Happy Halloween!
By Cindy Hannikman at Fantasy Book Critic- Review: “Cirque Du Freak” Book One in the Darren Shan Saga
Introduction: My local book store has has a display with all 12 books out ever since the movie trailers have hit the air waves. I was interested to see what all the fuss was about and I figured this was as good of time as any to check out the books.
Analysis: Cirque Du Freak is filled with all those “horrors” that complete a decent YA read. Many readers will fondly remember the “Goosebumps” series by R. L. Stine. This series is a step up from Goosebumps, with a bit more graphic content and older characters.
The thing that I found out very quickly about Cirque Du Freak is that it’s much more then about an illegal freak show.
Read the full review here
Via Torie Atkinson at Tor. com: Steampunk Month Giveaway: Jay Lake’s Mainspring and Escapement
This is our last book giveaway, Tor.commies: another twofer! Tor Books has donated to us twenty copies of Jay Lake’s Mainspring (30% off for steampunk month!), and its sequel, Escapement. These steampunk fantasy novels are the first two of a trilogy—the third, Pinion, is due out next April.
Jay Lake’s first trade novel is an astounding creation. Lake has envisioned a clockwork solar system, where the planets move in a vast system of gears around the lamp of the Sun. It is a universe where the hand of the Creator is visible to anyone who simply looks up into the sky, and sees the track of the heavens, the wheels of the Moon, and the great Equatorial gears of the Earth itself.
Contest ends November 2nd.
More details here
From the UK Telegraph: Benedictine monk publishes ‘Christian reading’ of Harry Potter
Fr Luke, of Quarr Abbey on the Isle of Wight has spent the last 12 months writing Baptising Harry Potter: A Christian Reading of Harry Potter, due to be published internationally next year.
Some Christians have condemned JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books, accusing them of promoting witchcraft and paganism, but Fr Luke said his studies highlighted their strong references to Christian principles.
“I was hooked on the books since reading the first one.
“I do not think there is any intelligent view out there that says these books are evil. They are the sort of objections that come from people who have not read them.”
Read More here
Those steampunk books look amazing! Yet another book to add to my Christmas wishlist…And I’ve never understood why people demonize Harry Potter. Yeah, he’s a wizard, but the basic premise of the books are good vs evil, the importance of love and kindness and supporting your community. Those seem like very Christina values to me.
Have you seen Cirque Du Freak? Do you like reading the book before you see the movie or vise versa? What do you think about banning Harry Potter?
