2012 YA Historical Fiction Challenge - Finished

This challenge was hosted by YA Bliss and you could read more about it (and sign in) here. For some books eligible for the challenge, you could check here and here. (And here, here and here. Goodreads lists are so great!)

Books read for this Challenge:

• Bourne, Lisa T. Bergren 
• Beautiful Days, Anna Godbersen
• Grave Mercy, Robin LaFevers
• Tributary, Lisa T. Bergren
• The Other Countess, Eve Edwards
• Changeling, Philippa Gregory
• Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein
• The Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart, Leanna Renee Hieber
• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, John Boyne

I signed up for "Level 2: 10 books". It wasn't as modest a goal as in 2011, but I didn't want to be too ambitious and try to read 15 books (level 3), although last year I had managed to read just that. I was right, because I was one book short of reaching 10 books. I think I lost some motivation throughout the year. I love YA Historicals, and these gave me great joy, but I found myself postponing reading some books I own for this challenge.


The ones left behind (that I own):

• Rebel Angels, Libba Bray (and the following book[s])
• Vixen, Jillian Larkin (and the following book[s])
• Haunting Violet, Alyxandra Harvey
• The Diviners, Libba Bray

The ones I wanted to read (that I don't own):

• Splendor, Anna Godbersen
• The Lucky Ones, Anna Godbersen
• The Queen's Lady, Eve Edwards (and the following book[s])
• The Springsweet, Saundra Mitchell (and the following book[s])
• Rivals in the City, Y.S. Lee
• A Tangle of Magicks/Renegade Magic, Stephanie Burgis (and the following book[s])

The ones in my wishlist:

• The Season, Sarah MacLean
• Deadly, Julie Chibbaro
• Wrapped, Jennifer Bradbury
• What I Saw and How I Lied, Judy Blundell (and her other book[s])
• The Girl is Murder, Kathryn Miller Haines (and the following book[s])
• Lily of the Nile, Stephanie Dray (and the following book[s])
• Dark Mirror, M.J. Putney (and the following book[s])
• Plain Kate/Wood Angel, Erin Bow
• Born Wicked, Jessica Spotswood (and the following book[s])
• Scarlet, A.C. Gaughen (and the following book[s])
• Cross My Heart, Sasha Gould
• Wentworth Hall, Abby Grahame
• Ladies in Waiting, Laura L. Sullivan
• Prophecy of the Sisters, Michelle Zink (and her other book[s])
• Princess of the Midnight Ball, Jessica Day George (and her other book[s])
• Bewitching Season, Marissa Doyle (and the following book[s])
• Wildthorn, Jane Eagland (and her other book[s])
• Nobody's Princess, Esther M. Friesner (and her other book[s])

I don't plan on signing for this challenge next year, but maybe I could make a personal challenge, because I want to keep reading YA Historicals.

Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein

I'm submitting this book to the 2012 YA Historical Fiction Challenge hosted by YA Bliss.

Description

My thoughts: 

I have told the truth.

There is a reason why I tend to stay from any WWII books ou movies. It is not because I dislike that period, because when I read or watch a work of art about it that is beautifully done I am its greatest advocate. It is because anything about WWII has the potential to break my heart with its portrayal of the tragedies and horrors of the war. Code Name Verity is a shining example of this, yet it is so much more.

Code Name Verity is about two young women, their friendship, and their role in the war. Maddie is a pilot. She loves to fly and she strives to be allowed to use her ability towards the war effort. Verity (I'm going to use her codename, since using her other names might be a spoiler in itself) is intelligent, well-read, a polyglot and a chameleon - she can become anyone, anywhere. And yet, by a simple mistake, she is caught by the Gestapo in occupied France.

Verity is tortured, and to avoid further pain, she starts to write her and Maddie's story, of how they became involved in the war, and most of all, of how they became friends. Verity's narration is a bit hard to follow at first, but it is a reward to the keen reader. I was aware, through other reviews, that Verity's narration was, say, somewhat unreliable, and so I was suspicious at everything she said - but at the same time I never guessed what she was hiding until it was revealed. How brave and clever was this girl.

The second part of the book hands over the narration to Maddie, and it is through her report that we are able to figure out Verity's. It is also her report that ripped my chest open, dragged my beating heart out and stomped on it till it was a squishing mass of blood and muscle. I did manage to hold my tears, because I was convinced that since Verity was unreliable, Maddie could be as well, but I was only fooling myself and ended up crying harder as I was reading the end.

Why should you read this, then? Because it is worth it. It feels painfully real, it transcends genres and it makes you think and strive to understand what Verity is telling you. It warrants further readings. It also sticks with you long after you've read it. That is the sign of a great book in my book. (Also, the way it makes me write a review I'm proud of.)

We make a sensational team.

Changeling, Philippa Gregory

I'm submitting this book to the 2012 YA Historical Fiction Challenge hosted by YA Bliss.

Description

My thoughts: Expectations are so hard to live up to. For starters, this book was wrongly marketed. The title, the description, even the excerpt printed in the back give off paranormal vibes, which couldn't be further from the truth. And on another note, Philippa Gregory is praised for her historical novels - her historical research and care with the details shows in the book, but there were fundamental weaknesses in the story.

I felt the story was dumbed down because it was for teens, which is so... not right. The story is too short to be read as true novel (it felt more like a novella), and the plot is simplistic. For example, Luca is an inquisitor, charged with the task of discovering the truth behind seemly unnatural events, and he faces two different mysteries throughout the story - but they were just too easy to guess.

Besides, I found it hard to connect with the characters. Many of them are just not well developed yet. I liked the quirks about Freize and Ishraq's personalities, and I liked that the thing between Luca and Isolde is slow-burning, instead of those annoying insta-loves - it feels true to the time the story is set in -, but I wanted to like all of them more than I actually did.

I enjoyed the historical setting - it shows why the author is considered the queen of historical romance - and the premise is pretty interesting, along with the promise of things yet to come, but this book just fell a bit short on what I expected it to be. I am willing to give the second book a try, but I hope it is better developed than this one.

Pages: 272

Publisher: Simon and Schuster UK

The Other Countess, Eve Edwards

I'm submitting this book to the 2012 YA Historical Fiction Challenge hosted by YA Bliss.

Description

My thoughts: What a cute, wonderful book. Eve Edwards's writing is pretty good and she has a way of perfectly weaving the historical setting. The Other Countess is set in Elizabethan times and it shows. I loved to read about Elizabeth I's court, how it was all a game of appearances and intrigue, of looking innocent but doing the nasty behind scenes. This is described in a natural and candid way, and I felt I was truly there. The "country at war with itself" angle is slightly explored, with the religious conflicts that existed in 16th century England. And it broke my heart a little to read about how girls and women had their role so cut out for them, and how they were restrained of choices sometimes. And how they still made the best of it.

Which brings me to Ellie, who is a scholarly girl and feisty and speaks her mind. That, combined with her alchemist father who brings noblemen to spend all their money on fruitless pursuits, doesn't make her very popular or desirable. It saddened me to see what she had to endure with her father, of being sometimes very close to misery because of her father's obsession with alchemy. But it was awesome to watch her keep her cool and be brave.

As for Will, I was mad at him in the beginning because of his misconceptions about Ellie, but it was lovely to watch him and Ellie falling for each other. I rooting for them to overcome their obstacle, but I wish it wasn't so easy to overcome... or else, we don't actually see them overcoming it - I assume it happens sometime after their happy ending.

Eve Edwards is very good at creating secondary characters fully-fleshed that stay from the cliché. I loved to read about Jane and Jamie, who are the main characters of the next book in the series (I'm already rooting for them); and also about Will and Jamie's family, the Laceys, or Robert Cecil.

A pretty good and well-developed historical, with good characters, great description of setting and an interesting story.

Pages: 352

Publisher: Razorbill (Penguin)

Tributary, Lisa T. Bergren

I'm submitting this book to the 2012 YA Historical Fiction Challenge hosted by YA Bliss.

Description

My thoughts: It has been a year since Bourne, and Siena and Firenze are stalled in an uneasy truce. Castello Forelli is flourishing and rebuilding, but the Fiorentini will stop at nothing to reignite the hostilities, even if they have to destroy innocents to accomplish their goal.

I think it's pretty meaningful of how much I enjoy this series, that I am still buying the novella e-books even if I much prefer reading print books. I love spending a little more time with these beloved characters.

This time around, Gabi and Marcello take a bit of a step back, building their happy married life, while Lia, Luca and a new character, Alessandra, take over the narrator's place. It's nice to see things through Lia's eyes, and I liked to read about what she was going through this time around. Besides, she and Luca are terribly cute together, and I enjoy their scenes together.

I liked the new character, Alessandra, because she has some promise, but I wish she hadn't run away and get caught by the Fiorentini. At least she realized their true nature (of some of them, actually), but I'd like that some of that Betarrini's feistiness rubs on her. I'm not sure she and Rodolfo are worthy of each other yet, but I fancy the ideia that they have something in common.

Speaking of Rodolfo (I'm sorry, Lord Rodolfo Greco), I figured out that he reminds me of Faolan, from Juliet Marillier's Bridei's Chronicles. I mean, one is Irish and the other Italian, but they fit that "tall, dark and handsome" bill, and also, they both end up loyal to the side of war they weren't born into, and (I can't believe I almost forgot that) they both fall for girls they shouldn't have. AT ALL. Alessandra went through a bit of what Eile endured her whole life, so I hope Eile's awesomeness rubs on her.

I'm sorry, I got carried away. Anything that gets me talking about my favourite author and some of my favourite books ever is pretty damn good on its own right. So... I wonder what comes next for Castello Forelli.

Pages: I'm not sure, the .pdf version has 114 pages, but this would be longer in print format, I think.

Publisher: self-published

Grave Mercy, Robin LaFevers

I'm reading this book for the 2012 YA Historical Fiction Challenge, hosted by YA Bliss.

Description

My thoughts: Wow, what a shining star this was, on a particularly busy and tiresome week. Despite that, I found myself stealing time to keep reading Grave Mercy, and after I had finished it, I couldn't quite start another book before writing my opinion, because I really didn't want to taint my thoughts with another story.

First things first, how awesome is this book's premise? A girl assassin, trained by nuns, ready to do her god's bidding? Thankfully it lived up to my expectations, and I found myself very satisfied with it, Maybe it has sometihng to do with the fact that Ismae and her world reminded me a bit of a YA version of Phèdre and the Kushiel series. Both are set on an alternate version of Europe, both have the girls being groomed to serve her god, and both end up tangled up in politics and intrigue.

Ismae was a great character. She was fierce and brave, and ready to kill at order. She hides a ton of weapons on her person, and she knows how to pretend and deceive to kill her target. She would walk on a window ledge to eavesdrop on someone, and she would sneak out anytime she wasn't supposed to. Her sense of humor towards killing (and sometimes towards men) was so funny. She was naturally suspicious of anyone outside the convent, but as things progressed, she started to question them, and whether she was following her god's will.

I just was a bit disappointed with her that she had missed so many of her "Womanly Arts" classes, because given her line of work they would be absolutely necessary (and would make for some hilarious scenes with Duval as well, methinks). But I understand, given her past, her contempt of it. Besides, it ended up being funny to watch her being completely clueless with Duval Gavriel (I love his first name, and I wish that Ismae used it more). I think they make a great couple, all so obssessed with honor and following orders and spying and killing people. I wonder how their babies would turn out. They were so cute, running around trying to save their country and avoiding each other and their feelings.

The way the convent worked, and their link to the god saint of Death was interesting, and I liked to watch several aspects of the god himself. The intrigue at court was absolutely captivating, and I was rooting for Brittany to remain free of France's rule, and Anne to become her country's ruler and get her happy ending. She was so young but so smart and managed to deal with people much older than her, that would manipulate her if they could. The mystery of the traitor behind the scenes was pretty easy to guess, but the ending compensated that. I was freaking out that so many things were happening to people I liked, and not enough things happening to people I disliked. But it was the feeling of everything being at stake that made me like it so much.

I am already pining for the next book by this author. There is a small description at the end of this one, and it makes me excited to be able to read Sybella's story. I am wondering about this mysterious "wounded knight" she has to rescue, and rooting that it is who I think it is. And I am rooting that the third book is Annith's, as she so deserves her story.

Pages: 560

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Beautiful Days, Anna Godbersen

I'm submitting this book to the 2012 YA Historical Fiction Challenge hosted by YA Bliss.

Description

Review: Once again, Anna Godbersen tells us a tale of frivolous and rich girls in the Roaring Twenties. Yet, I don't enjoy this series as I did The Luxe series. In those books, girls were idle and did nothing but go to parties and stab each other in their backs, but at the same time some serious situations happen to them. In here, girls go to parties and drink and dance, but nothing really important ever happens to them, at least for 90% of the book.

I don't know, I guess this way of life just bugs me - I don't really relate to it. The girls fluctuate between a state of "hot and cold", with no consequences, with no life lessons, without growing up. Astrid (the character I most despise) is the poster girl for this - she gets mad at some perceived offence, then delighted at some random small happiness about ten seconds later. She does this especially with Charlie, but the poor guy never realizes that this happens. Such a ground for a solid relationship, huh? Since Astrid has nothing going on for her but Charlie, story-wise, her chapters are the most annoying for me.

Letty is a little weak-characterized for me as well, though at the same time I somewhat like her character for being such a naïve, pathetic character. In Beautiful Days, she indulges in the Cordelia and Astrid's rich lifestyle without even fighting for her dream, as she tried in the first book. When something big happens in the end, it is lessened for her lack of trying - it seems all is handed out to her without even trying.

Cordelia ends up as my favorite character. She is almost the prototype of "self-made man", except she's a girl woman. She at first enjoys the good life, but then realizes she must achieve something, and work hard for it. I love the storyline about "The Vault", and I wish we could have seen more of the setting up of the club. I am really curious about Max Darby, and I'm rooting for him and Cordelia.

It sounds like I hated it, but it's not like that - it just wasn't that great, and I missed the Gossip Girlness that The Luxe had. But the setting is quite interesting - the city and the country, the fashion and the riches, the clubs and the all-nighters - which is ironic, given I dislike this era's hedonism, at least how it is portrayed in this book. I'm still hopeful that the third book will be much better, maybe even end with a bang - specially when one keeps in mind what was mentioned in the prologue in the first book (one of the girls would be famous, one would be married, one would be dead... I certainly have my predictions and hopes) - sounds exciting!

Pages: 368

Publisher: Harper (HarperCollins)

Bourne, Lisa T. Bergren

I'm submitting this book to the 2012 YA Historical Fiction Challenge hosted by YA Bliss.

Description

Review: Even with a shorter story (this is a novella), Lisa T. Bergren still manages to capture me into her story and exist in medieval times with her characters. Bourne was enticing and completely satisfying, yet I was left begging for more!

I loved to get to see Gabi and Marcello together in a new period of their lives, and that it didn't change Gabi's "She-wolfness". I enjoyed to read some parts in Lia's POV. The two sisters are quite different, and it shows. Gabi is so brave and ready to act, while Lia asks questions first, and thinks a lot more before doing anything. But when she does, yay! Things between her and Luca finally move forward, and aren't they so adorable...

More is revealed about the mysterious brotherhood, and things take a turn for the worse for them... I wonder how things are going to work out. As for the elusive Rodolfo Grego, I really felt bad for him this time, because he's hurting (hopefully all will be better soon), and everyone is ready to think the worse of him. (Especially Luca, who was being a bit of a drama queen about it...) Speaking of Luca, I'm really curious about his sister.

Oh, why do I have to wait for more of these books/novellas? It's pure torture!

Pages: I have no idea, the .pdf version has 88 pages, but in book format this would be longer, I think.

Publisher: self-published

2011 YA Historical Fiction Challenge - Finished

This challenge was hosted by YA Bliss. The sign up was here and you could read more about the challenge here. There were a couple of lists of books eligible for the challenge, here and here.

Books I Read for This Challenge:

• A Great and Terrible Beauty, Libba Bray (27-Jan-2011)
• The Vespertine, Saundra Mitchell (13-Apr-2011)
• Waterfall, Lisa T. Bergren (21-May-2011)
• Bright Young Things, Anna Godbersen (18-Aug-2011)
• A Spy in the House, Y.S. Lee (23-Aug-2011)
• Cascade, Lisa T. Bergren (13-Sep-2011)
• The Body at the Tower, Y.S. Lee (22-Sep-2011)
• The Traitor and the Tunnel, Y.S. Lee (15-Oct-2011)
• Torrent, Lisa T. Bergren (24-Oct-2011) 
• Annexed, Sharon Dogar (27-Nov-2011)
• The Book Thief, Markus Zusak (05-Dec-2011) 
• Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys (06-Dec-2011)
• A Most Improper Magick, Stephanie Burgis (11-Dec-2011)
• Darker Still, Leanna Renee Hieber (19-Dec-2011)
• Envy, Anna Godbersen (27-Dec-2011)
  

These books were in my starting list, but I wasn't able to read them this year:

• Splendor, Anna Godbersen
• Beautiful Days, Anna Godbersen
• Rebel Angels, Libba Bray
• The Sweet Far Thing, Libba Bray
• Vixen, Jillian Larkin
• Ingenue, Jillian Larkin
• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, John Boyne 
  
• The Season, Sarah MacLean 
• Deadly, Julie Chibbaro

I signed up for "Level 1: 5 YA HF books in 2011", and upgraded to Level 2 (10 books) later in August, when I added a few books to the list, but I ended up reading 15 books (Level 3), so I would say I passed this challenge with flying colours. And I ended up discovering a love of YA Historicals, so I would say this challenge was quite successful - that's why I want to repeat it next year.

Paixões Secretas (Envy), Anna Godbersen

I'm submitting this book to the YA Historical Fiction Challenge hosted by YA Bliss.

Sinopse

Opinião: Ok, nunca poderia deixar aqui a minha opinião sem mencionar isto, mas pergunto-me que diabo terá passado pela cabeça dos editores da Presença para publicarem o primeiro e o segundo livro da série com dois meses de intervalo, mas terem feito os leitores esperar DOIS... LONGOS... ANOS... para poderem ler o terceiro. Honestamente, é assim que se perde leitores. Pessoalmente, estava pronta a rifar os dois primeiros livros e comprar a série toda em inglês quando finalmente decidiram publicar este no Verão.

Ah, e outra coisa, dois anos para obter este *magnífico* [sarcasmo] trabalho de tradução e revisão? Quanto à última, fartei-me de ver trocas de número e género, para não falar de se trocar algumas vezes os nomes aos personagens. Quanto à tradução, eu cheguei a perguntar-me se não terão metido o livro no Google Translator, e pronto, tradução feita. Porque não se traduz "white lies" por "mentiras brancas", mas sim "piedosas". Porque não se traduz "The friends I have left" por "Os amigos que deixei", mas sim por "Os amigos que ainda me restam" (leiam o contexto, minha gente, o contexto!).

E porque é que, por amor de tudo o que é sagrado, ainda ninguém percebeu que os americanos dizem "first floor" para se referirem ao "rés-do-chão", e "second floor" para "primeiro andar"? Já não é a primeira vez que me queixo disso aqui no blog. Enfim, há mais razões de queixa, eu ia marcando com post-its as páginas com asneiradas, mas a certa altura perdi a paciência e limitei-me a ler, erros e tudo. Depois admirem-se que as pessoas comecem a ler cada vez mais em inglês.

Ok, fim da rant. Simplesmente achei muito frustrante ler o livro em certas partes. Quanto à história, teria sido melhor ler o livro mais perto dos outros, ou tê-los relido antes deste, mas a autora faz um bom trabalho a reenvolver o leitor na história. Que, já agora, é um total guilty pleasure, uma Gossip Girl da viragem do séc. XIX para o XX, em que é tão divertido ler sobre meninas da alta sociedade que se metem em sarilhos e escândalos a cada virar da esquina.

Primeiro temos a Elizabeth. Achei-a muito apagada, com o desgosto pelo que aconteceu no fim do Rumores (Rumors). Estava a torcer pelo Teddy, que tem uma paixoneta por ela desde sempre, mas parece que (ainda) não é desta.

A Diana... pobre rapariga, não sei porque é que ela atura o Henry. O rapaz é tão indeciso, mesmo bordejando no cobarde, que não consigo ver o que ela vê nele. No primeiro livro não tinha percebido porque é que eles se envolveram, no segundo adorei a ideia do amor proibido deles, mas neste livro comecei a enjoar dos dois. A Diana, no entanto, cresceu e conseguiu tornar-se a minha personagem feminina favorita.

A Penelope... ugh, que miúda mais mimada, parva, (inserir insulto)! Não a suporto, como é uma menina rica que tem tudo, convence-se que tudo está ao seu alcance, e os constantes momentos de ócio permitem-lhe perder-se em cogitações e paranóias que a deixem sempre no topo. É a personagem mais sem substância, e a que aposto que vai acabar a série sem evoluir nadinha.

A Carolina... eh, acho que se ela não existisse os livros continuavam a ser o mesmo. A história dela de ascensão social é divertida de ler, mas tão... morna... e com tão pouca influência na história das outras raparigas que eu me pergunto o que é que ela ainda anda ali a fazer.

Uma coisa de que me dei conta é que a autora é óptima a criar personagens femininas que não nos deixem indiferentes, mas ainda tem que trabalhar as personagens masculinas, que não se destacam muito. No entanto, adoro que não tenha receio de matar alguns personagens e fazer coisas terríveis aos outros, porque torna a história muito mais realista.

Espero que o último livro feche satisfatoriamente o destino destes personagens, que seja um livro delicioso e, sobretudo, que não leve dois anos a ser publicado.

Título original: Envy (2009)

Páginas: 280

Editora: Presença

Tradução: Maria do Carmo Figueira

Balanço dos Desafios (Challenges) 2011

Pois bem, há cerca de um ano eu andava a começar a descobrir blogues internacionais, e dada a época, encontrei uns quantos posts sobre os desafios em que as pessoas tencionavam entrar. Adorei a ideia e decidi entrar em três: o 2011 YA/MG Debut Author Challenge, o 2011 YA Historical Fiction Challenge e o 2011 Fantasy Reading Challenge. Decidi fazer um balanço da minha experiência e dos prós e contras de todos.

Diverti-me bastante com o primeiro, o 2011 YA/MG Debut Author Challenge. Consistia na leitura de pelo menos 12 livros que fossem o primeiro livro YA/MG publicado do autor, e descobri imensos novos autores e séries que sei que vou seguir para o ano - alguns foram mesmo os meus favoritos do ano.

Acabei por ler a maior parte dos livros do desafio na segunda parte do ano devido a dois factores - negligência na primeira parte do ano, e porque só quando começaram a aparecer bastantes opiniões sobre os livros é que pude ver se me interessavam ou não. No entanto cumpri o desafio, lendo o dobro dos livros requeridos.

Pude escolher títulos de vários países (EUA, RU), desde que os livros em questão não tivessem saído aqui em Portugal, e isso foi muito bom, pois pude ler livros que me despertavam curiosidade e não estavam necessariamente na lista dos debutantes nos EUA.

O suporte por parte da organização foi bastante bom, com bastante listas que pudéssemos consultar; mas fiquei desapontada com os concursos mensais. Os prémios eram bons, mas a dona do blogue organizador tem por política não divulgar os vencedores dos concursos no blogue, e isso fez-me impressão. Não que ache que as pessoas estão a ter comportamentos fraudulentos, mas não consigo compreender esta opção, quando no ano anterior esse tipo de anúncio era feito.

Não vou participar no próximo ano por duas razões. A primeira tem duas partes - porque graças ao desafio deste ano fiquei com demasiadas séries que quero seguir e porque se seguir debutantes no próximo ano prefiro fazê-lo nos meus próprios termos, sem a pressão do desafio.

A segunda razão: porque este ano as regras mudaram. Uma das exigências é que se tenha um blogue em inglês, ou que se publique as opiniões em inglês no Goodreads. Nenhuma é impeditiva de que participe, podia perfeitamente criar um blogue ou publicar no GR, mas também não achei muita piada a esta exigência. (Já estava à espera dela, pois parece que alguns bloggers franceses e brasileiros se queixaram que não conseguiam obter livros debutantes. Não sei se estavam à espera do milagre de conseguir ARCs dos editores americanos, mas já ouviram falar do Book Depository? Envia para ambos os países.)

O segundo, o 2011 YA Historical Fiction Challenge, foi o mais divertido e o mais bem sucedido. Descobri imensos bons livros e uma paixão pelo género. É por isso que vou continuar a participar no desafio em 2012.

Também cumpri e ultrapassei o nível de leituras a que me tinha proposto (nível 1 - 5 livros), triplicando esse número e atingindo o nível 3 (15 livros). Também aqui acordei mais para o desafio no segundo semestre de 2011, pelas mesmas razões que no desafio anterior.

A organização também foi bastante boa, a organizadora disponibilizou listas de livros que podiam entrar no desafio e tinha um post mensal com um concurso e para reunir os posts dos participantes. Tenho pena que esses posts não tenham sido feitos nos últimos meses, não por causa dos concursos, mas porque dava jeito poder ir cuscar os posts de outras pessoas para descobrir novos livros.

O terceiro desafio, 2011 Fantasy Reading Challenge, foi o pior. A pessoa que o organizava deitou o blogue abaixo numas reviravoltas meio estranhas e criou um novo, logo os posts originais do desafio desapareceram, e eu deixei de seguir o blogue, e por essas razões estive pouco me importando com o desafio até há três horas, quando estive a "descobrir" livros entre as minhas leituras que coubessem nas categorias que faltavam. Foi o desafio que teve menos impacte nas minhas leituras e honestamente não me importo de o ver pelas costas.

Balanço dos desafios de 2011: dois foram bem sucedidos, um não. Dos que foram completados, vou continuar com um. (Embora o mais provável é que crie pequenos desafios/objectivos para mim para o próximo ano.)

YA Bliss's 2012 YA Historical Fiction Challenge

This is probably the only challenge I'm entering this year... I've had so much fun in 2011 discovering the wonders of YA Historicals, and I'm addicted to them, so I'm definitely entering this challenge again. No more challenges for me, though, I've got too many books to read on my TBR pile.

This challenge is hosted by YA Bliss and you can read more about it (and sign in) here. For some places where you can check books eligible for the challenge, check here and here. (And here, here and here. Goodreads lists are so great!)

I'm signing for "Level 2: 10 books". It's not as modest a goal as last year, but I'm not ready to try to read 15 books (level 3), although this year I've managed to read just that (and my list is way bigger than that). As for the books I'll be reading, this is the working list of books I'd like to read:

• Splendor, Anna Godbersen
• Beautiful Days, Anna Godbersen
• The Lucky Ones, Anna Godbersen
• Rebel Angels, Libba Bray 
• The Sweet Far Thing, Libba Bray
• Vixen, Jillian Larkin
• Ingenue, Jillian Larkin
• Diva, Jillian Larkin
• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, John Boyne
• The Season, Sarah MacLean
• Deadly, Julie Chibbaro
• The Other Countess, Eve Edwards
• The Queen's Lady, Eve Edwards
• The Rogue's Princess, Eve Edwards
• The Springsweet, Saundra Mitchell
• Tributary, Lisa T. Bergren (please, let this be published in paperback; also, I think I'll read anything of Lisa's that's somewhat YA historical)
• Rivals in the City, Y.S. Lee
• A Tangle of Magicks/Renegade Magic, Stephanie Burgis
• Untitled Magic Most Foul #2, Leanna Renee Hieber
• Wrapped, Jennifer Bradbury
• What I Saw an How I Lied, Judy Blundell
• The Girl is Murder, Kathryn Miller Haines
• The Girl is Trouble, Kathryn Miller Haines
• Lily of the Nile, Stephanie Dray
• Song of the Nile, Stephanie Dray
• Dark Mirror, M.J. Putney
• Dark Passage, M.J. Putney
• Dark Destiny, M.J. Putney
• Plain Kate/Wood Angel, Erin Bow
• Haunting Violet, Alyxandra Harvey
• Born Wicked, Jessica Spotswood
• Scarlet, A.C. Gaughen
• Grave Mercy, R.L. LaFevers
• Cross My Heart, Sasha Gould
• Wentworth Hall, Abby Grahame
• Ladies in Waiting, Laura L. Sullivan
• I'd like to check out Michelle Zink, Marissa Doyle, Esther M. Friesner, Jane Eagland and Jessica Day George as well.

And this list only contains sequels to books I've read in 2011, books I discovered/wanted to read in 2011, and books that will be released in 2012 and sound exciting. I wonder how many great YA historicals are out there waiting for me.

Darker Still, Leanna Renee Hieber

I'm submitting this book to the 2011 Debut Author Challenge, hosted by The Story Siren. I'm also submitting this to the YA Historical Fiction Challenge hosted by YA Bliss.

Description

Review: I didn't expect to like this as much as I did, and I didn't expect to turn the pages voraciously to find out what was going to happen. The author has a very engaging narrative style, and the diary form in which the book is written helps the reader connect with Natalie, the main character.

I adored Natalie. She is smart, and witty, and mischievious, and despite being mute in a time where she would be considered dumb, she doesn't let it define her and writes furiously in her diary as a way to express herself. She finds herself involved in a strange case, a mixture of The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

It all starts when a painting of Lord Denbury, a British young man who was recently reported dead, arrives at New York to be sold. Natalie finds herself strangely drawn to it, and soon finds herself through the looking glass painting to meet Lord Jonathon Denbury.

I really liked the story behind the painting and how Lord Denbury ended up trapped in the painting. I found it somewhat original and familiar at the same time. This book made me think of The Vespertine, because of its US historical setting and of its somewhat open ending.

As for the other characters, I found Mrs. Northe quite interesting, Maggie annoying, Natalie's father absent and I wish we could have met Lord Denbury a bit more. His and Natalie's story is told through her diary, and it doesn't give him a chance to show his personality better.

The last few entries were quite exciting, although they didn't turn out how I expected. The ending gives us closure, but it is open enough for the author to write more about these characters. Or about other characters. I think the author has another book planned, so it could be interesting to read more about some of the secondary characters (but please, not Maggie, I hated her).

Pages: 336

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

A Most Improper Magick/Kat, Incorrigible, Stephanie Burgis

I'm submitting this book to the 2011 Debut Author Challenge, hosted by The Story Siren. I'm also submitting this to the YA Historical Fiction Challenge hosted by YA Bliss.

Description

Review: In this book, Stephanie Burgis creates a charming little story about a 12-year-old girl, Kat Stephenson, who is not your typical Regency young lady. She is the heir to her mother's magical abilities, which may be frowned upon in Regency England - it is not proper for a lady to dwell in magical dealings. But between her overbearing Stepmama, her gambler brother, and her sisters' love troubles, she may not have any other choice than to rise to the occasion.

I enjoyed a lot this story, although this is a upper-MG/lower-YA book. Kat has a mature voice and her adventures are so amusing. She was a bit stubborn, but quite smart, and she was very determined.

I really liked Kat's sisters, Angeline and Elissa, and the dynamics between them, as all the bantering and arguing and the protecting each other felt very sibling-like. It was really cute how Kat managed to get both her sisters a fiancé in the end. It was funny how Angeline paid no attention to Frederick Carlyle until his spell was lifted.

The story felt a bit like an introduction to the following books, as the main conflict was solved easily and there was a lot of worldbuilding, but I enjoyed myself reading about Kat and how much trouble so got in. The idea of a Regency England with magic sounds enticing and I'll definitely keep reading Kat's unladylike adventures.

Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys

I'm submitting this book to the 2011 Debut Author Challenge, hosted by The Story Siren. I'm also submitting this to the YA Historical Fiction Challenge hosted by YA Bliss.

Description

Review: What should I say about this book? Sometimes it seems that throughout the WWII there was some sort of competition to find out who could come up with the nastiest ways of hurting other human beings. For the Nazi side there seems to be many books and other documents that describe the atrocities of war, but that doesn't happen for the Soviet side. So, Between Shades of Gray was new to me, in the way that I had never read anything about the labor camps in Siberia.

Lina is a fifteen year-old Lithuanian girl that is taken away from her house and her country with her mother and brother. After a perilous journey by train, she is imprisioned in a labor camp, where she has to deal with hunger and cold, with worries for her family and the boy she cares for.

Reading about Lina's story, albeit fictional, was haunting and touching. To know that so many people went through this was so sad. I often wondered "what's the point of this?"; why send so many people to God-knows-where to do God-knows-what, in complete and utter isolation and just let them die? It seems such a waste.

The ending was left quite open, but the epilogue gives us some clues to Lina's life after the camps, and to when she was released. I loved this book and would completely recommend it.

Pages: 352

Publisher: Puffin Books

A Rapariga que Roubava Livros, Markus Zusak

I'm submitting this book to the YA Historical Fiction Challenge hosted by YA Bliss.

Sinopse

Leitura conjunta com a jen7waters do Cuidado com o Dálmata (opinião aqui) e a quigui do Spoilers and Nuts (opinião aqui).

Opinião: Este livro é enganadoramente simples. O estilo de narração é belo e desconexo, usado para descrever o dia-a-dia dos vizinhos de uma pequena rua, como para relatar os horrores da guerra. O uso da Morte como narradora permite ao leitor distanciar-se de momentos horríveis, ao mesmo tempo que a sua honestidade dá conta dos mesmos.

Este livro fez-me reflectir no poder das palavras, em como podem decidir a vida ou a morte de muitos, em como podem manter um povo refém de si mesmo e em como podem ligar pessoas tão diferentes. Gostei muito da Liesel, a titular ladra de livros. Gostei de como se demonstrou determinada a aprender a ler, e como manteve o hábito de leitura, apesar de ter de desviar alguns livros dos seus legítimos donos.

Também gostei bastante do Max, o judeu alemão pugilista, que é escondido durante dois anos pelos Hubermann. A sua história é triste, e mais triste ainda é o facto de se sentir culpado por sobreviver. O momento em que espreita à janela para ver a rua após dois anos fechado é comovente. Gostei ainda de ver a sua relação com a Liesel, de como foram marcados pelo mesmo tipo de tragédias e de como se ligaram através das palavras e dos livros. Adorei as pequenas histórias do Max.

A força deste livro também está nas suas personagens secundárias, muitas delas inesquecíveis. Temos o Rudy, cuja história mais parecia uma tragicomédia, entre as cenas engraçadas na Juventude Hitleriana com o Tommy e o Deutcher, e a sua crescente revolta ao longo do livro; o sr. Hans Hubermann, pai adoptivo da Liesel, que tem uma relação ternurenta e adorável com ela; a sra. Rosa Hubermann, resmungona profissional que me conquistou com os seus raros momentos de bom coração; ou a mulher do presidente da câmara, que apresentou Liesel à sua vasta biblioteca.

Fiquei triste com o fim, pois não estava mesmo à espera de que acontecesse tamanha desgraça. Ficou uma sensação de vazio, depois de certa coisa ter acontecido. A única coisa que me animou foi que sobreviveram à guerra os personagens por que estava a torcer, contra todas as probabilidades, diria eu, embora o seu fim fosse demasiado aberto para me satisfazer completamente.

Título original: The Book Thief (2006)

Páginas: 468

Editora: Presença

Tradução: Manuela Madureira

No Anexo, Sharon Dogar

I'm submitting this book to the YA Historical Fiction Challenge hosted by YA Bliss.

Sinopse

Opinião: Tenho uma relutância natural em ler livros (ou ver filmes) sobre a 2ª Guerra Mundial, e acho que O Diário de Anne Frank é, em parte, culpado por isso. Sou capaz de o ter lido umas quantas vezes na minha pré-adolescência, e de todas as vezes, mesmo sabendo como acabava, eu como que torcia para que acabasse de outra maneira, mais favorável a todos os envolvidos. Mas terminava sempre com a maldita nota sobre o destino dos habitantes do Anexo (7 dos 8 morreram nos campos de concentração), e lá morria mais um bocadinho do meu optimismo e da minha fé na humanidade.

Passemos para 2011, em que enquanto estava a ler A Rapariga que Roubava Livros (a opinião está, digamos, a marinar, mas já agora digo que gostei muito) tropecei neste livro e fui atacada por uma louca vontade de reviver a história que conheço de O Diário de Anne Frank (doravante mencionado como o Diário) e este reconto do ponto de vista do Peter van Pels veio mesmo a jeito.

Primeiro que tudo, relembrei-me porque é que adorei ler e reler o Diário quando era miúda. Depois relembrei-me de pormenores parvos de que já não me lembrava (como os van Pels serem referidos como van Daan no Diário). Por fim, gostei minimamente da primeira parte da história, apesar de ter havido algumas coisas que me atrapalharam a leitura.

A primeira parte conta a história que já conhecemos do Diário do ponto de vista do Peter. Gostei desta parte porque me fez pensar em como o ponto de vista das outras pessoas seria diferente do da Anne, e de como se calhar não achariam muita piada a como foram retratadas no Diário. Este livro apresenta um mundo interior plausível para um rapaz adolescente como o Peter, e mostra o quão difícil seria para um adolescente estar confinado durante dois anos.

Aquilo que me deixou mais de pé atrás foi o facto de estar a ler um relato ficcional sobre uma pessoa real. Tive uma sensação de estranheza durante a primeira parte devido a este facto. Isso, e a narrativa pareceu-me arrastar-se um pouco, por vezes, e noutras saltar no tempo duma forma fracturada.

A segunda parte é puramente ficcional e a autora refere que se baseou em relatos de sobreviventes para a escrever. Conta como teria sido a vida de Peter nos campos de concentração e foi muito comovente pelas condições de vida num campo. Apreciei muito mais esta parte.

A única crítica que tenho a fazer à edição portuguesa é que vi numa opinião sobre a edição inglesa a referência a uma lista de livros que a autora terá juntado ao livro como recomendações de leitura, e que nesta edição não existe tal lista. Gostava de a poder ter espreitado.

Título original: Annexed (2010)

Páginas: 288

Editora: Edições Asa

Tradução: Ana Beatriz Manso

Torrent, Lisa T. Bergren

I'm submitting this book to the YA Historical Fiction Challenge hosted by YA Bliss.

Description

Review: And I thought these books couldn't get anymore exciting. While reading this one, I felt like sprinting just to keep up with Gabi and Lia. Only the ending threw me off a bit, as it was sorta cliffhanger-ish, and were this the last book, as I thought it was in the beginning, I'd be having something of a fit right now.

Thankfully, Lisa was dropping some hints on the Facebook page that she was preparing a fourth book. And while searching her blog, I read that she has plans to write as much as 7 books total. But this would depend on sales and her publisher (those pesky things), and she may publish the fourth book only as an e-book... I'm not too happy about it, since I have no e-reader and don't like much reading on the computer... but I guess I may do an excepton for this exceptional and awesome series.

As for the story... have I mentioned exciting and awesome? With every book in the series it seems like the stakes are higher, and this is medieval times, so deaths and near-deaths abound. I just felt so sad for a certain departure. And other parts of this book were so emotional that it was almost like a tearfest.

I really enjoyed the developments around Gabi and Marcello... they had their happy ending, albeit it was interrupted by that pesky war with the Fiorentini. And Gabi really had time for a little soul searching in this book, to understand if this was really what she wanted.

In the middle of all this drama I actually felt bad for poor Lord Rodolfo Greco. I never root for the third wheel on a love triangle once I established my "team", but Lord "Tall, Dark and Handsome" (as Gabi describes him once) kinda deserves a happy ending for him as well. The scenes with him and Gabi were great.

I am becoming more of a Lia's fan, she is growing on me. I'm rooting as well for her and Luca, I'm not sure what's in store for them, but I'm hoping all good things. I also enjoyed to be able to see the Betarrinis reunited, it was very interesting to see their family dynamics, especially now that Gabi and Lia are becoming more adults than teens.

I am pining for this book. A good pining, but I am just sad that it may be the last book, or at least the last book for a while. These characters really have grown on me and I just can't wait to read more of their adventures, and to have eventually some closure on their story. I am also extremely happy that I heard of these books, as I woundn't be the same without them. For example, I woundn't have discovered a love of YA historicals!

Pages: 400

Publisher: David C. Cook