This week's Top Ten: Authors I've only read one book from, but am dying to read more by.Click the picture to visit each book's Goodreads page.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Top Ten Tuesdays #1
In an attempt to have more fun in the blogosphere, I'm going to try to participate in some fun memes, the first of which is going to be Top Ten Tuesday, a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
This week's Top Ten: Authors I've only read one book from, but am dying to read more by.Click the picture to visit each book's Goodreads page.
This week's Top Ten: Authors I've only read one book from, but am dying to read more by.Click the picture to visit each book's Goodreads page.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Review #13- Jackaby by William Ritter
*Goodreads page*
*NetGalley page*- I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley
Release date- September 16, 2014
*NetGalley page*- I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley
Release date- September 16, 2014
Goodreads synopsis- “Miss Rook, I am
not an occultist,” Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see
truth where others see the illusion--and there are many illusions. All
the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in
the house with a view behind the curtain.”
Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.
Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre.
This book was FABULOUS! It isn't often that a book described as a cross between such and such actually turns out to be a cross between such and such. Let me tell you, this book was the PERFECT cross between Sherlock and Doctor Who!
There's really nothing better than an eclectic detective with a keen eye for paranormal detail. Add in a sharp and witty assistant, a string of unusual murders, and a few fantastic creatures and you've got an incredible book you'll stay up all night devouring.
If it weren't for the fact that sleep is a thing and that I had class in the morning, I totally would have finished this book last night, it was that great.
My only issue with this book was the last few chapters- they seemed to drag on, and it felt like the author could have ended the book in any number of places, perhaps condensing the last four or five chapters into one, and ending it there. I don't know. Maybe it's just me. But really, apart from that little issue, this book excellent, and I truly hope there will be more to come!
Until next time,
xox
Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.
Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre.
This book was FABULOUS! It isn't often that a book described as a cross between such and such actually turns out to be a cross between such and such. Let me tell you, this book was the PERFECT cross between Sherlock and Doctor Who!
There's really nothing better than an eclectic detective with a keen eye for paranormal detail. Add in a sharp and witty assistant, a string of unusual murders, and a few fantastic creatures and you've got an incredible book you'll stay up all night devouring.
If it weren't for the fact that sleep is a thing and that I had class in the morning, I totally would have finished this book last night, it was that great.
My only issue with this book was the last few chapters- they seemed to drag on, and it felt like the author could have ended the book in any number of places, perhaps condensing the last four or five chapters into one, and ending it there. I don't know. Maybe it's just me. But really, apart from that little issue, this book excellent, and I truly hope there will be more to come!
Until next time,
xox
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Unfinished Review #1- The Fifth Vertex by Kevin Hoffman
*Goodreads Page*
*NetGalley Page*- I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley.
*NetGalley Page*- I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley.
Goodreads synopsis- Urus Noellor--a boy born
deaf who is about to be publicly branded as a burden, incapable of
being the warrior his people demand--stands upon a rooftop, poised to
throw himself over the edge. His failed attempt at suicide unlocks
within him a long-dormant form of magic thought to have died out
thousands of years before, a power that may be the key to saving the
world from an equally ancient enemy.
Urus and his companions--Goodwyn, the greatest warrior in Kest, and Cailix, a mysterious orphan--must find a way to stop a powerful group of sorcerers from destroying the five long-hidden vertices that ward the world against threats from beyond, while fighting off threats from within. They soon learn that the scope of the coming danger may be more dire than any of them could have imagined. As the battle for the vertices spreads to the neighboring realms, Goodwyn must face the realities of war and death; Cailix discovers a devastating truth that could change everything; and Urus discovers his uncanny gifts and courage as he peels away clues to his true identity. But even as Urus gains the power he has always craved, he experiences it all in profound, lonely silence.
Urus and his companions--Goodwyn, the greatest warrior in Kest, and Cailix, a mysterious orphan--must find a way to stop a powerful group of sorcerers from destroying the five long-hidden vertices that ward the world against threats from beyond, while fighting off threats from within. They soon learn that the scope of the coming danger may be more dire than any of them could have imagined. As the battle for the vertices spreads to the neighboring realms, Goodwyn must face the realities of war and death; Cailix discovers a devastating truth that could change everything; and Urus discovers his uncanny gifts and courage as he peels away clues to his true identity. But even as Urus gains the power he has always craved, he experiences it all in profound, lonely silence.
I feel awful, guys. Really, really awful. This book has AMAZING reviews on Goodreads, and I was really looking forward to it because the synopsis sounded awesome, but it ended up falling flat, and I just can't finish it.
This book started out great-- a deaf protagonist named Urus, about to be marked as an outcast, standing upon the roof of his home, ready to jump to his death, only to end up landing unharmed,- in fact, smashing the cobblestones beneath him with the impact of his fall-with blue light sizzling out of his fingers. Urus looks up and sees his uncle standing in the shadows and knows he's in trouble, and begins the trek back up to his rooms for what he knows will be a harsh discussion with his uncle.
In retrospect, this is where things got a little... sketchy. Personally, if I jumped from a building to what I assumed would be to my death, and wound up walking away with not even so much as a scratch, and blue light flying out of my fingers, I'd be a little more concerned and a little less inclined to worry about what my uncle is going to say about my trying to kill myself. Also, once we do get to the discussion with the uncle, it seems unreal, almost forced. I don't know. I just felt like it was all a little off.
Anyway, as for the rest of the book that I managed to read, I was slightly annoyed by a few gaping plot holes in some of the stories. There were some things that just didn't seem to add up, and some information that I think the author meant to tell us, but didn't, and then would later put into the dialogue as if it was common knowledge (which it wasn't. Unless I just blacked out some of stuff. It's a possibility...)
Also, another thing that bothered me was the speed at which the story accelerated. I know that really weird, but things just felt like they kept moving too fast. It was like boom, boom, boom big even here, big event there. It kind of gave me whiplash.
I really do feel awful for not liking this book. It has some serious potential. I think if the author just goes back through, irons some things out, clears up a few other things, this book will be spectacular.
I really hate not finishing books, but obviously, if a book just isn't clicking for you, it's best to move on. Which is what I'm going to have to do with this book. I have a pile of other books that need to be read, and trying to slog through this book is keeping me from books that I really will enjoy. Who knows, maybe one day I'll pick this book up again and fall in love with it. Right now though, I have to set it aside and move on.
Until next time,
xox
Friday, September 12, 2014
Review #12- Althea & Oliver by Christina Moracho
*Goodreads page*
*Penguin's First to Read Page*- I received an e-ARC of this book from First to Read
Release date- October 8, 2014
Althea Carter and Oliver McKinley have been best friends since they were six; she’s the fist-fighting instigator to his peacemaker, the artist whose vision balances his scientific bent. Now, as their junior year of high school comes to a close, Althea has begun to want something more than just best-friendship. Oliver, for his part, simply wants life to go back to normal, but when he wakes up one morning with no memory of the past three weeks, he can’t deny any longer that something is seriously wrong with him. And then Althea makes the worst bad decision ever, and her relationship with Oliver is shattered. He leaves town for a clinical study in New York, resolving to repair whatever is broken in his brain, while she gets into her battered Camry and drives up the coast after him, determined to make up for what she’s done.
Their journey will take them from the rooftops, keg parties, and all-ages shows of their North Carolina hometown to the pool halls, punk houses, and hospitals of New York City before they once more stand together and face their chances. Set in the DIY, mix tape, and zine culture of the mid-1990s, Cristina Moracho’s whip-smart debut is an achingly real story about identity, illness, and love—and why bad decisions sometimes feel so good
*Penguin's First to Read Page*- I received an e-ARC of this book from First to Read
Release date- October 8, 2014
Goodreads synopsis- What if you live for the moment when life goes off the rails—and then one day there’s no one left to help you get it back on track?
Althea Carter and Oliver McKinley have been best friends since they were six; she’s the fist-fighting instigator to his peacemaker, the artist whose vision balances his scientific bent. Now, as their junior year of high school comes to a close, Althea has begun to want something more than just best-friendship. Oliver, for his part, simply wants life to go back to normal, but when he wakes up one morning with no memory of the past three weeks, he can’t deny any longer that something is seriously wrong with him. And then Althea makes the worst bad decision ever, and her relationship with Oliver is shattered. He leaves town for a clinical study in New York, resolving to repair whatever is broken in his brain, while she gets into her battered Camry and drives up the coast after him, determined to make up for what she’s done.
Their journey will take them from the rooftops, keg parties, and all-ages shows of their North Carolina hometown to the pool halls, punk houses, and hospitals of New York City before they once more stand together and face their chances. Set in the DIY, mix tape, and zine culture of the mid-1990s, Cristina Moracho’s whip-smart debut is an achingly real story about identity, illness, and love—and why bad decisions sometimes feel so good
Anyone who knows me knows that this type of book- YA contemporary, coming of age- really isn't my favorite. I have to be in the right kind of mood to want to read a book like this. And when I first picked this book up, I really wasn't in the mood- or at least that's what I thought.
I was hooked from the first sentence. That doesn't happen a lot. It usually takes me a few pages to fall into a book, or sometimes even a chapter. But this book- this book I fell in love with from the get-go. Moracho writes with such beauty and such wit that you can't help but fall into this book and wonder where her beautiful words will take you next.
I laughed, I cried, I cringed, and I reminisced on my days in high school and the pain and laughter and friends and adventures that go along with it. This is the kind of book that pulls at your heart, makes you stop and thing, pulls some more, and then lodges itself into the deepest crevices of your soul once it's all over. You won't forget this book, and you won't forget this author.
Until next time,
xox
I was hooked from the first sentence. That doesn't happen a lot. It usually takes me a few pages to fall into a book, or sometimes even a chapter. But this book- this book I fell in love with from the get-go. Moracho writes with such beauty and such wit that you can't help but fall into this book and wonder where her beautiful words will take you next.
I laughed, I cried, I cringed, and I reminisced on my days in high school and the pain and laughter and friends and adventures that go along with it. This is the kind of book that pulls at your heart, makes you stop and thing, pulls some more, and then lodges itself into the deepest crevices of your soul once it's all over. You won't forget this book, and you won't forget this author.
Until next time,
xox
Friday, September 5, 2014
Review # 11- The Quick by Lauren Owen
*Goodreads Page*
Goodreads synopsis- An astonishing debut, a novel of epic scope and suspense that conjures up all the magic and menace of Victorian London
London, 1892: James Norbury, a shy would-be poet newly down from Oxford, finds lodging with a charming young aristocrat. Through this new friendship, he is introduced to the drawing-rooms of high society, and finds love in an unexpected quarter. Then, suddenly, he vanishes without a trace. Unnerved, his sister, Charlotte, sets out from their crumbling country estate determined to find him. In the sinister, labyrinthine city that greets her, she uncovers a secret world at the margins populated by unforgettable characters: a female rope walker turned vigilante, a street urchin with a deadly secret, and the chilling “Doctor Knife.” But the answer to her brother’s disappearance ultimately lies within the doors of one of the country’s preeminent and mysterious institutions: The Aegolius Club, whose members include the most ambitious, and most dangerous, men in England.
In her first novel, Lauren Owen has created a fantastical world that is both beguiling and terrifying. The Quick will establish her as one of fiction’s most dazzling talents.
Named One of the Top 10 Literary Fiction Books of the Season by Publishers Weekly
Let me start off by saying that this book took me several tries before I got into it, but I'm beyond glad I kept trying!
Without giving too much away (because I feel like this book is one of those that you shouldn't know too much going in), this book is about a young man named James who has moved to London and is living with another young man named Christopher. Where James is quiet and bookish, Christopher is a partying, out all hours of the night, charming opposite. James and Christopher eventually develop a relationship that inadvertently ends in tragedy.
James is missing, and his sister Charlotte comes to London looking for him. What she stumbles upon and is pulled into will change her life, and her view of the world, forever.
Okay, so this is a little obscure, (hopefully not too misleading) but I promise you I'm leaving out a lot because there is a twist that I at least didn't see coming, and I really think if you go into this book knowing what that twist is, it won't be quite as enjoyable. I do promise that it's more than worth it! This book had me in tears, it had me screaming, it had me laughing. I honestly can't tell you the last time I enjoyed an historical novel so much! This book is dark and charming, and I honestly couldn't get enough!
The only thing I was upset about was the ending. However, that's probably because I like nice clean endings in these kinds of books, but at the same time the ending leaves room for a sequel (which I am fervently praying is in the works!).
All in all, this was a SPECTACULAR debut novel, and I really can't wait to get my hands on more of Owen's work! I urge you, if you have not done so already, to pick this book up! I promise you won't regret it!
Until next time,
xox
Goodreads synopsis- An astonishing debut, a novel of epic scope and suspense that conjures up all the magic and menace of Victorian London
London, 1892: James Norbury, a shy would-be poet newly down from Oxford, finds lodging with a charming young aristocrat. Through this new friendship, he is introduced to the drawing-rooms of high society, and finds love in an unexpected quarter. Then, suddenly, he vanishes without a trace. Unnerved, his sister, Charlotte, sets out from their crumbling country estate determined to find him. In the sinister, labyrinthine city that greets her, she uncovers a secret world at the margins populated by unforgettable characters: a female rope walker turned vigilante, a street urchin with a deadly secret, and the chilling “Doctor Knife.” But the answer to her brother’s disappearance ultimately lies within the doors of one of the country’s preeminent and mysterious institutions: The Aegolius Club, whose members include the most ambitious, and most dangerous, men in England.
In her first novel, Lauren Owen has created a fantastical world that is both beguiling and terrifying. The Quick will establish her as one of fiction’s most dazzling talents.
Named One of the Top 10 Literary Fiction Books of the Season by Publishers Weekly
Let me start off by saying that this book took me several tries before I got into it, but I'm beyond glad I kept trying!
Without giving too much away (because I feel like this book is one of those that you shouldn't know too much going in), this book is about a young man named James who has moved to London and is living with another young man named Christopher. Where James is quiet and bookish, Christopher is a partying, out all hours of the night, charming opposite. James and Christopher eventually develop a relationship that inadvertently ends in tragedy.
James is missing, and his sister Charlotte comes to London looking for him. What she stumbles upon and is pulled into will change her life, and her view of the world, forever.
Okay, so this is a little obscure, (hopefully not too misleading) but I promise you I'm leaving out a lot because there is a twist that I at least didn't see coming, and I really think if you go into this book knowing what that twist is, it won't be quite as enjoyable. I do promise that it's more than worth it! This book had me in tears, it had me screaming, it had me laughing. I honestly can't tell you the last time I enjoyed an historical novel so much! This book is dark and charming, and I honestly couldn't get enough!
The only thing I was upset about was the ending. However, that's probably because I like nice clean endings in these kinds of books, but at the same time the ending leaves room for a sequel (which I am fervently praying is in the works!).
All in all, this was a SPECTACULAR debut novel, and I really can't wait to get my hands on more of Owen's work! I urge you, if you have not done so already, to pick this book up! I promise you won't regret it!
Until next time,
xox
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Book Banning and Censorship
First off, let me apologize for dropping off the planet! I'm in my second week of college and I've just been bogged down by assignments (I'm making an attempt to not shrug off my homework this semester!) and band practices. I promise I'm going to try to make more regular postings soon though!
I know I've made a post about this before, but I saw this link from the American Library Association, and I couldn't help but make a small rant on my personal Facebook about it, and I decided I wanted to share with you guys as well. So here it is. Please feel free to share your thoughts and feelings on this subject! I love to hear other opinions and views!
There is literally nothing that makes me angrier than the attempted censorship of literature, not even because I love to read myself, but because every one on this planet should have the opportunity to decide for themselves what is and isn't "appropriate". People have to understand that we live in a world with opposing beliefs, drug and alcohol use, differing sexual orientations, and many other ideas, products, and facts that one might not want to be exposed to. However, pretending like these things don't exist just creates a world full of ignorance, and believe me, there's nothing more dangerous.
Many of the books on these lists I've read myself, and almost all of them have helped me understand things in my life in a way that wouldn't be possible otherwise. I can understand wanting to shield your children from some things like drugs and alcohol, but would you rather your kids learn bout these things from the pages of a book, or out on the streets?
Take it from someone who grew up on books, and knows many others who feel the same way: many of these books that are considered "controversial" or "inappropriate" can and will save someone's life. Just think about that before you condemn a book.
Until next time,
xox
I know I've made a post about this before, but I saw this link from the American Library Association, and I couldn't help but make a small rant on my personal Facebook about it, and I decided I wanted to share with you guys as well. So here it is. Please feel free to share your thoughts and feelings on this subject! I love to hear other opinions and views!
There is literally nothing that makes me angrier than the attempted censorship of literature, not even because I love to read myself, but because every one on this planet should have the opportunity to decide for themselves what is and isn't "appropriate". People have to understand that we live in a world with opposing beliefs, drug and alcohol use, differing sexual orientations, and many other ideas, products, and facts that one might not want to be exposed to. However, pretending like these things don't exist just creates a world full of ignorance, and believe me, there's nothing more dangerous.
Many of the books on these lists I've read myself, and almost all of them have helped me understand things in my life in a way that wouldn't be possible otherwise. I can understand wanting to shield your children from some things like drugs and alcohol, but would you rather your kids learn bout these things from the pages of a book, or out on the streets?
Take it from someone who grew up on books, and knows many others who feel the same way: many of these books that are considered "controversial" or "inappropriate" can and will save someone's life. Just think about that before you condemn a book.
Until next time,
xox
Friday, August 15, 2014
Bout of Books 11 TBR!
Hello fellow book lovers! Guess what? It's that time again! Bout of Books time!
In case you don't know what Bout of Books is, here's a quick blurb, straight from the Bout of Books team:
The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 18th and runs through Sunday, August 24th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 11 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team
This is my second time participating in Bout of Books, and let me tell you, I'm super pumped! Bout of Books 11 will be going on during my first week back on campus (thankfully not during classes-I have band camp the 16-22), so I've decided to make a TBR of 3 e-books and 3-physical books- while I do need to cut down my physical TBR, I have an equally massive e-book TBR that needs to be shortened!
So, the books I'll hopefully be finishing/starting this round are:
The Dark Monk by Oliver Potzsch
The Secret History by Donna Tart
Jackaby by William Ritter
Blazed by Jason Myers
The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
I hope to see you all participating if you have the opportunity and I can't wait to check out what you plan on reading!
Until next time,
zoz
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