Bauer's steamy vampire erotica story delves past the raw sex (though that has its place here, too) and to the nature of love itself.Bauer's steamy vampire erotica story delves past the raw sex (though that has its place here, too) and to the nature of love itself....more
This has been in my to-read pile for far too long, and I figured an anthology was a good way to wrap up the year. This hit the spot nicely. All 24 talThis has been in my to-read pile for far too long, and I figured an anthology was a good way to wrap up the year. This hit the spot nicely. All 24 tales are about Canadian superheroes, written by Canadians, and span from the Yukon Gold Rush to present day, and coast to coast. There were a few that didn't resonate with me (as is the way with anthologies) but some of my favorites included "The Man in the Mask" by Emma Faraday, "Great Canadian Comics" by Patrick T. Goddard, and "Canadian Blood Diamonds" by Kristi Charish. So many were fun, pulpy, and just the right length to read here and there....more
My son was sent this for Christmas and it looked adorable, so I worked in time to read it before wrapping it.
Monster on the Hill is an 185-page graphiMy son was sent this for Christmas and it looked adorable, so I worked in time to read it before wrapping it.
Monster on the Hill is an 185-page graphic novel with delightful artwork and a fun story. It made me smile throughout. It's a version of Victorian England where each town has its own monster that causes some mayhem, but also protects the town and acts as a tourism draw. Rayburn is a depressed monster. He doesn't do much of anything for his town. The local mad scientist is sent to change that, and it begins an adventure that sparks Ray's sense of life.
There are some pretty big plot holes, but I think that's forgivable. It's a book for middle-graders and doesn't need ironclad world-building. I do wish there had been a major female character, though.
This was a great read and I think my son will enjoy it immensely....more
I picked up the ebook on sale because there's been tremendous buzz about this book, and I figure it will be up for award contention in these next few I picked up the ebook on sale because there's been tremendous buzz about this book, and I figure it will be up for award contention in these next few months. I expected a YA book. I started reading. It struck me as somewhat cliche--okay, it would be Braveheart on Mars. Then things happen. I think it will be like Harry Potter, but in a school of arrogant godlings. Then things happen. Then it becomes Lord of the Flies crossed with The Hunger Games, but far more brutal and violent.
I read so much that I can often predict plot twists. Halfway through Red Rising, I was so frustrated that I debated if I should give up on the book. I didn't know what I was reading anymore, and I had no idea how it could end.
A day later, I'm still wondering how to classify the book in my own head. It was a much, much darker read than I anticipated. Murder is personal. People are maimed. There's rape, in a nuanced and very realistic sense that not all rapists are clear-cut bad guys who are evil in every way. From the start, it has a very adult sense to it, even though Darrow is seventeen. He's married. He adores his wife. He works a very dangerous job as a driller. He evolves into... well, I can't say. He changes a lot in the course of the story, and by the snippet of the second book included, he will continue to adapt to survive among the Golds.
I am very very curious about the next two books, though still leery. I wonder how Brown can possibly spin things and again shatter my expectations at every turn, and I don't know if I want that sort of whiplash again....more
I greatly enjoyed Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit years ago, and here she again proves she can write and tell a powerful story about triumph against terribleI greatly enjoyed Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit years ago, and here she again proves she can write and tell a powerful story about triumph against terrible circumstances. Zamperini's tale of survival is a case of life being far stranger than fiction: this is a man who survived a two-thousand mile journey in a raft without food or water, followed by his "rescue" and years of brutal slavery in Japanese work camps. It reads quickly because the tension stays high for most of the book, even though the events are painful to read. However, it's a necessary read. It shows the best and worst of humanity, and why we cannot forget the atrocities that have been committed. ...more
This young adult book dizzied me at first with the sheer number of names. It was rather difficult to keep straight who was who and where. However, I sThis young adult book dizzied me at first with the sheer number of names. It was rather difficult to keep straight who was who and where. However, I soon settled in to enjoy the whimsical voices of the two cousins as they use correspondence to tell their tales. Cecilia is stuck at home in the country while her cousin Kate is in London making her debut. It's a Regency setting, so the book very much revolves around propriety, balls, and the Ton. The addition here is magic--and a very important chocolate pot.
It's a cute book, especially when you reach the end and realize it was entirely a whimsical writing exercise by the two authors, not something intended for publication. The romances develop in a very proper (though predictable) way. It's the kind of book that leave you with a smile on your face....more
This is a really cute, short graphic novel telling of MacBeth. The art is colorful and vivid, and they do a good job of condensing the plot. It is ratThis is a really cute, short graphic novel telling of MacBeth. The art is colorful and vivid, and they do a good job of condensing the plot. It is rather sanitized--for example, it turns out at the end that no one really died in the play--but it feels quite appropriate considering it's a performance staged by zoo animals. ...more
From the very start, it's clear this is a steampunk take on Firefly. It does a pretty good job of it, too. It's rollicking fun, with a airship full ofFrom the very start, it's clear this is a steampunk take on Firefly. It does a pretty good job of it, too. It's rollicking fun, with a airship full of damaged characters caught up in some wicked politics way beyond their scope. There's lots of action and intrigue, so it reads fast.
Captain Frey is a very damaged sort. I can see how his character could turn off a reader completely. However, I'm willing to stick with him and see how he grows, and I was satisfied with that shift. He's like the Grinch, slowly growing a heart. The rest of the cast is fascinating, but the book really felt like an introduction to them. A lot of background information didn't emerge until near the end, which was kinda frustrating. It's a good incentive to read onward in the series to find out more. I really want to know more about Bess and Jez....more
This has been one of the most acclaimed science fiction books this year, so I was quite excited to receive a copy from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers This has been one of the most acclaimed science fiction books this year, so I was quite excited to receive a copy from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers Program.
Weir has written an exciting, everything-that-can-go-wrong-will-go-wrong survival tale set on Mars. Mark Watney is presumed dead by the rest of his crew as a dust storm forces them to flee from Mars. Watney is stubborn and smart. He doesn't give in, even with extraordinary odds against him. The narrative bounces between Watney, the NASA crew back on Earth, and Watney's crewmates.
It's a very gripping book, though at time so many things so wrong it feels almost silly (especially at the end, which struck me as rather Michael Bay-ish and made me roll my eyes). I really liked Weir's reliance on actual science. Mind you, my brain doesn't work in a way that I can verify what he says is fact, but it feels like he made a honest effort to make it as realistic as possible. Plus, he doesn't dwell on the heavy science long enough to turn off layman readers. I loved the details about things like potatoes. Who'd a thunk Thanksgiving potatoes would play such a vital role on Mars?
In all, a fascinating book, and one I will encourage others to read....more
I received an early reviewer copy of the book through NetGalley.
Dark. Intense. Frenetic. That's the best way to describe Blackmoore's urban fantasy roI received an early reviewer copy of the book through NetGalley.
Dark. Intense. Frenetic. That's the best way to describe Blackmoore's urban fantasy romp through a Los Angeles abounding with very needy gods. The voice reminded me of Blackmore's other series, as well as Chuck Wendig and Richard Kadrey. They are all masters of this kind of macabre, gritty, profane dark fantasy.
The "hero" is Fritz, a guy who has operated on the wrong side of the law for years. He's also medicated himself as much as possible to drown out the voices that have always lurked in my back of his mind. On this particular crappy day, the voices decide to start screaming. Then the speakers start to show up in person. It turns out the gods—all the gods of all the people of earth—have been booted out of their firmament. Fritz is supposed to be a Chronicler, the sort of rare bard who can revive a god's legacy and save them from misery and obscurity. Therefore, they all want him.
The pace is crazy. It reads like an action movie—boom, crash, bang, barely survive, escape, oh crap there's another god on the rampage. It's fun, though it's dark in a way that I'd want to be in a certain mood to get into it.
This book is part of a series; I haven't read the previous book, and I didn't find myself lost. MYTHBREAKER stands on its own without any issues. ...more
**spoiler alert** I received an early electronic copy of this book through NetGalley.
I love the Flavia de Luce series very much, but I couldn't help b**spoiler alert** I received an early electronic copy of this book through NetGalley.
I love the Flavia de Luce series very much, but I couldn't help but approach this volume with trepidation. I knew Flavia would be leaving behind her beloved Buckshaw estate, her eccentric family, and her murder-filled village as she ventured to a boarding school in Canada. So much of the appeal of the book is in Bradley's vivid settings and Flavia's rambles across the countryside on her bicycle, Gladys, and her experiments in her laboratory.
The good news is that Bradley does an amazing job of evoking Canada and a new cast of characters in a vivid way. The murder mystery kicks off as soon as Flavia arrives at her boarding school, and things get more complicated from there. Bradley's previous books are so good that it makes it hard to live up to that standard. This one does not. I really did miss Buckshaw and everyone back in England (Dogger! Gladys!). That said, it's still a fabulous mystery novel and still much better than many other books I've read this year.
Even more, I still have faith in the series and I'm very happy with the turn of events. I'm eager to read the next book, and frustrated that it means another year of wait. Sigh. ...more
I approached this mammoth book with excitement, which soon dimmed as I slogged through the first 100 pages. It was all background on academic changes I approached this mammoth book with excitement, which soon dimmed as I slogged through the first 100 pages. It was all background on academic changes regarding science and research, especially in the forming of Johns Hopkins and the Rockefeller Institute, and key figures in this advancement. Interesting stuff, if in a small dose, but it dragged on as I was impatient to get to the actual influenza outbreak. Once I reached that part, I found the book I had hoped for and sped through hundreds of pages in a matter of days. I also jotted down notes related to writing projects. The last part of the book returned to the pivotal men mentioned at the front, and I pretty much skimmed just to have the thing done. So many names were thrown at me that I couldn't keep them straight.
It was a frustrating, disappointing book overall. If I wanted a book about medical science in general for that time period, I would find a book on that subject. This one is titled THE GREAT INFLUENZA. That should be the central subject. This text needed more editorial control--someone to lop off the first and last third....more
I have read many books, fiction and nonfiction, in search of information on medical practices in World War I. I have found some good books, but this--I have read many books, fiction and nonfiction, in search of information on medical practices in World War I. I have found some good books, but this--this is the volume I was seeking all along. Mayhew relies heavily on primary source material to describe the nurses, doctors, and personnel who labored among the injured in the trenches. It's brutal, ugly, and beautiful all at once. The true face of humanity emerges amidst the darkest, most dire of circumstances.
Chapters focus on different aspects of the journey: the point of view of those who were injured in various ways; the stretcher-bearers, so often ignored in chronicles of the war; regimental medical officers; surgeons; nurses; orderlies; chaplains; ambulance trains; railway stations where the wounded were piled; and the London Ambulance Column.
Mayhew's extensive citations will provide me with a great deal of additional research material as well.
If you have an interest in--and the stomach for--the evolution of medicine a century ago, do check out this book. It's a quick and engrossing read, and one that will enlighten you....more
I was provided a copy of the book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program.
This is a small, hardcover book, the kind of unusual format that seI was provided a copy of the book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program.
This is a small, hardcover book, the kind of unusual format that sets it aside as a gift book. Indeed it is, though for a particular niche of geek. The title is pretty up front in establishing that the book is absolutely useless. It begins with a discussion of mnemonics that are used in school, like HOMES to remember the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior) or FACE for reading music. Then it gets into the heart of the book, the memory tricks to remember total garbage. Woodyard also creates a kind of wacky narrative through his explanation of mnemonics, exploring a rather lackluster progression from college student to work to wacky neighbors to a final bit about a disastrous class reunion.
Most of the mnemonics are quite long, but as an example: Britney Spears poops solid gold. mnemonic to remember the Spice Girls: Baby, Sporty, Posh, Scary, Ginger
I didn't find the book laugh-out-loud. As a joke, it got old to me quite fast, but it's still an amusing concept....more
This is an enjoyable, well-paced urban fantasy that's perfect for adults or the New Adult demographic. Eighteen-year-old Rose is very easy to relate tThis is an enjoyable, well-paced urban fantasy that's perfect for adults or the New Adult demographic. Eighteen-year-old Rose is very easy to relate to. After all, when you're set to start college, it's pretty alarming when your necromantic talents show up--especially when family history proves that the magic makes not-so-good things happen. In this case, it attracts the attention of three lumenancers who want to stop Rose's gene pool for good.
The lumenancers were a weak area in the book. I was left wanting to understand more about them and their motivations. I was also frustrated with Rose through the middle. She didn't take agency and acted too normal, even as she was threatened. Even so, the pace of the book kept me steadily reading on. I loved how Roland used Albuquerque as a setting, too. It's great to see urban fantasies bust out of the New York City rut, and the southwest just begs for more stories like this....more
The art is simple yet very enjoyable in this graphic novel. It's a magical realist plot, and it went a very different direction than I expected. I expThe art is simple yet very enjoyable in this graphic novel. It's a magical realist plot, and it went a very different direction than I expected. I expected it to be much more about video games and nostalgia; the first section sets this up in a beautiful way that I could strongly relate to. But then Dennis abandons the video games he loves and slogs through medical school, and it becomes more about angst and drama between friends... and also, the fact that four angels live in Dennis's place, and care and nag for him to finish his doctorate in gastroenterology. The video games only come in again right at the end.
It's not a bad story by any means--it's touching, really--but it's not what I hoped it would be....more
There was tremendous buzz when this book came out in 2010. I grabbed a copy of it when Borders went out of business, and sadly, it wallowed in my to-rThere was tremendous buzz when this book came out in 2010. I grabbed a copy of it when Borders went out of business, and sadly, it wallowed in my to-read pile since. However, I'm in a book club that will discuss it soon, and I was happy to finally get to the book.
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms handles many fantasy tropes in a fresh way. It brings in a dark-skinned character whose mother was heir to the throne that would have granted her rule of the world. Now Yeine, barely an adult, is called to the capital after her mother's death. To her bewilderment, she's dropped into the brutal contest for her grandfather's throne. It's a mess of political maneuvers, back-stabbings, and the lingering mystery of Yeine's mother and who she truly was.
Then there are the gods. The reason Yeine's family rules is because, after the God's War ages before, a cluster of the most powerful gods in the pantheon became their slaves. Yeine is tangled in their desires and needs as well. I really liked the unique approach to religion and gods within the world. It's one of the greatest things about the book, truly, though Yeine's foolish attraction to Nahadoth was also one of my biggest turn-offs. It's a personal thing. I really don't like bad boy types. Their relationship did add a lot of tension to the book (and made me want to slap sense into Yeine) and things culminated in a scene that made me roll my eyes.
But the politics, the mystery of her mother, Yeine's fierce loyalty to her home--I loved those elements. The book is over 400 pages but I tore through in about two days. I can see why the book garnered so much praise....more