Title: 13 Little Blue Envelopes
Author: Maureen Johnson
Paperback: 319 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen (October 1st 2006)
Genre: YA
Read: eBook
Stars: ***/5
Summary: (GoodReads)When Ginny receives thirteen little blue envelopes and instructions to buy a plane ticket to London, she knows something exciting is going to happen. What Ginny doesn’t know is that she will have the adventure of her life and it will change her in more ways than one. Life and love are waiting for her across the Atlantic, and the thirteen little blue envelopes are the key to finding them in this funny, romantic, heartbreaking novel.

Title: The Last Little Blue Envelope
Author: Maureen Johnson
Paperback: 282 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen (April 26th 2011)
Genre: YA
Read: eBook
Stars: ****/5
Summary: (GoodReads)Ginny Blackstone thought that the biggest adventure of her life was behind her. She spent last summer traveling around Europe, following the tasks her aunt Peg laid out in a series of letters before she died. When someone stole Ginny’s backpack—and the last little blue envelope inside—she resigned herself to never knowing how it was supposed to end.

Months later, a mysterious boy contacts Ginny from London, saying he’s found her bag. Finally, Ginny can finish what she started. But instead of ending her journey, the last letter starts a new adventure—one filled with old friends, new loves, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Ginny finds she must hold on to her wits . . . and her heart. This time, there are no instructions.

Review:

These two books from Maureen are about Ginny who receives 13 envelopes from her Aunt who has passed away a short while back. Her Aunt is an adventurous spirit and the letters set Ginny off on an adventure that will change the way she sees the world.

There are questions that raise themselves as you read – the fact that Ginny’s parents allow her to embark on this journey, especially since Ginny is not allowed to carry a phone or any travel books. The trusting way that Ginny accepts the challenge of the trip even though she isn’t the adventurous type then.

But all that said the books are interesting and if you are a travel person you will relate to the books. Ginny’s adventures are fun and she learns some life lesson’s from her travels. Maureen describes the places and the people well; I could see Ginny walk down many of the lanes described. Ginny doesn’t travel to the only to touristy sites, she also goes to many hidden away parts of the cities she travels too. Kudos to Maureen for the research and travel involved.

I did find a few catches though, like – in book 2, Ginny is travelling in a two door car but at some points in the book Maureen writes as if it is a 4 door.

The characters are described well and I related to them. Guess I’ve met people like them while travelling myself. The heroes Keith and Oliver are very real and I liked and felt for them both.

I liked the second book more than the first. That’s one of those rare things

The books are a quick read and worth reading!

Title: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Author: Rebecca Skloot
Paperback: 370 pages
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (February 2nd, 2010)
Genre: Non-fiction, Science
Read: eBook
Stars: ****/5
Summary: (GoodReads) Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells—taken without her knowledge—became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first “immortal” human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. If you could pile all HeLa cells ever grown onto a scale, they’d weigh more than 50 million metric tons—as much as a hundred Empire State Buildings. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb’s effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions.

Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave.

Now Rebecca Skloot takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the “colored” ward of Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1950s to stark white laboratories with freezers full of HeLa cells; from Henrietta’s small, dying hometown of Clover, Virginia—a land of wooden slave quarters, faith healings, and voodoo—to East Baltimore today, where her children and grandchildren live and struggle with the legacy of her cells.

Review:

This book has been on my reading-list for a while but I just kept putting it off. I’m glad I got down to it.

The book is about the woman behind the HeLa cells. HeLa cells are the most used cells in research and have contributed hugely to science. They helped with vaccines like polio and research like the method of freezing cells. HeLa was the first cluster of cells to survive and grow in a laboratory; it grew so successfully it is mass-produced. The interesting thing about HeLa cells is that they are cancerous!
These cells and their history is interesting. You can read more here – HeLa on Wikipedia

HeLa cells being interesting as they are I found the story of the person behind the cells and her family more moving. The pathos, the struggle, the love and the bigness they show is heart warming.

The opposites are striking. On one hand HeLa cells get famous and a lot of companies make money. On the other Henrietta’s family don’t even have health care. They don’t know for years how much their mother has contributed to science. They didn’t get their due credit.

Reading the book its clear that Rebecca has spent ages in research. The book is scientific and you’re going to walk away knowing a lot more about cells and cell research but its going to be an interesting read. There is no point at which you get bored. Rebecca has balanced the medical and personal well. I enjoyed the book.

A must read!

Author: Cyrus Broacha
Paperback: 246 pages
Publisher: Random House,India (Nov. 25th, 2011)
Genre: Indian Humour (for want of something better)
Read: Paperback(Library)
Stars: ***/5
Summary: (Flipkart) Name: Average Indian Male; Latin name: manush, purush, aam aadmi, Bunty.

Cyrus is back. And this time as agony aunt and master critic as he sets out to deconstruct a subject we re all familiar with the average Indian male. The mama s boy, the groin scratcher, the man who holds hands with another man, Cyrus tackles these and many other quirks and shortcomings of Indian men in his inimitable style and unfailing logic. Join India s best known funny man as he takes you on this laugh riot like never before.

Review:

I saw the book at the Library and considering it was Cyrus and the blurb said laugh riot, I picked it up.

The book is a fast read and humourous in places too. I DIDN’T laugh loud once through the book though I did smile sometimes but those were rare and in-between.

Cyrus’s quirky humour shows up in places and I wish there was more of it through the book. At some places I did think of some of the men I know and their habits and bonded with the book.

Over-all – OK! Cyrus could have been much better and more himself. Definitely not worth a second read!

Author: Rick Riordan
Hardcover: 528 pages
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (May 4, 2010)
Genre: YA Mythology
Read: Paperback
Stars: ****/5
Summary: (GoodReads) Since their mother’s death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane.

One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a “research experiment” at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives.

Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them —Set— has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe – a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

Author: Rick Riordan
Hardcover: 464 pages
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (May 3, 2011)
Genre: YA Mythology
Read: eBook
Stars: ****/5
Summary: (GoodReads) Ever since the gods of Ancient Egypt were unleashed in the modern world, Carter Kane and his sister Sadie have been in trouble. As descendants of the House of Life, the Kanes have some powers at their command, but the devious gods haven’t given them much time to master their skills at Brooklyn House, which has become a training ground for young magicians.

And now their most threatening enemy yet – the chaos snake Apophis – is rising. If they don’t prevent him from breaking free in a few days’ time, the world will come to an end. In other words, it’s a typical week for the Kane family.

Review:

Having read the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series and I knew a bit about Greek and Roman mythology but I wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy the Egyptian version so I was a bit tentative when picking up the book.

The book starts with a warning that it is a transcription of a digital recording. It’s the first time ever that I have seen a warning of this kind in a book. A nice way to say any mythological errors/deviations should be forgiven.

Riordan was great with Greek and Roman mythology, but I think he excelled at Egyptian. I understood so much about Egyptian mythology, its hierarchy and stories while reading the books. I’ve had an interest in Egypt but wonder now why I never delved into Egyptian Mythology.

The books are written as a dialogue between Sadie and Carter, the brother and sister deo who are trying to save the world from chaos. I wasn’t sure how well this would read but I have enjoyed the books. There were times when I felt like telling a character to shut-up but those moments weren’t so many that it would spoil the books the books for me.

If you like YA Action Mystery Thrillers, then you should read this series. The third book is scheduled for May 1st and I’m looking forward to it.
Have you read the Kane Chronicles? Liked it?

Before I get into the reading challenges I’m taking up this year I thought I’d take a look at the books I read last year.

So I did, and found some interesting stats and patterns from my reading last year. Here’s some of them –

Top Rated Books
Crooked House by Agatha Christie
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale
Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh
The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella
Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella
Shopaholic and Sister by Sophie Kinsella
The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye

My Favourites for 2011

Books –
Crooked House by Agatha Christie
Black Sheep by Georgette Heyer
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Fall of Giants by Ken Follett
Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale
The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye
The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Series –
The Belgariad by David Eddings
Bridgertons Series by Julia Quinn
Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan
Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella
The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins

Most Read Authors
Nora Roberts – 9
Rick Riordan – 7
Sophie Kinsella – 6
David Eddings – 4
Eoin Colfer – 4

Most Read Month
February – 11
April – 9
May – 8
August – 8
March – 7
July – 6

Its interesting that the shortest month in the year has the most number of books read!

Most Read Genres
Romance – 29
YA – 29
Fantasy – 26
Paranormal – 13
Historical – 10
Chick-lit – 6

Looking back my choice of books says so much about the year. When I started out I wanted to read more Romance books. Not just the sappy romance but all the new genres I seemed to be seeing – Fantasy, Paranormal, Historical, Regency, etc. I think I accomplished that. I now know the difference between a fantasy romance and a paranormal one.

I found some exceptional books by chance. Don’t miss out on The Help and The Host. And not to forget my all time favourite that I now have parked permanently on my Kindle – The Far Pavillions.

I got the Kindle on June and since then I’ve read 17 books on it. I think that’s a good number. The Kindle has definitely increase the number of books I’m reading by making it easier to carry and access them.

What have you noticed in your reading in 2011? What were your favourite books? What would you recommend I should not miss reading in 2012?