A Book Geek

Julius Winsome

2012-01-22T07:00:00.000-06:00

Julius Winsome by Gerard Donovan
purchased from Kennys Bookshop
Description from Goodreads:
Living alone with his dog in the remote cabin in the woods, Julius Winsome is not unlike the barren winter lands that he inhabits: remote, vacant, inscrutable. But when his dog Hobbes is killed by hunters, their carelessness—or is it cruelty?—sets Julius's precarious mindset on end.
He is at once more alone than he has ever been; he was at first with his father, until he died; then with Claire, until she disappeared with another man into a more normal life in town; and then with Hobbes, who eased the sorrow of Claire's departure. Now Hobbes is gone.
Julius is left with what his father left behind: the cabin that he was raised in; a lifetime of books, lining every wall of his home, which have been Julius's lifelong friends and confidantes; and his great-grandfather's rifle from World War I, which Julius had been trained to shoot with uncanny skill and with the utmost reluctance. But with the death of his dog, Julius's reluctance has reached its end. More and more, simply and furtively, it is revenge that is creeping into his mind.
Fresh snow is on the ground as the hunters lumber into his sights. They're well within the old gun's range. They pause, and they're locked into the crosshairs. Julius's finger traces the trigger. Will he pull it? And what will that accomplish? What if he simply has nothing left to lose?

My take:
This was an amazing book. It is very compelling and beautiful while be extremely disturbing as well. And yet it was strangely tranquil for all that. I loved the descriptions of Julius's life in his isolated cabin in the Maine woods surrounded by his father's books. There is so much that is attractive to the avid reader about his life. The isolation, the quiet, all the books, the freedom to live as he chooses without outside distractions. However, Julius lives in a precarious mental state. The death of his dog Hobbes at the hand of a hunter, sends him on a path of revenge and extreme violence. The book is beautifully written, stark and haunting. I read this in one sitting because it was just so compelling.

Some of my favorite passages from the book:

People defeat the winter by reading out the nights, spinning pages a hundred times faster than a day turns, small cogs revolving a larger one through all those months. The winter is fifty books long and fixes you to silence like a pinned insect. . .

. . . If that were the case, whether Hobbes had ever been in my life, or I in his, mattered little to the world or anyone in it, only to me now. You attach yourself and suffer when you don't have it anymore. But he made my days shorter when I had no one else, his friendship present even when no gain occurred.

The Night Eternal

2012-01-21T14:01:00.000-06:00

The Night Eternal by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan
kindle book purchased from amazon.com
Description from Goodreads:
The nail-biting vampire thriller from the world-famous director of Pan’s Labyrinth and Hellboy.The night belongs to them, and it will be a night eternal…After the blasts, it was all over. Nuclear Winter has settled upon the earth. Except for one hour of sunlight a day, the whole world is plunged into darkness. It is a near-perfect environment for vampires. They have won. It is their time.Almost every single man, woman and child has been enslaved in vast camps across the globe. Like animals, they are farmed, harvested for the sick pleasure of the Master Race.Almost, but not all. Somewhere out there, hiding for their lives, is a desperate network of free humans, continue the seemingly hopeless resistance. Everyday people, with no other options – among them Dr Ephraim Goodweather, his son Zack, the veteran exterminator Vassily, and former gangbanger Gus.To be free, they need a miracle, they need divine intervention. But Salvation can be a twisted game – one in which they may be played like pawns in a battle of Good and Evil. And at what cost…?

My take:
I had high hopes for the ending of this trilogy. I really liked the first two books, The Strain and The Fall and I hoped that the final installment would live up to the other two. I thought the beginning started of well except for the fact that between the events of the second book and the opening of the third book two years had passed. This took away some of the urgency I felt while reading both the Strain and The Fall. I was disappointed in the time lapse for some reason. I don't know if it made me feel that people were just not as strong and willing to fight as I would have liked or if it just felt like too long a time gap between the books. At any rate, that did bother me some.

I really liked Mr. Quinlan, the Born, and his storyline. How he was created and his mission of revenge lasting for centuries was really exciting and interesting. I would love to read more about his story. Ephraim Goodweather was much the same, only worse, if possible. The strain of having lost his son to the Master and not knowing his fate has turned Eph further into himself and the relief he so desperately seeks is briefly found in his constant drug use. He has managed to run everyone off with his distance, moods, erratic behaviour and drug use.

The story unfolded much the way I expected and I enjoyed the ride for awhile. I was really pleased with the direction the story was going especially with the history of the Master and the archangels -- up to a certain point. And then my reaction went something like: uh. . . hmmmm. . . really? mmmm REALLY? I'm not so sure about this. . .

Now, having said that, I can't really fault too much else. Things happened that should have and some that I wished hadn't, but for the overall story, it works. I think. But for some reason, that particular point in the plot just bugged me and I couldn't recover the same amount of enthusiasm afterwards. I don't want to say exactly what, but if you read it you can tell what I'm talking about.

The trilogy as a whole was quite good and I really loved how totally creepy and dark the vampires in the books are. I think I would suggest the series to friends who like dark stories and then I would want to know what they thought of the particular points that bothered me which have to do with exactly how the Master was created. If anyone who has read it cares to give me their opinion regarding this, I would love to read it.

Oh, the drama!

2012-01-16T10:24:00.001-06:00

Apparently I missed a whole lot of drama on Goodreads lately. I just got wind of it this morning and have been trying to put the pieces together. If by some crazy chance you haven't read about this episode of author vs. blogger, you can find a good recap here.

I have to come down on the side of bloggers here -- but hear me out. I think that we all need to remember that we are all just people whether we are readers/bloggers or authors or agents or complete non-readers. We are all just people. We have feelings and we can get our feelings hurt. Therefore, we should try to keep things civil. That does not mean that we have to sugar-coat our opinions. We are all entitled to our own opinons.

Once a book is complete and is published - whether print or e-book, it is out there and you can't pull it back and try to fix or justify. Books must stand on their own. If the book can't stand on its own, maybe the author should take the criticism with grace and just keep writing. Not everyone will love every book. Even a bad review will bring the book to someone's attention.

This whole situation makes me think Amanda at Dead White Guys has the right idea. Maybe reading literary works by dead white guys is the better choice. Maybe. I read a lot of those in college and I do like to read contemporary literature, so I'm still undecided.

Feature & Follow Friday

2012-01-12T21:42:00.001-06:00

It is (almost) Friday! I'm so glad. It is also time for Follow & Feature with Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. The featured blogger this week is Kate at Book Den. Be sure to check out and follow her blog.

Hi everyone. My name is Kate and I recently started book blogging at the beginning of the year. We were living in England at the time, and I missed big book stores (we lived in a rural area), so I decided to do a book challenge… and that lead to a whole new ‘life’ for me. I have always loved to read, and now I am sharing that love with …whomever will listen/read! GoodReads is also a wonderful thing for me; I call it FB for Book Lovers! It’s nice to go somewhere and see what others are reading and what they are saying about books. Boy, has my TBR pile GROWN!

For a while, my family was wondering if I would read anything other than Historicals. But I do enjoy different types of books: mysteries, contemporary, romance, YA, chick-lit, Regency and Renaissance, some Sci-Fi and Fantasy, and I have recently discovered Steam Punk (Victorian with a Sci-Fi/Fantasy twist – how cool is that!). Please, though, keep your vampires to yourself.

When I am not reading (books or blogs – definitely blogs on books!), I am usually busy working on something – be it dinner, some crochet/knit project, spending time with my husband and/or trying to get in shape (he wants me to join him for a century bike ride in November – don’t know if THAT is going to happen, but it’s fun going out for a leisurely ride in the evenings).
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Q: Many readers/bloggers are also big music fans. Tell us about a few of your favorite bands/singers that we should listen to in 2012.

Answer: I have pretty eclectic music taste. But a few of my favorites right now are:

Donavon Frankenreiter

Jack Johnson

Faun

Graveminder

2012-01-12T17:53:00.000-06:00

Graveminder by Melissa Marr
Review copy provided by William Morrow
Description from Goodreads:

Three sips to mind the dead . . .

The New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series delivers her first novel for adult audiences-a captivating story of the living, the dead, and the curse that binds them indelibly to two special families, the Barrows and the Montgomerys:

Maylene Barrow bears a special responsibility in the town of Claysville, a duty to the newly departed that keeps all she knows and loves safe.

Rebekkah Barrow, Maylene's granddaughter, left Claysville a decade ago, trying to put painful memories behind her.

William Montogomery has been Claysville's Undertaker and Maylene's best friend for a lifetime.

Byron Montgomery, following in his father's footsteps as the town's new undertaker, is tied to the Barrow women-first Rebekkah's dead sister Ella and now Rebekkah--in ways he is only beginning to understand.

But evil has been let loose in Claysville and now Maylene is dead. It falls to Rebekkah to return to the town--and the man--she left behind to stop a monster and keep the dead in their place.. .

My take:
I was so pleasantly surprised at how much I loved this book. I have only read one other book by Melissa Marr, and while I liked the book, it wasn't my favorite. Graveminder, however, was so intriguing, that I could barely make myself stop reading to attend to life matters.

I loved the setting, the quiet little town, the fact that Rebekkah and Byron feel a pull back home every time they leave. Rebekkah knows her grandmother plays a special role for the town, but she isn't aware of just how special and that it is an inherited role - until it becomes her role. The premise of this book is just very interesting - I was fascinated as the story unfolded. The concept behind why Maylene had to mind the dead to keep them where she put them is very original - not at all what I would consider a regular zombie story.

The world building was well done and the characters are either appealing or you love to hate them. The story is tense and dark and so wonderfully gothic.

I hate to get too specific about storyline for those who haven't read the book yet. This is one book that you will want experience for yourself without extra information. I loved the way the story unfolded, slowly revealing the role the graveminder and undertaker play in the town. This is one of my favorite southern gothic novels now.

From what I've read, I think this is a stand alone book, but I would love to read more about this world and the stories of previous Graveminders and Undertakers. There is just enough of their story explained or hinted at to make me really want to read more. I was quite satisfied by the plot, characters and ending of the book, but I wouldn't say no to another book. (hint)

Feature & Follow Friday

2011-12-30T11:21:00.000-06:00

It is time again to share the love -- Follow and Feature Friday hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. The rules:

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them “hi” in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

This week's feature blog is:

Kate @ Ex Libris

I am a perpetually tired reader, mom of two, ex-music teacher, and HR worker bee. I work for a NASA contractor in Houston, but I would rather live somewhere that doesn’t fry in the summer or get hit by hurricanes in the fall. My first literary crush was Gilbert from Anne of Green Gables and I add to that list every day.

My book blog is only a few months old and I love to talk about books with anyone who will listen. I read all types of fiction, but have recently discovered the wide world of YA. I am a Hunger Games fangirl who loves Jane Austen or a good Dr. Who episode. (Aren’t they ALL good??) Right now I am reading fathermothergod by Lucia Greenhouse and Birthmarked by Caragh O’Brien.

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Q: The New Year is here — and everyone wants to know your New Years Blogging Resolution! What are you going to try to revise, revamp and redo for 2012 on your blog?

Answer: I am going to try to be more organized and plan further ahead for my blog posts. It sounds simple, but we'll see how it goes. I also need to make a decision about whether to stay at blogger or switch to wordpress. Any suggestions?

Archon

2011-12-28T22:31:00.000-06:00

Archon by Sabrina Benulis
Review copy provided by Harper Collins
Description from Goodreads:
Angela Mathers is plagued by visions of angels, supernatural creatures who haunt her thoughts by day and seduce her dreams by night. Newly released from a mental institution where she was locked away for two years, she hopes that her time at the Vatican’s university, the West Wood Academy, will give her a chance at a normal life. Unlike ordinary humans, Angela is a blood head — a freak, a monster, the possible fulfillment of a terrifying prophecy of overwhelming death and destruction. Only in Luz, the Vatican’s wondrous enclave, are blood heads accepted and encouraged to discover what kind of powers or special abilities they might possess.

But within West Wood, a secret coven plots, and demons and angels roam the streets searching for the key to open Raziel’s book — a secret tome from a lost archangel. Some are determined to destroy Raziel, while others, like the beautiful Supernal Israfel, one of the highest of the high, wish to free him. And when the Archon — the human chosen to possess the spirit of a dead angel — rises as foretold, they will control the supernatural universe.

Torn between mortal love and angelic obsession, Angela holds the key to Heaven and Hell — and both will stop at nothing to possess her.

My take:

The world of Archon is a strange and dark version of our own, I think. Some things seem familiar but with a darker, more sinister feel. This is a world where "blood heads" - redheads are viewed with fear and suspicion because of a prophecy. Angela Mathers has had a tough life - apparently due mostly to her being a blood head. Her parents abuse her, she has vivid dreams of one angel over and over, and she can't die - or more accurately, she can't kill herself. She is institutionalized for two years after her latest attempt at suicide which ended with the death of her parents. Despite her abuse, Angela is a pretty strong and sympathetic heroine.

My impression of Luz, where Angela goes to school, was of darkness, decay, rot, mildew, violent winds and storms. Basically, not a cheery place. It seems like the perfect location for such a dark story. There are angels, demons, jinn and other creatures in the story. No one is exactly what they seem or in some cases, some are not even what they think they are. Angela, and consequently, the reader, is never sure who is human, demon, angel, possessed or whatever. While this can be a bit confusing at times if the reader is not paying attention, I thought it actually worked by helping to illustrate how completely differently angels and demons view the world from how humans themselves see things. The lines between who is good and who is evil are very blurred as well.

I found the depiction of the angels in this book to be very interesting and captivating. They are very different from angels I've encountered in other books. I found this aspect to be quite intriguing. I was left with many questions about where the story is headed, what will happen to Sophia and what Angela will do next. Since this is the first of the series, I am looking forward to finding the answers in the next books. While this did feel like a debut book, I think there is so much potential with this series, that I will be looking for the next book when it is published.

One last note - the cover art for this book is really just so beautiful. I think it is one of the best of the year.

Fante: A Memoir

2011-12-13T15:14:00.000-06:00

Fante: A Memoir by Dan Fante
review copy provided by publisher
Description from Goodreads:
From Dan Fante, son of novelist John Fante, comes an exploration of his family’s legacy—one of boozing, passion, writing, and survival. Long before his father achieved literary recognition for Ask the Dust or The Road to Los Angeles, and before Dan had conceived his novels 86’d, Chump Change, and Mooch, their difficult relationship as father and son evolved in a household where love and literary artistry were often overshadowed by emotional violence. Fante is the story of Dan’s struggle to find his own voice amidst the madness of his family’s dark inheritance, a memoir of his escape from his own vices and his eventual return to Los Angeles to embrace the man—and the calling—that once had driven him away.

My Take:
I have to admit that I think this book was pretty amazing. I don't know that I like Dan Fante very much, but I do like his writing. Fante's story is quite the wild ride and it is probably not for everyone, but the man can write. His tale recounts the stories of his grandfather's, father's and his own life story -- particularly the parts dealing with their heavy drinking, fighting, failed relationships, and his father's and his writing. The book jumps from generation to generation and relays how each generation affected the other.

According to his memoir, Dan was very much like his father in his raging moods, love of writing and love of booze. As seems to be the case in many families, the father/son or mother/daughter or whatever combination that are most alike also have the most antagonistic relationship. This was true for Dan Fante and his father John for many years. As he grew up and was able to see his father through adult eyes, Dan was able to appreciate and grow to love his father. This growing relationship between father and son was one of the nice things to read about in the book. Many of the stories told are disturbing and upsetting. Even with the darkness described by the author, I couldn't stop reading this book. I got the impression that he was telling things like they were -- no punches pulled. The book felt genuine and Fante is able to see himself as he really was and then relate that without excuses. How many of us are willing to be that honest with ourselves much less everyone else? Parts of the book are heartwarming, parts are disgusting, parts are just disturbing, but throughout I felt that I needed to find out how this story ended.

This is a story of a family, a father and son who were/are both writers. The tales of Hollywood screenwriters during John Fante's time were fascinating. Who doesn't love to hear stories about famous authors? Both Fantes' writing lives are detailed and this was also a major factor in my enjoyment of the book. I would recommend this book for anyone who loves literature and the writing process and the conflicts writers face everyday or just loves a good memoir.

Belated Readathon (I am pathetic) Update #2

2011-12-03T17:02:00.001-06:00

I'm still reading Anarchy Evolution. There may not be an update for a couple hours after this one. Rehearsals finishing will require that I pick up the girls and take them home and feed them. I will continue to read as much as possible.

And I have never forgotten that engaging in scientific data collection can be a great way of resisting authority. p. 33

Belated Readathon Update #1 (I am pathetic)

2011-12-03T16:00:00.001-06:00

It is approx. 4:00 pm and I haven't updated or read much so far. Pathetic. However, I had to get my daughters to their Nutcracker rehearsals and had lunch with the husband, so this proves I have a life - sort of - right? Most of my reading will be tonight. Night is my favorite time to read anyway. I will probably be switching between books. First off, I'll be reading Anarchy Evolution: Faith, Science and Bad Religion in a World without God by Greg Graffin and Steve Olson.

Punk music gave us a way to rail against the deadening groupthink of the suburbs while offering an alternative to the political mainstream. p. 25

Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall

2011-11-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

Stasiland: Stories From Behind the Berlin Wall by Anna Funder
review copy provided by publisher
Description from Goodreads:
In 1989, the Berlin Wall fell; shortly afterwards the two Germanies reunited, and East Germany ceased to exist. In a country where the headquarters of the secret police can become a museum literally overnight and one in#160;50 East Germans were informing on their fellow citizens, there are thousands of captivating stories. Anna Funder tells extraordinary tales from the underbelly of the former East Germany. She meets Miriam, who as a 16-year-old might have started World War III; she visits the man who painted the line which became the Berlin Wall; and she gets drunk with the legendary "Mik Jegger" of the east, once declared by the authorities to his face to "no longer to exist." Each enthralling story depicts what it's like to live in Berlin as the city knits itself back together#151;or fails to. This is a history full of emotion, attitude, and complexity.

My take:
I remember when the Berlin Wall came down. I remember being glued to the news during these events and being excited and happy that things were changing in the world. But, I was far more familiar with the U.S.S.R. than I was the GDR. This may have been because I hung out with a few Russian Studies majors in college, and I was generally interested in Russian history. Stasiland was a real eye-opener for me. My own ignorance about East Germany was shocking to me. For some reason, I had always assumed that East Germany wasn't as communist as Russia somehow. I'm not even sure how that could be, but that was the general impression I had.

Stasiland set me straight regarding my misconceptions about East Germany. Anna Funder does an excellent job of conveying the depressing aspects of life in communist Germany while inserting moments of much needed humor. Most of the humor is of the incredulous kind. For instance, when a young woman who has been continually unsuccessful at finding employment makes the mistake of saying that she is unemployed to the clerk at the Employment Office.

'Miss, you are not unemployed, she barked.
'Of course I'm unemployed,' Julia said. 'Why else would I be here?'
'This is the Employment Office, not the Unemployment Office. You are not unemployed; you are seeking work.'
Julia wasn't daunted. 'I'm seeking work,' she said, 'because I am unemployed.'
The woman started to shout so loudly the people in the queue hunched their shoulders. 'I said, you are not unemployed! You are seeking work!' and then, almost hysterically, 'There is no unemployment in the German Democratic Republic!' p. 104

I really liked that the book helped to put history of Germany into perspective for me. I don't know enough about German history to judge how accurate some of her statements are, but because of many of her references, I was able to roughly line up the German history.

I thought the memoir format worked well here. Funder retells personal stories of several people who lived through the communist years and many of them were personally affected by the Stasi. She also interviewed some former Stasi and that was extremely interesting.

If you've read my blog at all, you probably have guessed that I really like books that make me want to read even more about a topic. And this book succeeded at this. I found it fascinating, horrifying, funny, sad, and frustrating. All this means it was a very good read.

Belated Readathon

2011-11-27T10:39:00.001-06:00

I will be participating in Belated Readathon hosted by Amanda at Dead White Guys and Britteny from The Souls of Thought. Why am I participating?? Because I love the title of the readathon and I love Dead White Guys and besides, who doesn't love an excuse to read all day long?

Here are the details from Amanda:

THE DEETS.

-The event starts at 7 a.m. on Saturday, December 3rd, and runs until 7 a.m. Sunday, December 4th. If you can't/don't want to participate for all 24 hours, you absolutely do not have to. I have a feeling I won't even do that, and I'm the one (co) hosting it. So. Also, we're in EST, but you can start at whatever time you want in your time zone.

-Brittney and I will be gathering at my house for the duration of our endurance, eating snacks and doing hourly updates on our respective blogs. You are not required to do hourly updates, or any updates, really. HOWEVER, I do encourage you to do some sort of updating so we know you're alive, and not buried under your TBR pile.

-In short, there aren't really any rules, but if you want an excuse to shove your kids/cat/homework into your closet/car/backpack and just read all day and night, I AM HERE! I AM YOUR EXCUSE PROVIDER!

I hope to read for a major portion of the day, but I will have to take some time out to watch the OU/OSU game --- this is a requirement. I have to watch and support my Sooners.

**Updates will be posted to the blog.

Follow Friday

2011-11-25T12:14:00.001-06:00

Since it is the Friday after Thanksgiving, this Follow & Feature Friday is about what we bloggers are thankful for. This meme is hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read.

Our featured blogger is Shanan from The Book Addict. Be sure to check out her blog and follow.

My name is Shanan. I am the blogger behind The Book Addict. Some my earliest memories of spending time with my grandma were trips to our local library to get stacks of books. Since then, I have been hooked. I love when a story sweeps me away, takes me to a new place, allows me to explore a new idea. I love to read just about anything–fiction, non-fiction, classics, young adult. Some of my favorites are Pride and Prejudice, the Poison Study series by Maria V. Snyder, and The Heir Chronicles by Cinda Williams Chima.

I have a two-year old daughter who keeps me on my toes, but she has also taught me to enjoy the little things in life, to be silly, to dance to the music I hear, and the importance of always knowing where the nearest park is located. I strive everyday to spark a love of reading for her, too. So every night, I get to fall in love with Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein, and A.A. Milne all over again.

Q: It’s Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. so we want to know what you are Thankful for – blogging related of course! Who has helped you out along the way? What books are you thankful for reading?

My answer:
I am so thankful for the whole book blogging community. My tiny little blog has been so much fun. And so many bloggers have inspired and encouraged me while I have been learning and trying to improve my blog. I could not begin to thank everyone, but, I've been especially grateful for Parajunkee's View for all the blogging information provided by the Blogging 101 feature and the Follow Friday meme.

Some of the books I'm thankful for reading: Dance Lessons, The Legacy, Russian Winter, Stoner and Deadline.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T11:22:00.001-06:00

This year I just happen to be reading America: A Narrative History Brief Edition by George Brown Tindall and David Emory Shi. This is for my oldest's history this year, but I am reading it as well. I am really enjoying this book. Recently reading about the Revolution and the founding of our nation has made this Thanksgiving even more meaningful for me. I think we all need reminders of our history to keep it fresh in our minds. I am thankful for so much.

I wish all my fellow bloggers and readers a very Happy Thanksgiving. And happy reading! The long weekend for me is the perfect opportunity to get in lots of reading time.

Cutting for Stone

2011-11-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

borrowed from a friend

Description from Goodreads:

Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a brash British surgeon. Orphaned by their mother’s death and their father’s disappearance, bound together by a preternatural connection and a shared fascination with medicine, the twins come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution.

Moving from Addis Ababa to New York City and back again, Cutting for Stone is an unforgettable story of love and betrayal, medicine and ordinary miracles—and two brothers whose fates are forever intertwined.

My take:

Cutting for Stone was a book choice for my book club. Atfirst I was very impressed with this book. It really is beautifully written. Iloved the descriptions of Africa and the depiction of life there. This book wasvery ambitious. It takes on many issues including love/lust, betrayal, forgiveness, family,sibling relationships, and tragedy. The first two thirds of the book werepretty amazing if you can excuse some pretty big coincidences --which I wascompletely willing to do because I loved how beautifully written it was. Therelationship between the twins, Marion and Shiva was compelling if a littleconfusing. The two brothers have a complicated relationship and it was ratherfascinating to read about the evolution of this relationship. Unfortunately,the final third of the book was so disappointing for me. Actually, the lastfourth of the novel just seemed to unravel for me. I felt the coincidence ofMarion running into Genet in the US was just too much. And once he ran into herI felt like I had been completely deceived about the character of Marionthrough the first three fourths of the book. He seemed to devolve into a brutalNeanderthal. At this point, I finished the book just to see how far the storywould plunge. I felt let down because the story had started so beautifully andended in a grungy mess. Maybe I'm missing the point and I should see howfragile life is and all people have their weaknesses, we should forgive andblah, blah, blah. I know many people really loved this book, but I felt disappointedby the ending - especially because of how it started off. So, to recap, lovedthe first three fourths, should have stopped before the final fourth.

Bunheads

2011-11-06T15:06:00.000-06:00

Bunheads by Sophie Flack
kindle edition purchased from amazon.com
Description from Goodreads:

As a dancer with the ultra-prestigious Manhattan Ballet Company, nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward juggles intense rehearsals, dazzling performances and complicated backstage relationships. Up until now, Hannah has happily devoted her entire life to ballet.

But when she meets a handsome musician named Jacob, Hannah's universe begins to change, and she must decide if she wants to compete against the other "bunheads" in the company for a star soloist spot or strike out on her own in the real world. Does she dare give up the gilded confines of the ballet for the freedoms of everyday life.

My take:
I originally wanted to read this book because of the insider's view of being a member of a large ballet company. I have two daughters who dance and I wanted to see if Bunheads would be appropriate for my older daughter to read.

I found it very interesting to read about the everyday life of a corp de ballet dancer. Hannah is a likable character - not perfect, not bad, just a normal girl. I enjoyed reading about the experience of competing with the same girls who are your closest friends and some of the few people who understand the physical and emotional toll that dancing for a living takes on a person.

I liked that the book explores many of the issues that are prevalent in the dance world -- weight, eating issues, physical injury, dealing with egotistical directors/instructors and weighing the pros and cons of choosing to give so much of yourself into dance and dance alone. I think it is good for young dancers to confront these issues before they have made life changing decisions.

I was very amused by the portrayal of the dancers' views about The Nutcracker ballet performances. My daughters have danced in a major ballet company's Nutcracker for the last several years and we mothers always wonder how on earth the company dancers can stand to dance it every year - and so many performances. I have a friend who used to be a professional ballet dancer and many of the stories she has told me about her experiences are mirrored in Bunheads. There were a couple of places that Hannah expresses almost exactly the same sentiments of my friend. So, I had a fun time reading this book.

For parents wondering if it is appropriate for their middle to older children: There is some language and some under age drinking. Other than those pretty minor things, I think it is a fine read for teens/tweens.

A Second Life

2011-11-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

A Second Life by Dermot Bolger
purchased from Kennys Bookshop
Description from Goodreads:
Following a car crash, for several seconds, Dublin photographer Sean Blake is clinically dead. When he plummets back to life, it is into a world which, for him, has profoundly changed. This is not the first time that he has been given a second life. At the age of six weeks he was taken from his mother, when as a young girl in rural Ireland, she was forced to give up her baby for adoption. Beginning the quest for his own identity, Sean determines to find his natural mother. This leads him on a strange and absorbing journey. Bolger exposes a dark wound from Ireland's history to explore how we must not only reclaim the past but try to redeem it. As Sean closes in on the truth of his birth, A Second Life builds with a resonance that is both through-provoking and utterly moving.

My Take:
Until I read this book, I was not very aware of this particular aspect of Irish history. I think I was vaguely aware of the fact that there were homes run by nuns for unwed mothers and that the children were taken from the young mothers and given out for adoption. I am sure this was entirely due to other books I have read. After reading A Second Life, I plan to do further reading and to see the movie The Magdalene Sisters which attempts to shed light on these "fallen" women and their lives within the "laundries".

A Second Life examines the aftermath of Sean Blake's near death experience and his coming to grips with having been adopted. The other narrative in the novel is that of his birth mother - who never forgot her son and was always hoping he would try to find her. Being forced to give up her baby had a devastating effect on her life and she never really recovered. This is a heart breaking story, but it was a fascinating read.

Follow Friday

2011-11-04T10:45:00.000-05:00

It's time for some Follow Friday Fun! Follow and Feature Friday is hosted by Parajunkee's View and AlisonCanRead.

This week's feature blog is SkyInk.net:

Hi! My name is Jinny. I’m 22 years old, live in Canada. I love reading books, of course. I also love video games and, stereotypically, hockey! I’m currently majoring in English (language, not literature, though I have to take some lit courses anyway as part of my degree) and I hope that after I graduate, I will be accepted into a nursing program so that I can become a nurse.

My book blog was born in November 2009. I started my book blog when a couple friends and I decided to challenge ourselves by reading 50 books in a year, so I used the blog to keep track of my books. From there, it became a sort of review site, though recently I am trying to participate in more memes and whatnot I read a bit of everything, though I think by and large the genre I gravitate towards the most is YA.

Now for some follow fun:

Q: Today’s Question is something new, an activity. We want to see what you look like! Take a pic with you and your current read! Too shy? Boo! Just post a fun pic you want to share.

Okay, here I am with my kindle ediiton of Bunheads by Sophia Flack.

Naturally, I'm reading more than one book, so. . .

Me with my copy of Stasiland by Anna Funder.

Fool's Sanctuary

2011-11-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

Fool's Sanctuary by Jennifer Johnston
book purchased from Kennys Bookshop
Summary from back of book:
The Great War is over; but the war in Ireland is only just beginning, as the IRA and the Black and Tans move on to the attack. It all seems very remote to Miranda Martin, during that miraculous Indian summer.

Her father, hoping to forget his dead wife, thinks of nothing but his trees; Miranda thinks of the future, a future which must surely include Cathal, who brings news from Dublin. Everything seems calm and serene.

But then Andrew, her officer brother, comes home, bringing his eccentric, likeable friend Harry, and as the Indian summer fades, the scent is set for tragedy.

My take:
For such a short novel, it is quite powerful. The beginning of Fool's Sanctuary takes place much after the main action of the novel. It is retold in the flashbacks of a seemingly very old and frail Miranda Martin. The novel begins:

There are no new days ahead of me.
Is this what they meant by limbo?
Waiting time, floating time, time for snatching at the comfortable and uncomfortable
moments of the past.

It is so sad and sort of ethereal. In the flashbacks to that fateful summer that changed all their lives forever, Miranda seemed to be so sheltered from what was going on in the world and in Ireland all round her. She and her father seemed to inhabit a quiet oasis in the midst of turmoil. Unfortunately, such a state cannot exist indefinitely.

There is much left unsaid and the reader must gather it as the story unfolds. Her father seems to be trying to cope with his wife's death by plunging himself into his work. He is a sharp contrast to his son, Andrew, who finds his father's work and his way of life contemptible. Andrew is full of anger and violence -at whom he is angry is somewhat in doubt. He seems to be angry with everyone.

Like most Irish novels, Fool's Sanctuary is quite sad. It is quite effective at shining a light on a time in Irish history that many in America are only vaguely aware if they are aware of it at all.

Upcoming Challenges

2011-11-02T16:45:00.002-05:00

Last year I signed up for way too many challenges. With my homeschooling schedule, the kids' music and ballet activites, I was far too busy to read at the level I have in the past. I am hoping to rally these last two months and at least make a decent showing. That said, I will be participating in The Book Vixen's Outdo Yourself Challenge 2012. This one should be a bit easier to attain as it is just trying to read more books than last year.

Details:

Runs January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012 (books read prior to 1/1/12 do not count towards the challenge). You can join at anytime. Sign up on The Book Vixen’s blog.
The goal is to outdo yourself by reading more books in 2012 than you did in 2011. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you. Nothing is set in stone; you can change levels at any time during the challenge.
Books can be any format (bound, eBook, audio).
Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
Grab the reading challenge button and post this reading challenge on your blog to track your progress. Please include a link back to this sign-up post so others can join the reading challenge too. You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you could track your progress on Goodreads or LibraryThing.

Levels:
Getting my heart rate up – Read 1–5 more books
Out of breath – Read 6–10 more books
Breaking a sweat – Read 11–15 more books
I’m on fire! – Read 16+ more books

I think I will start out at the "Out of breath" level by reading 6 - 10 more books.

In the Forests of the Night

2011-11-01T21:50:00.000-05:00

In the Forests of the Night (The Goblin Wars book 2) by Kersten Hamilton
ARC provided by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Description from Goodreads:
Teagan, Finn, and Aiden have made it out of Mag Mell alive, but the Dark Man's forces are hot on their heels. Back in Chicago, Tea’s goblin cousins show up at her school, sure she will come back to Mag Mell, as goblin blood is never passive once awoken. Soon she will belong to Fear Doirich and join them. In the meantime, they are happy to entertain themselves by trying to seduce, kidnap, or kill Tea’s family and friends.
Teagan knows she doesn’t have much time left, and she refuses to leave Finn or her family to be tortured and killed. A wild Stormrider, born to rule and reign, is growing stronger inside her. But as long as she can hold on, she’s still Teagan Wylltson, who plans to be a veterinarian and who heals the sick and hurting. The disease that’s destroying her—that’s destroying them all—has a name: Fear Doirich.
And Teagan Wylltson is not going to let him win.

My take:
I was so excited to receive an advanced reader copy of the latest book in The Goblin Wars series by Kersten Hamilton. Tyger Tyger was such a pleasant surprise for me. My original review can be found here.

In the second installment of this series, In the Forests of the Night, the reader is quickly plunged into the aftermath of Teagan's first trip into Mag Mell. Her father is back home, but he has lost some of his memories. The house is full of family - both human and goblin. Teagan's friend Abby is now living with them as are Roisin and Grendal as well as Thomas. The story is very fast-paced and pulls you along into the world of Mab, Fear Doirich and the Mac Cumhaill.

Not only is the story exciting and tension filled, there is a lot of humor as well. That is one of the many things I like about this series. There is a funny scene about when Roisin finds out that Thomas, who is a shape-shifter, is not the sexy animal he claimed, but a bird instead. It's just not the same as, say, a wolf.

As a literature major, I used to sit in pubs with other students and discuss literature - yes, really. And one of our favorite topics was the Shakespeare issue. Who was Shakespeare, exactly? This was never taken too seriously, but it was so much fun! And to my joy, this topic is discussed in the book --- with some interesting information provided by Thomas, the Lhiannon-sidhe - Celtic muse. Another thing I loved was that while just reading for fun, I was inspired to research several topics of mythology, read authors I had never actually read but should have, re-read some authors, learn about Irish Travellers and re-read Tyger Tyger to make sure I had everything all straight in my head.

After I read In the Forests of the Night, I gave my daughter Tyger Tyger to read and after she finished it, she confiscated my copy of In the Forests of the Night. She loved them both and was only upset that she would have to wait for the next book.

This is one series that I consistently and often recommend to my friends and other homeschoolers who have tweens/teens. Teagan is a smart girl and she makes her own decisions. I love the depth of mythology and literature within the books and I know that my own kids will be inspired to read more and research for more information after reading them. I hope that other readers will be inspired to do so as well.

In My Mailbox

2011-10-18T07:34:00.001-05:00

Welcome to my In My Mailbox this week. This is a lovely meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

I received my latest book parcel from Kennys Bookshop in Galway, Ireland over the weekend and I wanted to share. All books were purchased by me but chosen by Des Kenny.

Fool's Sanctuary by Jennifer Johnston
from the back cover:
The Great War is over; but the war in Ireland is only just beginning, as the IRA and the Black and Tans move on to the attack. It all seems very remote to Miranda Martin, during that miraculous Indian summer. Her father, hoping to forget his dead wife, thinks of nothing but his trees; Miranda thinks of the future, a future which must surely include Cathal, who brings news from Dublin. Everything seems calm and serene.

But then Andrew, her officer brother, comes home bringing his eccentric, likeable friend Harry, and as the Indian summer fades, the scene is set for tragedy.

Walk the Blue Fields by Claire Keegan
summary from Goodreads:
Claire Keegan’s brilliant debut collection, Antarctica, was a Los Angeles Times Book of the Year, and earned her resounding accolades on both sides of the Atlantic. Now she has delivered her next, much-anticipated book, Walk the Blue Fields, an unforgettable array of quietly wrenching stories about despair and desire in the timeless world of modern-day Ireland. In the never-before-published story “The Long and Painful Death,” a writer awarded a stay to work in Heinrich Boll’s old cottage has her peace interrupted by an unwelcome intruder, whose ulterior motives only emerge as the night progresses. In the title story, a priest waits at the altar to perform a marriage and, during the ceremony and the festivities that follow, battles his memories of a love affair with the bride that led him to question all to which he has dedicated his life; later that night, he finds an unlikely answer in the magical healing powers of a seer.
A masterful portrait of a country wrestling with its past and of individuals eking out their futures, Walk the Blue Fields is a breathtaking collection from one of Ireland’s greatest talents, and a resounding articulation of all the yearnings of the human heart

Lights in the Distance by Susan Millar DuMars
A collection of short stories.

The Various Lives of Keats and Chapman by Flann O'Brien
from Goodreads:
"Along with Joyce and Beckett, [Flann O'Brien] constitutes our trinity of great Irish writers. And who is funnier?"
- Edna O'Brien

The cream of Flann O'Brien's comic tour-de-force, the Keats and Chapman stories began in O'Brien's column in the Irish Times. He called them "studies in literary pathology" -- monstrously tall tales that explore the very limits of the shaggy dog story. As one critic wrote, they will accumulate the fantasy to the point of sadism, and then cash home with the flat, desolating pun.

"The Brother" is another of O'Brien's funniest creations. He is the archetypal Dublin man -- an authority on every one of mankind's ills, from the common cold to the court case. Forget the experts, The Brother knows best.

"The best comic writer I can think of."
- S. J. Perelman

Julius Winsome by Gerard Donovan
summary from Goodreads:
Living alone with his dog in the remote cabin in the woods, Julius Winsome is not unlike the barren winter lands that he inhabits: remote, vacant, inscrutable. But when his dog Hobbes is killed by hunters, their carelessness—or is it cruelty?—sets Julius's precarious mindset on end.
He is at once more alone than he has ever been; he was at first with his father, until he died; then with Claire, until she disappeared with another man into a more normal life in town; and then with Hobbes, who eased the sorrow of Claire's departure. Now Hobbes is gone.
Julius is left with what his father left behind: the cabin that he was raised in; a lifetime of books, lining every wall of his home, which have been Julius's lifelong friends and confidantes; and his great-grandfather's rifle from World War I, which Julius had been trained to shoot with uncanny skill and with the utmost reluctance. But with the death of his dog, Julius's reluctance has reached its end. More and more, simply and furtively, it is revenge that is creeping into his mind.
Fresh snow is on the ground as the hunters lumber into his sights. They're well within the old gun's range. They pause, and they're locked into the crosshairs. Julius's finger traces the trigger. Will he pull it? And what will that accomplish? What if he simply has nothing left to lose?

Old Swords and Other Stories by Desmond Hogan
description from Goodreads:
These eleven stories by Desmond Hogan, his first publication since Larks' Eggs: New and Selected Stories (2005), collect newly minted shards of experience focused on the lives of the dreamers and marginalized who populate his imagined worlds. They range in time and place from France, Germany and Italy in the nineteenth century to Ireland of the 1950s and the present day. Their concerns are fragility and identity expressed through the outer semblances of dress and deportment, and inner realities of involuntary memory and the retrieval of shared pasts. Close observation of nature combines with psychological unveilings, much of it in the form of erotic reverie. This bricolage of melded history and a fragmented modernism renders truth-to-experience like no other contemporary voice.

This author's linguistic resourcefulness is unique to Irish letters, and each new gathering enlarges upon his reputation as one of Ireland's most fearless and invigorating writers, who, in the words of film-maker Neil Jordan, "remakes the world every time he puts pen to paper'"

The River Field by John MacKenna
from the back cover:
This magnificent collection of short stories by one of Ireland's finest writers is set over the centuries and bound by one connecting factor - a field near the author's beloved Castledermot, Co. Kildare. Each story showcases MacKenna's incredible gift of capturing a moment, an emotion, a time in sensuous yet stark language.

Without My Cloak by Kate O'Brien
description from Goodreads:
When Anthony Considine creeps into Mellick town with a stolen horse in 1789, it sets the destiny of his family for decades to come. By the 1850s, through thrift and hard work, his son Honest John has made the Considines a leading Mellick family. In turn, his son Anthony builds a fine house in the country for his wife and children—most especially for his adored son Dennis. Little does he know that when Dennis grows up he will threaten the toil of generations with his love for a peasant girl. A stirring family saga of divided loyalties and individual freedom; of matches made and lost; and of the constraints of religion and family pride

A Donegal Trilogy by Little John Nee
from back cover:
This book contains three plays by Little John Nee: the Derry Boat, Rural Electric and The Mental. John is a writer, performer, songwriter and storyteller. Raised in Glasgow until the age of 12, he then returned with his family to his parents' native Donegal. John's work is rooted in the stories of the ordinary people of Ireland, and in particular his home county of Donegal, that most Scottish of Irish counties. His work though is not ordinary. It is lyrical, moving and precise: each word, each song, each note each gesture plays its part in crafting his stories. Audiences everywhere identify with those stories for their simplicity and humanity in telling the experience of the ordinary man.

A Second Life by Dermot Bolger
description from Goodreads:
Following a car crash, for several seconds, Dublin photographer Sean Blake is clinically dead. When he plummets back to life, it is into a world which, for him, has profoundly changed. This is not the first time that he has been given a second life. At the age of six weeks he was taken from his mother, when as a young girl in rural Ireland, she was forced to give up her baby for adoption. Beginning the quest for his own identity, Sean determines to find his natural mother. This leads him on a strange and absorbing journey. Bolger exposes a dark wound from Ireland's history to explore how we must not only reclaim the past but try to redeem it. As Sean closes in on the truth of his birth, A Second Life builds with a resonance that is both through-provoking and utterly moving.

Crannog 25 - a collection of fiction and poetry

The Eighth Scroll

2011-10-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

The Eighth Scroll by Laurence B. Brown
kindle edition purchased from Amazon.com
Description from Goodreads
Stirring the flames of age-old controversies, The Eighth Scroll by Laurence B. Brown draws on the three Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam to create an unbelievably dynamic and powerful story. Set in a world that teeters between orthodoxy and heresy, this thriller is packed with intrigue and adventure. When a Roman Catholic scholar involved in the Dead Sea Scrolls Project hides one of the scrolls because of the heretical message it contains, no one is the wiser until decades later, when a prominent archaeologist discovers reference to the scroll in an archaeological dig. This discovery spurs the world religions into a dangerous game of cat and mouse, in which all who seek the hidden scroll are mysteriously silenced, leaving the salvation of humankind to a father and son, who must either find the hidden scroll . . . or die trying.

My Take:
I've received a few emails from this author wanting me to read and review the book as well as participate in some blog events. I passed on the extra stuff, but I did read the book because the descriptions intrigued me and it sounded interesting. I don't know if the book lives up to some of the blurbs on the cover and amazon review pages, but it was definitely a fun read. I read this book in just about one day without having to put much effort into it. It is very fast paced and the events are exciting and the story did hold my interest.

I've seen several reviews comparing The Eighth Scroll to works by Dan Brown - and I think the comparisons are fair. Conspiracy. History. Murder. Intrigue. Controversial topics. Although, I must say that there were not any ideas that I hadn't encountered in other places. Some people may find some of the ideas in the book regarding the Bible and Christianity controversial, but I had no issues with any of it.

If you like history, archeology, and thrillers, you may enjoy this book. I found it an easy, enjoyable read. However, if you are easily offended by differing religious views, you may want to avoid this book.

In My Mailbox

2011-10-09T13:27:00.000-05:00

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren. It is where we share the books that we have managed to acquire this week. This week I was lucky enough to receive the following books:

Stasiland by Anna Funder
In 1989, the Berlin Wall fell; shortly afterwards the two Germanies reunited, and East Germany ceased to exist. In a country where the headquarters of the secret police can become a museum literally overnight and one in 50 East Germans were informing on their fellow citizens, there are thousands of captivating stories. Anna Funder tells extraordinary tales from the underbelly of the former East Germany. She meets Miriam, who as a 16-year-old might have started World War III; she visits the man who painted the line which became the Berlin Wall; and she gets drunk with the legendary "Mik Jegger" of the east, once declared by the authorities to his face to "no longer to exist." Each enthralling story depicts what it's like to live in Berlin as the city knits itself back together—or fails to. This is a history full of emotion, attitude, and complexity.

Fante: A Memoir by Dan Fante
As father and son John and Dan Fante shared a relationship characterized by competition, resentment, rage and silence. As men, both were driven to succeed by damaged by uncontrollable drinking. As writers, both were gifted with inextinguishable passion. In Fante, Dan Fante traces his family’s history from Los Angeles, where John struggles to gain literary recognition and turns instead to the steady paycheck of Hollywood screenwriting, to New York, where Dan finds an escape from his troubled childhood in a life of words and vices.
John was a writer whose literary contributions were not recognized until the end of his life. Dan was an alcoholic saved by writing, who at the age of 45 picked up his father’s old typewriter in order to ease the madness in his mind. Fante is the story of the evolution of a relationship between father and son who eventually find their way back to loving each other. In straightforward unapologetic prose, Dan Fante lays bare his family’s story from his point of view, with the rage and passion of a writer, which he feels was his true inheritance and his father’s greatest gift.

Anarchy Evolution: Faith, Science, and Bad Religion in a World without God by Greg Graffin & Steve Olson
A provocative look at the collision between religion and science-by the founding member of the cult punk band Bad Religion who is also a professor.

“I’ve always had a problem with authority.” —Greg Graffin

The world knows Greg Graffin as the lead singer of the cult punk band Bad Religion which he founded in the 80s— what they may not know is he also also a Ph.D. and a Professor of Life Sciences at UCLA who is immersed in the debate on religion. In Anarchy Evolution, Graffin puts forth his bold ideas about “naturalism” and the connection between science religion and art. In this provocative and timely book, Graffin tackles head on the “intellectual dishonestly” of creationism; he also shares compelling stories about his childhood and how science saved him when he ran into trouble as a teenager. Anarchy Evolution will appeal to the fans of Bad Religion (which as sold over 2.8 million albums) as well as readers of Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. The book coincides with a major national Bad Religion reunion tour that will start in October of 2010

Follow Friday

2011-10-07T11:09:00.000-05:00

Hello! And happy Friday to all. It is time for another Follow and Feature Friday. This super fun meme is hosted by Parajunkee.com and Alisoncanread.com. This week's feature blogs are

Jagged Edge Reviews

and A Neverending Fantasy.

Go check out their blogs and follow along.

Q. If you could pick one character in a book, movie or television show to swap places with, who would it be?

A. Harry Potter is going to be a popular choice, I think. I think I'd like to swap places with Jenny instead of Hermione though because I just love the Weaseley family. I also love Jane Austen's novels and I love the lifestyle - to a point. I don't think it would be ideal in reality though -- I have a hard time holding my tongue and I would be in so much trouble all the time.

Follow Friday

2011-09-16T09:50:00.000-05:00

Good Friday morning! It is time once again for Follow & Feature Friday hosted by Parajunkee.com and alisoncanread.com. Be sure to check out their blogs! This week's feature blog is Librarian Mouse.

I'm a Spanish girl living in Switzerland that loves to read almost any kind of book. I write down the ideas and thoughts I have and I care for people. Need a friend? Need someone to talk to? Try with me :D

I like having people around, reading and having fun. I also like to travel a lot and my biggest dream is to go back to Brasil and live there again. It's such a wonderful country!

The question for this week:
It's that pesky magic book fairy again! She has another wish: What imaginary book world would you like to make a reality?

My answer:
I think I'd have to go with the world of Harry Potter -- even as an adult, I want to go to school at Hogwarts! After that, I'd have to pick a steampunk world or maybe cyberpunk.

The Legacy

2011-08-27T05:00:00.000-05:00

The Legacy by Katherine Webb
review copy provided by Harper Collins
Description from Goodreads:
A fresh and exciting new voice in contemporary fiction, Katherine Webb debuts with a haunting novel about a secret family history. Already a sensation in the United Kingdom, Webb’s The Legacy is a treat for every fan of upmarket women’s fiction and literary suspense in the vein of bestselling authors Kate Morton, Sarah Waters, and Diane Setterfield. Taut, affecting, and surprising—a story that ranges from present-day England back to the American West in the early twentieth century—The Legacy embroils two sisters in an investigation into the strange, never solved disappearance of their cousin, a dark mystery that opened deep family wounds that never healed.

My Take:
To be quite honest, this book had me in it's grip from the very first page -- and I'm not even exaggerating. After finishing the Prologue, I was completely hooked. I had to find out what was going on. The Prologue takes plce in 1905 and then the first chapter take place in modern times. Two sisters are dealing with the death of their grandmother, the handling of the estate and dealing with their own past at their grandmother's home. There are more than a few dark secrets in the past - some from their own past and some from their great grandmother's past that haunt this family.

Some things I loved about the book:
I really enjoyed the family history aspect to the story. The younger sister, Erica, becomes fascinated with the distant past as she tries to remember or solve the mystery of what happened to her own cousin one summer during her childhood. Being the youngest of the cousins, she doesn't remember (or won't let herself remember) the events of that day and no one who does remember will tell her. The going through old family trunks, letters, photos, etc. is just the perfect vehicle for finding out family secrets and I really enjoyed the slow reveal of the sad family story. It was also fun that the reader is priy to information that Erica is not. I thought it demonstrated just how much of our family stories can be guesswork. I work on our family geneaology and this is an important subject for me.

Part of the great grandmother, Caroline's, story takes place in Woodward, Ok in the very early 1900's. I am originally from Oklahoma and my husband's family is from Woodward so it was fun to read about turn of the century Woodward. The descriptions of the heat were so uncannily accurate, it was amazing.

She did not get used to the heat, which increased with each passing day. By noon the sun was a flat, white disc that seemed to press like a giant hand on her head whenever she stepped outside, pushing her down, making her heavy and half-blind. When the wind blew it seemed as hot as the blast from an oven. p. 151

I loved the way the grandmother's hatred of the Travellers family that lived on the end of the property was gradually explained. The sisters grew up knowing that their grandmother detested this family, but they were never really sure exactly why. Despite strict instruction not to, they became fast friends with Dinny, the son of the family. The various and changing relationships between the two families members are important to the story and is wonderful to read. And again, we see the damage that secrets and lack of explanation can cause in a child's perception of people and cause such unhappiness.

Note: I did figure out what happened to the cousin before the big reveal in the book, but it absolutely did not deter from my enjoyment of the story as a whole.

I don't want to give away any big plot points because this book should definitely be read and enjoyed on its own. The mysteries should be savored and relished for the lush gothic story that it is. I have been recommending this book to all my friends.

Follow Friday

2011-08-26T09:14:00.000-05:00

It's the last Friady in August and our new school year starts next week. It's time for Parajunkee's Follow and Feature Friday. This week's feature blog is Caught in the Pages.

Q. In books like the Sookie Stackhouse (True Blood) series the paranormal creature in question "comes out of the closet" and makes itself known to the world. Which mythical creature do you wish would come out of the closet, for real?

A. Oh boy. At first I thought "Vampires" - but then I actually thought about it and decided that I like them much better in my books than in my real world. Then I thought "fairies" -- but it would have to be the nice, helpful kinds of fairy -- like brownies maybe --- NOT the spiteful, tricksy kind. Do I get to pick and choose like that? I hope so.

A Short Break for some R & R

2011-08-22T07:10:00.001-05:00

Sorry for my absence lately. I am taking a short break from some of my responsibilities so that I can make the new school year plans and get myself fired up for all the craziness that comes with a new homeschool year.

Book reviews will resume soon. I just read two really great books and can't wait to share them with you all!

Hints:

Follow Friday

2011-08-05T10:29:00.000-05:00

It's Friday again! Time for Follow and Feature Friday hosted by Parajunkee's View. This week's featured blogger is Bonnie @ Hands and Home. Be sure to check out Bonnie's blog and follow along. The question for this week is a good one.

Q. Talk about the book that most changed or influenced your life (was it a book that turned you from an average to avid reader, did it help you deal with a particularly difficult situation, does it bring you comfort every time you read it?).

My answer: This is not an easy one even though it sounds like it should be. I was always an avid reader - from my earliest memories. I think the Lord of the Rings made such huge impression on me. I read the trilogy at least once a year for many years. It also introduced me to a new genre of fiction. This changed my reading habits for years. Dune also made an impression and pushed me towards science fiction from fantasy. Charles Dickens and Jane Austen also influenced my reading. I read very widely and can find something I love in almost every genre. But Dickens was the author that really made me want to study literature in college. I remember reading Nicholas Nickleby so many times that the book just fell apart.

Waiting on Wednesday (11)

2011-07-27T10:10:00.000-05:00

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My choice this week is:

Title: 1Q84
Author: Haruki Murakami
Publisher: Knopf
Expected publication date: October 25, 2011

The long-awaited magnum opus from Haruki Murakami, in which this revered and best-selling author gives us a hypnotically addictive, mind-bending ode to George Orwell's 1984.

A Clash of Kings

2011-07-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire #2) by George R.R. Martin
Kindle edition purchased from Amazon.com
Description from Goodreads:

George R.R. Martin writes sword-and-sorcery which concentrates on the swords. A Clash of Kings is the second volume of A Song of Ice and Fire, the sequence which began with A Game of Thrones and will take another four volumes to complete. The Seven Kingdoms are divided by revolt and blood feud; beyond their Northern borders, the men of the Night Watch fight the coming of a great cold and the walking corpses that travel with it; on the other side of the ocean, the last of the Kingdom's deposed ruling house mourns her horseclan husband and rears the dragonets she hatched from his funeral pyre. This is character-driven fantasy—we see most events through the eyes of the sons and daughters of the Stark family, the once and future Kings of the North, whose father's judicial murder started the war. Martin avoids the cosy cheeriness of many epic fantasies in favour of a sense of the squalor and grandeur of high medieval life; there is passion here, and misery and charm.Roz Kaveney

My take:
While I really enjoyed the first book in this series, I thought the story really took off in this, the second book of the series. We finally get to actually meet some of the important characters only referenced in the first book. Stannis Baratheon and his family are introduced and we find out what he is really like. Turns out, what people said about him in the first book is pretty much true. We are also introduced to the red priestess Melisandre, who plays a rather big part in events and seems rather powerful for a religious woman. Theon Greyjoy's family is also introduced and we find out that Theon really is as big of a jerk as he seemed. So many new characters are introduced, that it would be ridiculous to try to recap them all. But since these families are so important, I thought I'd mention them. I thought that Brienne of Tarth was a particularly sympathetic new character and suspect (hope) that she will continue to play an important role in the other books.

Once again, my favorite characters Tyrion, Arya, and Jon Snow. I loved how despite everything Cersei did to thwart him, Tyrion still did his best to fulfill his duty as acting Hand of the King. He was awesome. I liked the character development and he has become the only sympathetic Lannister. Arya continues to grow up and remain the strong, tough, stubborn daughter of Ned Stark. Jon Snow continues to be a favorite character as well. I find it interesting and wonderful that the most interesting, sympathetic, empathetic, brave, and intelligent characters in the series are underdogs, minimalized by others in society and sometimes their own families. Jon Snow, the bastard, a title he will live with his whole life, is discounted by much of society and especially by Catelyn Stark. Tyrion Lannister, "The Imp", is looked at in revulsion, disgust, amusement - many different reactions - by everyone, including or especially his own father. Despite how people see him, he continues to try to do what is right according to his own conscience and tries to keep his sister from killing him in the process. Arya, a young girl, is overlooked, bullied, discounted, but she continues to fight and to act as she thinks is best. Despite difficult situations, difficult decisions, and extremely hard conditions, she is a force to be reckoned with.

I am reading the third book in the series, A Storm of Swords, right now. I am very happy with the way each book takes up right where the last one left off. Again, this is not a cheery, happy, sparkly fantasy world. It is very dirty, violent, and angry. It seems very real in a medieval setting. I would highly recommend the book for mature readers.

Waiting on Wednesday (10)

2011-07-13T13:12:00.000-05:00

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My choice this week is Reamde

Author: Neal Stephenson

Publication date: September 20, 2011

From publisher Harper Collins:

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Anathem, Neal Stephenson is continually rocking the literary world with his brazen and brilliant fictional creations—whether he’s reimagining the past (The Baroque Cycle), inventing the future (Snow Crash), or both (Cryptonomicon). With Reamde, this visionary author whose mind-stretching fiction has been enthusiastically compared to the work of Thomas Pynchon, Don DeLillo, Kurt Vonnegut, and David Foster Wallace—not to mention William Gibson and Michael Crichton—once again blazes new ground with a high-stakes thriller that will enthrall his loyal audience, science and science fiction, and espionage fiction fans equally. The breathtaking tale of a wealthy tech entrepreneur caught in the very real crossfire of his own online fantasy war game, Reamde is a new high—and a new world—for the remarkable Neal Stephenson.

Follow Friday

2011-07-08T10:45:00.001-05:00

It's Friday - my favorite day of the week! Naturally, that means it's time for another Follow Friday hosted by Parajunkee's View. To make Follow Friday more interesting, every week there is a Featured Blog. This week's blogger is Lisa at Read. Breathe. Relax.

The question this week:

Let's step away from besties...What is the worst book that you've ever read and actually finished?

My answer: Wow, that is a tough one! I thought my answer would be The Shack by William P. Young, but then I remembered that I couldn't finish it. (I know that lots of people really liked it, but I was supposed to read it for a book club but just couldn't make it through the book.) If I really don't like a book, I just stop reading.

Waiting on Wednesday (9)

2011-07-06T08:11:00.000-05:00

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My choice this week is
Prized (The Birthmarked Trilogy)

Author: Caragh M. O'Brien
Publication date: November 8, 2011

From Goodreads:

Striking out into the wasteland with nothing but her baby sister, a handful of supplies, and a rumor to guide her, sixteen-year-old midwife Gaia Stone survives only to be captured by the people of Sylum, a dystopian society where women rule the men who drastically outnumber them, and a kiss is a crime. In order to see her sister again, Gaia must submit to their strict social code, but how can she deny her sense of justice, her curiosity, and everything in her heart that makes her whole?

Waiting on Wednesday (8)

2011-06-29T06:43:00.000-05:00

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My choice this week is
In the Forests of Night:The Goblin Wars, Book 2
Author: Kersten Hamilton.
Publication date: November 22, 2011

From Goodreads:
Teagan, Finn, and Aiden have made it out of Mag Mell alive, but the Dark Man's forces are hot on their heels. Back in Chicago, Tea’s goblin cousins show up at her school, sure she will come back to Mag Mell, as goblin blood is never passive once awoken. Soon she will belong to Fear Doirich and join them. In the meantime, they are happy to entertain themselves by trying to seduce, kidnap, or kill Tea’s family and friends.
Teagan knows she doesn’t have much time left, and she refuses to leave Finn or her family to be tortured and killed. A wild Stormrider, born to rule and reign, is growing stronger inside her. But as long as she can hold on, she’s still Teagan Wylltson, who plans to be a veterinarian and who heals the sick and hurting. The disease that’s destroying her—that’s destroying them all—has a name: Fear Doirich.
And Teagan Wylltson is not going to let him win.

The Red Scarf

2011-06-28T16:05:00.001-05:00

The Red Scarf by Kate Furnivall
borrowed from the library
Description from Goodreads:
Davinsky Labor Camp, Siberia, 1933: Only two things in this wretched place keep Sofia from giving up hope: the prospect of freedom, and the stories told by her friend and fellow prisoner Anna, of a charmed childhood in Petrograd, and her fervent girlhood love for a passionate revolutionary named Vasily.

After a perilous escape, Sofia endures months of desolation and hardship. But, clinging to a promise she made to Anna, she subsists on the belief that someday she will track down Vasily. In a remote village, she’s nursed back to health by a Gypsy family, and there she finds more than refuge—she also finds Mikhail Pashin, who, her heart tells her, is Vasily in disguise. He’s everything she has ever wanted—but he belongs to Anna.

After coming this far, Sofia is tantalizingly close to freedom, family—even a future. All that stands in her way is the secret past that could endanger everything she has come to hold dear

My take:
I was looking forward to reading this book for my book club. It was highly recommended by one of our members. I did enjoy the book and finished it in one day. I thought the premise held a lot of promise and for the most part, it delivered.

The story began without any explanation as to why Sofia and Anna were in the labor camp. The stories explaining their lives and the reasons for the imprisonment are told gradually throughout the book. The character of Sofia is developed quite well and I felt I understood her. I didn't feel that Anna was quite as well developed despite the fact that it was her stories that helped Sofia survive the camp.

After Sophia has escaped the camp and has begun her trek in search of Vasily, Sophia seems to grow as a person and the reader is able to learn so much more about her and later, about Mikhail. The lives of the villagers are interesting and rather complex for such a small place. The villagers are somewhat mysterious and I enjoyed this section of the book very much. The gypsy family was particularly fun to read about. I did clue into the mistaken identity fairly early, so I was expecting that revelation.

The thing I disliked about the story was that I really didn't feel that Anna and Vasily were believable as a couple after all those years apart. Unlike Sophia and Mikhail, they were not allowed the time for their relationship to develop in the present. It was based solely on their past relationship in childhood and years of remembering and guilt about their actions. It just didn't ring true or believable for me.

Most of the book was quite good, but the way it ended for Anna and Vasily just left me flat. I did like Sofia and Mikhail's story from start to finish.

Follow Friday

2011-06-24T14:33:00.000-05:00

It's Friday! It's the start of the weekend and time for Follow & Feature Friday, hosted by Parajunkee's View. This week's feature blogger is Mickey @ I'm a Book Shark.

The question for this week:

Q. In light of the Summer Solstice. Also known as Midsummer...let's talk about fairies. What is your favorite fairy tale or story that revolves around the fae?

A. Do I have to pick just one? Because I don't think I can. I have to choose Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton and the Iron Fae series by Julie Kagawa as my favorite books that revolve around the fae.

What I'm Reading This Week

2011-06-22T11:23:00.000-05:00

This week I am reading Great Tales from English History by Robert Lacey, The Vindications: The Rights of Men and The Rights of Women by Mary Wollenstonecraft. As well as

The Beekeeper's Lament by Hannah Nordaus and A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin. How is that for variety? Realistically, I won't finish all four books this week, but I plan to finish The Beekeepter's Lament and hopefully, A Clash of Kings. The other two will take more time and effort to finish reading.

The Priest's Graveyard

2011-06-18T07:00:00.001-05:00

The Priest's Graveyard by Ted Dekker
borrowed from library
Description from Goodreads:
The last thing Renee Gilmore remembers is being rescued by a pair of unknown arms after her drug-dealer boyfriend attempts to murder her. She wakes up in a beautiful glass house surrounded by doctors and the man that saved her life, Lamont Myers. Lamont offers her protection, if she abides by his rules. Among these; she must not leave the house, making her the bird in his gilded cage.

Danny Hansen is a Bosnian immigrant who came to America to escape the bloodshed of his country and the memories of his own involvement. Danny is a priest who lives by a strict moral code, one which values the loving of others above all else. It is those that pretend to abide by religious and legal law but intentionally harm others that insence Danny. And he believes it is duty to show them the error of their ways. Those few that admit and renounce their behavior are forgiven and set free, but never without a severe reminder of their wrongdoings. Those that refuse to admit to their behavior are killed.

A year after Renee is rescued by Lamont he is murdered and she vows to seek revenge. At the same time, Danny has continued to carve a swath of judgement and punishment.

In their individual pursuits, Danny and Renee's paths become entangled and before long it is clear that neither of them may make it out of this hunt alive.

My take:
This is the first Ted Dekker book that I have read. I really didn't know what to expect from it, but I had read enough reviews on Goodreads to be intrigued. The Priest's Graveyard is most definitely a thriller that is almost impossible to put down. The story is disturbing, complicated, heartbreaking and unforgettable.

Danny Hansen, a priest who has a mostly unknown and horrifying past in Bosnia. After the horrors of war he witnessed as a young boy and then participated in as retribution for the brutal killing of his family, he is now a seemingly normal parish priest serving the neighborhood. But Danny secretly continues his work trying to bring what he sees as justice to those who commit crimes against the helpless. His story is so heartbreaking that it hard to judge him too harshly. But the story is very disturbing and calls into question right and wrong, good and evil and whether any of us have the right to judge anyone else.

When Renee comes into his life, things get even more complicated. Renee is possibly even more broken than Danny. His emerging feelings for her make things confusing for him. Renee's situation is just heartbreaking. She is incredibly broken by her life up the point where she meets Danny. Unfortunately for both of them, she isn't even aware of most of the horrors that have happened to her. Their story is so fascinating and sad that I just had to finish reading it. The book is very disturbing, but interesting in the way that morals are discussed and questioned. I was challenged and entertained by the book. This isn't for everyone, but it thrillers, murder stories, etc. are your thing, this is a good one.

Follow Friday

2011-06-17T10:04:00.002-05:00

It is Follow Friday! Congratulations to Parjunkee's View - this 50 weeks of Feature & Follow Friday!
This week's Feature Blog is Rhiannon Paille. Please check out her blog!

This week's question:

Q. Genre Wars! What's your favorite genre and which book in that genre made it your favorite?

My answer: Okay, that's tough. I like lots of genres but I do know that it was J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings that made me a fantasy/sci fi fan. That trilogy changed my reading habits forever.

Counting from Zero

2011-06-15T07:00:00.004-05:00

Counting from Zero by Alan B. Johnston
digital galley provided by author for review
Description from Goodreads:
Can a security expert save the Internet from a catastrophic zero day cyber attack by a network of zombie computers, known as a botnet? At what cost? “Credible and believable, this story is told by a subject matter expert. I could not wait to find out what happened next.” – Vint Cerf, Internet pioneer “The threat to the Internet from worms, viruses, botnets, and zombie computers is real, and growing. Counting from Zero is a great way to come up to speed on the alarming state of affairs, and Johnston draws you in with his story and believable cast of characters.” – Phil Zimmermann, creator of Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) the most widely used email encryption program Today, every computer connected to the Internet is under constant attack from viruses, worms, port scans, and spam. Security professionals continually fight to contain newly unleashed cyber attacks, known as ‘zero day' attacks, only to have new attacks launched. Millions of computers have already succumbed, and, without their owner’s knowledge, have become slave computers - remotely controlled ‘zombies’. Under the control of organized crime and backed by foreign governments, these computers are morphing into collections known in the industry as botnets, short for robot networks. Internet security expert Mick O’Malley is the only one who recognizes the growing threat of the ultimate zero day attack on the Internet from a massive botnet, and his unique hacker skills and network of colleagues enable him to fight back. More cyber prep than cyber punk, Mick uses real-life tools and techniques to encrypt all his communications, and uses these skills to break the encryption used by the botnet. Mick uses encryption on a personal level, too, having multiple passports and multiple names and identities. While crisscrossing the globe in the air, on land, and at sea investigating the threat, Mick becomes the target of attacks on his reputation, his identity, and ultimately his life. Along the way, Mick meets Kateryna Petrescu, a beautiful Romanian firewall expert. Mick’s attraction to Kateryna develops as they work closely together and share the excitement and danger. Why is the government following Mick and trying to intercept his communications? Can he stop the zero day attack before it is unleashed? What will be the cost to Mick for his single mindedness? Unfolding across three continents, the new techno thriller "Counting from Zero" gives a realistic insider’s view of the thrust and parry world of computer security and cryptography, and the very real threat of botnets.

My take:
Counting from Zero by Alan Johnston is about an important and intriguing topic - computer security and the vulnerabilities of computers to botnets. My husband works in IT, so I am not completely unfamiliar with the issues dealt with in the book. Computer security is a vital part of all computer professionals' lives and I love hearing my husband's stories about the various issues and attempted attacks on systems. When I received an email from the author, I was happy to read the book and review it.

The first part of the book gets off to a decent start, but the transitions in action and dialogue are a bit abrupt and take some getting used to. I did enjoy how the story unfolded though and continued to read even with the difficult transitions in action. Mr. Johnston's knowledge is definitely in evidence throughout the book. I appreciated the blog-type entries before each chapter which explained different security issues, terminology, etc., even if it was mostly review for me. I admit that I am a bit of a geek and I liked these little touches. I also liked that the encrypted emails were printed in the book as they would be on an actual email. It helped with authenticity. There were also social media-type updates at the beginning of each chapter that provide a bit of humor and insight into the thoughts of Mick, the main character.

I thought Part II of the book flowed much better than Part I. It seemed to me that the abrupt transitions were less in evidence and the story just pulled me along to the end. This was a hard book to put down. I think that people interested in computers and computer security and well as cyberpunk type books would enjoy Counting from Zero. I'm not saying its a perfect first book, but the story had me interested throughout and it did make me look at my computer security again. And again. It seemed to me that the final chapter sets things up for a sequel and I would definitely be willing to read another installment in this story.

Follow Friday

2011-06-10T10:57:00.000-05:00

It's Friday again and we all know what that means. Time for some Follow Fun. This meme is hosted by Parjunkee's View. This week's Feature Blogger is Nicki J. Markus. The question for this week is:

Q. The magic book fairy pops out of your cereal box and says "you and your favorite character (from a book of course) can switch places!" Who are you going to switch with?

My Answer: Wow! Now that is a tough one. I think that I will go with Diana Bishop from A Discovery of Witches. Now, I admit that sometimes she has a hard time accessing her abilities, but she is so smart and I love her area of study and that she gets to do research at Oxford's Bodleian Library. I just finished reading this book and will be reviewing it soon.

Russian Winter

2011-06-10T07:00:00.002-05:00

Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay
review copy provided by Harper Perennial
Description from Goodreads:

A mysterious jewel holds the key to a life-changing secret, in this breathtaking tale of love and art, betrayal and redemption.

When she decides to auction her remarkable jewelry collection, Nina Revskaya, once a great star of the Bolshoi Ballet, believes she has finally drawn a curtain on her past. Instead, the former ballerina finds herself overwhelmed by memories of her homeland and of the events, both glorious and heartbreaking, that changed the course of her life half a century ago.

It was in Russia that she discovered the magic of the theater; that she fell in love with the poet Viktor Elsin; that she and her dearest companions—Gersh, a brilliant composer, and the exquisite Vera, Nina’s closest friend—became victims of Stalinist aggression. And it was in Russia that a terrible discovery incited a deadly act of betrayal—and an ingenious escape that led Nina to the West and eventually to Boston.

Nina has kept her secrets for half a lifetime. But two people will not let the past rest: Drew Brooks, an inquisitive young associate at a Boston auction house, and Grigori Solodin, a professor of Russian who believes that a unique set of jewels may hold the key to his own ambiguous past. Together these unlikely partners begin to unravel a mystery surrounding a love letter, a poem, and a necklace of unknown provenance, setting in motion a series of revelations that will have life-altering consequences for them all.

Interweaving past and present, Moscow and New England, the backstage tumult of the dance world and the transformative power of art, Daphne Kalotay’s luminous first novel—a literary page-turner of the highest order—captures the uncertainty and terror of individuals powerless to withstand the forces of history, while affirming that even in times of great strife, the human spirit reaches for beauty and grace, forgiveness and transcendence.

My take:
This book was a complete pleasure to read. It is a wonderful mixture of ballet, literature and history. I have long been fascinated with Russia and both my daughters take ballet lessons as a professional ballet company school, so we spend the greatest part of our time in the studio, at rehearsals and at performances. The chance to read a book about Russian ballet was just too good to turn down.

The story line is subtle and very complex, so I would rather not try to explain it too much. I think readers would rather have it unfold for them as the story progresses. Instead, I will give some examples of what I loved about the book.

I both loved and hated the way the story slowly unfolds while switching between Soviet Russia of the 1950's and present day America. I enjoyed the back and forth, but at times is was frustrating because I so wanted to find out what happened next.

The descriptions of the ballet studio and the dedication that was required of the dancers was wonderful to read. I learned some new terminology: "No down, no feathers." is a Russian ballet saying before a performance that came from an old hunters saying -- basically it equates to break a leg (roughly) and the response in Russian would be "Go to hell." I am used to "Merde" being the usual saying before a performance.

It was quite evident that Nina had something very painful in her past that she wanted to escape from and forget about. The specifics were not revealed until very late in the book and I was constantly guessing and changing my mind about exactly what it was throughout the story. Even during the difficult, painful times of her life, dance was always a release and comfort to her.

Even during the war, when each day brought news of devastation, and hunger sat like a sharp stone inside her, Nina's anemic body always awoke to dance, always found some reserve of strength that she hadn't know she possessed. . . . The physical sensation of dancing - despite the constantly sore feet and bruised legs and sweaty tights stained yellow from rosin - has always managed to erase other hardships. (p. 274)

The wonderful descriptions of Nina and the other dancers and their rehearsals, the details about dress, toe shoes, competition between dancers, the joy of dancing, the pain of injury and the strange and unique position of ballet and the arts in Soviet Russia was a joy to read.

The other element that I particularly enjoyed was Grigori's story line and the beautiful descriptions of academic life and study. In some places the ideas discussed reminded me of Stoner by John Williams which I also loved. This idea in Russian Winter is an example.

After all, universities themselves were museums of a sort, places where people like Zoltan, and others who did not quite fit in, could comfortably ensconce themselves for decades - entire lives, even - worrying away at whatever esoteric subject they chose, until their hair had receded and the last of their youth disappeared. (p. 303)

I think my favorite scene with Grigori is where he is reading a particularly well-written journal that holds some of the answers he is looking for and he can't be pulled away from his reading for anything as mundane as a meeting. He just had to keep reading. I think all avid readers can relate to this feeling and the strong pull of a well-written story. This book is a shining example of just such a story. Whether you are interested in Russian history, ballet, jewelry, literature or just like to read, this book is a wonderful choice.

Marked (House of Night, #1)

2011-06-09T11:53:00.000-05:00

Marked by P.C. Cast, Kristen Cast
kindle book purchased from Amazon.com
Description from Goodreads:
The House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird's world, vampyres have always existed. In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire—that is, if she makes it through the Change. Not all of those who are chosen do. It's tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx. But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers. When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny—with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

My Take:
I know that this is a popular series and many people love it. I read it because I have tween daughters and I could see the title coming up in near future and I wanted to see if I would approve it for their reading. I thought the premise was promising and the covers are visually striking. I tried to give the book a fair chance and tried to be impartial when reading it.

I really thought that there were too many agendas being worked in the first book. I felt like the authors were trying too hard to cover all the bases. It felt like they worked off of a list of issues they wanted to address, the character types they wanted to deal with and somewhere in the process, it all got turned into a formula. I wanted to like Zoey, but I felt she was an inconsistent character. She is supposed to be the smart, level-headed girl but she had shallow friends and a stupid boyfriend before she was chosen -- and suddenly she is able to pick out the best of the kids at the new school to be her friends? I don't really buy that. She is also very judgemental and hypocritical - there are several double standards in the story. I also was not impressed with the way sexual issues were handled in the book.

So, I won't be suggesting this series for my daughters - or any teen, really. I think there are many better books available for teens and young adults.

Follow Friday

2011-06-03T10:31:00.000-05:00

It's Friday again and we all know what that means. Time for some Follow Fun. This meme is hosted by Parjunkee's View. This week's Feature Blogger is Amy at BackseatReader. Amy's question for this week is:

What are you doing to prepare for an upcoming zombie apocalypse and/or the return of Mel Gibson to the silver screen? (Both of which could be terrifying.)

My Answer: Wow! What a great question. Most of our family has read Max Brooks' Zombie Survival Guide

as well as World War Z
. Because we are aware of steps to take and have begun our preparations , we feel that we are on the right track. We just need to find a school bus. . .

My recent reading in preparation for the Zombie Apocalyse has been
FEED and Deadline by Mira Grant because when it happens, I want to help the masses survive by getting the information out there.

20 Years Later

2011-06-01T19:38:00.000-05:00

20 Years Later by Emma Newman
kindle book purchased from Amazon.com
Description from Goodreads:
LONDON, 2012: IT arrives and with that the world is changed into an unending graveyard littered with the bones, wreckage, and memories of a dead past, gone forever.

LONDON, 2032: Twenty years later, out of the ashes, a new world begins to rise, a place ruled by both loyalty and fear, and where the quest to be the first to regain lost knowledge is an ongoing battle for power. A place where laws are made and enforced by roving gangs-the Bloomsbury Boys, the Gardners, the Red Lady's Gang-who rule the streets and will do anything to protect their own.

THE FOUR: Zane, Titus, Erin, Eve. Living in this new world, they discover that they have abilities never before seen. And little do they know that as they search post-apocalyptic London for Titus' kidnapped sister that they'll uncover the secret of IT, and bring about a reckoning with the forces that almost destroyed all of humanity.

My take:
I've been wanting to read this book for a long time. I finally just bought it for my kindle and read it very quickly. For such a fast read, the post apocalyptic world is built and revealed very slowly. The reader learns about the small patch of London where Zane and his mother Miri live in a mutually beneficial relationship with two of the local gangs. Zane has managed to reach early teens living within this sanctuary of a garden where he and his mother raise the fruits and vegetables that feed them and provides the herbs for healing the wounds of the gang of boys that live nearby. This sheltered existence can only be sustained for a time, and as Zane grows up, new people arrive and strange things occur, their lives become even more precarious and interesting than before.

There are mysteries about Zane's father and what happened to him as well as about what exactly IT was and how and why it occurred. As the story unfolds, more mysteries pop up such as what is the relationship between Zane, Titus and Erin and later Eve. Why are they different from the others? How did they get this strange link they have? Why are the Bloomsbury Boys always boys and where do they come from?

Zane is very innocent and this provides an interesting contrast to some of the other children in the story, particularly the Bloomsbury Boys and Erin. Is innocence like this possible in such a post apocalyptic world? I'm not sure, but within the safety of the garden and the limited areas he is allowed to venture into, it seems like it might be possible. His mother has strong motivation to keep him protected, so it seems plausible.

The story moves pretty quickly and the book is hard to put down. There are some answers but still more questions at the end. This leads me to believe and hope that there are more books in the wings. If you enjoy post apocalyptic fiction, this might be a good book to try.

Follow Friday

2011-05-27T08:53:00.000-05:00

It's Friday! And a holiday weekend! So much more time to read. I love it. That also means that it is time for another Follow Friday.
This week's Featured Blogger is Louise from Book Bliss.

Question: . How many books do you read in a week? And in what format do you read them, or listen to them?

My answer: The number of book I read in a week depends on what is going on in our homeschool, kids' activities, family obligations, etc. I read a lot of books that I don't keep track of on Goodreads and don't reveiw here -- mostly education or homeschooling books. In summer and over holidays, I read more. But, I usually read one or two books a week at a minimum. Lately, I have been reading books on my Kindle. We made the choice to go digital because we have no room left for so many physical books - between the homeschool books and all the many books that we buy just for fun, we are surrounded by books and no room for more bookshelves! I almost never listen to audio books -- I have a hard time paying attention for some reason - I need to see the words.

Game of Thrones

2011-05-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
kindle book purchased from Amazon.com
Description from Goodreads:
Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister forces are massing beyond the kingdom's protective wall. To the south, the King's powers are failing, and his enemies are emerging from the shadows of the throne. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the frozen land they were born to. Now Lord Eddard Stark is reluctantly summoned to serve as the King's new Hand, an appointment that threatens to sunder not only his family but also the kingdom itself. A heroic fantasy of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and evildoers who come together in a time of grim omens. The first volume in George Martin's series

My Take:
I can't believe I hadn't read this series before. I started watching the HBO series and, naturally, I decided that I had to read the book before I got too far into the television series. The endings for the episode were killing me and I just couldn't wait. While there were some changes from the book to the series, I thought most of the changes were fine and some were necessary, like making some of the characters significantly older than they were in the book.

This being the first book of the series, there is a lot of time spent in introducing the characters, their families, lineages, kingdoms, etc. There is so much information thrown at the reader, but it is never boring. I loved the world that Martin has created here. It feels very medieval and even though this series is what I would call epic fantasy, it feels very gritty and real - not fairytale-like.

Most of the characters seem pretty real too --- no one is all good or all bad. Having said that, there are a couple of really great bad guys that are so fun to dislike (read hate). At least in the first book, Jon Snow and Eddard Stark seem to be the best of the "good guys", but this could change with later books.

One of my only issues with the book is the way that most of the females are portrayed. They are property to have children on or just there for men to take their pleasure. Granted, this idea of women goes along with a medieval mindset, but I still have issues with it. Arya and her mother Catelyn Stark are exceptions to this -- they are both smart and strong willed and don't seem to be as subservient as so many of the other females. Cersei Lannister is also a smart woman, but she is just awful.

I really enjoyed the story and I am reading the second book in the series, A Clash of Kings. I would highly recommend this book for mature readers.

One Year Blogoversary

2011-05-26T14:54:00.000-05:00

I almost missed it! Today is my one year blogoversary!

It's hard to believe that I've been blogging for a year now. I have had so much fun. I hope to post even more now that summer is almost here. I'm looking forward to lots of summer reading.

Wicked Lovely

2011-05-24T11:21:00.000-05:00

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
kindle book purchased from Amazon.com
Description from Goodreads:
All teenagers have problems, but few of them can match those of Aislinn, who has the power to see faeries. Quite understandably, she wishes that she could share her friends' obliviousness and tries hard to avoid these invisible intruders. But one faery in particular refuses to leave her alone. Keenan the Summer King is convinced beyond all reasoning that Aislinn is the queen he has been seeking for nine centuries. What's a 21st-century girl to do when she's stalked by a suitor nobody else can see? A debut fantasy romance for the ages; superlative summer read.

My Take:
I really wanted to like this book, and there were some things that I actually did like. For instance, the cover is just so beautiful! It definitely gets major points for great cover art! I liked the premise of the story as well, but I didn't think it actually delivered what was promised. At least for me. I know several readers/bloggers who just loved this book. I felt that it was just okay. I also think that I am not the target audience and that played a role in my opinion. I just didn't care all that much what happened to any of the characters through most of the book. I tried, I just couldn't. But I have to admit that towards the end, I got more caught up in the story line. I thought the descriptions were just a bit bland and I didn't really like or dislike most of the characters. Now, having said all that, I did finish the book -- I didn't just give up on it. So, I think that if you like faeries and that world, you might give it a try.

I do think that Tyger,Tyger and The Iron King both did a better job of building the faerie world and making it believable and both had much more exciting story lines.

In My Mailbox

2011-05-19T21:27:00.000-05:00

Last week I received my latest book parcel from Kennys Bookshop.

All of these book were purchased by me but chosen by Des Kenny. Included are:

Long Time, No See by Dermot Healy

Dance of the Mocking Birds by Dick Donaghue

The City of Bohane by Kevin Barry

Mistaken by Neil Jordan

The Boy in the Gap by Paul Soye

The New North: Contemporary Poetry from Northern Ireland
A Donegal Trilogy: The Derry Boat by Little John Nee

The Night Post: A New Selection by Matthew Sweeney

The Zombie Autopsies

2011-05-05T15:40:00.000-05:00

The Zombie Autopsies by Steven C. Schlozman
kindle edition purchased from Amazon
Description from Goodreads:
As the walking dead rises up throughout the world, a few brave doctors attempt to find a cure by applying forensic techniques to captured zombies. Based on the research of renowned zombie expert Dr. Stanley Blum, performed at a remote island where a crack medical team has been sent to explore a radical theory that may lead to a cure for the epidemic, THE ZOMBIE AUTOPSIES documents for the first time the unique biology of zombie organisms. Twenty-five detailed drawings of the internal organs of actual zombies provide an accurate anatomy of these horrifying creatures, including zombie brains, hearts, lungs, skin, and the digestive system, while Dr. Blum's notes reveal shocking insights into how they function, even as Blum and his staff themselves begin to succumb to the plague. No one knows the ultimate fate of Dr. Blum or his researchers, but now that his notebook, THE ZOMBIE AUTOPSIES, has been made available to the UN, the World Health Organization, and the general public, his scientific discoveries may provide the last hope for humans on earth!

My take:
The Zombie Autopsies is not your usual zombie book. It is written as a brief to be read before a UN meeting - think technical writing. Apparently this bothered some people. I was not one of those people. I really enjoyed this book and read it in a day. There are several sections to the book -- some summaries of historical information about the whole zombie infection and how it got so bad, the world's reactions to it, the results of their actions to eradicate the zombies, the status of zombies and the various stages of the infection. There is a personal journal that was recovered and pencil drawings and then some more summaries. The whole thing is put together as if it were a package handed out before a meeting to catch everyone up. Despite this rather dull sounding premise, I found it to be quite a suspenseful and, honestly, one of the gorier zombie books I've read. This book probably isn't for everyone, but if you like zombie stories, you might give it a try.

Follow Friday

2011-04-08T15:20:00.000-05:00

It's Friday, which means it is time for Follow Friday hosted by Parajunkee's View. Feature and Follow is the more proper name for today's meme. This week's featured blogger is: Lesley at My Keeper Shelf . Check out her blog.

Question for the week: Do you judge a book by its cover?

My answer: Yes! I admit it. Sometimes. Having admitted that, I am much more particular in my book choices these days. I read the front, back, and first few pages before I buy a book, but I will pick up a book just because of its cover. I've found great books with pretty awful covers and really bad books with beautiful covers -- so I don't think the cover has much to do with the book itself, except that it might make me pick it up in the first place.

Happy Friday!

Don't Breathe a Word

2011-04-08T14:22:00.001-05:00

Don't Breathe a Word by Jennifer McMahon
ARC provided by Harper Paperbacks in exchange for an honest review
Description from Goodreads:
On a soft summer night in Vermont, twelve-year-old Lisa went into the woods behind her house and never came out again. Before she disappeared, she told her little brother, Sam, about a door that led to a magical place where she would meet the King of the Fairies and become his queen.

Fifteen years later, Phoebe is in love with Sam, a practical, sensible man who doesn’t fear the dark and doesn’t have bad dreams—who, in fact, helps Phoebe ignore her own. But suddenly the couple is faced with a series of eerie, unexplained occurrences that challenge Sam’s hardheaded, realistic view of the world. As they question their reality, a terrible promise Sam made years ago is revealed—a promise that could destroy them all.

My Take:
This was an extremely fast read for me. I started it as soon as it arrived in the mail and then finished it the next night. There are so many things I really loved about this book. To begin with, the author kept me guessing right up to the end of the book on exactly what kind of story this was going to be: is this a fairy story, is this a straight-up mystery, or is it something else? And then there is the creepy factor. I was rather surprised at just how much this book creeped me out. I stayed up long after everyone else in the house had gone to bed and was rewarded by being truly creeped out after finishing the book and then having to wander through the old, dark house. Shadows and noises everywhere --- not good after reading Don't Breathe a Word - trust me.

The book tells the stories of Lisa, Phoebe and Sam. Lisa was a little girl who wandered into the woods and disappeared. This part is told in flashbacks to the past. The story of Phoebe and her boyfriend Sam, who happens to be Lisa's now grown brother, is told in the present. The book tells the story of Lisa and Phoebe in a slow and complicated manner that draws the reader into the tale. There is more than one mystery in the book and many people and events are not as they first appear. There is a lot of fairy talk -- but not sparkly, beautiful, friendly fairies - these are dark and menacing. The story is full of family story telling, mysteries, lies, deception, half-truths - none of which are immediately event. Since the copy I read was an uncorrected proof, I don't want to get too specific about anything, but there is much to discuss in this book - particularly the ideas of and symbol of shadows, family relationships, mental illness, and of course, fairy tales. I would recommend this book to mystery lovers and fantasy and fairy tale fans who don't mind the darker side of these tales.

Dance Lessons

2011-03-23T14:48:00.000-05:00

Dance Lessons by Aine Greaney
digital galley provided by NetGalley
expected publication date: March 30, 2011
Description from publisher website:
A year after her husband’s death in a sailing accident off Martha’s Vineyard, Ellen Boisvert bumps into an old friend. In this chance encounter, she discovers that her immigrant husband of almost fifteen years was not an orphan after all. Instead, his aged mother Jo is alive and residing on the family’s isolated farm in the west of Ireland.

Faced with news of her mother-in-law incarnate, the thirty-nine-year-old American prep school teacher decides to travel to Ireland to investigate the truth about her husband Fintan and why he kept his family’s existence a secret for so many years.

Between Jo’s hilltop farm and the lakeside village of Gowna, Ellen begins to uncover the mysteries of her Irish husband’s past and the cruelties and isolation of his rural childhood. Ellen also stumbles upon Fintan’s long-ago romance with a local village woman, with whom he had a daughter, Cat. Cat is now fourteen and living with her mother in London. As Ellen reconciles her troubled relationship with Fintan, she discovers a way to heal the wounds of the past.

Deeply rooted in the Irish landscape and sensibility, Dance Lessons is a powerful story of loss, regret, and transformation.

My take:
This was one of the toughest reviews to write. I really loved the book, but I found it difficult to get my thoughts on paper. I had no expectations when I started reading this book, but I was quickly caught up in the stories of Ellen, Jo and Cat. I found the story to be intriguing and haunting.

Ellen is trying to figure out what to do with the rest of her life after the sudden death of her Irish born husband when she finds out that her mother-in-law isn’t dead as her husband told her. She feels that she should try to find some answers about why he had lied about his mother being dead and just maybe, she might find some answers about her husband’s seemingly deep rooted anger and possibly what might have played a part in their marriage falling apart. Because the story unfolds so gradually, I got completely wrapped up in the drama of their lives and couldn’t stop reading. Without giving away too many plot points, the story tells of difficult situations that may not have been – no, they just weren’t handled very well and the lack of open discussion about feelings and life situations only leads to even more pent up resentments and strained relationships. Ellen finds the answers she seeks and in the process, I thought she learned some important things about her husband, his life and family, about people in general and about herself.

While I would have loved more detail at the end of the book, I also feel that it fits with the story overall and it works. This story has really stayed with me and continues to occupy my thoughts.

I also loved the wonderful descriptions of rural Ireland, the isolated farm and the locals that inhabit the small town that Jo lives in. I would most definitely recommend this book.

Book Blogger Hop

2011-03-04T07:24:00.000-06:00

It's Friday! That means it's time for Book Blogger Hop hosted by Jenn at Crazy For Books. This is a fun meme where bloggers get to find new and interesting blogs to read and follow. Post your link, answer the question, find fun new blogs to read.

This week's question for Book Blogger Hop is:
Who is your all-time favorite book villain?"
Oh my! This is a good one! I probably have several, but since I have been reading The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss lately, the only one I can think of right away is Ambrose.  He is such a horrible person -- so far, anyway. I don't know how the book or the series will end, but right now, Ambrose is my favorite villain. Is favorite the right word? Because I really don't like him.

You

2011-03-01T09:39:00.001-06:00

You by Nuala Ni Chonchuir
purchased from Kennys Bookshop
Description from publisher website:
Debut novel from established short-story writer and poet about a 10-year-old girl who lives with her separated mother and two brothers. Set against the semi-urban backdrop of the River Liffey in 1980, the story unfolds through the narrator’s observations and interactions, and her naïve interpretations of adult conversations and behaviour. Heartbreaking at times, but also optimistic, humorous and enchanting.

My take:
This book was sent to me by Des Kenny in my latest parcel through Kennys bookclub*. I had no expectations about the book except that it must be good because all the books Des sends are good. This book was rather unusual -- I have never read another book written quite like this one. Rather than try to explain, let me demonstrate by quoting the first few lines of the book:

Your ma used up all the juice again. Last week you asked could she get two cartons of orange from now on, instead of only one, because there was never any for you and your brother Liam.

The entire book is written this way. I gather that this is where the title comes from. Once I got over my first uncertainty about this manner of writing, I was drawn into the story. The story is told from the point of view of a ten year old girl and it is captivating. The reader gets a view of how she sees people and events and attempts to understand what is going on around her -- often failing to really understand how the adults in her life think or feel. While written from the point of view of a child, the picture of the people involved is complete and sympathetic. This is a troubled family and the tragedy that strikes them resonated with me. So tragic and yet there is humor and optimism there too. I was really impressed at how well this story worked. I read the book in about a day total. It was hard to put down once I got involved in the story. There is so much that I would love to discuss, but I don't want to give too much away -- this book should be discovered by each reader on their own. This story keeps popping into my head and I am sure I will have to read it again.

*Kennys Bookclub is a wonderful service provided by Des Kenny. I blogged about it early on, but the basics are this:

You choose the amount you want to spend on books and at what intervals you would like the books sent to you.
Des picks the books that are sent -- subject to approval. If you don't like them, you can return them. However, I have yet to be disappointed in anything that has been sent to me so far.

Every time I receive a parcel, it's like Christmas -- it really is a surprise because you don't know exactly which books will be included. If anyone is interested in Irish literature, I would recommend Kenny's Choice: 101 Irish books you MUST read by Des Kenny as a starting reference point.

My Man Jeeves

2011-02-11T11:13:00.000-06:00

My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
purchased kindle edition from Amazon.com
Description from BarnesandNoble.com:
This collection of eight short stories, first published in 1919, features Wodehouse's most popular characters, the comic duo of Bertie Wooster and his drolly omnicompetent butler, Jeeves. Highlights include "Leave it to Jeeves" and "Jeeves and the Hard-boiled Egg." Rounding out the collection are four stories featuring a Wooster-like character named Reggie Pepper.

My Take:
I read this book because I have been wanting to read some Wodehouse books and in an attempt to make myself do this, I also joined the Wodehouse Challenge. My Man Jeeves is a short collection of stories, some of which involve Jeeves and Bertie Wooster. Some were about Reggie Pepper and his misadventures. Poor Reggie didn't have a Jeeves to help him get out of trouble --- or to get him into further trouble -- depending on the situation. These stories were short and funny and not very complicated or difficult to follow. It was mostly just an easy, fun read for me. Wooster is a British aristocrat who basically can't seem to function without Jeeves to help him out. Jeeves is the ever patient, loyal, slightly sarcastic, intelligent, and long-suffering valet to Bertie Wooster. I must say that Jeeves pretty much makes these stories what they are. Bertie knows several young men who are basically the same as he is -- unemployed or barely employed and generally lacking in direction -- except that none of them seem to be as financially well off as Bertie. One of said friends always has a problem that needs solving and Bertie always asks Jeeves how to solve the problem. The elaborate schemes that Jeeves comes up with are pretty chuckle worthy. I didn't have a laugh-out-loud experience while reading this book, but I did chuckle a lot. I also enjoyed the glimpses into the life of a wealthy man of leisure of the period.

Stoner

2011-02-03T07:00:00.002-06:00

Stoner by John Williams
purchased kindle edition from Amazon
Description from Goodreads:
William Stoner is born at the end of the nineteenth century into a dirt-poor Missouri farming family. Sent to the state university to study agronomy, he instead falls in love with English literature and embraces a scholar’s life, so different from the hardscrabble existence he has known. And yet as the years pass, Stoner encounters a succession of disappointments: marriage into a “proper” family estranges him from his parents; his career is stymied; his wife and daughter turn coldly away from him; a transforming experience of new love ends under threat of scandal. Driven ever deeper within himself, Stoner rediscovers the stoic silence of his forebears and confronts an essential solitude.John Williams’s luminous and deeply moving novel is a work of quiet perfection. William Stoner emerges from it not only as an archetypal American, but as an unlikely existential hero, standing, like a figure in a painting by Edward Hopper, in stark relief against an unforgiving world.

My take:
Stoner is an amazing, beautiful book. At times, the story is just heart-breaking. His marriage is a prime example of this. The relationship is just so bitter and sharp and delicate - and absolutely perfect in the depiction of the way William and Edith relate to one another. His mortal, life-long enemy, Lomax is another example of a heart-breaking situation. I just felt so sorry for Stoner while reading certain scenes. But the description of his discovery of literature and his new found love of learning was wonderful. There are numerous examples of his constant desire to continue to read and learn throughout the book.

. . . there would come to him the awareness of all that he did not know, of all that he had not read; and the serenity for which he labored was shattered as he realized the little time he had in life to read so much, to learn what he had to know.

This is the story of a life. A life well-lived, full of the joy of learning and teaching as well as heartbreak and troubles that were personal, financial and professional. Much of the story is heart-breaking, but there is also this sense of a life lived with quiet purpose and strength. Stoner does get the love relationship he deserves, but it is a short-term thing, which is one of the bitter sweet events of his life. But I felt that he found a solace in his books and teaching career - even though Lomax made sure that his teaching schedule was mostly freshman level classes. There are also quiet, subtle victories that made me smile and admire this quiet, shy, studious person.

Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1)

2011-02-02T13:18:00.000-06:00

Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1) by Jim Butcher
purchased Kindle edition from Amazon.com
Description from Goodreads:
Harry Dresden--Wizard

Lost items found. Paranormal investigations.
Consulting. Advice. Reasonable rates.
No Love Potions, Endless Purses, Parties, or Other Entertainment.

Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he's the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the "everyday" world is actually full of strange and magical things--and most of them don't play too well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a--well, whatever.

There's just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry's seeing dollar signs. But where there's magic, there's a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry's name. And that's when things start to get... interesting.

Magic. It can get a guy killed.

My Take:

I found this to be a funny, fast, enjoyable read. I have read several reviews on Goodreads that found the character of Harry Dresden to be sexist and some even went so far as to accuse the author as well. I don't think I could go that far. I found Harry to be good-hearted and acting on the best intentions. Now the way he went about acting on his intentions wasn't necessarily the best route sometimes, but I didn't find him offensive. I thought he was more awkward than anything else. I found the story to be fast paced, and enjoyable. I have heard from several different people and other reviewers that the books get better as you work your way through the series. I do plan to read some more of the books because I think they are fun. I do hope they continue to improve.

I watched the short lived series before reading the book, so I was probably influenced somewhat by that. While I like some of the changes in there series - like the different take on Bob -- I am willing to give the books a fair shot.

Hating Olivia

2011-01-25T09:53:00.001-06:00

Hating Olivia by Mark SaFranko
review copy provided by Harper Perrenial
Summary from Goodreads:
Max Zajack's life is cheap rooms, dead-end jobs, and suicidal fantasies until he meets the alluring and mysterious Olivia Aphrodite, and everything goes to hell.

Max is a struggling musician and wannabe writer. His life is in a rut until one night, while playing a gig at a local club, he gazes out into the crowd and sees Olivia. Before long, they are sharing a bed and host of dark vices that begin to consume them. Their love turns toxic, sending them spiraling downward toward the inevitable. Violently romantic, viscerally honest, Hating Olivia is the story of two loners whose obsessive love brings them to the edge of destruction.

My take:
This book initially sounded intriguing, but somehow it was different than I expected. I'm torn on this one. There are things that I liked about the book, but the characters were not really very likeable. Olivia is just trouble from the get-go. I also would not call Max and Olivia' relationship "love" in any real sense - obessession, most definitely - but not love. The story is told from Max's point of view, so we only get his interpretation of Olivia's motives for her behavior.

Max is just this guy who reads all the time and thinks he is too smart or too good to work like everyone else, so he holds down a series of low-level, unchallenging jobs to pay the bills --- but only when he has to. He would prefer to let Olivia support him while he spends his time reading and supposedly working on his novel. For most of the book, Max gets nothing useful done. All he cares about is not being required to actually work and having sex with Olivia. And occasionally talking about writing his book. He knows he is just stumbling through his life, but he keeps doing it.

The relationship that Max and Olivia have is just so wrong on so many levels. They are one of those couples that bring out the worst in each other. We've all known a couple or possibly been part of such a couple. It is painful to watch and it was painful to read about them. But here's the thing -- I couldn't put the book down once I got a couple of chapter into it. Not much happens, and while I didn't really like Max or Olivia much, I thought Max was pretty funny and the writing is very good. There are lots of literary references throughout the book, which were fun. And, I wanted to see if Max and/or Olivia made it through to the other side of their completely awful relationship.

De Bello Lemures, Or The Roman War Against the Zombies of Armorica

2011-01-18T12:11:00.000-06:00

De Bello Lemures, Or The Roman War Against the Zombies of Armorica by Lucius Artorius Castus
purchased kindle edition from Amazon
Description from Goodreads:
A recovered Latin text tells the story of a struggle between Roman legionaries and the undead in 185 AD. Lucius Artorius Castus leads an expedition to Gaul to defeat a rebellion against the rule of the Emperor Commodus - and gets more than he bargained for when his enemies rise from the dead to fight again. The power of the zombie horde is amplified by the Babel of Ancient Rome's religions and superstitions, and the terror the undead bring in their wake foreshadows the incipient medieval darkness already creeping into the world at the end of Rome's Antonine age. Richly annotated, this mashup of survival horror and alternate history takes the reader on a bracing journey into one of ancient Rome's dark corners.The book is structured as a work of nonfiction, with a foreword describing the history of the Latin document and its solecistic title, a "translation" of the text itself, and extensive footnotes. It is a loving homage to the paperback nonfiction products of university presses - a classics text reimagined as a postmodern horror tale.

My take: There isn't too much I can say about this book. It is a pretty standard zombie story, but the Roman history twist is different from the usual zombie fare. I feel that it is pretty dead-on for what it is trying to do. I think it reads like Tacitus -- which is sort of what I think the author was going for. There is little to no real character development - which is how the ancient histories are written. The frequent footnotes about historical aspects and the Latin and Greek words translated throughout keep up the ancient Roman document premise and add some fun and interesting reading. This an extremely short book, but fun and easy to read. I liked the idea behind it, which is why I ordered it in the first place. I think it works out well. I would happily recommend this book to anyone who likes the zombie genre and/or Roman history.

Book Blogger Hop and Follow Friday (5)

2011-01-14T09:52:00.000-06:00

It's Friday, so it's time for Follow Friday hosted at Parajunkee's View . It's also time for another Book Blogger Hop hosted by Jenn at Crazy For Books.

This week's question for Book Blogger Hop is:
Why do you read the genre that you do? What draws you to it?"
My reading tends to be pretty eclectic, so I read many types of fiction, including the classics, historical fiction, paranormal, some young adult. I look for a great story and characters that are believable.

This week's question for Follow Friday is:
What makes up your non-human family?
At the moment, we have no non-human members, but there has been considerable talk of adding a dog to our family in the near future. I would love a cat as well, but I am extremely allergic.

2011 E-Book Reading Challenge

2011-01-13T22:09:00.000-06:00

The 2011 E-Book Challenge is hosted by The Ladybug Reads. Since I got a new Kindle for Christmas, I will be reading most of my books on it. I will be aiming for the Possessed Level - read 50 e-books in 2011.

Wodehouse Reading Challenge

2011-01-13T20:57:00.000-06:00

Okay, one more challenge. I've been intending to read Wodehouse and this is the perfect opportunity. This challenge is hosted by The Little Bookworm at Wodehouse Reading Challenge. I hope to read some of the Blandings Castle books, but my real interest is in the Jeeves and Wooster series.

Waiting on Wednesday (7)

2011-01-12T08:20:00.000-06:00

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't wait to read" selection is:

In the Basement of the Ivory Tower: Confessions of an Accidental Academic by Professor X

Description from Goodreads:
A caustic expose of the deeply state of our colleges-America's most expensive Ponzi scheme.

What drives a former English major with a creative writing degree, several unpublished novels, three kids, and a straining marriage to take a job as a night teacher at a second-rate college? An unaffordable mortgage.

As his house starts falling apart in every imaginable way, Professor X grabs first one, then two jobs teaching English 101 and 102-composition and literature-at a small private college and a local community college. He finds himself on the front lines of America's academic crisis. It's quite an education.

This is the story of what he learns about his struggling pupils, about the college system-a business more bent on its own financial targets than the wellbeing of its students-about the classics he rediscovers, and about himself. Funny, wry, self-deprecating, and a provocative indictment of our failing schools, In the Basement of the Ivory Tower is both a brilliant academic satire and a poignant account of one teacher's seismic frustration-and unlikely salvation-as his real estate woes catapult him into a subprime crisis of an altogether more human nature.

I think it sounds interesting to say the least, and I look forward to reading it.

The Unit

2011-01-11T15:47:00.001-06:00

The Unit by Terry DeHart
purchased from Amazon
Description from Goodreads:
Jerry Sharpe is an ex-marine and, for him, survival means protecting his family by any means necessary.

Susan is learning just how far a mother will go for her children. But how far will she go for a man she doubted before the bombs fell? As Jerry's training and instincts take over, she is certain of one thing -- her children need her.

Melanie was going to go to college. Now, she is struggling to find a way to live in a world gone mad without losing sight of what she believes in.

Scotty has a new mission - more than survival. He was saved, and he'll be damned if he won't fight for what's right.

And Bill -- Bill was locked up, but the power went out and the guards left. Now he and his fellow inmates have realized that everything is free for the taking...if you're strong enough to hold on to it

My take:
I like post-apocalyptic fiction and this definitely qualifies. The reader finds out exactly what happened to land this family and the rest of the country in this predicament gradually as the story progresses. The story is told from each of the family members' and Bill and Bill Jr.'s points of view in alternating chapters. Bill and Bill Jr. are some of the bad guys of the story and the reader gets their story too. It can be a bit disorienting at first, but the method does allow the reader to better understand the characters' motives, strengths, and shortcomings.

This story is very grim and I was uncomfortable with some of the things that happen in the story -- not because they were unlikley, but because they are far too likely to happen in such circumstances. There is a lot of violence and a fair amount of graphic description and language. Considering the subject matter, I think it is all pretty much relevant.

One thing I had a little problem with was that this family was so very knowledgable about firearms -- but then again, those would likely be the ones to survive in a post apocalyptic world. There were a couple of instances in the story where someone happened upon a stash of arms or food that just seems a bit too convenient.

One of the big events towards the end of the book was a complete surprise for me. I have to admit that I like it when I think I know what is going to happen and then the author just throws me for a loop. This one event did that for me.

From the extra in the back of the book, it looks like the story will continue from the son, Scott's point of view. I plan to read the next book when it comes out.

Dystopia Challenge 2011

2011-01-02T20:53:00.000-06:00

I've decided to participate in Bookish Ardour's Dystopia Challenge 2011. I love dystopian fiction and this will fit nicely with my reading habits. I will attempt the Contagion level - read 15 dystopian books during 2011. I haven't picked the books yet, but I will update and review the books I read for the challenge during the year. I think I will start the challenge by reading The Iron Heel by Jack London.

Maisie Dobbs Read-Along

2010-12-21T17:29:00.001-06:00

I'm going to participate in the Maisie Dobbs Read-Along hosted by Book Club Girl. I haven't read any of the books yet, but they sound great. I just purchased the first book for my kindle and can't wait to get started. You can find out more about the read-along here. This should be so much fun.

The World According to Monsanto

2010-12-21T11:57:00.001-06:00

The World According to Monsanto by Marie-Monique Robin
borrowed from library
Summary from Goodreads:
The result of a remarkable three-year-long investigation that took award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker Marie-Monique Robin across four continents (North and South America, Europe, and Asia), The World According to Monsanto tells the little-known yet shocking story of this agribusiness giant--the world's leading producer of GMOs (genetically modified organisms)--and how its new "green" face is no less malign than its PCB- and Agent Orange-soaked past.

Robin reports that, following its long history of manufacturing hazardous chemicals and lethal herbicides, Monsanto is now marketing itself as a "life sciences" company, seemingly convinced about the virtues of sustainable development. However, Monsanto now controls the majority of the yield of the world's genetically modified corn and soy--ingredients found in more than 95 percent of American households--and its alarming legal and political tactics to maintain this monopoly are the subject of worldwide concern.

Released to great acclaim and controversy in France, throughout Europe, and in Latin America alongside the documentary film of the same name, The World According to Monsanto is sure to change the way we think about food safety and the corporate control of our food supply.

My take:
This book is extrememly important and upsetting to read. It is time that we start thinking more about the future of our children and the planet than about short-term profits or gaining control of the food supply in order to improve those profits at the expense of farmers and consumers. Corporations are not more important than people and our society needs to change its priorities.

This book is hard for me to review because there are so many issues addressed in the book that I find important. The book seems to be well researched and includes extensive notes. I would highly recommend it.

Draw the Dark

2010-11-26T07:00:00.007-06:00

Draw the Dark by Ilsa J. Bick
digital galley provided by NetGalley
Summary from Goodreads:
There are things in Winter, Wisconsin, folks just don't talk about. The murder way back in '45 is one. The near-suicide of a first-grade teacher is another. And then there is 17-year old Christian Cage. Christian's parents disappeared when he was a little boy, and ever since he's drawn and painted obsessively, trying desperately to remember his mother. The problem is Christian doesn't just draw his own memories. He can draw the thoughts of those around him. Confronted with fears and nightmares they'd rather avoid, people have a bad habit of dying. So it's no surprise that Christian isn't exactly popular. What no one expects is for Christian to meet Winter's last surviving Jew and uncover one more thing best forgotten: the day the Nazis came to town. Based on a little-known fact of the United States' involvement in World War II, Draw the Dark is a dark fantasy about reclaiming the forgotten past and the redeeming power of love.

My take:
I didn’t really know what to expect when I started this book. First of all, I have to say that after finishing the book, I really liked it and plan to suggest it for my son to read. The first section, entitled “November1, Late Morning Winter, Wisconsin left me wondering what I was about to read. I think the biggest – and really, only – issue I had with the book was the beginning and ending sections. I had a bit of a problem reconciling them with the rest of the story.

I was quickly drawn into this story of teenage Christian, the quiet artist who has an unusual gift or curse -– he can draw people’s deepest, darkest fears. Even he isn’t sure exactly how it works or why. This is his dark secret; and it starts causing him more trouble than usual. He’s had some bad things happen in relation to this talent, but nothing compared to what is about to happen. Christian starts sleep walking and sleep painting while having extremely vivid dreams about events that he knows nothing about and that seem to take place in his hometown but in the past. Then he starts slipping into the past while he is awake. What is happening to him? Why? And maybe the more important question is – how? Christian questions his own sanity and others begin to question it as well.

Thus begins a wonderful, frightening, unusual quest to answer many questions – most of which Christian and most of the townspeople had no idea needed to be answered.

I really enjoyed this story for a variety of reasons. This book takes place in Wisconsin and deals with the WWII prisoners of war that were housed here and in other states throughout the United States after the war. During a family trip to Door County we learned about this historical event when I asked about the unusual building that housed the storefront for a family-owned orchard/farm. The building had been used as barracks for prisoners and had been moved to its current spot and cleaned up for use. I thought that the book deals with possible issues that might come up in the situation of this nature. This is a little known historical event that is just so fascinating. How did the people react when prisoners were moved into their town? What about those of German descent? Fascinating and important questions are examined within the context of the story.

The book encompasses several genres – young adult fiction, mystery, supernatural, horror, and suspense. This book was almost impossible to put down. The mystery is compelling and the supernatural aspects just made it all the more urgent to get to the end of the book and find out what happened. I think it is quite possible that there is a second book planned because the ending definitely leaves this option open. I would recommend this book and I would read a second book if it were published.

Waiting on Wednesday

2010-11-24T07:00:00.001-06:00

Deadline by Mira Grant
(Newsflesh Book 2)
Publication date June 1, 2011 by Orbit
from Goodreads:

Shaun Mason is a man without a mission. Not even running the news organization he built with his sister has the same urgency as it used to. Playing with dead things just doesn't seem as fun when you've lost as much as he has.

But when a CDC researcher fakes her own death and appears on his doorstep with a ravenous pack of zombies in tow, Shaun has a newfound interest in life. Because she brings news-he may have put down the monster who attacked them, but the conspiracy is far from dead.

Now, Shaun hits the road to find what truth can be found at the end of a shotgun.

This is the follow up to Mira Grant's amazing FEED. I am anxiously waiting for this one. The cover was just announced by the author and I couldn't wait to add it to my WoW post. I love this cover and I can't wait for the book to be released.

Ghost Light

2010-11-19T13:17:00.000-06:00

Ghost Light by Joseph O'Connor
purchased from Kennys Bookshop
Summary from Goodreads:
Dublin 1907, a city of whispered rumours. An actress still in her teens begins an affair with a damaged older man, the leading playwright at the theatre where she works. Rebellious, irreverent, beautiful, flirtatious, Molly Allgood is a girl of the inner city tenements, dreaming of stardom in America. Witty and watchful, she has dozens of admirers. But in the backstage of her life, there is a secret. Her lover, John Synge, is a troubled, reticent genius, the son of a once prosperous landowning family, a poet of fiery language and tempestuous passions. Yet his life is hampered by Edwardian conventions and by the austere and God-fearing mother with whom he lives. Scarred by a childhood of immense loneliness and severity he has long been ill , but he loves to walk the wild places of Ireland. The affair, sternly opposed by friends and family, is turbulent, sometimes cruel, often tender. Many years later, an old woman makes her way across London on a morning after it has been struck by a hurricane. Christmas is coming. As she wanders past bombsites and through the forlorn beauty of wrecked terraces and wintry parks, a snowdrift of memories and lost desires seems to swirl. She has twice been married: once widowed, once divorced, but an unquenchable passion for life has kept her afloat as her dazzling career has faded. A story of love's commitment, of partings and reconciliations, of the courage involved in living on nobody else's terms, "Ghost Light" is a profoundly moving and finally uplifting novel from the award-winning author of "Star of the Sea" and "Redemption Falls". Full of exhilarating language and unforgettable characters, it is a homage to the act of storytelling itself.

My Take:
I really enjoyed this story about Molly Allgood, an Irish actress also known as Maire O'Neill. This is a fictionalized story about her life and her relationship with playwright John Synge. At the beginning I had a bit of trouble determining what was going on because some of the chapters don't give the year, just the day or time. But after awhile, I got into the flow of the story and could anticipate and/or easily determine which time period was being written about. The story flows back and forth between London in 1952 where Molly is an old woman living alone in poverty with a reputation in the neighborhood as a drunk. This is a heartbreaking picture of the fate of the vibrant, pretty, Irish girl who wants to be an actress. At first I was annoyed by the way the story switched back and forth, but then, I decided that it was symbolic of her aging mind and how her memories were still vibrant and her present reality wasn't as pleasant as her past. Also, I thought it was illustrative of how older minds don't seem to differentiate as much between past and present.

This is a pretty sad story, in my opinion. Molly had plans and ambitions and was supposed to marry Synge. But due to their family's disapproval and various other hindrances, they were not able to marry before he died. Molly did become somewhat famous in her time, but her life never seemed to live up to her ambitions. She looks back on her life and her decisions and has to come to terms with what has happened. As with most Irish literature I've read so far, there really isn't a happy ending. However, I did enjoy the story. It is very well written and once I let myself engage with the story, it was hard to put the book down.

Mockingjay

2010-11-09T09:59:00.002-06:00

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
borrowed from library
Summary from Goodreads:
Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans -- except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay -- no matter what the personal cost.

My take:
I was finally able to get this book from my local library - after being on the waiting list for what seemed like forever. I read the book in one day as has been typical for each of The Hunger Games books. This book held my attention from the first. I was totally pulled into the pain and darkness that has become Katniss' life. I was still reeling from the way Catching Fire ended and wasn't really prepared for the turns that came fast and furious in Mockingjay. I am so pleased that Suzanne Collins can keep me guessing and turning pages right up until the last page.

In this installment, Katniss is pretty broken from everything that happened in the last games. She is tormented by the lost lives and that Peeta is being held by the Capitol. She feels that everything is her fault. As the rebellion grows, we learn even more about what has been done to the victors from past games and how the Capitol controls people. I was pleasantly surprised that the rebellion is not painted as being strictly "the good guys" -- they have done and will do things that are at the very least, questionable if not downright abhorrent. There are agendas on all sides. Hard lessons are learned and loyalties are tested. I felt the pain and while I didn't enjoy reading about it, I believed it. This story was believable to me from start to finish. I would definitely recommend this series.

Snow Crash

2010-11-02T07:19:00.002-05:00

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
purchased
Summary from Goodreads:
Only once in a great while does a writer come along who defies comparison--a writer so original he redefines the way we look at the world. Neal Stephenson is such a writer and Snow Crash is such a novel, weaving virtual reality, Sumerian myth, and just about everything in between with a cool, hip cybersensibility to bring us the gigathriller of the information age. In reality, Hiro Protagonist delivers pizza for Uncle Enzo's CosaNostra Pizza Inc., but in the Metaverse he's a warrior prince. Plunging headlong into the enigma of a new computer virus that's striking down hackers everywhere, he races along the neon-lit streets on a search-and-destroy mission for the shadowy virtual villain threatening to bring about Infocalypse. Snow Crash is a mind-altering romp through a future America so bizarre, so outrageous...you'll recognize it immediately.

My take:
I just re-read this book for the first time in a very long while. I loved it with a passion the first time I read it when it first came out. I had read Stephenson's Zodiac and had been keeping an eye out for his next book. Snow Crash was exactly what I was looking for while waiting for the next William Gibson book to be released. For me, reading this book again was like a reunion with long lost friends. I mean, how can you not love a book hero/protagonist named Hiro Protagonist?? And he's the best sword fighter in the world -- in the metaverse, anyway. In this vision of the future, the only pizza delivery company is owned and run by the Mafia -- CosaNostra Pizza, Inc. --- and all pizzas are delivered in under thirty minutes or else. This book is just so much fun, but at the same time there is so much to think about. The state of the world where many people can't afford to live in actual houses, but live in storage units, corporations own and run burbclaves, where the wealthy families live, the mob is just another corporation. Many of these ideas have been around in science fiction for awhile, but I really enjoyed Stephenson's vision here. I was especially intrigued with the idea of hacking the brain and the Sumerian history/mythology was fun too. Hiro and Y.T., the fifteen year old Kourier and his sometime business partner have great sarcastic voices with lots of social commentary.

I thought this book stood up to re-reading and would definitely suggest it to friends - especially as a follow up to Gibson and other cyberpunk type books.

Foster

2010-10-15T07:00:00.002-05:00

Foster by Claire Keegan
purchased from Kennys Bookshop
Synopsis from the publisher:
A small girl is sent to live with foster parents on a farm in rural Ireland, without knowing when she will return home. In the strangers’ house, she finds a warmth and affection she has not known before and slowly begins to blossom in their care. And then a secret is revealed and suddenly, she realizes how fragile her idyll is.

Winner of the Davy Byrnes Memorial Prize, Foster is now published in a revised and expanded version. Beautiful, sad and eerie, it is a story of astonishing emotional depth, showcasing Claire Keegan’s great accomplishment and talent.

My Take:
This was a very short book - a story, really. I started reading it just because it was the shortest book in my Kennys parcel. I was hooked from the first page. This is a simple story told from the little girl's point of view. Don't be fooled by the simple style and the brevity of the story. This is such a moving story. The girl has a stressful, chaotic life before she goes to live with the foster parents. The difference this couple make in her life is amazing. And in such simple, down to earth ways. This is a touching and memorable story.

The Fall

2010-10-13T14:01:00.002-05:00

The Fall by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan
purchased
Summary from Goodreads:
From the authors of the instant New York Times bestseller The Strain comes the next volume in one of the most imaginative and frightening thriller series in many, many years. Last week they invaded Manhattan. This week they will destroy the world.

The vampiric virus unleashed in The Strain has taken over New York City. It is spreading and soon will envelop the globe. Amid the chaos, Eph Goodweather—head of the Centers for Disease Control's team—leads a band out to stop these bloodthirsty monsters. But it may be too late.

Ignited by the Master's horrific plan, a war erupts between Old and New World vampires, each vying for control. At the center of the conflict lies a book, an ancient text that contains the vampires' entire history . . . and their darkest secrets. Whoever finds the book can control the outcome of the war and, ultimately, the fate of us all. And it is between these warring forces that humans—powerless and vulnerable—find themselves no longer the consumers but the consumed. Though Eph understands the vampiric plague better than anyone, even he cannot protect those he loves. His ex-wife, Kelly, has been transformed into a bloodcrazed creature of the night, and now she stalks the city looking for her chance to reclaim her Dear One: Zack, Eph's young son.

With the future of humankind in the balance, Eph and his team, guided by the brilliant former professor and Holocaust survivor Abraham Setrakian and exterminator Vasiliy Fet and joined by a crew of ragtag gangsters, must combat a terror whose ultimate plan is more terrible than anyone has imagined—a fate worse than annihilation.

My take:
I think I liked The Fall as much as I liked The Strain. This, the second book in the trilogy, goes into more of the history behind the strange happenings of The Strain. I could slow down to read and enjoy the back story presented in The Fall whereas the pace of The Strain seemed just frenetic to me. We find out how Setrakian first encountered the Master and what happened to his wife and just exactly why he goes to such extremes to be prepared. But then, naturally, towards the end, the pace picks up and leads to the ending which has me anxious to see how it all ends.

The vampires in these books are nothing like many of the vampires I've been reading about lately. I wouldn't say that they are "better", but they are most definitely creepier and dangerous and very worrisome. This is a dark book with little hope for the future of humankind. There is this thing that the vampires do -- going back for their "Dear Ones" - family members, those they were closest to in life - because of a need to bring them into the new group. And, in this book the vampires are the victims of a parasite - so they are no longer really themselves, but controlled by the parasite from inside. The description of this parasite is very gross, but actually seems to be based on something that exists in nature - making it even creepier.

The struggle between the Master and The Ancients is interesting and I hope there will be more history about them in the third book. I really enjoyed the storyline with Angel, the Mexican wrestler turned movie-star and the local gang members who are new and interesting characters and kept the action and tension going in this book.

This is not a feel good type of book, but it you are in the mood for a creepy, dark tale in time for Halloween, you might give it a try -- after reading The Strain, of course. I am eagerly awaiting the next book, The Night Eternal. The title doesn't sound very optimistic.

In My Mailbox

2010-10-11T14:28:00.001-05:00

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

This is my first IMM post - and it may be the only one for six months or so. I got my parcel from Kennys Bookshop in Galway and I won't get another until March. All of these books were purchased by me through Kennys Book Club. Many of the books I receive are not generally available in the states so Amazon usually doesn't have cover images.

Foster by Claire Keegan
Ghost Light by Joseph O'Connor
Storm over Belfast by Mary O'Donnell (signed!(
You by Nuala Ni Chonchuir
The Oxford Book of Irish Short Stories
South of the Border by James Ryan
The Big Chapel by Thomas Kilroy

I can't wait to start reading from my new Irish To Be Read Pile.

Update and an Award

2010-10-03T16:23:00.000-05:00

If things here seem to have slowed down somewhat, that is because they have. As I state in my "About Me" section, I am a homeschooling mom and things get very busy with the start of each new school year. We are busy with learning, music lessons, dance lessons and rehearsals. Much more of my time is taken up with planning, researching, school-related-reading, etc., so my time to blog is more limited right now.

I am still reading towards my R.I.P. V goals as well as Reading the Romantics. I have a review in the works for The Fall by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuch Hogan and I am still reading The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that Mandy of Mandy's Escape had passed an award on to me! So, thank you Mandy for thinking of me for The Versatile Blogger Award!

So, here's the drill for all award winners:

a) Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.
b) Share 7 things about yourself.
c) Pass the award along to 10 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic.
d) Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.

And now, seven things about me:
1. I'm the oldest child in my family.
2. I've been to more concerts than my husband.
3. I have very curly hair and hate it -- even though I think curly hair is adorable on other people.
4. I hate doing laundry.
5. I love candles.
6. I used to work in accounting.
7. I am of Irish and Scottish descent.

I am happy to pass this award along to:
1. Book Chick City
2. Little Squeed
3. The Book Frog
4. Mindful Musings
5. Another Book Junkie
6. The Nerd's Wife
7. Blkosiner's Book Blog
8. Bewitched Bookworms
9. A Little Bookish
10. The Allure of Books

Everything Is Going to Be Great: An Underfunded and Overexposed European Grand Tour

2010-09-25T07:00:00.001-05:00

Everything Is Going to Be Great by Rachel Shukert
review copy provided by Harper Perennial
Summary from Goodreads:
When she lands a coveted nonpaying, nonspeaking role in a play going on a European tour, Rachel Shukert—with a brand-new degree in acting from NYU and no money—finally scores her big break. And, after a fluke at customs in Vienna, she gets her golden ticket: an unstamped passport, giving her free rein to “find herself” on a grand tour of Europe. Traveling from Vienna to Zurich to Amsterdam, Rachel bounces through complicated relationships, drunken mishaps, miscommunication, and the reality-adjusting culture shock that every twentysomething faces when sent off to negotiate "the real world"—whatever that may be.

My Take:
First of all, I have to state right off that this book is not for everyone. It's racy and raunchy and so very funny! So, if you are squeamish, easily offended or just a stick-in-the-mud, don't bother reading it. On the other hand, if you have any sense of humor at all and aren't too easily upset by wacky situations, this book is most definitely worth reading!

I wasn't sure after the first chapter, to be honest, but after that chapter I started putting those little post-it flags on every page where I laughed out loud and now my book is riddled with little blue flags. The "How to use this book" and "Preparing the Preparations" sections are just a taste of the fun that follows. The first chapter titled "I am not even washing the underpants of me", describes her adventure in Paris the summer before her junior year of college. And it had me worried about what might follow, but the descriptions of Rachel's sudden and increasing fluency in French as she drinks more and more wine was just so funny, I had to continue.

I hate to give away too many of the funny bits in this book because everyone should discover Shukert for themselves, but I will say that I will never be able to listen to Phil Collins in quite the same way again! This is a fun, wild, crazy, but honest look at Rachel Shukert's adventures in Europe, but mostly in Amsterdam.

Book Blogger Hop and Follow Friday! (4)

2010-09-24T11:07:00.000-05:00

It's Friday, so it's time for Follow Friday hosted at Parajunkee's View . It's also time for another Book Blogger Hop hosted by Jenn at Crazy For Books.

This week's question for Book Blogger Hop is: When you write reviews, do you write them as you are reading or wait until you have read the entire book? My Answer: I don't write my review as I read, but I do take notes and make note of passages that I might want to refer to or that I think may be important later. I write the review after finishing the book and usually after taking a little bit of time to think about the book.

An Award!

2010-09-18T09:00:00.001-05:00

A big thank you goes out to Greyz at Cladestine Sanctuary for the One Lovely Blog Award! Stop by her lovely blog and say Hi.

The rules are:

1. Accept the award. Post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.

2. Pay it forward to 15 other bloggers that you have newly discovered.

3. Contact those blog owners and let them know they've been chosen.

Sasha & The Silverfish

A Life Bound by Books

Lori's Reading Corner

A Journey of Books

Supernatural Snark

In the Closet with a Bibliophile

The Lost Entwife

A Girl Reads a Book

Geeky Blogger's Book Blog

I'd So Rather Be Reading

The Barracks

2010-09-14T07:00:00.004-05:00

The Barracks by John McGahern
purchased from Kennys Bookshop
Summary from Goodreads:
One of the preeminent Irish writers of our time, John McGahern has captivated readers with such poignant and heart-wrenching novels as Amongst Women and The Dark. Moving between tragedy and savage comedy, desperation and joy, McGahern's first novel, The Barracks, is one of haunting power. Elizabeth Reegan, after years of freedom—and loneliness—marries into the enclosed Irish village of her upbringing. The children are not her own; her husband is straining to break free from the servile security of the police force; and her own life, threatened by illness, seems to be losing the last vestiges of its purpose.

My Take:
Well, I have to say that the only book I have ever read that was more depressing than this one was Famine by Liam O'Flaherty. From the first page,it seemed that the characters, Elizabeth Reegan especially, felt a certain detachment from their lives. Mrs. Reegan seems to be just barely getting through each day of the monotony of her life. There are the small joys of certain tasks performed well and the small praise she may receive, but they are small and the fear for her health is ever present. In every character except perhaps the children, there is evidence of bitterness and dissatisfaction with life.

Almost the entire novel is told from Elizabeth Reegan's point of view - all except that last several pages. Elizabeth had been a nurse before she married Reegan and she reflects on her past job and relationship with Halliday, a doctor in London. Because of her former nursing career, she is aware of what her symptoms may indicate and the fear causes her to delay seeing a doctor for months. Most of the book deals with her illness and how she and Reegan, her husband, deal with it. There is so little happiness in their lives and her illness only adds to their troubles. Reegan feels his job as police officer to be too restraining despite the security of a steady job.

It was a struggle for me to finish the book because it was just so very sad - not just Elizabeth's inevitable death, but also the constraints of their lives and the futility they seemed to feel. I thought the author did a good job of describing every day life in a small town in 1950's Ireland, so I did finish reading it. I think I will try McGahern's Amongst Women next.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

2010-09-13T08:10:00.001-05:00

It's Monday! What are you reading?
Hosted by Book Journey.

Reviews written last week:
Fallen by Lauren Kate
A Drama in Muslin by George Moore
Vanishing and Other Stories by Deborah Willis

Books I am reading this week:
The Barracks by John McGahern (just finished reading this morning)

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (for R.I.P. V)

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

What are you reading this week?

Vanishing and Other Stories

2010-09-10T11:07:00.001-05:00

Vanishing and Other Stories by Deborah Willis
review copy courtesy of Harper Perennial
Summary from Goodreads:
Vanishing and Other Stories explores emotional and physical absences, the ways in which people leave, are left, and whether or not it's ever possible to move on. Readers will encounter a skinny ice-cream scooper named Nina Simone, a vanishing visionary of social utopia, a French teacher who collects fiancés, and a fortune-telling mother who fails to predict the heartbreak of her own daughter. The characters in this collection will linger in the imagination, proving that nothing is ever truly forgotten.

My Take:
The brief description from Goodreads, while intriguing, really doesn't do this book justice. I don't usually go in for short stories, but these were just so good -- and they stay with you. It took me a while to read the book - not because it was boring or I didn't like it --- but because I found that I really wanted to just read a couple of the stories and then savor them, mull them over in my mind. The writing is beautiful throughout.

It would be impossible to review each story, but I'll just mention a few of the stories that really stuck with me. "Vanishing", the first story sets the tone for the rest of the book. It was such an intriguing tale. And sad. I thought it illustrated the long term effects of loss and the search to understand. "Traces" is a wonderful story about a woman whose husband is having an affair and she gathers information about his mistress through the traces that the woman leaves. The twist at the end is a surprise that works. "This Other Us" was a disturbing but captivating story about three friends that really stuck in my mind long after reading it. In this story, as in the others, the style is minimalist and I found myself pondering the characters and stories long after I finished reading. Actually, I think there is something memorable about almost every story in this collection.

A Drama in Muslin

2010-09-08T14:11:00.002-05:00

A Drama in Muslin by George Moore
bought from Kennys Bookshop

Summary from Goodreads:

A reprint of the first edition written in the 1880s, this is generally considered to be the best version of one of Moore's greatest books. Set in Ireland in the 1880s against a backdrop of Land League troubles in Co. Mayo, and in Dublin, where the social life revolves around the Vice-Regal court in Dublin Castle, this depicts the efforts of a mother trying to catch socially suitable husbands for her daughters, and chronicles the results.

My Take:

This was an interesting book for a number of reasons. I like Irish history and the book takes place in the 1880's in western Ireland during the activities of the Land League, so there is the historical aspect to it. But the most interesting thing was the picture it painted of the lives of five girls born into the gentry of the West of Ireland. They had been sent to a girls school for much of their lives and when they were of age, they had to join society and begin their quest to find husbands. The mothers of the girls were quite interesting and for the most part, not very sympathetic characters. Mrs. Barton, the mother of Olive and Alice, the two main girls, is a beautiful, mostly empty-headed woman whose main goal is to get Olive married to an important man. Because Olive is the "beauty" of the family, she is the main focus of her mother's plans. Alice, the older, quiet, plain daughter is not really part of her mother's plans. All focus is on Olive. This sets the stage for the dramatic differences between the girls' lives for much of the book. The book paints a stark picture of the realities for young women at the time -- either marry (and hopefully to a wealty man) or face spending your life alone, whispered about and with no real purpose. In fact, the search for a husband was so important that there are several instances where it is referred to in military terms and the mothers are compared to real military leaders in their style of going after a husband for the daughter.

There are some glimpses of the peasants and their plight. But the main focus is on the landowners and their daughters. The view presented of the Land League and their activites is from the landowners' side of the issue. For the most part it shows that they had little understanding of the actual situation of the tenants of their land. They were only concerned about how much of the rents they would be able to collect. The reader gets glimpses of the poverty, but then the story goes straight back into the dances and parties and in this way shows the complete lack of concern and awareness on the part of the daughters and mothers.

From a historical and societal perspective, I thought the book was excellent. I did have a bit of a problem with some of the dialogue. In several places, the girls' dialogue seemed overwrought -- such high emotion that sometimes it seemed unreal. But then again, if your life was so constricted these fits of emotional ranting might be the only way to break out of the norm. I was quite pleased that Alice ended up with the happy marriage because she was considered plain, too smart, and basically unmarriageable at the beginning of the book. She proved to be a true friend, a wise person, a good sister and daughter and learned to be uncompromising when it came to decisions about her own life. She was the exception in the story. So, overall, I did enjoy the book although it took me awhile to get into the story at first.

Fallen

2010-09-06T07:00:00.001-05:00

Fallen by Lauren Kate
borrowed from the library
Summary from Goodreads:
There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.
Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

My take:
There are very mixed reviews for this book. I decided to read it so I could decide for myself. I find myself torn on this one. I thought the idea was great and I felt the use of the fallen angel motif was done better than in Hush, hush. I did have an issue with Luce -- I felt for her and all her troubles, but honestly, I couldn't quite figure out what the big deal was with her. The prologue and epilogue help with some explanation, but in the story itself, I had a hard time grasping what was supposed to be so special about her. She seems a bit dumber than I would have liked for a heroine. I liked Daniel and I figured out early on that Cam was probably going to be trouble. But despite my complaints, I am still intrigued with where this story is going. I really liked the way things were revealed slowly throughout the book. I just hope that there is much more explanation in the next book. I want to know more about Gabbe and Arriane as well as what the deal is between Daniel and Cam. I will read the next book because the overall story line and the whole idea appeals to me. I just hope that Luce develops into a smarter heroine.

Book Blogger Hop and Follow Friday! (3)

2010-09-03T08:02:00.001-05:00

It's Friday, so it's time for Follow Friday hosted at Parajunkee's View . It's also time for another Book Blogger Hop hosted by Jenn at Crazy For Books.

This week's question for Book Blogger Hop is: Do you judge a book by it's cover?
I have to admit that sometimes I do. I try not to, and usually I say that I don't, but sometimes the cover can make all the difference. That's not to say that I don't read the back cover and usually the first page of the book as well, but the cover does matter.

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril Challenge V -- Begins!

2010-08-31T08:41:00.001-05:00

I just found out about this challenge and I am so excited about it! Carl (Stainless Steel Droppings) hosts the RIP Challenge every year. I am going to participate this year in Peril the First - read four books from the following genres Mystery.

Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural

This should be fun - I love Halloween and the books and movies that fit the season. Since it is a family tradition to watch "scary" movies during the month of October, I will also participate in Peril on the Screen.

I haven't chosen the book yet, but there are so many I want to read or re-read. I'll update as I choose/read.

Updates:
Books read:
1. The Fall by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan
2.

Valley of Dry Bones

2010-08-31T07:57:00.000-05:00

Valley of Dry Bones by Pricilla Royal
digital galley provided by NetGalley
Summary from Goodreads:
In the late summer of 1274, King Edward has finally been anointed England’s ruler, and his queen contemplates a pilgrimage in gratitude for their safe return from Outremer, a journey that will include a stay at Tyndal Priory. Envoys are sent to confirm that everything will be suitable for the king’s wife, and Prioress Eleanor nervously awaits them, knowing that regal visits bring along expense and honor. The cost is higher than expected, however, when Death arrives as the unexpected emissary. One of the courtiers is murdered near the hut where Brother Thomas now lives as a hermit. Each member of the party has reason to hate the dead man, including Crowner Ralf’s eldest brother, Sir Fulke, and the prioress’s nemesis, the man in black. Soon Eleanor is embroiled in the dangerous world of power games, both secular and religious. Indeed, England’s future under a new king may offer hope and relief, but skeletons from the past can come back to life like those in the biblical valley of dry bones. Which had cause enough to kill?

My take:
This is the seventh book in the Medieval Mystery series by the author. I wish I had know this before I requested the book from NetGalley. I enjoyed the book, but I felt that there were many things I was missing out on even though the author did try to fill in crucial information from previous books. While this was a mystery book, it seemed to flow at a much slower pace than what I have become used to. I chalk this up to the fact that it takes place in 1274 and everything flowed at a slower pace than today. I really think I would have appreciated the book more if I had know the characters better. I liked the story, but I just didn't feel much of connection to any of the main characters. I think I may have to go back and read at least the first book of this series. I would love to know if anyone has read the previous books and what you thought of them. This turns out to be not so much a review as my regrets for reading a book out of order in a mystery series. I know they should be able to stand alone, but I just felt like I missed something.

One Lovely Blog Award

2010-08-27T09:06:00.000-05:00

A big thank you goes out to The Book Bee for awarding ABookGeek the One Lovely Blog Award!

Here are the rules for this award:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.

2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.

3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Here are some of the blogs that I have recently found and really enjoy - in no particular order.

Blkosiner's Book Blog
Bewitched Bookworms
The Prairie Library
Reading with Tequila
What Book Is That?
Karen's Addictions
A Little Bookish
The Introverted Reader
A Fanatics Book Blog
Books Complete Me
The Bodacious Pen
I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read
S. Krishna's Books
Addicted 2 Novels
The Allure of Books

Shade

2010-08-26T07:00:00.001-05:00

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready
borrowed from the library
from Goodreads:
Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding--and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart...and clues to the secret of the Shift.

My take:
I wanted to read Shade because I have really enjoyed Jeri Smith-Ready's WVMP Radio series. Shade was a very fast, easy, enjoyable read. I thought Aura was a good heroine and Logan was a good boyfriend or ghost of a boyfriend and Zachary was just adorable. But what I enjoyed the most was the story of the Shift and that is what I am most interested to read more about in the next book entitled, appropriately, Shift. This idea and story line really intrigued me. I'm curious about this world where everyone born after the Shift can see ghosts and how the authorities have chosen to deal with the situation and why the DMP is so very interested in Aura. I want to know more about Aura and Zachary's link to the Shift - what is it? How did it happen? Why are they important? Needless to say, I am looking forward to the next book. I think this is an interesting premise.

Waiting on Wednesday

2010-08-25T07:00:00.001-05:00

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't wait to read" selection is:

The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
(The Kingkiller Chronicles #2)
from Goodreads:
There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man."

In The Wise Man's Fear Kvothe takes his first steps on the path of the hero and learns how difficult life can be when a man becomes a legend in his own time

I am so looking forward to this one!

Half the Sky

2010-08-24T07:00:00.002-05:00

Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

borrowed from library
Summary from Goodreads:
From two of our most fiercely moral voices, a passionate call to arms against our era’s most pervasive human rights violation: the oppression of women and girls in the developing world.

With Pulitzer Prize winners Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn as our guides, we undertake an odyssey through Africa and Asia to meet the extraordinary women struggling there, among them a Cambodian teenager sold into sex slavery and an Ethiopian woman who suffered devastating injuries in childbirth. Drawing on the breadth of their combined reporting experience, Kristof and WuDunn depict our world with anger, sadness, clarity, and, ultimately, hope.

They show how a little help can transform the lives of women and girls abroad. That Cambodian girl eventually escaped from her brothel and, with assistance from an aid group, built a thriving retail business that supports her family. The Ethiopian woman had her injuries repaired and in time became a surgeon. A Zimbabwean mother of five, counseled to return to school, earned her doctorate and became an expert on AIDS.

Through these stories, Kristof and WuDunn help us see that the key to economic progress lies in unleashing women’s potential. They make clear how so many people have helped to do just that, and how we can each do our part. Throughout much of the world, the greatest unexploited economic resource is the female half of the population. Countries such as China have prospered precisely because they emancipated women and brought them into the formal economy. Unleashing that process globally is not only the right thing to do; it’s also the best strategy for fighting poverty.

Deeply felt, pragmatic, and inspirational, Half the Sky is essential reading for every global citizen.

My take:
I have to admit that if this book wasn't chosen for my book club, I probably would not have picked it up. But after reading it, I feel that it is a very important book for women to read. I was touched by the stories as well as frustrated, angered, and saddened. But in the end, there is a feeling of hope and there are several examples of simple ways that we can each get involved if we so choose. This is a worthwhile read, but not necessarily an easy one.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

2010-08-23T06:45:00.000-05:00

It's Monday! What are you reading?
Hosted by Book Journey.

I didn't get many reviews written or books read last week mostly due to the fact that I was reading The Passage.

Reviews written last week:
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher (link to review)

Books read last week:
The Passage by Justin Cronin (review to be written soon)
Pretty in Plaid by Jen Lancaster (a light, fast, fun read to break up The Passage)
Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn (review to be posted Tuesday)

Books I plan to read and/or finish this week:
The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt

Vanishing and Other Stories by Deborah Willis

The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

What are you reading?

Waiting on Wednesday

2010-08-18T07:23:00.000-05:00

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't wait to read" selection is:

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
From Goodreads:
Sixteen-year-old Evie's job is bagging and tagging paranormals. Possessing the strange ability to see through their glamours, she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency. But when someone--or something--starts taking out the vamps, werewolves, and other odd beasties she's worked hard to help become productive members of society, she's got to figure it out before they all disappear and the world becomes utterly normal.

Normal is so overrated

Incarceron

2010-08-17T07:00:00.004-05:00

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
borrowed from library
Summary from Goodreads:
Incarceron -- a futuristic prison, sealed from view, where the descendants of the original prisoners live in a dark world torn by rivalry and savagery. It is a terrifying mix of high technology -- a living building which pervades the novel as an ever-watchful, ever-vengeful character, and a typical medieval torture chamber -- chains, great halls, dungeons.

A young prisoner, Finn, has haunting visions of an earlier life, and cannot believe he was born here and has always been here. In the outer world, Claudia, daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, is trapped in her own form of prison -- a futuristic world constructed beautifully to look like a past era, an imminent marriage she dreads. She knows nothing of Incarceron, except that it exists.

But there comes a moment when Finn, inside Incarceron, and Claudia, outside, simultaneously find a device -- a crystal key, through which they can talk to each other. And so the plan for Finn's escape is born ...

My take:
The world-building in this exciting dystopian novel is pretty amazing. The reader follows the story of Finn, a prisoner in Incarceron who doesn't seem to be like the other prisoners and Claudia, the wealthy, pampered, educated daughter of the Warden of Incarceron. The world is pieced together for the reader through the alternating narratives.

The world that Claudia inhabits is beautiful and wealthy - happy and serene on the surface -- but underneath there is constant resentment and playing what Claudia refers to as The Game -- acting the part required of her. The Protocol must be enforced at all times -- this seems to have been in response to the state of the world after excess technology, war, pollution, over population, etc. A decision was made to send the criminals and other undesirables to the new prison Incarceron which was supposed to be a perfect world where there would be no need for crime, etc. The need to stifle creativity and innovation and rebellion resulted in an artificially created and enforced historical period to become the norm for the rest of the population. It appears to be 17th or 18th century style - with all the requisite corsets, bindings, restrictions on technology in order to keep people controlled. This despite the fact that technology has obviously advanced far beyond the period.

Finn and the other prisoners of Incarceron live inside a prison that is alive and watches and controls them and their environment at its whim. There are various gangs within the vast dimensions of Incarceron and Finn and Keiro his oath brother belong to one of the lowest and most violent of groups. Through Finn's experiences the reader gets to see just how wrong the experiment has gone. Those on the outside believe that the prisoners are living a wonderful life in a perfect world. They couldn't be more wrong. The inside of Incarceron is vast - bigger even than the inhabitants know. The prison has devolved into various areas of conflicting and competing gangs. Life is brutal and short.

I really liked the way the two different worlds shared a type of mythology or legend even though there were big differences in what was remembered. For example, Sapphique is a legend inside Incarceron but is little known on the outside except for a group of rebels. This was a very tense, fast-paced book. I really enjoyed it and I am really looking forward to the next book, Sapphique.