It's hilarious, heart-warming, brave, and meaningful. I wish I'd
had this to read when I was an awkward teenager. The first person POV
is masterfully done, and I loved being inside the head of Harriet
Manners, because it was such an interesting and occasionally awkward
place to be.
I liked that this was all about a girl just trying to find out
where she fits in the world. That she happens to do this by stepping
into the fashion business when she doesn't even like clothes or wear
heels -well, that was just a bonus.
I wasn't really sure what to expect with this, but I was fairly
confident there would be a good dose of rather vicious, backstabbing
characters. I've seen Devil Wears Prada.
Surprisingly, the fashion world here was not as cruel and heartless
as I feared. I say 'fear' because, while I like a good
fish-out-of-water, coming-of-age, self-discovery story, I don't
necessarily like it to be uncomfortable. Awkward, sure, no problem,
but I don't like to spend a lot of time with characters who are
spiteful for no real reason even if they are the quote unquote
villain. There were a couple of these characters, but they didn't
take up a lot of page space. Most of the main characters within the
fashion world were far more interesting, like Yuka
Ito, who's severe and intimidating, but
not necessarily cruel.
I had so many favorite parts about this
book. The best friends, Harriet and Nat. Harriet's
would-be-boyfriend/stalker who, while not exactly adorable, helped
Harriet figure things out. All of the characters were wonderful and
bursting with personality. I liked that the romance subplot was so
subtle, because it's really secondary to the story. It focused on
Harriet's attempt to 're-invent' herself, the best friend crisis, the
family issues, and school problems, and the fish-out-of-water story, so when you think about it, the
romance was really sixth on the list. Geek Girl was about
self-discovery, and none of that self-discovery came from liking or
being liked by a guy. It all came from Harriet.
I love Harriet so much because
she's so incredibly normal. Well, maybe not the geek bits and the
factoids, but she frets and she worries and she jumps to worst case
scenarios even if she should know better. She's a fifteen
year old girl.Everything about
her is so easy to relate to, that I think girls for generations are
going to want to grow up with Harriet and learn with her.
Above all, I loved what Smale had to say about accepting yourself
-for all your quirks and faults- instead of twisting yourself into a
pretzel trying to get other people to accept you.
Her mission: to boldly read what she's never read before, to seek
out new characters and new civilizations, and to find science fiction
that she can wholeheartedly enjoy.
Fuzzy Nation
by John
Scalzi
Sci-Fi
Audiobook
4/5 stars
I picked up this
book because I'm still trying to read new things. Sci-fi is a genre
that I've always had trouble with, but this title caught my eye.
Plus, it's narrated by Wil Wheaton. I still have this irrational idea
that sci-fi is boring and goes over my head, and I'm still trying to
convince myself that it's not true.This was probably
the perfect book to do that. I have a hard time
grasping this fear of sci-fi. When I tried to read sci-fi when I was
younger, it always felt cold and distant and, well, alien. Fuzzy
Nation, by comparison, is colorful, vibrant with life, and above
all utterly human. The
story is about a major corporation mining the minerals from an
uninhabited planet and what happens when someone discovers their
might be a sentient life form on the planet after all. It's
almost like Scalzi took some traditional sci-fi and infused it with a
dose of stark reality, including greed, lawyers, ethics,
and environmentalists.
My favorite part of
this story was Jack Holloway, the main character. I am all about
interesting and imperfect characters, and this guy was the cream of
the crop. He's kind of a jerkwad, but an amusing kind of jerkwad. He
was incredibly compelling, because I had a hard time figuring him
out. The more I learned about him, the more I doubted whether he was
going to be a hero in the story. The whole time I was wondering what
he was up to, and whether or not he would be only looking out for
himself in the end, because you come to realize that he really isn't
a 'good' guy, but you wonder whether he can become one. It kept me
guessing. Is he an inherently good guy? Is he inherently
self-interested? Also, he was hilarious and sarcastic and cheeky.
I liked that, though
it was a sci-fi novel, it didn't really feel like a sci-fi novel. The
story and the situation were written with such ease that it felt so
natural and realistic. It's odd, but I love how much this sci-fi
turned into a courtroom drama. I wasn't expecting that, and I have a
feeling it's what added to the realistic feel of the story. We have
lawyers and intense legality issues today, so we'll obviously have
them in the future over futuristic things.
As a caution, there
was quite a bit of swearing in this story. I'm surprised that I
enjoyed it as much as I did, and I've been trying to figure out why
that is. I think the biggest reason is that the swearing was not
there for the sake of swearing, but played into the characters and
situations presented. Also the 'f' word was not used once. While
there was a lot of swearing, I didn't feel that it was used
explicitly.
Overall, the story
was excellent. It was interesting and thought-provoking.
Masterful
performance by Wil Wheaton. I actually forgot halfway through who was
narrating it because his performance essentially became the story for
me. He wasn't Wil Wheaton; he was Jack Holloway and Wheaton Aubrey
and all the other characters, and that's what makes a great
narration.
Third Daughter Dharian Affairs, bk 1 by Susan Kaye Quinn YA/Military Intrigue/Romance
Steampunk goes to
Bollywood.
I love this descriptor even more because it's actually
true. So much of this story felt reminiscent of the film Jodhaa
Akbar, about a Hindi princess forced to enter a peace-brokering
marriage with a Muslim emperor, that I instantly felt the presence of
Bollywood inspiration. Throw in rumors about a flying machine, some
military intrigue, family secrets, and personal metamorphosis, and
I'm one happy camper.
Princess Aniri of
the powerful Dharian empire is days away from her birthday and the
freedom it will grant her to escape the Queen's court and marry
whomever she pleases. Specifically, a handsome courtesan whose kisses
she steals in the moonlight. Cue the arrival of Prince Malik, of the
barbarian mountain country Jungali, with an offer of a
peace-brokering marriage between himself and the Queen's only
remaining eligible daughter. Granted, for the first several chapters
it seemed like this was going to be your run-of-the-mill 'princess
forced to marry for duty while in love with someone else' story. But
no. I learned pretty quick that Quinn doesn't want to settle for
run-of-the-mill.Torn
and bitter, Aniri confronts her mother. This is when
the Queen says
she doesn't want her daughter
to marry the war-loving Jungali's
prince. She wants her to spy on him.
Things got
incredibly interesting from there.
With her devoted
maid servant and a bodyguard who despises her, Aniri ventures into
the heart of enemy territory. Her mission is to learn whether this
sky warship exists and bring the information back to Dharia before
the wedding date. After that, she will be free to marry the man she
loves. Until then, she can't tell him the truth.
I fell in love with
this world. It's rich with Eastern culture and influence, like an
exotic spice in an otherwise traditional buffet. People have been
talking a lot about needing diversity in books, so I would start
here. Only once or twice did a distinctly English colloquialism catch
me off guard. The infusion of Bollywood and steampunk was beautiful
and felt so natural together, I'm shocked I haven't seen this done
before. I will be interested to see how far the other two books in
the trilogy will take us into the world -whether we'll see hints of
any culture outside of India- but if we just stay within the three
Queendoms presented in this first book, I'll be happy. (That's
another thing -the three most powerful countries here are ruled by
women.)
I would classify
this as a military intrigue romance, and I was very happy to find it
clean. There's lots of kissing, certainly, but Quinn stayed away from
anything too descriptive, doing the love story justice without
dipping into the steamy romance side of the pool. For this, a million
kudos.
Another thing I
loved about the romance was that the love triangle wasn't overdone or
overemotional or tacky. There is definitely a love triangle, but it
never felt like a high school drama/teen movie/soap opera love
triangle. One of my major peeves of love triangles is the feeling
somebody is always being unfair and unfaithful or just downright
insensitive and I never felt this to be the case.
Aniri had wonderful
depth and development. I loved watching her grow, not just
emotionally and in confidence, but in genuinely becoming a better
person. She constantly feels ashamed in the presence of Prince Malik,
who is so devoted to his country and people, whereas she is just
waiting for her chance to escape. I loved how much she learned from
him, and I love that she still has the potential for more
development. Even better, all the supporting characters had their own
depth and minor development while contributing to hers as well. I
didn't see any flat characters here, and I cheer for that.
Satisfactory ending,
but with open-ended elements to be dealt with in book two. And I must
say, after reading the summary for the sequel, and the main
character's doubts about relationship choices, make me hopeful that
Quinn will make a very healthy handling of the romantic
relationships.
In short, I had
incredibly high expectations of this book, and it didn't let me down.
Third Daughter by Susan Kaye Quinn gets four stars and yes. You
should read it.
Flunked by Jen Calonita Why wouldn't I want to read this book? Is there magic? Check. A fairy tale retelling? Check Does it deal with that old adage 'can a villain ever change'? Check. Welcome to the Fairy Tale Reform School.
Rebel Queen by Michelle Moran
The 1850s. The British Empire has set their sights on India as their next conquest.
The Last Queen of India, Lakshmi, is going to give them more then they bargained for.
Reasons for wanting to read it: historical fiction, Indian culture, warrior women, and gorgeous cover.
Wonders Never Cease by Tim Downs
Kemp McAvoy has just concocted a brilliant get-rich-quick scheme. With a slight adjustment of a recently-admitted movie star's meds, the help of her agent, and a down-and-out publisher, he is going to create a best selling heavenly visitation. And then he's going to get filthy rich. But when six-year-old Leah starts telling people she's seeing angels, things might not work out the way he expected. Reasons: It sounds funny, heart-warming, and I always love a good ne'er-do-well-questioning-his-life-choices story. Legion by Brandon Sanderson
Stephen Leeds, AKA
'Legion,' is a man whose unique mental condition allows him to generate a
multitude of personae: hallucinatory entities with a wide variety of
personal characteristics and a vast array of highly specialized skills.
As the story begins, Leeds and his 'aspects' are drawn into the search
for the missing Balubal Razon, inventor of a camera whose astonishing
properties could alter our understanding of human history and change the
very structure of society. (-publisher description) Reasons: It's written by Brandon Sanderson.
Milo Speck, Accidental Agent by Linda Urban
Milo Speck has always wanted to find magic. He just didn't expect it in the form of a sock.
Now he's on a mission to rescue all the kids in the land of Ogregon from its hungry ogre inhabitants. But can he? Small boy. Big world. Really big.
Reasons: This was recommended to me by Brenda over at Log Cabin Library, and it looks right up my alley. I read Urban's A Crooked Kind of Perfect several years ago and loved it.
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
2044. Wade Watts spends most of his time in the virtual utopia, OASIS, whose creator hid puzzles inside and promised a fortune to whoever can solve it.
When Wade stumbles across a clue, he learns just how badly the other players want to take it from him. Enough to kill.
Ready player one. The race is on.
Reasons: This was another recommendation, and it sounds fascinating. USA Today says 'Willy Wonka meets The Matrix' and how can I not be intrigued by that? The audio is also narrated by Wil Wheaton, who did such a wonderful job on Scalzi's Fuzzy Nation, I can't pass it up.
Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood by Varsah Bajaj What thirteen-year-old
Abby wants most is to meet her father. She just never imagined he would
be a huge film star--in Bollywood! Now she's traveling to Mumbai to get
to know her famous father. Abby is overwhelmed by the culture clash, the
pressures of being the daughter of India's most famous celebrity, and
the burden of keeping her identity a secret. But as she learns to
navigate her new surroundings, she just might discover where she really
belongs. (description from Goodreads)
Reasons: Again, Indian culture. I've recently come to love Bollywood films, and a book not only about Bollywood, but an MG coming-of-age story? Bring. It. On.
Spelled by Betsy Schow
Fairy Tale
Survival Rule #32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch,
sing a romantic ballad and wait for your Prince Charming to save the
day.
Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely
princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its perks—like
Glenda Original ball gowns and Hans Christian Louboutin heels. But a
forced marriage to the brooding prince Kato is so not what Dorthea had
in mind for her enchanted future.
Talk about unhappily ever after.
Trying
to fix her prince problem by wishing on a (cursed) star royally
backfires, leaving the kingdom in chaos and her parents stuck in some
place called "Kansas." Now it's up to Dorthea and her pixed off prince
to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz and undo the curse...before it
releases the wickedest witch of all and spells The End for the world of Story. (description from Goodreads)
Reasons: Sass, sass, SASS.
The Ghost in Love by Jonathan Carroll
A man hits his head and dies. Except, he isn't dead. And the ghost sent to collect him is flummoxed. He's told to stay with the man until his afterlife bosses figure the mess out.
Then something strange happens. The ghost falls madly in love with the man's girlfriend. Things get complicated.
Reasons: I've been on a kick lately of un-traditional ghost/paranormal stories -akin to Odd Thomas and The Returned- so this one caught my attention quick.
Redshirts by John Scalzi
The Star Trek redshirts always die. Their literary purpose is to be expendable characters.
So what happens when the redshirts figure that out?
Reasons: This sounds absolutely hysterical. I love stories that flip a standard on its head, and watching the hapless members of an illustrious star ship figure out what pop culture has known for decades? Priceless.
And that's it! What are some of your recent TBR additions?
I've just discovered a wonderful book blog -The Broke and the Bookish- where they not only talk constantly of books, but have a weekly book meme for other bloggers to participate in.
Where have you been all my life?
I'm a little late to participate in this week's meme -but then I realized I don't really care. It's too fun to pass up! So here is a Top Ten Tuesday for your Thursday.
Ten Books from My Childhood/Teen Years I'd Like to Revisit
(In no particular order)
1. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
This series was the bait that finally hooked me onto reading when I was about seven or eight. My mom was almost at her wit's end trying to find something that I would read, and The Magician's Nephew is what finally sealed the deal. Narnia was also my first introduction to the fantasy genre.
2. Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
(It really says something
when my spell check insists 'Chincoteague' is not a word. Somebody
needs to be edumacated about the important things in life.)
Very much a horse lover as a child, I've lost count of how many times I've listened to this on audio. I lived and breathed this story. And once I found out that Chincoteague was a real place and Pony Penning Day was an actual event? My parents never heard the end of it. I haven't hit that festival yet, but it's still on my Bucket List. As a side note, the version narrated by John McDonough is the best, but Edward Hermann did a decent job too.
3. The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede
Yet another series I strictly listened to, but I listened to them a lot. I discovered Princess Cimorene, the dragon Kazul, and the talkative magician Telemain around my tween years, and have only just introduced my parents to the first book. Family road trips for the world! Finally, they get to fall in love with the series my sister and I were (perhaps overly) obsessed with way back when.
4. Artemis Fowl series (and everything else) by Eoin Colfer
I discovered Eoin Colfer in my later teens, and I've been a huge fan since. Not only does he tell amazing stories, not only are his stories fun and creative, but he also happens to be a great writer, and has influenced my own writing far beyond any other author to date. I read through his collection every couple of years. And, and did I tell you about that time I met him?
Me and Eoin Colfer. (Seriously, that never gets old.)
5. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
While I read the entire Time Quartet, this has and always will be my favorite. It was the first sci-fi book I ever read and it was new and different and intelligent and incredible. (For those of you interested in audiobooks, there is a version narrated by Madeleine L'Engle herself. In. Cred. I. Ble.)
6. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Narnia and Lewis may have introduced me to fantasy, but Tolkien showed me the epic end of the genre, bringing me into a world completely set apart from our own. This book taught me that imagination is an incredible gift. This was also one of the last books in my family's 'Dad Reads Out Loud' entertainment. After this, it was harder to find books both my sister and I liked, and I always wanted to keep reading when my dad wanted to stop. That's when I started reading to him, instead. For me, The Lord of the Rings quickly followed, but it was never quite the same without my dad trying to remember the different voices of thirteen dwarves, one wizard, and one burglar from one night to the next.
7. The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
I discovered this audiobook around the same time as Tolkien's books. It was charming and fun and different, and it had that 'classic' feel for me that I really loved. There was a sequel I read (The Princess and Curdie), but I never liked it as much. It always felt too moral-heavy, and I didn't like that Curdie went from being the perfect child to needing a lesson. Curdie was kind of a hero of mine.
8. Redwall by Brian Jacques
This series hit a couple of firsts with me. They were the first books over 200 pages that I ever read, Martin the Warrior was the first book to ever make me cry, and within the pages of Mossflower it finally hit me that all those words on the page were actually put there, in that order, by someone. Boom. I wanted to be a writer.
9. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
Barrie taught me that being a child was a good thing, and if you could hold on to that part of you when you grew up, even better. This is also when I discovered that some of my favorite movies were based on books, which meant there was even more in them to explore. *gasp*
10. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
This was a big deal for me in my teens. I grew up on this movie. I adored this movie. I quoted this movie with my family over breakfast, lunch, and anytime someone mentioned 'peanuts' or used the word 'inconceivable' (which, granted, didn't happen often unless we were setting ourselves up for it). When I found out it was a book, I was ecstatic. I did make my mom proof-read it, though. I was very impressionable and I didn't read adult fiction for reasons. So not only was this an added dimension to an old favorite, it was also the first adult fiction I ever read.
So there they are! Ten books that shaped me into who I am that I'd love to read again (and again and again and again).
Today I'm happy to announce I have a guest blogger lined up. Author J.E. Thompson, everyone, with some exciting news!
Thanks Amanda K. Thompson for giving me the opportunity to
guest blog. I am excited to let everyone know about the dazzling new cover by Mikey
Brooks of insidemikeysworld.com for my book Revelation.
Revelation is the first in my Almost Human trilogy. The
second book Retaliation is due out in August 2015.
The new cover just came available on March 20, 2015, and to
celebrate, I am holding a Kindle Countdown deal starting April 12.
On April 12, at 8:00 am (PST) the Kindle edition of Revelation
will be available for only $.99. That’s 81% off the regular price. The
countdown will end on April 17, at 8:00 am. Take a peek below, at the
scintillating cover Mikey dreamed up.
Thanks again, Amanda K. Thompson.
J.E. Thompson is the author of Revelation, the first book in the Almost Human series, and an anthology of the disturbing called Deliciously Dark Tales.
This time I'm taking a look at the three versions of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, so if you've ever wondered which is the best, or whether the movies are true to the story, you can stop wondering and find out!
This has been sitting in my draft box for ages, but with the recent announcement of a sequel, I figured it was a good time to polish it off.
Pros:
The sister-based storyline was such a refreshing change. Don't get me wrong. I'm a hopeless romantic. I love all the Disney princess movies. I don't have issues with the traditional storyline, but seeing a story revolving around the relationship of two estranged sisters was a welcome breath of fresh air, much like Pixar's Brave, which so lovingly focused on a mother/daughter relationship.
My favorite Frozen song isn't actually from the film. It was cut during production due to an evolving storyline, but fortunately can still be found on the deluxe soundtrack (and YouTube). Here I have to mention how much I loved so many of the songs in the movie. Not just Let It Go, but Frozen Heart (goosebumps galore), Love Is An Open Door (SANDWICHES!), etc. The lyrics feel clever and original and unexpected. They're also full of humor and references for today, which we'll see in time whether they'll become dated or classics. Loads of kudos to husband/wife duo Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez for so many fun songs.
Life's Too Short is a duet between Elsa and Anna, just after Anna has come to her sister's ice palace. Starting off, it's all about the two of them reconnecting. Elsa gets to be her true self, and Anna finally gets to understand the distance between them for so long. It's a wonderful moment of bonding and sisterly devotion, and then...well, then things come to a boil. Anna and Elsa get to hash out all their issues and frustrations and it all rhymes and it's such a realistic fight between sisters. It's so human and so funny and so absolutely wonderful
The first guy isn't the right guy. I've seen and heard so many different complaints about Disney love stories -that they're too perfect or convenient- that it was a lot of fun to see Disney mess with their standard. It was also a great plot twist.
Plus, this:
The Foreshadow Ninja has been here!
Cons: Olaf. Seriously. I hated this little snowman. Most of his jokes were terribly juvenile and I felt like it degraded the whole film. Every time my sister sees him she wants to rip him apart. She couldn't even make it through the movie a second time. The film honestly would have been better if this character were eradicated. It didn't really need the extra comedic relief because, while the story line could get heavy, Anna's personality was always upbeat and chipper, Kristoff was eccentric enough to keep us laughing (or wincing), and when that didn't work Sven would slip on the ice or try to eat snow flakes. Olaf's only good scene is the instant he says 'Some people are worth melting for.' Heartwarming, sure, but I could have lived without it if it meant I didn't have to put up with the annoying snowman.
Juvenile humor also seemed to populate a lot more of the jokes in Frozen than, say, Tangled or The Princess and the Frog. This was Olaf, but also the trolls added to it. (Fixer-Upper is probably the only song I don't like from the film).
I get that I'm essentially calling out a juvenile film for having too much juvenile humor. I also get that Disney's targeting of the juvenile crowd is probably another reason the movie was such a huge success. But since I'm sharing my opinion here, I'll go on the record saying I think it was a hindrance to the film's quality, not a help. In the end:
Down to the big cheese. Overall, I really enjoyed 'Frozen'. It's
a fun movie. It's
a good movie. On the other hand, it's not great or excellent. It's not the best Disney movie of all time, or even of the last 5 years. I do believe it's overrated, over-hyped and over-saturating,
well, everything. Over all, I'd give it a 3 1/2 star rating.
As far as a sequel, I think Disney will do a good job with it, but I
also think a lot of
people would be just as happy without one. But that's just me.
Jackaby by William Ritter YA/mystery/supernatural 4 stars
"Doctor Who meets Sherlock" proudly proclaims the cover flap blurb. That's not something a Whovian and Sherlockian can just ignore. At the very least, I had to make sure it lived up to its lofty expectations.
In the first chapter, with Jackaby's introduction, I groaned. Just another Sherlock imitation. I have enough of those in my life right now, thank you very much. By chapter two, I realized Ritter took Jackaby in a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DIRECTION. Doctor Who meets Sherlock? Try Doctor Who meets Sherlock meets a grown-up and frankly terrifying Spiderwick Chronicles, and you're a little closer to the mark.
Abigail Rook is newly arrived in New England and, looking for a life of adventure, answers an advertisement to become the assistant of one R. F. Jackaby, basically a private investigator specializing in Unexplained Phenomena, who is just about to wade knee-deep into a murder most foul. Now it warns you right up front that this story has a dose of the macabre and it does. There's blood. The world and ambiance is a cross between Victorian and the Brothers Grimm, which totally worked for me. There's a slew of quirky and interesting characters, something I always love to see, and I especially loved Inspector Marlowe, perpetually grumpy chief of police, and justice hound Charlie Cane. The world has great potential, with dark folklore and a friendly ghost or two. Ritter seems to have drawn no specific line on what kind of fantasy to include, so all possibilities seem fair game at this point. I found Jackaby to be a very interesting character. He has the unexplained ability to see many extraordinary things that no one else can, but he's very logical, scientifically inclined, and fact oriented. Those qualities should be at odds with each other, but they meshed wonderfully. He's also a bit absorbed in his own thoughts and absent-minded and has some kind of delicious secret back story yet to be revealed. By delicious, I mean obviously scarring and heart-wrenching and my inner fangirl demands to know the cause at all costs.
Which brings us to my pet peeve about this story. The one thing here that truly irked me was the fact that Jackaby made no effort to prepare Abigail for the danger they could potentially encounter. There was no training, or crash course Mythos 101, or even a heads-up of what to expect at any point of the book. Granted, she's thrust straight into the mystery, but they had downtime. Jackaby could have sent her off with a stack of books to research some of the things most people don't believe exist. This peeve might not have bothered me so much if Jackaby didn't become increasingly concerned about her safety, and his failure to prevent ...incidents with some potential assistants of the recent past. At one point he tries to
demote her to an office clerk and keep her off the case (which doesn't work. at all.) but he never considers actually arming her with any skills or knowledge that might save her life.
This peeve of mine could turn out to be a character flaw of Jackaby's, an absent-minded and case-driven detective, in which case I'm all for it. Character development for the world! But I am a little concerned that none of his allies pointed it out to him as a bad idea, or decided to give Abigail some words of wisdom.
I'm probably exacerbating this peeve, and don't get me wrong. I really enjoyed this book. It was an interesting mix of murder mystery and folk lore and I can't wait to read the next one. I'm just crossing my fingers that Abigail will start learning things, rather than stumbling into them. The reason this book didn't get 5 stars was three-fold. The aforementioned pet peeve, but also that I did find myself skimming through sections of description (read as, 'impatient reader') and I felt that some of the mystery elements took a little too long for the characters to get to. On the whole, this was an entertaining and gripping read. I'm looking forward to the sequel due out this fall, diving deeper into Jackaby's world, and also getting that back story!
Firefight The Reckoners, bk 2 by Brandon Sanderson 5/5 stars
Warning: There are spoilers for Steelheart, the previous book, in this review.
The sequel to
Steelheart does not disappoint. David has succeeded in killing the
Epic who murdered his father, an Epic the world thought untouchable.
Now that
David is no longer blinded by revenge -and Megan is somewhere out
there with Prof's target on her back- he's beginning to wonder whether
killing Epics is really the right answer.
Don't get me wrong.
David's not going soft. Some Epics have to die. But David's a
nerd (no matter how he denies it). He's spent his entire life studying Epics -their habits, their
powers, their weaknesses- and the more he learns, the less sense any
of it makes. Epics defy all laws of nature. They shouldn't
exist. But somehow they do. Ever since Calamity, this is something
people have simply come to accept. There is no explanation for the
Epics; they just are.
David isn't so sure.
The
pulse-pounding action doesn't let up for a second, of course. The
Reckoners are faced with a new Epic adversary, Regalia, and travel to
Babylon Restored to take her on. But nothing about this story starts
to feel repetitive. There's no lasting feel of 'so this is the norm',
because Sanderson never gives us a minute of rest. It seems like this
Epic might actually want the help of the Reckoners. Or she just wants
to slaughter them. It's a really tough call. Either way, she's got
something up her sleeve and Prof is determined they won't get caught
in her trap.
When
David realizes that Megan -ahem, Firefight- has entered Regalia's
employ, he's faced with a tough choice. Megan or the Reckoners?
While
trying to stop the homicidal maniacs from destroying Babylon
Restored, David chases down his ever-increasing questions about the
Epics. What are they? What turns them evil? Is there a pattern they're
not seeing? And -most important- can any of them still be saved?
One
of my favorite things about Steelheart was Sanderson's unbelievable
ability to throw plot twists at me. Seriously. I usually see those
things coming. But half the stuff in that book came at me out of the
blue. And I remember thinking, about halfway through Firefight, Man,
it's too bad he can't throw any more of those at me. But what else
could possibly be left? I mean,
you read Steelheart? What on earth could possibly top that as far as
plot twists?!
*laughter*
Whereas
Steelheart blew me away with its plot twists, Firefight really caught
me with the science and mythology behind this universe. Through David, we're plunged
even deeper into the Reckoners' world, and the incredible depth of
Sanderson's imagination will never cease to amaze me. My
mind is still reeling.
David
is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters. His sincerity, his
reckless heroism, his utter faith and conviction in the people he
trusts, and so. Many. Bad. Metaphors.
“I mixed with ordinary people about the same way that a bucket of paint mixed with a bag of gerbils.”
―
Brandon Sanderson,
Firefight
I'm loving him more and more as
his journey continues, because throughout it all, he's still David.
He's just somebody who wants
to do the right thing, no matter how hopeless or pointless it is. He
refuses to back down, even if he's outnumbered or outgunned. I root
for this guy every step of the way.
There's
only one thing about this story I was disappointed about, and that's
the fact that Abraham and Cody aren't around much. While David
travels with Prof and Tia to Babylon Restored, the other Reckoners
stay behind to keep an eye on Newcago. I'm suffering some serious
Cody withdrawals. (Next time, more Cody. There better be so much more
Cody!)
Loki, with all his
villainous deeds and dastardly schemes through the centuries, has gone from being the God of Mischief to being the God
of Evil.
So what happens when Loki decides he doesn't want to be evil, anymore?
Loki wants to go back being good old classic Loki again, the trickster, the wizard, the mischief maker -but that's no easy fix. There's a cycle
in place now that can't be broken, a role that must be filled, prophecies spoken that must come
true. But this is Loki we're talking about. In his greatest scheme of all, Loki has figured out a way to give himself a second chance and maybe even cheat Fate. So with a newer, younger version of himself, Loki
sets out to complete missions for Asgard's ruling All-Mother in return for
erasing the misdeeds of his past self, with his goal ultimately set
on changing his destiny.
Three reasons you need to read Trust Me:
Loki (obviously)
He personalizes Wicked lyrics
SPEED DATING.
This graphic novel is pure fun. Loki is sly and mischievous and I
can't quite decide if he's being upfront but I'm totally rooting for
him. I really like seeing Loki as a (mostly, maybe, almost) good guy.
Don't get me wrong; Loki by no means steps into a hero's role. He's
working on his own agenda, and he does it with all the class and
style you'd expect from Loki.
There's something truly magical going on with this story. It's the
kind of tale I've always dreamed of reading, one where I root for the
character so hard, I'm almost afraid to get to the end, in case they
disappoint me. (Don't you dare disappoint me, Loki; don't you dare make this Dark World all over again.) But there's so much to love between now and then. Just
think Loki in Dark World, then multiply that by about a thousand, add
in some Princess Bride references, and the fact that Loki's at least
trying to be a good guy.
Trust
Me gets four stars and this
story was like candy. Highly addictive, giddiness inducing, green and
gold candy.
Do you know what's surreal? Well, lots of things, but specifically the realization that I have nearly hit 350 subscribers on YouTube. I'm at 342 right now, which ends in 42, which is the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything, so that's got to be a milestone itself, right?
Partly in celebration, and partly because I like gifting people things, I'm hosting a giveaway for the downloadable audiobook version of Emityon: Evolve, ever graciously provided by it's author S.J. Saunders.
If you don't remember, I did a review for Saunders' book Taovan: Awaken.
So if you want a taste of science and magic and melodramatic villains, step right up!
"A new threat emerges, and the darkness can no longer be contained. Under
the command of its bloodthirsty general, the Supremacy joins forces
with a deadly new ally, unleashing carnage with fanatical precision.
With war spreading to all corners of Atala, Nadon undergoes a dark
metamorphosis; one that threatens to fracture the already-cracking
continent and to undermine Nadon's very humanity. As he alienates
those around him and more earth-shattering secrets are revealed, Nadon
fights to overcome the darkness inside and to stem the tide of
annihilation. In the end, however, there is only one choice to be made,
and Nadon must decide what matters to him most-survival or victory."
The jungle presses in around me, the pounding sun held at bay by its thick canopy.
Wood creaks.
Scratchy music from an old-time radio filters through the air.
Crumbling stone is underfoot. Fading statues stand sentries of a glorious era long passed.
The temple is nearly excavated, but as I duck inside the cool building I see the wooden scaffolds barring precarious sections, planks holding up unstable pieces. Deeper in, lights are strung up, flickering and dimming with the cough and sputter of an unreliable generator.
Colorful paintings of archaic splendor soar across the domed ceiling, in the half-light and dancing shadows still mysterious and grand.
Ancient booby traps have been triggered, then stabilized with lengths of bamboo. It's a dangerous place -evidenced by the skeletons of the less fortunate- but safe for us to pass, thanks to the ingenious excavators.
Bats scratch and squeak in a cavern. We keep our voices low, praying they won't swarm. Signs of 'DANGER!', 'DON'T TOUCH!', and 'KEEP QUIET' line our passing, but most of our crowd ignores them, pointing and chatting and snapping photographs. In a corridor lined with six-foot spikes, a reckless teenager yanks at the bamboo pole holding the trap's trigger at bay. A crash. The rumbling of moving stone. Someone screams as the ceiling sinks down... But don't worry. This isn't some archaeological site or the beginning of a horror movie. It's just ambiance.
Ambiance = The character and atmosphere of a place
Disneyland is one of my favorite vacation places, for many reasons. But one of the things that never ceases to amaze me about the Happiest Place on Earth is the incredible attention to detail. As soon as you step into the queue for the Indiana Jones ride, you suddenly feel transported into a 1940s expedition site in the heart of a tropic jungle.
"This never gets old," I tell my dad, who appreciates Disneyland just as much as me. "There's so much ambiance!"
I feel a tugging on my hand. My nephew looks up at me, nose scrunched. "Aunt Manda-Panda," he says, using only the most awesome nickname ever bestowed upon an aunt, "What's ambi- ambu- ...what's that word you just used?"
Yikes. I've stepped in it now. My nephew is five, and I stare back at him with a look of such intense contemplation he giggles at me. How in the world do I explain a word like 'ambiance' to a five-year-old?
By example, I realize. After all, what better place to explain such a concept than Disneyland, which steps into the lands of Tomorrow, Yesterday, and Fantasy?
"Ambiance is the feel of a place," I tell him. "Right now, don't you feel like you're in an actual jungle?"
He nods.
"That's ambiance!" I'm excited now. This is an aunty thing to do. Not only an aunty thing, but an Aunt Manda-Panda thing. I point at the flickering lights, the tents, the old jeep, the speakers warbling out the jazzy music. "See all this stuff? It makes it seem like we're in an old campsite, right? Sounds, smells, feels -that's all ambiance, and here, they manipulate the ambiance to make you feel like you're in a different place. Like you're really there. That's part of why Disneyland is so fun!"
Okay, maybe I'm over-excited. Half of that probably went over his head, but he nods. "Oh. Okay." And that's that. We get on the ride, we have a blast, we get off, we move on.
A day later, we have a 60-minute wait time at Tower of Terror. The kids are getting antsy and we've finally stepped into the hotel's lobby, so the running around thing that worked outside won't do here. Again, I'm struck with the incredible attention to detail (not an uncommon occurrence for me). Fake dust and giant cobwebs coat everything. Sections of the walls are damaged and peeling, revealing the brick and woodwork beyond. The fixtures flicker, the furniture is faded, and the ride attendants are in bellhop uniforms. It often irks me how many people ignore the incredible work and effort of the setting in favor of their cell phones so, with my nephew in one hand, and my niece in the other, I point to a dusty table.
"Look at that! Somebody was in the middle of a card game and...they just left it."
Their hands tighten around mine and I realize, Right. Tone back the creepy. I turn to my niece, who has been easily frightened by some of the rides, and assure her, "It's not real. Everything in here just matches up with the story the ride tells."
A tug on my other hand. "Aunt Manda-Panda, is this all ambiance, too?"
I swear to high heaven an astronaut could have seen my proud glow. "This is ambiance exactly!"
This is the floor inside the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique,
made to look like wooden boards with wildflowers
growing in between.
AMBIANCE!
Who says a five-year-old can't use 'ambiance' in casual conversation? (He used it at least three times that week. *squee!*) Who says kids aren't smart? By george, not me! This was my single proudest moment as an aunt, to date, and I'm going to teach my niblings all the big words I can muster.
Is this presumptuous? Probably. Ridiculous? Most definitely. Do I honestly expect these kids to drop words like 'ubiquitous' or 'prepossessing' on the playground? Of course not.
On the other hand, where else will they learn these things if not from their big-word-loving Aunt Manda-Panda?
will be available for only $.99. That’s 81% off the regular price. The
countdown will end on 
