tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61176170236707085682024-03-13T19:40:21.390-07:00Rouquine ReadsBooks, mostly.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117617023670708568.post-5126778324853891852016-01-09T14:22:00.000-08:002016-01-09T14:27:12.530-08:00The Wizard's Promise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1392796142l/17790234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1392796142l/17790234.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
<i>From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Wizards-Promise-Strange-Chemistry/dp/1908844744" target="_blank">Amazon</a>:</i><br />
<i>Hanna has spent her life hearing about the adventures of her namesake
Ananna, the lady pirate, and assassin Naji. She dreams of the same
adventures, but little does she know she is about to tumble into one of
her own. Hanna is apprenticed to a taciturn fisherman called Kolur, and,
during a day of storms and darkness, are swept wildly off course. <br />In
this strange new land, Kolur hires a stranger to join the crew and,
rather than heading home, sets a course for the dangerous island of
Jadanvar. As Hanna meets a secretive merboy, and learns that Kolur has a
deadly past, she soon realises that wishing for adventures is a
dangerous game - because those wishes might come true.</i><br />
<br />
My Thoughts:<br />
First of all-I love this cover so so much.<br />
<br />
I also really enjoyed Clarke's other series? duology? starting with <u>The Assassin's Curse</u> (read 2012, sequel read in 2013). This takes place in the same universe and stars the daughter of someone who knew the protagonist in that series.<br />
<br />
Anyways. The Wizard's Promise is about a young potential Wind Witch who is also a fisherman's apprentice who is whisked away on an adventure when her master finds it necessary to storm an old lover's wedding and stop her from marrying a villain. Of course, in this book, they haven't yet made it that far. In fact this book mostly focuses on the trials of sailing so far north, and the falling out between Kolur and Hanna before she ultimately decides to help him in his quest in addition to a powerful witch and the North Wind. Needless to say, I am eagerly anticipating the follow up. <br />
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Rating: ***1/2Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117617023670708568.post-6446980139980380642016-01-08T11:50:00.003-08:002016-01-08T11:50:58.213-08:00The Adjacent<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.scifinow.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/The-Adjacent-Christopher-Priest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.scifinow.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/The-Adjacent-Christopher-Priest.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<i>From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Adjacent-Christopher-Priest/dp/1783292172/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452281110&sr=8-1&keywords=the+adjacent" target="_blank">Amazon</a>: </i><br />
<i>In the near future, Tibor Tarent, a freelance photographer, is recalled
from Anatolia to Britain when his wife, an aid worker, is
killed—annihilated by a terrifying weapon that reduces its target to a
triangular patch of scorched earth.<br /><br />A century earlier, Tommy
Trent, a stage magician, is sent to the Western Front on a secret
mission to render British reconnaissance aircraft invisible to the
enemy.<br /><br />Present day. A theoretical physicist develops a new method
of diverting matter, a discovery with devastating consequences that
will resonate through time.</i><br />
<br />
My Thoughts:<br />
To be honest, I have no idea what happened in this book. I mean. I can give you details and what superficially happened. But I don't know what's going on. Are all the storylines echos of a single event? Multiverses? Retellings of the same event? With that said, while frustrating, I really enjoyed The Adjacent. Don't know what's happening-but it was an enjoyable and puzzling experience. There are also more storylines than the summary indicates...and the Tommy Trent one is a rather small part though magic is a common thread-as is flying-as is photography. <br />
<br />
Rating: ****Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117617023670708568.post-68329006676313268282016-01-05T13:03:00.000-08:002016-01-06T13:09:19.281-08:00The Master Magician (The Paper Magician Series)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://charlienholmberg.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Holmberg-TheMasterMagician-19817-CV-FT-V4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://charlienholmberg.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Holmberg-TheMasterMagician-19817-CV-FT-V4.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Master-Magician-Paper/dp/1477828699/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452114172&sr=8-1&keywords=master+magician" target="_blank">Amazon</a>: <br />
<div id="iframeContent">
Throughout her studies, Ceony Twill has
harbored a secret, one she’s kept from even her mentor, Emery Thane.
She’s discovered how to practice forms of magic other than her own—an
ability long thought impossible.<br />
While all seems set for Ceony to
complete her apprenticeship and pass her upcoming final magician’s exam,
life quickly becomes complicated. To avoid favoritism, Emery sends her
to another paper magician for testing, a Folder who despises Emery and
cares even less for his apprentice. To make matters worse, a murderous
criminal from Ceony’s past escapes imprisonment. Now she must track the
power-hungry convict across England before he can take his revenge. With
her life and loved ones hanging in the balance, Ceony must face a
criminal who wields the one magic that she does not, and it may prove
more powerful than all her skills combined.<br />
The whimsical and captivating follow-up to <i>The Paper Magician</i> and <i>The Glass Magician</i>, <i>The Master Magician</i> will enchant readers of all ages.<br />
<br />
My Thoughts:<br />
This is the final book in a trilogy. A short book, a mere 200 or so pages. But it is packed with adventure, tension, and a satisfying conclusion! Our protagonist Ceony is finally preparing to take her exam to become a Magician (in Folding naturally), after two years of apprenticeship and two novels. Unfortunately a criminal who has already made attempts on her life escapes en route to his execution and causes a bit of an obsession for Ceony. While she should be preparing for her exam, she instead seeks out this murderer multiple times and dabbles in non-Folding magics that should be forbidden to her. Sounds exciting, right? All in all, an enjoyable conclusion to a great (middle grade?) trilogy! I will definitely pick up Holmberg's newest book once it goes on sale since she can clearly write some enjoyable and easy young adult (?) fantasy!<br />
<br />
Rating: ***<br />
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117617023670708568.post-42889110583364255082016-01-03T17:43:00.000-08:002016-01-04T07:49:02.423-08:00No Sweat: How the Simple Science of Motivation Can Bring You a Lifetime of Fitness<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/515HXWATRTL._SX332_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/515HXWATRTL._SX332_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/No-Sweat-Science-Motivation-Lifetime/dp/0814434851" target="_blank">Amazon</a> says:</i><br />
<div style="margin-top: 0;">
<b>Selected as the #1 book in diet/exercise for 2015 by USA Best Book Awards.</b> </div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-top: 0;">
We start out with the best intentions. We're going to exercise more and
get in shape! Then five days a week at the gym turns into two... then
becomes none. We hit the snooze button and skip the morning run. </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0;">
</div>
<div style="margin-top: 0;">
We really do want to be healthy and fit, but we're over whelmed and
overextended—and exercise feels like another chore to complete. Is it
any wonder we don't stick with it? </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0;">
</div>
<div style="margin-top: 0;">
Behavior expert Michelle Segar has devoted her career to the science of motivation. In <b><i>No</i> <i>Sweat</i></b>,
she reveals that while "better health" or "weight loss" sound like
strong incentives, human beings are hardwired to choose immediate
gratification over delayed benefits. In other words, we're not going to
exercise unless it makes us happy right now. </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0;">
</div>
<div style="margin-top: 0;">
So what's the solution? To achieve lasting fitness, we have to change our minds—before we can change our bodies. In <b><i>No Sweat</i></b>,
Segar shows us how. Translating twenty years of research on exercise
and motivation into a simple four-point program, she helps readers
broaden their definition of exercise, find pleasure in physical
activity, and discover realistic ways to fit it into their lives.
Activities we enjoy, we repeat—making this evidence-based system more
sustainable in the long run than a regimen of intense workouts. Even if
we don't sweat, we really benefit. </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0;">
</div>
<div style="margin-top: 0;">
The success of the clients Segar has coached testifies to the power of
her program. Their stories punctuate the book, entertaining and
emboldening readers to break the cycle of exercise failure once and for
all. Getting in shape has never been so easy—or so much fun. </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0;">
<i>My Thoughts:</i></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0;">
While the many conclusions of this book seem rather intuitive and maybe even obvious, I did enjoy the emphasis on Meaning and Permission when it comes to fitness and self-care. Segar emphasizes low-impact, informal, and joyful movement in small increments for a lifetime-arguing that it still adds up to more than a few weeks of high-intensity followed by a lifetime of inactivity, burnout, and guilt. Which is probably true, and I'm sure resonates with most people. I'm the asshole who likes high-intensity, highly structured workouts so this didn't really appeal to me and I admit it made me realize a silly bias....because that just didn't seem like "real exercise." This type of misconception or socialized expectation of what exercise should look like is a large part of Segar's discussion on basically overthrowing our societal and personal paradigms of what constitutes "real" fitness and what we "should" be doing versus what would bring us joy, fuel our lives, and improve our relationships with ourselves and others. I want to keep this review short (so I can keep up the habit of reviewing...definitely in line with Segar's philosphy!) but I did enjoy this bit of fitness motivation and do intend to incorporate her process into my own life!<br />
<br />
<i>Rating (Nonfiction): </i>***<br />
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117617023670708568.post-1171922608448991912016-01-03T08:45:00.002-08:002016-01-03T08:45:42.699-08:002016 Goals1. 120 books!<br />
2. At least 12 non-fiction! Doesn't have to be academic-could be makeup or self-help or whatever!<br />
3. At least a cursory review of each!<br />
4. GET THROUGH THE TBR<br />
5. Have fun! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117617023670708568.post-57733086837046048582015-12-09T04:34:00.001-08:002015-12-09T04:35:05.266-08:00Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316635864l/8694389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316635864l/8694389.jpg" height="320" width="215" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Author</b>: Catherynne M. Valente<br />
<b>Title</b>: Deathless<br />
<b>Themes</b>: love, power, humanity, war, death<br />
<br />
<b>Plot</b>: From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Deathless-Catherynne-M-Valente/dp/0765326310/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449663457&sr=8-1&keywords=deathless" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Twentieth-century Russian history provides a background for Valente's
lush reimagining of folkloric villain Koschei the Deathless and his
dalliance with Marya Morevna, a clever but troubled young woman. After
Koschei sweeps Marya away from her family's home in St.
Petersburg-Petrograd-Leningrad, Baba Yaga assigns her three tasks that
will make her worthy of marrying Koschei. As she spends more time in
Koschei's Country of Life, Marya starts to become too much like her
unearthly lover, until naïve Ivan Nikolayevich helps her regain her
humanity (as well as the sympathy of the reader). Valente's lush
language and imagery add to the magic and fundamentally Russian nature
of the story, drawing pointed parallels between the Soviet Union's
turmoil and the endless war between Koschei and his brother, Viy.
Readers used to the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault will find this
tale peculiar but enchanting.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.afantasticallibrarian.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/catvalente-deathless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.afantasticallibrarian.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/catvalente-deathless.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a><b>My Thoughts</b>: Reading <u>Deathless</u> was a revelation for me. It was my first Valente (certainly not my last) and it shocked me. I devoured this disturbing, sensual, and beautiful re-imagined folktale. I can't say that there is a single likable character in the whole novel...with a cast ranging from humans, spirits, demi-gods (??), and seasons. But they are compelling. The imagery alone is fantastic-Marya lives in a human world full of twelve mothers, red scarves, and house spirits. Then she is transported (it's a long trip including trials and feasts which is an unnerving and delightful sequence in itself) to the land of Life which is populated by spirits, living architecture, and the unending struggle against Death and his kingdom.<br />
<br />
In addition to the bold and bizarre world-building, Marya enters into marriage with Life, who puts on skin to please her. The exploration of an open marriage and bdsm is intriguing though certainly not the main focus of the novel. This melding of Russian folklore is truly about war and loss and that all things End. I'm still not sure if I want to read all the fantastic elements of the story as an escapist fantasy from the realities of starving during a crumbling regime in mid-century Russia or as a wonderful surrealist dark fiction. <br />
<br />
<b>Rating</b>: ****1/2<br />
The only reason this doesn't have five stars is because I know this dark magical realism thing doesn't appeal to everyone. <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Similar Books</b>: Amazon recommends Gregory Maguire and Neil Gaiman and similar authors...but I am forced to disagree. Neither gets as grimy, dirty, dark, and transcendent as Valente does in Deathless. With that said, I really can't think of any similar reads off the top of my head. Oops. <br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117617023670708568.post-25969783171536590722015-12-08T23:46:00.004-08:002016-01-02T06:31:49.797-08:00Best of 2015God I'm inconsistent.<br />
Well here's a list. I do enjoy lists.<br />
<br />
<u>Best Books of 2015</u><br />
1. <b>Annihilation/Authority/Acceptance</b> by Jeff VanderMeer (is it overthetop to say lifechanging? these books haunt me. I was consumed by them when I read them in January...and am still obsessed now).<br />
2. <b>Moriarty</b> by Anthony Horowitz (enjoyed every step of the way)<br />
3. <b>Vicious</b> by V. E. Schwab (loved this spin on heroes/villains and the nemesis!)<br />
4. <b>Deathless </b>by Catherynne M. Valente (Valente has stolen my heart this year, can't wait to read more)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e5/Annihilation_by_jeff_vandermeer.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e5/Annihilation_by_jeff_vandermeer.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403941730l/18077769.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403941730l/18077769.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e5/Annihilation_by_jeff_vandermeer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403941730l/18077769.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a> <a href="http://therumpus.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/9780374104115_custom-eb2826e8ea36c725a8894da55b3dfe92a542aabe-s99-c85.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://therumpus.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/9780374104115_custom-eb2826e8ea36c725a8894da55b3dfe92a542aabe-s99-c85.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://therumpus.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/9780374104115_custom-eb2826e8ea36c725a8894da55b3dfe92a542aabe-s99-c85.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a> <br />
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1404412525l/22535533.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1404412525l/22535533.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1362495700l/13638125.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1362495700l/13638125.jpg" height="200" width="134" /></a><a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316635864l/8694389.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316635864l/8694389.jpg" height="200" width="134" /></a> <br />
<br />
<u>Honorable Mentions</u><br />
1. <b>Tender Morsels</b> by Margo Lanagan (so good. Did do a mini review of this!)<br />
2. <b>The Lathe of Heaven</b> by Ursula K. Le Guin (Why did I only discover Le Guin this year?)<br />
3. <b>The Golem and the Jinni</b> by Helene Wecker (unexpected love but how could I resist a friendship/love story between a clay golem and a trapped jinni as immigrants during turn of the century New York?)<br />
4. <b>Skullcrack City</b> by Jeremy Robert Johnson (surreal New Weird madness. Love)<br />
5. <b>The Rook</b> by Daniel O'Malley (fun read!) <br />
<br />
* I did read <b>Station Eleven </b>and <b>Ready Player One</b> this year but found them just okay-good books but after the hype machine I was underwhelmed. I would recommend <b>Station Eleven</b>. <b>Ready Player One</b> only if you <i>love </i>the 1980s. <br />
<br />
<u>Notable Media</u><br />
<u>Music </u><br />
1. Rediscovered the music of my high school years...why hello <b>My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, </b>and<b> Panic! At the Disco</b>...I do still love you.<br />
2. Rock bands with female vocalists-<b>Halestorm, In This Moment, </b>and <b>The Pretty Reckless. </b><br />
3. <b>Gin Wigmore </b>and <b>July Talk</b>. I don't know why...but loving those raspy vocals.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ea/Blackparadecover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ea/Blackparadecover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<u>Movies</u><br />
1. <b>The Song of the Sea</b>. Amazing. I cried.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4f/Song_of_the_Sea_(2014_film)_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4f/Song_of_the_Sea_(2014_film)_poster.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<u>Television</u><br />
1. <b>Once Upon a Time</b>. For real this time.<br />
2. <b>The X Files</b>. Holy shit I'm ready for you January.
<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117617023670708568.post-87161683606657616562015-01-04T16:26:00.000-08:002015-01-04T16:26:43.271-08:00<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Y92ECYspL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Y92ECYspL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tender-Morsels-Margo-Lanagan-ebook/dp/B001FA0L0S/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1420417206&sr=8-2&keywords=margo+lanagan" target="_blank">Tender Morsels</a> by Margo Lanagan<br />
<br />
I <i>really</i> question the YA branding of Tender Morsels. That thought aside: brilliant, heartbreaking, beautiful, bittersweet re-imagining of Snow White and Rose Red, though the beginning also hints at some Donkeyskin themes (incest, rape) and the ending hints at a more Sleeping Beauty Evil Queen theme (a mother's jealousy). I wouldn't say this is an easy read, but it is certainly powerful and lyrical.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fifties-David-Halberstam-ebook/dp/B00AFVEYRY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420417489&sr=8-1&keywords=the+fifties" target="_blank">The Fifties</a> by David Halberstam<br />
<br />
An epic book that hopes to cover the whole of the American experience during the 1950s. Topics range from integration in schools/sports/etc. to Marilyn Monroe to Kennedy and Nixon's televised debate to the A bomb to Westinghouse commercials. I won't lie, this has taken me about 6 months to finish because it is not a book to sit and devour. I did find it a nice general overview of the period, obviously it could never go too in depth due to its scope. It was interesting and well written.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kill-Me-Softly-Sarah-Cross-ebook/dp/B005O0ZS12/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420417511&sr=8-1&keywords=kill+me+softly" target="_blank">Kill Me Softly</a> by Sarah Cross<br />
<br />
I read this for the promise of a "fairy tale mash up" and was happy to find Bluebeard as the main story. It's YA so of course insta-love ensues (must be hard to fall FOR SERIOUS in love successively with two guys, who happen to be brothers, within a week....) as well as really illogical decisions. While it was a quick read and it wasn't overly offending, I probably won't read any further books in the series just because of the sheer stupidity of ALL the characters...is this was kids these days are reading?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1396374986l/18302133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1396374986l/18302133.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Salt-Storm-Kendall-Kulper-ebook/dp/B00HQ2N0VG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420417532&sr=8-1&keywords=salt+and+storm" target="_blank">Salt & Storm</a> by Kendall Kulper<br />
<br />
I found this to be a nice middle ground between <u>Tender Morsels</u> and <u>Kill Me Softly</u>....more YA then <u>Tender Morsels</u> with a dash of that instalove and completely illogical decision making, but also bittersweet, brutal, and lyrical. I immediately thought of Margo Lanagan's <u>The Brides of Rollrock Island</u>. The alliance between a Pacific Islander harpoon boy and a sea witch in the 1860s turns to romance which leads to tragedy. Quite good. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117617023670708568.post-25842074079192292712015-01-04T16:08:00.002-08:002015-01-04T16:08:49.155-08:00Best Reads of 20142014 was a new low for me, with only 71 books completed. However, I can still do a Top (10? 5?) Eight List!<br />
<br />
1. <u>The Song of Achilles</u> by Madeline Miller<br />
2. <u>Lavinia</u> by Ursula K. Le Guin<br />
3. <u>The Magician King</u> by Lev Grossman<br />
4. <u>Throne of Glass</u> & <u>Crown of Midnight</u> by Sarah J. Maas<br />
5. <u>Dr. Mutter's Marvels</u> by Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz<br />
6. <u>The Queen of the Tearling</u> by Erika Johansen<br />
7. <u>Jackaby</u> by William Ritter<br />
8. <u>Cards of Grief</u> by Jane Yolen<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117617023670708568.post-12540387086097773132014-06-16T18:08:00.000-07:002014-06-16T18:08:39.140-07:002014 Speedy Reviews 1<u>The Tyrant's Daughter</u> by J.C. Carleson<br />
<br />
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81ax6FVk+OL._SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81ax6FVk+OL._SL1500_.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a>From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tyrants-Daughter-J-C-Carleson-ebook/dp/B00EMXBD9S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402966461&sr=8-1&keywords=the+tyrants+daughter" target="_blank">Amazon</a>: THERE: In an unnamed Middle Eastern country, fifteen-year-old Laila has
always lived like royalty. Her father is a dictator of sorts, though she
knows him as King—just as his father was, and just as her little
brother Bastien will be one day. Then everything changes: Laila's father
is killed in a coup.<br />
<br />
HERE: As war surges, Laila flees to a life
of exile in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. Overnight she becomes a
nobody. Even as she adjusts to a new school and new friends, she is
haunted by the past. Was her father really a dictator like the American
newspapers say? What was the cost of her family's privilege?<br />
<br />
Far
from feeling guilty, her mother is determined to regain their position
of power. So she's engineering a power play—conspiring with CIA
operatives and rebel factions to gain a foothold to the throne. Laila
can't bear to stand still as yet another international crisis takes
shape around her. But how can one girl stop a conflict that spans
generations?<br />
<br />
<b>My Thoughts</b>: I enjoyed this more unique storyline aimed at younger readers. I also appreciated how Laila is still a relate-able and human character despite the very "hot topic" storyline. Overall I thought this book was "ok," I enjoyed the topic and the potential for discussion-starting but it didn't knock me off my feet. ** 1/2<br />
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1362166252l/14061955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1362166252l/14061955.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Seige and Storm</u> by Leigh Bardugo<br />
<br />
From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Siege-Storm-Grisha-Triology-Bardugo-ebook/dp/B00AAYF8TY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402966579&sr=8-1&keywords=siege+and+storm" target="_blank">Amazon</a>: Darkness never dies. <br />
<div>
<div>
Hunted across the True Sea,
haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life
with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the
Sun Summoner a secret. But she can't outrun her past or her destiny for
long. <br />
The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a
terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very
boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer,
Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the
forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips
deeper into the Darkling's game of forbidden magic, and farther away
from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her
power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing
everything to the oncoming storm.<br />
<br />
<b>My Thoughts</b>: Meh. I heard such glowing recommendations of this series but I struggled to even finish this book, much less read more of the series. It's just ok... nothing really interested me at all about it. There were some really interesting elements to the story, but I never really connected to any characters or really cared about the outcome of their "oncoming storm." * 1/2<br />
<br />
<u>The Song of Achilles</u> by Madeline Miller<br />
<br />
<a href="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/url2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/url2.jpeg" height="320" width="211" /></a>From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Song-Achilles-Madeline-Miller-ebook/dp/product-description/B006IE2IO8/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=133140011&s=digital-text" target="_blank">Amazon</a>: Betrayal, ardor, war, and prophecies--in <i>The Song of Achilles</i>, author Madeline Miller brings together everything I love about <i>The Iliad</i>
without the labor of epic poetry. In this new twist on the Trojan War
story, Patroclus and Achilles are the quintessential mismatched pair--a
mortal underdog exiled in shame and a glorious demigod revered by
all--but what would a novel of ancient Greece be without star-crossed
love? Miller includes other good tragic bits--foreknowledge of death,
ruthless choices that pit pride and reputation against the lives of
innocents, the folly of men and gods--and through her beautiful writing
my spine chilled in the presence of Achilles’ mother, the sea goddess
Thetis, and I became a bystander in the battlefield of Troy awash with
blood, exaltation, and despair. <i>The Song of Achilles</i> infuses
the essence of Homer with modern storytelling in a combination that is
utterly absorbing and gratifying--I can’t wait to see what Miller
tackles next. <i>--Seira Wilson</i>
<br />
<br />
<b>My Thoughts</b>: LOVE. This novel was wonderful, heartbreaking, enthralling. I'm so glad I picked it up! I cried. High recommended. *****<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<br />
<u>Sirens and Other Daemon Lovers</u> ed. by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling<br />
<br />
From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sirens-Other-Daemon-Lovers-Seduction-ebook/dp/B009193KQC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1402966808&sr=1-1&keywords=sirens+and+other+daemon+lovers" target="_blank">Amazon</a>: A dangerously seductive collection of tales that—like the sirens themselves—are impossible to resist<br />
<br />
Sensuality
mingles with fantasy in this sultry anthology starring fairies,
sphinxes, werewolves, and other beings by masterful storytellers
including Joyce Carol Oates, Neil Gaiman, Jane Yolen, Ellen Kushner, and
more. <i>Sirens and Other Daemon Lovers </i>features a vampire who
falls in love with her human prey, an updated Red Riding Hood fantasy,
an unsuspecting young man who innocently joins in seductive faerie
revelry, and a cat goddess made human. Alluring and charismatic, this
collection from master editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling will
stimulate more than just your imagination<br />
<br />
<b>My Thoughts</b>: Short story collection including a Tanith Lee piece, so of course I had to read it. Not too bad, I don't really love more racy stories...but these all had such unusual twists that I ended up reading it cover to cover. Enjoyable, but certainly for older readers! *** Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117617023670708568.post-65427467547133957562014-01-18T09:10:00.000-08:002014-01-18T09:10:00.070-08:002014-3 Froi of the Exiles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YrwCZJxNw0A/Uta-1YF7NBI/AAAAAAAAD3Q/dEXs-ZR6w-U/s1600/froi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YrwCZJxNw0A/Uta-1YF7NBI/AAAAAAAAD3Q/dEXs-ZR6w-U/s320/froi.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<b>Author:</b> Melina Marchetta<br />
<b>Title: </b>Froi of the Exiles (Lumatere Chronicles 2)<br />
<b>Themes:</b> heredity, madness, duty, love<br />
<br />
<b>Plot</b>: From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Exiles-Lumatere-Chronicles-Melina-Marchetta-ebook/dp/B007A2A9P2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389805330&sr=8-1&keywords=froi+of+the+exiles" target="_blank">Amazon</a> "From master storyteller Melina Marchetta comes an exhilarating new
fantasy springing from her celebrated epic, Finnikin of the Rock. Three
years after the curse on Lumatere was lifted, Froi has found his home . .
. or so he believes. Fiercely loyal to the Queen and Finnikin, Froi has
been taken roughly and lovingly in hand by the Guard sworn to protect
the royal family, and has learned to control his quick temper with a
warrior's discipline. But when he is sent on a secretive mission to the
kingdom of Charyn, nothing could have prepared him for what he finds in
its surreal royal court. Soon he must unravel both the dark bonds of
kinship and the mysteries of a half-mad princess in this barren and
mysterious place. It is in Charyn that he will discover there is a song
sleeping in his blood . . . and though Froi would rather not, the time
has come to listen."<br />
<br />
<b>My Thoughts</b>: <u>Froi of the Exiles</u> follows <u>Finnikin of the Rock</u> in the Lumatere Chronicles, but it feels like a whole new series? trilogy? <u>Finnikin of the Rock</u> felt like a YA fantasy romance, <u>Froi </u>feels like the start of an epic YA fantasy. Froi is sent to Charyn to assassinate it's king, but along the way stumbles into discovering his parentage, falls in love with the mad princess, and breaks his bonds to Queen Isaboe to protect this new family. <br />
<br />
I was sucked into this book. I was in anguish at the end (it is a cliffhanger, just so you know) because I can't afford to buy the next book! With that said, there were a few quibbles. First, I really did not like how everytime Froi had a violent impulse or did something wrong he blamed his blood. Really? Only one kingdom in your world has violent people? only one kingdom rapes? Let's blame your Serker ancestry for your decision to do bad things! Like every other flipping page! On another note, I felt like Quintana...who has been systematically raped for the past who-knows-how-many years could suddenly enjoy sex with our main character? I don't know. I also feel like that wasn't addressed properly in the book. I do appreciate how she is called a "whore" because that is how she would be addressed in such a society....but as a reader I felt that the violence done to her wasn't addressed as straightforwardly as I would have liked. <br />
<br />
<b>Rating</b>: **1/2<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117617023670708568.post-43115179126713245572014-01-17T08:59:00.000-08:002014-01-17T08:59:00.834-08:002014-2 Daughter of Smoke and Bone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uO0ALb9CxW0/Uta8zeic3ZI/AAAAAAAAD3I/IYBfo9vHPVE/s1600/daughter-of-smoke-bone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uO0ALb9CxW0/Uta8zeic3ZI/AAAAAAAAD3I/IYBfo9vHPVE/s320/daughter-of-smoke-bone.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<b>Author:</b> Laini Taylor<br />
<b>Title:</b> Daughter of Smoke and Bone<br />
<b>Themes:</b> family, belonging, love<br />
<br />
<b>Plot:</b> From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Daughter-Smoke-Bone-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B004QX076Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389804811&sr=8-1&keywords=daughter+of+smoke+and+bone" target="_blank">Amazon</a> "Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched
there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.<br /><br />In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.<br /><br />And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.<br /><br />Meet
Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be
real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks
many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually
grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that
haunts her, and she's about to find out.<br /><br />When one of the
strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her
in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets
unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent
past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?"<br />
<br />
<b>My Thoughts: </b>First of all. I found Karou obnoxiously perfect....almost manic pixie dream girl status with the incredible artistic talent, blue hair, beauty, etc. But at the same time rather flat as a character. There were a few times I liked her and wanted something good to happen...but most of the time I was wondering when we would get to the cliched love triangle or love at first sight or whatever.<br />
<br />
Taylor did a great job building the elseworld with chimera and seraphim duking it out through eternity. I felt like the little details built into that story were rather fascinating, and I adored the chimera characters who raised Karou-they were absolutely fantastic.<br />
<br />
SPOILERS AHEAD<br />
<br />
The love angle with Akiva was also a little flat. Taylor tried to make it less "omg love at first sight" by building into the reincarnation thing...but it just seemed a little...silly. I doubt I'll continue the trilogy (?) but this was a fast, light read. <br />
<br />
<b>Rating:</b> ** <br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117617023670708568.post-31343212825264466212014-01-15T08:50:00.002-08:002014-01-15T08:50:43.838-08:002014-1 The Wilde Passions of Dorian Gray<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AKhXTeGnEgc/Uta7gS5-nCI/AAAAAAAAD3A/D78aE0SI5Lw/s1600/The-Wilde-Passions-of-Dorian-Gray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AKhXTeGnEgc/Uta7gS5-nCI/AAAAAAAAD3A/D78aE0SI5Lw/s320/The-Wilde-Passions-of-Dorian-Gray.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<b>Author:</b> Mitzi Szereto<br />
<b>Title:</b> The Wilde Passions of Dorian Gray, a Novel<br />
<b>Themes:</b> immortality, youth, searching for new physical experiences, violence, rape, sex, debasement<br />
<br />
<b>Plot:</b> From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wilde-Passions-Dorian-Gray-Novel-ebook/dp/B00G8O70HS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389804596&sr=8-1&keywords=wilde+passions+dorian+gray" target="_blank">Amazon</a> "Inspired by Oscar Wilde’s classic novel <i>The Picture of Dorian Gray</i>, Mitzi Szereto’s <i>Wilde Passions of Dorian Gray</i>
continues where Wilde left off with the Faustian tale of a man of
eternal youth and great physical beauty who lives a life of corruption,
decadence and hedonism. The story begins in the bordellos of Jazz-Age
Paris, moving to the opium dens of Marrakesh and the alluring anonymity
of South America. In his pursuit of sensation and carnal thrills,
Dorian’s desires turn increasingly extreme and he leaves behind yet more
devastation and death. He ultimately settles in present-day New
Orleans, joining with a group of like-minded beings known as The Night
People. They inadvertently return to Dorian his humanity when he falls
in love with a young woman he rescues from becoming their victim. She
will be his redemption, but she will also be his final curse."<br />
<br />
<b>My Thoughts</b>: Szereto's The Wild Passions of Dorian Gray was a surprising "sequel" to Oscar Wilde's classic. I was not expecting erotica. I was certainly not expecting such violent erotica. Of course I can see where the author was coming from with this idea, and I can see how it could be a logical continuation of Dorian Gray's story. I'm not sure it made for a great story, and the violence made me extremely uncomfortable through the entire book.<br /><br />I appreciated the different locations Dorian has to run to to escape anyone noticing his eternal youth (Paris, Marrakesh, Brazil, etc.) and how quickly the decades seem to pass for him. <br /><br />I did find the ending rather abrupt and less than convincing. It seemed a rather forced end, as though the author simply did not know how to wrap up Dorian Gray's escapades.<br />
<br />
<b>Rating</b>: 1/2 star....<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117617023670708568.post-91828139183942253332014-01-15T08:43:00.003-08:002014-01-15T08:43:52.770-08:002014I read 120 books last year. And only managed 8 posts. Sad! I doubt this year will be more productive, but let's try. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117617023670708568.post-91159710915918917312013-11-23T12:20:00.000-08:002013-11-23T12:20:00.152-08:00The Wet and the Dry by Lawrence Osborne<b>Title</b>: The Wet and the Dry: A Drinker's Journey<br />
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1356473175l/16113734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1356473175l/16113734.jpg" width="212" /></a><b>Author</b>: Lawrence Osborne<br />
<b>Themes</b>: travel, alcoholism <br />
<b>Rating</b>: **1/2<br />
<br />
<b>Plot</b>: From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0770436889/ref=nosim/librarythin08-20" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> "Drinking alcohol: a beloved tradition, a dangerous addiction, even
“a sickness of the soul” (as once described by a group of young Muslim
men in Bali). In his wide-ranging travels, Lawrence Osborne—a veritable
connoisseur himself—has witnessed opposing views of alcohol across
cultures worldwide, compelling him to wonder: is drinking alcohol a sign
of civilization and sanity, or the very reverse? Where do societies and
their treatment of alcohol fall on the spectrum between indulgence and
restraint?<br /><br />These questions launch the author on an audacious
journey, from the Middle East, where drinking is prohibited, to the
West, w<br /><br />An immersing, controversial, and often irreverent travel narrative,<i> The Wet and the Dry</i>
offers provocative, sometimes unsettling insights into the deeply
embedded conflicts between East and West, and the surprising influence
of drinking on the contemporary world today."<br />
here it is an important—yet perhaps very often a ruinous—part of
everyday life. Beginning in the bar of a luxury hotel in Milan, Osborne
then ventures to the Hezbollah-threatened vineyards of Lebanon; a
landmark pub in London; the dangerous drinking dens on the Malaysian
border; the only brewery in the alcohol-hostile country of Pakistan; and
Oman, where he faces the absurd challenge of finding a bottle of
champagne on New Year’s Eve. Amid his travels, Osborne unravels the
stories of alcoholism in his own family, and reflects on ramifications
of alcohol consumption in his own life.<br />
<br />
<b>My Thoughts</b>: Osborne's short memoir on Drinking, predominately in the Middle East and
North Africa, is rather rambling but full of interesting historical and
societal facts. I enjoyed the sporadic inclusions of alcohol-in-history
that Osborne peppers through his travels through the Middle
East-searching for illegal alcohol. <br /><br />Osborne relates his own
alcoholism, although the reader is never quite sure how he truly feels
about it. Even as he describes the deaths of loved ones who abused
alcohol, he never quite connects it to his own alcoholism. He admits
that Islamic countries have valid reasons for creating "dry" states, but
cannot quite escape the lure of drunkenness...for even a single day
apparently. As another reviewer says, it is very morally ambiguous. He
seems to worship alcohol, and this is some feeble attempt to praise it's
benefits against Islamic practices. <br /><br />While I found this
meandering memoir rather entertaining most of the time, and the
"non-fiction/historical" facts absolutely fascinating; I must admit I
found the "memoir"-ish parts rather boring and sometimes downright
condescending (pg. 32 comes to mind). I think Osborne would make a
wonderful writer of social/historical texts, but in this tome I found
him self-indulgent, condescending, and plain unpleasant. I have no
qualms with alcohol, but the way he glorifies the drunken state rubbed
me the wrong way. <br />
<br />
Osborne, Lawrence. The Wet and the Dry: A Drinker's Journey. New York: Crown, 2013. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117617023670708568.post-10637688278162012162013-11-20T12:15:00.000-08:002013-11-20T12:15:00.132-08:00Andrew's Brain by E. L. Doctorow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1367256686l/17834914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1367256686l/17834914.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<b>Title</b>: Andrew's Brain<br />
<b>Author</b>: E. L. Doctorow<br />
<b>Themes</b>: memory, relative reality, stream of consciousness, love, responsibility, sanity <br />
<b>Rating</b>: ***<br />
<br />
<b>Plot</b>: From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Andrews-Brain-Novel-E-L-Doctorow-ebook/dp/B00E2RZHLE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1384805520&sr=1-1&keywords=andrews+brain" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> "This brilliant new novel by an American master, the author of<i> Ragtime, The Book of Daniel, Billy Bathgate, </i>and<i> The March, </i>takes us on a radical trip into the mind of a man who, more than once in his life, has been the inadvertent agent of disaster.<br /> <br />
Speaking from an unknown place and to an unknown interlocutor, Andrew
is thinking, Andrew is talking, Andrew is telling the story of his life,
his loves, and the tragedies that have led him to this place and point
in time. And as he confesses, peeling back the layers of his strange
story, we are led to question what we know about truth and memory, brain
and mind, personality and fate, about one another and ourselves.
Written with psychological depth and great lyrical precision, this
suspenseful and groundbreaking novel delivers a voice for our
times—funny, probing, skeptical, mischievous, profound."<br />
<br />
<b>My Thoughts</b>: Doctorow gives us a bit of a puzzling tale in Andrew's Brain. This is
essentially a monologue between Andrew (who sometimes refers to himself
in third person) and what the reader eventually assumes is a mandated
therapist. How and why Andrew ended up in this conversation is never
explicitly stated...in fact very little is explicitly stated, or
linearly stated. This is a rambling story from a troubled man who
provides his stream of consciousness. Andrew "The Pretender" seems to
bring disaster with him, which provides some interesting anecdotes but
leaves the reader wondering what the novel was all about come the
concluding paragraph.<br />
<br />
<b>Similar Reads</b>: White Noise by Don Delillo, Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger<br />
<br />
Doctorow, E. L. Andrew's Brain. New York: Random House, 2014. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117617023670708568.post-79301670004214362422013-11-19T12:31:00.000-08:002013-11-19T12:31:00.218-08:00Top Ten Books I'd Recommend To X Person <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/p/top-ten-tuesday-other-features.html" target="_blank"><img alt="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/p/top-ten-tuesday-other-features.html" border="0" height="178" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HxLL0WxNh0M/UKG6zuATvyI/AAAAAAAABiU/L_CJc9Hd0z0/s320/toptentuesday.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This week's Top Ten is a list of books I would recommend to...a type of person of my choosing! So here are ten books I would recommend to lovers of <b>magical realism</b>....which I have been loving for a few years now. <br />
<br />
According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_realism" target="_blank">wikipedia</a>: "<b>Magic realism</b> or <b>magical realism</b> is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genre" title="Genre">genre</a> where magic elements are a natural part in an otherwise mundane, realistic environment.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_realism#cite_note-1"><span>[</span>1<span>]</span></a></sup> Although it is most commonly used as a literary genre, magic realism also applies to film and the visual arts."<br />
<br />
1. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern<br />
2. <a href="http://rouquinereads.blogspot.com/2013/11/galore-by-michael-crummey.html" target="_blank">Galore</a> by Michael Crummey<br />
3. Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan<br />
4. A Bloodsmoor Romance by Joyce Carol Oates<br />
5.<span style="color: blue;"> <a href="http://rouquinereads.blogspot.com/2011/01/of-bees-and-mist.html" target="_blank">Of Bees and Mist</a></span> by Erick Setiawan<br />
6. The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly<br />
7. Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117617023670708568.post-64655690287198828942013-11-18T11:53:00.002-08:002013-11-18T12:34:58.225-08:00Galore by Michael Crummey<div style="text-align: left;">
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<b>Title</b>: Galore<br />
<b>Author</b>: Michael Crummey<br />
<b>Themes</b>: generational epic, love, family, poverty, small community relationships<br />
<b>Rating</b>: ****<br />
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<b>Plot</b>: From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Galore-Michael-Crummey-ebook/dp/B004C43EUI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384803779&sr=8-1&keywords=galore" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> "Winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize
for Best Book, Caribbean & Canada and the Canadian Authors
Association Literary Award; Finalist for the Governor General’s Literary
Award for Fiction, the Thomas Head Raddall Atlantic Book Award, and the
Winterset Award</div>
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When a whale beaches itself on the shore of the
remote coastal town of Paradise Deep, the last thing any of the
townspeople expect to find inside it is a man, silent and reeking of
fish, but remarkably alive. The discovery of this mysterious person,
soon christened Judah, sets the town scrambling for answers as its most
prominent citizens weigh in on whether he is man or beast, blessing or
curse, miracle or demon.<br />
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Though Judah is a shocking addition, the
town of Paradise Deep is already full of unusual characters. King-me
Sellers, self-appointed patriarch, has it in for an inscrutable woman
known only as Devine’s Widow, with whom he has a decades-old feud. Her
granddaughter, Mary Tryphena, is just a child when Judah washes ashore,
but finds herself tied to him all her life in ways she never expects.
Galore is the story of the saga that develops between these families,
full of bitterness and love, spanning two centuries.</div>
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With Paradise
Deep, award-winning novelist Michael Crummey imagines a realm where the
line between the everyday and the otherworldly is impossible to
discern. Sprawling and intimate, stark and fantastical, Galore is a
novel about the power of stories to shape and sustain us."<br />
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<b>My Thoughts</b>: I love the rather "tall tale"-ish feel of this generational epic, which spans from the early 19th century to World War I. It can border on the surreal while still offering a gritty and realistic portrayal of a hard-scrabble "frontier" fishing village in Newfoundland. Struggles between religious denominations, families, and employers/employees highlight the very real struggles of the people in Paradise Deep. Some may be off-put by the lack of linear plot or main character, but <u>Galore</u> is still a compelling read and I highly recommend it. <br />
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<b>Similar Reads</b>: A Bloodsmoor Romance by Joyce Carol Oates, Ice Land by Betsy Tobin, Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan <br />
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Crummey, Michael. Galore. New York: Other Press, 2011. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117617023670708568.post-57860019073171309982013-06-08T21:26:00.000-07:002013-06-08T21:26:28.537-07:00The Forgiven by Lawrence Osborne <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title</b>: The Forgiven<br />
<b>Author</b>: Lawrence Osborne<br />
<b>Themes</b>: responsibility, forgiveness, colonization, "the Other"<br />
<b>Rating</b>: ***<br />
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<b>Plot</b>: (from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Forgiven-Novel-Lawrence-Osborne/dp/0307889041/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370750876&sr=8-1&keywords=the+forgiven" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a>) In this haunting novel, journalist and novelist Lawrence Osborne
explores the reverberations of a random accident on the lives of
Moroccan Muslims and Western visitors who converge on a luxurious desert
villa for a decadent weekend-long party. <br /> David and Jo
Henniger, a doctor and a children's book author, in search of an escape
from their less than happy lives in London, accept an invitation to
attend a bacchanal at their old friends' home, deep in the Moroccan
desert. But as a groggy David navigates the dark desert roads, two young
men spring from the roadside, the car swerves...and one boy is left
dead.<br /> When David and Jo arrive at the party, the Moroccan staff,
already disgusted by the rich, hedonistic foreigners in their midst,
soon learn of David's unforgivable act. Then the boy's irate Berber
father appears, and events begin to spin beyond anyone's control.<br />
With spare, evocative prose, searing eroticism, and a gift for the
unexpected, Osborne memorably portrays the privileged guests wrestling
with their secrets amid the remoteness and beauty of the desert
landscape. He gradually reveals the jolting backstory of the young man
who was killed and leaves David’s fate in the balance as the novel
builds to a shattering conclusion.<br />
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<b>My Thoughts</b>: I admit that I was thinking entirely of L'etranger by Camus when I first
picked up this novel. Both address issues of colonization,
relationships between the West/Middle East-Africa, murder, and obviously
'the Other.' Unfortunately the characters aren't entirely "fleshed
out," and it can sometimes seem as though Osborne is writing about
"poor, desperate post-colonial Moroccans" versus "decadent, imperialist
Westerners" in a very cliched way. I think this is partly his writing
style because the plot really does have a rather epic (morbid,
depressing, hopeless) feel; the oppressive desert seems to have a life
of its own as constant backdrop to the ridiculously decadent party David
is headed to as well as the abject poverty the Moroccans face. However,
occasionally Osborne moves away from the archetypes Camus utilized and
creates individuals...admittedly not individuals that are very
sympathetic, likeable, or "good" but individuals nonetheless. This keeps
the novel from venturing too far into cliche or allegory, by making
humans out of his characters Osborne has definitely created a more
thought provoking story about Western/"Other" relations. <br /><br />I'm
still not sure what to think of The Forgiven, which is good because it
forces thought! But it makes for a difficult review. I found the big
bash thrown by Richard and Dally to be over-the-top ridiculous, the ease
of bribing Moroccan police horrifying, and the ending rather abrupt
after such a meandering story (it felt so languid and slow despite all
the exciting events unfolding!).<br />
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<b>Similar Reads</b>: The Stranger by Albert Camus<br />
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Osborne, Lawrence. The Forgiven. London: Hogarth, 2012.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117617023670708568.post-20320691358368443492013-06-08T16:50:00.000-07:002013-06-08T21:53:21.941-07:00Reading Through June 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>The Curse of Chalion</i> by Lois McMaster Bujold<br />
***1/2<br />
<i>The Curse of Chalion</i> was an impulse buy when it was a Kindle Daily Deal one day...a few months ago? I had started it...gotten maybe a chapter in and was dreadfully bored and put off. When I had nothing else to read at work, I started plugging away at it again...and was amazed at how enjoyable it was. This books has interesting, dimensional characters, good (if stereotypical fantasy/medieval European-esque) worldbuilding, and a plot that kept me guessing. Overall, this book is about maneuvering in politics, spiritual power, and loyalty. I would recommend it, and I'm probably going to read more by Bujold. <br />
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<i>The Casual Vacancy</i> by J. K. Rowling </div>
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***</div>
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I'm not a huge Harry Potter fan. When a friend loaned me <i>A Casual Vacancy</i> I had serious doubts. I found the book rather forcibly "dark/grisly." With all that said. I enjoyed Rowling's newest novel immensely. Well. Maybe not "enjoyed" because it was terribly depressing; but it was an excellent read and went by very quickly for being just shy of 500 pages! This little examination of a small town after the death of a local Council member is fascinating. It hosts a wide cast of characters ranging in ages, interests, and personalities. The Casual Vacancy isn't about small town politics so much as it's about the everyday wars people wage. Children against adult, rich against poor, etc. I would recommend it. </div>
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<i>Scheherazade's Facade</i> edited by Michael M. Jones</div>
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**</div>
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I ordered this anthology of short stories of "gender bending, cross-dressing, and transformation" because it contains a new Tanith Lee story. But of course I found them all rather enjoyable. I found it odd that the over whelming theme was of men/boys "transforming" into women. I had expected a wide range of...well...gender-bending antics! I did enjoy the collection; but the stand-out stories were: "The Secret Name of the Prince" by Alma Alexander, "Keeping the World on Course" by Tanith Lee, "Treasure and Maidens" by Sarah Rees Brennan, and "Lady Marmalade's Special Place in Hell" by David Sklar.</div>
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<i>Tenterhooks</i> by Ada Leverson</div>
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***</div>
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<i>Tenterhooks</i> follows <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Loves-Shadow-Novel-Bloomsbury-Group/dp/1608190501/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370752587&sr=8-1&keywords=love%27s+shadow+ada+leverson" target="_blank">Love's Shadow</a> where we are introduced to Edith and Bruce Ottley; she the perfect wife, and he a completely absurd hypochondriac (and more). This second installment follows a brief affection between Edith and a certain new friend introduced to her and her husband's circle. He is madly in love with Edith, and she is clearly devoted to her husband and two children...come what may. I didn't read this for plot, I read this for the delightful insight into "well off" London in the early 1900s, for the witty banter, and the absurdities of Bruce...you really must read them to understand how ridiculous it is.</div>
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<i>The Forgiven</i> by Lawrence Osborne<br />
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this novel will have it's own review since I received it through the LibraryThing Early Reviewer program. Look for it! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117617023670708568.post-35518957354358538812013-06-08T15:03:00.000-07:002013-06-08T21:52:08.082-07:00Belated 2012 Round Up<b>Books Completed</b>: 130<br />
<b> Pages</b>: 45,194<br />
<b>Fiction</b>: 118<br />
<b>Non-fiction</b>: 12<br />
<b>Favorites:</b><br />
<i>The Dresden Files</i> series by Jim Butcher, I completed 11 books from this series in 2012. <br />
<i>Zombies Versus Unicorns</i> edited by Holly Black and Justine Larabalestier<br />
<i>Book of a Thousand Days</i> by Shannon Hale<br />
<i>The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen</i> by Syrie James<br />
<i>The Girl of Fire and Thorns</i> by Rae Carson<br />
<i>Graceling</i> by Kirstin Cashore<br />
<i> The Last Policeman</i> by Ben H. Winters<br />
<i>The Scorpio Races</i> by Maggie Stiefvater<br />
<i>Persuasion</i> by Jane Austen<br />
<i> Miss Hargreaves</i> by Frank Baker<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117617023670708568.post-74594599205003434282012-02-29T20:40:00.001-08:002012-02-29T20:40:00.609-08:00February Round Up<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Numbers</span>:<br /></div><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"></span>Total Books Read This Year: 14<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Total Books Read This Month: 7<br /><ul><li>Library Books: 0<br /></li><li>TBR Pile Books: 2<br /></li><li>Fiction: 6<br /></li><li>Nonfiction: 1<br /></li></ul><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Standouts</span>: </p><p style="text-align: left;">I really enjoyed the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dresden</span> series this month! I read four of them after all! I also really enjoyed Cheever's <span style="font-weight: bold;">American Bloomsbury</span>, my only nonfiction this month.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pleasant Surprises:</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">East </span><span>by Edith Pattou has been on my TBR forever! It's a fairy tale retelling, which I love, but for some reason I've been putting it off. It was very enjoyable, and I recommend it!<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Take-it-or-leave-it:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></p></div><blockquote></blockquote>I wasn't impressed with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Clockwork Angel</span> by Cassandra Clare, though I'll probably continue to read the series. I'm really sick of love triangles amongst average teen girls and supernatural beings...is it just me?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117617023670708568.post-47381053240970057822012-02-24T20:23:00.004-08:002012-02-28T15:37:08.286-08:00Reading Through 2012-6<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Completed This Week</span>:<br /><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bxCIRs9gH-k/T0B5Ww2mQSI/AAAAAAAAC0k/GW732UY6U8Y/s1600/americanbloomsbury.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bxCIRs9gH-k/T0B5Ww2mQSI/AAAAAAAAC0k/GW732UY6U8Y/s320/americanbloomsbury.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5710697759483773218" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">American Bloomsbury: Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Margaret Fuller, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry David Thoreau: Their Lives, Their Loves, Their Work</span> by Susan Cheever<br />***<br />If you managed to finish reading the subtitle I'm sure you have some idea of what Cheever's nonfiction multi-biography is all about. In truth, this has been on my TBR pile for a while but reading <a href="http://rouquinereads.blogspot.com/2012/01/reading-through-2012-1.html">March</a> inspired me to actually pick it up! I'm glad I did.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">American Bloomsbury</span> is a bit scattered, very superficial (it's only 200 pages, I know that's not a lot of room to get in-depth!), but very entertaining and interesting. Towards the end Cheever does insert herself into the story, which did turn me off a bit, since I'm sure you can fill 200 pages about these legendary writers and Transcendentalists without describing the author's "research" trips with her kids and dogs. Not that I wouldn't enjoy those stories, I just found that they didn't really fit into the overall telling of Cheever's story.<br />Cheever focuses quite a bit on Thoreau and his infatuation with Fuller, as well as Emerson's infatuation with her. Unfortunately Fuller's significance to history is never quite explored; but Emerson's, Alcott's, and Thoreau's certainly is. If you want a quick glimpse into a grouping of 19th century authors and their world, I would recommend it. You might also want to check out <a href="http://louisamayalcottismypassion.wordpress.com/2011/03/10/book-review-american-bloomsbury/">this</a> quick review.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ai2O1An7sfE/T0K0mjG2y_I/AAAAAAAAC0w/b8DJMFmCaYQ/s1600/eastL.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ai2O1An7sfE/T0K0mjG2y_I/AAAAAAAAC0w/b8DJMFmCaYQ/s320/eastL.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711325851811236850" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">East </span>by Edith Pattou<br />****<br />I do love fairy tale retellings, and this retelling of East of the Sun, West of the Moon (or Cupid and Psyche, or vaguely Beauty and the Beast plus tasks) is quite an enjoyable YA novel. Set in 16th century Norway, <span style="font-style: italic;">East</span> takes the reader all throughout Northern Europe and even into France as young Rose sets off as a captive with a White Bear and then sets off to free him from a troll queen. I did find it difficult to imagine her family quite as literate as it was, but I enjoyed the cast enough to overlook it. Pattou definitely has a romantic style of writing, which makes even the most gruesome or harsh scenarios seem a bit "soft" but gives a far more emotional and poetic image to the book.<br />I haven't read many, but this is my favorite retelling of this tale. I do wish it had a little bit more...I don't know, pizzazz? It was a great and enjoyable retelling, but it doesn't quite capture the heart and imagination the way my other favorite retellings do (<span style="font-style: italic;">Daughter of the Forest </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Wildwood Dancing</span> by Juliet Marrillier, <span style="font-style: italic;">Beauty</span> by Robin McKinley, and<span style="font-style: italic;"> Fitcher's Brides</span> by Gregory Frost).<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-udnlp1YOrSE/T0K0m3K-YdI/AAAAAAAAC04/-ppSCXC2PQc/s1600/deathmasks.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 198px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-udnlp1YOrSE/T0K0m3K-YdI/AAAAAAAAC04/-ppSCXC2PQc/s320/deathmasks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711325857197220306" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Death Masks</span> by Jim Butcher<br />**<br />Okay, let's just admit I enjoy this series.<br />In this fifth addition Dresden faces a duel with an ancient vampire, hunting down the lost Shroud of Turin, and a band of thirty bad-ass fallen angels. And dodging the cops. And the return of his half-vampire girlfriend who "wants to talk." I really wonder about all the stress Dresden is under, but obviously his coping skills aren't the best...since he just seems to spiral into further trouble with less sleep and self-care!<br />While these books do feel somewhat episodic I kind of hope that there is an overarching storyline that I will pick up on sooner or later, that ties them all together. I also think Murphy didn't get enough "screen time" in this novel of the Dresden Files. I do love Murphy.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qnHMSnhOXK0/T0WZce9CHQI/AAAAAAAAC2Q/7ZLlPMRDInE/s1600/bloodrites.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 199px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qnHMSnhOXK0/T0WZce9CHQI/AAAAAAAAC2Q/7ZLlPMRDInE/s320/bloodrites.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712140417013783810" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Blood Rites</span> by Jim Butcher<br />**1/2<br />Another foray into The Dresden Files this week! This one follows an entropy curse surrounding an up and coming progressive porn film director and his cast...as well as guardian puppies from Tibet and some secret family history for Dresden that is dramatically revealed to him by White Court vampires! Exciting.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117617023670708568.post-58695914061864705302012-02-17T22:12:00.000-08:002012-02-17T22:25:33.789-08:00Reading Through 2012-5<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Completed This Week</span><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RjyQJjaA6-g/Tz9BxgklI6I/AAAAAAAAC0Y/-s1QmgyxEmg/s1600/summerknight.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 198px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RjyQJjaA6-g/Tz9BxgklI6I/AAAAAAAAC0Y/-s1QmgyxEmg/s320/summerknight.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5710355171341837218" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Summer Knight</span> by Jim Butcher<br />**<br />I have completed the fourth book in The Dresden Files! Quite entertaining. Although my overall feelings about this author/series haven't changed. It's rather too formulaic. And I just can't get into urban fantasy, so that's another hit. But...I just keep reading them don't I? It's a fun series, give it a shot!<br /><br />This particular book takes our protagonist into a war between the Winter and Summer Courts (the Fae, Seelie/Unseelie)...in addition to a war between Vampires and Wizards (which he caused), the rapidly approaching deadline he has with his murderous fairy godmother, the fact that his girlfriend is becoming a vampire, and his dead ex-girlfriend just showed up. Yup this book has a whole lot of drama. Overkill? Perhaps. Will I read book number five? You know it.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e3AQon0FeA0/Tz9BnMEdKXI/AAAAAAAAC0A/k065JLFyv8U/s1600/clockwork.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e3AQon0FeA0/Tz9BnMEdKXI/AAAAAAAAC0A/k065JLFyv8U/s320/clockwork.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5710354994039695730" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Clockwork Angel</span> by Cassandra Clare<br />**1/2<br />I kind of dragged my feet through this one, which is disappointing because I've been lusting after it since it was published, and I just love the cover for some reason. I just felt sort of...bored by it. The characters were pretty flat and stereotypical (but not archetypical!). Nevertheless by the final chapter I certainly had an opinion on who should win in the love triangle and fully despised the bad guys! I just never really liked the protagonists. Oh well. I can't have everything.<br /><br />Anyways, <span style="font-style: italic;">Clockwork Angel</span> is about Tess-an American in London who is kidnapped and forced to "Change" which reveals to her her own latent shapeshifting powers. She escapes with the aid of a secret organization of Angels (well, descendents of Angels) who are sworn to keep the balance with Downworlders (baddies like vampires, warlocks, etc.). In return for her aid in securing information about her captors and their nefarious plans, they help find her brother. Unsurprisingly, the cast of main characters (about ten or so) are all under 25, hot, powerful, etc. etc. Sometimes YA gets a little trying. With that said...gosh I love Henry! Who is a total secondary character who hardly gets any development!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Currently Reading</span><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RGwN36dhThU/Tz9Bnas66QI/AAAAAAAAC0Q/mWkdQ6tPRI8/s1600/bladeoffortriu.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 201px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RGwN36dhThU/Tz9Bnas66QI/AAAAAAAAC0Q/mWkdQ6tPRI8/s320/bladeoffortriu.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5710354997967513858" border="0" /></a><br />Yup still trying to read <span style="font-style: italic;">Blade of Fortriu</span> by Juliet Marillier. I did pre-order her book that's coming out (in the US) in fall! I am excited. Maybe I'll even have finished this one by then. Ha!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6117617023670708568.post-61766859947242719092012-02-03T19:45:00.000-08:002012-02-03T19:53:43.012-08:00Reading Through 2012-4<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Completed This Week</span>:<br /><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AaBWS5opNCs/TyyqKNxOKUI/AAAAAAAACwo/VE1RTnGlt1w/s1600/Grave%2BPeril.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 202px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AaBWS5opNCs/TyyqKNxOKUI/AAAAAAAACwo/VE1RTnGlt1w/s320/Grave%2BPeril.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705121920443099458" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Grave Peril</span> by Jim Butcher<br />**<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Grave Peril</span> is the third book in The Dresden Files. My husband really enjoys this easy urban-fantasy series, so I've been reading through them too. I'm finding a very consistent pattern in these books. Our protagonist, Harry Dresden, Wizard, is confronted by strange happenings that seem to occur all at once and may or may not be related. He stumbles along until he is forced into a confrontation that he has no hope of winning...then it all comes together. He figures it all out (and then explains it a few chapters later) and somehow squeaks through a nasty situation using questionable tactics (his magic is supposedly only for good...yet he kills so many people). Of course it's emphasized that he's such a good, self-less, chivalrous guy. Which I do find annoying...it's just so much "telling" and not "showing." With that said, this is an enjoyable urban fantasy series (of fluff).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Currently Reading</span>:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Still trucking through <span style="font-style: italic;">Clockwork Angel </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Blade of Fortriu</span>, will I ever complete these books, who knows?<br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0