March 2011 Recap

Here is the list of books I read in March: (The links will take you to my reviews)

1. The Clan of the Cave Bear - Jean M Auel (read in Feb, reviewed in Mar)
2. The Valley of Horses - Jean M Auel (read in Feb, reviewed in Mar)
3. Darkfever - Karen Marie Moning (read in Feb, reviewed in Mar)
4. The Kissing Game - Aidan Chambers (read in Feb, reviewed in Mar)
5. Eighth Grade Bites - Heather Brewer
6. Lex Trent Fighting with Fire - Alex Bell
7. The Mammoth Hunters - Jean M Auel
8. The Darkest Room - Johan Theorin (guest review written by my Dad - his first ever review!)
9. The Plains of Passage - Jeam M Auel
10. Department 19 - Will Hill
11. Unseen - Rachel Caine
12. Delirium - Lauren Oliver
13. Grace - Morris Gleitzman (review coming soon)
14. The Shelters of Stone - Jean M Auel
15. Before I Die - Jenny Downham (review coming soon)
16. Between Shades of Gray - Ruta Sepetys (review coming soon)

March Books of the Month:

My top YA read in March:

Department 19 by Will Hill (read my review here)

My top adult read in March:

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning (read my review here)

Event Reports:

I have been so lucky in March and was invited to some incredible events, I'm so glad that I live close enough to London that I was able to attend them all!  I'd like to say a massive thank you to all of the publishers for organising such amazing events.

• Back at the end February I was invited to attend 2 events with the fabulous Jean M Auel, author of the Earth's Children series.  The first event was for fans of the series to help decide what the main character Ayla looks like on the 3D augmented reality cover of the newest book The Land of Painted Caves and you can read my write up here.  Then later that evening there was another event with Jean M Auel and Professor Chris Stringer talking about the research that has gone into creating the series.  My write up for the second event is here.
• In March I was invited to the HarperCollins offices to attend the launch party for Department 19 by Will Hill.  It was a great party for a fantastic debut novel and you can read all about it here.
• The lovely Lynsey from Narratively Speaking invited me as her guest to the Hodder launch party for Delirium by Lauren Oliver.  It was such an amazing evening and great to meet Lauren who is absolutely lovely.  If you'd like to read more by write up is here.
• I was also able to attend the RHCB Teenage Kicks event with the fabulous authors Malorie Blackman, Jenny Downham and Bali Rai.  It was a really interesting event where the authors were interviewed by students and they'd come up with some fantastic questions.  My write up is here.
• The final event I attended was the Puffin Live Panel with authors Ruta Sepetys, Morris Gleitzman and Anna Perera.  I haven't had time to write up my event report yet but watch out for it later on this week.

Author's Animal Antics:

The Author's Animal Antics feature is kind of on hold at the moment, I am planning on bringing it back as a more regular feature at some point in the future but I just don't have as much time to organise it right now.  If you are an author who is interested in taking part though please get in contact (you can find out more about the feature here).  We did still have a wonderful post from the lovely Karen Mahoney this month though, thanks Karen!

• Karen Mahoney dropped by to chat about her cats Felix and Logan

Challenge Updates:

So these are the challenges I've decided to sign up for in 2011 (I may well end up adding others as the year goes on but we'll see what happens)

2011 100+ Reading Challenge - Read 37/100

2011 Horror & Urban Fantasy Challenge - Read 18/24

2011 Support Your Local Library Challenge - Read 5/25

2011 Debut Author Challenge - Read 10/12

2011 British Books Challenge - Read 12/12

2011 New Author Challenge - Read 21/50

NAC Mini Challenge - Steampunk (Feb 2011) - Read 2/5 COMPLETE (This challenge was to read up to 5 steampunk books in February, I knew I wouldn't have time to read 5 so I'm happy with my total of 2)

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.

Earth's Children Week Wrap Up Post

So we've reached the end of my Earth's Children Week and I really hope you've enjoyed reading the posts.  I'm hoping that they will have encouraged some new people to try out the series and I hope you grow to love it as much as I do!

I had planned on reading the 6th book in the series (The Land of Painted Caves) in time to post my review today but unfortunatley it didn't arrive in time.  I'm about halfway through it now though so will get my review posted as soon as I can.

I still have 2 giveaways going on, I decided to keep them open for entries until Friday the 8th of April at Midnight GMT to give you more time to enter.  The UK giveaway to win 1 of 5 copies of The Clan of the Cave Bear can be found here.  All comments on any of the Earth's Children Week posts (find a list of posts below) will be entered into an international giveaway to win a book of your choice from the series.  The more comments you make the higher your chance of winning.  Winners will be announced over the weekend.

• Introduction post with 2 giveaways (1 UK only & 1 international)
• Review of book 1: The Clan of the Cave Bear
• Hodder Event - Bringing Ayla to Life
• Review of book 2: The Valley of Horses
• Review of book 3: The Mammoth Hunters
• Review of book 4: The Plains of Passage
• Review of book 5: The Shelters of Stone
• Event Report - Jean M Auel in conversation with Professor Chris Stringer

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.

News: Secret Government Department Revealed!

A Downing Street spokesman was today forced to admit to the existence of a secret department within the British government. Rumours about Department 19 have been in circulation for many years, but previous governments have consistently denied its existence. Publication of a “tell all” book today by HarperCollins, which exposes the inner workings of the highly classified department, led to the government’s admission. The book, believed to have been written by a former employee of the organisation, under the pseudonym Will Hill, is called simply Department 19.

According to the author, Department 19’s brief is to investigate supernatural occurrences. Staffed in part by former Special Forces operatives, they are equipped with hi tech weaponry including ultraviolet light pistols, pneumatic guns and advanced explosives. The government spokesman would not confirm the particulars of the work that these special operatives are currently engaged in, but there are suggestions that an unexplained explosion off the north east coast last week can be traced back to Department 19.

Asked whether the Department 19 operatives were trained to track and capture or destroy supernatural beings, including vampires, the spokesman said “I could not possibly comment”.

Department 6 is the army.
Department 13 is MI5.
Department 19 is the reason you're alive.

When Jamie Carpenter's mother is kidnapped by strange creatures, he finds himself dragged into Department 19, the government's most secret agency.

Fortunately for Jamie, Department 19 can provide the tools he needs to find his mother, and to kill the vampires who want him dead.  But unfortunately for everyone, something much older is stirring, something even Department 19 can't stand up against...

Department 19 is the fantastic new debut novel by Will Hill and it's out now.  It's a book I'd highly recommend (you can read my review here) so if you haven't already got your copy make sure you go out and get it now!

For more information check out the Department 19 website

Fool for Books Giveaway Hop - NOW CLOSED

* UPDATE - THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED - Winners announced here *

Since today is my birthday (yes, I admit it I'm an April fool which I think happens to be the most appropriate birthday ever lol) I couldn't resist joining in the Fool for books Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and The Bookish Snob.  There are currently over 230 blogs taking part in the giveaway, each giving away a selection of fantastic bookish prizes so make sure you check them all out using the linky list below for more chances to win prizes.

I have signed copies of Before I Fall and Delirium by Lauren Oliver to giveaway.  There will be 2 winners, each winner will receive one of the books and a selection of signed posters and postcards for Delirium.

Signed Posters:

Signed Postcards (they're signed on the back):

To enter all you need to do is follow my blog using Google Friend Connect (found on the left sidebar) and leave a comment on this post. The giveaway closes on the 2nd of April 2011 at Midnight EST (which is 5am on the 3rd of April GMT) and is open internationally. The winners will be announced on my blog by the 5th April and you'll have 48 hours to contact me with your address or a new winner/s will be chosen.

Extra Entries:
I'm keeping this giveaway really simple so the only way to get extra entries is by spreading the word about this giveaway.  Tweet, Blog or post on Facebook (or any other social network you use) about this giveaway and leave a seperate comment on this post (including a link so I can check it) each time you spread the word.

While you're here make sure you check out my 2 giveaways (1 UK only & 1 international) for books from the Earth's Children series too, details can be found here.

Also don't forget to have a look at the other blogs taking part in the giveaway hop for your chance to win even more prizes: