Book recommendations....

I have had the bad luck to have recently read two books that I really really wanted to be good reads, but both were lack luster and somewhat hard to complete. The first is WinterBorn by Brain Ruckley. Set in a somewhat "scottish" winter fantasy setting, the book details the machinations of the "Bloods" (clans) who live in the area and compete for power, land and the such, all the while a sort of elvish type of people are thrown into the mix to add a bit of magic and fantasy to the story. The Kyrinin (elf types) are more akin to Native Americans, but yet are considered non-human. They are the most interesting characters in the book, but only barely so. I really wanted this book to be great, hopeing that just after the next page something really cool was gonna happen, but sad to say, it did not. It is about 630 pages long and believe it or not, I almost put the book down at page 619! There is a sequel, but I don't know if I will be picking it up. The last 10 pages or so did start to come together and started to make sense, but I don't know if it was enough to make me consider getting it when it comes out. One good thing about this book was while looking for reviews about this book, I came across an author who has a book called "First the Blade" and "Before they all hang" which I was able to read the first chapter of. The one chapter of the first book was better than the entirety of "Winterborn" so I will be on the lookout for "First the Blade."

The second book comes from author Anne Rice, of the Vampire books fame. It is "Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt." Here I was expected Anne Rice style of writing, but instead I got something much simpler, and sad to say, more bland and boring. I was looking for some insight in the Jesus's younger years, but what I got was alot of talk about walking, sleeping, crying, questions asked and not answered, and who is related to whom. There are some really good spots in the book but each of them sputters out and is continued on with very lack luster story telling. I will be reading the second in this series, only because I recieved it from a giveaway. I hope it is better than the first.

Oh, and I should mention, I also finished "World without End" by Ken Follett, about life in the 14th Century and a continuation of his previous work, "Pillars of the Earth." All I can say about this book, is READ IT!!!! Fantastic read!

Later!