Mimi's 2014 (& Beyond) Reading Challenge - Reading Bingo, Part 2

It took me a little while to post this one, but this year I thought it would be fun to play this Reading Bingo Game I found online (which I am also playing with my Book Club this year). Since there are two different Bingo cards that I am playing, I'm setting up two separate threads, one for the "Grownup Card" and one for the "YA" card. (I include "Grownup Books" on the YA card, btw ;))

A Book with a Female Heroine

* The Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson (Review in Message #42)

The Last Book in a Trilogy

* The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson (Review in Message #31)

A Book Set in the Future

* Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (Review in Message #32)

A Book Set in Paris

* And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini (Review in Message #30)

A Book Set in the Past

World Without End by Ken Follett (Review in Message#43)

A Book With Magic

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews (Review in Message #40)

A Book With an Incredible Fight Scene

* The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (Review in Message #39)

A Book You Heard About Online

* The Martian by Andy Weir (Review in Message #35)

A Book Set in Another World

* The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson (Review in Message #33)
* Half a King by Joe Abercrombie (Review in Message #45)

Have fun! I can't wait to hear your cry, "Bingo!!!"

Got this one starred as well, Mimi. I am planning on rewarding myself with a book for every line that I fill. I use any excuse for more book buying! ;)

Interesting selection of squares on this bingo card! Have fun! :)

A Book Set in Paris (Part of the book is set in Paris anyway)

Book: And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
Date Finished: 1/29/14



The Kite Runner is one of my all-time favorite books so this book had a hard act to follow…and while the author’s first book remains on top of my list, I definitely wasn’t disappointed in yet another engrossing and beautifully written Khaled Hosseini novel.

Once again, Hosseini takes the reader to Afghanistan, contrasting the beauty of the landscape to the country’s turbulent history. The story starts in the Afghani countryside, where we witness the horrors of a family being torn apart by poverty and those willing to exploit it for their own purposes when a young child is pawned off to save that family. This event, combined with cataclysmic historical forces, has a far reaching effect for those involved and we see this as we read subsequent chapters. As we travel from Afghanistan to Greece, Paris and America, meeting different interrelated characters along the way, we see how these family members both directly and indirectly impact others, from extended relations and future progeny to servants, care workers and peace keepers, as we time warp to and from the 1940s through the present day.

The unique writing style, in which the chapters are actually a series of vignettes from the perspective of different characters, really drew me into the story and kept me interested while constantly figuring out how they all interconnected and how ultimately they would lead me back to Abdoullah and Pari. The conclusion was moving, bittersweet and thought-provoking…and completely beautiful!

The Last Book in a Trilogy

Book: The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
Date Finished: 1/24/2014



Reasons Why Certain Fantasies Are Extraordinary (just a few of them anyway…according to me):

Lord of the Rings (Tolkien) – It was the first of its kind, an epic quest combining adventure, friendship, greed, power…and of course Hobbits, Gandalf and Orcs! It set the standard for all fantasy that followed.

A Song of Ice and Fire (Martin) – Even though it’s not finished yet (waiting…waiting…waiting), G.R.R.M.’s series sets the modern day standard for political fantasy with so many twists and turns that the reader is left wondering “OK…what next??”. Westeros is the ultimate case study in political intrigue, Machiavellian politics, “politicians” and rulers with ambiguous motives…and of course supernatural beings and dragons abound.

Harry Potter Series (Rowling) – It is an awesomely entertaining coming-of-age fantasy about a young wizard coming to grips with powers in a world threatened by the evil Lord Voldemort. Not only does it continue to reach out to a whole generation of young readers, but it reaches out to those of us who are young-at-heart with its endearing characters, fantastical creatures, and engrossing plot. And there’s a lot to be said for a series of seven lengthy books that encourages both girls and boys to read!

And now I can add Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn Trilogy to this list! Absolutely love Sanderson’s writing style and the idea of a world in which magical powers are metal-based infuses fantastical science into the Final Empire. First, these were my reviews of the first two books in the series:

Book One – Mistborn: The Final Empire

An awesome beginning to this trilogy! Vin is one of the most likable heroes that I've met in a fantasy novel in quite some time, ranking up there with Rothfuss' Qvothe and Rowling's Harry Potter, while possessing the qualities of a strong yet down-to-earth female character. In this book, we learn about Vin's world and the unique metal-based magic system while immersed in a fast paced tale of political intrigue and heroism against all odds.

Brandon Sanderson's writing really draws me in to the story and keeps me there with his flowing style that is not overly descriptive. I'm continuing with Book 2 right away!

Book Two – The Well of Ascension

Book 2 is even better than Book 1 as Vin, Elend, Sazed and other characters involved in the overthrow of the Lord Ruler now have to contend with the defense of Luthadel while facing the ominous advance of the mysterious Mist.

Vin continues to explore the possible uses of her Mistborn powers, conflicted as always about her abilities as well as her very normal human emotions such as love, loyalty and anger. But when it comes down to it, Vin is definitely a "kick-a%%" heroine, who is likable because of her all-too-human characteristics combined with amazing magical powers.

Brandon Sanderson is fast becoming one of my favorite fantasy writers, ranking right up there with GRRM, Patrick Rothfuss, Joe Abercrombie and Scott Lynch!

And now, Book 3 – The Hero of Ages

What a conclusion! While Vin and Elend are still central to the story in the final book, there are more chapters from the perspective of other characters…those who we met in earlier books but whose importance to the plot is finally revealed as the story smoothly weaves together. In addition to being a fantasy, an adventure tale and a story of self-revelation and love, this is also somewhat of a “who(or what)-dunnit”, as the reader is continuously trying to decipher the puzzle of the Mist and the mysteries it contains. Kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end…an ending that I found very satisfying as well as thought-provoking.

A Book Set in the Future

Book: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Date Finished: 2/3/2014



Wow! This is one of those books that makes me want to log off the computer and go outside...as soon as I write this book review of course. ;)

I enjoyed this book on several levels:

* Set in the year 2044, the books presents a utopian virtual world within the framework of an all-to-possible dystopian reality. Right now, in 2014, for instance, students attend school virtually and people create online personas that in no way resemble their true identities...so the idea that this could be taken to extremes in the future is not implausible. This book also addresses the need to deal with issues such as resource depletion, hunger and poverty in real time as opposed to escaping into a virtual world.

* Being a teenager in the 1980s added to the fun for me since the 1980s nostalgia really took me on a trip down memory lane. Now I want to re-visit some old favorites, which I won't mention here because I don't want to give any spoilers.

* Ernest Cline's writing is engrossing and the virtual reality he creates in parallel to the main character's life is both fantastical and exciting to read. ...and speaking of Wade, this really is his unique coming-of-age story as he struggles to find himself in both virtual and real time.

A Book Set in Another World

Book: The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson
Date Finished: 2/19/2014



Having just read the Mistborn Trilogy within the last couple months, I looked forward to jumping ahead 300 years to see how things had progressed on Scadrial following the fall of the Final Empire. Very cool how Sanderson shows how the society progressed to what can be likened to the first half of the 20th-century, with the advent of electricity and the horseless carriage, while contrasting a Wild West-like setting (“The Roughs”) to what is supposed to be the “civilized society” of Elendal. And all this while introducing Waxillium Ladrian, who to me is a combination of Batman, Sherlock Holmes, a vigilante cowboy, and all the best that Allomancy has to offer.

The story itself is fast paced, entertaining, thought provoking and humorous, although some of the fight scenes were a bit drawn out to the point where I found myself skimming those sections (but that’s just me…I tend to skim through fight and battle scenes in most books). I really liked the conclusion, which, by the way, makes a lot more sense if you’ve actually read the original trilogy. Looking forward to reading more about the progress of Scadrial in future books.

Brandon Sanderson is fast becoming one of my favorite fantasy writers, ranking right up there with GRRM, Patrick Rothfuss, Joe Abercrombie and Scott Lynch!

Hi Mimi, you got me with that sentence as the authors you list are all favorites of mine. The books of Mistborn are added to my list.

A Book You Heard About Online

Book: The Martian by Andy Weir
Date Finished: 2/25/2014



Every once in a blue moon a can't-put-down book comes along that results in the elusive, for lack of a better term, bookgasm. Well, this makes two bookgasms in one month for me, with Ready Player One being the first one.

This was an incredible piece of true science fiction, with seemingly possible space travel to Mars, brilliant and heroic astronauts, and highly likable characters all around.Although some of the chemistry and astro-physics was a bit complex, I was able to take what I needed from those sections and move with the fast-paced, suspenseful plot easily. Very exciting read which I really hope to be seeing in the movies in the near future!

And, on top of all this, The Martian goes on my "Books with the Most Awesome Final Lines" List (in this case, final two lines), right up there with the likes of Lord of the Rings, The Book Thief and The Great Gatsby.

Final words: Duct Tape is the most amazing adhesive in the universe...and Mark Watney and the Hermes crew are my heroes, by the way!:D

Ooh, I requested this one from the library. It looks really neat, and I'm glad you liked it!

What a coincidence! I just read about this in last weekend's FT and put it at the top of my list!

>35 KindleKapers: no book bullets since it's already on mount TBR. It sounds really good.

A Book With an Incredible Fight Scene

Book: The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
Date Finished: 3/24/2014



This just may be the most Epic of the epic fantasies I have read to date!

The Way of Kings is Book One of the two books published in what is anticipated to be a 10-book series. It’s a pleasure to start reading a series at its inception and to read the books as they are published, but of course that always leads to the anticipation of when the next book will be published. However, while some authors keep the readers waiting (and waiting! ;)), Sanderson is such a prolifically talented fantasy writer and seems to get quality epics out their comparatively quickly…so it’s encouraging when beginning a series like this.

The scope of The Way of Kings is incredible. Like the beginning of any other-worldly fantasy series, a good portion of the first half of the book focused on world building and there are quite a few relevant philosophical ramblings, but important character development occurs as well as we meet the likes of Kaladin, Syl, Shallan, Dalinar, Adolin, Sadeas and Jasnah (and of course Hoid, the mysterious continuity throughout the Sanderson cosmere). The second half of the book really takes off as we follow the progress of Kaladin and Bridge Four, Jasnah’s soulcaster, and Dalinar’s visions.

There is just so much here, I feel like we have only seen the tip of the Rosharian magic iceberg. I look forward to learning more about it and to just see what happens next when I read Words of Radiance. Kind of hard to believe that I just finished 1008 pages…and soon I’ll be ready for 1088 more. It’s that good!

A Book With Magic

Book: Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
Date Finished:3/26/2014



For me, urban fantasy is defined by the likes of Harry Dresden and Captain Jack Harkness and his Torchwood contingency. So, to be fair, Kate Daniels has a tough act to follow.

However, the book itself is fast-paced and well written, filled with vampires, shape changers and some really cool mythological characters. The world itself is post-apocalyptic Atlanta, which seems to have gone through, for lack of better terms, a Magic Apocalypse, which is a unique idea. Overall, the story might appeal to someone who likes a truly bad-a## heroine with a chip on her shoulder...also someone who likes a lot of blood and guts in their urban fantasy.

>40 KindleKapers: I haven't read the Kate Daniels series, but if you want to try more Ilona Andrews, the Edge series is a lot of fun too (if you like paranormal romance, that is). The first book is On the Edge.

A Book with a Female Heroine

Book: Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson
Date Finished: 5/22/2014



Brandon Sanderson does it again on what just might be his best yet!

This is the second tome in the Stormlight Archive and although the book is long, I found myself reading every word (unlike in some other epic fantasies in which extensive descriptions leave me skimmng some sections).

While Way of Kings focused heavily on Kaladin and Bridge Four, Words of Radiance develops Shallan Davar's character while drawing the different characters together and expanding upon the magic system in Roshar. The conclusion left me both satisfied and with questions that leave me anxiously awaiting Book Three.

A Book Set in the Past

Book: World Without End by Ken Follett
Date Finished: 8/4/2014



Was this a Medieval soap opera? Most definitely! But was also it an entertaining epic saga about an era filled with political intrigue, outrageous witchcraft trials and devastating plagues.

As I immersed myself in this 1233 page tome, I experienced a myriad of mindsets throughout which my rating of this story vacillated between 3-5 stars. So here goes...a map of my mixed bag of emotions. :)

UNCERTAINTY

Throughout the first part of the book, uncertainty crept in as I wondered if this was a rehash of Pillars of the Earth, only set 200 years later. The collapse and rebuilding of the church, the priory elections, the William-esque Ralph Fitzgerald, etc. Is this story going to take on a life of it's own?

RELIEF

Relief that the answer to that question was "Yes." As the story progressed it definitely took on a life of its own, as the history of the era became further entwined with the life and times of such characters as Caris, Gwenda, Merthin, Ralph, Godwyn, and Philemon.

ANGER

Not with the book, but with the social inequities of the era... The indignities of being a serf and being beholden to a feudal lord were really explored here as well as the limited choices for women during this era. That's what Caris' role in the story was all about. She was a strong, intelligent woman who had to make aggravatingly difficult choices in spite of her true feelings toward others. Gwenda also had to struggle against all odds for her place in society and for personal happiness.

FRUSTRATION

Let's just say that Merthin was my favorite character and I felt his pain.

HORROR

The idea that an illness can sneak up on us and wipe out half the population is a terrifying thought and the Plague is a major theme throughout the second half of the book. This was also the most fascinating part of the book for me, especially the exploration of Medieval ideas about healing and medicine. It's hard to imagine that at one time people didn't know about the facts about how disease spread.

SATISFACTION

In spite of some of the anachronisms throughout the story and some all-to-convenient plot points, I found myself satisfied with the way everything was wrapped up in the end. If you are a Follett fan, enjoyed Pillars of the Earth and the first two books of the Century Trilogy, then you probably know what to expect of his writing and should have fun with this one as well.

Well, I think it is safe to say that World Without End was not a flat, unemotional read for you. ;-) I have a copy of this Follett book, along with some others, that I hope to get to one of these days. I do love a good epic saga, even if it has some problems.

A Book Set in Another World

Book: Half a King by Joe Abercrombie
Date Finished: 8/6/2014



After totally loving the adult grittiness of the First Law trilogy, I was hoping that the need to water down a story to conform to the YA format would not detract from Abercrombie's creativity. Fortunately, this generally was not the case, as young Yarvi has to overcome many obstacles as he comes-of age in a Viking-esque world, where physical disability, isolation, slavery, warfare and political intrigue are all obstacles along his path.

One element of YA fiction that I often find annoying is plot predictability. However, for the most part I did not find this to be the case here as the plot took some very interesting twists up until the very end. As far as the world itself, the Viking-like setting is a refreshing change from other fantasies, although I am hoping for more about the world itself in upcoming Shattered Sea books (my preferences for epic tome fantasies with extensive world-building has left me looking for more...just can't help myself. ;))

Glad to see you enjoying the Abercrombie. I had the same concerns with his switch to a younger target audience but happy to see they are unfounded. Still have a couple of his stand-alones to get to but will have less qualms about picking this one up when I get around to it.

Thank you for setting my fears aside as I was also quite nervous as to whether Abercrombie and YA would be a good fit. I love his books and it's good to know that I can eventually wander into this series.

>43 KindleKapers: Good review, the format was fun :)