Friday, August 31, 2012

August 2012 Wrap-Up

Here's a summary of my book-related activity for August 2012. This month there was a Review Copy Cleanup Challenge, which is why I mostly read NetGalleys. I was quite successful in catching up on my review copies this month, and just in general! This month is the first month since starting Operation: TBR Reduction that I actually succeeded in reducing my TBR pile, despite the fact that I somehow wound up acquiring a bunch of new books! So I'm extremely happy about that. Here's to the next few months being just as awesome, so I can finish all my challenges. :)

Books I read (linked to the reviews)


Bandwidth by Angus Morrison (NetGalley - did not finish)
The Encounter (Animorphs #3) by K.A. Applegate (TBR pile)
A Tale of Two Mommies by Vanita Oelschlager (NetGalley)
A Tale of Two Daddies by Vanita Oelschlager (NetGalley)
What I Didn't Say by Keary Taylor (NetGalley)
Spying Eyes (Sabrina the Teenage Witch #14) by Nancy Holder (TBR pile)
Lucretia and the Kroons by Victor LaValle (NetGalley)
Talisman of El by Alecia Stone (NetGalley - did not finish)
The Enchanted Truth by Kym Petrie (NetGalley)
Quarantine by John Smolens (NetGalley)
You are Microscopic (Choose Your Own Adventure #130) by Edward Packard (TBR pile)
The Infects by Sean Beaudoin (NetGalley)
Memnoch the Devil by Anne Rice (reread [but this time in audio!])
Anthology I: The Other Side by Hamidah Gul (review copy - did not finish)
Dream Magic: Awakenings by Dawn Harshaw (review copy)
The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll (TBR pile) (not quite done yet, but I'm well on my way!)

Books I bought


Hunger by
Jackie Morse Kessler
James and the Giant
Peach by Roald Dahl
The Maze Runner
by James Dashner

The Howler (The Nightmare
Room #7) by R.L. Stine
Dr. Horrible and Other Horrible
Stories by Zack Whedon
Smoke and Mirrors
by Neil Gaiman

Horrors of the Haunted
Museum by R.L. Stine
The Map of Time by Félix J. Palma


Books I've been approved for on NetGalley


Lucretia and the Kroons
by Victor LaValle
Talisman of El by Alecia Stone
The Devil in Silver
by Victor LaValle
The Enchanted Truth by Kym Petrie
OMG Queer: Short Stories
by Queer Youth
The Archived by Victoria Schwab


Other e-books I received for review



Dream Magic: Awakenings
by Dawn Harshaw
Anthology 1: The Other Side
by Hamidah Gul

Books that magically appeared in my mailbox!

Twelve Months by
Steven Manchester

Ten Girls to Watch
by Charity Shumway
The Map of the Sky
by Félix J. Palma

Progress on challenges


The Encounter was my August book for the Read Your OWN Library! Challenge.

Spying Eyes was my August Random Read.

I completed the following letters for the 2012 A-Z Book Challenge: D, E, L, and Y

I read 4 books for the Mount TBR Reading Challenge.

I read 1 book for the 2012 Anne Rice Challenge. You can still sign up!

Operation: TBR Reduction: I added 19 books to my to read list and removed 20 (the number of books I read plus the 4 I got rid of), so my pile decreased by 1 this month! (OMG finally!)

Talisman of El by Alecia Stone: DNF

Title: Talisman of El
Author: Alecia Stone
Publication Date: May 20, 2012
Length: 364 pages

Note: Various aspects of this book caused me to put it down without finishing it. Therefore, please keep in mind that this review has been written without any knowledge of the last half of the book.

Charlie is a boy who has nightmares that come true. Derkein is a young man who finds himself aging rapidly after being attacked by invisible beings. Alex and Richmond are just a couple of normal kids along for the ride. Together, they go off in search of Arcadia, a hidden world.

I really thought I'd like this one, but I ended up giving up on it. There were too many things irritating me about it. One big one was the info dumping. Once the kids got to Arcadia, and people started explaining the mythology to them, I quickly became lost, because so much was being explained so quickly that I couldn't follow. I didn't feel like it was being revealed in a natural way at all.

Also, the characters said and did things that were so annoying, I couldn't feel any positive feelings for any of them, except maybe Richmond. Sometimes. For example, at one point, Alex (a female character, mind you) says this:
"Hunter?" Alex said. "But she's a girl!" As though she remembered something, she shook her head and said, "But she's not a human girl, Alex. I need to write this stuff down."


Umm, excuse me? That same character is also randomly mean to other female characters, presumably because she likes Charlie? Or something? And she sees other girls as potential competition? I don't know. But I didn't like it.

And then there's Derkein. I don't know if his exact age was specified, but I got the impression that he was a young man, like maybe early 20s? But for some reason, he thinks this age difference (the others are in high school, I think) is enough for him to be in charge of them, to the point where he keeps telling them to go home while he goes on to Arcadia. He's bossy and annoying. Oh, and he has a stupid line, too:
“This will be the greatest discovery since the extinction of dinosaurs.”
“Assuming dinosaurs did exist, that is,” Derkein said.
Alex shook her head. “Couldn’t just let me have this moment, could you?”

That gave me the uncomfortable feeling that I was reading a book written by a creationist, of the variety that thinks maybe fossils were planted by God as a joke or something. The existence of dinosaurs is not up for debate. And this was just thrown into an otherwise normal conversation.

I won't give this book a rating, since I didn't finish it, and for all I know the last half is way better. But I did not particularly enjoy the first half.

Full disclosure: Free e-book copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Lucretia and the Kroons by Victor LaValle

Title: Lucretia and the Kroons
Author: Victor LaValle
Publication Date: July 23, 2012
Length: 104 pages

Lucretia is looking forward to an afternoon of fun celebrating her birthday with her best friend Sunny, who is dying of cancer, though Lucretia seems to think she's getting better, when her brother tells her about the Kroons. He says that they were a family of crackheads who lived in apartment 6D, and that even when the cops boarded up the door, hoping to starve out the family, they still never left and never died, because they'd turned into monsters. Later, Lucretia sees one of these monsters, which has apparently taken Sunny, so she follows it up the fire escape and into 6D, where she finds a strange version of the real world inside the apartment.

This was one strange story. It's one of those stories where you don't really know what's real and what isn't, which I sometimes enjoy but sometimes just confuses me. I mostly liked it in this book.

I loved the setting. The creepy version of a nearby park inside apartment 6D was neat, and the playground, which is ruled by a flock of New York rats with pigeon wings, was delightfully weird.

One thing that bothered me was that I didn't really care that much about any of the characters. I liked Lucretia well enough (she has a bit at the beginning where she tells off some other girls that made me take a liking to her right away), but I felt like I never really got inside her head. Maybe it's just because the book is so short, or because it's written in the 3rd person, or both. And Sunny is just plain unpleasant, I think. I thought I'd like her, because she's this little kid who's really tough, but to me she just came across as mean, even to her friend.

So, it was a quick read, and a neat little adventure, and I liked the writing, but the characters made it fall a bit flat for me.

3 stars.

This book counts for the 2012 A-Z Book Challenge.

Full disclosure: Free e-book copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Sabrina the Teenage Witch #14: Spying Eyes by Nancy Holder

Title: Sabrina the Teenage Witch #14: Spying Eyes
Author: Nancy Holder
Publication Date: 1998
Length: 160 pages

In case you were not a fan of Sabrina the Teenage Witch in the 90s, these books are based on the tv show, which is about Sabrina, who learns as a teenager that she's a witch, as are her aunts. This book tells the story of Sabrina's first Castanalia, a holiday on which witches can cast all the spells they want for 24 hours without any consequences, because the day will just start over again the next day. However, Sabrina's aunts forget to mention that one spell doesn't go away, and if you don't prepare for that in advance, you won't know which one! When scientists come to their town looking for evidence of magic, Sabrina has to find the spell that didn't go away, and fix it, while there's a ban on magic.

This book was a fun read, and really brought me back to the show, which I loved as a preteen. (It was on TGIF with Teen Angel, Boy Meets World, and You Wish. I loved that lineup!) This book was definitely cheesy, though. I can't remember if the show was like that.

When the witches had to stop doing magic to avoid the suspicion of the scientists, I found it scarier than I probably should have, just because it reminded me so much of Charmed, which had several episodes with similar plot lines, including one in which a witch ends up burned at the stake! But these scientists were more of the goofy variety.

So, not exactly a great work of literature, but a fun story, especially if you were a fan of the show.

3 stars.

This book counts for the Mount TBR Reading Challenge.

Friday, August 24, 2012

The Tale of the Body Thief by Anne Rice

Title: The Tale of the Body Thief
Author: Anne Rice
Publication Date: 1992 (audiobook: 1994)
Length: 19:15 (audiobook)

The Tale of the Body Thief is the fourth book in the Vampire Chronicles, and the third one "written" by Lestat. He tells the story of his experience with a man named Raglan James, a body thief, who offers Lestat a chance to temporarily switch bodies, allowing him to regain his lost humanity, see the sun, etc. You're probably thinking that this was a stupid idea for Lestat to buy into, as there are no shortage of things that could go wrong. You're right, of course, but Lestat's not all that bright when his mind is clouded by temptation.

This was the first time in my foray into audiobooks (which have all been the Vampire Chronicles) that I've actually enjoyed the audiobook more than the original book. Maybe it's just because Frank Muller is wonderful (as I've described in my reviews of the previous books), and my appreciation for him seems to grow with each book I listen to. Or maybe it's because I never liked this book as much as the previous ones in the first place. Certainly I still found myself getting a headache from rolling my eyes so much as Lestat makes stupid mistake after stupid mistake, but I still can't help but love the brat prince, and Frank Muller has really given him a whole new dimension for me that makes me love him even more.

4 stars.

This book counts for the 2012 Anne Rice Challenge.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

What I Didn't Say by Keary Taylor

Title: What I Didn't Say
Author: Keary Taylor
Publication Date: May 11, 2012
Length: 307 pages

Jake has never worked up the nerve to tell Sam that he loves her, at least until he's drunk at a party, and his friends convince him to go and finally tell her how he feels. Unfortunately, the friend driving the car is also drunk, and they soon find themselves rolling off a cliff. Jake ends up with a t-post through his throat, which rips out his vocal chords. Now he has to deal with the major life change of becoming mute, and the fact that he'll never be able to "say" what he wanted to say to Sam. Meanwhile, Sam's dealing with some serious crap of her own, but they could each be exactly what the other needs to get through this year.

This book had some serious tears welling up in my eyes. It's so sweet and romantic, which I don't always like, but in this case it was done just right. The main characters are both really likable. While Jake occasionally gets a little whiny, I can't really blame him, given the circumstances, and it never reaches the point where it's annoying. And the way feelings develop between Jake and Sam is so perfect. They've already known each other for years at the start of the book, so there's no instalove going on. I feel like it was really realistic, because they're both going through hard times, and they support each other, but they're not unrealistically selfless, as characters can so often be. They felt real to me.

There were enough little twists and turns in the plot to keep it interesting for me, which I appreciate, since straight up romance isn't generally my thing. Overall, it's a good YA read. Very sweet.

4 stars.

Full disclosure: Free e-book copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

WWW Wednesday - August 22

WWW Wednesdays is a meme hosted by Should Be Reading. To participate, simply answer these questions three:

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you'll read next?

1. I am currently reading The Infects by Sean Beaudoin, which I just started. I'm also still reading The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll (it's a big one!) and the audiobook of Memnoch the Devil by Anne Rice.

2. I recently read Quarantine by John Smolens and The Enchanted Truth by Kym Petrie.

3. Books I'm planning to read soon include Dream Magic: Awakenings by Dawn Harshaw and OMG Queer: Short Stories by Queer Youth.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Teaser Tuesday: Quarantine

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

To participate, just do the following:
  • Grab your current read.
  • Open to a random page.
  • Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page. (I always cheat and use more than 2!)
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!
My teaser this week is from Quarantine by John Smolens:
"You seem quite well today," he ventured.
"Better than your cousin," she whispered.
"My cousin? Which one?"
"He's--" she began, but hesitated.
"He is ill?"
"He is pickled."
I had to pick that part, because I love it, but I must admit it makes the book seem much more lighthearted than it really is.


Monday, August 20, 2012

Bout of Books - Wrap-Up


Bout of Books is over! My goals were not very concrete, but I think it's safe to say that I didn't reach them. I ended up being rather busy, so my extra reading efforts just made me read as much as I normally would. And as for my Goodreads challenge, I'm still 4 books behind, the same as at the start of the read-a-thon. So, at least I didn't fall any further behind!

Here's what I read over the last week:
  • I read a bit more of Talisman of El, and then abandoned it.
  • I continued reading The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll.
  • I continued listening to Memnoch the Devil.
  • I read The Enchanted Truth.
  • I read most of Quarantine.
Altogether, I read 494 pages, and listened to 3 hours and 45 minutes of the audiobook. So, still a good chunk of reading!

I'll probably do the next Bout of Books, if I'm free. There will be a poll up soon on the Bout of Books blog to decide when it will be.

So, I don't know when that one will be, but I think I'm read-a-thon free until October, when I'll be doing the FrightFall Read-a-Thon in the first week, and of course Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon later on in the month. (While I'm not really that good at week-long read-a-thons, I go ALL OUT on the 24 hour ones. You gotta be there.)

A Tale of Two Mommies and A Tale of Two Daddies by Vanita Oelschlager

Titles (this is a review of two books): A Tale of Two Mommies and A Tale of Two Daddies
Author: Vanita Oelschlager
Publication dates: Sept. 1, 2011, and Apr. 1, 2010
Length: 40 pages each

A Tale of Two Mommies is a conversation between three children at the beach, about how one of the kids has two mommies. The other two children ask all sorts of questions about who takes various roles in the boy's life.

A Tale of Two Daddies is a similar conversation between a girl who has two daddies and another kid.

The problem I had with both of these books is that I don't think kids would ask these questions. Am I wrong here? What kid thinks that only one of your parents is there when you scrape your knee? Or that only one of them would help you take your bath? I'd be sad if a kid had gender stereotypes built into their brain at so young an age that they assume only dads can build treehouses or only moms can bake birthday cakes.

On the other hand, I do like the answers to the questions. I noticed that the author does not make it so one of the parents is doing all of the traditionally masculine work with the other doing the traditionally feminine work.

My favourite parts were when both parents do something. Of course, both moms help look for a lost kitty, and both dads are there when you need to talk.

So, despite their flaws, these are still nice books. They'd probably be more appropriate for kids who don't understand LGBT families, rather than the actual kids they're about.

3 stars each.

Full disclosure: I received free e-book copies of these books from the publisher through NetGalley.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Check out my new Goodreads group!

I started my own Goodreads group! It's called Book Compatibility Test readers, and its purpose is to encourage people to read the books on the Goodreads book compatibility test, and discuss them. Since those books were chosen because they're well-known books in various genres, this is almost like a 100 books to read before you die kinda thing. But the reason I started it was because whenever I do the book compatibility test with a new Goodreads friend, it doesn't tell me much, because I haven't read most of the books.

The first book of the month will be in September, and it will be one of the books from the popular books category (of which I've read only 2!). If you join, make sure to vote in the poll! Currently, Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris and Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut are tied for the lead, but the poll's open until the end of August, so it's still anyone's game!

While you're at it, why not add me on Goodreads? I love Goodreads so much, and like to be friends with ALL the people. :)

Friday, August 17, 2012

Animorphs #3 - The Encounter by K.A. Applegate

Title: The Encounter (Animorphs #3)
Author: K.A. Applegate
Publication Date: August 1996
Length: 154 pages

Warning: This is a review of a book in the middle of a series, and may therefore contain some spoilers of earlier books.

The Encounter is the third book in the Animorphs series, and this one is narrated by Tobias. I enjoy Tobias's narration, because he's so level-headed, and doesn't have any annoying tendencies (except feeling sorry for himself, but it's understandable, seeing as how he's stuck as a hawk).

Tobias is out flying one day when he sees, or rather senses, as it's invisible, a gigantic Yeerk ship flying overhead. The Animorphs investigate, and discover that the ship is going to a lake in the mountains each day to collect water. So, they decide to try the craziest possible plan: morph into fish, get scooped up into the Yeerk ship, somehow disable their cloaking device from within, and therefore reveal the Yeerk plot to the world. Umm, right. These kids are seriously nuts.

So, much danger ensues. The action was definitely more satisfying in this one than in The Visitor. Also, this book has some nice interaction between Tobias and Rachel, who is the only one that can make him feel better when he's feeling depressed about being a hawk. Overall, it's an enjoyable read.

4 stars.

This book counts towards the Read Your OWN Library! Challenge (hosted by The Beauty of Eclecticism) for August. For September, my book for the challenge will be The Witching Hour by Anne Rice. This book also counts for the 2012 A-Z Book Challenge and the Mount TBR Reading Challenge.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Bandwidth by Angus Morrison: DNF

Title: Bandwidth
Author: Angus Morrison
Publication Date: 2010
Length: 232 pages

I didn't finish this one. It's not even that it was bad, I just wasn't feeling it. And goodness knows, with my TBR list, I don't need to spend time reading things I'm not really into.

I see this as personal growth on my part! I'm just learning to put aside something I don't really want to read. It's a good skill to learn.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

WWW Wednesday - August 15

WWW Wednesdays is a meme hosted by Should Be Reading. To participate, simply answer these questions three:

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you'll read next?

1. I am currently reading Quarantine by John Smolens, The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll, and the audiobook of Memnoch the Devil by Anne Rice. That's more than I usually read at once, but the audiobook is for my walks to and from work, and I started Lewis Carroll because I needed a paperback for the beach.

2. I recently read Lucretia and the Kroons by Victor LaValle and Talisman of El by Alecia Stone (DNF), as well as finishing the audiobook of The Tale of the Body Thief by Anne Rice.

3. Books I'm planning to read soon include the rest of my NetGalleys: The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle, The Enchanted Truth by Kym Petrie, The Infects by Sean Beaudoin, and The Blueprint: Averting Global Collapse by Daniel Rirdan.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Teaser Tuesday: Talisman of El

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

To participate, just do the following:
  • Grab your current read.
  • Open to a random page.
  • Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page. (I always cheat and use more than 2!)
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!
My teaser this week is from Talisman of El by Alecia Stone:
An ear-piercing scream ripped through the building. Derkein froze, his eyes the only things that moved. His gaze fixed on his father, who was rummaging through his bag. He took out a black pistol and turned to Derkein, a tortured expression on his face as he placed the weapon in his son's trembling hand.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Auraria by Tim Westover

Title: Auraria
Author: Tim Westover
Publication Date: July 10, 2012
Length: 398 pages

The first sentence of this novel gave me high hopes: "Holtzclaw hadn't heard of Auraria until his employer sent him to destroy it." And for the first chunk of the story, it lived up to those hopes. Holtzclaw has been sent to the small town of Auraria to buy the land from the people living there, so that his employer can develop there. As he visits the various landowners and attempts to convince them to sell, he meets some very strange characters, and sees some even stranger things. And the whole thing is presented in this very matter-of-fact sort of way, that I really enjoyed. I think that's what really made it feel like Alice in Wonderland (which is the comparison everyone seems to be making).

However, after a while, Holtzclaw and his boss, Shadburn, have built a hotel, and a good portion of the book is basically them running this hotel and desperately trying to make any money from it. I found this part to be a lot less entertaining than when he was meeting ghosts and being shown broken springhouses that were letting out the cold air and freezing sections of land.

Thankfully, I enjoyed the ending, so it brought me back around to having positive feelings about the book. And throughout it all, Princess Trahlyta is the most delightful character, far more likable than Holtzclaw and especially Shadburn, so I found myself just wanting everything to go her way. I'm not entirely sure if I was supposed to feel that way or not.

3 stars.

Full disclosure: Free e-book copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Bout of Books - Goals


For the first time, I've decided to participate in the Bout of Books read-a-thon. I figured it would be good to have a read-a-thon during the August 2012 Review Copy Cleanup, since I have a whole lotta reading to do for that. Also, the closer we get to the next 24 Hour Read-a-Thon, the more read-a-thon withdrawal I feel!

So, here are my goals for the Aug. 13 - Aug. 19 Bout of Books read-a-thon:
  • Read more than I usually do! I already read every day, so this just means spending more time in the evenings after work reading.
  • Catch up on my Goodreads Reading Challenge. I'm currently 4 books behind. (43 out of 78)
Here are the next few books on my to-read list, from which I'll choose my reading for the week, mostly because they are my NetGalleys, and I'm currently doing the Review Copy Cleanup Challenge:
  • Talisman of El by Alecia Stone (251 pages) (currently reading)
  • The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle (432 pages)
  • Quarantine by John Smolens (336 pages)
  • The Blueprint: Avoiding Global Collapse by Daniel Rirdan (494 pages)
  • The Enchanted Truth by Kym Petrie (40 pages)
  • The Infects by Sean Beaudoin (384 pages)
A few of those are rather long, so obviously I won't be reading all of them in one week, but everything I read will be from this list (edit: I'm now also reading Lewis Carroll and listening to Memnoch the Devil), and I'll get through as many of them as I can. (In case you're curious [I was.], assuming I finish Talisman of El before the read-a-thon starts, I'd have to read an average of 240 pages a day to finish this list!)

During the read-a-thon, I'll post my updates below. They will probably be daily.

Day 1 - Monday
Read 36 pages of Talisman of El.
Read 50 pages of The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll.
Listened to about 45 minutes of Memnoch the Devil.

Total pages read so far: 86
Total audiobook listened to so far: 45 minutes

This is not really more than I would normally read. It was a busy day. And I'm not sure how I'm feeling about Talisman of El. Part of me wants to give up on it, but part of me wants to know what happens.

Day 2 - Tuesday
Read 7 more pages of Talisman of El, and then gave up on it.
Listened to about 30 minutes of Memnoch the Devil.
Read 22 pages of The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll.
Read The Enchanted Truth (40 pages).
Read 7 pages of Quarantine.

Total pages read so far: 162
Total audiobook listened to so far: 1 hour and 15 minutes

I'm feeling good about having a book completed! Even if it was only 40 pages long. :P I'm quite excited about Quarantine! In other news, in my ginormous Lewis Carroll book, I finished Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Day 3 - Wednesday
Read 24 pages of The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll.
Read 54 pages of Quarantine.

Total pages read so far: 240
Total audiobook listened to so far: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Day 4 - Thursday
Read 71 pages of Quarantine.
Listened to about 1 hour and 15 minutes of Memnoch the Devil.

Total pages read so far: 311
Total audiobook listened to so far: 2 hours and 30 minutes

Really enjoying Quarantine so far. Memnoch the Devil, not quite so much.

Day 5 - Friday
Read 61 pages of The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll.
Listened to about 1 hour and 15 minutes of Memnoch the Devil.
Read 43 pages of Quarantine.

Total pages read so far: 415
Total audiobook listened to so far: 3 hours and 45 minutes

Day 6 - Saturday
Read 27 pages of Quarantine.

Total pages read so far: 442
Total audiobook listened to so far: 3 hours and 45 minutes

I didn't get much reading done today, because I was too busy buying my wedding dress! Yay! So I was shopping for the late morning and early afternoon, and then I had dinner with my family for my grandparents' anniversary. My only reading time was at bed time.

Day 7 - Sunday
Read 52 pages of Quarantine.

Total pages read: 494
Total audiobook listened to: 3 hours and 45 minutes

Friday, August 10, 2012

The Wish List by Eoin Colfer

Title: The Wish List
Author: Eoin Colfer
Publication Date: 2002
Length: 256 pages

Right before she dies, Meg Finn manages to do a good deed that balances out all the bad deeds she's done in her short, unlucky life, so when she's flying down the big tunnel, she gets caught before the tunnel branches off to heaven and hell. She's balanced, so she gets to go back and try to shift the balance to good, to save her own soul. So the next thing she knows, she's in the home of an old man named Lowrie, who she was robbing the night she died, and he wants her help accomplishing all the things he regrets not doing.

This is a sweet and enjoyable read. Meg is rough around the edges, but as her back story is revealed, I couldn't help but empathise. And I love the relationship that develops between her and Lowrie. He's a little rough around the edges, too, and their experiences together definitely improve both of them as people.

There's also a side story between a demon named Beelzebub and an angel named Saint Peter. They have similar jobs, though on opposite sides, and sort of cooperate when cases like Meg come along. I loved their little conversations with each other. The recognise that they can help each other for both of their sakes, but they're also total opposites and pretty much hate each other, so it's a funny relationship they have.

Overall, it's a quick read, and a nice, feel good story, filled with Eoin Colfer's usual wit.

4 stars.

This book counts for the Mount TBR Reading Challenge.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Xoc by Matt Dembicki

Title: Xoc
Author: Matt Dembicki
Publication Date: July 25, 2012
Length: 120 pages

Xoc tells the story of a great white shark who is on a long journey. Along the way, the shark is joined by a turtle, whose fin has been damaged by a boat. As the two travel through the ocean, they encounter many dangers, from natural predators to floating garbage patches.

This book would be a good introduction for kids to the negative effects our pollution has on the oceans. Although, some explaining would be required, since I doubt most kids could recognise the oil barrels and other dangers, and they aren't really explained in the book, since everything is from the point of view of the shark, who doesn't know what these things are.

I liked the turtle, and I enjoyed the interaction between the two characters, but the story fell a bit flat for me. And the way the shark talked was too unnatural to be able to read smoothly. (I know, I know, what's unnatural speaking for a shark? But I found the ellipses tiresome. "How much farther... do you plan... on following me?" I didn't quite get what the author was going for with that.)

2 stars, which are entirely for the delightful turtle.

This book counts for the 2012 A-Z Book Challenge.

Full disclosure: Free e-book copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.

Monday, August 6, 2012

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Title: The Mists of Avalon
Author: Marion Zimmer Bradley
Publication Date: 1984
Length: 876 pages

Warning: This book brings out the politics in me, so this review might offend you! Turn back now if you are easily offended by Pagans who are fed up with religious intolerance. :) (No offense is meant towards other religions.)

The Mists of Avalon is a retelling of the King Arthur story, told from the perspectives of the women involved. As a result, it's very different from any other Arthurian legend. There are pretty much no battle scenes, and Morgan is a wise high priestess, rather than an evil sorceress. Morgan's story ties the book together, as it follows many people's lives and stories, starting when Morgan is just 3 years old and covering most of her life. In this story, we see the events of many decades unfold through the eyes of many women, with wildly different motivations, resulting in an interesting mix of perspectives.

Right from the beginning, I found myself thinking, I had no idea this book was so Pagan! And so feminist! How have I not read this book before?! It's a real breath of fresh air for those of us who weren't particularly fond of the other versions of the Arthurian legend, in which the good guys are not the Pagans, and the women (at least those with power) are generally evil. Obviously, everyone has a bias when reading something with two opposing sides of this nature, and I don't know how this book would read for a Christian (certainly there are Christian women, particularly Gwenhwyfar, adding their perspective to the narrative), but when I was reading it, it was very clear that the Christians were in the wrong. The priests came to a land which had previously held people of various religions (who sometimes fought but did not try to destroy each other's religions), and insisted that their religion was the only true one, and everyone else was worshipping devils. The intolerance the Christian characters display throughout the story had me gritting my teeth. I guess it hit a little too close to home for comfort. For me, that made it a very powerful read.

One thing I did not expect in this story was how much I would hate Gwenhwyfar. In the beginning I didn't mind her, but as she grows older, she seems to become more and more foolish. There would be moments when she and Morgaine would be like friends, but Gwenhwyfar's piousness would always result in her condemning Morgaine, Merlin, and all of Avalon. She was positively infuriating. Someone would point out an obvious similarity between her religion and that of Avalon, and she's be like, that's completely different, because my God is actually REAL. *siiiiiiigh*

As you might expect from an Arthurian tale, the book does not wrap up with a nice, happy ending. I sort of understood that it couldn't, while remaining at all true to the story, but it was still painful. However, there was enough good in the final ending (seriously, this book has more "endings" than The Return of the King) that I still felt overwhelming positive about the book when I finished.

Hence, 5 stars.

This book counts towards the Read Your OWN Library! Challenge (hosted by The Beauty of Eclecticism) for July. For August, my book for the challenge will be The Encounter (Animorphs #3) by K.A. Applegate. This book also counts for the Mount TBR Reading Challenge.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

The Marrying Kind by Ken O'Neill

Title: The Marrying Kind
Author: Ken O'Neill
Publication Date: June 19, 2012
Length: 264 pages

Steven Worth is a writer for The Gay New York Times, and his partner Adam More is a very successful wedding planner. As Adam sinks into depression as a result of planning other people's weddings when he himself cannot legally get married, Steven suffers a minor breakdown when he is named only as "and guest" on a wedding invitation. As a result, they (well, mostly Adam) decide to boycott weddings as a protest against inequality, and through Steven's column this boycott grows to include many of the gay florists, chefs, etc. But will their resolve remain when their own siblings decide to get married? (That's right, I just ended my summary with a question mark. Deal with it.)

Overall this was an enjoyable read. I liked Steven better than Adam. Adam is charming, but through most of the story I found him a bit heartless. He's so devoted to the cause, which is awesome, but I felt much more on the side of Steven, who was always torn, wanted to support his brother, and didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. Maybe that just means I'm not a very good activist.

Even though I found Adam a bit overwhelming, this was an inspiring story of two men who start a movement. Whether or not their efforts would actually lead to laws being changed, such activism gives hope to everyone involved. The Marrying Kind is a humourous look at a totally unfunny issue in the US today, and while progress has been made since the book was written, it still couldn't be more timely.

I'm so glad I live in Canada where I can attend weddings (and get married myself!) guilt-free, because everyone has that same privilege.

4 stars.

Full disclosure: Free e-book copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Review Copy Cleanup - Starting Line


The time has come! It's time to read nothing but review copies, and get through that pile once and for all!

I ended up reading two review copies in July, but getting five more, so I've got quite the pile going now. Here they are, in (roughly) the order in which I plan to read them:




Bandwidth by Angus Morrison

Publication date: December 2010 (so, don't ask me why it's on NetGalley, but oh well!)









What I Didn't Say by Keary Taylor

Publication date: May 7, 2012









A Tale of Two Mommies by Vanita Oelschlager

Publication date: September 1, 2011









A Tale of Two Daddies by Vanita Oelschlager

Publication date: April 1, 2010










The Blueprint: Averting Global Collapse by Daniel Rirdan

Publication date: June 22, 2012









The Infects by Sean Beaudoin

Publication date: September 25, 2012










Quarantine by John Smolens

Publication date: September 5, 2012







I'm hoping to get through at least the first five of my seven review copies. I would call that caught up! In addition to these, I'll be reading Animorphs #3: The Encounter by K.A. Applegate for the Read Your OWN Library! Challenge, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch #14: Spying Eyes by Nancy Holder for this month's Random Read.

August Random Reads selection

It's time to select my Random Read for August! Last month, my Random Read was The Wish List by Eoin Colfer.

So it's off to the random number generator. I have 711 books on my TBR shelf at the moment, so I enter 1 as the min and 711 as the max, and hit Generate.

Drum roll, please!



For August’s Random Read I'll be reading Sabrina the Teenage Witch #14: Spying Eyes. It's been on my TBR shelf since July 2009, which is in my first few months on Goodreads, meaning I've probably had it a lot longer than that. This one is in the middle of a series, which would normally mean I'd skip over it, but the Sabrina novels are pretty standalone I think, and I'm not collecting them all anyway (I collect enough things as it is!), so I'm not going to worry about the order. This one should be a nice, quick, pleasant read!