Dk_Phoenix (is still) on Fire in 2011: Thread 2

So far so good with the goals! Fewer ARCs & more books I actually enjoy. Of course, I'm perpetually behind with reviews. Nothing new there, I think it's just something I'll have to accept...

First thread is HERE.

Many of my reviews will be cross-posted to my blog where I talk about books & writing: Literary Coldcuts on Toasty Buns.

2011 Master List of Completed Books

(* = review not yet posted)

September

75) ...
74) Princess for Hire - Lindsay Leavitt*
73) The Doctor's Lady - Jody Hedlund*
72) The Realms Thereunder (Ancient Earth Trilogy #1) - Ross Lawhead*
71) Mind Over Mind - Karina Fabian*
70) Omen (Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi, Book 2) - Christie Golden*
69) Shadowfever - Karen Marie Moning*

August

68) Some Girls: My Life in a Harem - Jillian Laurens*
67) Paradise 21 - Aubrie Dionne*
66) Dreamfever - Karen Marie Moning*
65) Faefever - Karen Marie Moning*
64) Changeling Dream - Dani Harper*
63) Healing Psoriasis - John Pagano*

July

62) The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot*
61) The Wise Man's Fear - Patrick Rothfuss*
60) Changeling Moon - Dani Harper*
59) Bloodfever - Karen Marie Moning*
58) The Climb - Anatoli Bourkreev*
57) The Anti-Prom - Abby McDonald*

June

56) Captivate - Carrie Jones*
55) The Reckoning - Kelley Armstrong*
54) Darkfever - Karen Marie Moning*
53) The Dragon Reborn - Robert Jordan*
52) A Great Catch - Lorna Seilstad*
51) The Canadian Guide to Psoriasis - Dr. Kim Papp*

May

50.5) The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale (novella) - *
50) Miss Bramble and the Leviathan - Kristen Painter*
49) Unsinkable - Abby Sunderland and Lynn Vincent*
48) To Win Her Heart - Karen Witemeyer*
47) Dark Mirror - M.J. Putney*
46) The Summoning - Kelley Armstrong*
45) The Awakening - Kelley Armstrong*
44) Need - Carrie Jones

April

43) Until Tuesday - Carlos Luis Montalvan
42) Bumped - Megan McCafferty
41) 39 Clues, Book 11: Vespers Rising - Riordan, Korman, Lerangis, Watson
40) Cinderella Cleaners: Scheme Spirit - Maya Gold
39) Infidel - Ayaan Hirsi Ali
38) My One and Only - Kristin Higgins
37) Heist Society - Ally Carter

March

36) Meals That Heal Inflammation - Julie Daniluk
35) Unearthly - Cynthia Hand
34) The Great Hunt - Robert Jordan
33) Scribbling Women - Marthe Jocelyn
32) Star Wars - Rebel Commandos: Hard Contact - Karen Traviss
31) Angelfire - Courtney Allison Moulton
30) Due to Rising Energy Costs, the Light at the End of the Tunnel Has Been Turned Off - Karen Scalf Linamen
29) Delirium - Lauren Oliver
28) If God, Why Evil? - Norman H. Geisler

February

27) Among Others - Jo Walton
26) Wither (Chemical Garden Trilogy, Book #1) - Lauren DeStefano
25) Treasury of the Lost Litter Box: A Get Fuzzy Treasury - Darby Conley
24) No Such Thing as Dragons - Phillip Reeve
23) Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know - Alexandra Horowitz
22) Like Clockwork - Bonnie Dee
21) Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together (Book #4) - Bryan Lee O'Malley
20) Rogue Angel #2: Solomon's Jar - Alex Archer
19) Radio Shangri-La - Lisa Napoli
18) The Eye of the World (Wheel of Time, Book 1) - Robert Jordan
17) Sex in the Snow - Michael Adams
16) Heat Wave - Richard Castle
15) How to Ditch Your Fairy - Justine Larbalestier

January

14) Warbreaker - Brandon Sanderson
13) Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
12) Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness - Bryan Lee O'Malley
11) Blink - Malcolm Gladwell
10) The Girl in the Gatehouse - Julie Klassen
9) Little Princes - Conor Grennan
8) The Mysterious Lady Law - Robert Appleton
7) Bollywood Weddings - Kavita Ramdya
6) The Glass Castle - Jeanette Walls
5) Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman
4) The Raising - Laura Kasischke
3) Tyger, Tyger - Kersten Hamilton
2) The Uncommon Reader - Alan Bennett
1) The Red Pyramid - Rick Riordan

Hi Faith! 20 books already -- you're off to a great start. Looking forward to your reviews!

yup, on fire

Definitely hot with flames, great titles too.

Found you again, Faith!

Got the new thread starred!

Found and starred you! Have a nice weekend.

gotcha :)

I know what you mean about the ARCs. I always like the idea of having my horizons expanded by a random book falling in my lap from a publisher, but looking back at my reviews, I'd rather have a dental cleaning than reread most of those books.

Careful handling those books when you're on fire! :o

Found and starred :-)

Yay! Hello everyone! Thanks for following me over here!

I'd rather have a dental cleaning than reread most of those books

Okay, that made me laugh out loud for real! How very, very true...

13) Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins

I put off writing this review for the longest time, because I was absolutely furious at the way Collins ended the series. Or should I say, at the way she wrote this book and ruined what could have been an incredible trilogy. I'll write the review now, furor slightly abated, and though I suspect I won't remember ALL of the triggers that made me want to throw the book across the room, at least this review won't simply consist of me spewing venom. I hope.

Yes, ***SPOILERS AHEAD***.

Let me just say that I thought The Hunger Games and Catching Fire were incredible. The twist in Catching Fire made me gasp and screech, and the obstacles thrown at the characters -- and how they overcame them, Katniss in particular -- were mind-bogglingly incredible. Loved them. And now I wish I'd just stopped reading after book two, because this third one ruined everything.

My first issue with Mockingjay is the way the book begins. Things have happened in between books two and three, and we don't get to see them happen or discover it along with the main character. This is a little off-putting, especially when you consider that the books are written in present-tense, which means we learn what happens as it unfolds, along with the main character. By not including us in the shift to District 13 and learning about the district with Katniss, we're cheated out of the narrative. It feels like there was a book missing, or chapters missing, in between where we left off and where we pick up.

My second issue is the biggest one: Katniss becomes an observer in her own life. In the previous books, our heroine was put up against the worst, most dire circumstances imaginable, and she took action to change the course of what seemed like an inevitable destiny. She changed the stakes. She refused to be manipulated and charted her own course, regardless of the potential consequences. She acted. In Mockingjay, Katniss doesn't do anything. She's swept along in the tide of events, whining about this or that or feeling sorry for herself, and the strength and resolve she'd developed in the previous books has disappeared -- with the exception of two circumstances. She takes an active role in the story on only two occasions: In District 8, and at the end of the book when she shoots the 'wrong' person. What kind of a hero doesn't act? A character who reacts instead of taking action isn't a hero. Character Building 101.

Problem Three: Unnecessary deaths. Collins starts killing off characters, but barely even spares them a second glance when it happens. Finnick dies in one sentence and then we move on. Heck, I've talked to people who didn't even realize he was dead until the list of people who died at the end of the book! Does such an important character deserve a half a line before he vanishes? And no one really reacts... no emotion, nothing. He's there, then he's gone. Yes, this happens in war, but writing character deaths that way is cheating your readers of their emotional investment. And don't even get me started on Katniss' sister. That was cheap, and completely unnecessary. And the way it was written (without mentioning her name), I actually didn't know it was her until 10 pages later when I read a line and said "Wait, WHAT?!" There was no rational reason for Prim to be there at that moment. None whatsoever.

Fourth issue: Gale vs. Peeta. Or should I say, Peeta vs. No One, since Collins obviously made up Katniss' mind for her at the beginning of this book, and then decided to turn Gale into a warmongering lunatic. Who never talks to Katniss again after things are over, even though they've been best friends since childhood. The 'choice' felt forced and overplayed. And can I mention how half the book, Katniss just sits in a corner and whines about how she thinks she's a terrible person and can't choose between the two of them? I can't even count how many times she 'falls asleep alone' and then 'wakes up' in this book. It all contributes to what, for me, was the fifth major issue of the book...

It was boring. The action didn't inspire awe or terror or fright the way the events of the previous books did. Too much introspection from our carried-along-by-the-tide 'heroine' caused this book to feel flat, lifeless, and dull. I didn't even want to finish, because nothing was really happening most of the time. What happened?!?!

I could say more: About how it doesn't make sense for Katniss' mother to not visit her, how it's a cheap cliche for Finnick's lady to be preggers once he's dead, how it didn't make sense for the President to be killing his own people after enacting an order that was supposed to protect them... the motivations in the book were unclear, murky, and contradictory. Characters acted out of character (ie. Katniss, who doesn't really act at all), and plot points didn't tie together in a logical way. How this book passed the editing rounds without being torn apart, I have no idea.

All I can say, this book was a disgraceful ending to what could have been the YA trilogy of the decade. What a waste.

Rating: 1/5
Acquisition: Purchased last year

ETA: I had my book numbering wrong...

Oh, and I realize I didn't even mention the slap-dash 'Epilogue'... WHAT. THE. CRAP.

Grrrrrr.....

Ouch! 1/5 stars....yikes. :/
I can't really comment since I didn't read the series yet and trying ever so hard not to read the portion of your review that has the spoilers. But your fury over the way she ended the series has definitely perked my interest to start the series!

OK, I liked Mockingjay more than you did, but to me, the best book in the series was the first.

Oh, no! I was so looking forward to reading Mockingjay since I really enjoyed the first two books of the trilogy (I agree with Stasia that The Hunger Games was the best of the first two) and wanted to see how it all ended.

While I thought Hunger Games was the best, I did enjoy Mockingjay. But I have had a book that made me that angry, The Quincunx. I think I did throw the book across the room.

Intriguing review. I haven't read any of these but have heard so much about them recently. You've made the first two sound like must reads but I think I will hold off after reading this write-up.

Dusk by Tim Lebbon was the book I threw across the room.

I was hesitant to start reading Collins books before; now I think I'll stay clear. I know that sometimes someone may hate a book why another loves it, but even so, I'm fine not trying it this year. Sorry it was so disappointing. Hope your next few reads are better

>13 dk_phoenix: Really? That bad? You do make some good points though. Especially with the killing of characters part. But strangely, she does the same exact thing in the Gregor the Overlander series. It must be her thing. And in the last book, she killed of a character that was very unnecisary and cheap just like Prim. And at the last ten or so pages. You know, I was probably more or less one of the first people to read it. The first time I saw it, I bought it and read it at first because of the author, but I love the concept of goverments gone astray.

>15 jolerie:: I think I rated the first two books 4.5/5 and 4/5... that's how good they are. Worth the read, despite my distaste for book 3!

>16 alcottacre:: I agree with you there! Though the twist in Catching Fire was almost enough for me to like it more... *almost*...

>17 Storeetllr:: I know... and some people liked it, so maybe you will, but as you can see, I didn't. At all. My cousin also called me after reading it and started ranting about how she couldn't believe how terrible it was. As for my husband, he's literally refusing to read another Collins book again, after Mockingjay. I wouldn't go that far, but I know it's not just me who was terribly disappointed and frustrated by it.

>18 Tanglewood:: I knew there were people out there who liked it! Well, I'm glad it was a good ending to the series for you :) I've not heard about that other book, what was it that made you so angry? The Historian was another one that made me throw it across the room. *shudder*

>19 KiwiNyx:: The first two are definitely worth the read! Just don't bother with the third one. Take the ending of the second one as the ending of the series, and you'll be fine. LOL.

>20 Kassilem:: The first two are honestly FANTASTIC, and I wouldn't want to dissuade anyone from reading them! It was just this last one that ruined things. Oh well, that's life sometimes. I've never heard of your 'throw it across the room' book either, so now I'm intrigued!

>21 DragonFreak:: I'd wondered about the Gregor the Overlander series! Thanks for the little insight. I almost bought a set a few weeks ago, but held off just in case. I might try them from the library instead, especially if she does some similar things in there. And yes, it was that bad for me. I know some people loved it, but... *sigh*... the writer in me was just so, so upset at the way the story was put together.

I definitely enjoyed Mockingjay more than you did, but I had many of the same complaints as you albeit much less violently. :) My biggest complaint was that for most of the book nothing was happening.

I love the first two of the The Hunger Games trilogy, but have not yet read the last one, so I skipped over the bulk of your review. From the gist around it though, I'm wondering if I should really read number three, or just pretend that the series is over already. Hmm. Something to ponder.

What a spot-on review of Mockingjay. I wanted to like it as much as I liked the other two books, so I know I excused many things I felt were mistakes, but I share every single one of your complaints.

>>13 dk_phoenix:
Wow, I didn't really like Mockingjay either but I didn't get to your level of loathing. The Hunger Games was such a great book & that seems to have made Mockingjay that much worse. I do hope Collins writes something else. Maybe she'd be better at stand-alone novels rather than trilogies.

Include me in the group that didn't like Mockingjay - and for almost all the same reasons you disliked it. That "epilogue"! GAH! I totally got the impression that she HAD to end the book under so many pages, so force-fed us this drivel. I think this entire series could have seriously worked better had it been four books instead of three. Tell us what was happening in District 13 as book 3, and then move on to the revolution in book 4. So, so disappointing.

>28 tapestry100: - I agree. I didn't buy that she never talked to Gale again, and I wondered what happened with her mother. I never saw her blaming Katniss for what happened in the Capitol.

Katniss was such a victim in that whole book and she never a victim in the other two.

I feel hesitant to stick my head in here, but I did enjoy Mockingjay. I'm going to avoid making sudden movements and back away quietly now.

Oh dear! I've never heard of this trilogy (not surprising - I live in a hole), but your review has warned me away from ever trying. Good gracious, I get frustrated when authors pull that kind of crap - especially established authors.

>24 Kittybee:: Yes, EXACTLY. Nothing happened for the majority of the book... snnoooore... zzzz... LOL.

>25 beserene:: I'd honestly just pretend the series is done. I wish I had. I really, really wish I had.

>26 Menagerie:: Thank you for your validation!!! Haha. Ah, but that's a good way of putting it: Excusing the mistakes because you wanted it to be good. I completely understand. I wanted to do that too... I really did. :(

>27 Deedledee:: I'd love to see her try a stand-alone novel! I suspect she'd be very good at it.

>28 tapestry100:: That would have made a lot more sense: four books. Yep, then we wouldn't have felt like pieces were missing or elements rushed into without reason. And the epilogue... *shudder*. Nice to see another person on the same page.

>29 Menagerie:: That's just it! The 'victim' thing. I don't get it. She was so strong before. Why act like that all of a sudden?

>30 MickyFine:: Hahaha. You're entitled to your own opinion! It's perfectly valid. I won't bite, promise! I'm glad that the series ended well for you, because it means you can walk away satisfied. I wish that I was able to do that.

>31 London_StJ:: Umm... you haven't heard of The Hunger Games?! I think everyone and their mother has read it in this group, with a few exceptions... LOL. You're a very funny lady. And I hope your hole is comfortable. ;) But, I honestly would recommend reading the first two and stopping. They're 100% worth it, even without the final book. They're that good.

14) Warbreaker - Brandon Sanderson

This is a solid, well-crafted fantasy novel that will sate your desire for a unique, sensible magic system, and a good, action-driven story. And this review will sate your desire for too many commas in the first sentence and those following. Hmm. Well, nevertheless, I'm not going to edit them, and I do recommend this book.

Sanderson has a gift for creating unique magic systems that are based around very specific rules -- namely, logic and order -- which is what makes them work within the framework of his story. Things can't just "happen" magically -- they have to make sense and follow the natural laws he created. In Warbreaker, he presents a magic system based around something called BioChromatic Breath. BioChroma relies on 'breaths' to function and are fueled by the use of color (draining it or enhancing it).

None of this tells you about the story itself, I know, but I thought the magic system alone was interesting enough to make me want to read the book. As much as I love older works of epic fantasy, there does come a point when I get tired of magic happening for no reason other than the author wanted it to exist. Without rules, anything can happen, and that becomes unfair to the reader when at the climax of the book, some super-magic power can happen without warning because no rules to the system were previously established. Not so with Sanderson, which is why I really appreciate his writing and attention to detail with his worldbuilding.

Er, all that said, the story itself is pretty good too. Not my favorite of his books, but a good solid fantasy with another couple of strong female characters (I love that Sanderson does this as well... no "rescue me!" princesses in his stories, that's for darn sure) and some great twists and turns along the way.

My only real complaint was that the most interesting character (and object) didn't get enough face time. They didn't appear in a prominent way until more than halfway through the book, and I would have liked to see a lot more development in this area.... but my understanding is that Sanderson has plans to, one day (could be years from now, could be next week) develop this character and object a little bit more in a companion novel, so I can't fault him too much there. He obviously knows that there wasn't enough of him here, so we'll get to see him again someday.

All told, a worthwhile fantasy read!

Rating: 4/5
Acquisition: On my bookshelf

ETA: Corrected book numbering

#33: I really need to read that one. I downloaded it to my Nook last year. One of these days!

That's the second really good review I've seen for Warbreaker. Definitely, need to get to this one.

>33 dk_phoenix:: I read Warbreaker this month, too, and loved it. I haven't read anything else yet by Sanderson, although I have Mistborn on my wish list and hope to read it soon. I did not know that there may be a companion novel in the future. I would love to read more about the character you are referring to and the world of Warbreaker in general, too, so that is good news.

13: Oh boy, I kind of liked Mockingjay too though I agreed with every single thing you said. I think it was such a good series that I'm denial it ended on a less than stellar note.

33: Must get to this one!

I read Warbreaker just before Christmas last year. I forget if I gave it a four or five star, but I liked it. Although you're review is must better than what I'd have been able to manage :) Glad you liked it. That was the first of Sanderson's that I've read so I'm definitely looking for more by him soon.

Great review! Thumbs up. Generally I like Sanderson's work as well. :)

Hi Faith, I'm another that wasn't so thrilled with Mockingjay, though I didn't have as strong a reaction as you. Those that enjoy the way she wrapped up the series say it was an excellent depiction of post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. The book didn't deliver for me at all, I loved the excitement of the first two books. I had more fun reading the various blogs about the ending at the time.
Good to see you follow it up by eading something enjoyable. I must get to Sanderson one of these days.

Great review of Sanderson, I have never heard of this author before but now I'm intrigued.

>34 alcottacre:: Oooh on the Nook! Yes, definitely worth "getting to" :)

>35 Tanglewood:: Yay! Hope you like :)

>36 rubarbaru:: The Mistborn trilogy is fantastic as well; I liked it better than Warbreaker. My husband has read his latest, The Way of Kings, and says it blows all of Sanderson's other stuff out of the water.

>37 RosyLibrarian:: Lol... well, I guess it's okay to be in denial, as long as you know how to swim ;) *cue groans*

>38 Kassilem:: I'm glad you liked it! I'm sure you'll enjoy his other stuff when you get around to it, in that case!

>39 jolerie:: Thanks!

>40 avatiakh:: Interesting comment on the PTSD... hmm... were they referring to the very end section? I can see how that would make sense. I don't think that explains her reactive state through the entirety of the book though... but, just my opinion. I agree with you, reading the various reviews about it is more fun than the book itself! I hope you do get to a Sanderson book soon, he's an excellent writer.

>41 KiwiNyx:: He's fantastic if you love unique, compelling fantasy with strong female characters. Hope you get to try one of his books!

Hi Faith

I'm simply stopping by to learn what interesting books you are reading.

Hi Linda! Thanks so much for stopping in, lovely to have you here :)

>42 dk_phoenix:: The Way of Kings sounds great! Adding it to the wishlist...

15) How to Ditch Your Fairy - Justine Larbalestier

Fourteen-year-old Charlie hates her fairy. All it does is help find great parking spaces, and she doesn't even drive. She wishes she had a cool fairy like her best friend, who has a shopping fairy, or like her arch-enemy Fiorenze, who has a fairy that makes every boy fall in love with her. So, Charlie sets out to get rid of her fairy, in hopes that she'll end up with a new, better one once the old fairy is gone.

While not the best YA I've ever read, Larbalestier weaves an entertaining story about friendship, acceptance, and perseverance. The characters were realistic, and the plot device of "everyone has a fairy" wasn't so over the top as to feel out of place in the otherwise real-world context.

My only real qualm with the book was the made-up dialogue, which I know isn't unusual in some YA books where the setting isn't *exactly* a contemporary city as we'd know it. The author did include a glossary in the back of the book, however, which I appreciated.

Overall, while it wasn't a remarkable book, it was a fun read and probably the best thing I've read from Larbalestier so far.

Rating: 3/5
Acquisition: Scholastic book order

It also filled the TIOLI Challenge to read a book with a 5-letter word embedded in the title! (itchy)

I'm another who didn't much care for Mockingjay (though I didn't hate it as much as you did) -- and I owe LT a review for it, but I'm just having a hard time figuring out what to say.

Glad to see that you enjoyed Warbreaker -- it's sitting on my TBR shelves, and I need to get to it soon! I've also been eyeing the Larbalestier book, but I'm not tremendously motivated to seek it out at the moment, with so many other things out there that I want to read.

43 posts over the weekend!

I was also disappointed with Mockingjay, though I didn't hate it as much as you did. I just thought it was an average book, which was a particular let-down after the first two. But I definitely agree about there being too many meaningless deaths.

Someday I should catch up on Brandon Sanderson's work too.

#42> re Mockingjay & PTSD - Katniss was suffering from it from the start of the book which is why she was such a mess throughout.

>48 foggidawn:: Ack, you owe LT a review for it? Good luck writing it! I have a few ER books I need to write reviews for as well, and at least one that I don't actually want to read. Sigh. Some of them just sound so good when you click the little 'request' button, but then when they arrive... o_O

>49 _Zoe_:: Exactly! The first two were spectacular, which was all the more reason why book three was disappointing.

>50 avatiakh:: Hmm... but if that was the author's intent, she should have given her readers a clear explanation from the beginning. Otherwise, it just comes off as lazy writing... and that's the first I've heard of that reasoning, which suggests it hasn't been clear to the majority of readers. Plus, it makes for a boring book, and why would an author do that to her readership base? I don't buy it... but again, just my opinion. :)

I've cleared my last review obligations for ER, but am a bit tentative about requesting another at this point. I have enough books which have been dropped in my lap by friends and family, and my library list is extending exponentially as I read more 75ers' threads.

Warbreaker sounds pretty good, but not that good. And I've heard of How to Ditch Your Fairy. I thought is was a wierd book then, and now I think it's even wierder.

16) Heat Wave - Richard Castle

What can I say? I adore the show Castle, and I went into reading this book knowing it would be a cheesefest of epic proportions. And it was. It's not particularly well written, but it's highly entertaining, likely because the characters in the book and the characters from the show are essentially one and the same, except in name. But that's the point, of course. I had a great time reading this and picturing the show's characters, and the story felt like one long Castle episode, which for me was a good thing.

If you're not a fan of the show, I suspect much of the humor and joking will be lost on you... and you may throw the book down in frustration. Everything from the dedication to the endorsement blurbs are part of the joke that Castle is a real person (apparently Nathan Fillion even did book signings in New York as Castle when the book came out, as part of keeping the facade), which to me makes the whole thing that much more fun.

A must-read for fans of the series, and an 'avoid until you watch the show' for everyone else!

Rating: 3.5/5
Acquisition: I bought this when it came out in paperback... I walked into the store, saw it, and squealed (I hadn't known it was out in pb yet) while dancing down the aisles of the very small bookstore I was in (yes, literally)... my husband laughed, the employees gave me odd looks. Pfft. If I can't get excited about a book, what's the point? :D

ETA: This book also fit the TIOLI challenge to read a book with "two vowels in each word in the title, and that makes you think of warmth".

I need to watch Castle as I think Nathan Fillion is one sexy mofo.

Ooo, Castle is good fun - I watch that and Bones while eating lunch as my brain-break in the afternoon. I was afraid the book would be terrible so I never thought to pick it up, but now I may have to!

I haven't watched Castle, but your review made me laugh. I really need to check out the show as I enjoyed Nathan Fillion in Firefly.

Hubby and I love, Love, LOVE Castle. It's about the only network TV we watch these days. It's gotten to the point that hubby plans Monday night around Castle. If we go anywhere, we MUST be back by 9:00 - even though I have the DVR set to record all episodes.

I have Heat Wave on my Kindle, I need to push it to hubby's Kindle, and move it up the TBR list on mine.

I finally found your new thread! :)

I have developed an even more huge crush on Nathan Fillion after finding out that he's one of the co-founders of Kids Need to Read.

>55 RosyLibrarian:: Yes. Yes you do. Do it now! LOL.

>56 London_StJ:: Well, the book isn't exactly a literary masterpiece, but it's a good romp for fans of the show!

>57 Tanglewood:: And there are a number of funny side-references here and there that only Firefly fans would pick up! If you're a fan of Fillion, you'll like Castle. I don't think anyone else could play this role like he does.

>58 dulcibelle:: I know, I get so excited when Mondays roll around! It's really the only redeeming factor on the worst day of the week.

>59 BookAngel_a:: Yaaay!!! :)

>60 Deedledee:: Oooh! I didn't know that! That IS a reason to like him even more... also, his Tweets are hilarious. Some days I open Twitter just to see what he's saying.

17) Sex in the Snow: The Surprising Revolution in Canadian Social Values - Michael Adams

This book is much less exciting than it sounds, trust me. I had to mark 25 first-year college book reports for this one, so I know it inside and out, whether I want to or not!

It's interesting, I'll admit -- Adams is a pollster, so he knows how to get information from people and how to manage it. His thesis for Sex in the Snow is that "demography is not destiny", and as a result, breaks down his analysis of Canadian demographic groups into social values tribes, which he asserts are of more use in understanding Canadians.

I could say more about the social values tribes, but I don't want to bore you in case sociology isn't your thing. If it is, however, I'd caution you before picking up this book -- the author has an extreme bias against Judeo-Christian values (or religion of any kind that isn't simply 'spirituality'), and it shows. Rather than presenting his data as an unbiased third party, which he claims to be doing, his voice creeps in from time to time and seems to be condoning the growing hedonistic tendencies of the younger generation. On more than on occasion, his statements about Christianity are tinged with bitterness and, I would go so far as to say hatred. It's certainly off-putting, when you consider what the book should be doing.

Adams also neglects to recognize the growing influence of immigrant populations here in Canada, which means he doesn't even mention the prevalence of Muslims. Islam is a growing religion, not a stagnant or declining one as he claims Christianity is (though he has trouble presenting data for this), but he doesn't even mention it. And what about Hinduism or Buddhism, or any number of other international religions that have a strong presence in Canada due to immigrant populations? It made me scratch my head to think that this well-known sociologist wouldn't even acknowledge these other ethnicities, when that's what our country is so well known for.

And finally, does he mention the good work that people who are tied to religions often do? I'm not so naive as to think all religious groups do good, but when there is a need in a community, isn't it typically a church group who will reach out and fill that need? Things like the help they give to the poor, the donations made to those in need, the communities of trust, assistance, and generosity built around these groups of people? No, Adams simply waxes poetic about hedonism and self-centered youth, sounding almost fond of the change. It's more than a little disconcerting.

Even those who are not religious or who have a strong spiritual belief may be more than a bit puzzled about Adams' reaction to shifting social values. If people are becoming more selfish, more pleasure-seeking, is that always a good thing? Consider the teenagers you know right now. The lack of courtesy many of them have for their fellow person, the defiance of authority, the self-seeking nature of their interactions. Do you want them to run the country with those attitudes still in place?

For all of our sakes, I hope Adams' data is skewed due to the segments of the population he so blatantly ignored. I just wonder why he turned a blind eye to millions of Canadians' influence and presence in his social values schema.

Rating: 2.5/5
Acquisition: Borrowed from a prof so I could mark his students' reports!

We love Castle! My wife bought me both books for Christmas but I haven't gotten them in my reading queue yet. I saw the Firely movie but never watched any of the TV episodes. I also find quite a few Stephen King references in the Castle TV show.

Interesting review. I read Fire and Ice by the same author about six years ago, and I think I enjoyed it on the whole. It was written after Sex in the Snow, so I wonder whether his views had changed or whether I was just oblivious to the various problems.

>63 blackdogbooks:: Ack! You've seen the movie but not the show?! You're missing out... you might want to rectify that ASAP. The show was much, much betten than the film, and I liked the film! Plus, it's not much to catch up on... only 13 episodes.

>64 _Zoe_:: I might keep an eye out for Fire and Ice, in that case, as I'd be interested to see his points of discussion on Canadian/American relations (he doesn't give much space to it in Sex in the Snow). I just found it absolutely astounding that he didn't even mention the influence of immigrant populations and their values (and how they tend to form their own social values tribes, in many cases), particularly when Canada is know for its enormous diversity. That said, I believe he only surveyed 2600 Canadians for this study... which, although I don't know much about the philosophy of statistical polling, doesn't sound like a large enough number to represent our incredibly diverse population.

Chiming in here as another huge Castle/Firefly fan. I haven't read the books yet, but I'll probably get round to them eventually.

Monsieur teases me that there is a new series coming out but I can't find anything about it.

#46: (yes, I know I'm a little tardy but I've been trying not to spend time on LT recently in the hopes I might actually get round to reading at least one book this month!) I just wanted to comment how much I adored the book cover you have for How to Ditch Your Fairy. I have been in big trouble with my 6 year old recently for refusing to believe in fairies: "Did you know mom that every time you say you don't believe in fairies a fairy dies?? (Little brother) has killed at least 5 since we got up this morning!!!! Do YOU believe in fairies mom?" Me: "(gulp!) No." "YOU JUST KILLED A FAIRY MOM!!!!! Do you really not believe in fairies?" Me: "(gulp!) erm... well.... erm..." I just wanted to say that, given my current 'fairy acceptance = further feeding the fairy obsession; fairy denial = certain fairy death' predicament, the picture of the fairy and the hammer made me laugh out loud quite uncontrollably (don't worry, I'll seek professional help...some day!)

I got to see and touch the actual hydraulic arm that Nathan Fillion wore in the steampunk episode of Castle and meet the guy that built it yesterday! I'm going to put a pic up on my thread when I put up the next batch of pictures from Anachrocon.

>#68 Bahahahah! Kids sure are funny! :)

>66 scaifea:: I haven't read the second one yet, but I imagine it'll be in the same vein -- campy and fun. Worth it if you have the time!

>67 mamzel:: There are rumors every week, if you look hard enough! There was something about Syfy buying the rights to Firefly this week, but I don't know details or whether it actually happened or if it was just a rumor. I think it would be easier if there weren't rumors, then I wouldn't keep getting my hopes up!

>68 verdelambton:: Thanks for sharing that story!!! That is VERY funny. I'm glad the cover, uh, helped? LOL.

>69 Kittybee:: I saw the pictures on your thread!!! So jealous, but completely fantastic. I need more steampunk in my life.

18) Eye of the World (Wheel of Time, Book 1) - Robert Jordan

Yep, I'm doing it. I've taken the plunge, and am going to read the Wheel of Time series from start to finish, in the hopes that by the time I'm done, I won't have *too* long to wait for the final installment of the series. Sanderson has said it will be published in 2012, so if I read one book from the series per month in 2011, I should be right on track.

I think I've waited this long because of how daunting it is to start an unfinished 14-book series. Well, I'm glad I started, because I actually found myself enjoying the story and characters. I've heard that the middle books can become a bit of a slog, but for now, I'm going to enjoy the fact that I can read this with fresh eyes (since it's a first read of the series) and that I don't have to wait for each book to be published as I read them... particularly due to the rumors that there are so many characters, it can get confusing later on if you've taken too much of a break between books.

Anyway, I liked this one, I saw where certain authors who wrote afterward borrowed a concept or two, and I'm looking forward to reading The Great Hunt in March. Simple as that!

Rating: 4/5
Acquisition: On my bookshelf (I'd owned/collected the series over the past decade or so, but hadn't bothered reading them...)

Ok, I could be off base here, but wasn't that series promised to be finished a year or two ago? Michael and I were just talking about our favorite series, and I know there's one whose author is much older and promised a book well over a year ago, and it still hasn't been produced...

There was another series that was never finished because the author passed away. Poor Michael never has any luck with fiction.

George R.R. Martin has been dragging his heels on releasing the next book in his series for 5 or 6 years now... there's a tentative release date of his next book in late 2012, but it'll probably change. He's a bit older, so this might be the one Michael is thinking of.

Or, maybe he's thinking of Patrick Rothfuss? His new book took ages to come out as he had severe writer's block (and was very open about it on his website), but it *just* came out yesterday. It was supposed to be out last year, so that might be the one!

Robert Jordan (the book above) passed away and there was speculation that his series wouldn't be finished, but his widow & publisher chose Brandon Sanderson to complete the series. Sanderson has been very open with the fans of the series about how long it takes to write each book, posting daily word count stats, daily revision stats, and small excerpts along the way. He's writing the final book right now... so I'm not sure this is the one Michael was thinking of.

The reason why it's taking so long to finish the Wheel of Time is that instead of writing one book to finish the series, Sanderson realized he had to write several in order to tie up all the loose ends properly (he has an excellent post about this on his blog!). Apparently Jordan had a *lot* of notes left behind, and there are so many characters that one book alone just wouldn't have done the series justice (and would have cheated the fans out of the completion of several major plot lines and character arcs).

I'm sure there are others, but those are the most prominent fantasy series that I can think of with completion issues! Poor guy. It's always disappointing when an author you love takes ages to write something else (or they die), but it does happen and at least some of those authors are honest about the difficulties they have. Though I do stress *some*. Haha.

Whenever Martin deigns to post a blog update on A Dance With Dragons it's usually some variation of "leave me alone you bastards just let me sleep one night in peace you goddamn vampires i dont have the book sob choke sob."

LOL!!!

Luxx, it might also be Kristin Britain! She's been writing the same series for about 14 years now. And is only on... book 5? I think? o_O

Arrgh, Kristin Britain. I just read the first three, and was getting into the series when I saw that a) a new book is just out, but b) it's a cliffhanger - and she publishes the dratted things four years apart.

72: I've always wanted to tackle that series, but when ever I stare at the books on my shelf they seem so large and intimidating that I always pass them by. One of these days...

Do you think you will read the entire in one sitting or space them out? How many books are out now? I have always wanted to read the series as well but want to wait till all the books are out before I start buying them.

>77 Cynara:: But, at least she's still writing her series! Unlike the previously mentioned author...

>78 RosyLibrarian:: I know! That's what I thought for... oh... the past ten years. LOL. It was time to just buckle down and do it. I'm giving myself a year to read them all, though!

>79 jolerie:: I'm reading them one volume per month. That way I'll end just in time for the final volume's release! I can't just plow through the whole series one after another though... I don't usually read two books by the same author back to back, regardless, so I'd just get frustrated if I tried that! I believe there are 13 books out now (someone correct me if I'm wrong!) and the 14th will be released next March or April. Now is a good time to read them if you've wanted to, because you won't have to wait for the final book when you get to the end of the series, especially if you plan to read one a month.

You've almost tempted me to reread the Wheel of Time books.... I read the first 8 or 9 (all that were out at the time) maybe 10 years ago, but I never got around to continuing with the series. I'm not sure I could endure the slog through the later books, but I am curious to see what Brandon Sanderson has done with the series.

Hi! Thanks for stopping by my thread! Starred you.

Sandy K

74 - Then it's Robert Jordan who died (Michael never had a desire to read Sanderson's work), and Martin who has been stalling and may not finish. I feel bad for him, too, but he comforts himself with 4-inch technical books instead of finding new fiction. *shrug*

Happy reading!

Thats a good strategy to read just one a month! But I have such a bad memory that if I don't read an entire series in one sitting, I at a loss to who did what and when??? But to sit and read like 13 books back to back might be overkill!

>81 _Zoe_:: I've heard from some people that reading them through from start to finish is easier than trying to jump back in the middle, due to the sheer amount of characters and plots you'd have to remember... o_O !!! Maybe the later ones aren't so bad, in that case? I've heard that Crossroads of Twilight is the worst one as everyone just stands around talking about doing things but not actually doing them, but even then it's tolerable if you're just going from one book to the other (when they actually do the things they planned for the entirety of the previous volume... lol).

>82 sandykaypax:: And thanks for the return visit! :)

>83 London_StJ:: Thanks :) ...maybe one of these days you'll be able to tempt him back into the fold...!

>84 jolerie:: Yeah, 13 books is a bit much... but spacing them out month by month shouldn't be too long a gap to forget things! Depends on your reading preference, of course :)

19) Radio Shangri-La - Lisa Napoli

Dissatisfied with her life as a radio journalist, Lisa Napoli takes a stranger at a party up on his random offer -- to visit Bhutan and lend some of her expertise to setting up the country's first youth-oriented radio station, KuzooFM. At the time, Bhutan was known as 'the happiest place on earth', measuring its success in GNH (Gross National Happiness) and limiting the influence of the outside world.

Over time, this changed, and through Napoli's memoir we get to experience the shifting social structure as it happened: democracy, access to Western television stations, modern music, and a growing sense of materialism in a country that was previously focused on family and spirituality. There is one interesting thing to note: even with the changes, Bhutan has retained its $200-per-day tourist tax for visitors wanting to enter the country. The country may be more open, yes, but they still don't want the hoardes of unwashed Westerners traipsing through their sacred spaces.

I'm glad I read the book to learn about Bhutan, which I previously knew very little about. However, you may have noticed that I haven't yet talked about Napoli and her time at the radio station. That's because I actually found that part of the narrative somewhat dull and self-indulgent. I'm very glad that Napoli was able to 'find herself' in the experience, and was able to discover her priorities in life, but unlike other 'travel memoir' style books I've read recently, there didn't seem to be a real point here.

She wasn't there on a humanitarian mission, so the book wasn't written to create an awareness of social injustice. She didn't do anything particularly remarkable, so the book wasn't written to chronicle how she rose from nothing to conquer to world. There are moments of excitement and flashes of brilliance, but on the whole, I wasn't quite sure what the point of the book happened to be.

On the whole, I was a little disappointed. The cover (of my ARC, anyway) is lovely, and the title is fantastic. I only wish I'd known the purpose of the book, rather than feeling like I was simply indulging a friend telling a bland travel story, and not really sure how to walk away without being rude...

Rating: 2.5/5
Acquisition: Received from publisher for review

Going back to The Wheel of Time, I read the first book ages ago and really liked it but then got really frustrated with the second book and gave up.

Part of me wants to try the series again but another part of me doesn't know whether I can face reading such an epic series especially when I have so many unread books already.

Anyway, I will be interested in seeing your thoughts about each book as you read through!

#86 Sympathies on a less than great read. Hope your next one is better!

20) Solomon's Jar (Rogue Angel, Book #2) - Alex Archer

Attractive female archaeologist with a mystical destiny, questing for mysterious ancient artifacts that could destroy the world if they fell into the wrong hands = I will love it.

Yes, the Rogue Angel series reads like a combination of Tomb Raider, Relic Hunter, Indiana Jones, and Uncharted, but that's why I love it. It's ridiculous, full of intense action, wild adventure scenes, and moments of utter insanity. Meanwhile, the archaeological lingo is spot on, including inside jokes about archaeology as a career and little digs at prominent archaeologists, and even accurate mentions of various theories concerning whatever the main character is chasing at the time.

I liked the first book in this series, and loved the mindless adventure found in this one. If the writing stays this good, I'll be happy to read the next 17+ books in the series. I realize that there are 3 or 4 writers working under the Alex Archer pseudonym to write these books, but they must all have strong backgrounds in the field or have an archaeological consultant go through the manuscripts, because... dang. So much fun, rather addictive, and suitably ridiculous.

Looking forward to book three!

Rating: 4.5/5
Acquisition: On my bookshelf (in a volume of the first three books in the series)

That sounds like a really fun series! I'll have to look for that at the library.

That sounds like a tremendously fun read. I used to love watching Relic Hunter back in the day. My best friend and I liked to sigh over Nigel. Hope your next read is just as enjoyable!

It sounds like you really enjoyed Solomon's Jar.

Hi, Faith! How are you? Trying to catch up on threads and I had completely missed this one. Added the Rogue Angel series to my wishlist.

Have a wonderful day:)

Oh...and Faith? Are you ready for P&P??:)

Aww, I knew you'd be around asking... :) I'll go find the thread today!

I am ready, I borrowed an annotated copy from my sister, who is very excited that I'm finally going to read some Austen... LOL.

Well...perfect timing :D

Faith, I just realized I hadn't seen your thread for ever so long when you posted on another thread today, and yes, indeedy, I missed the transition to your new thread! Kick me the next time that happens. I almost missed your spot-on review of Mockingjay, although I have to admit I was one of the ones proposing the PTSD theory for Katniss in the final book--she does have ALL the symptoms. But the useless deaths and all the rest--that's the best I've heard it expressed.

Hope you enjoy your foray in Austen! (and if you don't, don't tell me :P)

21) Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together - Bryan Lee O'Malley

Scott gets a job! Scott is also being followed by ninjas, and finds himself confronted by a girlfriend from his past.

Things seem to be looking up for Scott... but are they really?

Another great installment to the series. I won't say much more, because I don't want to give spoilers, but for those who are curious: the story becomes more complex in this volume, with significant character development, and the humor seems to hit its stride.

Rating: 4/5
Acquisition: My bookshelf

>97 ronincats:: Ah, there you are! Thanks very much. I can definitely see how you'd suspect PTSD, I'm just going to have to disagree that it was intentional by Collins... I think she'd have needed to communicate that better to her readers, especially with such a significant shift in Katniss' personality. But, that's okay, it's been very interesting to hear all the different reactions and perspectives on the book! Glad you're here on the thread now :)

>98 MickyFine:: Thanks! And I'll definitely keep you (and the rest of the thread) posted... as I'm not exactly one to hide my feelings when it comes to liking/disliking a book... LOL.

Every time you mention one of those Scott Pilgrim books, I tell myself I should really pick up the first one someday... but it somehow hasn't happened yet!

22) Like Clockwork - Bonnie Dee (touchstone not available)

This novella from Carina Press sounded highly intriguing: A young woman named Victoria has pioneered work on automatons, originally intending for them to replace humans in dangerous jobs. However, society quickly latched on to her invention and started using automatons to replace humans in other positions as well, creating mass issues of unemployment.

Fearing social unrest and more potential deaths from disillusioned individuals like the notorious Slasher (who has been killing young women and removing their hearts), Victoria travels to a meeting of scientists and political leaders in order to plead her case: Restrict use of automatons before it's too late.

Of course, she never makes it to the meeting. She's kidnapped by an underground faction who are willing to do anything necessary to create the downfall and destruction of the automatons... but her kidnapper's plan gets skewed when Victoria pledges her assistance to the cause.

Naturally, Victoria and her kidnapper Dash fall in love... and quickly, at that. It seems to just happen, without any real lead-in, and becomes a backdrop for the resolution of the Slasher plot, the automatons, and the underground's unwillingness to resolve the problem peacefully.

It's an interesting story, with interesting characters. The problem I found was that the story was too big for its format. Dee could have written a full-length novel with this plot, and been able to better explore the themes of automatons and humans being replaced by machines, social unrest, and so forth. In this short 31,000-word novella format, she's forced to rush through the causes and consequences, leaving out crucial elements of character development and logical sequencing, resulting in a rushed story and a forced romance.

Naturally, the hero and the heroine defeat the odds and rise above the confines of polite society to be together. That's fine, as unbelievable as the romance is because of its rushed nature, readers expect the main characters to be together at the end of a romance book.

What I didn't expect, however, was the randomly tacked on, extremely graphic sex scene at the end of the book. Out of the blue, the main characters consummate their relationship and then the story ends. There's no lead-in, and there's no wrap-up. It felt like the author submitted the book, the editor said "okay, that's good, but we need more heat", and the author tacked a sex scene on to the end because it was 'required'. I'm not saying that's what happened, it just read that way.

If you want a quick, entertaining steampunk novella, it's not bad. It has its flaws, but it's a decent story and will quench your steampunk thirst without demanding a commitment to a longer book or series.

I'd simply recommend that you stop reading before the final chapter -- trust me, the story will make more sense and you'll enjoy the book much better that way!

Rating: 2.5/5
Acquisition: NetGalley

I don't think I'll be picking up the novella, although the premise sounds really great. I also really like the cover art. That's the kind of thing that would make me pick it up in the bookstore. Hope your next read is better.

Your premise of Like Clockwork started off so well I wasn't expecting to be directed not to read the last chapter, might give it a miss.

>103 MickyFine:: I know, right? It sounds great, it looks good... and then it falls flat with the ending. Bah!

>104 KiwiNyx:: I wish it had stayed good all the way through! The ending was just so out of place that it ruined my enjoyment of the rest of the book.

Hi Faith, just stopping by to say hello. :)

Another hello from me, and I have to say that you have convinced me to give Castle a try. I wasn't sure I wanted to see Nathan Fillion as anyone other than Mal, after watching all of "Firefly", but it sounds like the show is too good to miss. :)

How's P&P coming? I finished it last night;) Hope you like it.

*looks around*

...

*crickets chirping*

...

Hrm. Seems I've been away longer than I thought. Sorry, friends. :(

But, I'm back now. I think? I'll do my best.

I think the worst stresses have passed, so life should revert back to normal, and I'll have time (and the desire) to read again. This is good.

*trots off to catch up on threads*

23) Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know - Alexandra Horowitz

(I wish I'd written this review right after reading it... now I forget all the things I wanted to say two months ago...)

Horowitz's book on dogs isn't like other dog books I've read. Rather than simply telling cutesy stories, or conversely, rather than simply treating the dog like an emotionless, instinct-driven animal, Horowitz presents a balanced view of domestic canines from her scientific perspective and her experiences as a pet owner.

The majority of her chapters are given to explaining, in plain language, the scientific processes behind how a dog's mind and senses work, giving evidence, historical detail, and anatomical insight. In parallel with that, she presents examples from her own experience as a dog owner, even if those experiences contradict what 'science' currently claims as true.

I liked how she was hesitant to anthropomorphize dogs when presenting the scientific side of things, but acknowledged the near-impossibility of avoiding doing so as a pet owner. She recognized the flaws in some of the studies done on dog behavior, noting that if you asked any dog owner the same questions, they could answer without hesitation.

While I don't actually own a dog -- and truth be told, dogs aren't my favorite animals by a long shot -- I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have shared it with several dog owners since reading it. I feel I came away with a better understanding of domestic canines (and wild, actually), and it was a fascinating read to boot!

Rating: 4/5
Acquisition: CostCo impulse purchase :)



24) No Such Thing as Dragons - Philip Reeve

This is a quick fantasy-esque read for children: Fast-paced, plenty of action and violence (in some scenes, an unexpected amount), and a nice little moral at the end of a not-so-neatly-wrapped-up ending.

It's a simple quest story, with a famous "dragon slayer", a mute young boy, a capable young female, and a fortune-seeking idiot all setting out to slay a dragon that terrorizes the mountains near a small village.

I won't say much more about the plot as I don't want to spoil it for you, but it's a fun, fast-paced, well-crafted read that'll provide an excellent source of entertainment for an hour or so one afternoon.

Rating: 4/5
Acquisition: Scholastic book order

Welcome back!

Your back! I thought that I lost your thread. Glad your back! I saw the bottom book No Such Thing as Dragons in a book store recently, but that's all I've ever heard of it. The title reminds me of a short story I read called I Hate Dragons online. It's about this person in the dragon-fighting army who's "special" talents is smelling irrestible to dragons so that they want to eat him. So, so funny!

Welcome back! I have Inside a Dog in my TBR pile. Happy to know it's a good read.

>111 norabelle414:: Thank you :)

>112 DragonFreak:: Thanks! I didn't know much about it when I bought it (for $2.99, I figured I couldn't go wrong), but it was a good decision! I Hate Dragons sounds great, do you remember where online you read it from?

>113 Tanglewood:: Hope you like it!

Welcome back! I don't know that I've ever read a dog centric book before. Where the Red Fern Grows maybe.

I think the website is right here: http://www.brandonsanderson.com/library/91/Recent-Short-Stories---I-Hate-Dragons . There this spot in the middle that's really, really funny.

ETA: this is my favorite line:

"Just 'cause a gift is unexpected doesn't mean it ain't a gift."

"A knife to the back can be unexpected. That doesn't make it a gift either. Sir."

It's funnier if you know the whole story though.

Hi Faith

I lost you for awhile, but found you today. I'm adding No Such Thing As Dragons to my tbr pile.

>115 RosyLibrarian:: I didn't read many 'dog books' as a child, either. They always died at the end, and I don't handle those very well...

>116 DragonFreak:: I went to the site and read it! I remember reading on Sanderson's blog that he'd posted something he'd written for a writing exercise, but I hadn't taken the time to actually read the story. That was a lot of fun! He's a very talented author. Thanks for sharing! :)

>117 Whisper1:: Hi Linda! Glad to see you here :) Hope you enjoy the book once you get around to it.

>118 dk_phoenix: Your welcome!

Nice to see you, Faith! Hope you can be back permanently this time. :)

Hi, Faith!! It's been a while and it is nice to see you back! I've been following your blog though:)

>120 Ape:: I hope so too! :D

>121 Apolline:: Oh yay, a blog follower! I have to admit though, sadly, that because I was in a reading funk for about a month, I haven't started P&P yet... :( I still plan to read it, though... still have the book sitting out on the coffee table where it can taunt me every time I walk past!

25) Get Fuzzy: Treasury of the Lost Litter Box - Darby Conley

Plenty of laughs, lots of awkward moments, and many ridiculous antics by Bucky Katt and Satchel Pooch. There was a little too much political commentary in this volume for my taste, but it was still a fun diversion.

Rating:3.5/5
Acquisition: Christmas gift



26) Among Others - Jo Walton

If you’re a book lover, you want to read this book.

If you’re a reader of older fantasy & sci-fi, you definitely want to read this book.

If you’ve ever felt like you live life on the outside looking in because of your love for spec fiction, you need to read this book.

I started the book with a bit of hesitation, as I wasn’t sure what it would be like, but the endorsements on the cover from Robin Hobb and Patrick Rothfuss inspired confidence.

The story is unusual, at times startling, and yet absolutely irresistable—you’ll try to put the book down, only to be drawn back in again. The wonder and excitement that fills Morwenna as she discovers new authors and discusses them with her reading group is infectious, reminding you (the reader) of the moments when you read these authors for the first time.

The sense of ‘otherness’, the ‘outsider’ view that comes from being a voracious reader comes through loud and clear in the narrative, and for me, I found the actual plot of the story secondary to what was happening with Morwenna’s reading. Mind you, the plot itself is just as compelling, and it keeps the reader guessing—right up until the end—whether Morwenna is a little bit crazy, or if this ‘magic’ she speaks of as something true is a real thing.

I don’t know how Walton did it, but honestly, this book felt like a masterpiece—a love letter to speculative fiction, echoing sentiments that I’m sure we’ve all felt at one time or another.

Here’s one of my favorite quotations… maybe you can relate, just a tiny bit:

“What I mean is, when I look at other people, other girls in school, and see what they like and what they’re happy with and what they want, I don’t feel as if I’m part of their species. And sometimes—sometimes I don’t care. I care about so few people really. Sometimes it feels as if it’s only books that make life worth living, like on Halloween when I wanted to be alive because I hadn’t finished Babel 17. I’m sure that isn’t normal.” (p.119)

Honestly? Buy the hardcover. It’s worth it.

Rating: 5/5
Acquisition: ARC

Oh, the reading funk. I've been there.

Among Others looks amazing!

Hey I love that quote in Among Others. That's a pretty good review!

Among Others sounds brilliant.

Welcome back Faith. Reading and life funks seem to have hit a large number of people this year.
Among Others does sound brilliant. Loved the review. I gave it a thumb up.

Ah, a 5* ARC is a great way to jump out of the reading funk!

another one on the TBR list - thanks

Okay, added to my library hold list. I'm number 32. Oh dear.

Be of good cheer, Morphidae! I was at 40-something, and now I'm number 4 in line! Woo-HOO!

Karen O.

Wow, Among Others sounds like a must read, thanks for the heads up. I also enjoyed your dragon review, I bought that book a couple of weeks ago for $2 so I'm pleased to hear it's a good one.

Welcome back Faith! I already had Among Others on my wishlist but I am going to hold off for the paperback I'm afraid as it's not been released in the UK so it makes it that bit more expensive...

Adding "Among Others" to the list, because the excerpt is something I could have written myself back in high school. Except about guys, of course.

Heck, drop the "sometimes--sometimes" and I'd write it today.

Among Others is going straight into my wishlist--aargh, I've been hit by a BB!

Among Others was already on my wishlist; maybe I'll actually read it soon.

>124 norabelle414: & 126: It *is* both amazing AND brilliant!

>125 DragonFreak:: Thank you :)

>127 VioletBramble:: Thanks so much! Yes, it's odd how reading funks seem to have struck so many people, and around the same time. I wonder if it's a shift in seasons that has to do with it. Or maybe just the time of year when other things in life tend to encroach on our psyches. I do wonder.

>128 London_StJ:: Absolutely!

>129 beeg:: For some reason, your comment got Queen's 'Another One Bites the Dust' in my head... *dum dum dum* "Another one on the TBR list... and another one on and another one on... another one on the list!" *ahhh*

>130 Morphidae: & 132: Wow! That's a long time to wait! But, maybe you'll have a miracle moment and get bumped up like Karen :D

>133 souloftherose:: $2 is a good price for the Philip Reeve dragon book! It's short, so I wouldn't pay much more, but it's definitely worth the price of admission :)

>134 swynn:: I know, isn't the comment just so... true? There are many comments like that throughout the book. If you've read a lot of the old sci-fi/fantasy authors, I think you'll get even more out of it. I expect I'll be re-reading this one many times and finding new phrases and nuances I didn't get the first time around.

>135 ronincats:: *BAM BAM BAM* ...you're welcome. :D

>136 _Zoe_:: Read it! Read it! Read it! (Yes, I am chanting annoyingly... because it's that good.)

27) Wither (Chemical Garden Trilogy, Book #1) - Lauren DeStefano

To start: I love the cover. See how the little circles pull your focus to very specific things in the picture? Those things are very important, and tell you a lot about the story inside.

But, cover aside, what about the story itself?

Well, for a story where nothing much happens, it’s pretty darn compelling. I got halfway through the book before I realized, “wait a minute… it’s been 150 pages and all the main character has done is walk through her daily routine a few times and chat with the other wives… why am I still interested?!?!”

And honestly, I’m not sure. It takes quite awhile for the main character to decide to actually do anything about her situation, but when she does, it’s worth the wait. In the meantime, the interactions between the characters and the simple consequences of a wrong word spoken here, or a strange glance there, are enough to maintain a rather stressful level of tension throughout the narrative, even without much action.

In the end, the worldbuilding in this novel was better than in others I’ve recently read, and the slow reveal of the situation wasn’t as annoying as some others. I’d also say that, compared to the book Bumped, which has a similar premise, I found this story much smoother in terms of the way the fertility/life expectancy issues were introduced (review of Bumped forthcoming…).

Mind you, there are still plenty of questions left unanswered, and a number of bizarre issues not addressed (ie. when did society become okay with rounding up fertile young women and shooting them, if there’s a population crisis? and why are there orphans on the street if children are such a precious commodity?). If you can get past that, it’s a surprisingly good read, and I’m certainly looking forward to the second installment.

Rating: 3.5/5
Acquisition: Simon & Schuster eGalley

28) If God, Why Evil? - Norman L. Geisler

If you’re interested in the problem of evil, or curious about how an all-powerful, all-loving God could allow bad things to happen to good people – whether we’re talking personal troubles, natural disasters, or even illnesses – you’ll find something of value here.

Geisler approaches the topic as a philosopher and a Christian, using philosophical paradigms that will be familiar to anyone who has taken even a basic philosophy class at any level. He looks at arguments for and against basic points, and uses both historical and scientific data to answer the common objections to issues such as the nature, origin, persistence, purpose, and avoidability of evil, while also addressing the problem of Hell (eternal evil).

The appendices in Geisler’s book were actually the most intriguing part of the book for me personally, because he discusses the evidence for the existence of God using basic scientific principles and insights from prominent physicists and astronomers. He also gives several pages to a critique of the popular novel The Shack, looking at the theological issues surrounding Young’s portrayal of God and the nature of evil.

I found Geisler’s book to be very well put together, very readable, and highly logical. Reading the book doesn’t require a background in philosophy, nor does it present convoluted concepts that might be above the average layman’s comprehension levels.

Rather, if the problem of evil and why a loving God, if he existed, would allow so much suffering in the world is a question you have struggled with in the past (or perhaps are struggling with today), Geisler’s book offers some new, carefully presented, rational ways to think about the issue. And it’s a short read, to boot – a far cry from a textbook slog!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Rating: 4/5
Acquisition: ARC

I won Wither at Dewey's Read-a-thon, so I'm glad to hear it's a good book.

Hi Faith! Wither looks like a really interesting book. Oiy...but it's another trilogy and I'm guessing not all the books are out yet? Regardless though, I will have to add that to my list. :)

Looks like you skipped your Jordan a month dose for the month of April!

Wither looks completely fascinating. Thanks for the heads up.

>140 Morphidae:: Hope you like it when you get around to it!

>141 jolerie:: Yeah, only the first one is out, so you'll be waiting a few years for the next two...

>142 PiyushC:: I know! I'm about halfway through book three, but my reading time took a nosedive in April and I didn't get to a number of books I'd intended to read. I need to get back on the wagon and finish it now.

>143 KiwiNyx:: You're welcome, hope you like it! :)

Hi Faith -- happy spring!

Hey, the book above, which sounds very interesting and thought provoking, reminded me of one I came across recently. I reviewed Horns for a blog I sometimes contribute to. In the back of the edition I read, Joe Hill mentioned God's Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question-Why we Suffer. Hill said he would've written a different novel if his siter, a minister, had given him the book before he drafted the novel. I've been on the lookout for a copy and now will add your title to my look-out list. Thanks.

>145 AMQS:: Thank you! And right back at ya ;)

>146 blackdogbooks:: Oh, that's very interesting... I'll add both those titles to the list, I'd like to see how the Hill book compares (and Hill's book itself). Thanks for sharing about this!

29) Delirium - Lauren Oliver

This was my first Lauren Oliver read, and I started the book with fairly high expectations. I'd heard that Lauren Oliver's books were compelling, vivid, and very emotional stories that drew the reader in and gripped them until the end.

In this case? Mostly true. My main issue with this novel was the premise: The United States has decided that love is a disease, and youth undergo a procedure at eighteen to "cure" them of the possibility of ever catching the disease. Marriages are matched by algorithm, and anyone showing signs of the disease is captured and forced to undergo treatment again and again (mind you, this element plays a major role in the plot, so I don't want to say much more).

Now, while this is an interesting approach to building a dystopian society, I simply had trouble with the plausibility of it all. We don't really learn why and how the United States decided that love was a disease, and I find that if I don't have a clear explanation of how a dystopian society becomes dystopian, I stop caring. If it can't be explained to me, there's no logical reason for what's happening, and I get frustrated.

Beyond that, the issue of eliminating love is so much more complicated than the way it's presented here. Oliver touches on the inevitability of certain mothers being unable to "bond" with their children and thus needing to be removed from them... or some people committing suicide because of the apathy they develop... but I honestly think she downplayed this aspect. I know it's for the sake of the story, but if mothers didn't love their children, or teachers didn't love the kids they taught, or if no one loved their job, the world would become a very dysfunctional place very quickly.

So for me, the premise was flawed and I didn't buy it.

However... the actual writing, and the story, and the characters? Beautiful. Oliver has this incredible ability to write so smoothly that you'll be halfway through the book before you've taken a second breath. Her style is clear and to the point, not flowery or melodramatic, allowing you to be drawn in without even realizing it. Honestly, even with all the flaws I mentioned above, I will be reading the second book, if only for the author's ability to create characters that you really want to cheer for, and for her ability to make the words simply flow across the page like water.

Rating: 3.5/5
Acquisition: NetGalley

I am not going to try and catch up, Faith, since I am 95 messages behind :)

I have had Delirium in the BlackHole for a while now. I will try to keep in mind your reservations when I read it.

I really liked Before I Fall and am definitely planning to read Delirium, so I mostly skipped your comments (the trick will be remembering to come back and find them afterwards). Hopefully I'll enjoy the book more than you did.

>149 alcottacre:: Fair enough! I feel the same way about your threads these days... ;)

>150 _Zoe_:: It's not a bad read! I just have some reservations about the premise, but the writing is extremely engaging. I'd definitely like to read Before I Fall and see how she does the more contemporary side of things.

30) Due to Rising Energy Costs, the Light at the End of the Tunnel Has Been Turned Off : How to Have a Happy, Fabulous Life Even When Your Circumstances Look Dim - Karen Scalf Linamen

Witty, clever, humorous, and written with a "conversation with girlfriends over coffee" kind of attitude, Linamen's pulls no punches when it comes to the realities of life. She's not afraid to spell things out plainly, and to use herself and her own experiences as a punching bag... but at the same time, her words are delivered with a message of hope: You can still make the best of life, no matter how bad it seems right now.

Linamen is a Christian author, so there are some references to that effect, but I think her sense of humor (and sharp ability to self-deprecate) can cross any potential perceived boundaries.

Rating: 4/5
Acquisition: Off my shelf

Thanks for the review on Delirium! Even though it wasn't the best read for you, your review and description of the book is enough to intrigue me. I will have to add that to my list. :)

Faith, after putting Delirium on reserve a few weeks ago, I finally picked it up today. I've been reading a lot more YA literature this semester for school. Thanks for your comments on this one!

#152 , that book title made me laugh so much. I like the sound of it and especially the way that it is written, I'll keep an eye out for that one.

Just a warning, Joe Hill's book is fiction and horror. I like Hill but I didn't care for the story, too dark for me.....and that's a stretch. But I am interested in the book his sister suggested because it is such a difficult issue.

#152: I will have to look for that one! Thanks for the recommendation, Faith.

>153 jolerie:: I hope you like it when you get around to it! The writing itself is enough to make it a worthwhile read. :)

>154 AMQS:: Ooh, can't wait to hear your thoughts!

>155 KiwiNyx:: It's a lot of fun... and some of her other titles are things like Just Hand Over the Chocolate and No One Will Get Hurt and Only Nuns Change Habits Overnight... heehee.

>156 blackdogbooks:: Thanks for the warning. I might flip through it if I see it at the library first, just in case, but yes, I'm also more interested in the other book you suggested.

>157 alcottacre:: You're welcome! :)

31) Angelfire - Courtney Allison Moulton

When I started reading Angelfire, I had a bit of a shock: The book is written in third person past tense. Sure, this is the traditional point of view to write in, but not in YA these days... I'm so used to seeing first person or, more commonly, first person present, that it took me at least the first few chapters to wrap my head back around the way the story was written.

And that's where a bit of a problem came in. Because, you see, while the story itself is good, the writing bothered me. There were some awkward turns of phrase, and weird bits of infodump that could have easily been edited out. I'm not sure why the editor made the choices she did, but that's fine--it's Moulton's debut novel, and she's put together an exciting story, fiddly sentences aside.

The main character is strong, a bit sarcastic, and thinks with her head, not her heart. She doesn't swoon all over a guy and then bend her life around him, which is both refreshing and realistic... their feelings for each other are slow to develop, and questioned along the way. In fact, I'd argue that romance is on the backburner for the majority of this one.

Instead, the story focuses on butt-kicking action, as our heroine discovers she's a reincarnated soul who fights supernatural creatures known as Reapers. She's reluctant warrior whose memories didn't come back this time... so she has to discover all these things anew. Add in some fallen angel mythology, and plenty of violent fight scenes, and you have Angelfire.

I won't say I'll rush out to read the second book, but I'm curious to see where the author goes with it, and I'd love to see her writing develop even further.

Recommended for those who enjoy supernatural/paranormal YA.

Rating: 3/5
Acquisition: NetGalley

I enjoy YA fiction but I'm not sure about this one. I'll stick it on the mental list for now. Lovely review!

>160 MickyFine: - I'm with you on this one - I'm not so sure I'll rush to this one, either.

Make that 3 not rushing out for Angelfire.

>160 MickyFine:: Thanks! Yeah, it's a 'meh' for me.

>161 London_StJ: & 162: It's one of those "if you see it, pick it up, if not, whatever" kind of books... however, I'm fairly certain that David (tapestry100) absolutely loved it, so you might want to check out his review and compare before writing it off completely.

32) Star Wars Republic Commando: Hard Contact - Karen Traviss

Ever felt a little distant from the whole 'clone wars' thing? If you're a Star Wars fan, you know the problems associated with the clones, and the unfortunate amount of time we've spent asking questions about who they really are and why we should care. Well, the Republic Commando series seeks to answer those questions and, thank goodness, humanize the clone troopers.

Karen Traviss does an excellent job of putting human faces on the clones, giving us a glimpse behind the mask -- what the clones go through for training, their 'family' structures, their (*gasp*) personalities, and their perspectives on having shortened life expectancies and living with the exact same face as thousands upon thousands of other clones.

The story itself is your typical shoot 'em up space adventure, with most of the action taking place on a planet, rather than in a ship or in space. That said, Star Wars has typically focused more on the people involved than the space battles, so you'll find exactly what you're looking for if you're a Star Wars fan.

Admittedly, the Jedi trainee character in the book is a little annoying for the first half, but she does grow over the course of the story. I suspect that if she's in the sequels, she'll utilize her newfound confidence and strength very effectively.

This is honestly one of the best Star Wars novels I've read, and if Traviss is the one writing the sequels, you can bet I'll be picking them up soon.

Rating: 4/5
Acquisition: Borrowed from my brother

Hi, Faith!

Wow, I can see it's been a while since I was last here. Added Among others to my list:)

Oh, and yes, I do follow your blog, too. I really liked your writing challenge. It gave me quite a few tips:) Have a lovely weekend!

Saw on Apolline's thread that you've entered the world of home-made ice cream. We had an automatic version for awhile but, being typical Americans, we lost interest and just buy the ready-made stuff now. I still remember the days of the old hand-crank versions; I was the cranker, of course. So, a little of the allure of home-made is tarnished by the memories of endless cranking.

I don't know what you'd call me in regards to Star Wars - perhaps, strict purist or fundamentalist - but I've all but ignored everything but the original three movies. I pretty much hated the three new movies. And I just shake my head at all of the cartoons, comics, etc. that seem more a function of marketing and corporate greed.

I believe the only time I've been tempted by such spin-off creations is the few X-Files books I have in the library.

On another note, if I remember correctly, you are a big Castle fan. Did you see the finale for this season? Whoa! We finally watched the whole Firefly series on Netflix this month, too.

#166: I am with you on the Star Wars thing, Mac. Beyond the original 3 movies, I do not want to know about it.

#164 Hi Faith, I have never read any of the Star Wars book, a friend of mine tried getting me to read some, but I couldn't then, and never gave it a try ever since.

#166 I for one liked the new Star War movies too, but that is all, nothing other than the 6 movies. To be fair, even though I liked Star Wars, I never really loved it and hence was not even tempted to try the cartoons or the comics (though I do watch my fair share of animes)

I am a huge fan of X-Files, but haven't tried any of the books. I didn't know you watch Castle too, it is one of my favourites!

Hey, Faith ~ I've been having fun catching up on your thread. I managed to dodge a number of book bullets, though I wasn't able to escape unscathed ~ a few (Among Others, among others) are now on my must-read list.

Edited to correct typo.

Hi Faith, it's been a while, hope everything is ok in your neck of the woods.

went looking for you, hope things are well

Faith? Yoohoo, anyone around?

Hey all... it's been an interesting couple of months, but I think I'm back now. I'm going to have to try and reintegrate myself with the routine of reading threads and catching up with people... but as long as I don't get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of unread posts, I think it'll be okay. :) And I'm *super* behind on posting about the books I've read!!!

On the plus side, it's been a good couple of months. I dealt with some things that needed to be dealt with, made some drastic changes and rearranged priorities... without going into too much detail, I'll say I'm happier and healthier than I have been in a long, long time.

Here's hoping I can catch up with everyone without getting overwhelmed!!! Maybe I'll just post some brief notes about all the books I haven't reviewed... hrm... we'll see.

Thanks for checking in :)

Yay! I'm happy to see you, Faith! Good health and positive outlook sound fantastic. I need you to infect me with some of that stuff, please. :P

33) Scribbling Women - Marthe Jocelyn

I received this book through the LT Early Reviewers program. It was a quick read, and interesting enough, but I'm not sure what it is about this book that would make me purchase a copy instead of simply look up the names of these women online and read Wikipedia entries about them. However, I hadn't heard of many of the women in the book, so that was nice... but why didn't Jocelyn include a list of additional resources at the end of each chapter? Or include references within each chapter? That drove me a little nuts, because I had no way to verify her information or look up additional specific items/events that interested me (especially a number of tidbits that Jocelyn glossed over).

That said, I think this would make a good gift for student/teenager who has an interest in history.

Rating: 3/5
Acquisition: LT Early Reviewer Program

Good to see you, Faith, and it sounds like you've been productive!

174: Thanks Stephen!!! Honestly? A huge aspect of it was completely changing my diet. It made an incredible difference... so hard at first, but so worth it. Nutrition has sooooo much to do with our daily moods, health, energy... several health problems literally reversed themselves once I changed the way I ate. And I haven't had to sacrifice the things I love. So without preaching about it... I'll just say, it's something worth seriously thinking about. :)

Hope you've had a good couple of months!!! I'll have to trot over to your thread and see what kind of ridiculousness you've been up to... :D

176: Thanks, Roni! I have been, and I'm thrilled because it's been a long time coming... :) Hope you're well!

I made a dietary change a couple years ago. At one point I weighed a whopping 260+ pounds (and I'm only 5'7"-ish) and lost something like 80 pounds, but I sort of hit a wall and have been hovering for some time now. At the moment with my financial issues I can't really be picky, so I tend to buy cheap microwave-junk and stuff like that.

I can say that I feel a lot better than I did a couple years ago. Now I just need to get motivated to work this last 20-30 pounds off...

That's huge though! That success tells you that you know you can do it. :) It's tricky on a limited budget too... that took a lot of reworking... and learning how to make some staple foods on the cheap. I'm a terrible cook and I don't like to do it... LOL.

Beyond that, I know, it's the motivation factor that makes all the difference... it's hard!!!!

34) The Great Hunt - Robert Jordan

The second book in the Wheel of Time series continues where the first one left off... the plots develop further, new themes are explored, and we see some character growth in many of the main characters. Complaints of Jordan "borrowing" too much from Tolkien can be left at the first page here--the story definitely starts to come into its own, and diverges in an original way.

Rating: 4/5
Acquisition: My bookshelves

***This review was originally posted on my blog on April 25th, 2011.***

35) Unearthly - Cynthia Hand

As with most YA books I read these days, I try to start each book with lower expectations than I actually have. Why? Because many of them are hyped to such a degree that to start reading with high expectations in mind is bound to result in disappointment. I’d heard that Unearthly was “Halo the way it should have been written”, but since I hadn’t read Halo, I didn’t go in with any real basis of comparison. Mind you, I read Angelfire first, but the two books are so vastly different that I don’t feel a comparison between those two is fair. So I had to judge the book on its own merits. And I wasn’t disappointed!

The story started a little slow for my tastes, and I wasn’t sure whether I could get into the story. The heroine seemed a little bit too perfect, and I had a bit of trouble buying the premise—mostly because the author chose not to reveal key details until later in the story. I think if I’d had more explanation about the world-building up front, I might have enjoyed the first half more, but this ‘late-reveal’ method of story crafting seems to be popular these days. Unfortunately, it just bugs the heck out of me. That said, the story picked up eventually, and managed to be a decent read, despite the clichéd “supernatural teenager at high school” premise. The way the angel-bloods recognized each other, and the abilities they had, were quite creative. Aside from the cheesy bits.

Beyond that, I was most impressed with how respectful the author was when writing about spiritual matters. She didn’t take the angels and turn them into something over-the-top anti-God (as some of these more recent books seem to do), but rather crafted a lovely explanation of the difference between angels on earth, angels in heaven, and their roles in relation to God’s purposes. My favorite part of the entire book was the explanation of something called ‘glory’—which I’ll leave up to you to discover.

Overall, I have to admit that I didn’t particularly like the ending. I know the author was setting up for a sequel, but it felt like a bit of a cop-out, seeing as how the events of the ending were alluded to throughout the book… but I’m hoping that will get resolved in book two.

Verdict? Worth the read!

Rating: 4/5
Acquisition: NetGalley

36) Meals That Heal Inflammation - Julie Daniluk

This is the book that sort-of jump-started my path toward change. My copy is the one Daniluk independently published before the book got picked up by Random House, so it apparently has a bit more information and more recipe photos, so I'm very glad I got that one as the only one available now is the pared-down version. I bought the book hoping it would help with my psoriasis & joint inflammation (knee injuries), and while I'm not sure it helped as much as I wanted it to, the elimination diet I went on basic on Daniluk's guidelines changed the way I view food and nutrition. Within a few weeks, I had more energy, my moods had stabilized (whereas they'd previously fluctuated drastically), and I'd discovered a whole host of foods that I didn't even know existed!!! I also really liked that Daniluk didn't tout her meal plan as a "cure", rather as a change in thinking that leads to overall better health.

Rating: 5/5
Acquisition: Ordered directly from Daniluk's website

Hey, Faith! Glad to see you back with us and am very glad to hear of the improvements in your life over the past several months.

Welcome back, and congratulations on your life/health changes.

By the way, you're blog post on "Why are you reading this?" was convicting. I did change a few of my habits, particularly my online and LT habits and have been writing more. Thanks.

Good to say you back Faith and good to hear the health news :-)

#181 Faith, in Wheel of Time series, Robert Jordan managed to create a world more detailed than anything I have read so far, Tolkien included. The series continues to grow in character in the subsequent books, though the story itself will move at a much slower pace than desired. I hope you will not be put off with that and will continue with the series. Sanderson, after taking over from where Jordan left is doing a wonderful job too, just the ideal guy, in my opinion, to take this amazing series to conclusion.

Wow, you're back! Glad you are!

Nice to see you Faith! It takes a lot of work and a lot of courage to make lasting life changes -- congrats to you! You're an inspiration.

Hi Faith - welcome back. Glad you're feeling well. The Daniluck book sounds interesting. I once tried an anti inflammation diet for my rheumatoid arthritis that was just completely cutting sugars out of your diet. Does this book advise anything different?
And thanks for the recommendation of Among Others - I read it in June and loved it.

>184 alcottacre:: Hi Stasia! Thanks. :) I feel quite behind on everyone's reading now, though. I wonder if you haven't read 500 books since I've been gone... LOL.

>185 blackdogbooks:: I'm so glad the post helped! And now that I think of it, do I still owe you something through email? I don't think I ever sent it. I'm looking through previous messages and emails here on LT and it seems I forgot to do several things for various people... let me know if you're one of them. I hope the writing is going well so far!

>186 souloftherose:: *waves* Hi! Thanks... and thanks for popping in. :) Hope you're well!

>187 PiyushC:: Thanks for that! I actually got to hear Sanderson speak (and met him) this past July, and I went to a session on WoT where he talked about the series as a whole, broke down Jordan's writing process and how the series progressed (without giving spoilers) and then talked about Jordan's wishes for having the series finished, Jordan's widow's involvement, and discussed the amount of notes/already written scenes/areas left open for interpretation that Jordan left behind. It gave me full confidence that Sanderson was the right choice. He definitely wants to do right by the series, and isn't willing to sacrifice quality for anything (even impatient publishers). It's nice to hear that fans of the whole series feel this way too! I have been forewarned about the slower pace of the later books as well, so I think I'll be okay as I'm going into it mentally prepared for it, and with the knowledge that the books that follow pick back up again.

>188 DragonFreak:: Hi! Yes, I'm here. Looking forward to seeing what you're reading these days!

>189 AMQS:: Thank you so much... it was definitely a rough road at first, but I'm glad I stuck through it. Baby steps!

>190 VioletBramble:: Hello! Thanks. :) While the Daniluk book recommends cutting out sugars during the initial phases of the elimination diet, it also talks about other foods that can potentially cause irritation/inflammation to certain individuals, and she offers advice on certain herbs or food combinations that can help combat inflammation. Some of these really worked for me, others didn't. If you're interested, there's another book that's mostly recipes I'd recommend as well, called The Anti-Inflammation Diet and Recipe Book. It has a lot of similar info as the Daniluk book (though not nearly as much, and not quite as detailed), but the recipes are fantastic, simple, and promote healing through the nutrients you take in. Even *I* can make a lot of these recipes (and love them), and I don't like to cook!

>191 dk_phoenix: Same to you!

37) Heist Society - Ally Carter

A strong start to another fun series by Ally Carter. This series has a bit of an older feel to it (though I honestly can't recall if the protagonist is older than the lead in the Gallagher Girls books), but we're still dropped directly into the thick of things with a strong female main character, an intriguing love interest, and a big problem that's going to be very difficult to solve. I thought the MC was clever, interesting, and far from perfect--which is what I love in my main characters. If there were weaknesses here... I don't remember them (considering it's been about 4 months since I read it), but I'd say that's probably a good thing. I'm definitely looking forward to the next installment, and Carter is going on my list of favorite YA authors.

Rating: 4.5/5
Acquisition: ??? ...I don't remember...



38) My One and Only - Kristan Higgins

Predictable, ridiculous & over-the-top plot, at times cliche... and yet... I still loved it. Higgins tends to write quirky, cheeky heroines, slightly arrogant heroes, adorable pets/animals, and make them all come together in a way that keeps me engaged and reading right to the very end. While this wasn't my favorite of her novels, and some of the twists I could see coming a mile away, the humor and character development kept my interest throughout. I also appreciate Higgins' "fade-to-black" style of lighthearted romance... call me old-fashioned, but I think that makes her books just that much more enjoyable.

Rating: 4/5
Acquisition: Won from a Harlequin blog contest... came with a whole "road-trip" kit, containing items from the book that the main character "recommended" as essentials for road tripping with one's ex. Very adorable.

Yeah, Faith, I was hoping you'd send me that material we exchanged messags about, but I thought maybe you didn't want to send it. If you're willing, I'd love to look at it. Thanks.

Writing is good, per your suggestions, I have hard goals that I am meeting pretty well so far. Got about 1500 words this morning. Thanks again.

Welcome back Faith, good to see you here and the book that kick-started your healthy eating looks really good. Good on your for sticking to your willpower and making a great change.

Hi Faith

I am very interested in the Daniluk book. A couple of years back I changed my diet so that it was much more alkaline and I cut out all sugars, yeasts and dairy products. I found this helpful but over the last year have lapsed to the point that my diet is now far from alkaline.

This has not been good for my health but the resulting extra tiredness is making it difficult to get back to where I was. I'm hoping ideally to get to an eating plan which is healthy but not too difficult to stick to. I suffer from arthritis so anti-inflammatory recipe books sound just the thing!

Hi Faith! I'm glad to hear that your changes have helped for the better. I've been working on my own personal changes, so can relate to how time consuming they can be, but oh so worth it in the end.

Looks like some fun, fluffier reads, Faith. Just out of curiosity, did you win the Higgins book from SBTB?

>194 blackdogbooks:: Ah, thanks for the reminder. No, the lack of sending was not on purpose... I'll re-add it to my 'to-do' list and send it when I can. :) Sounds like the writing is going very well... setting solid, tangible goals makes such a difference (for me, anyway).

>195 KiwiNyx:: Thanks so much. :) It really is a good book, if you see it around I highly recommend picking it up and giving it a look-through.

>196 Soupdragon:: Yes, if you can find a copy of that one or the other recipe book I mentioned in msg 191, I definitely recommend doing so! See if your library has it and if the foods inside are your thing. It's made a world of difference and the foods are so easy to put together! I've heard about the alkaline thing, I have another book that recommends an alkaline diet and I may try it later this year and see if that little extra vigilance makes any additional difference.

>197 tapestry100:: Thanks, so true! And congrats on your own personal changes! I hope they're lasting and fulfilling. :)

>198 MickyFine:: Hmm... no, I think I won it directly on the Harlequin blog. Or one of them anyway. I can't recall which? LOL. You'd think I'd pay more attention. But it wasn't SBTB, though I've heard they run a lot of great contests and giveaways.

I'm glad you're back, Faith! Good luck catching up on all the threads ;). I've barely been keeping up with LT myself.

I'm glad you've been making some positive changes in your life. I should probably think more about nutrition myself; I've been trying to get more fit, and at some point I'll need to make some eating changes as well.

Now I just need to get motivated to work this last 20-30 pounds off... Stephen: Have you tried fitocracy.com? It's been consuming a lot of my time since I discovered it last week, and I think it's actually making a difference in my exercising as well. They're basically applying the RPG model to exercise, so that you get points for exercising, and go up levels, and complete quests.... It's still in beta and doesn't have a lot of features, but one of the quests already encouraged me to go to the gym and use the weight machines for the first time in a couple of years. So, definitely recommended, and I need more people to follow there too ;)

Faith, I'm glad you enjoyed Heist Society. Carter has moved onto my list of favourite YA authors as well, after I discovered her earlier this year thanks to your recommendation. I ended up buying a couple of her books this summer, after originally getting them from the library, and I'm looking forward to getting back to them when I need a fun escape. The Gallagher Girls are still my favourites, but I liked Heist Society as well.

Zoe: Sounds interesting! I'll have to see if it's loadable on my dial-up connection.

It's completely text-based, at least for now, so I think your dial-up will be able to handle it :)

Yay! This will increase the number of people I know there by 50%.

>199 dk_phoenix: I have this feeling that SBTB ran a giveaway for that book as well. And it's true, they do give away books pretty often although I don't enter often. Mostly I keep tabs on it for some of the really hysterical book reviews. The disclaimers on their giveaways are pretty entertaining as well.

I'm way behind on threads too, but I'm glad life is on the up and up for you and I just wanted to say hello!

I've been lurking on your thread and have decided to de-lurk to tell you that I keep adding books to my TBR from your reads because so many look so interesting!

Hi, Faith! Glad to see you are back :) I hope summer was good!

Just saying Hi, Faith! Sorry to have been gone for so long...trying to catch up. :)

>200 _Zoe_:: Thanks for popping in! I'd agree that I enjoyed the Gallagher Girls books a little more than Heist Society, but the woman definitely has a knack for writing stories with believable, strong female characters in lighthearted but action-packed plots. *phew* It's not often I re-read books, but the Gallagher Girls series has me tempted...

>203 MickyFine:: Oh, for sure! Those ladies are a riot.

>204 RosyLibrarian:: And a 'hello' back to you! I'm behind on threads as well, so you're not alone!

>205 weejane:: Huzzah for de-lurking! Hope you get a chance to read a few and enjoy. :)

>206 Apolline:: Thank you! It was! I need to get over to your thread and see what you've been up to...

>207 BookAngel_a:: *waves* Hi back! No worries, however long you were gone, I was likely gone longer, so I'm playing catch-up as well! :)

39) Infidel - Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Similar to her second book, Nomad, this first book is very hard to read... emotionally, and mentally. Ali was threatened with death, nearly assassinated, and deported from Holland due to her work in exposing the dark side of Islam and what it does to young women, and her partner in filmmaking was murdered. Ali herself had some horrendous experiences during her childhood due to certain beliefs about women and their sexuality (we're talking FGM here), and she doesn't hold anything back when telling her story. This is a book you read to learn from, not to necessarily enjoy. You'll need tissues. You'll weep over Ali's experiences and the cruelty of human nature. You'll feel enraged over the injustice done to young women and you'll sit there in helpless disbelief that these things are done, sometimes right in your home town (but no one talks about it). This book contains more personal experience stories than Nomad, but taken together, these books are an invaluable resource from one woman who was brave enough to stand up and speak out, no matter the cost. May we all learn from that, and take action to bring justice and healing to the helpless.

Rating: 4.5/5
Acquisition: Purchased in 2011



40) Cinderella Cleaners: Scheme Spirit - Maya Gold

This is a short, fun, quirky little Middle-Grade novel. It's the fifth in a series based around a girl who works in her family's dry-cleaning business, who has the habit of borrowing customers' clothes to solve whatever the "problem of the novel" is. What I liked about this is that her actions weren't without consequence, so there were serious & realistic repercussions that came with borrowing customers' clothes (as you might imagine). The main character also had a realistic attitude toward her parents for this age--on the edge of angsty teenagedom, but still appreciative of their guidance. I'd certainly recommend this series to young girls aged 9-13.

Rating: 3/5
Acquisition: Scholastic Book Order



41) 39 Clues: Vespers Rising - Riordan, Korman, Lerangis & Watson

The best part of this book? Seeing which parts each author wrote (it was noted at the top of each chapter). Beyond that? I could have done without this installment. I didn't mind it, it just was... unremarkable. It's clear that the book was written to set up the next cycle of the 39 Clues books (the new 'Cahills vs. Vespers' series), so there was no forward progression, just piles of back story. Even the 'present day' chapters felt like back story.

That said, I'll be giving the new series a try, so I guess this one wasn't a total waste. Just... disappointing.

Rating: 2.5/5
Acquisition: Scholastic Book Order

Great reviews Faith, I think Infidel sounds like one for me.

Thanks! It's definitely worth the read.

Okay, time to add a few more reviews/comments to the pot... hopefully I can remember how I felt about some of these ones from back in April... yikes!



42) Bumped - Megan McCafferty

I had a lot to say about this book back when I read it, and to be honest, none of it was good. In short, I didn't like the unfamiliar terminology that the author threw around without introduction (it got really confusing, really fast), I didn't like the characters, I found one of the main characters inconsistent in behavior... mostly, it came down to being thrust into the world so hard that it felt like I'd missed something. Like the first half of the book was missing. I was confused, frustrated, and annoyed... and the ending was even worse.

But don't just take my word for it. Ellie actually wrote a fantastic review of this book that says just about everything I thought about it at the time I read it (but have since forgotten, as that was about 6 months ago), so I recommend heading over to her thread and checking out her review: elliepotten's 'Bumped' review.

If you're looking for a decent dystopian read with a fertility plotline, check out Lauren DeStefano's Wither instead.

Rating: 1.5/5
Acquisition: Net Galley



43) Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him - Luis Carlos Montalvan

If you've ever wondered what PTSD is really like for a soldier coming home from the war, this book is an excellent introduction to the topic. The author writes candidly about his mental and physical injuries & disabilities from serving in Iraq, and details how the unlikeliest of creatures became the one thing that encouraged him to heal and keep on living. I wouldn't say this is the "best book ever" about dogs or soldiers, but it goes beyond the typical cutesy animal storyline and tells a much grittier, human story. A worthwhile read.

Rating: 3.5/5
Acquisition: ARC



44) Need - Carrie Jones

Wow, it's been awhile since I read this one... I read it mostly for the voice, which is first person present, as I'm rewriting a novel into first person present from third person past, and I wanted to study how the author used this tense. I think she did a very good job, even though I wasn't as thrilled as I'd hoped with the story. It's a decent book, but that's about it. I didn't find anything particularly remarkable about it, or about the characters themselves. The plot was fairly standard, though fairies and shapeshifters have their own terminology. This is one of those books that, if you see it on sale somewhere, is worth picking up (if you're a fan of YA contemporary-style fantasy). Not the strongest plot or characters, but a worthwhile diversion nonetheless. And I should say, I did go on to read the second book in the series, so make of that what you will.

Rating: 3.5/5
Acquisition: Wal-Mart impulse purchase

HI Faith! Thanks for stopping by my thread!
You have read some great books this year, I've added ever more to my wish list now!

I see from your profile that you are currently reading The Count of Monte Cristo, that is such a great book! Hope you enjoy it!

Nice reviews Faith, I may have to look into Until Tuesday. I'm a sucker for books that feature man's best friend and the good they do for the soul.

>213 ChelleBearss:: *waves* Hi!!! Always happy to hit someone with a book bullet or two. :) I actually haven't touched The Count of Monte Cristo in well over a year, but I keep meaning to get back to it... I was really enjoying it when I *was* reading it, and I don't recall why I stopped. Thanks for the reminder though, I really do need to get back to it! Maybe it can be a Christmas break book... :D

>214 RosyLibrarian:: Thank you! Yes, it's a worthwhile read and you'll have a lot of those "feel good" moments for sure. :)

And it's time to head over to a new thread... find me here! :)