REVIEW: Beyond the Sky and the Earth: A Journey into Bhutan by JamieZeppa

Summary (Goodreads)
At age 22 Jamie Zeppa, a Canadian who had never been outside of North America, said goodbye to her fiancé and her plans for graduate school and moved to Bhutan, a remote Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas. 

Beyond the Sky and the Earth is an autobiographical work that details her experiences and transformations after spending three years in Bhutan. It is as much a book about Zeppa's day-to-day life in Bhutan as it is about the personal awakenings and realizations that she had while living there. 

Review
I absolutely loved this book; it felt like a story I've been waiting for, and I think anyone else who has considered dropping all their plans for a safe, solid life in favour of the unknown will feel the same. When Jamie Zeppa decides to leave behind her marriage plans and graduate school applications behind to teach English in a remote corner of Bhutan she is not entirely sure of her motivations or whether she has what it takes, but she does know that she is determined to try. At first it all seems like a horrible mistake. She is horrified by her living and working conditions, lives in terror of a plethora of tropical diseases, subsists on a diet of crackers and biscuits and cannot communicate at all with her students, let alone teach them anything. Yet slowly she learns how to cope and eventually thrive, discovering that "anyone can live anywhere. You think you can't in the beginning, but then you do". 

Zeppa's memoir is many things. It is a vivid love letter to Bhutan, and her descriptions of the spectacular landscapes make it easy to fall for the country as well, despite having never laid eyes on it. There are some wonderfully touching moments with the people she meets as well, especially her first class of eight year olds, who bang on her door at all hours asking to be let in, teach her how to cook and "roam" with her in the nearby forest after school. She does not shy away from the harsher aspects of reality though; accepting that whilst Bhutan may be beautiful in many ways it is still no "Shangri-la-di-da". It is also an account of her own personal development and whilst some may view this as overly self-absorbed, it didn't seem that way to me at all. Zeppa's self-reflection is well-balanced and does not take away from the exploration of Bhutan, its people and its culture. In particular I loved following her exploration of Buddhism, especially her struggles to come to grasp with mindfulness and the concept of impermanence. In fact, I think there are some really nice explanations of the basic tenets of Buddhism scattered throughout the book.

My copy of this is riddled with highlights; there were so many lines which resonated with me, especially as I am on the brink of a short teaching stint in Cambodia, and have been agonising over whether or not I have what it takes to live overseas long-term after that. Beyond the Sky and Earth is not a sugar-coated version of that experience. It is honest about the challenges faced by both Zeppa and Bhutan and the ending is bittersweet, supporting a message woven throughout the book, in Buddhist doctrine as well as warnings from friends. Nothing lasts forever. Yet that is not necessarily a bad thing. And even taking the bad with the good, finishing this book has left me even more eager to “throw myself into an experience that's too big for me and learn in a way that costs me something”.

Tune in Tuesday (#1): Book Playlists Edition

Tune-in Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Ginger from GReads. The theme for March is Book Playlists! Ever heard a song that reminds you of a book? Or maybe while you're reading you think, wow I know a song that would be perfect for this scene! If so, share it!

Delirium by Lauren Oliver & Lions in Cages by Wolf Gang

One of my favourite books and one of my favourite songs! When I first heard "Lions in Cages" it instantly made me think of dystopian novels as a whole, but in particular of Delirium. I think the lyrics and the overall tone fit both Alex & Lena's story and the atmosphere of their world in general pretty well. It's not too hard to guess which line always chills me a little.

In the city where I'm from,
There are lovers 'til the dawn.
and you stayed up to see the sun,
I couldn't wait that long. 

Who's gonna get up after we're gone?
Who's gonna get up after we've fallen?
who's going to pick up what we've done wrong?
Who's gonna get up after we're gone?  

In the city, where I'm from
Lions in cages, just for fun
But you will pace around your cage, and wait for night to come
In the city where I'm from
they shoot you down, if you run.

This is Shyness by Leanne Hall & We are Young by fun.

The slightly off-beat, quirky sound and the theme of being young and the idea of feeling limitless for one night really reminded me of This is Shyness.

Tonight, we are young
So I set the world on fire,
We can burn brighter,
Than the sun.

REVIEW: Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver

Summary (Goodreads)
I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare, pushing aside thoughts of Alex, pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead. But the old Lena is dead too. I buried her. I left her beyond a fence, behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite

Review
WOW. Okay, I have to admit I was putting off reading this book. I absolutely love-love-loved Delirium, but I was so scared that Pandemonium would go off in the wrong direction, I didn't dare start it! Now of course I realise how stupid that was, because it was wonderful and had me glued to the page from start to finish.

The chapters in Pandemonium switch between two time frames: "Then", which follows Lena when she first arrives in the Wilds, and "Now", in which she is involved in a Resistance mission. I actually really liked this format as it kept things fresh. I could never stop reading because I was so desperate to keep finding out what was happening in the different sections! Lauren Oliver kept them very well balanced, and I never found myself aching for one and skimming the other, as I sometimes do when two stories are intersected in this way.

I loved Lena in Delirium and I love the new, tougher Lena just as much, if not more. I don't want to give too much away, but I think it's pretty much a given that there's going to be some sort of romantic element going on here. As worried as I was that I wasn't going to like this, I really did. Perhaps not as much as I adored Alex & Lena in Delirium, but still!

Of course there were plenty of new characters to meet and there were quite a few who stood out to me. Raven was deliciously complex and though I hated her at times, I could completely understand whey she behaved the way she did. From the very first scene with Julian I was dying to know more about him and I wasn't disappointed. I felt so sorry for him and admired his bravery throughout. I also liked Tack a lot, I really hope he'll have a decent part in book 3 because he remains a bit of an enigma here.

I'm really struggling to come up with any negatives for this book. I suppose at times the foreshadowing was a little heavy-handed. There was one point when I wanted to scream at Lena because she kept saying that she had a bad feeling about something but she never did anything about it. Also the ending... I just knew it was going to happen and when it did I have to say it felt like a bit of a cheap trick. Also: meanest cliffhanger ever! It does makes me worry a little about the direction Requiem will take. However I'm pretty sure even if my fears were to come true, Lauren Oliver would still pull it off wonderfully.

She is definitely amongst my very favourite writers. She has such a beautiful way with words and I often found myself wanting to stop and flag or copy down a particularily lyrical phrase. Whilst some books get bogged down with pretty words and forget about the plot and characters though, Lauren Oliver keeps both very engaging throughout. There are a lot of tense and action-packed moments in this book and at times I honestly found I was holding my breath and could feel my heart beating faster as I read! Overall it's easy for me to say that I absolutely adored this book, and I cannot wait to read the final instalment in 2013, no matter what happens!

Feature & Follow Friday (#1)

Q. What is the best book you've read in the last month? What is the worst book you've read in the last month?

The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis has got to be the best book I've read this month, and one of the best I've read in ages. It's a heart-wrenching read but I felt deeply for all the characters involved and the writing was absolutely beautiful, especially considering it's been translated from German. On the other hand I just could not get into Fallen by Lauren Kate.  I didn't like the main character, Lucinda, very much and every time she had a scene with Daniel I found myself rolling my eyes... I ended up giving up on it.

Waiting On Wednesday (#1)

“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, which spotlights the upcoming releases we're really looking forward to!

Kat Zhang- What's Left of Me
Release date: September 19th 2012 (Harper)

NEVER LET ME GO meets HIS DARK MATERIALS in a beautiful, haunting YA debut, the first book in The Hybrid Trilogy.

Eva and Addie live in a world where everyone is born with two souls, but where only the dominant one is allowed to survive childhood. Fifteen years old, and closer even than twins, the girls are keeping Eva, the ‘second soul’, a secret. They know that it’s forbidden to be hybrid, but how could they ever be apart?

When a dramatic event reveals what really happens to hybrids if they are discovered, Eva and Addie face a dangerous fight for survival, neither wanting to be the one left behind…

Both Never Let Me Go and His Dark Materials are amongst my very favourite books so it's no surprise I felt a little bit dizzy with excitement when I saw this blurb. The premise sounds so interesting and the cover is beautiful too, I just wish September wasn't so far away!

REVIEW: The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe

Summary (Goodreads)
"It starts with an itch you just can't shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you'll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in. And then you're dead."

When a deadly virus begins to sweep through sixteen-year-old Kaelyn’s community, the government quarantines her island—no one can leave, and no one can come back. Those still healthy must fight for dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival.

As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest. Because how will she go on if there isn't?

Review

Ever since I first learnt about Black Death in primary school (pretty sure I didn't sleep for a week!) I have been both terrified and morbidly fascinated by the idea of deadly pandemics. It's hard to imagine anything more horrible than watching your loved ones being picked off by a silent, invisible killer, never knowing when or whether it would finally sink its claws into you. And worst of all it could strike at any second, as the unsuspecting Kaelyn and the rest of her small island community soon find out.

First of all, I love Kaelyn. When we meet her at the beginning of the book she is quiet and socially awkward. She is far more comfortable in the company of animals than her peers, but doing her best to face her fears and make some more friends. Little does she know that she will soon have bigger challenges to contend with than inviting a classmate to sit next to her, but when the time comes she definitely rises to the occasion. She develops a great deal through the course of the book and was, to me, a very likeable and relateable protagonist.

The story is told through a diary which Kaelyn writes for Leo, an old friend of hers who left to study on the mainland. Events start out quite slow, but I was definitely never bored. There is a gradual build-up of dread as the virus affects its first victim, and then the second, before quickly beginning to snowball out of control. Events are almost entirely constrained to the quarantined island with little insight as to what is going on in the rest of the world, which reflects the claustrophobia and isolation its inhabitants feel.

Naturally there is a love interest for Kaelyn, and whilst it didn't blow me away I did think that their relationship was very sweet and believable. I definitely gave a little internal cheer when they finally kissed! I was even more impressed with the emerging friendship between Kaelyn and Tessa, whom she originally thinks to be aloof and boring.

I would definitely recommend The Way We Fall to any fans of dystopian and apocalyptic fiction. There are many likeable and well-developed characters, and it is interesting to see their relationships are affected by the circumstances they face. I will definitely be reading the sequel, The Lives We Lost, as soon as I can get my hands on it and am looking forward to finding out how things are faring for Leo, Kaelyn's brother Drew, and everyone else outside of the island.

My Top 5 YA Trilogies

Since it's impossible for me to review all the wonderful books I've read over the years AND have some sort of life (even if it mostly revolves around reading new ones), I decided to do a little feature on some of my favourite YA trilogies! The comments are mostly just my impressions, but I've also put a link so you can nip over to Goodreads for a summary if you aren't familiar with the series. Anyway, without further ado, number 5...

5. Garth Nix: Abhorsen
Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen
It's actually been quite a while since I read these books but, like another trilogy that's going to pop up later in this list, they were staples of my childhood. I read them over and over again and those battered old copies on my bookshelf at home show it! I usually tend to favour the first book in a series but in this case it is the second, Lirael, which I always enjoyed the most. I loved reading about her adventures in the library (needless to say the Clayr's library held more than just books!) and I was hopelessly jealous over The Disreputable Dog. The. Disreputable. Dog! Come on, just that name sums up how much you need to read this series!

4. Suzanne Collins: The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay.
I'm willing to bet this one came as no surprise! Like everyone else and their mother I loved The Hunger Games, and am waiting with bated breath for the film to come out (not long to go now!). It's possibly a little bit sadistic but I absolutely love dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction, and The Hunger Games is definitely up there with some of my favourites. From the beginning these books refuse to let up, once you start reading it is just impossible to put them down. I am not a fan of love triangles but I really liked both Peeta and Gale (unusual for me as I'm usually quick to take sides!). It's hard to believe that anyone could have missed The Hunger Games series now, especially with all the film hype, but it definitely live up to the reputation.

3. Diana Wynne Jones: The Castle Series
Howl's Moving Castle, The Castle in the Air, The House of Many Ways.
I absolutely had to get one of my ultimate favourite authors, Diana Wynne Jones into this list! I first came across her after watching the Miyazaki anime adaptation of Howl's Moving Castle and whilst I loved that, the actual book just blew me away. What I love most about DWJ is her deceptively simple prose and convoluted plots, which are always pulled together in the most magical way at the end! And of course like anyone else who has read these books I can't help but adore beautiful, infuriating Howl. Who can say they don't love Howl? Whilst actually quite unrelated to each other in ways, these three books tie together nicely and are all equally brilliant in their own ways, though I have to admit have a soft spot for the one that started it all.

2. Patrick Ness: Chaos Walking
Knife of Never Letting Go, The Ask & The Answer, Monsters of Men.
What can I say about these books? I've been recommending them left, right and centre ever since I started The Knife of Never Letting Go. There's a lot of YA Dystopian novels about these days (as we all know) and as much as I adore a whole lot of them, Chaos Walking easily takes the crown for me. The series gripped me throughout and I loved Todd's unique voice, but I have to say my favourite character by far was his brilliantly simple-minded and heartbreakingly loyal dog, Manchee. I've never met a more realistic "talking" animal in fiction before; he really is the quintessential pup! Characters you can't bear to let go of and a pace that never lets up, I just cannot recommend these books enough!

1. Philip Pullman: His Dark Materials
Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass.
It was a hard choice but it just had to be this at the top of my list. I first read His Dark Materials when I was about 11 but I've read it countless times since. It used to kill me how much I wanted my own daemon- and it still does! What I love about HDM is that despite being a "children's" book it doesn't skirt around difficult issues. There are certain scenes in Northern Lights which chill me more than any horror or thriller, and some in The Amber Spyglass which break my heart more than the most tragic romance. Philip Pullman was my ultimate inspiration when I was a child and I won't be losing my admiration anytime soon! (PS: never talk to me about golden compasses... it's called an alethiometer! ;)