Enna Burning. Shannon Hale. Books of Bayern #2

I have now read all the books to the series by Shannon Hale( starting with The Goose Girl). They are amazing. Shannon Hale's writing is so lyrical and wholly original, it draws you in immediately.
Her names are slightly cheesy, so you can tell she made them up.
But here's the plot :
                                                  

Enna's life was not meant to be simple. When her brother, Leifer, brings home a mysterious piece of vellum that teaches him how to set fires — without a spark, without flint — Enna cannot decide if this power is one she wants for herself, or something that should be extinguished forever. And when Bayern, their country, goes to war, the choice becomes nearly unbearable. Enna never imagined that the warm, life-giving energy of a fire could destroy everything she loves, but she must now save herself and Bayern before fire consumes her entirely.
                                                     
I really like it, because the romance is never mushy or just cheesy. And the fights/battles are well written. Well, I will do posts on the remaining books, and I hope you enjoy them!

Eragon

One of the first posts I did was The Inheritance Cycle, but I wanted to do the individual books.
Christopher Paolini's first book, which he started when he was 15, made the NewYorkTimes best selling list. The highly anticipated 4th and final book to the series, Inheritance, is due to be released in November. In his style of writing, there are some cliques and it seems like the author was trying to copy J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. But he makes his own plot and slowly it becomes interesting and exciting. But a warning : all his books are 500+ pages. Anyways, here's the plot for his 1st book :

While exploring the forest, 15-year-old Eragon discovers an odd blue gemstone—a dragon egg, fated to hatch in his care.........
Suddenly he is thrust into the ancient legends which is now reality. Dragons, shades, urgals, elves, and other fantastical beings are more real than Eragon could have ever imagined.

If you read the Cycle, I hope you enjoy them, like I did!

Oliver Twist

I finished this famous classic awhile ago, and I loved it. Charles Dickens is a renowned author who lived in the 19th Century, and has written such works as Bleak House, Great Expectations, The Pickwick Papers, etc. The themes of his books are mostly raw, to the point, life of waifs in London. Oliver Twist is no exception.

It follows the life of Oliver Twist who escapes the work house, and runs away to London, where he is "picked-up" by the Artful Dodger, the leader of young pickpockets of London. Oliver is brought to the pickpockets' lair, and Fagin, their sinister elderly trainer, where he stays,naively unaware of their illegal activity.
Oliver Twist is notable for Charles Dickens' style of portraying criminals and their lives.

I really love this book. I adore Charles Dickens' style of writing, and his stories are very original, and everyone in the book are intricately involved in the plot. I hope if you read this book, you enjoy it as much as I did!

Drawings...

I just added 2 new drawings to the My Drawings, so please check 'em out!
<3

Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke

Princess Igraine dreams of becoming a famous knight just like her great grandfather, but the truth is, life at the family castle is rather boring. Until the nephew of the baroness-next-door shows up. He's got a dastardly plan to capture the castle and claim as his own the wonderful singing spell books that belong to Igraine's magician parents. To make matters worse, at the very moment of the siege, her mom and dad botch a spell, turning themselves into pigs! Aided by a Gentle Giant and a Sorrowful Knight, it's up to Igraine to be brave and save the day--and the books!

This a wonderful story.  So the book starts on the night before Igraine's 12th birthday. She also has a talking cat,Sisyphus, and an annoying, jug-eared older brother, Albert. 

I really love Cornelia Funke's style of writing. She is a true master of her art.*

Igraine's an adorable heroine, and you're rooting for her all the way, and the nephew of the baroness-next-door is an evil and despicable man who is bent on his own and only his own greatness.

So if you like knights, daring adventures, and hilarious passages,you should read this book. I loved it, and if you like any of the above, I think you will too! (and Igraine the Brave is a completely appropriate book for any age)

*I also wanted to make a note on her illustrations. She does them all, for all her books(and she's an amazing artist)(her best ones in her book 'Restless')