Book Club

HALO 

Alexandra Adornetto

Nothing much happens in the sleepy town of Venus Cove.

But everything changes when three angels, Ivy, Bethany and Gabriel, are sent from Heaven to protect the town against the gathering forces of darkness. They work hard to conceal their true identity and - most of all - their wings.

But the mission is threatened when the youngest angel, Bethany, is sent to high school and falls for the handsome school captain, Xavier Woods. Will she defy the laws of Heaven by loving him? Things come to a head when the angels realise they are not the only supernatural power in Venus Cove. There's a new kid in town and he's charming, seductive and deadly.

Worst of all, he's after Beth.

The angels and Xavier must work together to overcome the dark forces - but will Beth survive the battle?

I love that this book is written by someone so young, I am so jealous of Adornetto's talent! When first deciding to feature this book as part of book club I looked on the internet at some others reviews and found a few negative ones. I completely disagree with the critics out there. This book is fabulous and enjoyable! I hope ya'll have enjoyed reading it!!

I've recently read that angels are the new vampires, following on the success of novels like 'Hush, Hush' and 'Fallen'. 'Halo' further cements the proof that angels are taking over.

I love the character of Bethany and her spontaneity and impulsiveness. I love that she is yet to be jaded by the harsh realities of life. Of course I fell for Gabriel, what full blooded woman wouldn't! So handsome! But found his behaviour frustrating at times.

In the beginning of the story I adored the character of Xavier, he seemed to have it all going for him, but then he found out that Beth was an angel and it all went down hill from there, he changed, he became a whiney overprotective boyfriend, and I was frustrated by that!

I also have a gripe with Beth and how long she took to work out Jake, the signs were TOO obvious, she was too oblivious to them, I would have preferred if in the story telling these signs were a little more hidden.

But overall enjoyed the book, I found it hard to put down so it was a good thing I was already on maternity leave when I started reading this book!!

My husband and I were talking about these questions over dinner last night and here are the answers we came up with...

Bethany describes heaven in the beginning of the book as 'Pure White'. How do you imagine heaven?

In terms of descriptive I can't really describe heaven other than blue sky and sunshine, however in terms of emotion it is really easy to describe, it is that place that makes you feel completely safe and comfortable, you are surrounded by friends and people you love and everything is easy. There is loads of laughter and happiness and all your desires are fulfilled so you don't want for anything. It is a place without insecurities, it is a beautiful place.

The angels are at first overwhelmed by the textures and sensations of our world. What tastes, textures etc. Would you be most attracted to and repulsed by if it were intensified?

I can't help but go for the obvious in this question.. I'd be attracted to bubbles, especially coconut or vanilla scented bubbles, I'd be attracted to the feel and smell of fresh crispy linen. My hubby said he'd be attracted to the feel and smell of new leather and that crisp fresh smell of a new $100 bill! We both agreed we'd be repulsed by that old pub stale beer carpet smell and the smell of those ladies that stink of perfume because they are trying to mask the smell of their cigarettes. I guess both of these smells are further repulsive for angels because of the sins that they represent.

Why do you think that the students were so attracted to the image of a 'Bad Boy' that they see in Jake? How did this influence the events occuring in this book?

This is easy, because they are teenagers! Teenagers are stuck in a place of insecurity, they are trying to find who they are in the world, along comes a character like Jake who is so sure of himself, who comes across as worldly and knowledge-able they gravitate towards him, and as he increases in popularity more people want to surround themselves with him. This influences the book because it allows him to have influence and power over these characters.

What song would you associate with this book?

I would associate Bob Sinclair's Love Generation. It represents the angels journey. Hubby would associate Dark Angel by Epic Trance, because the track reflects the strong emotions and the titles track reflects the character of Jake

To add to the discussion pop over to our Facebook discussion! 

Book Club

'Dead Until Dark'

Charlaine Harris

Sauce aka Source 

I watched the first series of True Blood before I had read this book. Unfortunately I feel that this ruined the book for me!! I knew what to expect and so I kept making comparisons with the television series and drawing parallels. Ultimately I cannot tell you if I enjoyed the book more than the television series. Because after reading the entire series, I like the books more. But I started this process more than a year ago and cannot remember which of the two I liked better to begin with!!

I recently re-read 'Dead Until Dark' which is what prompted me to do this book club. Because I still really enjoyed it. I love the fact that it is based in a backwater in America, but somewhere that I would have LOVED to have grown up, or would love to have my children grow up in. I love that Sookie is such a wholesome character, who cares about her family first and foremost. 

I love Charlaine Harris' style of writing, it is easy to read, but I love the development of the characters! I definitely recommend this book, and in fact the entire series to all those who enjoy Vampire Folklore! Or even the supernatural!

"Vampires should never say Uh-Oh!!" -Charlaine Harris

Sauce aka Source 

Do you see Sookie's ability to read minds as a strength or a disability? Would you want to be able to read minds?

I feel that it is so completely typical of a person who has an extraordinary talent to view it as a disability!! I can see how she would view aspects of her ability as a disability, especially with her relationships with those most close to her. However, you couldn't view (or shouldn't view) the entirety of the ability to read minds as a disability! It would be such an extraordinary talent to have, how often do you have a conversation with a person and can tell that they are holding back from telling you everything that you wish to know, or they are holding back to prevent their words from hurting your feelings, when in reality it is the brutal truth that you crave.

Why do you think Sookie was so immediately attracted to Bill?

I believe that without knowing Sookie can tell when a person is supernatural, which is why she has such a close bond with her boss Sam, it is this attraction that pulls her to Bill, any other vampire (who is mainstreaming, definitely not the Monroe vampires) could have walked into Merlotte's that night and she probably would have felt pulled towards them. I also feel that Bill has a lot to do with the attraction as well, in ways which are not yet apparent to Sookie.

Who do you think is a better match for Sookie? Bill or Sam?

Honestly I would have preferred to have seen Sookie end up with Sam. He comes across as such a home grown character, but also the typical 'boy next door', which I guess is why Sookie couldn't be satisfied with Sam.

Do you think Sookie's deal with Eric will come back to haunt her?

Unfortunately having read the entire series, I can't answer this question honestly!! But I hope it does! I have the biggest crush on Eric *Sigh*

"I snuck a look to see how Eric was taking this, and he was staring at me the same way the Monroe vampires had. Thoughtful. Hungry. 

"That's interesting," he said. "I had a psychic once. It was incredible."

"Did the psychic think so?"

Why wouldn't Sookie drink Bill's blood at the end of the book to heal herself faster? Do you think drinking blood is a valid decision in a world where vampires exist?

I think Sookie can feel herself changing too much from the consumption of the small amounts of blood she has taken so far, this scares her. She also fears that if she heals too quickly it will become obvious to the medical team who are working with her, and potentially become a problem for Bill. I also believe that she feels she deserves to be punished for her inability to capture the murderer earlier. She feels that she should have used her ability to read minds to 'find him' before he killed so many. She also feels guilty that her Grandmother had to die in her place.

With my pregnancy coming to an end, labour is coming close and this PETRIFIES me. I'm scared of the pain of childbirth and I am concerned about how the recovery will affect my ability to bond with my new baby. So if drinking vampire blood would mean an instant recovery from childbirth then, HELL YES I'd have some! 

It is almost like saying, 'If you had cancer and you had a cure, would you take the cure?' OF COURSE YOU WOULD! But then, there is always the moral question, at what point is science taking things too far, how many diseases and ailments can you cure before science gets in the way of nature. At some point every one has to grow old and die. Well, unless of course you are a vampire!!!!! 

What song would you associate with this book?

Have you read the rest of Charlaine Harris' books? And which is your favourite in the Sookie Stakehouse series?

I have read the rest of the series, and I thoroughly enjoyed all of the books. My absolute favourite was book number four ('Dead to the World'). Why? Without spoiling it for everyone else, there is a relationship that is developed in the book that I crave for the rest of the series, it is just so absolutely beautiful and perfect! *Sigh* for those of you who have read the book, you will know what I am talking about!!

Which is probably why I am so antsy for the fourth series to start on HBO!! Can't wait to see how they play out this relationship on the small screen!

"It's probably a bad indicator of your lifestyle when you miss your ex-boyfriend because he's absolutely lethal." -Charlaine Harris 'Dead to the World'

Halo

Alexandra Adornetto

Nothing much happens in the sleepy town of Venus Cove.

But everything changes when three angels, Ivy, Bethany and Gabriel, are sent from Heaven to protect the town against the gathering forces of darkness. They work hard to conceal their true identity and - most of all - their wings.

But the mission is threatened when the youngest angel, Bethany, is sent to high school and falls for the handsome school captain, Xavier Woods. Will she defy the laws of Heaven by loving him? Things come to a head when the angels realise they are not the only supernatural power in Venus Cove. There's a new kid in town and he's charming, seductive and deadly.

Worst of all, he's after Beth.

The angels and Xavier must work together to overcome the dark forces - but will Beth survive the battle?

"... a fantastic achievement!" -Sunday Age

"The author skillfully employs an imaginative approach to build atmosphere and setting..." -Magpies Magazine

So book club will be back on July 27th, and to get you ready I have some questions for you to ponder...

* Bethany describes heaven in the beginning of the book as 'Pure White'. How do you imagine heaven?

*The angels are at first overwhelmed by the textures and sensations of our world. What tastes, textures etc. Would you be most attracted to and repulsed by if it were intensified?

*Why do you think that the students were so attracted to the image of a 'Bad Boy' that they see in Jake? How did this influence the events occuring in this book?

*What song would you associate with this book?

AND don't forget if you have a book you'd love to see featured on Book Club please email me: hazellovesdesign@yahoo.com