This is a mini post due to the lateness of the hour and me being tired. I want to assure those that have been waiting for it the author interview with Josh Conrad will be up next week! Hopefully by Sunday. If you haven't seen the review of his recently published novel "CyberWorld: The Legend of Alaxeria" take a look, you'll want to pick up a copy as soon as you can!
With the new year I decided that I was gonna have a new way of reviewing books. In my last post of 2013 I mentioned that I wanted to start a cyber book club and that is still my intention for 2014. I have so many books that I want to reread that I was unsure as to where to begin. I decided to take inspiration from other books, and picked up a copy of a non-fiction book called 'All Roads Lead to Austen' by a Professor from California named Amy Smith. A true book nerd and lover of Jane Austen she decided to combine two of her favorite things and travel for a year in South America gathering together groups of readers in different countries to discuss Jane Austen. I'm only about a little ways into the book but I'm enjoying it so far. Dr. Smith's goal in her traveling book club is to discover if Austen translates in other countries the way she does here. She is in search of South American Jane-ites.
Dr. Smith states that 'Sense & Sensibility' is usually looked down upon as one of the lesser novels. She says that many of her students find it slow and overly preachy. I was shocked when I read that because that just happens to be one of my all time favorite Austen works. With that in mind and a nagging thought that might be turning into an idea I've decided to start off my cyber book club with reading 'Sense & Sensibility.' I will have a conference number that people can call in so we can discuss about the novel. This will be my first time doing anything like this so forgive me in advance for a little bumpy start. I'll post the number and date of the call in the next post. I'm excited and nervous and hope you all are as well.
As for tonight that is all for now, but look forward to an author interview early next week. Thank you all for the support last year and I look forward to a wonderful year full of books, reading, and great discussion in 2014!
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Last 2013 Post!
So faithful readers we have come through another year together. It has been a year of ups and downs, of good reads and bad, of some posts and none. I know that I haven't been as faithful with my posts this year as I could have been and I apologize but it has been an intense year. And this post will not be a review nor will it be the author interview that was promised after my last review, it is instead something else.This year was full of new books, some with sad memories attached (like the books I read while I was in California helping my dad recover from surgery), books that I fell instantly in love with, like 'Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore', and 'Shadow of the Wind'. Books that made me laugh like Christopher Moore's 'Lamb' and Tina Fey's 'Bossypants.' And it was filled with books that inspired me to read even more books like 'Tolstoy and the Purple Chair' and even though I didn't like it 'Howard's End is on the Landing.' I visited different worlds, like in 'CyberWorld' and battled cancer and an impossible decision with the characters in 'Loving Marcus.' It was a year of books that I absolutely loved and books that I couldn't stand and books that made me go 'meh.' But the thing that united them all was the fact that they were all brand new to me. Which of course is a wonderful part about reading, all the new stories and authors that await you.
Now I may be a little odd in this but I truly love going back and rereading a favorite novel. The past couple of years I have mainly focused on reading new things. 2014 is going to be a little different for me and hopefully for you dear readers. I have decided to make 2014 my reread year. I am going to take some of my favorite novels and visit the worlds they hold between their covers once more. I will of course be reading some new things because lets face it, I just can't help myself. But I will be doing my reviews a little differently. I want to set up a virtual book club, not sure yet how I am going to do it but what I want to do is pick a book and get my readers to read it with me and then some how we can get together and discuss it. I think what I am going to do is get one of those conference numbers and post it here each time it is time for the discussion.
I am planning on starting with a little Jane Austen, I think I was thinking of starting with 'Emma' and moving on from there. Now I know that not everyone reads at the same pace so the discussion will be recorded and downloaded here so that if you miss it or choose to skip it you can listen to it and comment on it here. I plan on reviewing some of the new books I read as well so that I can offer new recommendations. I hope that you will join me in this new adventure for the new year! I'll post the details of how it's all going to work in the next week or so. If you or any of your reading friends decide to come on this journey with me I can promise a good time, and as always lots of good reading!
Thank you all for spending 2013 reading with me. I look forward to the next year and all the great books that await us whether new or old! Happy New Year dear friends! I'll see you in 2014! Happy reading!
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
"CyberWorld: The Legend of Alaxeria" by Josh Conrad
Book Title: CyberWorld: The Legend of Alaxeria
Author: Josh Conrad
Version: eBook
ISBN: B00GWNSJQQ
Publisher: Self Published
Published: November 25th, 2013
Genre: Fantasy Adventure
SYNOPSIS: Max Cruiser seems to have it all under control. He's a straight A student, he's well loved by all, and once he turns 16 he just knows he's going to make it onto all the varsity teams at school. He has the perfect home life, parents that love him, a brother that is away at school and a mom that knows how to throw a party. Basically Max Cruiser's life rocks.
On his 16th birthday things begin to take a turn for the weird and unusual. While out getting surprise party supplies his mom gets attacked, and almost killed. After the assassin is taken into custody by her team of rescuers, something even stranger occurs. The sky opens up and ships appear. This does not faze Maria Cruiser at all, but the news the ships bring does. An old friend also suddenly appears, Félix Santalago, and tells Maria some incredible news. Her near perfect son Max has just been accepted at the Cyber Academy!
Back home Max's surprise party goes off wonderfully, he has tons of friends there and he gets all the presents he wanted. After the party when all the guests are gone and Max was still glowing, his parents and their dear friend Félix, sit him down to give him one last gift. They tell him that they are actually CyberSpies and he has just been accepted to their old training school Cyber Academy. Max goes to bed feeling angry, confused and betrayed. After thinking about it through the night and with a little help from a very special friend, Max decides to accept the invitation to CyberWorld and the Cyber Academy. What starts with a surprising trip to a new dimension soon turns into the adventure of a lifetime.
REVIEW: Let me state right up front that I truly enjoyed this book all the way through. I couldn't seem to put the book down, which for a first novel is quite something. So please remember that I really, really liked the book because I did.
All that being said I did have a few moments of 'oh right this is a first novel.' And I must admit that it felt a little bit like Harry Potter set in space. Which is fine because I have a true love for Harry Potter. And there is nothing wrong with imitating something you love. The story was great though, full of incredible characters, adventure and mystery. I loved it all the way through but it also felt familiar. This of course is not bad and for a first novel is a lost expected, and I take no points off for that.
The writing was wonderful and has much potential to be truly great that I can hardly wait for the next from Josh Conrad. I think that Mr. Conrad has a great voice and though the story felt familiar at times his voice was fresh and I think that we can safely say that Mr. Conrad has some great things in him just waiting to get out. I guess I should say more great things waiting to get out. All in all the book was well written, well put together and full of wit and twists that kept me up late into the night. It was really well done for a first novel. I think that he is just going to get better the more he writes.
The book was great and I loved the story and the characters but I also felt that it was a tad too long. It was a first novel and I think that maybe Josh Conrad was nervous about finishing it or how to end it or something because it went on for a little longer then I felt necessary. I loved the climax of the story but I felt like it happened early and then the book just kept going. In his author biography Mr. Conrad says that he is working on four sequels, which I can't wait for because I love Max and all his friends, but that means that there is plenty of time to keep the story going. I hope that with the subsequent sequels Mr. Conrad has more confidence in himself and is able to trim down and really make us beg for more.
I'm not usually a fantasy reader, although I have started enjoying it more in the last year or so, but this book captured me. I know that I may have said some harsh things here but above and beyond all things the book captured my attention and kept me reading from the first page to the last thrilling sentence. I do think that the author has a long way to go until he is truly great but I think, no I know that we are all going to really enjoy the journey.
All in all the book was a really good first novel and I highly suggest those fantasy buffs out there, find a way to buy a copy and not only support a budding new author but also to enjoy a truly fun fantasy story. It's worth the read because it is a fun and exciting read and what more can you ask for when it comes to a fantasy novel? I tip my tiny hat four times to Mr. Conrad for excitement, mystery and a great start to what I think is going to be an exciting career.
Author: Josh Conrad
Version: eBook
ISBN: B00GWNSJQQ
Publisher: Self Published
Published: November 25th, 2013
Genre: Fantasy Adventure
SYNOPSIS: Max Cruiser seems to have it all under control. He's a straight A student, he's well loved by all, and once he turns 16 he just knows he's going to make it onto all the varsity teams at school. He has the perfect home life, parents that love him, a brother that is away at school and a mom that knows how to throw a party. Basically Max Cruiser's life rocks. On his 16th birthday things begin to take a turn for the weird and unusual. While out getting surprise party supplies his mom gets attacked, and almost killed. After the assassin is taken into custody by her team of rescuers, something even stranger occurs. The sky opens up and ships appear. This does not faze Maria Cruiser at all, but the news the ships bring does. An old friend also suddenly appears, Félix Santalago, and tells Maria some incredible news. Her near perfect son Max has just been accepted at the Cyber Academy!
Back home Max's surprise party goes off wonderfully, he has tons of friends there and he gets all the presents he wanted. After the party when all the guests are gone and Max was still glowing, his parents and their dear friend Félix, sit him down to give him one last gift. They tell him that they are actually CyberSpies and he has just been accepted to their old training school Cyber Academy. Max goes to bed feeling angry, confused and betrayed. After thinking about it through the night and with a little help from a very special friend, Max decides to accept the invitation to CyberWorld and the Cyber Academy. What starts with a surprising trip to a new dimension soon turns into the adventure of a lifetime.
REVIEW: Let me state right up front that I truly enjoyed this book all the way through. I couldn't seem to put the book down, which for a first novel is quite something. So please remember that I really, really liked the book because I did.
All that being said I did have a few moments of 'oh right this is a first novel.' And I must admit that it felt a little bit like Harry Potter set in space. Which is fine because I have a true love for Harry Potter. And there is nothing wrong with imitating something you love. The story was great though, full of incredible characters, adventure and mystery. I loved it all the way through but it also felt familiar. This of course is not bad and for a first novel is a lost expected, and I take no points off for that.
The writing was wonderful and has much potential to be truly great that I can hardly wait for the next from Josh Conrad. I think that Mr. Conrad has a great voice and though the story felt familiar at times his voice was fresh and I think that we can safely say that Mr. Conrad has some great things in him just waiting to get out. I guess I should say more great things waiting to get out. All in all the book was well written, well put together and full of wit and twists that kept me up late into the night. It was really well done for a first novel. I think that he is just going to get better the more he writes.
The book was great and I loved the story and the characters but I also felt that it was a tad too long. It was a first novel and I think that maybe Josh Conrad was nervous about finishing it or how to end it or something because it went on for a little longer then I felt necessary. I loved the climax of the story but I felt like it happened early and then the book just kept going. In his author biography Mr. Conrad says that he is working on four sequels, which I can't wait for because I love Max and all his friends, but that means that there is plenty of time to keep the story going. I hope that with the subsequent sequels Mr. Conrad has more confidence in himself and is able to trim down and really make us beg for more.
I'm not usually a fantasy reader, although I have started enjoying it more in the last year or so, but this book captured me. I know that I may have said some harsh things here but above and beyond all things the book captured my attention and kept me reading from the first page to the last thrilling sentence. I do think that the author has a long way to go until he is truly great but I think, no I know that we are all going to really enjoy the journey.
All in all the book was a really good first novel and I highly suggest those fantasy buffs out there, find a way to buy a copy and not only support a budding new author but also to enjoy a truly fun fantasy story. It's worth the read because it is a fun and exciting read and what more can you ask for when it comes to a fantasy novel? I tip my tiny hat four times to Mr. Conrad for excitement, mystery and a great start to what I think is going to be an exciting career.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Two For the Price of One
Tonight I have decided to put together two reviews and make it just one post. See both books that I want to review are by the same author. And since I am trying to keep things fresh and new I am combining the two. Sounds a little strange I know because they are two different books, different stories so how can the two be combined? I guess we will just have to discover that together.
Book One Title: The Thirteenth Tale
Author: Diane Setterfield
Version: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780743298025
Published: September 12, 2006
Publisher: Atria
Book Two Title: Bellman & Black: A Ghost Story
Author: Diane Setterfield
Version: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781476711959
Published: November 5, 2013
Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
First and foremost I would like to state that I think Diane Setterfield is a great writer. I find that her writing is addicting in all the best ways. Once you start reading you can't seem to stop, you can't stop reading, can't stop thinking about it and it is all consuming and amazing. The great thing too about these two books is how they differ from each other. There is a hole that authors can sometimes fall into, where book after book feels the same, same basic story, same character traits and after awhile it becomes boring. With Ms. Setterfield, so far, each book has a unique flavor to it.
"The Thirteenth Tale" is a book about books, about the love of books so of course I was intensely interested from the start. Margaret Lea lives in an antiquarian bookshop with her father and mother. From a very early age Margaret was fascinated by the world of books and reading. Her father, a simple quiet lover of books, encouraged this. Her mother was distant and sad and never really seemed to respond to Margaret. As Margaret grew up she became endlessly fascinated with the stories of people and the lives they led. Biographies became not only her passion but her livelihood. One day she receives a letter from a very famous and very private mystery writer, Vida Winter. Although Margaret has never met this woman, in fact she has never even read her books, Ms. Winter requests that Margaret comes to her and writes her biography. Surprised but intrigued Margaret decides to meet with Ms. Winter. Her curiosity heightens even more after reading her books, and Margaret goes to meet Ms. Winter. As her story starts unfolding Margaret finds herself drawn into a world of darkness, hopelessness and twins. Above all she finds herself drawn into the story about twins, a story that touches the very core of her own.
"Bellman & Black" is a story about a man who as a young boy killed a rook with a catapult. Frightened by what he has done William Bellman pushes the memory as far into the recesses of his mind as possible and locks it away for good. As he grows up he becomes the best loved young man in town. He is friendly, hardworking, handsome, and well trusted by all. Since he is related to the Bellmans that own the Bellman mill he learns the business. As he learns it, and quickly masters it he suffers the loss of his mother, his uncle and his cousin in quick succession. Using his grief to fuel his work, he becomes the head of the mill and starts taking it to all new heights. He eventually gets married and has kids and his life seems to be going perfectly. When two of his kids and then his wife die he throws funeral after funeral for them. At each funeral a strange man appears, a man all dressed in black, a man that is never there when William goes to look for him. One night, drunk and alone William stumbles to his wife's grave where who should be there but the strange man himself. This man proposes an idea to William, an idea that sparks an empire, an empire of death called 'Bellman & Black.'
Both books are well written, well put together and utterly mysterious. Diane Setterfield has a mystical voice that comes out beautifully in both books, a voice that from the very first line of 'The Thirteenth Tale' captured me. Her writing is magical and in each book I found myself unable to tear myself away. For a debut novel 'The Thirteenth Tale' was perfectly written and 'Bellman & Black' followed it masterfully. Ms. Setterfield has an incredible talent and I really look forward to seeing what else she brings to the world of literature.
Now as for stories 'The Thirteenth Tale' was truly amazing. Of course I went into it knowing that I would like it because it was about books and the love and respect of books. But when I really started getting into the book and the story within it I found myself loving every detail of the story. It was up and down and elegant and gruesome and I loved every second of it. It took me in directions that I was shocked at and there were times when I actually had no idea what was going on at all but I was so into the story that I kind of liked not knowing what was happening. It was incredible.
With 'Bellman & Black' the story was good. I found myself confused a lot of the time about who was who and what was going on but not in the same way as with her first book. It's full title is 'Bellman & Black: A Ghost Story' and I found myself confused as to why. Even now after reading it and letting the story sit for awhile I have no idea what it was actually about. Where was the ghost story? What was the book actually about? I found myself being confused by it and even at the end I stayed confused. The story was just good enough to keep me interested all the way through and of course the writing made up for it. It just didn't wow me as much as 'The Thirteenth Tale' did. But it was still a good story.
All in all the books were well done and I am so glad that I read them. I'm already looking forward to the next book by Diane Setterfield because she is such an amazing writer. It's been a long time that I have found a new writer that is truly unique and talented. It is an exciting thing finding a new author to be this excited about. I hope that you, my readers, find a way to pick up one of Diane Setterfield's books because I think that they will sweep you away and make you fall in love with reading all over again. I tip my tiny hat five out of five times to 'The Thirteenth Tale' and only three and a half times out of five for 'Bellman & Black.' I highly recommend both of them though simply because her writing is just that good!
Book One Title: The Thirteenth Tale
Author: Diane Setterfield
Version: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780743298025
Published: September 12, 2006
Publisher: Atria
Book Two Title: Bellman & Black: A Ghost Story
Author: Diane Setterfield
Version: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781476711959
Published: November 5, 2013
Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
First and foremost I would like to state that I think Diane Setterfield is a great writer. I find that her writing is addicting in all the best ways. Once you start reading you can't seem to stop, you can't stop reading, can't stop thinking about it and it is all consuming and amazing. The great thing too about these two books is how they differ from each other. There is a hole that authors can sometimes fall into, where book after book feels the same, same basic story, same character traits and after awhile it becomes boring. With Ms. Setterfield, so far, each book has a unique flavor to it.
"The Thirteenth Tale" is a book about books, about the love of books so of course I was intensely interested from the start. Margaret Lea lives in an antiquarian bookshop with her father and mother. From a very early age Margaret was fascinated by the world of books and reading. Her father, a simple quiet lover of books, encouraged this. Her mother was distant and sad and never really seemed to respond to Margaret. As Margaret grew up she became endlessly fascinated with the stories of people and the lives they led. Biographies became not only her passion but her livelihood. One day she receives a letter from a very famous and very private mystery writer, Vida Winter. Although Margaret has never met this woman, in fact she has never even read her books, Ms. Winter requests that Margaret comes to her and writes her biography. Surprised but intrigued Margaret decides to meet with Ms. Winter. Her curiosity heightens even more after reading her books, and Margaret goes to meet Ms. Winter. As her story starts unfolding Margaret finds herself drawn into a world of darkness, hopelessness and twins. Above all she finds herself drawn into the story about twins, a story that touches the very core of her own."Bellman & Black" is a story about a man who as a young boy killed a rook with a catapult. Frightened by what he has done William Bellman pushes the memory as far into the recesses of his mind as possible and locks it away for good. As he grows up he becomes the best loved young man in town. He is friendly, hardworking, handsome, and well trusted by all. Since he is related to the Bellmans that own the Bellman mill he learns the business. As he learns it, and quickly masters it he suffers the loss of his mother, his uncle and his cousin in quick succession. Using his grief to fuel his work, he becomes the head of the mill and starts taking it to all new heights. He eventually gets married and has kids and his life seems to be going perfectly. When two of his kids and then his wife die he throws funeral after funeral for them. At each funeral a strange man appears, a man all dressed in black, a man that is never there when William goes to look for him. One night, drunk and alone William stumbles to his wife's grave where who should be there but the strange man himself. This man proposes an idea to William, an idea that sparks an empire, an empire of death called 'Bellman & Black.'Both books are well written, well put together and utterly mysterious. Diane Setterfield has a mystical voice that comes out beautifully in both books, a voice that from the very first line of 'The Thirteenth Tale' captured me. Her writing is magical and in each book I found myself unable to tear myself away. For a debut novel 'The Thirteenth Tale' was perfectly written and 'Bellman & Black' followed it masterfully. Ms. Setterfield has an incredible talent and I really look forward to seeing what else she brings to the world of literature.
Now as for stories 'The Thirteenth Tale' was truly amazing. Of course I went into it knowing that I would like it because it was about books and the love and respect of books. But when I really started getting into the book and the story within it I found myself loving every detail of the story. It was up and down and elegant and gruesome and I loved every second of it. It took me in directions that I was shocked at and there were times when I actually had no idea what was going on at all but I was so into the story that I kind of liked not knowing what was happening. It was incredible.
With 'Bellman & Black' the story was good. I found myself confused a lot of the time about who was who and what was going on but not in the same way as with her first book. It's full title is 'Bellman & Black: A Ghost Story' and I found myself confused as to why. Even now after reading it and letting the story sit for awhile I have no idea what it was actually about. Where was the ghost story? What was the book actually about? I found myself being confused by it and even at the end I stayed confused. The story was just good enough to keep me interested all the way through and of course the writing made up for it. It just didn't wow me as much as 'The Thirteenth Tale' did. But it was still a good story.
All in all the books were well done and I am so glad that I read them. I'm already looking forward to the next book by Diane Setterfield because she is such an amazing writer. It's been a long time that I have found a new writer that is truly unique and talented. It is an exciting thing finding a new author to be this excited about. I hope that you, my readers, find a way to pick up one of Diane Setterfield's books because I think that they will sweep you away and make you fall in love with reading all over again. I tip my tiny hat five out of five times to 'The Thirteenth Tale' and only three and a half times out of five for 'Bellman & Black.' I highly recommend both of them though simply because her writing is just that good!
Monday, November 11, 2013
The Magician's Assistant-Ann Patchett
Book Title: The Magician's Assistant
Author: Ann Patchett
Version: ebook
ISBN: 9780547548791
Published: September 17th, 2004
First Published: October 1st, 1997
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Genre: Fiction
Background: I have a funny and rather incredible story about Ann Patchett, well about her books anyway. When I was growing up my dad and I didn't always have enough money to get me new books. I had a voracious appetite at the time for books, as we all know that appetite has only grown, but at the time I didn't work at a bookstore where I got a big discount so we couldn't always buy new books. Anyway when that happened my dad would lend me books from his library and there were times that I was very receptive to them, like when he lent me 'Memoirs of a Geisha' by Arthur Golden and 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak. And there were times when I resisted his suggestions, like when he suggested his favorite book 'Moby Dick' which is something that I still to this day hesitate over (sorry dad, I just don't think I am ready for it yet).
In the spirit of this, one day my dad reached up and pulled down this really beautiful light blue book called 'Run' by Ann Patchett, someone I had never read before, saying he thought that I might like it. The book jacket intrigued me, the book took place over a twenty-four hour period and was about a family in New England and a single accident that changes their whole lives. I loved it, I read it quickly and enjoyed every moment of it. Years later when I discovered goodreads.com and was trying to remember every book I had ever read I remembered a book about two brothers in Boston, with a blue cover and that there was something about fish. A couple more years went by with the vague memory nagging at me until one day, a very slow boring day at Barnes & Noble, I had, had enough. I went online and starting doing a search for a blue book set in Boston having to do with brothers and fish. And sure enough I found it, 'Run' by Ann Patchett.
About a year later I was looking at the under $5 nook books online and saw 'The Magician's Assistant' for only about $2.99. I thought to myself 'I really enjoyed 'Run' I bet that this one is going to be just as good.' So I went ahead and bought it. It took a few months for me to actually pick it up to read it, but I finally finished it a few days ago.
Synopsis: Sabine has just been widowed and is trying to figure out a way to continue living. Her life seems to be falling apart now that she no longer has the love of her life, Parsifal, around to take care of. Nor does she have Phan, Parsifal's partner around, all she has left is a giant lonely house filled with memories and a rabbit named Rabbit. These days she spends most of her days in bed dreaming of a life that is lost.
One day she gets a call from Parsifal's lawyer saying that he has to talk to Sabine in person. Some secret from his past that now has to be revealed. She finds out that Parsifal has been lying to her about his family for years. Parsifal told her that his parents had died years ago but in reality his mom and sisters live in Nebraska. The lawyer tells Sabine that it is up to her if she wants to have any contact with them. At first she decides she is just too mad at the lies and decides she doesn't want to know any more. And then one day she gets a call from a woman named Dot Fetters, Parsifal's mother, saying that her and her youngest daughter Bertie are planning a trip to LA and want to meet her.
When Sabine decides to go ahead and meet Parsifal's family she begins a journey that takes her into the heart of Parsifal's life before Sabine, before LA, before everything that made him Parsifal. It's a journey that takes her to Nebraska in the middle of winter where she meets the rest of his family, a sister named Kitty, her two sons, Kitty's husband, Howard (who turns out to be a jerk) and Bertie's fiancée. What Sabine finds there is a sort of family of her own, one she felt she had missed. What they find in Sabine is a savior, one that they didn't even realize they needed. The longer she stays the more secrets come out, and the more the family comes to rely on her. And Sabine has to decide whether she is willing to stay and live in the house that Parsifal grew up in or go back to LA and move on with her life.
Review: I went into this book expecting something great because I remembered liking 'Run' so much. I was hugely disappointed in this though. The story was rather ridiculous and I really, really did not like Sabine! She annoyed me the whole book which is a huge flaw when it comes to a main character. I read it all the way through so that I could review it but it was not a fun read.
I mean no disrespect to Ms. Patchett of course but this was not a well put together book. The writing wasn't all that bad, it wasn't great but it was passible. She is a talented writer but her talent seems to have been lost in the terrible story. There were moments of beauty throughout but not enough to make it a beautiful book. Maybe part of it had to do with my high expectations of her and what she had given me with 'Run,' but I was disappointed overall.
Like I said previously the story was stupid. Well let me rephrase, I felt that the story was stupid. A woman who fell in love with a gay man and then felt betrayed when he didn't love her back and felt as if he had lied specifically to her about his past. The only reason she went back to Nebraska was so she could be in the room that Parsifal grew up in. Because she was entitled to all of his life, and everything that he did when he was growing up. It was stupid and annoying and I found myself truly hating Sabine and wanted her to get a major reality check. The rest of the characters were monochromatic and hidden behind the annoyingness that was Sabine.
All in all it was a bad book, well for me anyway. I just didn't like any of it and I'm a little turned off of Ann Patchett. Maybe someday I'll pick up another one of her books and be wowed once more, like I was all those years ago when I first picked up 'Run.' I tip my tiny hat only once to 'The Magician's Assistant,' and that only because I have belief in the greatness that it could have been.
Author: Ann Patchett
Version: ebook
ISBN: 9780547548791
Published: September 17th, 2004
First Published: October 1st, 1997
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Genre: Fiction
Background: I have a funny and rather incredible story about Ann Patchett, well about her books anyway. When I was growing up my dad and I didn't always have enough money to get me new books. I had a voracious appetite at the time for books, as we all know that appetite has only grown, but at the time I didn't work at a bookstore where I got a big discount so we couldn't always buy new books. Anyway when that happened my dad would lend me books from his library and there were times that I was very receptive to them, like when he lent me 'Memoirs of a Geisha' by Arthur Golden and 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak. And there were times when I resisted his suggestions, like when he suggested his favorite book 'Moby Dick' which is something that I still to this day hesitate over (sorry dad, I just don't think I am ready for it yet).
In the spirit of this, one day my dad reached up and pulled down this really beautiful light blue book called 'Run' by Ann Patchett, someone I had never read before, saying he thought that I might like it. The book jacket intrigued me, the book took place over a twenty-four hour period and was about a family in New England and a single accident that changes their whole lives. I loved it, I read it quickly and enjoyed every moment of it. Years later when I discovered goodreads.com and was trying to remember every book I had ever read I remembered a book about two brothers in Boston, with a blue cover and that there was something about fish. A couple more years went by with the vague memory nagging at me until one day, a very slow boring day at Barnes & Noble, I had, had enough. I went online and starting doing a search for a blue book set in Boston having to do with brothers and fish. And sure enough I found it, 'Run' by Ann Patchett.
About a year later I was looking at the under $5 nook books online and saw 'The Magician's Assistant' for only about $2.99. I thought to myself 'I really enjoyed 'Run' I bet that this one is going to be just as good.' So I went ahead and bought it. It took a few months for me to actually pick it up to read it, but I finally finished it a few days ago.
Synopsis: Sabine has just been widowed and is trying to figure out a way to continue living. Her life seems to be falling apart now that she no longer has the love of her life, Parsifal, around to take care of. Nor does she have Phan, Parsifal's partner around, all she has left is a giant lonely house filled with memories and a rabbit named Rabbit. These days she spends most of her days in bed dreaming of a life that is lost.
One day she gets a call from Parsifal's lawyer saying that he has to talk to Sabine in person. Some secret from his past that now has to be revealed. She finds out that Parsifal has been lying to her about his family for years. Parsifal told her that his parents had died years ago but in reality his mom and sisters live in Nebraska. The lawyer tells Sabine that it is up to her if she wants to have any contact with them. At first she decides she is just too mad at the lies and decides she doesn't want to know any more. And then one day she gets a call from a woman named Dot Fetters, Parsifal's mother, saying that her and her youngest daughter Bertie are planning a trip to LA and want to meet her.
When Sabine decides to go ahead and meet Parsifal's family she begins a journey that takes her into the heart of Parsifal's life before Sabine, before LA, before everything that made him Parsifal. It's a journey that takes her to Nebraska in the middle of winter where she meets the rest of his family, a sister named Kitty, her two sons, Kitty's husband, Howard (who turns out to be a jerk) and Bertie's fiancée. What Sabine finds there is a sort of family of her own, one she felt she had missed. What they find in Sabine is a savior, one that they didn't even realize they needed. The longer she stays the more secrets come out, and the more the family comes to rely on her. And Sabine has to decide whether she is willing to stay and live in the house that Parsifal grew up in or go back to LA and move on with her life.
Review: I went into this book expecting something great because I remembered liking 'Run' so much. I was hugely disappointed in this though. The story was rather ridiculous and I really, really did not like Sabine! She annoyed me the whole book which is a huge flaw when it comes to a main character. I read it all the way through so that I could review it but it was not a fun read.
I mean no disrespect to Ms. Patchett of course but this was not a well put together book. The writing wasn't all that bad, it wasn't great but it was passible. She is a talented writer but her talent seems to have been lost in the terrible story. There were moments of beauty throughout but not enough to make it a beautiful book. Maybe part of it had to do with my high expectations of her and what she had given me with 'Run,' but I was disappointed overall.
Like I said previously the story was stupid. Well let me rephrase, I felt that the story was stupid. A woman who fell in love with a gay man and then felt betrayed when he didn't love her back and felt as if he had lied specifically to her about his past. The only reason she went back to Nebraska was so she could be in the room that Parsifal grew up in. Because she was entitled to all of his life, and everything that he did when he was growing up. It was stupid and annoying and I found myself truly hating Sabine and wanted her to get a major reality check. The rest of the characters were monochromatic and hidden behind the annoyingness that was Sabine.
All in all it was a bad book, well for me anyway. I just didn't like any of it and I'm a little turned off of Ann Patchett. Maybe someday I'll pick up another one of her books and be wowed once more, like I was all those years ago when I first picked up 'Run.' I tip my tiny hat only once to 'The Magician's Assistant,' and that only because I have belief in the greatness that it could have been.
Monday, November 4, 2013
The Bone Season-Samantha Shannon
Book Title: The Bone Season
Author: Samantha Shannon
Version: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781408836422
Published: August 20th, 2013
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction
I read this book right when I got back from vacation because my good friend, fellow blogger, and author Sidney McEntyre highly recommended it after reading it on the vacation. In fact it turned out that all my friends at work were either just finishing it, in the middle, or just starting it and so I thought that since I was hearing such good things I might as well jump on the bandwagon and read it too. It turned out to be a really good choice. I was taken on a ride starting from the very first pages to the crazy climax and I found myself unable to stop reading or thinking about it the whole time.
'The Bone Season' is one of those books that I can't really tell you that much about without spoiling things and so I will give you the short synopsis from the very reliable goodreads.com! "It is the year 2059. Several major world cities are under the control of a security force called Scion. Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London, part of a secret cell known as the Seven Seals. The work she does is unusual: scouting for information by breaking into others’ minds. Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare kind of clairvoyant, and in this world, the voyants commit treason simply by breathing.
But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion. The voyant prison is a separate city—Oxford, erased from the map two centuries ago and now controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. These creatures, the Rephaim, value the voyants highly—as soldiers in their army.
Paige is assigned to a Rephaite keeper, Warden, who will be in charge of her care and training. He is her master. Her natural enemy. But if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives."
Author: Samantha Shannon
Version: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781408836422
Published: August 20th, 2013
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre: Fantasy, FictionI read this book right when I got back from vacation because my good friend, fellow blogger, and author Sidney McEntyre highly recommended it after reading it on the vacation. In fact it turned out that all my friends at work were either just finishing it, in the middle, or just starting it and so I thought that since I was hearing such good things I might as well jump on the bandwagon and read it too. It turned out to be a really good choice. I was taken on a ride starting from the very first pages to the crazy climax and I found myself unable to stop reading or thinking about it the whole time.
'The Bone Season' is one of those books that I can't really tell you that much about without spoiling things and so I will give you the short synopsis from the very reliable goodreads.com! "It is the year 2059. Several major world cities are under the control of a security force called Scion. Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London, part of a secret cell known as the Seven Seals. The work she does is unusual: scouting for information by breaking into others’ minds. Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare kind of clairvoyant, and in this world, the voyants commit treason simply by breathing.
But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion. The voyant prison is a separate city—Oxford, erased from the map two centuries ago and now controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. These creatures, the Rephaim, value the voyants highly—as soldiers in their army.
Paige is assigned to a Rephaite keeper, Warden, who will be in charge of her care and training. He is her master. Her natural enemy. But if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives."
I tend to ramble when I really like a book and I didn't want to spoil anything for my readers that might want to read it so instead I will just ramble on about how much I liked it thereby keeping an air of mystery and intrigue about the actual plot.
This was Samantha Shannon's debut novel and I thought that it was a truly great debut! It was well written with a really great voice that kept me captivated the whole book. Ms. Shannon had a really beautiful way of describing the surroundings, the characters, the emotions all of it that was the perfect blend of poetry and prose. I'm excited to see how she keeps growing as a writer, because I think that we can expect nothing but truly incredible things from her.
Although the story was entertaining and kept me guessing and wanting more I felt that there were elements that felt familiar. I know that I will be in the minority on this but I felt vibes of 'Hunger Games' in the story. Now this is not a bad thing at all because I really liked the Hunger Games books! And I think that it was a simple thing of debut novel jitters that made Ms. Shannon take the idea of 'The Hunger Games' and shape it into her story. I know this all sounds pretty harsh but I mean no disrespect to Ms. Shannon or 'The Bone Season' but the stories are similar in nature and I tell it like it is. Now this is not to say that I disliked the story at all or that it didn't interest me it was in fact the opposite. I loved the story and it was different enough that I couldn't wait to see what turn it would take next. It is all around a really great story that stayed with me even after it was over.
The characters were absolutely wonderful, they were depicted fantastically and each one of them were unique and so deliciously imperfect. Paige, the main character, was so well rendered and real that she had me rooting for her the whole time. Even the 'bad guys' were so well done that I truly hated every one of them. Which is exactly what you are supposed to feel towards the bad guys in a book. Samantha Shannon has quite a way with drawing her characters, she is so great at it that each time I went back into the book, I fell in love with and hated the characters each and every time!
All in all this was a great read, one that kept me up late and kept me fully distracted during lunch breaks. Whenever I opened the book I fell into it in such a way that everything else got blocked out. It enveloped me and became my whole world. That is the mark of a truly excellent book, when it totally takes you over and fills every one of your senses. I tip my tiny hat four times for Ms. Shannon's debut novel 'The Bone Season.' I am really looking forward to the next book in her absolutely exciting series!
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Night Film-Marisha Pessl
Book Title: Night Film
Author: Marisha Pessl
Version: ARC
ISBN: 9781400067886
Published: August 2013
Publisher: Random House
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
[Note: I'm back! I am so sorry that it has taken so long to get this review up but things have been so crazy at work lately, maybe I'll tell you all about it sometime, that I've been too exhausted to be creative so this has been a long time coming. But finally here it is! And hopefully this is my big return to more regular updates.]
Synopsis: It opens with a dead body. Ashley Cordova's body is found in a seedy part of New York supposedly having committed suicide. When former big time reporter Scott McGrath finds out he is unconvinced that the young piano prodigy's death was a suicide. McGrath knows of the Cordova family and the darkness that seems to follow them wherever they go. Deciding that finding out what really happened will kick start his career again, Scott begins a journey that will drive him to the very edge of his sanity.
Along the way Scott picks up a couple of companions, a young man that claims to have known Ashley when she was young, named Hopper. And a young wannabe actress who was one of the last people to see Ashley alive named Nora. Although at first Scott resits the help standing firm in his 'I work alone' policy he slowly finds that the two of them are not only assets in finding out all the secrets that he is desperate for. But they end up as perfect allies in the dark world that he finds himself entering with each piece of information that they uncovers.
Diving into Ashley's past means that Scott has to once again dive into the life of her father, Stanislas Cordova, the dark genius filmmaker that garnered a cult following. Digging into Cordova's life was what had cost Scott his career the first time around and this time he isn't just poking at Cordova he is messing around with his family life. Just the thought of going up against Cordova again makes his stomach turn but he is determined to get the answers he seeks and find out the truth about Ashley.
REVIEW: I was hooked from the very first page. From the opening web pages that were fake news articles and web posts from fans of Cordova and his films, I knew that what I had started was going to be an amazing journey. And I was right, this was a great book! The storytelling, the mystery, the intrigue was all so well put together that I couldn't put it down and when I did I couldn't wait to get back to it.
From the very beginning I knew that this was a good story. I was gripped from the moment I opened the book and once I got into it a little bit I was already so invested that it was an automatic love. The way Marisha Pessl wove mystery and her fake web pages into what could have been another dull 'who-dunnit' was nothing short of incredible. It wasn't really action packed but the subtle menace that followed the characters through the book sure kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.
Marisha Pessl's characters were unique and lovely and perfectly flawed in totally human ways. They were truly three dimensional, they had all the flaws that people have and you didn't really like any of them unconditionally. And that's kind of what I like most about them. Scott McGrath was a rather selfish uptight man that's only real redeeming quality was the love he felt for his daughter. Hopper was this sullen, almost obnoxiously taciturn guy that feels that because he had it tough as a kid the world owes him a huge debt. Nora is this bumbling, totally naive young girl who plays up the little girl 'I have no idea' routine. And of course there is the Cordova family who are dark, secretive and possibly even murderous. Their imperfections were what made them perfect.
The writing was brilliant, especially the dialogue. Marisha Pessl has a wonderfully fresh voice that is simple and pure and one can tell that she spent a great deal of time thinking about each word and each sentence. It was really wonderfully done. I loved how well the dialogue flowed between the characters, there was a naturalness in the dialogue that I thought was simply brilliant. All in all this was a very well written book.
Now I may be a little biased about the book because I read it on vacation in Hilton Head, by the ocean, with my two best buds. But I truly liked this book. I highly recommend it to everyone looking for a good old fashioned good read. That's what this is all around, well written, great story, awesome characters. It's a triple threat and I take my tiny hat off five times to it. (Thanks DGF for that rating suggestion). This is a great, great book so go out and get it, it is very worth the read!
Author: Marisha Pessl
Version: ARC
ISBN: 9781400067886
Published: August 2013
Publisher: Random House
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
[Note: I'm back! I am so sorry that it has taken so long to get this review up but things have been so crazy at work lately, maybe I'll tell you all about it sometime, that I've been too exhausted to be creative so this has been a long time coming. But finally here it is! And hopefully this is my big return to more regular updates.]Synopsis: It opens with a dead body. Ashley Cordova's body is found in a seedy part of New York supposedly having committed suicide. When former big time reporter Scott McGrath finds out he is unconvinced that the young piano prodigy's death was a suicide. McGrath knows of the Cordova family and the darkness that seems to follow them wherever they go. Deciding that finding out what really happened will kick start his career again, Scott begins a journey that will drive him to the very edge of his sanity.
Along the way Scott picks up a couple of companions, a young man that claims to have known Ashley when she was young, named Hopper. And a young wannabe actress who was one of the last people to see Ashley alive named Nora. Although at first Scott resits the help standing firm in his 'I work alone' policy he slowly finds that the two of them are not only assets in finding out all the secrets that he is desperate for. But they end up as perfect allies in the dark world that he finds himself entering with each piece of information that they uncovers.
Diving into Ashley's past means that Scott has to once again dive into the life of her father, Stanislas Cordova, the dark genius filmmaker that garnered a cult following. Digging into Cordova's life was what had cost Scott his career the first time around and this time he isn't just poking at Cordova he is messing around with his family life. Just the thought of going up against Cordova again makes his stomach turn but he is determined to get the answers he seeks and find out the truth about Ashley.
REVIEW: I was hooked from the very first page. From the opening web pages that were fake news articles and web posts from fans of Cordova and his films, I knew that what I had started was going to be an amazing journey. And I was right, this was a great book! The storytelling, the mystery, the intrigue was all so well put together that I couldn't put it down and when I did I couldn't wait to get back to it.
From the very beginning I knew that this was a good story. I was gripped from the moment I opened the book and once I got into it a little bit I was already so invested that it was an automatic love. The way Marisha Pessl wove mystery and her fake web pages into what could have been another dull 'who-dunnit' was nothing short of incredible. It wasn't really action packed but the subtle menace that followed the characters through the book sure kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.
Marisha Pessl's characters were unique and lovely and perfectly flawed in totally human ways. They were truly three dimensional, they had all the flaws that people have and you didn't really like any of them unconditionally. And that's kind of what I like most about them. Scott McGrath was a rather selfish uptight man that's only real redeeming quality was the love he felt for his daughter. Hopper was this sullen, almost obnoxiously taciturn guy that feels that because he had it tough as a kid the world owes him a huge debt. Nora is this bumbling, totally naive young girl who plays up the little girl 'I have no idea' routine. And of course there is the Cordova family who are dark, secretive and possibly even murderous. Their imperfections were what made them perfect.
The writing was brilliant, especially the dialogue. Marisha Pessl has a wonderfully fresh voice that is simple and pure and one can tell that she spent a great deal of time thinking about each word and each sentence. It was really wonderfully done. I loved how well the dialogue flowed between the characters, there was a naturalness in the dialogue that I thought was simply brilliant. All in all this was a very well written book.
Now I may be a little biased about the book because I read it on vacation in Hilton Head, by the ocean, with my two best buds. But I truly liked this book. I highly recommend it to everyone looking for a good old fashioned good read. That's what this is all around, well written, great story, awesome characters. It's a triple threat and I take my tiny hat off five times to it. (Thanks DGF for that rating suggestion). This is a great, great book so go out and get it, it is very worth the read!
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