We’re on our second month of the new year and I only have a vague idea of what my resolutions even were. However I’m showing early success though is reading! So here’s the latest!
Basic Summary: A memoir of Felicia Day: actor, YouTube maverick, writer, geek culture maven. You might know her from The Guild, or appearances in Supernatural and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or where I first saw her, on Doctor Horrible’s Incredible Sing-A-Long Blog with Niel Patrick Harris (and The Guild’s music video “Do You Want To Date My Avatar?“). She’s also the lead creative force behind a TON more things. The list is extensive and amazing.
My Thoughts: I enjoyed this book, but it felt weird to give it an actual rating, like numerically scoring Felicia Day on her memoir is not something she would appreciate or support (outside of the sales function on a site like Amazon. I’d leave a good star rating there). So that’s why there’s a gif.
Felicia Day is awkward. Painfully so. But that’s the important message in her book, is she takes you through her journey of finding that place on the internet where she doesn’t have to feel “bad” for the things that make her awkward (like being homeschooled) or for her interests. And then she goes to Hollywood and things make her feel bad again. And then she reaches a certain level of acclaim and has health problems, or #GamerGate happens, or X, or Y, etc.
This book left me feeling convicted. For the times I squash my own weirdness to blend in, and for the times I wish others would squash their own. Or worse the times when I’ve said or done things that lead to that outcome. If you look for it, you can see that Felicia Day has a strong sincerity to be who she is and to do whatever she’s doing. And she wants that for whoever she’s interacting with as well. It’s refreshing.
The Wrap-Up: Love what you love and let no person or thing interrupt that. Life is too short to pretend you’re cool. And we can all tell you’re pretending. (Because it doesn’t look fun.)
Up Next: I’mreading The Happiness Projectby Gretchen Rubin over the course of the year, so watch out for periodic updates on that. It’s a chapter-a-month type of a deal, so I’m not sure how that will translate here. My book club has also reassembled, and Great Expectations is next on our list! I have until early March to fit that in, so look to see some thoughts on that flitter through. And last, but probably next:
The Handmaiden’s Tale. I’ve been meaning to read this one for a while, and the Hulu trailers finally got me to start it. Watch out for that one to come next.
Well it’s been…forever. I don’t have any valid excuses and I won’t make any promises that I’ll do better. I’ll just tell you what I’ve been reading. Most recently finished first, the rest are semi-sequential.
Three Dark Crowns, by Kendare Blake
This was a Christmas Day impulse buy, because there was a Kindle deal. Whoops! The book flap didn’t sell me initially, but I liked the cover art and the dang Kindle sample! The premise is that in this island nation, every queen (woo matriarchy) has triplets who at 16 begin fighting to the death to see who becomes the new queen. Also they have fantasy powers that’d usual involve control of the elements, position immunity, and nature powers (making things grow/wither and influencing animals, it makes sense when you read it). Initially I was hesitant about this one, sister hate had the potential to be all things I hate about YA, but the Kindle sample and dear Katharine convinced me to give it a try.
The sample lets you see Katharine as a well rounded character with fear and weakness. The book jacket paints the three sisters as perfection, the way they all want to appear. But the story becomes a thousand times more interesting when you realize how much Katharine has struggled with her powers and fears her sister Mirabella who is renowned throughout the island for her elemental powers.
You get to read from all three sisters’ perspectives, and a few other characters as well. The magic system in these books was interesting, but they generally avoid calling it magic. The author is pretty good about teaching you the rules before you need to know them for a twist or something. (Which is great, because then everything feels more legitimate and you don’t think the author is going to play the “magic card” every time a protagonist is in a tough scrape.
As is common for me, there were some painful YA romance moments, and times when I wanted to yell at adults for bringing up trivial drama when much bigger things are afoot. But I also catch myself wanting to tell that at adults in real life, so I should probably ease up. I’ll be on the lookout for the sequel though, One Dark Throne.
A Torch Against the Night, by Sabaa Tahir
Let’s start this section with a slow clap. Impressed. This is a book 2, but An Ember in the Ashes was written as a stand alone (I think this one was a swell, but I’m a little less certain). So props to Sabaa for that #1. I bought this while I was on vacation in Seattle, and we’d taken a ferry out to Bainbridge Island. The Eagle Harbor Book Co. was lovely, they let you write reviews on index cards and leave them in books.
Anyway. The book. Splendid. The author follows the tropes you expect her to, but nothing is too tired. And oh, the things she puts poor Helene through! Oh right, backstory (which spoilers book 1 fairly well).
Our main 3 “protagonists” are Elias and Helene (Marshals) and Laia (Scholar). Elias and Helene were best friends who belong to the Marshal people group, which conquered a bunch of other people groups including the Scholars. Elias has a lot of guilt over that, so by the end of book 1 he’s a wanted criminal on the run with Laia to save her brother.
So “protagonists” gets quotes because Helene still deeply cares for Elias, but she is sworn to serve the new emperor. Because of some prophets she has really high faith in, she will hunt Elias to the ends of the earth making them enemies. She’s very conflicted. Her family is deeply invested in honor, and it makes reading from Helene a great experience. Try it!!
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In the non-fiction realm, after months of anticipation, is Aziz Ansari’s Modern Romance. It’s weird, in an awesome way.
Aziz partnered with a sociologist to do a dome of legitimate research and focus groups. They had a subreddit dedicated to gathering info, the interviewed Senior Citizens to find out what love was like back in the day, it was really cool! I’m also a person who enjoys random stats mixed in with human color pieces so that made this pretty enjoyable for me as well.
It definitely keeps the Aziz flair (think “and then he was stalked by Gwenythn Paltrow! Not really, but how crazy would that be?!”) through, and gives you fun facts like iPhone users are twice as likely to send sexts as android users. There were also very nuanced discussions about how growing up and finding love have changed with society and gender roles. Emerging adulthood has changed the game for women and by extension extension everyone else. Many points in the book were reassuring but on the other hand also nervewracking for someone who hasn’t locked it down for life yet.
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Harry Potter & the Cursed Child, by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany
So that happened. I didn’t hype myself up for this one quite as much as I thought I would, but I did end up driving out at midnight and trying to find myself a copy. One crowded Barnes & Noble drive by and two vacant Walmart searches later I had my prize!
It did take me a bit to adjust to reading this in playbook format. Other than the literal layout changes, the way dialogue and pacing are handled is also quite different from a typical book so that took some adjusting. Overall though, this was an interesting and enjoyable addition to the Harry Potter world. Do I consider it a mandatory Harry Potter text? No. Would I say it’s worth your time if you want more from the world and you like fantasy as a genre? Absolutely.
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Crooked Kingdom, by Leigh Bardugo (second piece of the Six of Crows duology)
Looooved it. Much anticipated, and with beautiful red stained pages. Leigh Bardugo’s world is lovely, and I love going back there (different country but same realm where the Grisha trilogy is set). And it was nice to read a duology instead of a trilogy for a change. I mean I’m holding out for more standalones, but I’m just bad at picking those.
All six of the Dregs are really interesting characters, struggling with their own issues, and that continued to be true in book 2. The author described Six of Crow’s as her chance to write a heist story, alla Ocean’s 11, and that spirit continued strong and vibrant through the end of this book. Characters and events stayed quirky, and there were several twists I didn’t see coming. While the story doesn’t end perfectly tied up in a bow, my only “issue” (I use that loosely, because Leigh can do no wrong) is that once twists were revealed, orchestrated events played out a little too well most of the time. So while I still completely loved this book/duo, it did get a coule skeptical eyebrows. Ignore those, read it anyway.
The Winner’s Kiss, by Marie Rutkoski
Another book 3/trilogy ended. Winner’s Kiss surprised me in a lot of ways. One issue I have with my love of YA fiction and the trilogies it is full of is the overabundance of romantic drama and love triangles. On that front, the Winner’s trilogy made me nervous at times but book 3 brought it home safely. Kestrel and Arin have continued to be complicated characters as they struggle with that ever present real world problem: none of are mind readers (aka they have no idea what the other is thinking so drama and the story keep happening).
I kept thinking I had the story figured out, but the author kept it fresh and kept proving me wrong, which I always appreciate. I particularly enjoyed how she brought Kestrel and Arin’s story lines back together. That could have been handled a dozen different ways, even following the same vein she did, but I really enjoyed the one she chose.
On this, my only raised eyebrow is how the fate of one femme fatale and her lover didn’t have a larger impact on events. I won’t say more in case someone stumbles on this and gets spoilers (single person, this is for you).
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Other things on the horizon:
I also picked up The Rose & The Dagger, book 2 of Renée Ahdieh’s take on Arabian Nights recently, so that’s on the semi short list. Book 1 was enjoyable, but I bought it expecting a standalone so realizing there was more to come was a bit disheartening. (Some days you just want plots to be conclusive for crying out loud!)
And once again I have fallen behind on my Rick Riordan! I’m down 1 Norse and 1 Apollo, so maybe I’ll have a road trip soon as a good excuse to power through.
You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost), by Felicia Day
I’m halfway there! But I feel like I’ll read the second half in one sitting, so it’s been hard getting myself to start the second half.
Update: 12 hours later and I’ve already added one more. 10:42 12/11/16
Ignoring the fact that this isn’t about books, and that I haven’t posted in almost two years (side note – I found a draft post about 4+ books that’s mostly written so maybe I’ll finish it over Christmas?), this is as good a place as any to post my “Personal Commandments.”
Work has been a rollercoaster…always, and I’ve always known I have workaholic tendencies so now seemed like a good time to do the 21 Day “Know Yourself Better” project. It’s by Gretchen Rubin, maven of the Happier podcast that I listen to quite often as well as the book The Happiness Project that I hope to start in January. I’m hoping this helps refresh me a good bit, but more importantly keeps my job in perspective. “We’re selling soap and soup.” We’re not curing cancer people.
Ideally personal commandments help capture and distill your you-ness, and who you want to be. They are very different from person to person, and speak to your specific values and preferences. So here are mine, in no particular order (mostly):
Be on purpose.
Know that you’re weird. And everyone else is too.
Do the nice thing, you regret it when you don’t.
A thing you want to do is worth doing alone.
Talk less to say more.
Speak up and speak out when needed.
Let life be awkward.
Go easy.
There is always time if you want to find it.
Create or build every day.
Imagine others complexly.
I’m sure I’ll come back to this list and change a few of these, and slowly start enforcing an order on them, but this seems like a good place to start. I’ll agree with Gretchen and say like hers, my list is probably getting a bit long. If I had to narrow it down, I’d probably choose “Be on purpose” and “Go easy” for reasons I don’t want to unpack today. But writing this is more than I’ve done in a while, so I’ll call it a success. Cheers to day 1, on to day2.
I feel it’s relevant to say, that although I haven’t posted in 7 months, I actually re-read Red Rising(by Pierce Brown) last night, in honor of Golden Son‘s release this week (mine arrives Monday) and I’m just too excited.
Here’s a book I’ve been meaning to tell you about for old time’s sake. I read it shortly after Red Rising (the first time).
Rating: Good and fun! (It’s been too long for numbers.)
Basic Summary:Civilization resides on the back of a giant turtle, with a big ol’ tree growing in the middle. Survival depends on taking care of the turtle, so it can flee your enemies, and not having any more kids than necessary, so you don’t weigh the turtle down. But things attack the turtle in the water too.
My Thoughts: This book was so odd. And it was lovely! It didn’t push the weirdness too far (in my opinion), it was an odd philosophical premise, but the story is otherwise grounded in a very simple and straightforward narrative. With just a few changes, it wouldn’t be difficult to imagine this as the story of a boy living in a little cottage dreaming of being a knight.
So Tenjat, our protagonist, lives on the turtle with his sister and a decent amount of other folk. Their parents died in the mysterious circumstances that led them to this particular small turtle town (key plot point). Tenjat wants to be a Handler, so he won’t be left with the embarrassing fate of marrying and needing to have his own children to take care of him in old age. Why add to the (physical) burden their sick turtle has to deal with, when instead he could be a Handler and fight the things in the water that attack the turtle and will lead to its death?
For unknown reasons, his sister opposes his quest to join the Handlers. Of course he does it anyway, and he shows some oddly remarkable traits. That just so happen to match the oddly remarkable traits of the only female handler. Because there are some things only men can do, and some things only women can do. Except, on a few of these, when it comes to them.
The book gets into some odd philosophical things (nothing preachy), and just creates such a well-envisioned world. It’s never heavy deep, and honestly a light read that kind of carries you along.
Bonus Section: Wikipedia article on the talking point that the Universe is on the back of a giant turtle, who is on another turtle, etc. Don’t worry, in Drift there is only one layer of turtles.
The Wrap-Up: An odd delight that sticks with me, even though I read it many moons ago. Try it out if you’re looking to mix things up, or if you’re in a rut.
So while I’ve done good work on my reading list, I’ve done an atrocious job on reviewing. That all changes now. For at least tonight. On to the latest book!
Red Rising, by Pierce Brown
Rating: 9/10
Basic Summary: In a caste society, divided by color, Darrow is a lowly Red. To his people falls the arduous task of mining the depths of Mars for a gas that will make its atmosphere, and that of other planets, safe. (Even we know the Earth is falling out of vogue.) Darrow is a Helldiver, one of the more dangerous jobs for miners, letting him get up close and personal with the ugly guts of Mars. He’s fine with his life, and being a good Red. He knows, a few generation from now, his descendants will reap the benefits of his hard labor, and be celebrated among their people when Mars has a breathable atmosphere.
Except, oh yeah, that happened a few hundred years ago and they decided not to tell the Reds. And now Darrow is out to return the injustice and stomp some skulls.
Darrow gets involved with the Sons of Ares, a force of rebellion that wants to use him for ultimate revenge. They’ll help him become a Gold, one of the highest castes, and attend the Institute, where favor and power are won, and of course lives are lost.
My Thoughts: LOVED, loved, loved this book. In all fairness, I first read it because of this Buzzfeed article hyping it. Now that I look at it again, I didn’t even finish it. I read part, downloaded the Kindle sample, then got it from the library. It was destiny. Also, despite all the comparisons to YA novels, this is actually categorized as Adult Fiction. In case you’re weird about your image.
The blurb on the front compares this book to Ender’s Game, and the Hunger Games. And you can see both the influences. It has the calculation of Ender’s Game, and the slaughter-ness of Hunger Games. You see a lot of traditional dystopian themes throughout, yet it still feels very original.
Darrow has his own reasons for rebellion and struggle, and unlike Ender or Katniss who discovered their deep passion very late in their stories, Darrow is on fire from the almost the beginning of his story. He is calculating, he is emotional, he’s awesome to read. With so many dystopian novels, it’s all about the character’s psychology. Brown does not disappoint.
Bonus Section: Darrow is also a ginger (well, in the beginning).
Movie rights have already been sold to Universal, AND Brown wrote the script (he’s been a page at NBC and living in LA for a while now). Book two, Golden Son, comes out in January, with one more book to follow.
Also, Pierce Brown is a cutie. Ladies 😉
I ran into author Terry Brooks at a signing recently (look for his Shannara works to become a TV show on MTV in the future. Weird but cool.), he vouched for the awesomeness of Brown’s work, and his character. And his dashing good looks, just saying 😉
The Wrap-Up: If you like dystopian books, if you like good writing, good stories, or a good trilogy, you need to check this out. Be crazy, read the book before the movie even has a poster on IMDb! I’ll be re-reading this one, and soon.
So towards the beginning of this blog, I reviewedShadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, because you see Siege and Storm was about to come out and I needed to get pumped. It was worth the wait. I love this series so much, I cannot begin to tell you. I tried learning Russian for about 10 seconds because of it (I still want to learn it, but I swear each word is a minimum of 10 syllables. I’m gonna need a human instructor). I had intended to review this right after, but I wanted to leave you breathing/reading room, and then life was like BOOM. So.
If you’re wary of spoilers, you can go start with the Shadow and Bone review here. Anywho, back to the magic.
Basic Summary: One thing I love (and hate) about these books is that prior to the release the first five chapters are available as a free Kindle sample. I love it, because I like samples. The first one got me to get out of bed and physically drive to B&N to buy a copy. The second one is the reason I also hate them. Because I read it before the book released, and it was SO GOOD. So much action. So much adventure. And then the drama, the betrayals, the anarchy! Seriously, I just double checked to make sure I wasn’t overselling the first five, and I now I want to read it again.
Back to the summary.
At the end of Shadow and Bone, Alina (the Sun Summoner) and her best friend/hey-I-love-you-too Mal were fleeing the Darkling. They found Morozova’s stag, what was thought to be a mythical creature and powerful amplifier, only to be recaptured by the Darkling. The Darkling takes control of the Amplifier, using it to tether Alina, and just when everything seems hopeless she manages to escape and save Mal. Victory!
Start book 2, Alina and Mal are running away from Ravka, hoping to hide and save their lives. Of course, the Darkling can’t just let them escape that easily. Granted, his ploy for the ultimate thrown in Ravka didn’t go that smoothly, but he continues to pursue her. Alina ends up back in Ravka with Mal and the intriguing Sturmhound, a pirate/privateer and much more than he seems. Reunited with the forces of Ravka, Alina tries to work with the powers that be to protect her home and fight the Darkling. Which gets a bit difficult for Mal to deal with. So add more fighting, chaos, anarchy, adventure, and a touch of drama.
(Definitions for the confused: The kingdom is called Ravka. There is a giant pitch black evil place called the Unsea that splits the kingdom and makes things difficult. It’s basically the Darkling’s fault. The Grisha practice “magic” through the small sciences, basically they manipulate matter, and it’s a skill you’re born with. Grishas all have a specific talent area. Summoning, usually wind, fire, or water. Alina and the Darkling are the only ones with power over light/darkness. Heartrending and healers & bodily stuff like stopping hearts. Fabrikators, who have crazy weird building skills often involving explosives. The Darkling has been the leader of the Grisha, aka the Second Army. They work loosely with the First Army, made of normal soldiers. Technically he reports to the King, but he finds a way to do what he wants. Amplifiers magnify a Grisha’s power. They’re usually the bones of an animal or something. Whoever kills the animal controls the wearer of the amplifier. Not all amplifiers are created equal.)
My Thoughts: So much happens in this book. Sometimes you want to shake Alina, other times you want to applaud her. She’s come along way from the sickly cartographer in the First Army of book one, and it’s not always an easy transition for her. As usual, you want to punch characters for being stupid. Which they are. If there is anything books have taught me, it’s that communication can solve most fights. Suck it up and tell the truth people. They probably agree. It’s a bit scary to see how power transforms Alina at certain points, when you think of how annoyingly doe-eyed she could be in the first book. She definitely tries to be strong and bear her own cross though, and tries it until it’s almost too late.
I await book 3 with crazed excitement, and a bit of sadness. A series this complex and original is a sad thing to end. Maybe Leigh Bardugo will continue to write in this world…maybe.
Bonus Section: As I mentioned in the first review, this story has a heavy Russian influence. Which is rare in Western lit, especially if it’s not about Soviet spies. Leigh also has a few short folk stories she’s created for the series, and they are to die for. Read ’em here: The Witch of Duva and The Too Clever Fox
And, if you tweet at her, @lbardugo will often respond 🙂
The Wrap-Up: If you like YA, and you need something actiony yet non-dystopian to mix it up, check this out. And please love it. Because it’s great. I own it as an eBook, because I couldn’t wait for a hardcopy/an area store to have it, and as a hardback, because the cover art is delightful, and this is a series I’ll be re-reading.
We’ll get to the review in a minute, but first, Happy 2014! Many exciting things are going to happen, because I want them to happen and more often than we realize that is all that it takes.
Jon Acuff is trying to make everyone have a better year with his “Empty Shelf Challenge.” The idea is that you go clear off an entire shelf, and you read enough books to fill it by the end of the year. If you do a lot of eBooks or library books, you can track them all on Good Reads too. Here’s my shelf, virtual and real with the first book:
Thanks to a friend I’ve recently had the chance to get to know better, my short-term reading list is huge. We’re talking:
Wise Man’s Fear, by Patrich Rothfuss (Actually just finished)
The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern (reread)
Ted Dekker’s Circle series
Black
Red
White
Green
Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury (reread)
The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
Catch-22, by Joseph Heller
The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green
Looking for Alaska, by John Green
The Shadow Lamp, by Stephen R. Lawhead
The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt
Left Behind Book #1 (the jury is still out on whether I’ll try the whole series)
Sherlock and the Needle’s Eye, by Len Bailey
Some of these I may change my mind about, and there are still others I have to read that are yet to make the shortlist. In the mean time, here’s the first review of 2014:
Basic Summary:Now a nondescript innkeeper, Kvothe (I just pronounce it Kuh-vohth) tells the story of his rise to legend. His childhood traveling in an acting troupe is kind of surprising since he goes on to be known as Kvothe the Bloodless, Kvothe the Arcane, and Kvothe Kingkiller. Suffice it to say, tragedy, shocking magic, pseudo-magic science, grudges, The Girl, action.
My Thoughts: I will admit, this story starts a little slow and the books are huge (Over 700 for this book, and 1000+ for book two). That being said, it keeps a good pace; if your book is this size, the story cannot be a sprint. The slowness comes from the transition from present to past, and goes away once you get a feel for the story’s style. If you like fantasy and are okay with spending a good while with a book, pick this one up. Just realize book three doesn’t have a set release date.
The way magic is handled in this book I really enjoy. The Amazon description calls Kvothe a magician, and while that is probably warranted, it makes it seem like magicians and wizards and such are running a muck all throughout this world and they most definitely are not. Kvothe wants to go to the University and become an Arcanist, and they use various forms of “magic” to create little odds and ends like flameless lights, something that seems like a refridgerator, etc. There are magical creatures and some typical magic on occasion, but overall it’s really not that majestic. But in a good way!
Bonus Section: Kvothe’s a ginger.
Also, this author really knows how to turn a phrase. It doesn’t jump out at you all the time, but he has amazing descriptive powers. Just wait until you get to the description of meeting The Girl. It’s spectacular, without being overly sappy or badly romanced.
The Wrap-Up: If you like fantasy and adventure, and you’re looking for a long story that can also inflict blunt force trauma, try The Name of the Wind. Orson Scott Card loves it too.
Basic Summary: Starting with The Skin Map, Kit Livingstone is trying to take a shortcut to meet his cranky girlfriend Wilhelmina when he accidentally walks through a ley line and meets his long-lost Great Grandfather Cosimo, who is looking rather spry for a man of 125 years. They have tea in a rustic seaside town (somehow just minutes from the modern London alley Kit was trying to cut through), Kit decides he must be hallucinating in some way, then heads straight to his girlfriend’s flat to apologize for being maybe 30 minutes late. Thing is, it’s been eight hours. Desperate to prove he’s not THAT crazy, he takes her back to the ley line, walks through it, and instead of following him Mina ends up somewhere else entirely. And chaos ensues.
As you get into the depths of things, you learn of the Skin Map, created by Arthur Flinders-Petrie and tattooed on his very body (hence the skin part), and Burley’s men who seek to find all the pieces of the map as well. Because the Skin Map is thought to hold not only a map of ley lines and where they lead, but a secret so great it will change even the Ley Leaper’s understanding of the universe. The secret has been lost to time, as has most of the map. Why was it cut into pieces? Why are they hidden across worlds? Whatever happened to Arthur himself, and why is Burley after his secrets?
My Thoughts:I first read Lawhead’s King Raven Trilogy, which follows a version of Robin Hood. That series started slow and really picked up, but this series starts quicker and keeps a fairly even pace. The books are written with fairly passive voice, so it doesn’t always feel action packed despite the events transpiring. That said, I can be 30% into a book and think I must be halfway because so many events have taken place (that’s the mystery of reading on Kindle!). Despite the sometimes surprisingly slow pace, I’ve really enjoyed these stories. The book starts with Kit whining about how frustrating things are with Mina (Wilhelmina, who he lost on the ley line), so it was really interesting to later read from her perspective and hear basically the same things about Kit.
The narrative is woven in a very interesting way, with occasional flashbacks to provide back story. This gets a little confusing at times though, because through ley travel they often visit versions of Earth in a different time period. All the switching back and forth can confuse the reader on the sequence of events at times, which just got confounded by events in The Spirit Well even more. On the bright side, the characters share some of my confusion at that point so maybe the author is being intentional so we don’t get too far ahead of the characters. I’m very intrigued by how Lawhead has continued bringing a few new characters in throughout, but, despite the necessary repeat of certain information and events, things don’t feel episodic at all.
Early on in the books, Kit gets separated from his great grandfather as well, which leads to more chaos. I’m pretty pleased with this, as there are more trial-by-fire situations and learning on the go rather than lecture after lecture. Another fun theme is that there is no such thing as a coincidence. The characters aren’t sure if everything is ordained and controlled or if everything can be turned for the greater good, but they know that in every situation they stand a chance. No matter how dark, something good may come of it if they just look for it.
Bonus Section/Disclaimer:As it says in the “About” page, I sometimes get books for free from Netgalley/via the publishers, in hopes I’ll write a review. I received The Spirit Well this way, but I bought the other two books on sale. That being said, book 1 The Skin Map is only $1.99 for the Kindle edition at the moment. That’s the best price to try anything at, well, almost.
The Wrap-Up: This book has a much stronger religious presence than the King Raven Trilogy did, but that is really necessitated by the subject matter. If you discovered an other-worldly travel system linking all sorts of artifacts from different ages and religions, it would cause you to question everything you knew about creation, wouldn’t it? That being said, it’s often less a discourse than a declaration of faith.
Got questions? Did you read it? Are you gonna read it? Leave a comment to back me up, or save others from my lies. (Then click “follow” at the bottom of the site, because it will help me get books from more well-known authors in the future.)
Oh, the shame. It’s been more than two months since last I posted, and that’s not because I haven’t been reading. Life has been very…eventful of late. I have definitely been making time for books though, so this post will be full of random reviews, as October was with YA Dystopian Trilogy Book 3s.
Also, all book title links will take you to the Amazon Kindle book page, for the purpose of getting to the sample ASAP. I’m a huge fan of Kindle samples. But you’re still encouraged to consider your local bookstore (even if it’s a chain) like Nightbird Books.
House of Hades, by Rick Riordan – Heroes of Olympus Series (Series spoilers below)
I have no shame about loving all the Percy Jackson books. They are silly and fun and adventurous and magical. They are definitely written for a middle school audience. Riordan admits it, he writes for the audience he knows and taught for years. It pains me that now I’ve aged to the point where some of the middle school humor grates on my nerves. But despite that, the characters are growing up and the stories are gaining appropriate depth. In this story, as Percy and Annabeth journey through Tartarus, Percy is forced to look at his past in a new light. He has sent many monsters back there without a thought, and left a great many people behind out of indifference. Percy is forced to grow up a little and come to terms with some not-so-heroic moments in his past.
If the ending of The Hunger Games upset you, this series is not for you. I’ve gotta give the author credit, she’s not afraid of making crazy/tough choices. In this YA dystopian world, future Chicago (I think) is divided into five factions. Each faction is constructed around whatever they think caused the war. Those who blame selfishness become the selfless of Abegnation, those who blame ignorance because the education-obsessed Erudite, etc. etc. Watch the movie trailer below if you want an extensive breakdown. Below the trailer there will be series spoilers.
In the wrap-up to this series, we finally get to read many sections from Four’s point of view, rather than just hearing from him in the bonus scenes Veronica Roth would write. Four and Tris are not on the best of terms with the new government, formed by a tenuous relationship between the Factionless and the rebels. Frustrated with the betrayals deals being cut, they decide to escape the city with a few friends, and go find the people who created their civilization. As soon as they step outside the city, they see people they never expected to see again, and learn that nothing is what they thought. New causes to fight for, new serums to disgust you, new twists to confuddle you, it’s an insane ride. …have a happy book lined up to read next.
For additional background and a lack of series spoilers, you can check out my review of the first book, Enclave, from back in June.
Ann Agguire’s dystopian land is very enjoyable to me, because it’s based on as much fact as possible. She’s classified as a sci-fi writer, but she doesn’t rely on the type of science that powers Star Wars and lets the Millennium Falcon make the Kessel Run in under 12 parsecs. (I love Star Wars anyway.) In her acknowledgements she links to facts and resources she used to make fairly educated guesses at how life would be. Somethings in this one are a little more fantastical, in my mind, but it’s built on a rock so I don’t care.
We pick up right were Outpost left off, Deuce, Fade and crew are running from the outpost to a neighboring settlement to try and gain assistance against the horde of thousands of mutie freaks threatening to overwhelm them. They arrive just in time to save some of the villagers, but not all. In their new militant home, Deuce is once again treated like a child. Frustrated, she switches into beast mode and with Fade, Striker and Tegsn, she gathers a few allies to go out and take the fight to the Freaks. And epicness/chaos ensues. A good read. Good storytelling.
Wrapping up the Legend Trilogy, I was very excited and anxious for this book. At this point, I had finished several YA dystopian trilogies (and re-read the majority of the book 2s), I cringed at the sight of love triangles, and worried how this one could end much differently than my first assumptions. Marie Lu does not disappoint. Day and June are getting pulled this way and that after Day makes the shocking decision to support the Republic’s government after their return from the Colonies. After not speaking for months, their relationship is forced and June has no idea about the serious medical problems threatening Day’s life. Peace negotiations with the Colonies fall through after a new plague begins sweeping through the front lines. The Elector begs Day to let his little brother Eden be used to help find the cure, but chaos ensues and time starts to run out as Day’s illness gets worse, the Colonies start to invade, and in general, all hell breaks loose. And Marie Lu’s ending is so artfully executed, it’s wonderful and to die for.
As for my general reads:
The Gemma Doyle Trilogy, by Libba Bray
Unlike the other trilogies above, which I was wrapping up, I hadn’t read any of the Gemma Doyle Trilogy before. I blame the cover art. It looks like a sappy teen romance. I stayed up until 3 a.m. reading these books. By the third book, I had gained enough will-power (and fear of the ending) to read it over multiple days, but not so for the first two. The story follows Gemma Doyle and the friends she makes at finishing school following her mother’s death. With some kind of magic brewing up in her, Gemma has to figure out right from wrong, who to trust, why to act and more as they journey into the realms and meet the tribes there. The girls make many stupid choices. Some that could not have been helped, and others that make you want to slap them. It’s an interesting cross between the serious decisions facing them in the realms, and the frivolous choices of their London-focused existence that will still define their futures. Throughout it all, the girls are all looking for their own form of power in the end of the 1800s world that wants them to have none.
Note: This book has almost nothing in common with the movie. Pretend the movie is called Edwin Enchanted. Ella Enchanted has been one of my favorite books since middle school, and it’s still a lovely read at 22. When Ella was born, a fairy but a curse on her that she would always be obedient, and obey every command given to her. After the death of her mother, her father (who knows nothing of the curse) sends her to finishing school and worse in his selfish pursuits. This Cinderella re-telling is delightful and gorgeous and everything lovely, with a heroine who is silly, headstrong, smart, and determined. I recommend this book to anyone, but especially any young princesses who need a story with gumption.
The Broken Empire Trilogy, by Mark Lawrence
I’m not going to say much about these books, except that they are dark and at times quite twisted. Make no mistake, the main character Jorg has evil to his bones. They’re well written and the story is well constructed, but I spent the first two books worried that certain redeeming events wouldn’t come to pass, and that I would have wasted so much time on such an undeserving and thankless character. I was not displeased when done, but what I’m trying to say is this is not a feel good story. This is dark fantasy, with a character willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants, and a few more evil things just because it pleases him. It’s definitely a departure from my normal reading, and an interesting look into a dark and twisted mind. Content considerations: violence, assualt, more violence.
Some basic plot details: At 14, Jorg has set out to destroy his uncle (for the murder of his mother and younger brother), and then anyone who stands in his way of being king and then ending the war of the Hundred (kingdoms). Set in a future Europe where nuclear war destroyed our civilization (we’re the Builders) centuries before, remnants of mankind go on living in the wreckage like medieval times with a whole host of ghosts, spirits, necromancers and the like as company. The story’s explanations of these things are nice, I assure you.
I loved Stroud for the Bartimaeus books, about a snarky djinni and a young magician in training. It was delightful and thrilling, and kept me so very intrigued. Lightwood & Co. is not quite so action packed and thrilling. Don’t get me wrong, it has plenty of excitement, danger, and adventure, but it’s written for more of a potentially long series arc, whereas as most of the Bartimaeus books built to a big conclusion over just a few books.
In Lockwood & Co., over the last 50 years there has been a large number of ghost sightings and hauntings, including poltergeists. And who should be most sensitive and able to hear these spirits but children of course. As you grow older, your “psychic sensitivity” fades, and now strict curfews are enforced while tweens and teens act as security patrols and detectives, setting out to capture and release (from our world) the dangerous spirits. Lockwood himself is at times frustrating. Maybe too smart, maybe too stupid. At times Stroud uses him for dramatic reveals and information dumps. While they usually aren’t tedious, it would be nice to be able to figure out more of the information and pick up the clues ourselves, rather than find out Lockwood has known for chapters and chapters and withheld information that would help the reader draw their own conclusions. Still, the book was a great read that kept me up until 3, and I happily await the next installment.
That was exhausting. And now I have about 10 other books on my “Read ASAP” list. I’ll try to blog sooner rather than lady, but, by golly, Christmas is coming! So you’ll just have to wait and see.
Basic Summary:An ex-military down-on-his-luck Private Investigator investigates the apparent suicide of a famous model with some help from his temp secretary, at the request of a childhood acquaintance.
My Thoughts: I’ll admit I’m probably rating this more harshly because I read it knowing J.K. Rowling was the author. I also don’t normally read detective novels. Mysteries, sure, unofficial investigators, definitely. People that know what they’re doing? Gross!
That being said, you can tell JKR is the author. Every character has the depth of description that made the Harry Potter universe so amazing. I enjoyed the book, still her same quality of writing. However, I had trouble following at times. Maybe it’s because I’m not accustomed to detective novels, or at least British novels that don’t spoon feed as easily. But I would read a section, and then Strike (the PI) would have the most confusing conclusions. I was very interested in the story as it progressed, and there was enough information to let me draw my own conclusions as to who it might be and also mostly discredit them.
Strike is not a stupid character, but he’s also not all-knowing. We see into enough of his personal life for us to understand how it both clouds and sharpens his judgement. And for it to be clear JKR was leaving the door open for a series. It’s definitely worth reading if Harry Potter made you a devout Rowling fan, and you want to follow her work. That being said, I’m not at all interested in trying or recommending The Casual Vacancy.
Unrelated to this novel, but have you heard about JKR’s plans to pen the screenplay for Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them! It’s set in the same universe as HP, but it’s not related to the series. Part of the excitement for JKR at least is the chance to try her hand at screenwriting. i am so excited!! Anyone who wants to say this is a blatant cash grab can suck it. Yes, the studios may be doing that, but JKR wouldn’t stand for her beautiful universe to be made hideous. At least, after she saw the first couple HP movies I hope she wouldn’t 🙂 My opinion: It’s only a cash grab if it sucks. Disney’s Planes, now that’s a cash grab. And JKR likes to donate her fame and fortune to charitable causes.
The Wrap-Up: Have you read any of JK Rowling’s other works? What do you think?
So while I’ve done good work on my reading list, I’ve done an atrocious job on reviewing. That all changes now. For at least tonight. On to the latest book!
Except, oh yeah, that happened a few hundred years ago and they decided not to tell the Reds. And now Darrow is out to return the injustice and stomp some skulls.
Darrow has his own reasons for rebellion and struggle, and unlike Ender or Katniss who discovered their deep passion very late in their stories, Darrow is on fire from the almost the beginning of his story. He is calculating, he is emotional, he’s awesome to read. With so many dystopian novels, it’s all about the character’s psychology. Brown does not disappoint.
Wrapping up the Legend Trilogy, I was very excited and anxious for this book. At this point, I had finished several YA dystopian trilogies (and re-read the majority of the book 2s), I cringed at the sight of love triangles, and worried how this one could end much differently than my first assumptions. Marie Lu does not disappoint. Day and June are getting pulled this way and that after Day makes the shocking decision to support the Republic’s government after their return from the Colonies. After not speaking for months, their relationship is forced and June has no idea about the serious medical problems threatening Day’s life. Peace negotiations with the Colonies fall through after a new plague begins sweeping through the front lines. The Elector begs Day to let his little brother Eden be used to help find the cure, but chaos ensues and time starts to run out as Day’s illness gets worse, the Colonies start to invade, and in general, all hell breaks loose. And Marie Lu’s ending is so artfully executed, it’s wonderful and to die for.
The Pillow Fortress Review 