Audio Book Review - Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Why did I read this book?

I had seen this book on many best of the year lists and it fell under both young adult and fantasy, two genres I like. It's also by an author that I enjoy so when I saw the audio book available at our library a day before our long road trip to California for Christmas, I grabbed it. I knew I'd be able to listen to her books on audio and it was something I could listen to while Rob slept since he had no interest in that author (although I was quite wrong about that, he ended up really liking it!).

What is it about?

This book takes place in the eighth year of Simon Snow's magical education. It's his last year at Watford and he doesn't really know what to make of that. Until he got into watford he was bounced from foster home to foster home so never really has anywhere to go back to and always felt like he was most at home at Watford. There is an evil creature out there to get him and he still doesn't feel as though he has lived up to the potential everyone seems to expect of him. Yes, I realize that sounds like every other magician goes to boarding school story, but this one kept me interested nonetheless!

Why you should read it!

On the surface this book doesn't look like it has anything different to offer than every other fantasy story with a "chosen one". But maybe it was the fact that it was a standalone book or that the relationships were different than what I expected, or maybe even just that the writing was enjoyable but I really liked this book. There were some interesting turns/twists that happened some predictable and some not. This is nice because you don't have to commit to a full series but it comes to a conclusion and wraps up nicely. About halfway through the book I found out about the book Fangirl and that the main character is writing this book in that book! I now really want to read that book. I'd recommend this to pretty much anyone who wants a quick read, a bit on the young adult side but still very well written. Don't let the fantasy aspect of it scare you off either, I think this could entertain you even if fantasy isn't always your thing.

Book Review - Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde

Why did I read this book?

This book had been on a list (in my head) of books I’m super interested in, if I ever find them. I had first heard about this book like 5 or 6 years ago, before that other stupid book came out. So no, this has nothing to do with 50 Shades of Grey (which was awful) and because of when that book came out, it made it nearly impossible to find this book anywhere. I hated that the two were so close in title because they have nothing to do with each other. Well I finally came across this book at Powells in Portland and I’ve only just now gotten around to reading it.

What is it about?

It takes place in a futuristic society of sorts. It’s a society where your standing in the community depends on what colors you can see.  The rules of the society can be quite ridiculous at times but they are usually followed and never questioned. The story follows Eddie as him and his dad head to a new town on the outskirts of society where they are taking on some new temporary jobs. All this is happening at a time right before Eddie is moved into being a productive member of society and marriages are decided. All this is told in a way that makes you think how ridiculous this society is and how they do things just because they are following the rules.

Why you should read it!

The ridiculousness of parts of this story lead to it being a very humorous book. Which I didn’t really expect, and led to a very enjoyable read. Starting the book took me a while to realize how weird it was and what was going on, but once I got into it I always enjoyed reading it. The society truly is ridiculous, but it also pokes fun at how there are ridiculous things in our current society. There wasn’t very much information about how society had gotten to this point, but that would’ve taken away from the ridiculousness of it all. If you like science fiction with a bit of dry humor I highly recommend this book, and give it a chance don’t put it down after 50 pages or so, cause if you do you will be missing out!

Book Review - Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel

Why did I read this book?

I had put this book on my christmas list after hearing so much about it on various podcasts and book award lists. And my Grandma gave it to me! I was super excited to read it, but what had me pick it up almost immediately was the fact that it was our book club’s pick for January.

What is it about?

It starts in the near future at a local production of King Lear. That is the first night of a disease outbreak that kills most of civilization. The book jumps forward to years after the disease took over and follows a group who still performs Shakespeare as a traveling symphony. It goes back and forth in time following different characters, storylines, and how they got to where they are now.

Why you should read it!
I loved this book. Yes, it is in my genre of futuristic/world collapsing, but it focuses more on the characters instead of the state of the world. It makes the whole ending of civilization seem very simple (which is quite terrifying) and the survivors stories seem to be believable. But I think my favorite part of the book is how art was woven through it all, from theater, to music, to writing and drawing they all seem to be a common tie throughout. I love that the author portrays art as still being a focus after the world falls apart. Now, I will admit that not everyone in my book club loved it as much as me. They thought it was OK and a bit weird. One of the issues they had was there wasn’t a main character to follow and they kept getting attached to minor characters. And the jumping back and forth in time made things altogether confusing. But, I loved it and think almost anyone should take a chance on it!

Book Review - Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (Kindle)

Why did I read this book?

A year or two ago this book was pretty popular in the young adult book talk, and the cover was a pretty easy one to remember. When it came up as a daily deal for Kindle on Amazon, I grabbed it.

What is it about?

This is a fantasy story that takes place in a world that is threatened by a place called the shadow fold. This world trains very talented gifted fighters and magicians called Grisha, at a young age they are brought to the lavish palace to learn how they can serve the King. However, one slipped through their fingers when kids go through the normal testing. Alina’s powers are discovered when her life is threatened trying to cross the fold and the Grisha take her into their special training forcing her to leave her best friend. The story follows her adventure of learning her powers and realizing that being the one to save them all isn’t all it’s cracked up to be (like every other fantasy story!).

Why you should read it!

Although this book has very similar themes to most fantasy books (the chosen one isn’t happy being the chosen one), the setting is a bit different which made it enjoyable. Yes, its young adult and while reading it next to other books it is obvious the writing isn’t great. But it captured my attention and held it through the whole book. This is the start of a series, but with how quickly I read this one, I will probably read the next ones as well!

Book Review - The Improper Life Of Bezellia Grove by Susan Gilmore

Why did I read this book?

This was the second book I received as part of my postal book club! (See this post about what that is). The only requirement for these book are that they be less than 250 pages. We have about 2 months to read them and write our comments before sending it off again. Aside from that we can pick whatever book we want so I’m excited to see what the others have chose. This was the first one from someone else!

What is it about?

This is the story of the upbringing of a girl in Tennessee in the 60s. She is part of a rich family that has their fair share of problems. The book follows her through middle school, high school, and a bit beyond that. There are many issues with her family and as Bezellia grows she starts to learn why people end up the way they do and who she can truly count on as members of her family.

Why you should read it!

I rarely read books set in the south in this time period, and I’m not sure why because I usually love them. Similar setting to The Help but more of a coming of age story. I think anyone who is interested (and slightly fascinated) by that era and the south would enjoy this, maybe it just seems so foreign to me that I really enjoy reading about it. The other benefit is that it is pretty short and easy to get through, and you are satisfied by the time you get through it!

Book Review - Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

How did I come into possession of this book?

I bought this book at a cute bookstore in Ann Arbor called Literati. We just happened to walk in when we were in town for a football game, and after seeing a lot of the staff picks being books I really enjoy, I found one by an author I knew but hadn’t read. The fact that it was a staff pick really sold me and that this was Rainbow Rowell’s adult book (I’ve read Eleanor and Park by her as well, but that is classified as young adult). I bought the book and have since used it as part of a postal book club*!

What is it about?

The book takes place in 1999, just before the millenium and one of the main characters is an IT guy who is preparing his company for Y2K. Along with that his job is also to monitor employees emails for anything inappropriate. He gets probably a bit too involved in conversations between a couple of women at the company, but can’t seem to pull himself away from reading about their lives that are so much more interesting than his.

What did I think?

I thought this was a fun quick read. There was nothing too in depth about it but it left you happy in the end. Although that brings me to one of my complaints about the book, I didn’t find the ending to be very believable. And with how Rowell’s book Eleanor and Park ended (very realistic) I thought this one might end in a realistic fashion. Unfortunately, I was let down and I just didn’t think it should’ve ended the way it did.  My other complaint about the book was how formal all the emails looked, if I’m writing an email it is not that formal especially if it is a personal email. I enjoyed the writing, as I knew I would.

Who would I recommend it to?

Anyone who wants a fun quick love-story type of read should pick up this book. I really liked how quick it was and how complete the story felt after being so short. If cute-sy love stories aren’t your thing, I’d steer clear!

*A postal book club is something I heard about on the podcast “Books on the Night Stand” and connected to one through their goodreads group! You are in a group of 6 and each person picks a book and reads it. You then write down your thoughts in a small journal and ship your book and the journal off to the next person! This happens every two months and by the end of the year, you get your book back with everyone’s thoughts in the journal!

Book Review - Last Hope by Drew Brown (Kindle)

Why did I read this book?

I got this for free on kindle when there was some promotion for it.  I think I read a quick synopsis and thought it sounded good enough and if it’s free on kindle I don’t feel bad if I hate it!  

What is it about?

Budd is on business in London and wakes up one night to realize something isn’t right.  He soon finds out that almost everyone in the hotel (and city) are dead and the few still alive get together to figure out what to do next.  In the creepiest way ever, the dead bodies start to return to life and the living soon realize they aren’t human anymore!

Why you should read it!

I’ll be honest; I didn’t realize this was a zombie book when I started it.  Maybe that was why some of the shock factor hit me so hard and totally creeped me out (in a well written way).  As soon as those bodies started moved I couldn’t stop picturing them, and when the zombies that moved quickly started showing up, the way they were portrayed was also quite terrifying.  I very much enjoyed this book, as believable as zombie books go, this is up there.  I felt like I could’ve been with the group at the hotel trying to figure out what to do.  It also turned out to be quite a page turner.  My only disappointment was that it was book 1 of a trilogy and I didn’t realize that when I started.  What started as a free “maybe I’ll read this” kindle book has turned into a “I must buy the next one now” kind of book.

Book Review - Altered, Revelations of the Evolved by Shawnda Currie

Why did I read this book?

I was contacted directly by the author.  The book sounded very similar to books I would enjoy since it’s a young adult, science fiction/fantasy book.  I also enjoy being contacted by the author directly, this usually results in me agreeing to read and review a book :)

What is it about?

Lacey is involved in a wrong place/wrong time type of crime and end up at a center for teenagers who have found themselves in trouble.  Immediately the place is not what it seems. She befriends an interesting person who she soon realizes has special abilities.  She learns that she has special abilities as well and the next thing she knows she finds herself as one of the people to help save the world from a disaster.

Why you should read it!

I enjoyed parts of this book, but not all of it.  The adventure parts of it felt very disconnected from the underlying love story.  They just didn’t blend well together, but separately they were fine.  I liked how this book got you hooked right away; I was immediately drawn in and interested in what would happen.  It will be interesting to see how this trilogy turns out, but I wasn’t left desperate for the next one.  My final critique is the cover, I highly dislike it.  It makes it look like a self-help book or a religious book.  I’m not sure what should be on the cover, but a washed out landscape doesn’t seem right to me.

Book Review - My True Love Gave to Me, Twelve Holiday Stories by Various Authors

Why did I read this book?
This was chosen as our book club book for the month of December. I was the one who suggested it since it sounded right up my alley. I'm a big sucker for holiday stories and this collection was all written by current young adult authors, most of which I'd heard of.  Since it is somewhat hard to find good current holiday stories I was happy this one was published this year. Although I do think some of the other members of my book club may not be interested there were enough that said yes to it that it was a go!

What is it about?

It is a fun collection of holiday stories. Some having to do with christmas, new years, or general wintry things. They were all quick reads and left you feeling happy. Some of my favorites were the one that takes place in Christmas, CA and the one about the boy who works in the tree lot next door. They are all a bit lovey-dovey, but cute none the less!

Why you should read it!

If you like holiday stories (at this point it would make more sense for next holiday season) and enjoy heart warming stories, you would like this. If you think young adult stories can be cheesy and superficial I'd steer clear. I will be discussing this with my book club at the end of the month so we'll see what everyone else thought, I'll try and update this post after that!

Series Review - The Maze Runner, The Scortch Trials, & The Death Cure by James Dashner

Why did I read this series?

I had heard a lot of talk about the first book in the series, The Maze Runner, and it was one of the daily deals on amazon (like a year ago, haha) for kindle. After reading and thoroughly enjoying the first one, I figured I should complete the series. I bought a physical copy of the second book and listened to the third one on audio while we drove to California for Christmas.

What is it about?

It takes place in a futuristic society when much has gone wrong with the world, including global warming and government issues. The series starts off very simply and you slowly start to learn more about the state of the world as the series continues. You learn as the main character learns what is in store for him in the world. What starts off simply turns into the main characters realizing that they needs to save the human race, even though they aren't quite sure how or who to trust.

Why you should read it!

I really liked the first book in this series and was curious to see where it would go next. The second book was just ok, it gave you more of a look into the world they lived in and why they were there. The third book was very unimpressive, I didn't like they way the author tied up all the storylines and it just felt like a long journey to get no where. Also, as the series went on I got very annoyed with the main male characters. These books are told from the point of view of a boy and the more the story went on, the worse the decisions made by the main characters were. It all just felt very male dominated and not logical which really got on my nerves. They obviously need more help from the women in their lives, but maybe that is just my views on life taking over my views on a very male dominated book. 

The movie The Maze Runner was very well done, and I think portrayed the book very well (which is very rare for me to say). However, I think one of the reasons for this is because it was a simple start to the series. I'm not sure how easy it will be to pull of the following movies. 

Audio Book Review - The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Why did I read this book?
I had heard about this author and his new book had a lot of buzz.  I happened to find it in the audio section of the library and thought I'd give it a try, I was needing a break from all the fantasy sci-fi I had been reading lately anyway.

What is it about?
This will sounds like a very depressing premise, but the book itself isn't that depressing, I promise.  The book is about a couple teenagers who have cancer and meet at a cancer support group.  Basically, it is a love story about teenagers, with that very sad twist.  It is fun because their emotions are a bit more raw and they really try to live life to the fullest knowing that they might not be around to enjoy it in the near future

Why you should read it!
This book will be coming out as a movie this summer, and I'm sure it will be tear worthy so get the tissues ready.  The book itself had its sad moments but you really feel the emotions of these kids and how they really try to have normal lives despite their disease.  It is a young adult book, but I think it is one that adults would enjoy, yes you are dealing with teenagers but it is very well written and won't make you feel like you are reading a dumbed down book.  I listened to the audio version and I have to say it wasn't very good.  Luckily the story shone through but the narrator wasn't very good and I felt like she made the book feel younger than it should.  At the end the author made a statement that originally he wanted to be the narrator but didn't make sense for a story told from a teenage girls point of view, honestly he probably would've been better.  This will be a big movie this summer and we all know the book is always better so go read it first!

Book Review - Atomic Lobster By Tim Dorsey

How did I come into possession of this book?

This is a somewhat longer story than the usual, oh I just picked it up at the library.  My partner, Rob, teaches zumba and it is pretty rare that he ever gets guys to come to his classes.  Well one guy who was coming to many of his classes in Kentucky became a friend (even though he played football at notre dame and was quite a bit older that us).  We invited him and his wife over for dinner and had some good conversations, well of course books and reading came up.  When we mentioned we really liked the Carl Hiaasen books they said we have to look up Tim Dorsey and his series of ridiculous books about Florida.  A couple months later one of the kindle daily deals was a book by him, not the particular one they recommended but I thought I’d give it a try anyway.

What is it about?

It is basically a convergence of a bunch of individual story lines that all revolve around a particular area of Florida and a group of bad guys that the government is trying to catch.  Immediately you are introduced to some of the most ridiculous characters around.  And they are mixed in with what seem like perfectly normal people.  The further into the story you go the more the story lines cross and every time they cross it is in a more ridiculous manner.

What did I think?

I thought this book was hilarious, there were points where I giggled and some crazy scenes where the more I pictured them, the funnier they got! With all the hilarity and ridiculousness I do think there was some lack to the plot, which is too bad.  When the book ended, it all wrapped up within like 5 pages and I felt like that could’ve happened anywhere in the book, so it didn’t quite leave me satisfied.  But it did leave me laughing and for that reason I would read more books by him.

Who would I recommend it to?

Definitely if you like Hiaasen you will like this guy.  I also found his book not to be as involved as some of Hiaasen’s book so it might make for a faster read.  But I also thought this book was a bit more violent than Hiaasen’s tend to be so keep that in mind if you have a weak stomach while reading.  I love throwing in a humor book every now and then (especially a fiction one) and even though it might not’ve been the best literature I’ve read I enjoyed reading it from start to finish.

Book Review - The Onyx Bridge by Sophia Malamas

How did I come into possession of this book?

The author of this book sent me a copy in exchange for a review on my blog.  It sounded like an interesting fantasy book and potentially could be a good series so I agreed to read and review it!

What is it about?

Evelyn is suddenly thrown into a different world and a very long adventure.  She soon realizes that there is a prophecy she needs to stop and that she is the one who has to do it.  She finds herself in a world with creatures who are friends and foes and all new to her.  

What did I think?

This book wasn’t for me.  I didn’t really get some of the descriptions of the creatures in this new world.  Evelyn’s love interest is suppose to be irresistible, but when we are first introduced to him he doesn’t seem attractive at all.  A lot of the characters in the new world are likened to different animals and I then couldn’t picture them as anything but animals, not different creatures with a likeness to a certain animal.  I also had a hard time staying interested in the story, I never really felt like they were getting anywhere.  small events happened that were interesting but I never felt like they were moving towards an overall plot.  I also didn’t think it left me wanting anymore in following books, there wasn’t an overall driving factor that made me want more.

Who would I recommend it to?

I don’t think I’d recommend this book unless you are a hard core fantasy reader and enjoy all kinds of different worlds, especially ones having to do more with animals.  It wasn’t for me, but I think I need a bit more reality in my books.

Audiobook Review - Looking for Alaska by John Green

How did I come into possession of this book?

I previously read The Fault in our Stars by this same author, and have heard nothing but praise for him all year.  Even though the previous book I read by him was quite depressing, I thought I’d give another one of his a try for the long drive to Tahoe for the holidays.

What is it about?

Miles (aka Pudge) starts going to boarding school a couple states away from his parents. Immediately upon getting to school he falls into a crowd with his roommate.  One of their closest friends is a girl named Alaska.  The book follows his experience in his first year there and all the drama and fun that comes with boarding school.

What did I think?

I really liked this book. Again, it was quite depressing and after the pivotal part of the story I felt like there was quite a lot left and not sure how it would end.  When it all finished up I decided that I did like the end but for a while thought it would just be upsetting and sad the whole way through.  There were times in this book where I laughed and there were also touching moments.  I really enjoy his writing and although I’m not sure I’d act the way many of his teenage characters do I thoroughly enjoy reading his books.  This audio was great (as compared to the other book I listened to by him, which I though was very poorly narrated) and it kept my attention.

Who would I recommend it to?

This is first and foremost a young adult book.  But I could see it being one that can cross over to adults because the writing isn’t just aimed at young adults.  I think that is why I like his books.  The topics are a bit more young adult but the way the book reads doesn’t make me feel like I’m reading a quality level below what I should be reading.  I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good read, it is also pretty short a nice in between for longer books you may be reading.

Book Review - Hera, Queen of Gods by TD Thomas

Why did I read this book?
I was contacted by the author for a copy of this book if I would provide my review in return.   This was  another one I read on my kindle!  The topic sounded interesting and I thought a fantasy book involving Greek gods might be kinda cool.

First Lines:
"Life is about one thing and one thing only. Power." (Thomas 1)

What is it about?
A group of Gods has come to earth and taken over the bodies of some high schoolers to rescue the missing fates.  As soon as they come to earth they are under attack by many different dark creatures.  They also meet up with some witches and a couple mortals who become very helpful in their journey.

Why you should read it!
Well, I'm going to back pedal a bit here, I didn't really like this book.  I don't know a lot about mythology and that might've made me more interested (given me a back story) but most of the other reason I didn't like it don't have to do with the topic.  As soon as the story started they were under attack and it just kept coming, one bad creature after another.  I felt like this didn't give enough time for a story to develop, they were always running and fighting.  I also felt like there was no regard for the lives of anyone they were dealing with.  The human bodies they took over were disposable, everyone who helped them wanted nothing more than to die for them, I find this unbelievable and very unrelatable.  The love story was also very weak and half hearted I think part of the problem were that the characters had no depth.  This book didn't work for me and I can't honestly recommend it to anyone.

Reviews from around the blogosphere:
Zigzag Timeline
City of Books
myseryniti

Did you read this book and review it on your blog? Let me know in the comments and I'll add your link!

Audio book review - Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot

Why did I read this book?
I picked up the audio book at the library to help along my 45 minute commute while I was still in Kentucky.  Meg Cabot is usually associated with young adult books (she wrote the Princess Diaries!) so to see one by her in the "grown-up" section caught my attention, and the cover was cute so I grabbed it!

First Lines:
"I can't believe this. I can't believe I don't remember what he looks like!" (Cabot 2)

What is it about?
Lizzie is heading off to England to meet with her long distance boyfriend.  As soon as she shows up everything starts going wrong.  Her boyfriend lives with his parents, he isn't as cute as she remembers, and he's in some money trouble.  Realizing she's made a huge mistake traveling all the way to England and not wanting to spend the money to go home early she boards a train to France to meet up with a friends who is working at a french chateau for the summer.  But trouble seems to follow her there and she keeps opening her mouth at the wrong time.

Why you should read it!
This is serious chick-lit, and I loved every minute of it.  I listened to it on audio and the reader was great!  As a person, Lizzie got on my nerves but her adventurous spirit was very fun.  One thing I didn't expect from this book were the vivid settings.  When she gets to the french chateau and vineyard I really felt like I wanted to be there too!  It made for a nice change in your usual setting for a chick-lit novel.  This book was an easy listen and I would recommend it to anyone who likes this genre or just wants a fun summer read!

Reviews from around the blogosphere:

The Book Lady's Blog
The Book Scoop
Quinn's Book Nook

Did you read this book and review it on your blog? Let me know in the comments and I'll add your link!

Book Review - Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Why did I read this book?
I had listened to Sharp Objects on audio and really enjoyed it (although it was much darker that I expected).  Everyone had been talking about Gone Girl and I was curious.  I found out my local library would lend out books for 7 days to my kindle.  It's a pretty tough task for me to read a book in 7 days and the waiting list for this book was pretty long. My first attempt I got about one third of the way though before my lending period expired, I then had to wait three weeks on the waiting list again.  When I got it again I made sure to spend all my free time finishing it

First Lines:
"When I think of my wife, I always think of her head." (Flynn 3)

What is it about?
The story begins with Nick realizing his wife, Amy, is missing.  A neighbor tips him off to the fact that the door has been left open for quite a while and he heads home from work to investigate.  Coming home to what appears to be a crime scene the police are called in to this strange disappearance.  The more and more we learn about Nick and Amy the weirder things get and more questions arise.

Why you should read it!
I will try really hard to not include any spoilers here but if you haven't read this book and don't want it ruined for you it might be a good idea to stop reading now.  I really liked how uncertain things were the whole time in this book.  The twists and turns kept coming but there weren't too many and they weren't too ridiculous that I wanted to stop reading.  For the whole first half of the book I just knew there had to be more to the story and I real liked finally hearing both sides.  Although as soon as I started feeling like I was identifying with one character they would do something to make me angry and I would feel sorry for their spouse.  I know there has been a lot of talk about the ending and I hated it.  I have no clue what I wanted but the ending left me feeling blah.  With that being said I still loved the book, which I guess says a lot about the majority of the book and the writing since I despised the ending (seriously I was thinking that my kindle version got cut off a few chapters early).  Luckily, this book wasn't as dark as Sharp Objects but there were still some very twisted parts, but again it wasn't overkill and I think almost anyone would enjoy this book!

Reviews from around the blogosphere:

S. Krishna's Books
Book Jingle Blog
Book Club Classics

Did you read this book and review it on your blog? Let me know in the comments and I'll add your link!

Audio Book Review - Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Why did I read this book?
I got this on audiobook from the Lexington public library.  I had heard of the author because of her most recent book, Gone Girl, which was receiving a lot of praise.  I figured another book by her would be a good listen, so I borrowed it!

What is it about?
Camille is a crime reporter, and some recent disappearances and murders in her very small hometown have given her current employer reason to send her back there and investigate.  She is thrown back into her life there with a strained relationship with her mom and her half sister.  Seeing old friends who have gotten married and started families, and trying to piece together these weird crimes.

Why you should read it!
This is a great book.  The mystery surrounding the plot keeps you very interested.  While discovering little bits here and there about Camille's past keep adding twists and turns.  This was a very dark book, so be ready for that.  I did think it kept getting darker as you learned more about each and every character.  But somehow you just had to know what was happening in this messed up town, and who was behind the murders.  Although I couldn't personally relate to any of the characters, I still found most of them fascinating. I would highly recommend this book!

Reviews from around the blogosphere:
The Readventurer
BookedinChico
The Book Geek
Book Hooked Blog
An Unexpected Book Blog
Literate Housewife

Did you read this book and review it on your blog? Let me know in the comments and I'll add your link!

Book Review - A Merry Requiem Part 1: The Gathering Storm by Margaret Pritchard Houston

How did I come into possession of this book?

I was contacted by the author in the form of a very nice and personal email.  I was very interested in the topic of the book since she mentioned it was loosely based on Victor Hugo’s life and since I’ve never read Les Mis (until now!) but always wanted to know more about that time period, I thought it would be a good book to read.  The only thing that was holding me back was that it was an ebook, and up until Christmas I was slowly reading those on my computer.  But since I got a fantastic present of a kindle, I was finally able to easily read it and it was the first book I read on my new kindle!

First Lines:

“The little girl with black ringlets shrieks with laughter as they push her into the center of the circle.”  (Houston Loc 58)

What is it about?

It follows a writer during the 1820s in France through his marriage (to a women his mother didn’t approve) and into his young writing career.  He struggles to find something worth writing while still being able to make a living for his child and wife.  This is the first book in a series and it follows a lot of the politics of that time from an artist’s point of view.

What did I think?

I really enjoyed this book.  I have never read anything set in this time period and I do enjoy historical fiction as long as it doesn’t get too boring, and this one didn’t!  I loved how I was getting a look at a totally different time but it was written in a more modern voice.  I always want to read classics but get so bogged down by the writing style that I have a hard time enjoying them.  This was a great balance of modern voice still set in an older more classical setting.  I also really enjoyed the internal struggle Phillippe was having, when he had to decide if it was worth the King’s pension to not write exactly what he wanted.  I think many people (including me!) can relate to a similar situation.  Do I take a good sum of money to do something I don’t exactly want to do or believe in?  Or do I do what I want at the risk that I won’t be able to support myself financially anymore?  The other part of this book I really enjoyed was learning more about what was happening in France during this time period, I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book.  I do have one thing I didn’t enjoy and that was the wife, I hope she plays more into the story in the future books, but she just seemed to disappear into nothingness.  Her character seemed great and independent at the beginning and now she is so dependent on everything Phillippe does.

Who would I recommend it to?

If you are interested in another book set during revolutionary France (besides Les Mis) this is one for you.  Or if you’re just interested in historical fiction, this would be a book for you as well.  Also, if you are looking for a change of genre this is a well written book and will keep you interested the whole time.  It is only in ebook form, and you can get it here through smashwords!

Did you read this book and review it on your blog? Let me know in the comments and I'll add your link!

Audio Book Review - State Of Wonder by Ann Patchett

How did I come into possession of this book?

My mom gave me this audio book since she knows I listen to audio books on my way to and from work.  I had never read anything by Ann Patchett, but I’m happy I finally did.

First Lines:

“The news of Anders Eckman's death came by way of Aerogram, a piece of bright blue airmail paper that served as both stationary and, when folded over and sealed along the edges, the envelope”  (Patchett 1)

What is it about?

This book follows a research scientist as she travels to South America to find another researcher who has lost touch with the company they both work for and find out about the mysterious death of another of their co-workers.  Marina, or Dr. Singh as she is called through most of the book, is sent on a whirlwind adventure trying to figure out what exactly is going on with the research and why there aren’t any details about the death of their other co-worker.

What did I think?

I now know why Ann Patchett is such a popular author, her writing was fantastic.  This a bit of an odd story with some really weird twists and turns, but I was thoroughly interested the whole time.  Some of this credit should be to the narrator since I listened to it on audio, but I think it is also very well written.  I had no clue how to feel about the main character Marina, she just seemed to always try too hard to be everything everyone wanted her to be.  Yes, she was driven but really had no direction.  I’m not sure I could pin point any of the characters that I actually liked expect maybe the little boy, but somehow I was very involved with the story the whole time.

Who would I recommend it to?

I can’t think of many people who I wouldn’t recommend this to, especially the audio version.  I guess if you don’t like stories about women or traveling this might not be for you.  Also, like I said it takes some weird turns, so its not exactly straight forward but I think that’s one of the things that makes it so great!

Check out other reviews on this book from fellow bloggers:

The Book Frog
Bookish

Did you read this book and review it on your blog? Let me know in the comments and I'll add your link!