Book Review: A Once Crowded Sky

Book: A Once Crowded Sky

Author: Tom King

Recommend: If you are a fan of comic books, graphic novels or movies based on comics.

I currently have a pile of advanced reader copies cluttering up my dresser, since I have no room left on my bookshelf right now. It is time to either pack up some of my books or decide what I should send to the used bookstore. Anyway, after looking at all the covers and reading the synopsis, I decided on this book since I had just finished a piece of nonfiction that had pushed me to the limit. I needed some fun reading.

This book is the story of Arcadia City and how all of its many superheroes gave up their powers to save the world. All except one. Now that a threat has returned to their city, the one left must save them all. However, nothing is as simple as it seems. As the layers unravel, what seems right is wrong and what seems so complex comes down to a husband’s love for his wife.

This book was a fun read however, I found myself getting bored quite often. It felt far too much like every other superhero story I had read. The plot was far too much like The Watchmen without the same level of dark intensity. The heroes were altered slightly and ripped from the pages of comic books. I could almost see the composite origins of every single one. While writing a new, unique superhero is rather difficult, the heroes in this book are pieces of this and that thrown together to create heroes that feel stale and familiar.

As I reached the climax of the book, I found it somewhat more engaging and found parts very endearing. Overall this book is mediocre at best. While it might be an enjoyable read for a comic enthusiast, for someone who only occasionally enjoys a graphic novel, this book left a stale taste in my mouth.

Final Rating:

Get it free

 

 

 

 

I got this book as an advanced reader copy after requesting it from an ad in a shelf awareness pro newsletter.

Obsessive List of Books that Should be turned into Musicals

One of my favorite book based musicals

What makes a book a good candidate for musical theater?

• plenty of action
• fresh material
• intense emotion
• where bursting into song at the drop of a hat isn’t awkward

Here is my list of books that I think would make for a fantastic musical experience.

1. Hadassah by Tommy Tenney – This book tells the story of Esther through the eyes of her descendants. The powerful portrayal of a young Jewish girl forced to become the wife of a king who will save her people from extinction. The movie did a great job of telling the story but song might be a better way to communicate some of the raw emotion of the situations Esther ends up in.
2. The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma - H.G. Wells? Check. Funny Narrator? Check. Time Travel? Check. Con men? Check. Overly emotional and dramatic characters? Double check. Tons of Great Roles for Men? Check. I think you get the point
3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss - I’m shocked this one hasn’t been done yet! There are already some great songs associated with the story. Add in a few more and bam! Instant musical!
4. Songmaster by Orson Scott Card - The way this book talks about music alone makes it musical worthy. The whole time I was reading, I wanted to hear the music going through the author’s mind at the time. I can’t even imagine how powerful a musical based on this book would be! Some of the scenes might be difficult to transfer to the stage but if they could figure it out…
5. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson - I know I’m getting some very puzzled looks right now. People are going what is she thinking? Sweeney Todd is what I’m thinking. A musical about a whole town who sacrifices one person just because it is the way it has always been. The turmoil of having to give up your life, your friend, your family member, etc. How people deal with the grief. This would require some expanding by a talented writer but it would be a powerful story.
6. Fairest of All by Serena Valentino- What made Snow White’s stepmother hate her so much? is the basic idea behind this book. It’s a powerful story and I love seeing fairy tales from the villain’s point of view
7. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White - A book about a spider saving the life of a pig. Great stuff. With the stylized musicals about animals that Disney has done as a template, this could make a great musical. If it is done well.
8. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgeson Burnett - The story of a little girl who has it all, losing her life completely but never giving up hope. It’s a great story but finding a young actress to play Sara might prove difficult.
9. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas - A musical all about getting revenge on the people who wronged you. The only trick would be cutting down the source material while allowing the story to still make sense. This one would be a LONG musical but has the potential to be the next Les Miserables if done correctly.
10. Matilda by Roald Dahl - Okay, I debated putting this one on the list but decided to for the purely selfish reason that  would love to see this as a musical. I don’t know how many others would, but to me, this would be great fun with songs worked in. Good luck finding a kid to play the title role though. **note – after writing this article I found out that there is a musical based on this book but it hasn’t made it to the US.

What do you think? Love my list? Hate it? Did I miss one (or more) that you thought should be included?

Book Review: Cinder

Book: Cinder

Author: Marissa Meyer

Recommend: This is a great read!

I have been curious about this book since it came out a few months ago but just hadn’t gotten around to reading it. I’m a sucker for rewritten fairy tales and I thought the cyborg bit was a different twist. I found it at the library this week and picked it up immediately.

I think I like this cover better…

This is the fairy tale of Cinderella set in a futuristic earth where the people on the lunar colony have developed gifts and cyborgs are second class citizens, belonging to their guardians. Cinder has nothing and her guardian controls everything she does. However, when she meets Prince Kai, everything changes.

While this book definitely had all the elements that make up the Cinderella story, the author doesn’t seem to feel tied down to the traditions to the point where the story suffers. This book is the start of a four book series. I can’t wait to read the next book and am frustrated that I have to wait a whole year for it!

This one should be on any YA fan’s reading list!

Final Rating:

Need more than one copy!!

Rant about ‘adult’ content in books…

Warning: This might not be an appropriate post for younger readers.

Lately it seems that almost every book I pick up feels the need to hit their readers over the head with graphic sexual content. These days, I’m finding that I pick up a new book with a bit of uneasiness wondering exactly how much of the book’s content I’ll be forced to skip/skim so I don’t fill my brain with inappropriate material. Whatever happened to the good old fade to black or the good taste to just not include it at all?

It used to be that you had to seek this kind of material out, with rare exception. Starting in the 20th century, this kind of material became much more prevalent. Then it seemed to become part of the formula to keep the reader’s interest through the development of the plot where less talented authors tend to bog down. An easy way to speed up the development of the book seems to be, in many author’s minds, to throw sexual content in. The reader gets a chemical rush from reading it, helping to push them forward through the rest of the book. In the 21st century, authors have now started to include a growing amount of homosexual material because the traditional doesn’t thrill and shock enough anymore. It seems that many authors have expanded to including it to any moment where the story slows for a bit must mean that erotic material is necessary.

There was a time when I read this kind of content, not realizing the damage that it was doing to me. I woke up eventually and was horrified at what I had done to myself. That kind of content is not easily forgotten, especially for those who, like me, have very active imaginations. There is a very good reason this kind of content is referred to as pornography for women or, with the advent of 50 Shades, mommy porn.

Sometimes I have to skip pages at a time!

The only way to get away from it in modern literature seems to be by skipping over the content. My method is a sort of skip/skimming where I read the first few words in each paragraph until I find that I am past that kind of material. I find myself having to skip more and more material in books simply because of the content. Being the type of person who must fill in every blank on a form and can hardly leave a book partially read, even if it is awful, this is frustrating to me. The fact that I have had to figure out a system to skip this material because of the overwhelming volume, is frustrating and disheartening. However, it is the only way for me to even attempt adult fiction anymore. I am relieved when I find the rare book that doesn’t feel the need to lean on this crutch. I also find myself gravitating more towards YA fiction because it doesn’t include this kind of graphic sexuality.

We do this for music, video games and movies. Why not books?

I really wish books would come with the kind of warning that movies do. Some kind of rating system that lets the reader know, in general if they are going to be confronted with violence, difficult subjects or sexual content, giving their readers a chance to put their guard up, instead of being blindsided by it.

I have great respect for authors who do not feel the need to fill their reader’s mind with this kind of cheap thrill. I challenge any would-be writers reading this blog to bravely skip writing this kind of content. You’ll be doing your readers a favor.

Book Review:Quarantine:The Losers

Book: Quarantine (or Quaranteen): The Losers

Author: Lex Thomas

Recommend: If you handle violence well and have a strong stomach.. this one is a bit graphic!

I found the concept of this book intriguing and when I found out that I could read it early for free, I decided that it was worth checking out. I’ve always been a sucker for a free book. This book is The Lord of the Flies meets Mean Girls with a touch of The Hunger Games thrown in for good measure. On the first day of high school in a brand new building as students report to their first class, something strange starts to happen to the teachers. Suddenly everyone is in a panic and the military locks them all in, only allowing students who are of age to leave. Quickly normal teens turn into gangs that fight to survive in their harsh environment. What happens when David, the former star of the football team, fallen from glory decides to build a gang of his own?

I found this book extremely gripping. I had a very hard time putting it down. The language in it was very descriptive, the events shocking and the characters interesting to read. I felt pulled along at watching from the center of a hurricane while everything fell apart around me. I found the fact the relationship between Will and David complex and interesting to follow and the romance having a fresh spin on it.

The thing I liked least about the book was the never-ending violence. It felt like it just never took a break. The descriptions became too much in some places and it actually started to turn my stomach, which is a very rare occurrence for me. I also found the accepted overt sexuality running rampant through the school to be a bit unrealistic. While they never described the act, there was plenty of mention of sexual activity being a regular part of the teen society and yet there is zero mention of a single teen pregnancy which makes no sense at all. It is never addressed. Not once. if you are going to mention this topic, as a responsible writer for impressionable teens, there needs to be some consequence for it. Instead it seems to perpetuate the idea that there are no adult consequences for those actions.

Overall the book was an enjoyable read and I think I’ll be watching for the sequel when it comes out.

Final Rating:

Get it used...

Abandoned Book Review: The Book of Fire

the really bad cover..

Book: The Book of Fire

Author: David L. Dawson

Recommend: Definitely not.

It doesn’t happen often but occasionally I’ll find a book I just can’t stand reading. Whether it is the plot, the writing style or it just not being what I expected, sometimes a book is so bad that it is just not worth the time to finish reading.

The plot was so implausible that I couldn’t keep going. Killer butterflies?? Are you kidding me? This read like a bad mix of Harry Potter and The Lightening Thief with so many grammar and spelling errors that I couldn’t continue. In addition, this book was written as something YA when it is clearing a middle grades book. Don’t bother wasting your time.

What was the last book you abandoned?

Final Rating:

TRASH IT!!

Book Review: Threat of Darkness

Book: Threat of Darkness

Author: Valerie Hansen

Recommend: It’s a quick, light, fun read. Would be great beach reading material.

I got this one through netgalley, a great site for advanced reader eBooks. I was honestly a bit nervous about reading this one. ARCs can be great but this one was a Christian romance put out by Harlequin. I really didn’t keep my hopes up. I thought it would be something I would struggle through. Instead, I found it to be a fun, clean and fast-paced read.

Samantha is a nurse in the small town she grew up in. After surviving a childhood of abuse, she now spends her spare time protecting abused children. Her life completely changes the day a drug addict brings in a little boy who found his stash. After pulling a gun on the staff, a cop walked in that was all too familiar. The one person Samantha had counted on never seeing again.

This is a classic damsel in distress with the return of an old flame formula, with a Christian perspective. I was somewhat concerned because this publisher is known for its adult material and yet, this book was a simple romance with zero inappropriateness. It was a fun light read. This book is part of the Love Inspired series, a Christian set of romance books. While this book was nothing to write home about, it was a pleasant use of a couple of hours. This would make great beach reading. Something you can enjoy without getting completely sucked into. I think this series of books might be something to keep in mind when I am looking for a light, fluffy read.

Final Rating:

Get it used…

Short Book Review: Dirty Little Angels

Book: Dirty Little Angels

Author: Chris Tula

Recommend: While the story was engaging, the negatives far outweighed the positives.

A short review for a rather short book. At just under 150 pages, it was a quick read. I won this book a few weeks ago from library thing as a member giveaway. This book had an engaging storyline about a girl growing up in a rough neighborhood with a difficult family situation. The idea was interesting and the writing was good however there was just too much adult material in this one for me. It was so frequent that it distracted from the story. There are also some difficult issues like rape and suicide in this one. Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this one.

Final Rating:

TRASH IT!!

Book Review: We are Absolutely not Okay

Book: We are Absolutely Not Okay: Fourteen Stories by Teenagers who are Picking Up the Pieces

Authors: The Kids of Scriber Lake Alternative High School

Recommend: This is a tough read but worth the journey.

I just won a copy of this book from the members giveaway on librarything. I thought the concept sounded interesting. I love reading the work of teenagers. There is something so open and raw about the way that they write. These kids are no exception.

The authors

This book deals with kids who are learning and living through tough situations in their lives. Each story gives a snippet of some of the life changing events they have dealt with. While this book is a great read, there is a lot of adult material. This book includes drug use, alcoholism, abuse, cutting, suicide and a transgender student. I would caution any parent to read this with your teen and discuss it. This one is definitely a teaching tool and not for everyone.

The only major critique I have, is that a couple of the stories just don’t fit with the rest of the book. I get that it was a class project but I wouldn’t recommend a couple of the stories simply because they were not as strong as the others. In particular, Coming Out and Help Yourself are not worth the time to read. The rest of the book however is great.

Final Rating:

Get it used…

Book Review: Fire and Ice

Book: Fire and Ice

Author: Patty Jensen

Recommend: No way! This one is not worth anyone’s time…

I won this book for free as a giveaway off of librarything’s member giveaway. It has been sitting in my inbox for a few weeks. For some reason, ebooks weren’t appealing to me for a while and so part of trying to break my reading slump was to go back to my nook for reading.

This book tells the story of a world where magic is forbidden and those with magic are recognizable because they are imperfect. The only positive I can say about this one is that it was a fast read. I was able to breeze through it quickly.

While this book had a unique magic system, it was not well planned out and the author was frequently adding something new to it to make it work. The writing was very simplistic and the plot wasn’t easy to follow. This definitely felt like something that was self-published. While this writer definitely has potential, I don’t think they are ready for publishing yet.

This book has a high frequency of adult subject matter that does nothing for the story except to shock. That alone made the book unreadable in my opinion. I wouldn’t bother with this one.

Final Rating:

BURN IT!!!!

Help! I’m in a reading slump!!

Reading away..

I just finished a huge, difficult read. I picked up another book and out of sheer relief was able to breeze through it. Then, I went to pick up another book and couldn’t get motivated, even though I’ve been wanting to read it for quite some time. I finally plopped myself down on the couch and got going. While the book was good, I just couldn’t seem to get into it. The next day, I tried again and kept getting distracted, people talking to me, my mom locking her keys in the car and needing me to rescue her, the allure of shopping and then a stop at the library. While at the library, I couldn’t seem to get motivated to pick out books! Unheard of! Then I knew, I had hit a serious reading slump.

How I felt with my latest reads..

I am lucky. These very rarely happen to me and when they do, they are usually easy to solve. I was curious if others had the same problem I did and did a bit of research. While most of these things weren’t new ideas, or are things that I typically do when I hit a slump, I figured that it would be a good idea to put together a list of things to try when you’ve hit a reading slump for others out there!

1. New Book - If you don’t like the book you are reading, unless it is required reading, put that sucker down and pick up something else. Don’t push yourself through something you aren’t enjoying. The whole point of reading recreationally is to have fun after all. If you have to read it, reward yourself with a book you love at the same time.
2. Reread a favorite book - Pick up something from your shelves that is guaranteed to get you lost between its pages and start reading. Getting into a familiar world where you know you are going to have fun gets your mind in the right place to enjoy reading again.
3. 

   Doctor Who books are on my list for my next reading slump.. or this one if it keeps up.

   Read some fan-fiction – The whole point of fan-fiction is to entertain readers who didn’t quite like how something went in their favorite stories. These are usually shorter and all plot based. It is also a lot easier to abandon a story you don’t like. A good place to start is fanfiction.net where you can find stuff based on almost anything.

4. Watch TV - Yes you read that right. Watch some TV. Let your brain veg and get your stories another way. Typically when I’m in a reading slump my go to shows are Doctor Who or The X-Files. Pick one of your favorite shows and just relax. Another idea is to pick a show that there are books for and then pick up the books from that show to get you back in the habit.
5. Write something – This one may not be for everyone, but typically when I can’t stand reading, spending some serious time writing will solve the problem.  I upload my brain with tons of stories when I read and then my head needs to download the ideas it absorbs. I can’t tell you how many times I have to put down the book I’m reading because I just had a fabulous idea come to mind (typically that has NOTHING to do with what I’m reading).
6. Set a time/page limit – If you need to keep reading because let’s say, you write a book blog and need to have something for your readers to read about or you have to get it done for school, set yourself a limit of how much you have to get done that day. Don’t feel like you have to push through until you finish. Give yourself a good manageable goal. If you go beyond it – great!
7. 

   Reading buddies

   Find a Reading Buddy (who reads at the same pace as you) - Find someone who likes to read the same things you do and read the same book together. They will help keep you motivated. I would NOT suggest doing this with someone who reads much faster or much slower than you do or you will feel frustrated.

8. Audiobooks – Listen to a book you have been dying to read. For those of you who typically enjoy audiobooks, this a great way to make reading fresh. If you don’t enjoy audiobooks, it can be motivating in a different way. This one can work for me. I get listening to a book and then get frustrated with how slow the reader is or their voice and simply have to pick it up and actually read it.
9. Organize your books- This one may sound a bit odd, but if you can’t seem to read your books, putting them in order is a great way to end up with a book in your hands that you simply have to get to. Just don’t leave the job half done and let your significant other find you with your books all over the chairs and you sitting on the floor reading away. It will not be a good experience. Trust me on this one.
   

   My stacks look even bigger… scary I know

10. Read a new genre - Sometimes picking  up a book in an area you don’t typically read is a great idea. Reading slumps are usually when I read non-fiction or mystery novels. They are a nice break from my normal choices and make me want to get back into what I enjoy reading more. My thought process tends to be, that was good but something sci-fi or fantasy would be even better!
11. Read something short – When you are in a reading slump is not the time to pick up something over 400 pages. You’ll get frustrated and bored quickly. Books chosen during a slump should be short to create a sense of accomplishment.
12. Read something you know you’ll love - Make your next book be something you know you’ll enjoy. When I don’t want to read, one trick is to put off anything else on my list and pick up some science fiction or fantasy by an author I love.
13. Read Short Stories - Short stories can be extremely satisfying during a reading slump. They are typically extremely well written and are over quickly, giving that same sense of satisfaction as finishing a book brings without having to finish the book. Charles de Lint or Orson Scott Card are great for this.

This picture has no purpose except it was cute and I had to share it. Yep. I’m a cat person

Hopefully this gives you some ideas of what you can do to get out of a reading slump and get back to doing something you love.

Anything you do that I didn’t come  up with? Please share it below!

Book Review: The Map of Time

Book: The Map of Time

Author: Felix J. Palma

Recommend: Definitely worth the read!

I originally saw this book sitting on the shelves at my local Barnes and Noble. I really wanted to pick it up and read it but there was something else I needed to read and so I decided against it. I subsequently forgot about it until I saw it on the shelves at the library a couple of weeks ago. Immediately I recalled my desire to read it and hastily shoved it in my overflowing book bag. I cannot go to the library, it seems, without filling my bag to the brim and beyond.

This book was not what I was expecting. The jacket gives a hint of the plot at the end of the book, but is rather misleading. I’m not sure the jacket writer actually read the book. The Map of Time begins with a wealthy young man falling in love with one of Jack the Ripper‘s victims and his attempt at suicide. His well-meaning cousin enlists the help of H.G. Wells and they fake an episode of time travel to ‘save’ her, even though he cannot be with her.

H.G. Wells, 1910 (Photo credit: LSE Library)

The basic idea of the book is how one writer’s flight of fancy can have an effect on the real world in simple yet profound ways. I found the book very interesting and was able to make it through rather quickly, even though I am currently fighting off a reading slump. Particularly, the very obvious narrator was written in a refreshing, humorous way that made me laugh out loud a few times.

The only negative I can find with the book were some moments that could have been left to the reader’s imagination that were for some reason described in detail. For me, this is a personal pet peeve since I end up skipping over such material, even though I don’t like missing part of book.

This one is definitely worth picking up, especially if you are a fan of H.G. Wells, time travel or speculative fiction in general. I personally enjoyed it more than the work of Mr. Wells itself. I am very eager to read his next book, which should be out in the near future.

Final Rating:

Buy it new

Book Review: The Strain

Book: The Strain

Authors: Guillermo del Toro, Chuck Hogan

Recommend: If you like horror, vampires and post-apocalyptic fiction, this one is for you. Graphic language and violence warning.

Okay, I have to admit that when I saw that the author of this book was the same guy who directed one of the darkest movies I have ever seen and was the man directing the two Hobbit movies that are coming soon, I was immediately interested. When I realized that it was a vampire book, I simply had to read this one.

A plane lands at JFK international in New York City. Just after it lands, the whole plane goes dark. Every single shade is drawn down. Everyone on board is dead and missing something rather important – their blood. As the CDC frantically tries to figure out what killed them all, darker forces are at work, trying to cover it all up.

Okay, this was a great read after the last book I picked up. It was fast-paced, adrenaline pumping action with absolutely no wasted words. This book was simple straightforward horror in the best sense. It reminded me of ‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King but a bit cleaner and with vampires that are more like the ones seen in The Passage by Justin Cronin. It was a fun read, full of gore and suspense.

I would say that the only negative for this book would be the amount of swearing. I’m not a big fan. I don’t think it adds to the story line. I would also say that it is a very violent book (but given the subject matter, that is to be expected). This is definitely not a book for everyone.

I definitely want to get my hands on the next two books in the trilogy but will be reading them during the daylight hours. Vampire books at night are never a good idea (unless of course they are written by Stephenie Meyer).

Final Rating:

Buy it new

The worst kind of books to read

I don’t get it. Why would people read this??

This list idea came from being in the middle of one of the few kinds of books I really just don’t enjoy reading. There are just some times you end up with a book in your hands that fits a formula that you know, as a reader, is just something you are not going to enjoy but reading it necessary or you feel like you are too far in to give up now. Some of these for me are:

1. Rambling prose – You know what I’m talking about here. The author’s editor did not do enough to reign in the writer. The story could have been told in 300 pages but for some odd and strange reason, the book had to be over 1,000 pages long. The author feels the need to give the reader every bit of unimportant minutiae that doesn’t help advance the story or help the reader relate to the character better. It just goes on for length’s sake. While I don’t mind a long book that is well written, these are just not the case. Example: Reamde by Neal Stephenson.
2. Dry and Technical - While I like to learn about how something works or how someone justifies their approach, please, please, please make it at least somewhat entertaining to read! Give an antidote, a joke or something to keep the reader’s attention. This applies to text books as well. There should be some level of enjoyment in what you are reading. Example: too many to pick just one.
3. Ending on a climax - I don’t care if this is book 376 in your series of insanely popular fantasy novels. Never. Ever. End. At. The. Climax! It is simply a cheap ploy to drag the reader along. It is extremely obvious and is just poor taste. Create a conclusion – please. Ted Dekker‘s Circle series is a very good example of what not to do.
4. Dull word choice - If your book has an interesting plot line but your word choice is so bad that it sucks the life out of the book,two things might happen. One, it might keep people from reading your book, or two, turning it into an outstandingly successful musical with a much better ending that disappoints people when they actually dust off their copy that they never really got around to reading. Oh yes I have a book in mind – Gregory Maguire this one is all you. Wicked the musical beats the book – hands down.
5. The I’m-smarter-than-my-readers books – James Joyce. Ulysses. Yes, he did something very cool and creative. So cool and creative that most people have no clue what he was trying to do. Hurray for confusing everyone and making sure that your book will always be on the books everyone should read list. I think it ends up on the list because someone is hoping that someday, someone will actually figure it out.

Any kinds of books you think I missed? Any that you thought were unfair?

Book Review: Reamde

Book: Reamde

Author: Neal Stephenson

Recommend: Not worth the time it takes to get through.

I had been very interested to read something by this author. The size of his books and the relative popularity in the science fiction/fantasy world had made me want to pick up one of his books but had never gotten there until I saw this one sitting on the new reads shelf at the library.

This book tells the story of how a computer virus can go completely wrong and spiral into an international incident. Zula’s boyfriend Peter gets mixed up in credit card fraud and sells some credit card numbers and information to the Russian mafia. However, information gets highjacked by a very intelligent kid in a computer game called T’rain, something similar to World of Warcraft. The mafia takes Zula and her boyfriend to China to retrieve the stolen data  and attack the hacker. They accidentally attack the wrong apartment, filled with Muslim extremists. The Muslim extremists kidnap Zula and take her from China back to Canada, where they decide to hold her as bait for her uncle, the creator of T’rain and a former drug smuggler. Instead of the paragraph I used, the author took over 1000 pages to tell the story.

I normally have no problem reading long books. I like a good story with complex characters and story lines. This book however was just far too long drawn out for the story it told. The story was, at it’s heart rather simple and the amount of time the author took to tell it was far too long. There were so many points where the action just stopped as the author gave the reader trivial information that did little to enhance the storyline or give interesting background information. Even the climax of the book lost integrity because it was lasting just far too long and coming from too many perspectives. Normally I’m all for giving lots of points of view and telling the story completely but this was too much to keep track of and keep it moving. It took me almost a week to get through this one simply because I found reading it extremely dull.

I think if the author had taken 300-500 pages to write this story it would have been much more interesting and engaging. The extreme length of this book made it not worth the effort it took to get through it. I would not recommend wasting your time on something this long and poorly executed.

Final Rating:

TRASH IT!!

Book Review: Snoozing through Advent

Book: Advent

Author: James Treadwell

Recommend: Not if it was the last book on earth… no really

I read the summary for this book and it sounded amazing! A story about a 15 year old boy who brings magic back into our world sounded like something right up my alley. So I requested a copy of it and hoped that I would get to review it. After struggling for three days to get through the book, I wished I hadn’t been approved to review it. It was one of the dullest books I have ever read.

This is one case of doing all the right things and it coming out in the worst way. The book tells the story of a 15 year old kid named Gavin who gets set to stay with his Aunt Gwen while his parents are on holiday alone. When he arrives, his aunt is missing and he meets a strange girl. This is where the book should start to get interesting right?

Bored!!

That would be a no. The author fails to keep the reader’s energy by lacking a sense of urgency in his writing. I spent the first 150 pages hoping that we would get moving forward in the plot. A clue as to where his Aunt was or what was up with the weird girl living at the old house. Instead Gavin’s story just seemed to stall for quite some time with unnecessary developments and jarring flashbacks to the 1500s when magic was lost in the first place. The inclusion of Greek mythology made zero sense and nothing about the book seemed to remain coherent. When you finally, painfully reach the climax of this book, it makes very little sense and is completely uninteresting to the reader. This book needs some serious help to make it even remotely readable, let alone something that will ever get near anything like the best sellers’ list.

Final Rating:

BURN IT!!!!

Response to Thirteen Reasons Why

Cover of Thirteen Reasons Why

Book: Thirteen Reasons Why

Author: Jay Asher

I have heard so much about this book. I can’t tell you how many people have told me that I simply needed to read it. I found a copy of it available at the library this last weekend and so I picked it up.

Thirteen Reasons Why tells the story of a girl named Hannah who commits suicide. She leaves behind a set of tapes explaining why she made the choice to take her own life. She tells each person how they contributed to her decision and they are forced to mail it to the next person on the list. The narrator is one of the last people on the list.

While this book is YA fiction, I definitely think that this book is not for every teen. This is one that parents might want to be careful with and talk to their kids about simply because of the subject matter.

I think the thing that hit me the most about this book was that there were so many signs that she was in trouble and no one noticed. Even the adults in her life didn’t pay attention. This book is a great reminder to keep an eye on the people around you. Watch for the signs and be there for them. For more information about suicide prevention, check out The Suicide Prevention Hotline.

Final Rating:

Buy it new

Book Review: Jane Slayre

Book: Jane Slayre

Author: Charlotte Bronte and Sherri Browning Erwin

Recommend: Definitely! Especially for fans Jane Eyre.

I am a huge fan of the original version of this book, Jane Eyre. It has always had a spooky quality that appealed to me. When I saw this on the shelves I simply had to read it. After tackling Pride and Prejudice and Zombies I was a bit apprehensive but dived in any way. I am glad that I did.

The author nearly seamlessly incorporates vampires, zombies and werewolves into the original story of an orphan who is employed as a governess to the ward of a man with a secret. For some reason the idea of Jane being a vampire hunter was not odd to me. She did so out of necessity, not because she wanted to. In places where the story deviated from the original tale, the wording was so well done that I could almost swear it had been penned by Miss Bronte herself.

The only fault I could find with the book was the voodoo controlled zombies hiding under the guise of Christianity. No self-respecting bokor would have mixed Christianity with voodoo. It was the only point of the story that felt just a bit weak to me. I understand the author’s motivation behind the decision but it just didn’t quite flow as well as the rest of the book did.

Overall, this was a great read and fit with the spooky feeling that the original tale already had, adding to the story in a memorable way. I think this one is going to have to become part of my collection. I definitely see a desire to reread this version again soon.

Final Rating:

Buy it new

Book Review: The Tales of Beedle the Bard

The British cover (the version I own)

Book: The Tales of Beedle the Bard

Author: J.K. Rowling

Recommend: To anyone who has read the Harry Potter books.

I have been wanting to read this for quite some time but when I found a British copy on the shelves of my used bookstore for 3 bucks, I finally picked it up.

American Cover

While it was a very short and simple read, I felt like I was reading the works of the Grimm brothers with a magical twist. Even more so than the tales, I found the ‘commentary’ by Dumbledore even more entertaining. For those who have read the last book of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the commentary on the story of “The Tale of the Three Brothers” is particularly entertaining simply because he holds back from telling the whole truth, even though the readers already know it. It creates this sense of reality that the simple truth never would have.

The version I wish I had

The only negative I found with buying this book second-hand was that the money from the resale doesn’t go to the foundation that got a part of the proceeds from the original sale. I might have to go make a donation since I’m getting all the enjoyment without the foundation getting any benefit.

I definitely recommend this one to any Harry Potter fan. It was a great diversion. It makes me want to go back and read the series again.

Final Rating:

Buy it new

Book Review: Rebecca

Book: Rebecca

Author: Daphne Du Maurier

Recommend: If you are a fan of the Bronte sisters and like a good mystery.

Have you ever had a book that you were just plain curious about? I’ve heard about this one. Had it in my hands more than once and never got around to picking it up and reading it. I wished I had found this one sooner.

This book tells the story of a young woman who has her first job out of school, working as a companion to a wealthy older woman. She meets a man of society and falls in love with him but she is sure that he does not return her feelings. As she is ready to leave for New York, she meets him to say goodbye and he proposes to her. She accepts his proposal but as soon as the honeymoon is over she finds herself in the shadow of the first Mrs. de Winter, Rebecca.

I don’t want to ruin the plot for anyone who hasn’t read it yet, but it has one of the best plot twists I have ever read! I can see how many have tried to imitate this writer in one way or another in modern material and none of it quite does this justice. Definitely worth the time and something I have a feeling I’ll be downloading onto my nook soon.

Final Rating:

Buy it new