through at The Shelters of Stone.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Earth's Children Week Giveaway Winners

With the help of random.org I am very happy to announce that the winners of my Earth's Children Giveaways.

First we have 5 UK winners each winning a paperback copy of The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M Auel:

Raimy Greenland
Booketta
Lisa M831
Kulsuma
Jadey

Second we have the winner of the international giveaway who gets to choose a book of their choice from The Earth's Children Series is comment number 7 on my review of The Mammoth Hunters:

Clover

Congratulations to you all!  I am about to contact you all by email to ask for your addresses so I can arrange for the prizes to be sent out.  If I don't hear from you within 48 hours then new winners will be chosen.  The books from the first giveaway will be sent out directly from Hodder & Stoughton so you will need to give permission for me to forward the books to them.  I will be sending the prize for the second giveaway out via The Book Depository / Amazon but I need to know which book you would like Clover.

Thanks to both Kate at Holler and Hodder & Stoughton for allowing me to host the first giveaway for you.

Jean M Auel in conversation with Professor Chris Stringer - 28th February 2011

Don't forget that all comments on posts with the Earth's Children logo made before Midnight GMT on the 8th April 2011 will get you entered into my international giveaway to win a book of your choice from the Earth's Children Series!  See this post for more information.

I've already posted about the fantastic afternoon event I was lucky enough to attend where we got to give our input on what Ayla (the main character for the Earth's Children series) looks like.  You can read my write up here if you've not already seen it.  Later on that evening the Natural History Museum was hosting a separate event where Jean M Auel and Professor Chris Stringer were going to chat about the Earth's Children series and some of the research that went into creating it.  As big fans of the series my cousin Emma and I jumped at the chance of learning more and I'm very grateful to Hodder for giving me a ticket to the event.

Emma & me

Before the event started we had the opportunity to buy copies of the books for Jean to sign at the end of the event.  I had planned on buying the whole series again but it was just too expensive so I settled for my favorite book The Clan of the Cave Bear and I also pre-ordered The Land of Painted Caves as we were guaranteed the limited edition cover.  Once we had paid for our books it was time to make our way into the auditorium where the event was taking place.  Luckily we were able to get really good seats not far from the front so I took quite a few pictures, unfortunately they didn't come out as well as I'd hoped because we weren't allowed to use the camera flash.

Jean M Auel and Professor Chris Stringer

I took a lot of notes during the talk but I think these videos taken by Hodder at the event actually capture the evening a lot better than I ever could.

Below Jean talks about where she got the idea of writing the series.  I love her idea that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it makes perfect sense that the Neanderthal Clan would find even the most beautiful Cro-Magnon child ugly because she was so different to themselves.



Here Jean talks about some of the practical research she did to learn about tool making, building a fire in the snow and even curing a deer hide with it's brains!



In this final video Chris talks about how science has proved that there was more interbreeding between Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons than previously believed. In fact DNA testing has proved that most humans today have about 2.5% of their DNA that can be traced back to the Neanderthals! Jean also talks about how she got the idea of giving the Clan the memories.



Obviously a lot more was talked about throughout the evening than was mentioned in these videos so here are some of the things I made a note of while they were talking:

• Jean Auel was 25 years old and already had 5 children when she first had the idea to write a story about a girl living in the Ice Age.  This story eventually grew into the epic 6 book Earth's Children series.  She was fascinated with the idea of there being 2 different kinds of humans which is why she picked this era to write her story in and she wanted to write about a young girl who was living with a group of people who were very different to herself.
• Although she wrote the first story at 25 she didn't seriously begin work on the series until she was 40.  She had quit her office job to look for something more enjoyable and then decided to go back to work on her story.
• She knew absolutely nothing about the Ice Age when she started writing so started doing a lot of research.  That is when she discovered that Neanderthals were just as smart as we are but in a different way.  While researching the series she has actually visited every cave that is mentioned in the series apart from one very small cave that only makes a brief appearance.  She is very grateful that she has been able to visit caves that aren't usually open to the general public.
• She got some of her ideas for the religious beliefs of the Cro-Magnons from a number of ancient statues that have been discovered.  The statues were all of well endowed women, not ones who were currently pregnant but ones who obviously had been.  They are statues of mothers and have been found across Europe all the way from France to Russia.  Most statues from the stone age are of women, even pictures of men are rare which left Jean with the question "what do they mean?". 
• Chris talked about the fact that scientific research is constantly moving forward as we make new discoveries.  Scientists used to believe that Neanderthals were inferior but the books have been proved correct in a lot of ways where they were originally thought incorrect at the time of publishing.
• Jean said she tried hard to be as accurate as she could be when writing the series and appreciates that the academic community have been so good to her showing her things that the public don't usually get to see.  She likes to give back to the community as a thank you for their help and has sponsored various scientific conferences with this aim in mind.  The only request she makes is that they let her sit at the back of the room and take notes for use in the books!
• Jean was asked about the number of discoveries Ayla makes in such a short space of time and if these discoveries were really made so close together.  She confirmed that in real life these discoveries were probably much further apart and of course weren't discovered by one person.  In fact she thinks that several people probably made the same discoveries before they became custom.  Ayla had to make a lot of discoveries in order to survive and Jean wanted to show how these things might have been initially discovered in the books.
• She was also asked if she had discovered research to back up her idea that the Neanderthals talked using sign language.  She mentioned that she had done a lot of research into sign language, it is possible that Neanderthals did use it to communicate but it worked for her story so she wanted to use it even though it isn't proven.
• Jean confirmed that even though new discoveries have been made she wouldn't want go back and make changes to the series.  She stated that there are no definitive answers when it comes to history, we are making new discoveries all of the time.  She had to create her own version of the Neanderthals, one that worked for her and her stories.
• When asked about the spirituality in the books Jean said that it is natural for people to want to ask questions, we want to know why people get sick and die but in the Ice Age people didn't have the science that we have today to find the answers.  She looked into Shamanistic ideas and they seemed appropriate for the story but there were also things that she just made up.

Jean M Auel

It was a fascinating evening and I learnt a lot listening to Jean and Chris talk.  After the Q&A session was finished it was time to get our books signed before we headed home.  Emma and I had a fantastic day and I'd like to say thanks to everyone at Hodder (and Kate from Holler) for inviting us to the events.

Review: The Shelters of Stone - Jean M. Auel

Don't forget that all comments on posts with the Earth's Children logo made before Midnight GMT on the 8th April 2011 will get you entered into my international giveaway to win a book of your choice from the Earth's Children Series!  See this post for more information.

Ayla and Jondalar have reached his home at last: the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii, the old stone age settlement in the region known today as south-west France.  Ayla has much to learn from the Zelandonii as well as much to teach them.  Jondalar's family greet him warmly, but they are initially wary of the beautiful young woman he has brought back, with her strange accent and her tame wolf and horses.

She is delighted when she meets Zelandoni, the spiritual leader of her people, a fellow healer with whom she can share her medicinal skills.  After the rigours and dangers that have characterised her extraordinary life.  Ayla yearns for peace and tranquillity: to be Jondalar's mate and to have children.  But her unique spiritual gifts cannot be ignored, and even as she gives birth to their eagerly-awaited child, she is coming to accept that she has a greater role to play in the destiny of the Zelandonii.

Earth's Children Series:
The Clan of the Cave Bear
The Valley of Horses
The Mammoth Hunters
The Plains of Passage
The Shelters of Stone
The Land of Painted Caves

Visit Jean M. Auel's Website for more information.

Review:
At the end of The Plains of Passage Ayla and Jondalar finally make it back to Jondalar's home - the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii - but the story ended before she got to properly meet Jondalar's family.  In The Shelters of Stone Jondalar's family are pleased to have him home but are wary of the strange foreign woman and the animals she has brought with her.  Ayla has been longing to find somewhere to settle down with Jondalar and desperately wants to fit in but can she get the Zelandonii to accept her? 

Although The Shelters of Stone doesn't quite manage to live up to the first 3 books in the series I found it was an improvement on The Plains of Passage.  While it still has some of the same problems as book 4 (the constant repetition from the earlier books being the main one) I found the story more enjoyable because there was more interaction with other people.  My main problem with The Plains of Passage was the parts where Ayla and Jondalar were travelling alone and although the description of the landscape was interesting it did overwhelm the story line, it would have been a much better book if it had been trimmed down a little.  In The Shelters of Stone I enjoyed the description of the Zelandonii way of life and their religious beliefs but did find myself getting tired of the long winded introductions to the many, many characters we are introduced to.

I really enjoyed getting to meet Jondalar's family, we have heard so much about them from Jondalar that I've been looking forward to finding out more about them for a long time.  I did find the number of other characters we are introduced to was overwhelming though, it was hard to keep track of who was who (even though I was reading this book for the 5th time!).  When they spent time with the Mamutoi we got to know quite a lot about each member of the Lion Camp but in this installment we learn little more than the names of most of the people we meet.  It would have been nice if more than a handful of characters had been fleshed out properly this time too.

The plot in The Shelters of Stone is a lot slower than it has been in previous books so don't expect a lot of action in this installment.  The focus is much more on Ayla learning the customs and traditions of the Zelandonii and trying to fit in and make friends which is understandable as they have finally reached their destination.  I would say that it is well worth reading this installment if you are a fan of the series, if only to witness Ayla and Jondalar's mating ceremony and the birth of their first child.  If you are new to the series then I would definitely recommend starting with the first book The Clan of the Cave Bear.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Review: The Plains of Passage - Jean M. Auel

Don't forget that all comments on posts with the Earth's Children logo made before Midnight GMT on the 8th April 2011 will get you entered into my international giveaway to win a book of your choice from the Earth's Children Series!  See this post for more information.

The fourth novel in Jean M. Auel's magnificent epic of life on the glacial continent of the last Ice Age, when two kinds of human beings, Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon, shared the earth.

Ayla the orphan and Jondalar the traveller leave the safety of the land of mammoth hunters by the Black sea and embark on a seemingly impossible journey across the whole of a continent.  Their goal is the Cro-Magnon settlement in what is now southern France from which Jondalar set out years before as a young man.

Accompanied by the half-tame Wolf, the superb stallion Racer and the mare Whinney, they brave both savage enemies and the elemental dangers of weather and terrain in their search for the place that will become Home.

Earth's Children Series:
The Clan of the Cave Bear
The Valley of Horses
The Mammoth Hunters
The Plains of Passage
The Shelters of Stone
The Land of Painted Caves

Visit Jean M. Auel's Website for more information.

Review:
In The Plains of Passage we follow Ayla and Jondalar on their epic journey to the home Jondalar left 5 years ago.  He wants to return to his people and share the discoveries he has made and Ayla just wants to find a home where she can settle down and start a family.  The journey isn't going to be an easy one and they will face various dangers on the way but can they make it across the glacier before spring causes the ice to start melting?

I have to admit that this is my least favorite book in the series, my copy has 975 pages which makes it an incredibly long read and now that I'm on my 5th read through of the series I confess I did skim read through quite a few of the descriptive passages.  Jean Auel is able to write fantastic detailed descriptions of the landscape and its plant and animal life but although there are some new things to be learnt in this installment quite a lot of page time is devoted to things we already found out in earlier books.  The main part I was really interested in (the part of the journey where they are crossing the glacier) was actually over quite quickly but I did find it really interesting reading.  Jean Auel obviously put a lot of thought into how they would get both themselves, and the animals they are travelling with, across safely.

Although the descriptions can be a bit much at times (I now know far more than I ever wanted or needed to about the mating patterns of mammoths for example!) and the numerous love scenes between Ayla and Jondalar have become tiresome what I really enjoyed was their interactions with the groups of people they meet along the way.  They make stops at several of the camps that Jondalar and Thonolan visited on their earlier journey and it was nice to see what has been happening with them since we saw them last, the Sharamudoi in particular.  We also get to meet several new groups of people and I was pleased that in this installment Ayla isn't the only person who invents every new discovery.  She is still a little too perfect, managing to solve problems everywhere she goes, but I can't help really liking her!

I would have enjoyed the book more if it had been trimmed down a bit but I would still recommend this for fans of the series.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Review: The Mammoth Hunters - Jean M. Auel

Don't forget that all comments on posts with the Earth's Children logo made before Midnight GMT on the 8th April 2011 will get you entered into my international giveaway to win a book of your choice from the Earth's Children Series!  See this post for more information.

The third novel in Jean M. Auel's magnificent epic of life on the glacial continent of the last Ice Age, when two kinds of human beings, Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon, shared the earth.

Leaving the valley of horses that has become her home, with Jondalar, the handsome man she has nursed back to health and come to love, Ayla embarks on a journey that will lead her to the Mamutoi: the Mammoth Hunters.

But as she gradually settles into this new life amongst a people at first strange and disturbingly different.  Ayla finds herself irresistibly drawn to the magnetic Ranec, their master-carver.  Ultimately she is compelled to make a fateful choice between the two men.


Earth's Children Series:
The Clan of the Cave Bear
The Valley of Horses
The Mammoth Hunters
The Plains of Passage
The Shelters of Stone
The Land of Painted Caves

Visit Jean M. Auel's Website for more information.

Review:
In the third installment of the Earth's Children series Ayla finally gets to meet more people of her own kind (the Cro-Magnon race she calls the Others).  Spending the winter with Jondalar and the Lion Camp of the Mamutoi Ayla learns about the differences between the Others and the Clan (Neanderthals) she was brought up by.  Although she suffers from prejudice from those who believe the Clan who raised her are nothing but animals she also finally finds acceptance and a sense of belonging.  When the handsome carver Ranec shows an interest in her Jondalar is overcome with jealousy and Ayla is forced to make a very difficult decision.  Should she stay with the people who have made her so welcome and mate with Ranec or should she leave with Jondalar and make the difficult journey to his homeland?

Although it isn't my favorite book in the series I still thoroughly enjoyed The Mammoth Hunters.  I absolutely loved the Mamutoi and finding out about their way of life and also enjoyed watching Ayla interact with a group of people for the first time.  Although not all of the Lion Camp are willing to accept her because of her background some of the camp go out of their way to make her feel welcome and we are introduced to some great characters.  My favorite would have to be Rydag who is a child born of mixed spirits who was adopted by the mate of the camp leader.  Nezzie is such a caring woman and her love for Rydag is heartwarming to see but watching the rest of the group grow to care for him after Ayla teaches them to communicate with him was one of my favorite parts of the book.

Another character I fell in love with was the newest addition to Ayla's animal family.  I'm not going to say more because I don't want to spoil it for you but I defy you not to fall in love with him!  His interactions with the rest of the camp and particularly with the horses made me laugh out loud and were great fun to read about.

I have to confess that the love triangle in this book drives me crazy.  Although Ayla's behaviour is understandable because of her upbringing I could almost strangle Jondalar at times.  He is so jealous of Ranec that he can't see straight and you want to bang his and Ayla's heads together and make them have a simple conversation that would quickly resolve everything.  By the end of the book I'm almost ready to give up on him completely and hoping that Ayla will stay with Ranec and the Mamutoi!  I am happy with the way things turned out in the end though.

A common complaint about this series is that Ayla is a little too perfect and that she and Jondalar seem to invent nearly every advancement made by humans throughout the Ice Age.  I'll admit that this does seem to be the case but I can easily forgive this because it allows us to see in detail how these advances probably did come about.  If you suspend belief that it was all discovered by 2 people I'm sure you'll find it just as interesting as I do.  Another negative comment I've seen several times is the amount of detailed description Jean M Auel goes into but for me this is one of the positives of the series.  She has obviously put in a great deal of research about the era and as it is something I knew practically nothing about before picking up her books I find it fascinating to read about.  Some things do get a little repetitive throughout the series but I don't really find that a problem until we get to the fourth book in the series The Plains of Passage.  Overall this is still an all time favorite series of mine and one I would highly recommend.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Review: The Valley of Horses - Jean M. Auel

Don't forget that all comments on posts with the Earth's Children logo made before Midnight GMT on the 8th April 2011 will get you entered into my international giveaway to win a book of your choice from the Earth's Children Series!  See this post for more information.

The second novel in Jean M. Auel's magnificent epic of life on the glacial continent of the last Ice Age, when two kinds of human beings, Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon, shared the earth.

An unforgettable odyssey into awesome mysteries, a novel that returns to the exotic, primeval world of The Clan of the Cave Bear - and the beautiful Ayla, as she leaves the safety of the Clan who raised her and sets out alone on an epic journey of discovery.  A hostile land of glacial cold, terrifying beasts and intense loneliness awaits her, and her need for human companionship and love remains unfulfilled.

But in the Valley of Horses she finds refuge and contentment.  There, fate brings her a stranger, Jondalar, and Ayla is torn between fear and hope - and carried to an awakening desire that would shape the future of mankind.

Earth's Children Series:
The Clan of the Cave Bear
The Valley of Horses
The Mammoth Hunters
The Plains of Passage
The Shelters of Stone
The Land of Painted Caves

Visit Jean M. Auel's Website for more information.

Review:
In The Valley of Horses we follow Ayla as she sets out on a journey to try and find people of the "Others" (the Cro-Magnon race she was born to).  Although she doesn't want to leave the Clan (the Neanderthals who raised her) she wants to follow her adopted mother Iza's wishes and find a mate of her own.  After a long and difficult journey with no sign of the Others she discovers a valley and a cave and decides to stay there to prepare for the winter.  Alone in the valley Ayla must use all of the skills the Clan taught her in order to survive.  Her loneliness is eased by a foal that she takes in and cares for after killing it's mother but she longs for human companionship. 

While Ayla is making a home for herself Jondalar and his brother Thonolan set off on a journey aiming to reach the end of the great Mother river.  It is through the brothers and the people they meet along the way that we start to learn more about the customs and way of life of the Others.  Eventually a great tragedy will cause their paths to cross and Ayla finally gets to meet one of her own kind.

The Valley of Horses is one of my favorite books in the Earth's Children series although I still think the first book is my favorite.  Considering that Ayla is alone for over half of the book it would have been easy to find her part of the story boring but watching her fight for survival is fascinating.  We find out more about how our ancestors must have survived during the Ice Age and get to see the biggest advantage that Ayla has over the Clan that brought her up.  Unlike the Clan Ayla is very adaptable, she looks for new and easier ways to do things, in fact she has to learn new skills in order to survive on her own.  She has come a long way from the helpless child that Iza found at the beginning of the first book.  It is hard to believe that she is just 14 years old when she sets out on her own but she does still have a childlike naivety to her that can be quite refreshing.

Although it is a bit unbelievable that Ayla makes so many discoveries on her own this is used to illustrate likely ways that humans actually stumbled across these new inventions and it makes for very interesting reading.  Some of my favorite parts of the book are watching Ayla with Whinney (the foal she looks after) and later with Baby (another animal she takes in and cares for).  Her innate sense of caring and her medicinal skills help her to build a strong bond of friendship with the animals and it is only because of them that she survives the lonely three years she spends in her valley.

I also really enjoyed reading about Jondalar and Thonolan's journey and the trials they face along the way.  Through them we are introduced to several other groups of Cro-Magnon people that they meet along the way and get to see how the traditions vary between different tribes.  I loved watching the relationship develop between Ayla and Jondalar when they finally meet.  They have a lot of difficulties at first due to their very different backgrounds but the romantic in me loves watching them together.  I have to give a warning and say there are quite a lot of sexually explicit scenes in the book which is why I would only recommend it to older teens and adults.  If you're not keen on those scenes you can easily skim through them and still enjoy the rest of the story.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Hodder Event: Bringing Ayla to Life - 28th February 2011

Don't forget that all comments on posts with the Earth's Children logo made before Midnight GMT on the 8th April 2011 will get you entered into my international giveaway to win a book of your choice from the Earth's Children Series!  See this post for more information.

When I was first contacted by Kate from Holler about reviewing The Clan of the Cave Bear I think I made my love of the series quite obvious in my reply.  What I never expected was to receive an invite to an exclusive event organised by Hodder and held at the Natural History Museum, I can't tell you how excited it was when I got that email!  It was an exclusive event that 10 fans won tickets to on the Earth's Children facebook page and I feel very privileged that I was able to attend.  Even better I was allowed to bring a guest and the first person I thought of was my cousin Emma who was the one who introduced me to the series so many years ago.  It was a special day and I'm glad we got to enjoy it together.

Emma & me

When we arrived at the Natural History Museum and had been given our guest passes we had a guide to show us to the room where the event was being held (it was a good job too as I don't think we'd ever have found it otherwise).  Along with the fans and Hodder staff we sat around a big conference table and after the introductions it was time to learn a little more about the technology behind the augmented reality cover that we were going to help design.  The idea of the event was for us to decide what Ayla looks like, the artist Judy was going to use our input to create a picture of Ayla and that picture would be used as the basis for the 3D version of Ayla that you will be able to see online if you have one of the limited edition covers. 

The technical team explained more about how the 3D technology works and showed us an example of a 3D car using their laptop.  I wasn't really too sure what to expect but just by holding a normal picture up to their web cam a 3D car appeared on the screen.  What I found most interesting was that by tilting the picture or by moving it around the car on the screen moved too and you could see it from all kinds of different angles, it was quite fascinating to watch and I can't wait to see the finished version of Ayla on screen!

Demonstrating with the 3D car

We were split into smaller groups to have a brainstorming session about what Ayla would look like and I was amazed by the amount of knowledge everyone had about the series.  We all had quite clear ideas about what Ayla looks like and what she should be wearing but luckily each of the groups seemed to come up with very similar suggestions.  As we were discussing our ideas the artist Judy had the difficult task of trying to create a drawing we were all happy with.  I did feel quite sorry for her as we argued over the shape of her chin or the width of her face and any number of other tiny little details but luckily she was very patient and managed to come up with a picture we were all happy with.  The slide show below shows some of the different stages the drawing went through before we got to the finished version:

Having recently re-read the series I think my favorite descriptions of Ayla were found in The Plains of Passage and I think we did a reasonable job helping to create a picture of her.

"Her long, thick, dark blond hair, gleaming with highlights where the sun had lightened it, was held back out of her way with a thong.  But it had a natural wave and loose strands that had escaped the leather binding curled around her tanned face" Pages 83 & 83

"Her large eyes were grey-blue outlined with lashes a shade or two darker than her hair; her eyebrows were somewhat lighter, between the two in colour.  Her face was heart-shaped, rather wide with high cheekbones, a well-defined jaw, and a narrow chin."  Page 85

The finished picture of Ayla

"The sleeveless leather tunic she wore, belted, over leather leggings fitted comfortably ... The laces at the bottom of her leggings were open and she was barefoot.  Around her neck was a small, beautifully embroidered and decorated leather pouch, with crane feathers at the bottom, which showed the bumps of the mysterious objects it held ... Hanging from the belt was a knife sheath ... On the left side was a rather strange, pouchlike object.  It had been made from a whole otter skin, cured with the feet, tail, and head left on.  The throat had been cut and the insides removed through the neck, then a cord was cut and strung through slits and pulled tight to close.  The flattened head became the flap.  It was her medicine bag, the one she had brought with her from the Clan" Pages 83 & 84

Our version of Ayla's outfit, including her otter skin pouch

Judy had just completed the pictures when we were introduced to a very special guest, yes you guessed it Jean M. Auel had come to see the finished version!  I don't think I was the only one who was feeling very nervous when she had her first look at the pictures but she seemed happy with them and said it was a pretty good likeness of Ayla.

Jean M. Auel gets her first look at the finished picture

children!) but that she would love to write Durc's story if she can (I would absolutely love to find out what happens to Durc so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!).  Jean said she writes the books for herself but feels lucky that other people enjoy the series too.  Someone asked her a question about the film that was made of The Clan of the Cave Bear and she confirmed that she hated it, she actually sued the company that made it because she was supposed to have been allowed a say in how it was made.  She did say that she would love to see the series made into films but that it probably isn't something she will let happen, she is going to leave the decision up to her children when she is gone. 

I would like to say a massive thank you to Kate from Holler for inviting me to the event and also to the staff at Hodder for arranging it.  Emma and I both had a fantastic time and meeting Jean Auel was a dream come true for us.

Review: The Clan of the Cave Bear - Jean M. Auel

Don't forget that all comments on posts with the Earth's Children logo made before Midnight GMT on the 8th April 2011 will get you entered into my international giveaway to win a book of your choice from the Earth's Children Series!  See this post for more information.

The first novel in Jean M. Auel's magnificent epic of life on the glacial continent of the last Ice Age, when two kinds of human beings, Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon, shared the earth.

Its heroine is Ayla, a courageous and indomitable young woman whose story begins when she is a five-year-old orphan adopted by the Clan, a group of Neanderthal.

Ayla inspires first surprise, then wariness and finally acceptance by the Clan.  She is cared for by its medicine woman Iza and its wise holy man Creb.  But she makes an implacable enemy of the group's future leader.  Broud does all he can to destroy her, but Ayla is a survivor.

Earth's Children Series:
The Clan of the Cave Bear
The Valley of Horses
The Mammoth Hunters
The Plains of Passage
The Shelters of Stone
The Land of Painted Caves

Visit Jean M. Auel's Website for more information.

Review:
Ayla is just 5 years old when she loses her entire family and everyone she has ever known to a cave in caused by an earthquake.  Completely alone and without the skills she needs to survive she wanders aimlessly until she is injured by a cave lion and she is close to death when members of the Clan of the Cave Bear find her.  Iza is a medicine woman and although the child is one of the "Others" (a Cro-Magnon human) and very different to the Clan (who are Neanderthals) she is unable to walk away from a child who is in pain.  With the permission of the Clan leader Brun she takes the young child with her and helps to heal her wounds.  Ayla now finds herself living amongst a people who are very different to the ones she was born to, first she must learn to communicate but the hardest thing is to adopt their traditions and behave in the manor that is expected of her.  She grows to love those who care for her but she makes an enemy of Broud, the future leader of the Clan, which is sure to cause problems for her in the future.

I have been a huge fan of this series for about 10 years now and despite the fact I've read all of the books at least 5 times I still love The Clan of the Cave Bear as much as I did the very first time I read it.  Set around 35,000 years ago at the time of the last Ice Age this is the first book in an epic series that follows Ayla on her journey from child to adult.  This series is like taking a step back in time and it feels like you have experienced everything that Ayla goes through right alongside her.

Ayla is without a doubt one of my favorite fictional characters, she suffers so much hardship but she never gives in and she always fights to survive.  Her life with the Clan isn't easy, their traditions are very different to those she was brought up with and she finds it hard to understand why she isn't allowed to do the things she wants to do.  She is adopted by Iza who is an incredibly skilled medicine woman and Creb who is the Clan's Mog-Ur (spiritual leader).  Iza and Creb are both fantastic characters, they have taken in a young child despite her differences and do their best to love her and keep her safe.  I can assure you you'll never think of Neanderthals in the same way after getting to know the members of the Clan, each of them are so realistic it feels like you have actually met them.

Jean M. Auel's descriptions of the Clan's way of life and the land in which they live are fascinating and show the amount of research that has gone into the creation of the series.  She manages to impart an incredible amount of information but it is done in such a way that I didn't once feel bored when reading in fact I loved learning about the medicinal uses for plants, the tools they use and how they were made.  Although this series is marketed as young adult I would recommend it for older teens and adults.  The Clan of the Cave Bear does contain a rape scene that some may find difficult to read but this isn't included for dramatic effect, it fits in well with the story and I believe was something that needed to be included.  This series shows all sides of life both good and bad which is one of the things that makes it so interesting to read.  I have no doubt that after reading this story you will be just as hooked as I am and I'm sure you'll end up devouring the rest of the series!

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Earth's Children Week - Introduction & 2 Giveaways

* UPDATE - THESE GIVEAWAYS HAVE NOW ENDED - Winners announced here *

I have been a massive fan of Jean M Auel's Earth's Children series for about 10 years now since my cousin first recommended the first book The Clan of the Cave Bear to me.  I have read the first 5 books in the series about 5 times since then so you can imagine how excited I was when I found out that book 6 The Land of Painted Caves was finally being released today!  To celebrate the release of the final book in the series I'm going to talking about the series all week on my blog.  I've got lots planned including giveaways (details below), reviews of each of the books and write ups for a very exciting event I was incredibly lucky to attend back in February.  I'm hoping to help spread the love for this incredibly popular series.

In case you've not already seen it here is the trailer for The Land of Painted Caves:



And here is a video of Jean M Auel talking about the book and how she felt when she visited the painted caves for the first time:

Giveaway 1 - UK Only

Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton I have 5 copies of the first book in the series to giveaway to UK winners.  The Clan of the Cave Bear is probably still my favorite book in the series, it is one that really captured my heart and I'm very excited to be able to share the story with you.  I'll be posting my review later today but for now here is the cover & description

The first novel in Jean M. Auel's magnificent epic of life on the glacial continent of the last Ice Age, when two kinds of human beings, Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon, shared the earth.

Its heroine is Ayla, a courageous and indominitable young woman whose story begins when she is a five-year-old orphan adopted by the Clan, a group of Neanderthal.

Ayla inspires first surprise, then wariness and finally acceptance by the Clan.  She is cared for by its medicine woman Iza and its wise holy man Creb.  But she makes an implacable enemy of the group's future leader.  Broud does all he can to destroy her, but Ayla is a survivor.

Giveaway details:

• This giveaway is for UK residents only
• 5 winners will each receive a paperback copy of The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel, books will be sent out directly by my contact at Hodder & Stoughton so winners must give permission for me to forward their contact details.
• Winners will be chosen at random from all entries received. 
• Only 1 entry per person please, multiple entries will be deleted.
• To enter please enter your name and email address in the form below (extra entries are available but they are completely optional)
• The giveaway will close on the 8th April 2011 and winners will be announced soon afterwards.  You will have 48 hours to contact me with your address or new winners will be chosen.

Giveaway 2 - International

As a huge fan of this series I wanted to be able to share my love of the books with my international readers too so I am hosting a second giveaway to win a book of your choice from the series.  The winner will get to chose between the following books (links will take you to the Book Depository for more information)

1. The Clan of the Cave Bear
2. The Valley of Horses
3. The Mammoth Hunters
4. The Plains of Passage
5. The Shelters of Stone
6. The Land of Painted Caves

Giveaway Details:

• I will be ordering the winner's choice of book from the Book Depository so the giveaway is open internationally to any country they deliver to. You can check here to make sure that this applies to you. 
• To enter all you have to do is leave a relevant comment on any post with the Earth's Children Week logo.  You can comment on as many of the posts as you like and the winner will be chosen at randome from all comments received between now and the 8th April 2011
• For extra entries post about this topic anywhere (Twitter, Facebook, your Blog - anywhere you like) and leave your link in a separate comment.  You can get an extra entry for each place you post as long as you leave a seperate comment with the link
• You don't have to be a blog follower to enter but of course all followers are appreciated!
• The winner will be chosen at random and announced on my blog soon afterward the closing date - the winner will have 48 hours to contact me with their address and if I don't hear from you within that time a new winner will be chosen