Are you tired of
reading mountaineering disaster stories which tarnish the reputation of
Everest by focusing on all that's negative about climbing it? Are you longing to read an account that more accurately reflects what a commercial expedition to climb Everest is really like?
The Chomolungma Diaries is the journal of
Mark Horrell's expedition to climb Everest from the north side in 2012, a
year when there were many fatalities on the south side. While the
world's media were working themselves into a frenzy about the queues of
commercial climbers and the personal tragedies taking place on the other
side of the mountain, Mark's team were quietly getting on with the job
of preparing to summit from the north. It follows the hopes and the
disappointments, the excitement and the boredom, the banter and the
arguments of a team of ordinary people preparing for the biggest day of
their lives; and it highlights the superhuman efforts of the Sherpas in
helping them to achieve their dream
But nothing about Everest is
ordinary, and there's more than enough excitement when your life is
clipped into a narrow line of cord five miles above the Earth. Those who
think Everest is easy have never been up onto the Northeast Ridge and
experienced the world's most terrifying ridge walk. This diary will
bring you just a little bit closer to that experience.
My Review:
This book is about a climbing expedition on the North Face of Everest.
It sounds like a very wild and windy environment even at Base Camp
compared to what I have read about those on the South side. Both sides
of the mountain of course have their own unique challenges.
Mark's
challenges begin with twitchy Chinese officials at the border and
keeping up with everyone else in the alcohol drinking stakes. That's all
everyone seems to do is sit around getting drunk every chance they get.
If I had spent all that time and money getting to Everest I'd be
concentrating on getting as much food and water into me as I could and
getting more sleep for the tough days ahead instead of getting pissed
daily. If I wanted to do that, I could do it at home much cheaper with a
tikka masala and a good film on dvd.
Tensions are high when a
Russian priest plans to put a cross on the mountain top which is
disgusting and rude. To go into a country as a guest and to offend the
people by planning a stunt like this shows why the church is so out of
touch with people today. This man should have been thrown out the
country and banned from coming back.
Mark finds it is the
struggle of keeping going step after step and pushing through the pain
and tiredness that is so difficult. I can't imagine how stubborn you
must be to force yourself on when it is so much easier to give up. I was
cheering Mark on every step of the way and hoping he would make it.
It
is on the descent of the mountain that something bizarre happens. Mark
and his sherpa are stuck behind someone who seems have gone a bit mad,
trying to stop them passing or getting away from him. It is a hairy
descent anyway by the sound of it but you just don't need this kind of
drama! Mark then passes another man who is still on his way up alone and
will be attempting to descend in the dark, to Mark's alarm. A lot of
people might be sniffing about how climbers should do more to help get
these people to safety but I don't agree. Mark and his guide are
responsible for getting themselves down safely. If others choose to push
boundaries or refuse help and advice, you have to just go ahead and
save yourself instead of dying with them.
This was a really good
travel diary and the best of the series. It really gives you an insight
into the boredom of Base Camp, the conditions and physical cost of the
climb and how easy tragedy can unfold around you.
I've seen this tag around but decided it was time to play! I saw the latest version and tag invitation over on Alma's great blog: http://journeythroughfiction.blogspot.ie/
1) Do you have a certain place for reading at home?
I mainly read in bed. After dinner at night I go up to my room, flop down on the bed and read or watch Tv or whatever. If I'm reading something short or getting something finished, I read at the computer but this is rare.
2) Bookmark or random piece of paper?
I collect bookmarks but I never use my pretty new additions in my books-I store them away. I get free bookmarks advertising services and products from shops and libraries and use them in my books so it doesn't matter if they get damaged!
3) Can you just stop reading or do you have to stop after a chapter or a certain number of pages?
I like to complete a chapter if I can but if I'm tired and the chapter end is a long way away I just stop for the night. Sometimes I get distracted by other things I need to do and I have to put the book down straight away. So it doesn't matter too much. If I'm using an ereader, I just stop where I feel like stopping.
4) Do you eat or drink when reading?
Yes! I tend to eat crisps or chocolate (being careful to avoid choccie handprints on the book!) and I like to maybe have a hot chocolate in winter when I curl up in my warm bed with a good book! The crumbs are dead annoying though so I have a small hand held hoover on standby!
5) Do you watch TV or listen to music whilst reading?
I put something like Sky News on in the background with the sound down so I can watch out for breaking news or maybe put on some sport, which I can follow while I read. I find music distracting as I start singing along (badly!!!) and lose my concentration!
6) One book at a time or several at once?
I prefer to concentrate on one book at a time. Sometimes if I feel like a change of genre I will start a new book while I gradually finish the first one. If I'm starting two books at once, one would be fiction, the other a history book or biography or something. I do prefer one at a time though.
7) Reading at home or everywhere?
I do almost all my reading at home as I'm not out and about much. I will take an ereader to an appointment in case there is a delay and I always take it on holiday. But I don't carry it around with me on a daily basis.
8) Reading out loud or silently in your head?
Oh silently, always! I HATE being in the room with someone who reads out loud! On the few occasions where I'm reading at my computer, my dad insists on reading the newspaper aloud to me which drives me bonkers!
9) Do you ever read ahead or skip passages?
Rarely but I do like to sometimes check on the survival and well being of the dog! I like to know if he is safely rescued so I can relax a bit! Other than that, I only skip passages or read ahead for review purposes. If I plan to DNF a book, if I'm making a point that nothing is happening, I like to check ahead so I can say exactly when something happens, to help me make my point.
10) Breaking the spine or keeping it new?
EEK! New, always! I try to preserve the spines for as long as I can! I hate seeing those creases appear! One of my friends takes a HAMMER to the spine of every new book she buys to 'break it in nicely'...I could WEEP for those poor books! I also hate dog eared corners and any kind of book assault!
11) Do you write in your books?
*Shudder* Not a chance! I write notes in a journal or scraps of paper to help me with future book reviews but I never deface the books!
That was fun! Are you interested in taking part and answering the questions?
Then I TAG YOU!
If you are taking part or have done this tag previously, let me know in the comments so I can visit your tag and read your answers!
I have recently been reading about the health benefits of taking regular doses of ACV and it made fascinating reading. So my dad and I decided to get some and have an experiment, noting any benefits and side effects. I'm doing my analysis in the form of a blog diary so others interested can follow my progress.
What is Apple Cider Vinegar?
Well, it is what it says it is! Taken several times a day it is said to have health benefits or can be used to fight specific conditions, treat colds etc. I'm going for the 3 regular doses per day as an overall health experiment. I have opted to take this full strength version as I see little point in taking a diluted version from the shops. It was suggested that I buy Braggs version from Amazon, which is organic, raw, unfiltered and contains 'The Mother' which is the bit with the best health benefits.
So, what are the alleged health benefits? I have taken these benefits from health web sites and product reviews to give you an example:
-healthy skin and nails
-healthy immune system
-removes sludge from the body
-can assist in weight loss
-reduces sugar cravings
-anti viral and anti fungal properties
-eliminates water retension and bloating
-relieves muscles aches
-helps insomnia
-treats acid reflux and heartburn
-provides more energy and relieves tiredness
-controls blood sugar
This is pretty exciting! It is nearly 5pm and I took my first dose thirty minutes ago. I decided to take a reduced level for a week to let my system get used to it so for my first dose I took one teaspoon diluted in 200mls of water. I have had a bit of belching since then which is a good sign! As I'm taking a third of the suggested dose, I can't comment on what people said about it tasting vile. All I taste so far is water with a slight taste to it. I will be updating at least once a week with any changes I have to report!
Have you tried ACV? Did it work for you? Comments welcome!
Two years ago a new
medical nanite advance divided humanity into three types: humans,
deaders and the frightening in-betweeners who crave human flesh. Emily's
world has grown quiet and ordered, her day bounded by mornings killing
deaders at her fence and nights alone in a warehouse office. She's begun
to believe life will always be this way, days alone with the dead or
fighting in-betweeners for her life. But even that life is better than
the alternative.
Everything changes when one of the deaders at
the gate isn't a deader at all. He’s an in-betweener different from any
Emily has seen before...and he has a message.
The In-Betweener
is book one of the Between Life and Death series. Book two, Forever
Between, will release in March 2015. Book three, Between Life and Death,
is scheduled for release in May 2015.
The Between Life and Death series is suitable for ages 16 and up, with occasional violence and mild language.
My Review:
I liked this book because it was a different take on zombies but also
had enough of a traditional zombie feel to keep me interested. I like
when I find something a bit new in the genre, which is not easy to do.
Emily
had her life saved by nanite technology which cured her cancer and had
health benefits for many people. Emily's nanite was removed from her
when it did it's job but those with the technology in their body at the
wrong moment are turned into zombies. I liked the idea of the
nanites-their use to heal and the deadly problem which turns the country
into hell. It was interesting and I look forward to hearing more about
it. I'm not a science kind of person and my head explodes if things get
too technical but in this book everything is explained simply and I
understood every word of it, which was nice!
There are also two
types of zombies in the book-deaders, who are the traditional walking
dead and look like fully dead monsters. Then there are the In Betweeners
who look human, move faster and can function better as the nanites in
them are still working against the infection on some level. I liked this
aspect as well. The author was trying to do some new things and I found
her ideas to have realism and be believable in this new world she
describes. The world itself sounds pretty grim for the remaining
survivors and I'm interested to see what might come next.
Emily
is a great MC because you actually care what happens to her. The clever
use of flashbacks shows you the important parts of her life recently-the
cancer and her treatment, the stages of the zombie outbreak and how she
came to be in this secure compound on her own. She is clever and
resourceful because she has been well taught by her mother, who knows a
lot about nanite technology and its problems. You feel a lot of sympathy
for her being alone and yet I had to admire her for the way she deals
with it and keeps on living.
We also meet Sam, who is caring for a
group of kids, hidden in a flat in the city but running out of food. He
has seen Emily and the compound and wants to make contact with her to
see if she will agree to take them in. However things for Sam and the
kids are about to become very dangerous. It's difficult to write
anything else without wandering into plot spoiler territory but their
story and Emily's are about to connect in an emotional way, which I
really enjoyed.
I liked the way that both stories were dealt
with. I know that some people did not like part of Sam's story but I
felt that it was well written and that the path the author chooses fits
into the overall plot perfectly. I was a little surprised by the way the
both finishes with Emily, and it makes me anxious to see what happens
next.
Do I recommend this? Yes, I do. It was very well written.
Will I be reading the rest of the series? Yes I would certainly like to
see what happens!
An ancient predator has been reborn in the caves beneath Crater Lake…and it’s hungry.
Ex-cop
Henry Shore has been Chief Park Ranger at Crater Lake National Park for
eight years and he likes his park and his life the way it’s been. Safe.
Tranquil. Predictable. But he’s about to be tested in so many ways.
First the earthquakes begin…people begin to go missing…then there’s some
mysterious water creature that’s taken up residence in the caves below
Crater Lake and it’s not only growing in size, it’s aggressive and
cunning…and very hungry.
And it’s decided it likes human beings. To eat. And it can come up onto land.
So
Henry, with the help of his wife, Ann; a young paleontologist named
Justin; and a band of brave men must not only protect his park and his
people from the monster but somehow find where it lives and destroy
it…before it can kill again.
My Review:
This book had two things which I never enjoy in a book-too slow in getting to the action and an MC that I really disliked.
I
wanted to like the book because I love dinosaurs but a quarter of the
way into the book we have not seen the monster or seen it kill or attack
anyone. We are told about mysterious sightings, footprints and a
missing man and his wrecked boat but we aren't seeing anything of the
monster! When books take this long to get to the action, I lose
interest. We don't even know exactly what the dinosaur is, and just a
few hints about appearance. Just show me the dinosaurs!!!
As for
Henry, retired cop and Chief Park Ranger, I disliked his superior
attitude to everyone around him. He describes his best friend George as a
superstitious know all, and despite George knowing everything about all
the park animals, Henry of course knows better when the worried George
reports the massive unusual tracks. Henry just decides that George has
gone mental or delusional. Henry seems to have no sympathy for his
daughter being dumped by her feckless partner along with her baby. Henry
revels in being right about the loser and then gets stuck into his
daughter for putting on weight during her ordeal, calling her the Good
Year Blimp. What a lovely man! The expert paleontologist is described as
'friendly but precocious' for daring to be younger than Henry thought
he would be. Then he decides that this guy is going to be his next
son-in-law and starts fixing him up with fat daughter. Jeez. If there
had been less about how smart Henry was, how he had all the answers and
being subjected to his opinions all the time, maybe we could have had a
few extra dinosaur attacks.
At 37% into the book, finally we see
the monsters attack someone but there is little in the way of detail,
and then we go back to more people talking about why the park is closed
and what the monster might be. Our MC finally sees the monster attacking
someone at 46% of the book but yet again there is no detail, no blood
and gore. If I'm reading a book about dinosaurs on the rampage, I want
to see them eat people, be excited and entertained. This book lacks the
detail to inspire either emotion. Gave up on 50% and went to watch
Jurassic Park instead.
