BookLizard's 2015 Magic Square Challenge

What is a magic square? Well, according to Google it's "a square that is divided into smaller squares, each containing a number, such that the figures in each vertical, horizontal, and diagonal row add up to the same value." In this case, each row adds up to 15. 9 squares = 9 categories, then the number in each square will be the number of books in that category. The numbers are from 1 to 9 and if you add them all up you get 45 books. I plan to do either 4 or 3 squares this year (shoot for 4 and settle for 3).






1 Brick

1. The Shadows by J.R. Ward ****
   

2 Group Reads

1. Pride and Prejudice *****
   
2. Coyote Dreams by C.E. Murphy ****
   

3 Book Bullets

1. Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold ****
   
2. The Storied Life of A. J. fikry by Gabrielle Zevin ****1/2
   
3. The Martian by Andy Weir ****1/2
   

4 Freebies

1. Boston Strong by Casey Sherman ****1/2
   
2. Unshapely Things by Mark Del Franco ****1/4
   
3. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer *****
   
4. Cress by Marissa Meyer ****1/2
   

5 Cats

1. HistoryCAT: Black Ships by Jo Graham ****
   
2. SFFFCAT: Spiritglass Charade by Colleen Gleason ***1/2
   
3. SFFFCAT & RandomCAT: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley ****
   
4. SFFFCAT & RandomCAT: Cinder by Marissa Meyer ****
   
5. RandomCAT: Smile by Raina Telgemeier ****
   

6 Dogs

1. Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix ****1/2
   
2. Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue by Tom Angleberger ****1/4
   
3. The Wrong Girl by C.J. Archer ***1/2
   
4. Texts from Jane Eyre by Mallory Ortberg ***
   
5. Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch ****
   
6. Raging Star by Moira Young ****
   

7 New

1. Crouching Tiger, Forbidden Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks ****1/2
   
2. CraftFail: When Homemade Goes Horribly Wrong by Heather Mann ****1/2
   
3. Ignite by Sara Larson ***3/4
   
4. Serenity: Leaves on the Wind by Zack Whedon ****1/2
   
5. Unbound by Jim C. Hines ****1/2
   
6. The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn ****
   
7. Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs ****1/2
   

8 New-to-Me

1. Cake Wrecks by Jen Yates ****
   
2. Red Rising by Pierce Brown ****1/2
   
3. Frostborn by Lou Anders **
   
4. After the End by Gabrielle Zevin ****1/2
   
5. Blizzard of Glass by Sally M. Walker, read by Paul Michael ****1/2
   
6. The Colossus Rises by Peter Larangis ***1/2
   
7. Cut & Run by Madeleine Urban ***1/2
   
8. Lumberjanes #1 by Grace Ellis ~~~~
   

9 Series

1. Princess Academy audiobook, by Shannon Hale ****
   
2. Urban Shaman by C. E. Murphy ****
   
3. Burned by Karen Marie Moning ****1/2
   
4. If I Should Die by Amy Plum ****
   
5. Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers ****1/2
   
6. Thunderbird Falls by C.E. Murphy ****
   
7. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier ****
   
8. Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier ****
   
9. Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier ****
   

And a link to my Bingo thread:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/185595

Dog 1. Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix ****1/2

Square: Read a book that is completely outside of your comfort zone.



"Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring bookshelves, shattered Glans water goblets, and smashed Liripip wardrobes. Sales are down, security cameras reveal nothing, and store managers are panicking.

To unravel the mystery, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour dusk-till-dawn shift. In the dead of the night, they’ll patrol the empty showroom floor, investigate strange sights and sounds, and encounter horrors that defy the imagination." - from Amazon.com

When I saw this book from Quirk books, I was expecting it to be like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - funny, not scary, horror. Boy was I wrong! The first 1/4 of the book is hysterically funny, then it's not so funny, then the last 2/3 was terrifying for me. I don't read horror. Sure I read about vampires, and werewolves, and demons, etc. but those are all fantasy books - not horror. I mean, most urban fantasy I read is in the first person, so you KNOW the person lives to tell the story. So most of this book was completely outside of my comfort zone - but it was very well done, IMHO (In My Horrorphobe Opinion).

Dog 2. Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue by Tom Angleberger ****1/4

Square: Read a book with correspondence or letters.



"At McQuarrie Middle School, the war against the FunTime Menace—aka test prep—wages on. Our heroes have one battle under their belts, and they’ve even found a surprising ally in Jabba the Puppett. But to defeat the Dark Standardized Testing Forces they’re going to need an even bigger, even more surprising ally: Principal Rabbski. But with great forces—aka the school board—pushing her from above, will the gang’s former enemy don a finger puppet and join the Rebellion—or will her transformation to Empress Rabbski, Dark Lord of the Sith, be complete?" - from Amazon.com

This book was just what I need to wipe away the lingering fright from reading Horrorstor. This fifth book in the series didn't quite reach the same high standards of the previous books, so I'm giving it 4 1/4 stars on my thread, but still 4 1/2 on the real star rating system. If you like Star Wars and books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, you should read this series.

Dog 3. The Wrong Girl by C.J. Archer ***1/2

Square: Read a book chosen by someone else.



"It's customary for Gothic romance novels to include a mysterious girl locked in the attic. Hannah Smith just wishes she wasn't that girl. As a narcoleptic and the companion to an earl's daughter with a strange affliction of her own, Hannah knows she's lucky to have a roof over her head and food in her belly when so many orphans starve on the streets. Yet freedom is something Hannah longs for. She did not, however, want her freedom to arrive in the form of kidnapping.

Taken by handsome Jack Langley to a place known as Freak House, she finds herself under the same roof as a mad scientist, his niece, a mute servant and Jack, a fire starter with a mysterious past. They assure Hannah she is not a prisoner and that they want to help her. The problem is, they think she's the earl's daughter. What will they do when they discover they took the wrong girl? " - from Amazon.com

This was a pick by my SantaThing Secret Santa. I got the whole trilogy on ebook. The premise is interesting, but that's about all it is. The historical setting is just window dressing, the timeline (if there is one) is unreal, and the characters' motivations are non-existent - it's nothing but plot. It's an interesting plot, but not believable.

New 1. Crouching Tiger, Forbidden Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks ****1/2



"Russell wakes from a coma to find he's become a vampire. Now he has a thirst for revenge. Determined to hunt down the master vampire who turned him, he's used to working alone . . . until he meets Jia. She is after the same vampire for murdering her parents and insists she can help Russell on this mission. Reluctantly, he agrees, and sets up some ground rules:

Rule #1: Their partnership is strictly business. If he holds her a little too close . . . if she looks at him with those exotic eyes . . . well, that has to stop.

Rule #2: He's in charge. Jia isn't used to taking orders and questions every move he makes. So he stops her the only way he knows how.

Rule #3: Don't fall in love. But the kiss that was supposed to quiet her awakens something else in him . . . something forbidden. Because Jia is engaged. To someone else." - from Amazon.

That's not an accurate description, but I'm too lazy to write my own. Russell has been awake for several books in the series. I missed the part that said this was the last book in the series. I'm sad to see it go - I've been reading the series pretty much since the start in 2005. I've loved the titles she's used for the books (my brother complained about The Sexiest Vampire Alive. LOL) This book was a good end to a fun series.

New 2 New-to-Me. CraftFail: When Homemade Goes Horribly Wrong by Heather Mann ****1/2



"Written by Heather Mann, publisher of CraftFail.com, her hilarious blog with millions of page views and hundreds of thousands of followers, CraftFail celebrates the creative process, but from the other side. This is the stuff that gets the “A for Effort” and LOL for outcome. But once the laughter dies down, it also inspires a warm feel-good respect for crafters who aren’t afraid to fail. After all, even if there’s not a mortal alive except Martha who can make a Waxed Heart worthy of hanging in your window to catch the sun, why shouldn’t many try? When it goes wrong, why shouldn’t the rest of us enjoy this Epic Fail? And then look at all the full-color photos that document it." - from Amazon.

I bought this book for my friend for Christmas because she loves Awkward Family Photos and Cake Wrecks. There are several photos of crafts that come out looking like dog poop or something slightly obscene. Some of the most predictable failures occur when the person "substitutes" an ingredient. One of my favorites is "straight-jacket chic" because of the name and since my aunt actually made it correctly. (You'll have to read the book to find out what it is.) Well worth the hour or two you'll spend laughing and cringing.

I remember once when I saw how you could make chocolate bowls by spreading melted chocolate over a blown-up balloon and then you let the air out slowly and - VIOLA! - a chocolate bowl. My attempt exploded chocolate everywhere and is still comes up in conversation from my husband occasionally when I consider a project that I might see on TV, i.e. what could possibly go wrong?

8>LOL. That sounds horrible, but at least you're not alone. Plenty of balloon-related failures in the book. Other failure inducing items include marshmallows and hard candy. The funniest cooking failures are probably the rainbow cakes or cookies that come out looking like "unicorn poop."

Since I work with children, I have to find easy crafts for them (and me) to do. I always make sure my finished product looks amateurish so the kids won't be intimidated. ;-)

>7 BookLizard: - Now, that sounds hilarious! I love that there are people more adventurous than I am who try to do experimental things ... and then admit to the failures publicly. Brilliant. I am also a fan of Cake Wrecks. ;-)

>8 dudes22: - Seriously, I can see the attraction of attempting something like that.

If Craft Fail is anything like Cake Wrecks, I'm sure it's hysterical. Matter of fact, you're making me want to go cruise cake wrecks right now.

10> I can't believe the Queen of Crafts has ever failed at anything.

11> CraftFail is a website too: http://craftfail.com/

A few of them on the site look "staged" to be failures, but most of them are funny.

I was born to craft fail!

14> Failure is just practice.

A couple of years ago for summer reading we had to make dream catchers with the kids. My friend had her program a few weeks earlier than mine, so she sent me all of her leftover supplies and her "sample." Great! One less thing for me to do.

So the day of the craft arrives and the kids are asking me how to do this or that. I'm reading the instructions (and telling the kids to read them), but I can't figure it out. It was too hard for the age level of half of them. So we ended up with the kids picking out the colors and me doing most of the work. So one girl comes up and asks me, "How many of these have you made?" I tell her 5. She's like, "Really?" Then her (smart) sister says, "She means ours." LOL. Last time I didn't make a craft first before even advertising the program.

New-to-Me 1. Cake Wrecks by Jen Yates. ****



If you can't read the writing on the cake, it says:

Best Wishes Suzanne
Under Neat That
We Will Miss You

"Have your cake and laugh at it, too, with the sweet treat known as Cake Wrecks: When Professional Cakes Go Hilariously Wrong. From the creator of the ultrapopular blog CakeWrecks.com, here are the worst cakes ever, including the ugly, the silly, the downright creepy, the unintentionally sad or suggestive, and the just plain funny. With witty commentary and behind-the-scenes tidbits, Cake Wrecks will ensure that you never look at a cake the same way again." - from Amazon

The friend who I gave CraftFail told me about this book. It was amusing, but not as funny. I didn't laugh very much until the end of the book. With Craft Fail, the humor was spread throughout. And it was just funnier and better because you can relate to it.

>7 BookLizard: This book sounds really funny! Then I continued reading...

>8 dudes22: I laughed so much, my husband came to find out what was going on!

As I continued with the posts that followed, I laughed until I couldn't see through the tears.

Thanks for that!

16>   :-D   I'm glad I could help!

I used to follow Cake Wrecks, but I had forgotten about it - I should put it back on my feed (if it's still going...), along with CraftFail, absolutely.

18> I hope you enjoy them!

I was able to get Urban Shaman from Overdrive so I have started it today. I think you've read the first one? Overdrive has book 2 so I should be able to share that with you in February as previously discussed.

Happy Friday!

I plan to reread Urban Shaman since it's been so long since I read it. Right after I read Foxglove Summer and Unbound by Jim C. Hines.

>21 BookLizard: It's my lunch break book so I should be reading it slowly. I work 3 days a week, 12 hour shifts. So I'm going to see how it does as a lunch break book on my phone's Kindle app.

When I'm done with my other books I'm juggling I will finish it up.

I have Foxglove Summer on audio!

Really? The Cake Wrecks wasn't laugh out loud funny all the way? How disappointing.

23> I'd try reading Cake Wrecks first, then CraftFail a while later. I think reading them back to back was part of the problem. You can only take so many poop jokes before the humor wears off.

>15 BookLizard: That cake is hysterical.....

I'm still waiting for Foxglove Summer. Soon.

25> That might be my next read.

New 3. Ignite by Sara B. Larson ***3/4



"In the kingdom of Antion, peace has at long last been restored. Now that King Hector's reign of terror is over, the newly crowned King Damian, along with his most trusted guard, Alexa, must focus on rebuilding Antion and reclaiming the hope of their people. But the wounds of the past are no as easily mended as Alexa and Damian had hoped. And to further complicate matters, Alexa still harbors a secret love for Damian, a love she refuses to acknowledge for the sake of Antion, and for the sake of the king himself.

When new threats to the kingdom surface--including an assassination attempt on Damian--blame is cast on the once-friendly nation of Blevon. Alexa knows things are not what they seem, however, and once again the fate of her country hangs in the balance. Will Alexa be able to protect her king and find the true enemy before it's too late? " - from Amazon.com

This sequel to Defy was good (not great) up until the end. It obviously suffers from Middle Book Syndrome, but the ending was so . . . stupid! I HATE it when someone has a big important secret and is all like, "This isn't the right time," "I'll tell him later," "He might not love me as much if he knows," etc. I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict that in the next book, he finds out the secret from someone else and doesn't trust her anymore, then they do break up and she spends the rest of the book trying to undo the damage she caused. *sigh*

New 4. Serenity: Leaves on the Wind by Zack Whedon ****1/2



"In the film Serenity, outlaw Malcolm Reynolds and his crew revealed to the entire 'verse the crimes against humanity undertaken by the sinister government--the Alliance. Here, in the official follow-up to the film, the crew has been in hiding since becoming everyone's most wanted, and now they are forced to come out. River uncovers more secrets, leading these former Browncoats on a dangerous mission against the Alliance that, with hope, will bring them together again . . . " - from Amazon.com

I'm going to have to watch Serenity again soon. The art in this graphic novel was true to the characters on the show. A good story . . . I'm looking forward to reading more.

ETA: cover photo

>28 BookLizard: I need to get to these GNs!

29> Yes, you do!

>28 BookLizard: I did a Firefly / Serenity marathon a while back - it was lovely. I have Serenity: Leaves on the Wind on request. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on it!

Cat 1. Black Ships by Jo Graham ****



"In a time of war and doubt, Gull is an oracle. Daughter of a slave taken from fallen Troy, chosen at the age of seven to be the voice of the Lady of the Dead, she is destined to counsel kings.

When nine black ships appear, captained by an exiled Trojan prince, Gull must decide between the life she was born for and a most perilous adventure - to join the remnant of her mother's people in their desperate flight. From the doomed bastions of the City of Pirates to the temples of Byblos, from the intrigues of the Egyptian court to the haunted caves beneath Mount Vesuvius, only Gull can guide Prince Aeneas on his quest, and only she can dare the gate of the Underworld to lead him to his destiny.

In the last shadowed days of the Age of Bronze, one woman dreams of the world beginning anew. This is her story." - from Amazon.com

Boy, I've gotten lazy about describing books, but it saves time and lets me read more, so there! This book could have fit into many categories - Book Bullet, New-to-Me, or BingoDOG (for several different squares), but I decided to go with CAT because I don't read them that often and I never expected to read one for the HistoryCAT. This book is partially a retelling of the Aeneid, but more accurate historically. I wish the author had put that in the intro instead of the afterword because I was waiting for events that never happened. Overall, it was a good book and I enjoyed reading it. You would probably enjoy it more if you DON'T know much about the history/stories.

Dog 4. Texts from Jane Eyre: And Other Conversations with Your Favorite Literary Characters by Mallory Ortberg ***

Square: Read a book inspired by another piece of fiction.



Mallory Ortberg, the co-creator of the cult-favorite website The Toast, presents this whimsical collection of hysterical text conversations from your favorite literary characters. Everyone knows that if Scarlett O’Hara had an unlimited text-and-data plan, she’d constantly try to tempt Ashley away from Melanie with suggestive messages. If Mr. Rochester could text Jane Eyre, his ardent missives would obviously be in all-caps. And Daisy Buchanan would not only text while driving, she’d text you to pick her up after she totaled her car. Based on the popular web-feature, Texts from Jane Eyre is a witty, irreverent mashup that brings the characters from your favorite books into the twenty-first century. - from Amazon.com

Not hysterical. Amusing. I think part of the problem was that reading the e-book, it was hard to tell where one conversation ended and another began. I knew most of the stories, but not all. I didn't like the way Hamlet was portrayed as a whiny brat (especially since my orange cat is named Hamlet). Also, it was hard to tell who was talking to whom. On the plus side, it was short and some parts were funny. I might go back and read a few of the earlier ones now that I know how to tell where a conversation ends.

>32 BookLizard: I've been reading interesting things about Black Ships but have been thinking I really needed to break down and read The Aeneid before I got my hands on it. Have read your comments, I'm now beginning to think I should just go ahead and request it from the library. Thanks!

34> I think all you need to know is that Aeneas was a prince of Troy who escaped when Troy fell, had several adventures, and finally settled in Italy and founded Rome.

My Christmas present from my friend and "niece":

>36 BookLizard: That is marvelously hysterical!!!! What a hoot!!! All the kitty things people have given me over the years and no one has ever given me this???? LOL! Thank you for posting this!

>36 BookLizard: I love this! WOW! I would never buy something like that for myself but it is hysterical. Thanks for posting it. The three kings are perfect.

39> I thought the kings were great, too. They didn't go for the whole "we three kings of Orient are," but had the one Siamese one. Two of my cats are orange and black. OMG! You just reminded me that one year we bought cat angel ornaments for our other cats. One was gray but without her orange markings, so I painted those in!

LOL! I have some cat ornaments, too. Painting an ornament to look more like one of your kitties seems perfectly reasonable to me!

Dog 5. Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch ****

Square: Read a book set in a country other than your own.



"When two young girls go missing in rural Herefordshire, police constable and wizard-in-training Peter Grant is sent out of London to check that nothing supernatural is involved.

It’s purely routine—Nightingale, Peter’s superior, thinks he’ll be done in less than a day. But Peter’s never been one to walk away from someone in trouble, so when nothing overtly magical turns up he volunteers his services to the local police, who need all the help they can get. But because the universe likes a joke as much as the next sadistic megalomaniac, Peter soon comes to realize that dark secrets underlie the picturesque fields and villages of the countryside and there might just be work for Britain’s most junior wizard after all.

Soon Peter’s in a vicious race against time, in a world where the boundaries between reality and fairy have never been less clear...." - from Amazon.com

Since this is part of I series I really like, I never even read the description until now. LOL. I liked this book, but didn't love it. The previous book ended on a cliffhanger, and that thread is not adequately addressed in this volume. The ending is too abrupt. I couldn't keep the people straight - especially the woman named "Stan" (SRSLY?) But despite all of that, I enjoyed it while I was reading it.

>41 BookLizard: Thanks for the heads-up! I hadn't read the description either ;) Trying to resist reading for as long as I can, because then I'll be all caught up.

Series 1. New. Unbound by Jim C. Hines ****1/2



"For five hundred years, the Porters have concealed the existence of magic from the world.

Now, old enemies have revealed the Porters’ secrets, and an even greater threat lurks in the shadows. The would-be queen Meridiana, banished for a thousand years, has returned in the body of a girl named Jeneta Aboderin. She seeks an artifact created by Pope Sylvester II, a bronze prison that would grant her the power to command an army of the dead. Michigan librarian Isaac Vainio is powerless to stop her, having been stripped of his power and his place among the Porters by Johannes Gutenberg himself. But Isaac is determined to regain his magic and to rescue his former student Jeneta. With no magic of his own, Isaac must delve into the darker side of black-market magic, where he will confront beings better left undisturbed, including the sorcerer Juan Ponce de Leon.

With his loyal fire-spider Smudge, dryad warrior Lena Greenwood, and psychiatrist Nidhi Shah, Isaac races to unravel a mystery more than a thousand years old as competing magical powers battle to shape the future of the world. . . ." from Amazon.com"

That description isn't entirely accurate, and if you haven't read the series, you probably wouldn't want to based on that blurb. But you should read the series. It's funny and great for people who love books. (Yeah, I'm talking about you!) Isaac is a Libriomancer - someone with the magical ability to reach into books and pull objects from the stories into the real world. (No, he doesn't have a TARDIS - the item has to be small enough to fit out of the page of the book.) Go read the first book, Libriomancer.

42> Don't try to resist! It doesn't end on a cliffhanger, so it's OK to catch up. :-)

Or you could always start a new series with Libriomancer. Mwahahaha! >:-)

>44 BookLizard: I've pencilled that one in for the October SFFFCat :D

Dog 6. Raging Star by Moira Young

Square: Read a book where an animal is of importance.



"Saba is ready to seize her destiny and defeat DeMalo and the Tonton...until she meets him and he confounds all her expectations with his seductive vision of a healed earth, a New Eden. DeMalo wants Saba to join him, in life and work, to create and build a healthy, stable, sustainable world…for the chosen few.

Jack’s choice is clear: to fight DeMalo and try to stop New Eden. Still uncertain, her connection with DeMalo a secret, Saba commits herself to the fight. Joined by her brother, Lugh, anxious for the land in New Eden, Saba leads an inexperienced guerilla band against the powerfully charismatic DeMalo, in command of his settlers and the Tonton militia. What chance do they have? Saba must act. And be willing to pay the price." - from Amazon.com

Another description that doesn't quite fit, but it's easier than writing my own. This is the final book in the trilogy that started with Blood Red Road. It's a dystopian YA novel. What I liked about the first book is that the main character starts out being rather unlikeable, but by the end of the book, she's made a lot of progress. (I know, I don't usually like books with unlikeable main characters either, but she's the narrator so you get inside her head and know what she's thinking.) The other thing some people might not like is the "spelling." It's not exactly dialect, just a few words spelled like they sound instead of correctly. She says "an" instead of "and," but you get used to that very quickly. And there's no quotation marks. Um . . . I'm not very convincing, am I? OK, it's sort of like stream of consciousness (except it makes sense), so it's a fine piece of literature!

If you've read the other books in the series, I can tell you that the final confrontation goes quickly and ends a little too neatly, but before the ending, there's a lot of drama that's really good. The very last little bit is like, an unrealistic way to get the happy ending. But you kind of want it like that.

45> Well, that's OK I guess, since it doesn't fit in any of the earlier categories. ;-)

>41 BookLizard: Not going to read your review (even though it's going to be a while before I read it) but couldn't help noticing the star rating indicates that it's a good continuation of the series.

48> I'll just tell you one thing to remember - "Stan the WOMAN." (Worst character name ever! - well, not really, but worst in this series.)

Just curious - what was the important animal in the story?

50> Her crow. She used the bird as like a carrier pigeon to send messages to the leader of the resistance (a.k.a. her love interest). The traitor intercepted the bird and set up the leader to be captured.

I just got Golden Son on e-book from the library! Now I just need to read the first book in the series, Red Rising. Started it last night. It's OK, but I don't see what all the fuss is about. I've read about 150 pages or so.

I think I liked Foxglove Summer more than you did! It's not the first time a series author has ended one book with t cliffhanger and then used the next book for something largely outside of the main story arc. I liked seeing Peter on his own (well, more or less). And I've got Unbound coming up, probably over the weekend or next week. I think I'll skip Raging Star, though.....

And too funny - my librarian put Golden Son on hold for me, but I haven't read Red Rising, either!

I've not gotten to Golden Sun, but I found Red Rising to be quite good - obviously another one in the Hunger Games/Pretties-vein, but with its own style and voice.

*looks over at the bookcase* I haven't read Uglies/Pretties yet, but I have the first one sitting on my shelf . . . from 3 SantaThings ago. I never get around to reading the books I actually own.

I really liked Red Rising. I thought it struggled a bit in the middle but once it got really going I liked it a lot. I thought it was a big deal for a first novel. Shows a lot of potential. I'm really interested in what Brown writes after this trilogy.

So, the battery on my Kindle is about to die, so I'm back online for a bit.

Eva, I totally get what you mean by Hunger Games/Pretties.

56> I thought it was slow to start. All the weird vocab was annoying, but once we were past that, I got into it. I have an hour left but I don't think my battery will make it that long, so I'm charging it now so it won't shut down on me at some epic moment.

Great batch of reading and I did have a good chuckle over the idea of 'Stan' as a female character name! ;-)

58> I think her real name was Samantha, but Sam is such a boy's name that he had to go with Stan instead. I had started to write that it was one of the worst character names ever, but I knew that would set off a storm of even worse names.

So now I'm reading The Spiritglass Charade - the second book in the Stoker & Holmes series - not who you're thinking of, obviously, since Bram Stoker was an author and Sherlock Holmes was a fictional character - it's Bram's sister Evaline and Sherlock's niece Mina. So Mina Holmes is the brains and Evaline Stoker is the muscle, and together they solves mysteries in a steampunk Victorian England. I'm reading it for the SFFCAT for January.

New-to-Me 2. Red Rising by Pierce Brown ****1/2



"Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.

But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and lush wilds spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.

Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’s overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’s ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies . . . even if it means he has to become one of them to do so." - from Amazon.com

I'd heard good things about this book, but the last time I tried to read it, I was put off by the made up jargon the characters spoke. But once you get past that part of the story, it really picks up. The book is very similar to The Hunger Games, but different enough to not feel like a ripoff. Well worth reading.

Series 2. Princess Academy, audiobook, by Shannon Hale ****



"Miri lives on a mountain where, for generations, her ancestors have quarried stone and lived a simple life. Then word comes that the kings priests have divined her small village the home of the future princess. In a years time, the prince himself will come and choose his bride from among the girls of the village. The kings ministers set up an academy on the mountain, and every teenage girl must attend and learn how to become a princess. Miri soon finds herself confronted with a harsh academy mistress, bitter competition among the girls, and her own conflicting desires to be chosen and win the heart of her childhood best friend. But when bandits seek out the academy to kidnap the future princess, Miri must rally the girls together and use a power unique to the mountain dwellers to save herself and her classmates." - from Amazon.com

I liked the story. I liked the narrator and the cast. It just seemed too long.

How's the weather? Are you getting as much snow as they were predicting?

Yes, we've gotten just under 2 feet of snow and it's still snowing. I just finished shoveling out my car and I'm sipping a nice mug of hot chocolate. I planned to spend the day reading - instead I spent the day camped out in the recliner in front of the TV with 2 cats on my lap. . . . There are worse ways to spend the day.

Snow day again tomorrow, so maybe I'll get some reading done then. Thanks for checking up on me.

It's good to hear you've enjoyed the day - and I'm sure the cats were thrilled!

They're a bad influence on me - napping all day.

New. The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn ****



"Sir Richard Kenworthy has less than a month to find a bride. He knows he can't be too picky, but when he sees Iris Smythe-Smith hiding behind her cello at her family's infamous musicale, he thinks he might have struck gold. She's the type of girl you don't notice until the second—or third—look, but there's something about her, something simmering under the surface, and he knows she's the one.

Iris Smythe–Smith is used to being underestimated. With her pale hair and quiet, sly wit she tends to blend into the background, and she likes it that way. So when Richard Kenworthy demands an introduction, she is suspicious. He flirts, he charms, he gives every impression of a man falling in love, but she can't quite believe it's all true. When his proposal of marriage turns into a compromising position that forces the issue, she can't help thinking that he's hiding something . . . even as her heart tells her to say yes." - from Amazon.com

Julia Quinn's books are usually so funny, but this one is not. It's rather sad. It does have its happy ending, which is a little bit contrived, but happy nonetheless. I think I gave it four stars because it was rather unexpected.

So I'm already changing things up with my magic square. Moving things around from one category to another. I think I kind of "boxed" myself in with my categories. Not sure how I'll change them up for next time - maybe get rid of "Dogs" since I haven't read any books yet just for the Bingo Challenge - some of the books I read just happened to fit.

>67 BookLizard: It's your challenge. You make the rules. Good luck!

68> LOL. Thanks. I'm just sitting here wondering if a "brick" is still a brick if it's an audiobook. 35 hours should count for something, right? Even if it's a "reread"? But I remember I have a real brick coming up, so the audiobook can go under series. In case you were wondering, it's Wizard's First Rule - such a good book. The short-lived TV series The Legend of the Seeker was based on the series.

Heehee, Audiobrick.

Shutting up now.

Cats. The Spiritglass Charade by Colleen Gleason ***1/2



"After the Affair of the Clockwork Scarab, Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes are eager to help Princess Alix with a new case. Seventeen-year-old Willa Aston is obsessed with spiritual mediums, convinced she is speaking with her mother from beyond the grave. What seems like a case of spiritualist fraud quickly devolves into something far more menacing: someone is trying to make Willa "appear lunatic," using an innocent-looking spiritglass to control her. The list of clues piles up: an unexpected murder, a gang of pickpockets, and the return of vampires to London. But are these events connected? As Uncle Sherlock would say, "there are no coincidences." It will take all of Mina's wit and Evaline's muscle to keep London's sinister underground at bay." - from Amazon.com

The characters' names are beyond annoying - Evaline Stoker is the sister of Bram Stoker and Mina Holmes is Sherlock's niece. I don't know if the author chose the name Mina so at the end of the series Evaline's brother can decide to name a character in his book after her or what, but it's annoying as all hell! But despite the confusing, annoying names, this second book in the series was easier to follow. At one point early on, I realized that this book reminded me of The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross, except with 2 female main characters and 2 love triangles. *rolls eyes* But I kept reading and it was interesting to see how the different threads were connected. The ending seemed a little rushed and rather unbelievable since most of the action happened offstage. I ended up liking it more than I thought I would when I was 1/3 of the way through, but I'm not going to be anticipating the sequel.

So, I got a CAT-trick this month! First. Time. Ever!!!

I read:

Black Ships by Jo Graham for HistoryCAT

Spiritglass Charade by Collen Gleason for SFFFCAT

and after the fact, I discovered that a book I had read worked for RandomCAT:

Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue by Tom Angleberger

Yay me!

I've never gotten a CAT-trick - congrats!!!

Actually, I just realized it's not a true CAT-trick which is supposed to be one book that covers all three categories. But that's pretty much impossible this year (HistoryCAT & SFFFCAT), so I'll celebrate anyway.

I've also decided not to do a big monthly wrap up because it's too much work.

Books Read: 17
Favorite: Unbound by Jim C. Hines
Least Favorite: Texts from Jane Eyre by Mallory Ortberg*

*Print book might be better than ebook.

>74 BookLizard: Celebrate away! I agree that the SFFCat and HistoryCat are going to make it virtually impossible to get a CAT trick without some liberal interpretation and reaching.

Excellent reading for January - I've got to get to Unbound before it's due back at the library!

75> I was just happy to find something that worked for the RandomCAT. When you read a lot of fantasy, "real" names are hard to come by.

Agreed re; fantasy and real names. SF sometimes gets tricky, too.

And may I say that I am thrilled to see another person reading the Vorkosigan books? I've been reading Bujold faithfully since the early 1990s, so I'm more than a little invested. I hope you love the books.

Best. Super Bowl. EVER!!!

77>So far I'm really enjoying it

Book Bullet: Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold ****



"When Cordelia Naismith and her survey crew are attacked by a renegade group from Barrayar, she is taken prisoner by Aral Vorkosigan, commander of the Barrayan ship that has been taken over by an ambitious and ruthless crew member. Aral and Cordelia survive countless mishaps while their mutual admiration and even stronger feelings emerge. A science fiction romance by a Hugo and Nebula Award winning master." - from Amazon.

I started reading this book as a sample from Kindle. They sneakily ended the sample right at a good part, so I had to go ahead and buy it. (I had an Amazon gift card my brother gave me for Christmas). I really enjoyed the adventurous part at the start, but when it got bogged down in the political part, I sort of lost interest. All the "V" names confused me. It would have helped if someone had warned me that they all began with "Vor."

I think what bothered me the most was the so-called romance. How can you propose to someone who you've never even kissed? It seemed like he was proposing in part to save her honor since his crew thought she was his hussy. Then the only reason she goes to him is because she has nowhere else to turn. Bah! I do think they'll make a good couple, in an arranged marriage sort of way, but I wouldn't call it a romance. I'll most likely continue with the series when it fits in the SFFFFFCat.

Series: Urban Shaman by C. E. Murphy ****



"Joanne Walker has three days to learn to use her shamanic powers and save the world from the unleashed Wild Hunt.

No worries. No pressure. Never mind the lack of sleep, the perplexing new talent for healing herself from fatal wounds, or the cryptic, talking coyote who appears in her dreams.

And if all that's not bad enough, in the three years Joanne's been a cop, she's never seen a dead body—but she's just come across her second in three days.

It's been a bitch of a week.

And it isn't over yet." - from Amazon

This is a reread for me from a couple of years ago. Back then, I only counted the first book I read by an author for my "New-to-Me" category which led me to start a lot of series, but then not have time/space in my challenge to keep reading them. Now I count any and all books in a New-to-Me series and also new series from authors I know and love. (I have a strange block about reading other series by my favorite authors - I think I'm afraid I won't like them as much, so I'm better off not knowing instead of being disappointed.)

This book is still interesting and amusing and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with all the characters.

Interesting - in my library I gave Shards of Honor 4 1/2 stars, which must be how I felt right after I finished reading it. It's been a few days and now I feel like it's a 4 star read, so I'm going to just leave them both as is.

Does this happen to you? What do you do about it?

>81 BookLizard: I don't rate by numbers so couldn't tell you. :-(

Yay you read Urban Shaman! Book 2 in March? I love Gary!

ETA: If you want to read book 2 sooner I can probably get to it the weekend of the 20th but not sooner.

>81 BookLizard: - I have had times where I revisit my rating of a book after a week or two. Sometimes it involves moving the rating up or down a 1/2 star. I have only adjusted one or two of the ratings I have given but I tend to keep it in the back of my mind and now I wonder if I am starting to be overly critical of the books I read.

82> How much do you like to plan ahead? Murphy has a novella called "Banshee Cries" in an anthology with Mercedes Lackey called Winter Moon. That's #1.5 in the series - probably not necessary to follow the series, but I want to read it anyway. I'm planning to read that this month. I can read it sooner rather than later if you want to read Thunderbird Falls this month.

83>I'm too easy on the books I read. Most of them get 4 stars if I like them - 4 1/2 if I really like them/better than expected - 5 stars if I love them and will reread them and everyone else should read them, too. If I don't like a book and don't finish it, I don't give it a rating.

>84 BookLizard: I found it on Kindle format from Houston Public Library and put it on hold. I am next to get it so even if they took it out today they will only have it for 14 days. I can do a novella this month. Let's continue on with book 2 next month.

85>Sounds like a plan. Let me know when you're ready. I have a snow day tomorrow - er, today - so I'm hoping to catch up on some of my physical books.

SNOW DAY! I need to turn off the TV and start reading.

20+ inches and another snow day tomorrow. My back is killing me . . . not from shoveling but from too much time in the recliner with a cat on my lap!

I hope you're enjoying your snow day! I'm pretty certain your cat is, lol.

Holy smokes that's a lot of snow! Enjoy your extra reading time!

No. More. Snow.

We're breaking all sorts of snowfall records in the city. Most snow ever in a 30 day period. This was either the 8th or 7th biggest snowstorm in our history (waiting for final totals - there is still some snow falling). Just over 2 weeks ago we had the 6th biggest storm, and in between the 2 we got 16 inches from another storm. It may not seem a lot to people living in Alaska or something, but here in Boston, we just don't have anywhere to put it! They're talking about dumping snow in the harbor, but that's bad for all sorts of environmental reasons. Ugh! Is it spring yet?

I love Boston - I lived there many years ago and I cannot imagine how you are dealing with all that snow! I heard they were allowing limited dumping in the harbor and rivers and I know the situation must be truly bad to allow that. Spring will be here one of these days....

You guys have really gotten clobbered this year. My nephew lives in Boston and he says it's hard to get around. Down here in RI we didn't get as much and I live fairly close to the coast so got even less than the north part of the state, but still it's a lot. I saw on the news this am that they're thinking of dumping some snow in the harbor. I know they stopped doing that because of the environment, but it might be the only way to get rid of it. And we're expecting more snow on Thurs.

"too much time in the recliner with a cat on my lap"
Oh, poor you. No, actually - it sounds good complaint to have. :)

The only thing worse than 7 feet of snow is rain on top of it. They're forecasting "mixed precipitation" for the weekend - starts and ends as snow with rain and freezing rain in the middle. The snow already on the ground and roofs act as a sponge, absorbing the water and making the snow much, much heavier. There have already been dozens and dozens of roof collapses around the state. Glad they cleared the snow off my condo building this week.

Boston hasn't had to resort to dumping in the Harbor yet, thanks in part to our neighboring states. New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and maybe other states have been sending equipment and manpower to help us dig out. We have snow melting machines that turn the snow into water. The problem isn't having somewhere to put the snow, it's getting the snow off the streets and to the snow farms.

My back is feeling better, but not 100%. Went to the doctor on Monday - got muscle relaxant, anti-inflammatory gel, and was told to take anti-inflammatory like Advil (even though I'm not supposed to because of other conditions/medications). It's one of those cases where the benefits outweigh the risks.

I've gotten some reading done, but I'm behind in my reviews. I've been reading people's threads, but not commenting much. Time to play catch up.

Freebies: Boston Strong: A City's Triumph over Tragedy by Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge ****1/2



Book description from Amazon.com: "The story of the Boston Marathon bombing through the eyes of those most intimately affected." Pretty straightforward, huh? I won this as an ER from LT. I'll have to write a real review for them, which is why it's taken me so long to post here. I've decided to just post and worry about the review later. Overall, it was a good book with details I hadn't heard of before. My one pet peeve, which probably wouldn't bother anyone outside of Boston, was a few basic mistakes: the wrong name of a town and a store. I found it interesting how the authors assume the guilt of the "alleged" bombers. I suppose they have to for the purpose of the book, but it's thought-provoking since the surviving alleged bomber is now going on trial. The defense keeps trying to get the case moved out of state claiming he can't get a fair trial here. I don't know about that, but I've read this book and now I'm biased, so don't ask me to serve on the jury.

Series: Burned by Karen Marie Moning ****1/2



The description from Amazon is too long and gives away too many spoilers from previous books. If you read Iced, you might be surprised that this book goes back to Mac as narrator. I've always liked her better than Dani, so I'm not complaining. If you haven't read the series, you'll have no idea what's going on, so go back and read Dreamfever. Seriously, if you like fantasy/urban fantasy, read this series.

Some plot devices are a little trite, -invisibility- but fun and effective. The book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger that really isn't much of a cliffhanger if you've been paying close attention. It also helps if you've read the author's Highlander Saga - a paranormal romance series that starts with Beyond the Highland Mist. Mostly the cliffhanger lets you know that there's another book planned for the series.

Cats: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley ****



"Hundreds of years in the future, the World Controllers have created an ideal civilization. Its members, shaped by genetic engineering and behavioral conditioning, are productive and content in roles they have been assigned at conception. Government-sanctioned drugs and recreational sex ensure that everyone is a happy, unquestioning consumer; messy emotions have been anesthetized and private attachments are considered obscene. Only Bernard Marx is discontented, developing an unnatural desire for solitude and a distaste for compulsory promiscuity. When he brings back a young man from one of the few remaining Savage Reservations, where the old unenlightened ways still continue, he unleashes a dramatic clash of cultures that will force him to consider whether freedom, dignity, and individuality are worth suffering for." - from Amazon.

This description makes Bernard sound much more interesting than he really is. He's one of the main characters, but others are just as, if not more, important. I know this is a classic and I'm glad I read it, but even though it's a relatively short book, it seemed longer. The beginning goes on and on about the science behind the genetic engineering and conditioning. Maybe it would have been more interesting during Huxley's time, but the science part was mostly boring. The description of the conditioning was more interesting and disturbing (which it was supposed to be). It's worth reading for the SFFFCat - either this month for Classics or in March for Dystopian.

Just realized Brave New World is almost a real CAT trick - it works for RandomCAT, SFFFCAT, and AlphaKIT. Maybe a KAT trick?

>95 BookLizard: - so that's why we haven't been hearing from you. Hope your back feels better. I've had a few twinges from shoveling, but not to bad. Hubby's been taking the worst of it. We're supposed to get snow/rain too. We've gotten some of the snow off our roof, but there's still some at the peak. Thank goodness he's smart enough to not try and get on the roof.

I'm off for a mani-pedi today in preparation for our vacation next week. Think I'll have some cold toes on the way home.

Ew, freezing rain on top of snow is horrible! You guys have had a terrible winter. I hope you have an amazing spring to make up for it.

How the heck did I miss mention of your back pain until now?! Take it easy and here is hoping the muscle relaxant and anti-inflammatory meds are doing what they are suppose to do.

100> After the past 4 weeks, I NEVER thought I'd be wishing for snow, but I'd much rather have snow than rain this weekend. And now that we've had so much this season, I want to beat the record! We need about 9 inches or so to make it our snowiest winter on record.

Hopefully the snow on the peak of your roof will just slide off. My friend has been trying to get a roof rake. The hardware store had told her they'd be getting a shipment in today. When she called they told her the shipment had arrived a day early - 120 roof rakes and they were already sold out.

101> Thanks. Pretty much every day on the news they say how many more days until spring.

102> It was easy to miss my comment about the back pain amid all my griping about the snow. It's getting a little better every day, but sitting at the computer is what makes it hurt the most - not while I'm sitting as much as when I try to stand up.

>103 BookLizard:
Well, eventually you do have to stand up... :) Hope you get back to normal soon!

>98 BookLizard: Glad you enjoyed Brave New World! That book has one of my favorite final sentences...

I'm sorry to hear about the back pain - that can be truly miserable. I hope the assorted drugs help.

It's amazing how hard you have been hit by snow up there this year - I'm wishing that you're over the worst at that Spring will arrive soon.

It's been years since I read Brave New World - but maybe I'll give it a whirl for the March SFFCat as you suggested. Thanks for the reminder!

I'm healing slowly from the back pain. Tonight is a bad night, but still not as bad as when I first hurt it. I fell asleep in the recliner again, for like 10-15 minutes, but the 20 pound cat got on my lap again. *sigh*

104> Thanks. I'd prefer to stay curled up in bed.

105> Creepy last words, but effective.

106> Thanks. Some of the snow melted today, so tonight everything is iced over. I slipped twice on black ice when I went out to do laundry.

>107 BookLizard: Take care - not that you need to be told! I'm sure your kitty only means to comfort you....

Yes, he's recently become a lapcat - surprisingly after a vet visit. I wonder if he needed comforting himself? Wednesday all 3 went to the vet. 2 out of 3 have forgiven me completely. The third is a bit more aloof.

Yesterday I was able to lift a heavy water cooler bottle with only a tiny twinge of pain. It seems to be sitting that exasperates it. I can usually walk around fine and even eventually forget the pain until I sit for any length of time.

New-to-Me: Frostborn by Lou Anders **



"When family intrigues force Karn and Thianna to flee into the wilderness, they have to keep their sense of humor and their wits about them. But survival can be challenging when you’re being chased by a 1,500-year-old dragon, Helltoppr the undead warrior and his undead minions, an evil uncle, wyverns, and an assortment of trolls and giants." - from Amazon

I CANNOT believe this book has gotten so many positive reviews. It's a TOTAL ripoff of the Lion King - The evil uncle tricks the boy into getting himself in danger then convinces the boy's father to go to his son's rescue. The father is defeated (doesn't really die) and when the boy survives, the uncle tells him to run far away and never return. Then at the end, when the boy has defeated the uncle, the uncle pretends he's going to leave, then throws mud in the boy's eyes. SERIOUSLY? As if that weren't bad enough, the author names the dwarf Gimli Gindri - really? He couldn't even change the "i" on the end to a "y"?

Besides the obvious ripoffs, the dialogue is way too modern for the setting. Khan lives on a farm and they go to fairs to trade, but he uses modern slang. He's also incredibly STUPID. He doesn't seem to remember that his uncle is the one who set him up to die. He conveniently (for the plot) forgets to ask Thianna why she stood him up that night (his uncle had told him that Thianna wanted to meet him). The villains were mostly stupid and overconfident, but that's to be expected in a children's book (how else would the children "win"?). I guess that was the book's biggest problem - it was dumbed down.

So why 2 stars? Because the main characters were interesting and eventually appealing. I cared about what happened to them, even if what happened was obvious, derivative, and generally stupid. I didn't give up on the book after a few chapters. I'm listening to the audiobook which I wouldn't recommend either. The narrator does a terrible job with the voices and accents. You can't tell the characters apart - even Khan and Thianna. So disappointing.

ETA: cover picture

February recap:

Books Read: 7
Favorite: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (I feel like this is cheating.)
Least Favorite: Frostborn by Lou Anders, read by Fabio Tassone. (Cheating too since I haven't finished it, but I will next time I'm in the car.)

Not cheating at all! :)

I agree, not cheating. Making other books compete with P&P for the "favorite" spot is slightly unfair perhaps, but not cheating. :)

Not cheating at ALL. It's probably going to make it as my #1 of the month as well. Especially since it drove me to read an annotated version in addition. I'm rereading it twice!

Series: If I Should Die by Amy Plum ****



If I Should Die delivers a stunning, deeply satisfying conclusion to the international bestselling Die for Me trilogy by Amy Plum. . . . Amy Plum created an intricate, original mythology for her YA paranormal series. The books, set in Paris, the City of Lights, introduce readers to revenants, undead beings who must sacrifice themselves again and again to save the lives of strangers. - from Amazon.com

I can't really describe this book without spoilers for the earlier books. It was a satisfying conclusion to the series.

Book Bullet: The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrille Zevin ****3/4



"A. J. Fikry, the irascible owner of Island Books, has recently endured some tough years: his wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and his prized possession--a rare edition of Poe poems--has been stolen. Over time, he has given up on people, and even the books in his store, instead of offering solace, are yet another reminder of a world that is changing too rapidly. Until a most unexpected occurrence gives him the chance to make his life over and see things anew. " - from Amazon.com

Don't you just love books about books and book lovers and love? I'm sure the Massachusetts setting played a part in my love for this book. I devoured it. I'm going to have to reread it in the not-so-distant future just so I can savor it.

New-to-Me: After the End by Amy Plum ****1/2



"Juneau grew up fearing the outside world. The elders told her that beyond the borders of their land in the Alaskan wilderness, nuclear war had destroyed everything. But when Juneau returns from a hunting trip one day and discovers her people have been abducted, she sets off to find them. And leaving the boundaries for the very first time, she learns the horrifying truth: World War III never happened. Nothing was destroyed. Everything she'd ever been taught was a lie.

As Juneau comes to terms with an unfathomable deception, she is forced to survive in a completely foreign world, using only the skills and abilities she developed in the wild. But while she's struggling to rescue her friends and family, someone else is after her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about her secret past." - from Amazon.com

Doesn't that description sound interesting? Only one problem . . . it completely leaves out a whole other narrator! True, Miles is not as interesting or important as Juneau. He is there to help her on her quest, in a way. But every other chapter is told from his point of view so it would be nice if he got a mention in the description.

This book was hard to put down. I'm not sure what it was about it, but I was just engrossed. I think part of it was how cool Juneau was. I wanted to be like her. Her emotions rang true. There was no insta-love between her and Miles. If I reviewed this next week, I'd probably drop it down to 4 stars, but coming off the "high" of the adrenaline rush, it's 4 1/2.

>117 BookLizard: This book was hard to put down.

Don't you just love finding books like this that click with you?

118> mamzel, of course, except when it keeps me up until 4 a.m. on a "school" night. I was finally able to tear myself away to rest for a few hours. I think part of it was the fairly short chapters. There was an excerpt at the end of If I Should Die and it totally sucked me in.

I was going to say, I don't usually read the excerpts, but then I remembered why. When I read an e-book, if it's part of a series, the excerpt is usually from the most recent book. Um, why? If I'm reading book 3 of a series, I'm not about to read something from book 9.

New-to-Me: Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917 by Sally M. Walker, read by Paul Michael ****1/2



"December 6, 1917, started like any other day in Halifax. But everything stopped shortly before nine o’clock that morning, when two ships collided in Halifax Harbour. One of the ships was loaded with munitions for the troops fighting in Europe; the other was preparing to collect medical supplies for the war’s victims.

The resulting disaster was the largest man-made explosion until the detonation of the atomic bomb in 1945. The blast flattened large areas of Halifax and the town across the harbor, Dartmouth. It killed nearly two thousand people. As if that wasn’t devastating enough, a blizzard hit the next day, dumping more than a foot of snow on the area and
slowing much-needed relief efforts.

This harrowing story of tragedy and recovery reveals the extraordinary strength and determination of a community in one of its darkest hours." - from Amazon.com

I listened to the audiobook, but I've borrowed the print book so I can see the pictures and reread parts of it. The narration was pretty good - it's one of those books that doesn't lend itself well to audiobook format. It would be nice to play the audiobook while browsing the book.

Such a horrific event! What really freaked me out was all the eye injuries that resulted from people standing at the window watching the ships in the harbour -- when the ships blew up, the windows were smashed, with gruesome results.

Now I want to reread Barometer Rising, which is set in the days leading up to and immediately following the explosion. Thanks for the reminder ;)

122> Glad I helped. I might eventually read Curse of the Narrows

The thing that kind of blew my mind was that it was the biggest man-made explosion ever, until the atomic bomb.

Shattered City, by Janet Kitz, is pretty good too.

Curse of the Narrows looks interesting -- adding to the TBR!

Double-barrelled BB: I've already read Barometer Rising but I am adding Shattered City and Blizzard of Glass. They both look good.

124> Hope you enjoy them!

WooHooooooo! New record!! 108.6 inches of snow! This is officially the snowiest winter ever in Boston!

So glad we didn't suffer for nothing.

108.6 inches of snow!

Wow... that is a lot of snow! Here's is hoping the record doesn't get broken any time soon.

>126 BookLizard: - I just saw this in the paper this am. Let's hope this is all there is.

127> That's right! We want this record to stand for a very long time!

128>The meteorologists are hinting at more snow possible later this week. I hope it's just a coating. I don't mind a dusting to cover all the black snow on the side of the roads.

That is a lot of snow. I too certainly hope that record stands for quite a while!

130> Thanks! We had some more melting today. The worst of the ice that was in my parking spot is gone. There's still a little ice between the parking lot and the stairs to the condo. Not sure when we'll see the sidewalks again.

Whatever category I decide to put it in: The Mark of Thief by Jennifer Nielsen ****



"When Nic, a slave in the mines outside of Rome, is forced to enter a sealed cavern containing the lost treasures of Julius Caesar, he finds much more than gold and gemstones: He discovers an ancient bulla, an amulet that belonged to the great Caesar and is filled with a magic once reserved for the Gods -- magic some Romans would kill for.

Now, with the deadly power of the bulla pulsing through his veins, Nic is determined to become free. But instead, he finds himself at the center of a ruthless conspiracy to overthrow the emperor and spark the Praetor War, a battle to destroy Rome from within. Traitors and spies lurk at every turn, each more desperate than the next to use Nic's newfound powers for their own dark purposes.

In a quest to stop the rebellion, save Rome, and secure his own freedom, Nic must harness the magic within himself and defeat the empire's most powerful and savage leaders." - Amazon.com

I was annoyed with the start of the book. Nic does not act like a slave and isn't killed for it. But I let that slide. The middle is mostly good. There are a few too many coincidences at the end. I loved the previous trilogy from this author, so this was a letdown. I'll eventually read the sequel when it comes out, but I won't be counting down the days.

So here's an interesting fact: our last snow record was 1995-1996 same as yours. We had 105.2 inches that year, just a smidge less than you. Yet this year we still need 31.5 inches to get to that record. Not likely, thank goodness, but I just heard Al Roker say more snow for us (and you) this weekend.

133> Don't jinx yourself! Don't you remember the April Fool's Blizzard of 1997? Over 2 feet of snow. You were away for a good part of this winter, so you didn't suffer as much as the rest of us. It's not worth it to hope for 31 inches just to get the record.

Looks like you might get more snow than us this weekend. Hitting you Friday and us on Saturday. But I haven't put away my snow shovels. May 1st or when we hit 80 degrees - whichever comes first.

CAT: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel ****2/3



"One snowy night a famous Hollywood actor slumps over and dies onstage during a production of King Lear. Hours later, the world as we know it begins to dissolve. Moving back and forth in time—from the actor's early days as a film star to fifteen years in the future, when a theater troupe known as The Travelling Symphony roams the wasteland of what remains—this suspenseful, elegiac, spellbinding novel charts the strange twists of fate that connect five people: the actor, the man who tried to save him, the actor's first wife, his oldest friend, and a young actress with the Traveling Symphony, caught in the crosshairs of a dangerous self-proclaimed prophet. Sometimes terrifying, sometimes tender, Station Eleven tells a story about the relationships that sustain us, the ephemeral nature of fame, and the beauty of the world as we know it." - from Emily St. John Mandel's webpage.

I really enjoyed this book, but it wasn't quite a 5 star read for me. It was neat making some of the connections between the "future" and the "past," like seeing how Kirsten ended up with some of the things she carried in her backpack. But other coincidences were too much for me. As soon as that flight was diverted, I knew Arthur's son was the prophet, and while it makes sense that some people who knew each other would be on the flight, what are the chances that Kirtsen would meet Arthur's son or his best friend?

I think the thing that struck me the most was that this was a National Book Award finalist despite these coincidences. If this were a regular science fiction novel instead of "literature," it would be panned for its "reliance on coincidence." Not to take anything away from this book - the storytelling was wonderful, and I'm glad that books that aren't completely bleak and depressing are getting recognition - I just wish some people would be more accepting of genre fiction and judge it for what it is, instead of comparing it to what it never set out to be.

The Blizzard of 1996 is something that is still fresh in the minds of people who lived in Victoria at that time. Sounds like 1996 was a bad winter all around!

>135 BookLizard: When I read a book full of coincidences I always think back to the marvelous book by Louis Sachar, Holes, and how a number of people interacted and then a couple of generation later their descendants meet up again and right the wrongs perpetrated by their ancestors. I think sometimes you just have to accept those co-in-kee-dinks for the story's sake. I just wish I had understood it was that sort of story before I started it.

135> Yeah. Holes is magical realism and tall tale mixed together, so you accept it. But Station Eleven is post-apocalyptic literature - it's great how the threads are woven together, but the coincidences at the end are just a bit too much. Did anyone who knew Arthur die? His first wife Miranda and maybe his second wife Elizabeth when she left the airport? 99% of all people died, but not 99% of the people closest to him? That coincidence I'm willing to let slide.

136> Almost 20 years ago. Here everyone always talks about the Blizzard of 78' but even the old-timers were saying this year was worse.

>134 BookLizard: - I'm definitely not wishing for more snow. Yes - I heard there might be more snow this weekend. I'm hoping it's really just rain.

I've just started Station Eleven. Looking forward to getting into it as soon as I get done with LT tonight.

Anyone participating in OverDrive's "Big Library Read"? The book is Shakespeare Saved My Life. I'm on the fence. I don't read much nonfiction, especially fabrications memoirs, but it does sound like it could be interesting.

Brr, a "Blizzard" should only occur at Dairy Queen! :)

>142 -Eva-: - Now, that kind of Blizzard I love!

142 & 143> As long as it's a chocolate Blizzard, I'm on board!

Has it really been so long since I posted? I've finished 2 books since then, but haven't had the time/energy to post reviews. I'll try now, since I'm reading The Martian and will probably want to post about that right away.

New-to-Me: The Colossus Rises by Peter Lerangis ***1/2



"Percy Jackson meets Indiana Jones in the New York Times bestselling epic adventure Seven Wonders! The Colossus Rises is the first book in a seven-book series. This first installment chronicles the story of Jack McKinley, an ordinary kid with an extraordinary problem. In a few months, he’s going to die—unless he finds seven magic Loculi that have been hidden in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World." - from Amazon"

It was weird from the start. It just didn't grab me or seem believable. OK, but I won't be reaching for the next book in the series.

Series: Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers ****1/2



"In the powerful conclusion to Robin LaFever's New York Times bestselling His Fair Assassins trilogy, Annith has watched her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent. Feeling sorely betrayed, Annith decides to strike out on her own.

She has spent her whole life training to be an assassin. Just because the convent has changed its mind, doesn’t mean she has." -from Amazon

I really enjoyed this YA fantasy/historical/mystery series. At the start of this book, I didn't think I was going to like it at all, but I ended up loving it. So much intrigue, and events in this book crossover with events in the previous books. I envy people who will be able to read the books back to back.

Book Bullet: The Martian by Andy Weir ****1/2



"Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.

Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first.

But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?" - from Amazon

The best part of this book is Mark's sense of humor. I don't know how to describe it. Some of it is gallows humor. Some of it is juvenile. All of it is enjoyable. I can see why this book has been so popular on LT.

CAT: Cinder by Marissa Meyer ****



"Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother . . . But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future." -from Amazon

Not great, but engrossing. Recognizable as the Cinderella story, but with several differences. Cinder is not going to wait for the Prince to rescue her - she's taking steps to save herself. At the end, I immediately wanted to continue the series.

Great batch of reading and happy to see you enjoyed your read of The Martian. I am having a bit of difficulty picturing Matt Damon as Watney (I have heard that he has been cast to play Watney in the movie adaptation) but I will still go and see the movie when it comes out. ;-)

>150 lkernagh: As a long-standing Matt Damon fan I am quite pleased by this news :D But I agree, if I were fantasy-casting the movie he wouldn't necessarily have come up right away. At times Mark Watney reminded me of Sam Rockwell, although I might just have been remembering Rockwell's performance in Moon (directed by Duncan Jones).

The BF and I will probably see the movie, since we've both (!) read the source material.

150> It's scheduled to come out in November, and IMDB lists it as post-production, so Damon is Watney. I can see it. He's matured as an actor, but he can still pull off that deadpan humor he had in Good Will Hunting and Dogma. The thing that amazes me is that Sean Bean is playing a character who doesn't die!!! (Unless they rewrite the screenplay to kill him off.) LOL

151> I don't think Sam Rockwell looks young enough to pull it off. Isn't Watney supposed to be around 30?

I've been lucky on the last few books I've read, but reading has been slow. Was on vacation for a week where I managed to finish The Martian and devoured Cinder - I think I pulled an all-nighter to read it. But I was so busy and tired out, I spent most of my nights sleeping instead of reading.

P.S. I also read Smile by Raina Telgemeier at the instance of my niece. But I can't find a way to fit it into my challenge. :-( I never thought this would happen. LOL. Not New-to-Me since I read Sisters last year. Not a series since they are "companion" works. Hmpf!

>152 BookLizard: Haha! When I heard that Sean Bean was going to be in the movie, I said to the BF, "OK, if anyone dies in the book, that must be who Sean Bean is playing."

I think I'm also thinking of 1999 (Galaxy Quest) Sam Rockwell... not 2015 Sam Rockwell. People tend to stay the same age in my head :P

154> People tend to stay the same age in my head. I know that feeling. But I think Sam Rockwell in Galaxy Quest looks too goofy to be Watney. Is he just goofy in that movie?

He looks like Dana Carvey in this picture:

Yeah, I can see that resemblance.

He was also pretty goofy as Zaphod Beeblebrox in the 2005 movie version of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but that's more of a Zaphod thing and not a Sam Rockwell thing.

YES!!! I just figured out a way to count Smile in my challenge . . . RandomCAT. Thank you, Roberta.

CAT: Smile by Raina Telgemeier ****



"Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth. What follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. And on top of all that, there's still more to deal with: a major earthquake, boy confusion, and friends who turn out to be not so friendly." - from Amazon

I read this book at the insistence of my niece who was reading Sisters, which I had already read. I found this enjoyable enough, but didn't like it as much as Sisters which I related to more.

>158 BookLizard: You're welcome! I've loved the more challenging Challenges but sometimes you need one that is not quite so. :-)

Series: Thunderbird Falls by C.E. Murphy ****



"It's the end of the world…

Again.

For all the bodies she's encountering, you'd think beat cop Joanne Walker works in Homicide. But no, Joanne's a reluctant shaman who last saved mankind three months ago—surely she deserves more of a break! Yet, incredibly, "Armageddon, Take Two" is mere days away.

There's not a minute to waste.

Yet when her spirit guide inexplicably disappears, Joanne needs help from other sources. Especially after she accidentally unleashes Lower World demons on Seattle. Damn. With the mother of all showdowns gathering force, it's the worst possible moment for Joanne to realize she should have learned more about controlling her powers. Or to discover she's being lied to…" - from Amazon

Not sure what to say about this book. I usually dislike books where the magic is not clearly defined, but in this case, Joanne doesn't understand the magic herself and she's the narrator. I'm hoping it will become clearer as the series continues.

TBD: Cut & Run by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux ***1/2



"A series of murders in New York City has stymied the police and FBI alike, and they suspect the culprit is a single killer sending an indecipherable message. But when the two federal agents assigned to the investigation are taken out, the FBI takes a more personal interest in the case.

Special Agent Ty Grady is pulled out of undercover work after his case blows up in his face. He's cocky, abrasive, and indisputably the best at what he does. But when he's paired with Special Agent Zane Garrett, it's hate at first sight. Garrett is the perfect image of an agent: serious, sober, and focused, which makes their partnership a classic cliché: total opposites, good cop-bad cop, the odd couple. They both know immediately that their partnership will pose more of an obstacle than the lack of evidence left by the murderer.

Practically before their special assignment starts, the murderer strikes again – this time at them. Now on the run, trying to track down a man who has focused on killing his pursuers, Grady and Garrett will have to figure out how to work together before they become two more notches in the murderer's knife." - from Amazon.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. One book in the series, Touch & Geaux, caught my eye because it had a voodoo doll on the front and sounded like it would be set in New Orleans. But it was book 7 in the series, so I had to go start with book 1. This was set in New York, not New Orleans, and while I liked both the characters, I couldn't follow their conversations or get their motivation half the time. The way they acted on their insta-lust wasn't believable either. I think part of the problem may have been the two authors. Maybe each one took the role of one of the characters and "acted out" each scene? That would explain why the book was so much pointless conversation and not much action. In fact, I think at one point, one of the characters even said that they weren't a match except in bed. How true!

There was a big wait list on the series when I put my request in, but now book 2 is available so I borrowed it to give the series another chance. (I wonder if other readers decided to "Cut & Run) after book 1 - LOL!) A few books in to the series, one of the authors drops out, so I'm hoping it will get better. We'll see. Maybe.

Haven't decided whether to put this in New-to-Me or Series.

Ah, more good words about The Martian... My wishlist is already overflowing, people! :) Does sound like a character I would like, though.

162> Not something I would have ever picked up on my own, but a BB well worth taking.

Series: Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue, and Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier ****

       

"Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon—the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust." - from Amazon (description for Ruby Red.)

This YA series is a mix of fantasy, mystery, romance, and historical fiction. Some of the secondary characters are stock figures, but there are many characters to keep straight, so it's not surprising - and some of the seemingly flat characters can surprise you. Gwyneth is the narrator who's a little too open and honest since she's been warned repeatedly to "trust no one." The mystery is one of those where you have a good idea how it ends, and the reader is given some information that the narrator does not have, so the fun is in seeing how everyone gets there. Gwyneth's best friend Lesley is a great supporting character in more ways than one. She does a lot of research for Gwen and, more importantly, she's her reality check.

7 books to go in this particular challenge. I'm hoping to finish it before the end of the month, but first I have to finish my taxes! *Boo. Hiss*

Glad you enjoyed the Ruby Red series! I agree, there are an awful lot of characters to keep track of, but it's still a fun read. Also, good luck with your taxes! :)

166> Thanks for hitting me with that BB and helping me easily fill a Bingo square that I thought was going to be excruciating. LOL.

Just finished the taxes with more than an hour to spare! Of course, now I have to go to the animal hospital to pick up a prescription for my cat. Luckily they're open 24/7.

New-to-Me: Lumberjanes #1 by Grace Ellis ~~~~



"WHY WE LOVE IT: Five best friends spending the summer at Lumberjane scout camp...defeating yetis, three-eyed wolves, and giant falcons...what’s not to love?!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT:It’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Gravity Falls and features five butt-kicking, rad teenage girls wailing on monsters and solving a mystery with the whole world at stake. And with the talent of acclaimed cartoonist Noelle Stevenson, talented newcomer Grace Ellis writing, and Brooke Allen on art, this is going to be a spectacular series that you won’t want to miss.

WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley are five best pals determined to have an awesome summer together...and they’re not gonna let any insane quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! Not only is it the second title launching in our new BOOM! Box imprint but LUMBERJANES is one of those punk rock, love-everything-about-it stories that appeals to fans of basically all excellent things." - from Amazon

Loved the name - Lumberjanes instead of Lumberjacks - which is what drew me to the comic. Only problem is I thought this was a collection of the first few issues - following a complete story arc. It's not. It's just the first issue using almost the same cover. *grumble, grumble*

So I'm reserving judgment until I read the graphic novel version. I've ordered it from the library in the print edition which I think I'll like better than the Kindle edition. I'm still counting it for my challenge since I read it in good faith. I will read the whole thing, just probably not in April.

Freebies: Unshapely Things by Mark Del Franco ****1/4



"In the alleys of the decrepit Boston neighborhood known as the Weird, fairy prostitutes are turning up dead. The crime scenes show signs of residual magic, but the Guild, which polices the fey, has more "important" crimes to investigate and dumps the case on human law enforcement.

Boston police call in Connor Grey, a druid and former hotshot Guild investigator-whose magical abilities were crippled after a run-in with a radical environmentalist elf. As Connor battles red tape and his own shortcomings, he realizes that the murders are not random, but part of an ancient magical ritual. And if Connor can't figure out the killer's M.O., the culmination of the spell might just bring about a worldwide cataclysm." - from Amazon

I really loved some of the writing in this book. The author had a great way of describing things. The storyline was good, but I got confused towards the end. Could just be my fault, but that's the reason I didn't give it a higher rating. Definitely continuing with the series.

So far behind in posting reviews. I've read All Cats Have Asperger's Syndrome, Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs, Sticks & Stones, and The Shadows.

>170 BookLizard: I still haven't read Dead Heat yet!

171> Well, it's only been out for 2 months, so that's not too bad.

My library is starting to annoy me. They haven't been ordering the ebooks I've requested, or they order them too late (after I borrowed them from another library system).

Read 2 more books. Scarlet and Cress by Marissa Meyer. Sequels to Cinder. So good. Don't want to wait until November for the next in the series.

Fairest is out which is Queen Levana's back story.

174> I discovered that when I was checking on Winter. Have you read it? I'm wondering if it's like Maleficent.

>175 BookLizard: I haven't read it but I do own a copy. I fear most that it was written due to the success of Maleficent. Meyer says she had to get the story out of her system in order to finish Winter but she had the outline for the four books for a long, long time. The first three are so tightly interwoven that I really feel like maybe her publisher pushed her to do this, as I said due to the success of Maleficent. It's just my feeling that's all. I need to get on with it and read the book.

176> Just finished reading your third thread. Now I'm only 89 posts behind. *sigh*

I'm reading Coyote Dreams right now. It's been slow going, I think. I'm about halfway through the book and it seems like not a whole lot has happened, but I think I've figured out what Joanne should have figured out by now, if you know what I mean.

>177 BookLizard: No worries about catching up on my new thread. Half of it is shenanigans.

I just borrowed Coyote Dreams from Overdrive. If I don't start tonight I'll dip into it tomorrow.

Finished Coyote Dreams. Started slow, but got better. ****