Review: Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari

A thrilling tale of adventure, romance, and one girl's unyielding courage through the darkest of nightmares.

Epidemics, floods, droughts--for sixteen-year-old Lucy, the end of the world came and went, taking 99% of the population with it. As the weather continues to rage out of control, and Sweepers clean the streets of plague victims, Lucy survives alone in the wilds of Central Park. But when she's rescued from a pack of hunting dogs by a mysterious boy named Aidan, she reluctantly realizes she can't continue on her own. She joins his band of survivors, yet, a new danger awaits her: the Sweepers are looking for her. There's something special about Lucy, and they will stop at nothing to have her.

As with a few of the books I've read recently, I was really looking forward to this book. I wasn't very happy about the price of the kindle version though. £9.36 +_+ almost double the usual price, and a few pounds more than the physical copy. (Edit: the average price of ebooks has now gone up since I wrote this review, a lot of them are now £7+)

Although the price seemed extreme most of the reviews on Goodreads were really good, and even though I was still on my zombiefest I was looking forward to reading it. It was slow to get going, with lots of exposition and I found myself skim reading. Once it hit the halfway mark the info dumps petered out, and the story got going. Alice is surviving on her own as the story opens. I liked Alice's independence, the fact that at 16 years old and she survived on her own for over a year, this is thanks mainly to a survival book she had the savvy to pick up along the way. I liked Aiden but I felt that, as with Del and Sammy, he could have had a little more depth. All the face and hair touching was sweet but there needed to be more to him than the fact he liked Alice.

 The book felt like a start of a series, and it would be a good book to start one, and although it does stand up on its own as well it definitely felt like it could have been the beginning of something. I really hope there is a second book because I wasn't satisfied with the epilogue of Ashes, Ashes. Over all not a bed read at all

Rating: 4/6 - I Liked It

Monthly Round Up: November 2011

I was hoping to amaze myself this month and read a heap of books and magically get myself up to date with my reading challenge. I'd also planned for either November or December to be the month I'd finish all the books I abandoned. Sadly I was way too far behind for either :( I'd had hoped to sample some Steampunk this year but that hasn't happened. Maybe I'll get to it during 2012. Last years failed challenge will at least keep me from making the same mistake with 2012's reading challenge (I'll keep my fingers crossed but I'm a glutton).

So, November's books. I managed 6 :/ but I'm sure it's not been my worst month. My favourite has to be The Scoripo Races. I adored it. Close second came Drink Deep. I'm loving the Chicagoland Vampire series. I was disappointed with the emotional connection, or the lack of one, I felt with Voyage of the Snake Lady as I loved and have very fond memories of the first adventure, Moon Riders. I was also disappointed with Crossed mainly because nothing much happened at all. I think that Ally Condie has kept all the action for the trilogy's 3rd instalment. Well, I certainly hope so!

Magic on the Line, Devon Monk
The Scorpio Races, Maggie Stiefvater
Crossed, Ally Condie
Drink Deep, Chloe Neill
Voyage of the Snake Lady Theresa Thomlinson
Carrier of the Mark, Leigh Fallon

Goodbye Hello

I would have liked to include my 2011reading challenge stats but I can't seem to find them on Goodreads. Maybe its they think its best to look forward not back, or something.

Ok so I failed my 150 book reading challenge of 2011! I only read 102 books but that's no reason not to set another goal. I'll just aim a little lower this time :)

I've been in a bit of a reading slump for the last few months so now is the perfect time to consider how to go about this. I still have a TBR pile that if the books where lined up, could wrap around the world at least once :/

So maybe I need to get these books read.

My goal this year is to read 75 books. That is half of last years challenge I know, and I know that I'm able to read more than that, but I'm setting myself up to win :)

Plus I want to take it slower this year because I only end up neglecting everything else and I have a ton, a TON of reviews and various blog posts to finish and get posted, that they really need to be my first priority.

Again, I know I've failed the 3 reading challenges I took part in from the blog sphere but I've seen a few I want to participate in. Like I said though; I'm going to keep them manageable.

So, a goal of 75 it is. I'll think of the particulars later.

Up next will be November and December's Monthly Round Up, then a 2011 Round Up. After that it'll be back to the reviews. I have so many to finish. Last year I tried (and did manage to keep up for a while) to post three a week but this year I'm going to stick to one, remember I'm setting myself up to win!

Happy reading :)