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Graphic Novel Review: Tamara Drewe by Posy Simmonds

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

Tamara Drewe by Posy Simmonds
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 2008
From: Library

Read Tamara Drew on The Guardian's website

Story: A modern update of Far from the Madding Crowd, Tamara Drew tells the story of "incomers," people who come to the country for the views, versus locals who actually have to live there. London columnist and incomer Tamara returns to her childhood home with a new nose and new wardrobe after her mother's death. The writers at the retreat farm next door are all in love with her except Beth who runs the retreat and manages her famous writer husband's affairs. Told over the course of a year, the story shows the routines of farm life as the humans intentionally and unintentionally hurt one another.

Thoughts: Wow. Tamara Drewe is my perfect graphic novel. It's the story of jealousy, self-destruction, rural life, celebrity, writing, and cows. It follows the first-person account of several of the characters, so we really get to know Beth, Tamara, Andy, Glen and Casey. The dialogue is witty and the characterizations realistic as everyone says the wrong thing and annoys everyone else. Pages are set up so the interior thoughts of the characters are written in paragraphs and only the dialogue is framed out in graphics panels. This is a great way to get more of the complex story into the graphic form. Tamara Drewe is definitely for adults as there is quite a bit of nudity and adult situations. I found it funny that the occasional swear words are ****'d out. One character in particular has all of his speech bubbles *****'d. I appreciated this since it made him more pathetic than offensive. These touches really added a lot of meaning into the few things each character says.

Artwork: The art is fantastic, and I loved the washed-out colors. Most of the panels are in blues with only splashes of pink or yellow for emphasis. I particularly liked the inclusion of letters and tabloid articles to fill us in on events going on in London.

Final thoughts: A fabulous novel for anyone who likes Thomas Hardy, soap operas, farm life or writing. If you haven't read graphic novels before, Tamara Drew is an excellent place to start.

Extra note: Tamara Drewe was made into a 2010 movie starring Luke Evens.

Grade: 5 out of 5

Audiobook review: Goldfinger by Ian Fleming

2012-01-19T05:07:00.000-05:00

Goldfinger (1959) by Ian Fleming
Series: 7th James Bond book, 3rd movie
Genre: Gentleman spy
Length: 8h 28m
Audio publisher: Blackstone Audio, 2000
Read by: Simon Vance
From: publisher

This review is full of spoilers, so be warned!

Story: Tired of killing people for a living, when his flight is delayed in Miami, James Bond takes some time for himself. At the airport he's recognized by a fellow player from Casino Royale who asks Bond for help in exchange for a night at a swank hotel. Bond is to find how a certain Auric Goldfinger always wins the daily canasta game. Back in England, Goldfinger's name comes up as a matter of national security and M wants Bond to track him down.

Thoughts: The James Bond at the beginning of Goldfinger is a complete departure from the James Bond at the beginning of Dr. No. In Dr. No, James was jumping at the bit and couldn't wait to get back in the action. Now he's been working for awhile, and he's sick of killing. He needs a vacation. He does have a martini, and again it's a vodka martini with lemon. There's even a bit about how vodka has less toxins than other spirits because it's filtered, but James doesn't really care. He just likes the taste.

The solution to the canasta cheating was quite obvious, so it was funny that Junius DuPont kept playing with Goldfinger and keeps losing. Just stop playing! I guess addiction is tough to fight. When James gets back to England, he tracks down Goldfinger at the golf course, resulting in the longest game of golf described in literature. I never thought it would end. I hope James tipped his caddie well.

The plot with the gold went over my head. I mean, Goldfinger buys used gold, so he's not stealing, then he sells the gold somewhere else to make money. Isn't this the basis of the stock market? The gold was in people's dressers before he got it, so how is this national security? I guess is he's not paying enough taxes or something. Anyway, James doesn't like Goldfinger because Goldfinger's short, so that's reason enough for James to track him down. I don't know what James is supposed to do when he finds Goldfinger. Kill him? For being rich? or short?

I really liked Tilly Masterton when she showed up. She doesn't like James and won't put up with his bull. He wrecks her car, but she gets him take her where she wants to go. She should have taken that shot at Goldfinger and not listened to anything James said. After they're captured, Tilly loses all agency and becomes a nothing character, which is unfortunate.

For the amount of exposure the gold woman gets, she never shows up in the book. It's mentioned that Goldfinger likes to paint his women and kills them this way, but it's all in the backstory. James never sees a gold woman.

I lost interest in the story after James was captured. I liked how James' personality came out then. He was prepared to die, and his job was to make it easier for 008 to avenge his death, but the plot became cartoonish, and we could only sit back and see how it played out.

In Dr No, I liked the names that described people, but Pussy Galore is too much. She wasn't much of a character, and the stuff about James converting her with his manliness was over the top. I'll just pretend that James did die at Goldfinger's lair and everything after that was just a dream.

Reading: Simon Vance was professional as ever and made some of the more outlandish parts of this book palatable with his smooth delivery. My very favorite part was the extremely minor character of an American doctor. I think he has one line, but I loved Simon Vance's delivery of the nerdy American. I don't think I've heard Simon Vance do an American accent like that before. Usually the Americans in these books are Texas millionaires or military men. I kept waiting for the nerd to come back, but he never did. Now my goal in life is to find more books where Simon Vance voices a nerdy American male. It was brilliant!

Final thoughts: With Dr. No, I preferred the book to the movie, but with Goldfinger, I'm not so sure. I'm looking forward to watching the movie and seeing how it's different. And to hear the famous lines "Do you expect me to talk?" "No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die."

Many thanks to Blackstone Audio for providing this copy of Goldfinger to review!

This post is part of the Shaken, Not Stirred challenge. We'll be watching Goldfinger starting at 9:30 pm Eastern US time on Saturday, January 21 and commenting on twitter at #shakennotstirred. Join us!

Audiobook review: If I Were You by L Ron Hubbard

2012-01-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

If I Were You (1940) by L Ron Hubbard and L Sprague de Camp
Genre: Fantasy action
Length: 2h 6m
Audio publisher: Galaxy Press, 2008
Read by: Nancy Cartwright and full cast (Lynsey Bartilson, Corey Burton, Bob Caso, RF Daley, Jennifer Darling, John Mariano, Jim Meskimen, Phil Proctor and Tait Ruppert)
From: the publisher
More information at goldenagestories.com

Story: If I Were You contains two short stories: "If I Were You" is the story of the circus dwarf Little Tom Little who desperately wants to be the master of ceremonies. When he inherits a mysterious book from the fortune teller, his dreams may come true, in a different way than he thinks.

In "The Last Drop," Mac the bartender is on the search for the perfect drink. He thinks he has made it using a new liqueur from Borneo, only there are unfortunate side effects.

Thoughts: Originally published in the magazine Five-Novels Monthly, these stories are pure pulp: over the top, yet so much fun. "If I Were You" has a byline by L Ron Hubbard while "The Last Drop" was written by L Sprague de Camp and L Ron Hubbard. They both have mysterious forces, evil bad guys, and lots of running around. My favorite part is when the bar patrons are discussing the square-cube law, the fact that when something doubles in size, its volume is increased by 8 and weight is similarly affected. This is so often ignored in fiction and in this type of fiction specifically. But in this story they bring it out there, discuss it directly, and the events in the story follow the law. Priceless!

Reading: It was strange hearing Bart Simpson pop up as Little Tom Little in "If I Were You," but Nancy Cartwright and the other actors pull it all together. I normally don't like full-cast recordings since the acting often takes away from the story, but full-cast is how these stories are meant to be read. I especially loved the main narrator and am disappointed I can't tell who it is from the way the credits are listed. His voice is perfect for radio, and his introductions, along with the music, really set the stage and get the action moving.

Final thoughts: A great bit of pulp-fiction nostalgia with Bart Simpson thrown in.

Grade: 4 out of 5

I want to thank Galaxy Press for providing a copy of this book for review.

Foundation discussion continues

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

Foundation part 2 discussion is here. See the links to everyone's thoughts at Stainless Steel Droppings and sign up for the group read of Foundation and Empire. The starting questions provided by Carl are at the end of this post. This post contains many spoilers for Foundation but not for the other books in the series.

The whole goal of psychohistory is to reduce the "time of barbarism." The people from Foundation believe this will be achieved by keeping the Foundation intact, technology functioning, and expanding to take over the universe. These aren't things that Hari Seldon told them to do. He told them to write an encyclopedia, and then admitted that the project was a ruse. So are they still writing the encyclopedia? It seems so. Are they doing the right things according to psychohistory? No one knows. It seems so, but in Hari Seldon's second appearance, he told them not to bother spreading their religion, and they went ahead and did just that. Hari didn't make a third appearance, so we don't know if this last was a Seldon crisis or if they are on track.

It makes sense that the power would shift from being religious to being economic & religious and then just economic. This seems to follow Earth's history. The Foundation planets look like they are already be coming out of the barbarism. They have plenty of durable goods and spaceships to get around. They only fight non-Foundation planets. It was hard to tell how many planets were in the Foundation. Half? More? It seemed like the non-Foundation planets were in the minority.

Mallow's plan of leaving technology that people become dependent on is a common practice. It reminded me again of development work. It's very easy to give a refrigerator to a clinic for vaccines, but in order for the vaccine to stay cold there has to be electricity, someone able to fix it when it breaks down, the availability of parts, money to buy parts and pay the technician, transportation to get the technician and parts to the broken machine, and on and on. I also liked the changes to the Foundation's technology over time. Because they had few resources, they made things smaller using limited metal. Their new innovations surpassed the original, older designs.

I did like the ending of the Salvador Hardin section, but it seemed to be an awful lot of planning and effort when psychohistory is supposed to function without these things. Mostly psychohistory seems to be a way to lull your opponent. You say you're not doing anything because you don't want to mess up the timeline, when in fact, you've got all kinds of plans and schemes in motion. Hardin and Mallow both functioned this way. Seldon is their religion and like all religions is being used for personal ends. So far these people have been able to convince us that following their interests is the same as following the Foundation's interests, but it could all be a lie.

I was struck by how vain and bitchy the one female character was, and I don't believe that she or anyone else would be so taken in by those new clothes. In the last post I was surprised by how quickly the Seldon religion was absorbed by the planet's population. Here again it seems that the fashions that were given to the planet were very quickly adopted. Just because something is new doesn't mean it's going to be in demand. Both religion and fashion are firmly placed in precedent. The things that are desirable as "innovation" are only slightly different than the current standard. Even if the President's wife or whatever his title is shows up in the new alien style, it doesn't mean it's going to catch on. I found it far more realistic that changes in the factories could be done quickly and lead to problems later on. The kitchen gadgets could be adopted faster than the fashion styles, but it would still take longer than it does in this book. It just seemed strange that a book that deals with millennia feels the need to accelerate the other slow ways that society changes.

This second half was even more difficult to do in audio. With all new settings and characters, it was hard to find something to hold on to through the reading.

Overall, I didn't remember much about this book, and I'm sure it will soon leave my memory again. Since each short section is heavy on plot and light on characters, Foundation is more of a thought exercise than a fun read.

Salvador Hardin was the first character in the book that we got to spend any significant time with. What are your thoughts on the grande finale of his plotting, scheming and maneuvering to get the Foundation through to the next Seldon crisis?

What are your thoughts on the way in which control/manipulation to achieve Foundation ends began to shift with The Traders?

One of the interesting things about Seldon's psychohistory is how much one man can actually affect it. In Foundation we see characters like Hardin and Mallow as key figures for positioning things just right to work towards Seldon's later predictions. Do you see this as a contradiction to what Seldon said about psychohistory at the beginning of our story or part of an overall plan? Discuss.

Did you see similarities or differences between the way in which Salvador Hardin and Hober Mallow operated and what are your thoughts about this final section of Foundation? Would you have been content as a reader back then with how everything played out?

Has your concept/thoughts of what Seldon was trying to do changed at all since the book began?

Any final thoughts on the story as a whole, its structure, what it did or did not accomplish, how it worked for you, etc?

Graphic Novel review: Jellaby by Kean Soo

2012-01-13T05:00:00.000-05:00

Jellaby by Kean Soo
Genre: Middle grade fantasy
Publisher: Hyperion Books, 2008
From: Library

Read the first two chapters and Jellaby shorts on The Secret Friend Society

Story: Portia's bored. Her elementary school classes are too easy. Her mom's always working. There's nothing to do. Until one night Portia has a strange dream. She wakes up and sees something out in the woods. It's a monster! But the monster is more scared than she is, so she takes it home.

Thoughts: I loved this book. Portia is too smart for her own good. She has no friends. The teachers don't understand her. Only Jellaby and her mom accept her for who she is. Is Portia really good at hiding the huge, purple monster, or are Portia and her friend Jason, aka carrot boy, the only ones who can see him?

The comparison of Jellaby to Calvin and Hobbes can't be avoided. The art style is even similar. But having another person interact with Jellaby makes him much more real. In fact, there's no indication that he's imaginary. When Portia and Jellaby first meet and they are just having fun together, it made my day. But the story quickly progresses to the quest to find Jellaby's home. This is only the first book, so there's more to come.

Art: Jellaby's black and white drawings with purple shading lend a muted and surreal feeling to the panels, especially the scary ones at night. There are some splashes of carrot boy orange to provide a pop of color.

Final thoughts: Read it now! But make sure you have Jellaby: Monster in the City nearby because you won't want it to end.

Grade: 5 out of 5

Audiobook review: The Apothecary by Maile Maloy

2012-01-12T05:00:00.000-05:00

The Apothecary by Maile Maloy
Genre: YA historical fantasy
Length: 7h 35m
Audio publisher: Penguin Audiobooks, 2011
Read by: Cristin Milioti
From: Library

Story: In 1952, Janie moves from Los Angeles to London. The cool guy at school, Benjamin, also happens to be the son of the neighborhood apothecary. When the Benjamin's dad is kidnapped, he and Janie must keep safe his ancient book, the Pharmacopoeia. That doesn't mean they can't try out some of its secrets...

Thoughts: The Apothecary is a fun story of kids trying fit in and learning about a mysterious magic world right under their nose. Set in 1952, it takes place in a very realistic London where there are no sock hops or poodle skirts but instead food shortages and ration cards. Everything is backwards and grey in London after sunny Los Angeles, and I really felt for Janie as she adjusted to her new school and life. Then Benjamin catches her eye with his non-conformist ways and the story takes off with kidnappings, chases, murder, and magic.

Reading: Cristin Milioti's young-sounding voice works well for 14 year-old Janie. I liked all of the British accents she was able to put into the story, especially dreamy Benjamin.

Final thoughts: The Apothecary is a fun story of magic and growing up that stands well on its own while still leaving some room for sequels.

Grade: 4 out of 5

Foundation Group Read part 1

2012-01-09T05:00:00.000-05:00

Carl over at Stainless Steel Droppings is kindly hosting a groupread of Isaac Asimov's Foundation. You can still join!

Here are my spoiler-filled thoughts on the first half of Foundation (parts I, II, and III chapters 1-4). I've included Carl's groupread questions at the end of the post.

This is my second time reading Foundation. The first was when I was in the Peace Corps. I'd brought a stack of books with me that I'd heard about but never read including Lord of the Rings and Northanger Abbey. I had always thought reading Isaac Asimov was like reading Albert Einstein: esoteric and way over my head, so when I read Foundation I was glad it was neither. I had to laugh when I went in search of a copy for this read and found it shelved in the Young Adult section of the library. Ouch!

This time I listened to an audio version read by the fabulous Scott Brick and have the paper version for reference. I remember almost nothing about the book from my first read: Hari Seldon, psychohistory, and that's about it. Foundation is hard to follow on audio because there's not much to hold on to. It's more a description of psychohistory than a cohesive story. None of the characters are particularly sympathetic, and we don't stay on any character long enough to build up a rapport.

I still don't understand psychohistory. It's neither psychology nor history but a type of statistics to predict the future. I thought it strange that the Emperor was so upset about Seldon's prediction. If the Empire will fall in 500 years, that means it will last for 500 years. That's long enough for this Emperor. Or just ignore Seldon. Bringing Seldon to trial just gives creditably to his predictions. The point of psychohistory seems to be that most people have no power so can be removed from the equation. There are only certain points in time when action makes a difference in the long view, and the people who will be in power at those times tend to be predictable.

I'm having a hard time engaging with Foundation because no one has any agency. Hari Seldon set up his chessboard before the book started and now the galaxy is just playing the game out. Hari's dead, so he can't affect anything. He purposefully didn't teach anyone psychohistory, so they can't affect anything. Salvor Hardin's job is to do nothing. And no one will know if Seldon was right until 1,500+ years in the future. By then no one will have any idea who he was, so who cares?

My favorite part of the book is the religion that controls science. This is such a fabulous idea and so incredibly patronizing. It keeps the copyright on science for trade to neighboring planets, and also keeps science secure during the Years of Barbarism to come. Limiting access to science is preventing new inventions, but since the neighbor planets live in medieval times, they don't have the technology to invent. It highlights one of the key issues in development work. Do you give people the most up-to-date, best technology you have or do you give them something that fits with their culture that can be sustained with local resources? Here the religion is changing and taking over the culture. Fascinating. I'm surprised the religion has caught on so quickly. It's only been two generations that it's been in existence. Didn't the planets have their own religions before this? And what about technology? All of these planets were settled and have spaceships. Why are they so afraid of nuclear power? It is strange that one government could control so many planets. They must have a vast army or some rare material that the other planets need.

What's keeping me reading now is I've forgotten how this one ends, and I want to get to the Mule in the next book. What are your thoughts?

Group read starting questions:
- For the purpose of satisfying curiosity, is this your first time reading Foundation or have you read it before?
- For those who have read it before, how has it held up to your memory/feelings about previous reads?
- For those reading Foundation for the first time, what expectations did you have going in and has it met them or surprised you in any way?
- What are your thoughts about the structure of the novel thus far? (I am referring to the brief glimpses of different parts of the history of the Foundation with big time gaps between events in the novel)
- What are your initial thoughts on the field of psychohistory?
- What, if anything, is holding your interest thus far, what are you enjoying about Foundation?
- What, if anything, are you not enjoying about Foundation?
- You may have covered this in answering the other questions, but if not, what are your thoughts/feelings about the Galactic Empire. Is it a practical thing to have a galaxy spanning government? Can you imagine such a thing and do you think it would work?
- What are your thoughts on Hardin's creation of a religious system in which to house scientific ideas and technology while keeping the users of that science and technology in the dark?

Graphic Novel Review: The Last Dragon by Jane Yolen and Rebecca Guay

2012-01-07T01:10:00.000-05:00

The Last Dragon
Writer: Jane Yolen
Artist: Rebecca Guay
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Dark Horse, 2011
From: Publisher through NetGalley
Check out the beautiful images in this preview

Story: It's been 200 years since dragons have been seen, but something's been taking the village's sheep and cows. Can they find a hero in time or will it be up to the healer's daughter to save the day?

Thoughts: The Last Dragon isn't written like my usual graphic novel. There are several pages of text at the beginning providing background on the dragon wars and the rest of the story relies heavily on description and dialogue. Luckily, most of the words can be ignored in favor of the gorgeous pictures. Just look at the cover. The images are amazing. They seem to be colored in pastel and watercolor, and the hues are beautifully muted. On my first pass through, I just gazed at the pictures. It took some effort to buckle down and concentrate on the words. I liked the story of Tansy the healer's daughter, but the focus quickly shifts to other people in the village. I wish there had been more on Tansy since she's a great character: feisty, intelligent, and willing to leverage other people's strengths to make up for her weaknesses. But really, the story is secondary to the fabulous images.

Final thoughts: The amazing pictures in this novel more than make up for the weaknesses in the story.

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

Audiobook Review: A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs

2012-01-06T01:00:00.000-05:00

"In one respect at least the Martians are a happy people; they have no lawyers." -- John Carter, A Princess of Mars

A Princess of Mars (1917) by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Genre: Science fiction romance
Length: 7h 26m
Audio publisher: LibriVox, 2008
Read by: Marc Nelson
Download audiobook from LibriVox
Download ebook from Project Gutenberg

Story: After ending the War of Northern Aggression on the less than victorious side, Captain John Carter of Virginia traveled West to look for gold. In Arizona he found a strange cave where he passes out and later wakes up on what must be Mars. John is then taken captive by its mysterious green inhabitants. Luckily, due to the limited Martian gravity, John possesses extraordinary strength, speed, and the ability to leap tall buildings. John spends his time learning the language and customs of the green Martians until the day they take another prisoner, this time a red Martian who looks almost human and happens to be a princess.

Thoughts: A Princess of Mars follows John Carter through his various Martian adventures. The beginning spends a lot of time describing the green Martians' way of life: their social structure, class system, methods of reproduction, manner of education. Even though these digressions are pretty dry, I came to enjoy them since they're very detailed and well thought-out. The group of Martians that finds John Carter is well described, but the other types of Martians, especially the red Martians, are not as well-formed. The red Martians look like humans and are more technologically advanced than the green, but I wasn't sure how their social structure differed. Mars is a very violent place. Everyone is obsessed by war, and all conflicts are solved by killing. Sometimes John Carter comes up with a clever instead of a violent solution, but these are few and far between.
Usually he just uses his fists. And his superpowers.

My favorite parts of the book were the descriptions of the Martian technology, especially their oxygen creation system. I would have liked to learn more about those aspects and less about hand-to-hand combat.

I wasn't prepared for the very dense writing style in A Princess of Mars, but I loved it. Here's an example:

I do not believe that I am made of the stuff which constitutes heroes, because, in all of the hundreds of instances that my voluntary acts have placed me face to face with death, I cannot recall a single one where any alternative step to that I took occurred to me until many hours later.

The whole book is written like that. It's fun to listen to, but I could only handle it for short stretches. I missed a lot of the beauty of the phrasing by listening to the audio since I was focused on the words' meaning instead of their placement, but I don't know if I'd have been able to power through the visual version. I can barely get through that sentence.

I also had a few issues with continuity. There are said to be no mammals on Mars, but everyone sleeps on furs. More confusing was John Carter's ability to read minds, which came and went. He's also the only person who can lie, but then meets up with other liers, so maybe it's only green Martians who tell the truth. I did like how they were all vegetarians.

Reading: Marc Nelson did a fabulous job. I can't imagine reading some of that text silently, never mind aloud. He flawlessly delivered every run-on sentence and compound prepositional phrase in a way that brought out the meanings of the words and made them fun.

Final thoughts: While I'm glad I listened to A Princess of Mars, I'm not clamoring to listen to its many sequels.The story is interesting for historical value, and it has a lot of great ideas scattered through, but the emphasis on mindless violence turned me off.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

This book qualifies for several challenges as a science fiction classic:

Graphic Novel Review: Britten and Brulightly by Hannah Berry

2012-01-05T08:47:00.005-05:00

"As it did every morning...with spiteful inevitability...the sun rose."

Britten and Brülightly by Hannah Berry
Genre: Detective noir
Publisher: Metropolitan Books, 2008
Check out some sample pages
From: Local library

Story: There's not much sun in the noir city where Fernández Britten makes his living as a "researcher." He's tired of telling jealous and vengeful lovers what they already know, so now he doesn't get out of bed for less than murder. He doesn't get out of bed much. But today he has a case. With his partner, Stewart Brülightly, who happens to be a talking teabag, Britten is off to meet a lady of mystery and talk about murder.

Thoughts: Mysterious death. Long silences. Rain. Britten and Brülightly has it all. This isn't a kid's book but instead a noir mystery with violence, murder, and even swearing. I think this is the first graphic novel I've checked out that's shelved in the adult section. Instead of hard-boiled, Britten is world-weary. He's seen more than his share of deceit and cares too much to let it go. His partner, although a teabag, has managed to stay upbeat. Stewart adds some levity to the bleak existence that's weighing Britten down. The plot moves swiftly, and Britten is swept along. He wants to help people, but the truth only makes things worse. And he's too intelligent to go after anything but the truth.

Art: The artwork in Britten and Brülightly is amazing. Each panel is painted with just the faintest touch of color creating a washed-out image that adds to the bleak atmosphere. The city is populated with the most beautifully drawn details. A desk. A fish. A shoe. The never-ending rain and angles looking down on Britten from a height only emphasize his insignificance. My one criticism is some of the lettering is hard to read. I love how the narration is written out in cursive, but it takes a couple of passes to get the whole gist. The story is well-done, and the art that makes this book.

Final thoughts: If you like noir or detectives or graphic novels or tea, you should read Britten and Brülightly. Well, maybe not tea. I wouldn't want Stewart in my cup. But it's an excellent choice for any graphic novel fan and mystery buffs who want to give graphic novels a try.

Grade: 5 out of 5

This review is part of the Graphic Novels Challenge.

Winners in the Happy New Year Giveaway Hop

2012-01-04T18:48:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who stopped by on the Happy New Year Giveaway Hop sponsored by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Bab's Book Bistro.

The winners have both gotten back to me, and the prizes are ready to be shipped.

Brenna from Blisfully Brenna won the ARC of Cinder, and
Michelle from Book Briefs who won the Audible 3-month membership.

Congratulations to them both!

Trencarrow Secret by Anita Davison

2012-01-03T19:13:00.002-05:00

Trencarrow Secret by Anita Davison
Genre: Gothic historical romance
Length: 12h 22m
Audio publisher: Iambik audio, 2011
Read by: Ruth Golding

Story: Isabel Hart is almost twenty-one and has lived a very sheltered life. She has debilitating fears of the lake and the maze at her family's country house. She is also afraid to acknowledge the many secrets her family keeps: her mother's illness, her father's way of coping, why her fiance wants to marry her, her sister's early life. As she begins overcoming her fears, Isabel starts to see her family as they really are, and the true secrets of Trencarrow are revealed.

Thoughts: Trencarrow Secret could be described as Gothic, but it doesn't take place in the traditional Gothic setting. Trencarrow is an open and airy mansion filled with the Harts' friends and relations all congregating for Isabel's twenty-first birthday. The Gothic moodiness is in Isabel's mind, where her fears cast a shadow over everything and everyone. Isabel is naive and acts young for her age, although this could be a realistic portrayal of a sheltered gentleman's daughter of the time: dutiful, docile, and a slave to propriety.

Romance is on the sidelines as Isabel thinks about what she wants from life and from marriage. As the story progresses, more and more people reveal their true selves to Isabel, and she tries to come to terms with the unwelcome changes around her. The book moves fairly slowly as each person's secret is revealed. Mystery is downplayed as the secrets are plain to everyone except Isabel, and she wants to keep them hidden.

I enjoyed this book more in hindsight than while listening to it. At the time I didn't quite know what to think. Some of the secrets were not secret at all while others were too well hidden. I wish the hidden ones had come out a little sooner so I could have enjoyed them more at the time.

Reading: Ruth Golding does a fabulous job. Her older-sounding voice lends a feel of nostalgia to the story, as if Isabel is thinking back to her time in Trencarrow. The voice for Isabel is childish and whining, fitting the character. Sometimes the younger female voices started to sound a little similar, especially Isabel and Laura, but I enjoyed her male voices immensely.

Final thoughts: Not quite a romance and not quite a mystery, Trencarrow Secret is more Gothic in hindsight than it appears at first glance.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

Thanks to Iambik and Audiobook Jukebox for providing an audio copy of this book for review.

Graphic novel review: The Arrival by Shaun Tan

2011-12-30T09:58:00.000-05:00

The Arrival by Shaun Tan
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2006
Awards: Many, including the Locus Award for best art book (2008)
From: Local library

Story: Told without words, The Arrival is the story of a father who leaves his family to find work in a new country. The language and customs of his new home are strange and hard to comprehend, but with the help of his adopted animal, the man learns to communicate and discovers how his neighbors came to this place.

Thoughts: This book is beautiful. It's huge, with each page a full 8 1/2 x 11. The art is in brown pencil, like the drawing on the cover, and the designs are fancifully amazing. I especially liked the strange alphabet. The images are so moving, I cried throughout most of the book. The man has a lot of difficulties finding his way around and understanding how things are done, but he is determined to succeed and keeps at it no matter how many mistakes he makes. He never gets disheartened and eventually meets others who help him and share their enjoyment of life.

Final thoughts: This is such an inspiring book for the start of a new year. Although things can be difficult, if we help others and persevere, we all become stronger.

Happy New Year Giveaway!

2011-12-30T03:39:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! Thanks to I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Babs Book Bistro for hosting this hop with 200+ stops.

I wasn't going to do another giveaway so soon, but I received these great items I wanted to share.

For readers in the US, I have an ARC of Cinder by Marissa Meyer from MacMillan. Cinder comes out on January 3, so I'll get this in the mail ASAP so you can read it fast. I really liked the beginning of Cinder. It reminded me of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, only in a future shantytown of Beijing. They even speak Chinese with the tones and everything. And making Cinderella a robot mechanic? Priceless. This giveaway is for US mailing addresses only.

For both US and international readers, I have a 3-month membership to Audible.com. How surprised I was when I got an e-mail from Audible with a free gift membership. It's one credit per month that you can use on any of the many, many Audible audiobooks. And they have free e-mail and phone help to get you set-up. I've e-mailed them several times, and they're always very quick to respond. Due to copyright, some books might not be available in some countries. When I was in China, my membership was under my US address, and I was able to download books with no problems.

To enter, just fill out this form. You don't need to be a follower of Nerfreader to participate. Happy New Year!

Farthing by Jo Walton

2011-12-29T15:05:00.000-05:00

Farthing (2006) by Jo Walton
Series: First in the Small Change trilogy
Genre: alternate reality mystery
Length: 9h 46m
Audio publisher: Audible, Inc, 2011
Read by: John Keating and Bianca Amato

Story: In a 1949 where Hitler retains control of Europe and England has withdrawn from the war, the Farthings are the well-connected family who orchestrated this "Peace with Honor." When one of the Farthings is found dead at their country estate, Scotland Yard inspector Peter Carmichael is on the case. Who did it? Was it Jews? Bolsheviks? Or someone more connected to the family?

Thoughts: Wow. In addition to being a fun cozy mystery worthy of Ms. Christie, Farthing shows life in a world where democracy is eroding and persecution is tolerated. The point of view alternates from daughter of the house Lucy to Inspector Carmichael, and this dichotomy is inspired. Farthing is the first mystery I've read to use this convention, and it allows the reader to get an inside view into the family machinations and prejudices while also learning about events back at Scotland Yard. Does anyone want to solve this mystery, or do they only want use it for their political advantage? You don't need to like science fiction to love this book. It's real and chilling on a personal level in a setting that could be our history.

Reading: I haven't listened to either Bianca Amato or John Keating before, and I really enjoyed their interpretations. Ms. Amato has a very light, refined voice that perfectly captured the naive young wife, while Mr. Keating lent a world-weariness to Inspector Carmichael as his illusions are removed one by one the further he gets into the case.

Final thoughts: I started Farthing not knowing what to expect and left amazed. I'm so glad this book is out in audio.

Grade: 5 out of 5. One of my best 5 audiobooks of 2011!

TimeSplash winners!

2011-12-28T13:25:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who participated the Mid-Winter's Eve Blog Hop!

100 people entered to win a copy of Graham Storrs' time travel audiobook TimeSplash and short story "Party Time."

The winners, chosen by random.org, are: Irene, Krysta and Paula.They have all been notified and responded.

For those of us who didn't win, TimeSplash is still available from Iambik.com and Audible.com.

Thanks again to Graham Storrs for his book and Iambik for providing these great prizes.

Top Five AudioBooks of 2011

2011-12-26T15:31:00.000-05:00

I've had a great time listening and writing reviews since starting Nerfreader in September. I can't believe I've listened to 42 audiobooks and read 9 graphic novels so far. And those are just the reviews I posted. My goal in 2012 is to keep track of everything I read and listen to, even the ones that don't get reviewed.

Here are my favorite audiobooks released in 2011:

I haven't posted my review of Farthing yet, so that image doesn't link anywhere, but I was so excited to get my list up I couldn't wait. Farthing is a fabulous alternate-reality cozy mystery. Review coming soon!

Most of the graphic novels I read weren't published in 2011, so I want to give a shout out to Hereville, (2010) for introducing me to Mirka, an Orthodox girl who both sword fights and knits.

What were your favorites this year?

Winter Blogger Exchange arrived!

2011-12-23T08:37:00.004-05:00

This year I participated in two Book Blogger swaps and had a blast! I recently received my package from the Winter Holiday Book Blogger Exchange hosted by Gwenyth at Rants n Scribbles.

My swap partner is the fabulous Maria at Flair. Maria sent me a copy of Abandon by Meg Cabot.

Meg Cabot is one of my favorite writers, and I've been looking longingly at this book for some time. I can't wait to read it. I just found out it's the first of a trilogy. Yeah! Thanks so much, Maria!

Audiobook review: Space Captain Smith by Toby Frost

2011-12-22T11:06:00.001-05:00

Music to my tympanic membrane. - Otto, Space Captain Smith

Space Captain Smith (2008) by Toby Frost
Series: First in the Chronicles of Isambard Smith series
Genre: Science Fiction
Length: 7h 6m
Audio publisher: Iambik Audio, 2011
Read by: Clive Catterall

Story: In the 25th century, the British Space Empire is threatened by evil aliens. bungling Captain Isambard Smith is keen to be sent on his first mission, ferrying a secret envoy from the hippy colony of New Francisco. However, his ship is falling apart, his pilot is still reading the manual, and Smith doesn't seem to have any crew. With a stiff upper lip and plenty of tea, Space Captain Smith takes on androids, flying sharks, Martins, and headhunters in an effort to to fulfill his mission.

Thoughts: A pastiche of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Star Wars, Moby Dick, Blade Runner, Casablanca, War of the Worlds, and many more, Space Captain Smith is a space farce like no other. While listening, I had to throw out all expectations and just go along for the ride. There are a lot of funny moments as Captain Smith races into the fray with no skill or forethought. Although I felt some parts tried a little too hard with body function jokes and innuendos. The story is set in the distant future, but the characters are taken from historical eras or books. Captain Smith is a purely Victorian explorer who gets off at the sight of an ankle, his friend is a headhunter alien in the vein of Queequeg from Moby Dick, the hippies of New Francisco are living in the 60's with sex and drugs, while the Martins are from HG Wells' War of the Worlds. The narration follows several of the characters as each pursues a different agenda, and the vastly different points of view add a lot of unexpected tangents to the story. My favorite was Rick Drecket who, in a send up of Blade Runner, tries to determine if his companion is an android. I'll be sure to try those questions on my next date.

Reading: Clive Catterall's smooth, limber voice was sent through its paces in Space Captain Smith, and he delivered. Each character was energetic and distinct. It sounded like he was having a lot of fun, and his enjoyment was infectious.

Final thoughts: A space farce to out-farce the rest, Space Captain Smith has a lot of good sections loosely tied together.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

This audiobook was provided by Iambik Audio through the Audiobook Jukebox Solid Gold Reviewer program.

Graham Storrs Answers

2011-12-21T01:02:00.001-05:00

Graham Storrs is the author of the time travel adventure TimeSplash, which I reviewed back in November. He's recently put out a short story prequel to TimeSplash called "Party Time" describing events leading to the discovery of time travel, and even better, he narrates it himself.

You can enter to win a copy of TimeSplash and the short story "Party Time" through December 27 at my Midwinter's Eve Blog Hop stop.

Graham was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to answer some of my questions about TimeSplash and his new short story "Party Time."

Chris: I enjoyed your reading of “Party Time.” How did you decide to record it yourself? What did you find to be the hardest part of the recording process?

Graham: Thanks, I'm very glad you liked it. I wrote the story because the idea came to me while I was writing the novel and I thought it didn't really fit there. Then I wondered what to do with it! It didn't seem like the kind of thing a magazine would be interested in - it really only comes alive if you've read the book, I think. Then the idea of an audiobook was mooted. My friend, Emma Newman, who narrated the novel is always recording her own stories and it inspired me to have a go. Technically, it turned out to be very easy, but I'm not a great speaker (like Emma) and I tend to stumble over words. So the hardest part by far was reading it all the way through without tripping over my own tongue. I almost, almost managed it, and the kind folks at Iambik Audiobooks edited out the last few stammers.

“Party Time” reminds us that side effects can be more important than the original action. While listening, I thought of the movie Primer, which also follows brilliantly destructive PhD students. Can any good come from time travel or is it something students should be dissuaded from pursuing? Its discovery doesn't seem to have improved the TimeSplash world.

In film and literature, there is hardly a single instance where time travel actually turns out well. You'd think that would be a warning to us all, yet people keep on trying to make it happen! There are physicists who believe that the Universe must somehow forbid paradoxes from happening, even if time travel was allowed (no matter how hard you try, when you pull that gun on your grandmother, something will stop you). I'm sure there is a great comedy novel in there somewhere. But, even if Stephen Hawking now believes that time travel might just be possible, the mind-bending technologies and staggering energies involved mean it won't be happening any time soon - unless somebody comes back and shows us how. The thing is, humankind has explored just about everything within reach and we crave that next big adventure. The only places left to go now are Time and Space. And I don't think any amount of dissuading will stop people trying to go there.

In most time travel stories, the ability to travel is either a fluke or part of the military-industrial complex. However, in TimeSplash, it is a relatively simple underground activity. What about the Timesplash world do you find most fascinating?

When that idea first struck me - that time travelling could be an underground movement and the basis of a worldwide party scene - I was bowled over by it. I love time travel stories myself but, you're right, it's almost always in the hands of The Man. The world of TimeSplash is one struggling back to its feet after these decades of endless growth we've been living through have come to a shuddering halt. Big science is gone, the military-industrial complex has disintegrated across most of the globe, but, just before the end, there was a breakthrough... I really love the idea that the inventors of something as monumentally important as time travel feel the need to exploit it in the most mundane way because they're sick of poverty and scared they don't have the money for the dentist.

I was glad to hear Doctor Who mentioned in both TimeSplash and “Party Time.” Who is your favorite Doctor?

I grew up on Doctor Who. I still watch it avidly. I must say, though, I'm not keen on the latest crop of Doctors. I liked the second, third and fourth Doctors (Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, and Tom Baker). More than that, I liked the way the show emphasised the triumph of intelligence and reason over brute force and superstition. I remember one show (can't remember which Doctor) where, to save the day, the Doctor had to solve the Towers of Hanoi problem. This might be considered a little dull for modern audiences, but it really impressed me and has stayed with me for decades! And that's what I call good television. I'm such a fan-boy I once wrote a Doctor Who screenplay - for my own amusement.

You are very active online with your blogs and Twitter account. How has participating in social media influenced your writing?

You know, I don't think it's influenced my writing at all. However, I've had a lot of fun, met some great people, and had some intense discussions on subjects I love. The thing that I think has most influenced my writing is reading. I read a lot of sci-fi, from H. G. Wells through Asimov, Windham, Aldiss, le Guin, Vonnegut, all the Bs (Bradbury, Ballard, Bear, Bova, Brin, Baxter, Benford), Egan, McAuley, Tepper, Gibson, Reynolds, and a hundred more. And I also read the classics (I'm a big Jane Austen fan), crime fiction, thrillers, and even a little fantasy. I like to think I soak up a little from this ocean of goodness. I like to read popular science books too - especially physics and cosmology. It is just so inspiring. I think a lot of writers - even sci-fi writers - find real science either too daunting or too restrictive. I just find it all awe-inspiring.

Having said that, while social media has not necessarily influenced my writing, it has definitely influenced the direction my career has taken. For example, I met Emma Newman through her blog and it was through her that I became involved with Iambik Audiobooks. I met Jodi Cleghorn and eMergent Press online, and they will be bringing out the print edition of TimeSplash next year. It's not the only influence - I meet people in the flesh too, sometimes! - but it has been a big one.

In the movie version of Timesplash, where would you put your cameo appearance?

Ha! Like XXX you mean? Oh there are so many cool places! Maybe the waiter that Sniper and the team spook at that cafe in Ommen. Or how about the one-time brick, who has rebadged himself as a small-time gangster who Sandra tracks down while hunting for Sniper? Holbrook himself is too big a part (although I can do the accent) but maybe one of the SAS guys in the team that goes back to try to stop the London splash would be about right. I can look cold.

What can we expect to see from you next?

Good question. I recently found myself a literary agency, and my agent has a number of books of mine which she is using to approach a number of publishers. One is a near-future thriller in which the unlucky hero is trying to stop a terrorist virus that might enslave the world, while at the same time fighting a powerful and ruthless group of transhumans who want the virus for their own ends. Another is a present-day story about a group of information-based alien parasites who live in the brains of other creatures and have come to colonise the Earth. The hero in this story is one of the parasites who finds his people have been deceived and that there is something very fishy about the colonisation. The third is a comedy - also about an alien invasion - but a very inept one. The invaders crash-land here, knowing nothing about the place, but decide to conquer it anyway in the name of their goddess. But humans all look alike to them so they choose a body-form at random from the Internet and all end up looking like a famous movie star. The fourth is another time-travel book about a guy with a lot a problems who is visited by an immoral jerk from the distant future who says he wants to study our hero. Sadly, although the visitor seems to be helping at first, it all goes very badly wrong. Bad things start happening and then escalating towards a complete catastrophe.

I have no idea which might sell first - if any of them do. Thankfully, I don't have to do the selling part myself any more.

Thank you very much for your time. I’m looking forward to your next work.

Thank you, Chris. It's been great fun chatting. Anyone who wants to keep in touch can follow my blog http://grahamstorrs.cantalibre.com/ or talk to me on Twitter http://twitter.com/graywave/

Timesplash has it's own website. It's available at through Iambik or Audible.com

Giveaway: TimeSplash by Graham Storrs!

2011-12-21T00:03:00.000-05:00

The Mid-Winter's Eve Blog Hop is hosted by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Oasis for YA. Check out all 200+ hop blogs.

Happy mid-winter!

I am very excited to be giving away three copies of the audiobook Timesplash by Graham Storrs, each with a bonus download of the prequel short story, "Party Time," read by the author, courtesy of Iambik. This giveaway is open internationally.

Here's my review of TimeSplash. It's a great action story with an interesting and different view of time and time travel.

Here's an interview I just had with Graham Storrs where he talks about TimeSplash and Party Time.

From the publisher: Once, timesplashing was an extreme sport and an excuse for a big party. Then Sniper took it too far. People started dying. Sandra and Jay are two people whose lives were shattered in a timesplash that went badly wrong in 2047. Now, each in their own way, they are hunting the timesplashers. And if they don't find them, millions could die.

TimeSplash is read by the talented Emma Newman, but the short story "Party Time" is read by the author, Graham Storrs. I'm skeptical when authors narrate their own work since they're usually not professional voice artists. Luckily, Graham Storrs has a great voice. His British accent reminds me of Stephen Briggs, who narrates the Terry Pratchett Discworld books and is one of the top audiobook narrators out there. I was suitably impressed. I hope the winners enjoy the "Party Time" as much as I did!

To enter, fill out the form below. Giveaway terms are here. The audobooks can be downloaded in either mp3 or m4b (for ithings) format through the Iambik site from anywhere in the world. Thanks to Iambik for these copies to giveaway!

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch

2011-12-19T13:11:00.000-05:00

Yet another troll-fighting 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch
Series: First in the Hereville series
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary Fantasy
Publisher: Amulet Books, 2010
From: Local library
Here's a 15-page preview from Barry Deutsch

Story: Mirka's goal in life is to fight dragons, but instead her stepmother makes her learn "womanly arts" like knitting. One day while outsmarting bullies, Mirka finds a strange house in the forest. Afterwards, an evil pig starts following Mirka and won't go away. How can she find a sword when she can't even keep her homework safe?

Thoughts: I picked up this book because of its cover, and I'm glad I did! Mirka is an excellent heroine who's smart and brave yet still has things to learn. I especially liked Mirka's step-mother who's a little wicked, but in a good way. The action stops a couple of times to describe Mirka's Orthadox school, her classmates, and the Saturday Shabbos celebration. These parts got a little teachy as the narrator talks directly to the reader, but the action soon picks up again. My favorite part was the visual description of Mirka's word problems, and Mirka's solutions. Mirka's so fun I could have read a whole book just of her doing math!

The art is grayscale on an orange background. I love this style. The mostly black and white drawings let the action jump right out, while the addition of one color allows for unexpected touches. I especially liked Mirka's striped socks. When it turns to night, the background switches to blue, giving the perfect midnight feel. It's such a great effect, the perfect compromise between the visual interest of color and clarity of black and white.

Final thoughts: A great girl adventure with a window into Orthodox Jewish life for middle grade readers or anyone who had to resort to their brain because they didn't have a sword handy. The second book in the series is in the works. Can't wait!

Grade: 5 out of 5

It's Monday - 10

2011-12-18T21:12:00.000-05:00

It's Monday is hosted by the lovely and talented Sheila from Book Journey.

I've taken a bit of a blogging break for most of December. I've been listening to middle books of series and other things that I want to catch up on but don't need a review. I've also been thinking about the blog for next year and putting books on my challenge lists. It's been very productive for me, but doesn't show up as much here. This is my first It's Monday I've done in December, so a little update.

In December I read three excellent graphic novels from Minx:

The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci,
kimmie66 by Aaron Alexovich and
Re-Gifters by Mike Carey.
And best of all, I got to meet most of these authors and illustrators on twitter, an extra treat.

I listened to some great audiobooks, although some I didn't care for as much:

Envy by Gregg Olson
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner
Reversing Over Liberace by Jane Lovering

I received a fabulous Blogger Swap package from Danielle at Mercurial Musings. And I tried to help out a fellow blogger on where to start with audiobooks.

This week I'm catching up on old Dresden Files, listening to Space Captain Smith, and I found this amazing graphic novel at the library: Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword. She's an orthodox Jewish Girl who fights dragons. Perfect for Christmas! What are you reading?

Audiobook review: Reversing Over Liberace by Jane Lovering

2011-12-17T14:43:00.000-05:00

My grandfather's left me his nose. It's in a matchbox. -Willow Cayton

Reversing Over Liberace (2008) by Jane Lovering
Genre: contemporary romance
Length: 8h 38m
Audio publisher: Iambik Audio, 2011
Read by: Cori Samuel
From: Iambik Audio

Listen to the first chapter on Cori Samuel's blog.

Story: Willow's beloved grandfather has died, and all he left her was his nose. The mummified body part fits in a matchbox, but it could have been worse. Her brother inherited 12 pairs of rubber boots. Even without the nose, Willow's life hasn't amounted to much. She's 32, has never been married, and works a lousy job in the town where she was born. Then Luke shows up. Willow had a huge crush on him at university, but back then he wouldn't give her the time of day. Maybe this time things will be different...

Thoughts: I was in the mood for a lighthearted comedy, and Reversing Over Liberace hit the spot. Willow is a 30-something singleton who spends her spare time in the pub with her mates, but she's more than a sex-starved Bridget Jones. She cares about people, especially her three older brothers and sister, even though they drive her insane with their strange obsessions. The story has a lot of unexpected goings-on as everyone bangs about their business leaving Willow to get Luke's attention and make peace with her grandfather's passing as well as his strange inheritance.

I loved Willow's dysfunctional family. It's great to see siblings who are realistically self-centered without being mean. They "hate, resent, and adore" one another, and show it through clever insults. I especially enjoyed Ash, Willow's hot gay twin. It would be great to have a story following Ash and his motorcycle, and another one following big brother Bree who never speaks but binds books. The beginning of the story had some clunky pop culture allusions, but the witty dialogue soon smoothed everything over, and by the time the Jasper Fford references came out, I was hooked. I couldn't wait to see how it all turned out.

Reading: A lot of my fondness for Willow's family rests squarely on the shoulders of Cori Samuel. I thoroughly enjoyed her excellent narration. Her young voice is perfect for Willow, and the other characters were spot-on with their Irish, Welsh, and other British accents which I can never identify but love to hear. I especially fancied the male voices. Each was distinct in tone and style and added to the character's feel. I want to hear more adventures of Ash mostly because of his suave voice, even though I know he's gay. And fictional.

I have a pronunciation fetish over the word "pastie," and I learned Jane Loverling has one over the word "scone." I didn't even know there were other ways to pronounce that one! Luckily, all scones were pronounced correctly and no pasties made appearances in this book.

Cover: I have to say, the audio version of this book has one of the worst covers ever. I can't even tell what it is. A big nose and a cat in a goal post? The paperback cover is better but implies the story takes place in New York instead of the other York and makes Willow look like a ditz. The book is better than either cover or even the title implies. Take a listen and judge for yourself.

Final thoughts: A super fun romance with witty, entertaining characters who love to rag on each other because they care.

Grade: 5 out of 5

Thanks to Iambik Audio for providing this review copy of Reversing over Liberace through the Audiobook Jukebox Solid Gold Reviewer program.

Book Blogger Swap Received

2011-12-12T12:03:00.000-05:00

I've had such a fun time with the Book Blogger Holiday Swap this year.

My package came from Danielle at Mercurial Musings. She gifted me with the fun new Meg Cabot book, Abandon, and a super sweet gift card to Barnes and Noble. The best part is an amazing pop-up snowflake card which has impressed everyone who's seen it. This picture doesn't do it justice. It's 3-D! I also love the wrapping paper she chose with robots dressed as snowmen, trees, elves, packages, and reindeer. It's the perfect holiday paper.

Thanks so much, Danielle! I hope your holiday swap package has given you as much pleasure as mine has. Be sure to check our her book reviews at her great site.

Audiobooks: Where to start?

2011-12-09T19:07:00.001-05:00

I had a great question from Anna of - dooliterature - on my Swordspoint review. She hasn't listened to audiobooks before and was wondering if I had any recommendations for good books to start with.

Why yes, yes I do.

First of all, congratulations for jumping into audiobooks. It's an amazing world! This question has come up before on Twitter, and the answer from several people was Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett. That's an excellent place to start, but it's a pretty short answer.

The long answer is audiobooks can be tricky things. I want a good story, a good narrator, and a story that works in audio. Good audio production has become more common as technology has improved and more people are listening to audiobooks. I'm more wary of older audiobooks where there production quality can range greatly. I've been disappointed many times in the past by books I just couldn't listen to. When this happened I had to give up and move on to a different book.

Some fine books have excellent audio production but are harder to listen to because the story is more complicated. For example, The Night Circus is a good story, Jim Dale is a fabulous narrator, but the time jumps made it hard for me to follow along. If I was reading the book, I could flip back to figure out the dates, but it's much harder to flip around in audio.

For someone starting out with audiobooks I'd say,
- Try books you've already read and enjoyed
- When you find a narrator you enjoy, try other books read by that person
- If you're listening to a book that's not going well, don't suffer through. Stop and try a different book. Listening is supposed to be fun!
- Try lots of books. It might take awhile to find the kind you like best

There are so many excellent audiobooks. Here's a very small sample of some I've enjoyed that could be a place to start.

Urban Paranormal
Magic Bites series by Ilona Andrews read by Renee Raudman
Kitty and the Midnight Hour series by Carrie Vaughn read by Marguerite Gavin

Fantasy
Wee Free Men series by Terry Pratchett read by Stephen Briggs
Terrier series by Tamora Pierce read by Susan Denaker
Sabriel series by Garth Nix read by Tim Curry
Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale read by Chelsea Mixon
Harry Potter series by JK Rowling read by Jim Dale

Science Fiction
The Warrior's Apprentice series by Lois McMaster Bujold read by Grover Gardner
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline read by Wil Wheaton
Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld read by Alan Cumming

Romance
Secret of the Pink Carnation series by Lauren Willig read by Kate Reading

Mystery
One for the Money series by Janet Evanovich read by CJ Critt

anything read by Kate Reading, Rosaylin Landor, Simon Vance, or Scott Brick

Anna, I hope this helps. For everyone else, what do you recommend for someone starting out with audiobooks?

Audiobook review: Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner

2011-12-08T16:42:00.001-05:00

"Interesting...in an eerily nasty way." - Richard St Vier, Swordspoint

Swordspoint (1987) by Ellen Kushner
Series: Book one of the Riverside series
Genre: fiction
Length: 10h 54m
Audio publisher: Neil Gaiman Presents, 2011
Read by: Ellen Kushner, Dion Graham, Katherine Kellgren, Robert Fass, Nick Sullivan, Simon Jones, and full cast

Story: Richard St. Vier is the greatest swordsman in Riverside. He is constantly in demand for nobles' parties and to settle points of honor, but he doesn't do weddings. St. Vier puts his life on the line each job he takes, but life is cheap. Everyone dies. Honor and reputation are what's precious. Now Richard is a pawn in the power games played by the city's bored nobility. Can he keep his honor, reputation, and life intact?

Thoughts: Swordspoint is described as "if Jane Austen wrote fantasy," but it's closer to Les Liaisons Dangereuses than Sense and Sensibility. The story follows several points of view from the slums of Riverside to the nobles' Hill as each person sets up their games of power using other people's lives. The book is subtitled "a melodrama of manners," and there is a lot of chocolate drinking. There are also Machiavellian politics, swordplay, theater, and revenge. The characters are compelling but hard to fathom as each has their own hidden motivations. Everyone uses everyone else, and only the quick survive. While Swordspoint's action takes place in a country that uses swords, there is no magic or fantastical elements in the book. It's fantasy because it takes place in a country with different laws and customs. And swords.

Production: I've had bad experiences with author-narrated audiobooks and with full-cast audiobooks, so when I found out Swordspoint was an author-narrated, full-cast audiobook, I was very apprehensive. Happily, my fears were unfounded. Ellen Kushner reads clearly and with grace, and it really sounds like she's having fun. She reads most of the book. The full cast is only brought in when there are larger group scenes. Occasional sound effects are added (doors opening, footfalls), and the full-cast sections has background sounds and music. I would think having a narrator read the voices of the main characters for most of the book and then switching to other people reading them for the group scenes would be confusing, but it works very well. Having the consistent narrator allowed me to sink into the story, and the infrequent group scenes were a fun diversion.

Final thoughts: If you've already read Swordspoint, the full-cast version is well done, and an excellent introduction to audiobooks. Swordspoint is also a good book if you enjoy stories of political intrigue or duels. No interest in fantasy needed.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

Bonus fact: Ellen Kushner wrote five choose your own adventure books including #56 The Enchanted Kingdom. This makes me happy.

Graphic Novel Review: Re-Gifters by Mike Carey

2011-12-06T22:36:00.001-05:00

Dixie. Korean dwarf fighting frog.

Re-Gifters by Mike Carey, Sonny Liew, Marc Hempel
Genre: contemporary romance fight story
Publisher: DC Minx, 2007
From: local library

Story: High schooler Dixie only cares about two things: the martial art hapkido and Adam in her class. But obsessing over Adam is interfering with her focus, her "ki." If she can get Adam the perfect gift for his birthday, she'll be able to focus and everything will turn out all right. Right?

Thoughts: What a fun story! I loved Dixie and her crazy family. As one who has been tempted to re-gift, this story shows the dangers of the practice. What goes around, comes around.

Re-Gifters starts off strong and keeps it up as Dixie and her friends are introduced right in the middle of the action. Dixie is clumsy and scattered. She's strong but not sure how to use her strength except to beat people up. Dixie's friend Avril, with her cheerful openness, is a great counterbalance to Dixie's spiky moods, and the other secondary characters are realistic teens with their own problems and obsessions. One of the things I like best about graphic novels is their refreshing brevity. Re-Gifters tells its story with no extra padding. It's fun but focused. Balanced.

The Re-Gifters' artwork is black and white. The drawing is loose with a freestyle, sketch-like appearance that adds a lot of energy to the hapkido fighting scenes. I was confused in one place where thugs tell Dixie to get back to Koreatown, but the buildings right next to them all have Korean signs. Maybe the Korean businesses are encroaching the punk's territory and that's why they're upset. Since I'm illiterate in Korean, I missed all of the hidden jokes, but I did like how the black guy was wearing a shirt with the Chinese character for black (黑).

Final thoughts: The Karate Kid meets Pretty in Pink, Re-Gifters is another excellent Minx title. I'm going to be sad when I've read them all.

Grade: 5 out of 5

Audiobook review: Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin

2011-12-06T19:17:00.001-05:00

Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
Series: First in the Art of Death series
Genre: historical mystery
Length: 13h 12m
Audio publisher: Penguin Audiobooks, 2007
Read by: Rosalyn Landor
From: local library

Story: Cambridge, 1171. A child has been murdered, and the town blames the local Jews. Since the Jewish population is locked in the local castle, they're not generating revenue. This doesn't sit well with King Henry II. In an effort to exonerate the Jews and get the taxes flowing, he sends for a "Master in the Art of Death."

Adelia is a physician and pathologist in progressive Sicily, but she could get herself killed in backwater England where women who know too much are called witches. Adelia needs to learn as much as she can about Cambridge's farmers, crusaders, tax collectors and clergy quickly and without giving offence, not her strong suit. She's not sure if she can trust anyone, but she has to find the killer before another child dies.

Thoughts: After a slow start with too much introduction (three preambles) the narrative takes off. Adelia is a fabulous, strong female character. I'm not sure if her difficulties relating to people are because she's Sicilian and doesn't understand English culture, because she's dedicated to her work so not picking up social cues, or if she just didn't care. She reminds me of the TV version of Bones, so she may have Asperger's syndrome. Of course, most of her issues are people saying "women don't do that," which she doesn't stand for. Instead, she fills us in on the state of medieval doctoring. I never know if washing one's hands in brandy is something one person of that time might think of or if it's all imposed on the characters from our modern perspective, but it's fun to see what goes on and what Adelia thinks about it. I especially liked her asking for vegetables and everyone else groaning about how she's such a picky eater.

Reading: Rosalyn Landor is an audiobook superstar. Her voices in Mistress of the Art of Death are spot-on, from the king to the sheep herder. I especially loved the little kids. She also aced my person audio hurdle by pronouncing "pastie" correctly. Not everyone does. Well done!

Final thoughts: A great medieval medical mystery. I'm looking forward to the next in the series!

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

Audiobook Review: 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

2011-12-04T08:43:00.001-05:00

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
Genre: Fantasy Horror
Length: 46h 50m
Audio publisher: Audible, Inc (2011)
Translated by: Philip Gabriel
Read by: Allison Hiroto, Marc Vietor, Mark Boyett
From: purchased from Audible

Story: Tokyo, 1984. Aomame hears some music in a taxi, and ever since things have been different. When did the police change guns and uniforms? How does she not remember the building of an observatory on the moon? She concludes she's in a parallel universe and calls it 1Q84.

Tengo is presented an offer he can't refuse: rewrite a moving fantasy story written by a 17 year-old girl to enter in a writing competition. But as Tengo learns more about Fukaeri, he begins to wonder how much of her story is true, and what that means for both of them.

Thoughts: The connection between 1Q84 and to George Orwell's 1984 is in name only. 1984 has Big Brother while 1Q84 has the Little People, sinister sprites with no clear goals or agenda. 1Q84 ostensibly takes place in Tokyo, but the setting could be anywhere. There are few references to Japan and none to Japanese 80's pop culture. 1Q84 mostly takes place in a vacuum of place and time with no clear goals or agenda.

The first third of 1Q84 has a lot going for it. Aomame is serious, calm and in control. Nothing rattles her, but she still wonders if she's doing the right thing in her job as a contract killer. She cares about the results of her actions. When she discovers the differences between the world she knows and the world she's in, she doesn't even consider that she's going crazy. She decides it's not her, it's the world that's wrong. And she stands by her convictions. Tengo is a mess, still fixated on his mother's breasts, but he loves to write and is slowly getting himself together. Unfortunately, as the book progresses, the fun action from the beginning stagnates and is replaced by repetition and horror. The Little Men are seriously creepy, the characters affectless, and I haven't been able to look at the moon the same since. Most disturbing is the defense and support of child molestation and pedophilia.

If someone asked me to abridge 1Q84, I would have no problem. This book needs some serious editing. There are many sections that are merely repeated as the point of view goes back and forth between Aomame to Tengo, and late in the book a completely unnecessary third point of view is added. I'm sure I could take off 20 hours and not lose any of the small amount of story. Long, boring books are particularly hard to listen on audio. When you're reading the print version, it's much easier to skip over or skim the boring bits.

Reading: Allison Hiroto reads in a soft, lightly accented voice. Some words were too heavily enunciated while others were difficult to distinguish, but overall she gave the feeling that Aomame is a fun-loving person despite her voluntary isolation.
Marc Vietor starts out reading Tengo's point of view enunciating every word, like a robot, but as the story goes on he loosens up and reads in a more relaxed manner.
Mark Boyett has a small part at the end of the book, but adds a lot with his reading. He uses an almost gangster accent, contributing a noir feeling to his sections. Even though this part of the book is completely superfluous, I enjoyed his reading the most of the three narrators.

Final thoughts: The cover is the best part of this book.

Grade: 2 out of 5 - I enjoyed the first third, but after that it falls apart.

Graphic novel review: kimmie66 by Aaron Alexovich

2011-12-02T14:44:00.001-05:00

"But...is it real?"

kimmie66 by Aaron Alexovich
Genre: YA SF mystery
Publisher: DC Minx, 2007
From: Paperbackswap.com

Story: Telly is a normal 23rd century goth teen. She lives most of her life in the virtual world, and who wouldn't? But she's worried about her friend, kimmie66. Kimmie sent Telly a suicide note that couldn't be real, could it? People are still seeing Kimmie all over the net. Telly has never met Kimmie in real life and doesn't know her real name, so she can't find out for sure. Unless she breaks the law.

Thoughts: kimmy66 is much darker than the other Minx titles I've read, both in its theme of suicide and from the black backgrounds used in most of the panels. The artwork is edgy and distorted, fitting with the virtual reality setting. I usually prefer clear and open artwork, but the darker images work to set the bleak tone. The story reminds me of Serial Experiments Lain, one of my favorite animes. Both titles have a sad and eerie feeling, but the scary clowns add an extra creep factor to kimmie66. I like Telly. She figures things out and questions the status quo. She also has fab messy hair. The everyday use of virtual reality put me in mind of Ready Player One. In fact, both of these books could take place in the same world. The only difference is in Telly's world virtual travel is illegal while for Player One it's just expensive.

Aaron Alexovich contributed character designs to Nickelodeon's Invader Zim, and I recognized his unique drawing style from that show. He also did the art for Minx's Confessions of a Blabbermouth and has his own story, Serenity Rose, from SLG.

Final thoughts: I liked this creepy gothic cyber-mystery. It's a fast read but fun if you don't mind scary clowns.

Grade: 4 out of 5

Audiobook review: Envy by Gregg Olsen

2011-12-01T10:47:00.001-05:00

Envy by Gregg Olsen
Genre: YA paranormal mystery
Length: 9h 29m
Read by: Julia Whelan
Audio publisher: Brillance Audio, 2011
From: local library

Story: Kaitlin feels like her life is over. When she unexpectedly dies in the bath, the secrets come out about her, her family, and her neighbors. Kaitlin's classmates, the Ryan twins, Hayley and Taylor, are determined to find out the truth about Kaitlin's death, and they don't mind using their special powers to do it. In their search, they discover more about the mysterious accident they all survived years ago.

Thoughts: I love the cover image for this book but didn't know what to expect from the story. It did start out a little rough. Some of the wording was awkward, and it felt like it was trying hard to be young, using words like Smashbox and fugly. Luckily, the realistic, non-whiny characters and improved writing style as the story progressed made up for the rocky start. It didn't hurt that the story gets darker and more complicated as it goes on. Following the points of view of both teenagers and adults, the book is primarily a mystery, with just the slightest bit of unexplained around the edges. The paranormal is unique, though a little confusing. I kept forgetting which twin had what power. I did cheer when they used Scrabble tiles instead of a Ouija board. Perfect! Ouija boards always seemed so useless. I also liked how the story stands well on its own but has enough questions left to expand upon in the sequel.

Reading: Julia Whelan has a clear, young voice that fits perfectly with the teenagers in Envy. Her reading is nicely expressive without going over the top.

Final thoughts: Have a green Christmas with Envy, a dark and clever teenage mystery.

Grade: 4 out of 5
Purchase audio version from Audible Purchase paper version from Amazon

Graphic Novel Review: The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci & Jim Rugg

2011-11-29T09:29:00.000-05:00

"Art saves. Think big. Think P.L.A.I.N (People Loving Art in Neighborhoods)."

The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg
Genre: Contemporary YA
Publisher: Minx, 2007 - update: Ms. Castellucci just informed me it's been reprinted under the DC Vertigo Comics label. Congrats!
Awards: Joe Shuster Award for Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Writer, 2008
From: Local library

Story: Jane loves Metro City and isn't happy when her parents decide to move to suburbia. The kids at her new school are like they're asleep, but one lunch table looks promising. It just so happens everyone at that table is named Jane. Jane makes a plan to convince the others to join her in neighborhood "art attacks" to wake up the town. But they'll be in big trouble if anyone finds out.

Thoughts: The Plain Janes is my kind of graphic novel: interesting story, fun characters, and clear, amusing graphics. I love that the story is straightforward but still has several amusing twists. It's great that all of the main characters are named Jane (or Jayne), and each has her own, distinct personality and expertise. The art attacks the group pulls made me laugh and got me to think "I can do that," the ultimate danger of free expression. And I loved that Jane is a vegetarian. Yeah!

Jim Rugg's clear greyscale drawings reinforce each of the Janes' personalities and clearly show the differences between Metro City and suburbia around Buzz Aldrin High. Jane always stands out with her clothing that's a little too hip for school. I love Jane's haircut, but it's hard to recognize her in flashbacks when she has her old hair. The all-caps dialogue is clean and easy to read with just enough bold to get the point across, but not too much to lose impact. I especially enjoyed the use of newspapers and letters to show the progression of events.

Final thoughts: Plain Janes is my favorite Minx title. The Janes are fearless in their efforts to challenge the ordinary and be themselves.

Grade: 5 out of 5

Winner in the Gratitude Giveaway and GFC update

2011-11-28T07:44:00.001-05:00

Thanks to everyone who stopped by on the Gratitude Giveaway Hop!

Over 100 people entered my giveaway for a copy of Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.

And the winner is - ORIANA!

Congratulations! I hope you enjoy it.

As many of you know, Google Friend Connect is being discontinued. Since Nerfreader is on Blogger, it will still work here, but GFC will no longer be supported on other blogs, and I will eventually remove it as well. If you would still like to be informed of postings here at Nerfreader after GFC goes away, there are other ways you can connect.

- through Google Reader or your favorite reader site by coping Nerfreader's URL (http://nerfreader.blogspot.com) and pasting it into the Subscribe box on your reader's site
- using RSS by pressing the RSS button on the upper-right of this page and then pressing the button of your favorite reader
- following Nerfreader through e-mail by providing your e-mail address in the form on the right
- liking Nerfreader on facebook and checking for new posts on Nerfreader's wall
- following Nerfreader on Twitter where I announce most review posts

I use Google Reader to follow blogs, and that works very well for me.

Thankfully Weekend Wrap-up and It's Monday - 9

2011-11-27T20:35:00.001-05:00

I am very thankful to Jenn for hosting the Thankfully Reading Weekend. I'm glad I got to spend so much time reading, and enjoyed myself immensely! I read a bunch of graphic novels -

Kimmy66 by Aaron Alexovich
The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci & Jim Rugg
The Guild by Felicia Day & Jim Rugg.
I also got caught up on my Guild watching. Looks like there are going to be some exciting changes in season 6. Fun!

On Saturday I went to see a local production of Hamlet and have been quoting it ever since.

I got some reviews posted, which was my real goal for the weekend -

Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel

Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

Amulet 3: The Cloud Searchers by Kazu Kibuishi

The Land of Laughs by Jonathan Carroll

And the final touch, Neil himself (Neil Gaiman) re-tweeted me - twice, so I got a few extra visits to my Land of Laughs review. Hopefully everyone enjoyed it.

Before Thanksgiving I participated in my first Shaken and Not Stirred group audiobook listen and movie watch of Dr. No. I liked the book much more than the movie. I even won an audio copy of the next book, Goldfinger, from Blackstone Audio! I'm looking forward to listening to that and watching the movie in Januaray. Thanks to Jen from Literate Housewife and Tanya from Blackstone.

This week I plan to finish my graphic novel holiday leftovers, Good as Lily by Derek Kirk Kim and Jesse Ham (update- finished!) and The Drops of God, the maga about wine, by Tadashi Agi and Shu Okimoto. I'm listening to A Hat Full of Sky, the second Tiffany Aching book by Terry Pratchett (update - finished!).

This week I'm planning on participating in the Advent with Austen with Reading Fueled by Tea. The Sunday movie tweetfest is Bride and Prejudice. Since Pride and Prejudice is my favorite book, I'm sorry I missed out on the movie this Sunday. Can't wait to participate next week!

What are you reading?

Audiobook review: The Land of Laughs by Jonathan Carroll

2011-11-26T22:41:00.000-05:00

The Land of Laughs (1980) by Jonathan Carroll
Genre: modern fantasy
Length: 8h 47m
Read by: Edoardo Ballerini
Audio publisher: Neil Gaiman Presents, 2011
From: purchased

Story: Tomas Abbey isn't sure what to do with his life. He teaches English in a New England prep school, but he doesn't like teaching, literature, or New England. He's thinking about writing a biography of his beloved children's author, Marshall France, but he's not sure how to go about it. No one knows much about the deceased author of The Land of Laughs, and France's daughter Anna has vowed never to authorized a biography. Tomas sets out to learn more about France, France's daughter, and her strangely isolated Missouri town.

Thoughts: With a title like The Land of Laughs, I was expecting insincere strongmen and menacing clowns. The cover image doesn't dispel these thoughts, but that's not this book. There are marionettes, but no clowns. Instead, The Land of Laughs is a story where the eerieness is just hinted at the edges, which to me is the best kind of horror. It's an excellent episode of Twilight Zone. It's my favorite type of book. The story moves smoothly, introducing neurotic and insecure Tomas and his fixation with the author Marshall France. This is a book where every character has a complex, and trying to determine which complex each person has is half the fun. Since the book was published in 1980, it has a nostalgic feel to it, which is magnified as Thomas takes his road trip into small-town Missouri which seems to be stuck back in time.

Reading: Edoardo Ballerini is a the perfect person to read this book. He gives just the right amount of pathos to Tomas without letting him get whiny. There aren't very many characters in the book, but each is distinct and recognizable.

Final thoughts: A great book anyone who likes a nice, slow burning mystery with just a touch of menace. Don't let the awful cover image scare you away.

TV appearance: A first edition hard copy of The Land of Laughs is shown in the Season 1 episode of Fringe, "Ability," when a customer sells the book to Markam, the rare book dealer.

Grade: 5 out of 5

Graphic Novel Review: Amulet 3: The Cloud Searchers by Kazu Kibuishi

2011-11-26T10:32:00.000-05:00

Amulet: The Cloud Searchers by Kazu Kibuishi
Series: Third in the Amulet series
Genre: Middle grade action fantasy
Publisher: Scholastic Graphix
From: Local library

Story: Emily, her brother Navin, and their crew board an airship to find the lost city of Cielis. They have to find it fast, before the evil Elf King finds them.

Thoughts: I picked up the first Amulet book on a whim from the library. I liked the drawings but found the story a little thin. It is meant for middle schoolers. Since it was an easy read, when the second book was returned, I checked it out, too. This one had a more surprising and detailed story and random Star Wars references. Fun! Now to the third book which has the most intricate plot yet with one Star Wars reference after another. From searching for a pilot in a dive bar to refueling at an outpost run by an ex-friend, The Could Searchers is an ode to Star Wars intermingled with its own unique plot, and it's done well.

Emily is a great character as she slowly learns to control the Amulet's power. Navin, the younger brother, is routinely pushed to the side, though is engineering skills come in handy once in awhile. Old friends and new help the siblings out as they travel from one location to another on their fast-paced quest to find the lost city, fighting the Elf King's minions along the way. The Could Searchers has quite a bit of back story jammed in with it's non-stop action and revelations.

The drawings in Amulet are crisp and clean. There's a lot going on in each panel, but the details never detract from the main action. I particularly like the silent panels where the mood of the world really comes through. The book is in color, and the tones are well blended with each location having its distinct palate. Kazu Kibuishi is the founder and editor of the Flight Anthologies, which I've heard a lot about and must read soon.

Final thoughts: The Amulet books are great for middle-grade readers and up who like some fantasy in their action, and a fun treat for Star Wars fans who can re-live the story in graphic form. I'm looking forward to reading the fourth book, The Last Council, which is already out.

Grade: 5 out of 5

Audiobook Review: Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

2011-11-25T20:41:00.001-05:00

"Unlike wizards, witches learn to make do..."

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
Series: first Tiffany Aching
Genre: YA action fantasy
Length: 7h 10m
Audio publisher: Harper Audio, 2004
Read by: Stephen Briggs
Awards: Locus Award for best Young Adult Book, 2004
From: Local library

Story: Tiffany wants to be a witch, but she's afraid her name may hold her back. She can't be the prince and doesn't want to be the boring damsel, so the witch is the only character left. Witches are just misunderstood. In the meantime, Tiffany has to take care of her little brother and make the cheese. But who are these little men who keep yelling "Crivens!"

Thoughts: This is one of my favorite books. Tiffany is only nine, but she has a good head on her shoulders. She figures things out, and she doesn't mind using her little brother as monster bait. The action is constant, and anytime the Nac Mac Feegle are on the scene, I can't stop laughing. With all the stealing, drinking and fighting, I wouldn't think they'd be my kind of men, but even though they're only six inches tall, they're fiercely loyal and dependable. And I love their accents.

The Wee Free Men is the 30th Discworld book, but it takes place in a part of the world far away from the other books, and only minor characters have appeared before. I've also seen this book labeled the 2nd Discworld Children's book. The first Discworld children's book is The Amazing Maruice and his Educated Rodents, and deals with different characters and settings. Wee Free Men is the first book with Tiffany Aching and stands firmly on its own, though after reading it you'll want to read the sequel, A Hat Full of Sky.

Reading: Stephen Briggs is a narration master. His Scottish accents for the Nac Mac Feegle are spot on, and I love his posh accents, too. My one quip is that Tiffany sounds strangely like an old woman at the beginning of the story, but the voice becomes her own as the narration progresses.

Final thoughts: This is a great book for anyone who likes to laugh, and Stephen Briggs' narration makes it the perfect audiobook. It's my first recommendation for someone not sure about audiobooks who wants to give them a try.

Grade: 5 out of 5

Most thankful book

2011-11-25T16:31:00.001-05:00

The book I'm most thankful for is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I will admit, I saw the Jennifer Ehle miniseries first, but it inspired me to read the source material. I find something new every time I read the book or watch one of the movie versions (even the horrid 1940's move with screenplay credit to Aldous Huxly that takes place in the Civil War-era South).

I love Mr. Bennet's humor and Miss Bingley's scheming. I've had long discussions over how exactly Lady Catherine received her gossip and if Mary would have been happy with Mr. Collins.

My favorite quote is from Miss Bingley about Elizabeth, "To walk three miles, or four miles, or five miles, or whatever it is, above her ankles in dirt, and alone, quite alone! ... It seems to me to show an abominable sort of conceited independence,"

We should all show such conceited independence.

Graphic novel review: Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel

2011-11-25T11:50:00.001-05:00

Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel
Genre: Middle grade paranormal action
Publisher: Scholastic Graphix, 2010
Lists: ALA's 2011 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens
From: Local library

Story: Garth Hale is dying, but he's not dead yet. So when he finds himself in the afterlife, he's got to get back to his mom and the living. Luckily he has a skeleton horse and mysterious boy to help him get to Ghostopolis where, hopefully, he can find a way home.

Frank Gallows has been employed as a ghost wrangler with the Supernatural Immigration Task Force a long time. He's tired. He's jaded. He's sloppy. He didn't mean to send Garth to the afterlife, but that's what happened. Now he has to get Garth back. He needs the help of his ex-girlfriend Claire, but they didn't part on the best of terms.

Thoughts: This book is a lot of fun. Frank Gallows is a great character with his wrinkled suit and sneaky yet authoritative ways. I would love a whole book just about the Supernatural Immigration Task Force (SITF) and Frank on the job with all of his ghostbusting tools. SITF and Frank are only a small part of Ghostopolis. There's a lot going on. The way your afterlife age is decided, the world's political structure, and the workings of time and physics are all described in a whirlwind as Garth races to the town. There's also a lot of heart as Garth learns about trust, compassion, and forgiveness. It was a quick and enjoyable read with only a few bodily function jokes for the younger set. I especially liked the hissing cockroches.

The graphics in this novel are great. The drawings are nice and clear, and there's usually something interesting going on off in the background. I usually don't care for coloring in my graphic novels, but this one does it well. I especially liked the shadowy blues used inside the buildings to notch up the suspense. The dialogue is hand-lettered in all caps, and was sometimes difficult to read due to the non-standard shapes and sizing. My problems were all at the beginning though, so I either got used to the writing or the lettering became more readable as the story went on.

Final thoughts: A fun ghost adventure for middle-grade readers with enough unexpected events to keep teens and adults happy. A Ghostopolis film, starring and produced by Hugh Jackman, is scheduled to be released in 2013.

Grade: 4 out of 5

Thankfully Reading this weekend

2011-11-25T10:45:00.001-05:00

Happy weekend everyone! Instead of shopping, today I will be reading along with Jenn and all the participants in the Thankfully Reading Weekend. If you want to join in, you can sign up and post your progress anytime through the 27th.

Today I am thankful for my local library. I was extra thankful last week when I found out I could have a card from the library the next county over. They have a much larger system with branches in several small towns. I took a ride to one town I'd never been to before and was able to pick up a bunch of graphic novels I've been wanting to read. The town also has a Goodwill where I got some more books, so it was a a great find.

Scores from the library included
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang,

The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg

Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel, and
The Eternal Smile by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim.

From PaperbackSwap.com I was lucky to receive
Good as Lily by Derek Kirk Kim and Jesse Hamm,
Kimmie 66 by Aaron Alexovich, and
The Guild by Felieca Day and Jimm Rugg.

Then I broke down and bought The Drops of God by Tadashi Agi and Shu Okimoto. It's the only true manga on my pile that reads from right to left.

I've gotten a jump start on Thankfully Reading and already gone through some of these, so I plan to spend the weekend reading the rest and writing up reviews.

It's a beautiful day out, so I plan to take some walks while listening to Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett and maybe get one of the books on sale at Audible this weekend for $4.95.

I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else is reading!

Mix it up challenge post

2011-11-21T13:13:00.001-05:00

I love all the challenges that people are hosting for the new year. I keep trying to stop myself from signing up, but one that I do want to be involved in is Ellie's at Musings of a Bookshop Girl. She's hosing the Mixing It Up Challenge. This one is really different. There are 16 categories of books. Participants pick how many categories they want to complete, and go to town! I'm going to join at the 9-12 level, but who knows, I may read more. Here are the categories.

1. Classics - I've already decided to finish reading Dracula next Halloween.
2. Biography - There's a great one of Nicolas Tesla I'm dying to read.
3. Food and wine - skip -Thought I do have a copy of In Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant that was given to me, and I'm planning on reading the graphic novel Drops of God about wine production.
4. History - skip - The Tesla book could fit here instead.
5. Modern Fiction - skip
6. Graphic novels - Yeah! I have several on order at the library and asked for more for Christmas including The Guild by Felicia Day.
7. Crime and mystery - I still haven't read Redbreast by Jo Nesbo, and I'm only on book two of the Charles Lenox series by Charles Finch
8. Horror - I still have to finish Haunting at Hill House for Halloween.
9. Romance - There's a new Pink Carnation book coming out by Lauren Willig, the Garden Intrigue.
10. Science fiction and fantasy - No problem.
11. Travel - skip - I am planning on reading Travels in West Africa this year by Mary Kingsley.
12. Poetry and drama - skip - I just checked out a manga version of The Tempest, but I don't think that counts.
13. Journalism and humor - skip - I'm finishing up David Sedaris' Holidays on Ice right now, so it's too early for the challenge.
14. Science and natural history - I want to read another book on string theory by Brian Greene, but maybe I'll find something else
15. Children's and young adult - No problem.
16. Social sciences and philosophy - skip

So, there are a lot of options, I'm committing to a lower number here at the beginning to see how it goes, but hope to stretch a little and read some books from some of the harder for me categories. It's been fun to remember the books I've read in the past that fit into each group.

Audiobook review: Doctor No by Ian Fleming

2011-11-17T13:46:00.001-05:00

I didn't know James Bond was so insecure.

Dr No (1958) by Ian Fleming
Series: 6th 007 novel
Genre: Gentleman spy
Length: 7h 13m
Audio publisher: Blackstone Audio, 2006
Read by: Simon Vance
From: Purchased

Story: After being injured in the events of From Russia With Love, M sends Bond on an easy assignment to Jamaica. There Bond has a martini with lemon (not olives), gets mixed up with a guano pyramid scheme, and competes in his own private Hunger Games. He also learns the power of the Audubon Society and where evil masterminds go to college: Milwaukee, WI.

Thoughts: I wish I had joined Shaken, Not Stirred, from the beginning. James Bond is so much fun! The book James is nothing like the movie James. In the movies he's a jerk. In this book he's just insecure. He's always thinking "oops, messed that up," but he hides his feelings, so no one else would know. I also found his job to be much more mundane. He doesn't want to kill people, just get his paperwork in.

***I'm going to be talking about specifics in the book, so stop if you want to be surprised.***

My favorite part was at the beginning when James is ridiculed for carrying a "lady's gun." His Beretta .25 is "a bit fancy-looking, if you know what I mean..." James was so sad to lose that gun. Then he started talking about his tailor and bath salts and sunsets. He's so very metro. I wanted him to get his hair and nails done when he had the chance. His cuticles had to be pretty grim after that stint in the jungle.

The Audubon Society cracked me up! They kept saying how the Audubon had more money than the British secret service and "these old women's societies" couldn't be deterred. They're incorruptible, just like librarians.

My main inconsistency issue with the book is Chinese people don't wear kimonos. In the 1950's upper class Chinese men wore loose robes called changshan and women wore straight dresses with slits up the side called qipao. Get it right.

If I believe Wikipedia, Doctor No was panned by the critics for being sadistic and encouraging snobbery. I'm not sure where either of these charges come from. Snobbery is the whole point of James. He likes nice things. And I've purposefully forgotten all the sadism.

Reading: Listening to Simon Vance is always a joy. The Caribbean accents were a little rough, but I couldn't have done any better.

Final thoughts: I hope all the James Bond books are as fun as this one. I have never seen the move Doctor No so can't wait until Saturday to see what's different from the movie and the book. I'm sure the book is far superior, though Sean Connery.... Can't wait!

Watch Doctor No with us on Saturday, November 19, on Twitter. We'll be talking about the audiobook and then watching the movie starting at 9:30pm Eastern Time at #shakennotstirred.

Gratitude Giveaway Thanks!

2011-11-16T21:59:00.001-05:00

Update - This giveaway is OVER. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Thanks to I Am A Reader, Not a Writer and All-Consuming Books for sponsoring The Gratitude Giveaway Hop.

I am grateful for my followers and readers who leave excellent comments and who encourage me to read more, so for you, this giveaway!

I am giving away a copy of my favorite book of the year, Ready Player One! One lucky winner will have their choice of the hardcover or audio version. The audio version is read by the amazing Wil Wheaton.

Here's a link to my review. I loved it! This hop runs from November 17 - November 27. The winner will be contacted through e-mail on November 28.

This giveaway is international. The hardcover version of the book is available anywhere Book Depository ships. The audio version is available anywhere Audible allows a download. I will contact Audible to make sure the book is available in your area.

New or existing followers of this blog are eligible, just fill in the form.

There are over 300 participating blogs on this hop, so there's something for everyone to be thankful for!

November/December events

2011-11-14T12:20:00.001-05:00

This November I'm participating in some great events!

First up is the Gratitude Giveaways Blog Hop sponsored by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and All-Consuming Books. It took me awhile to figure out what I'm going to give away, and I think I've come up with something good. At first I thought I would only be able to have the giveaway for people living in the US, but it turns out it will be International, so good for all. This Giveaway starts this Thursday.

Overlapping the giveaway is the Thankfully Reading Weekend by the fabulous Jenn at Jenn's Bookshelves. I'm still in withdrawal after having so much fun with Jenn's Muder, Monsters and Mayhem October. I'm looking forward to digesting some great reads and seeing what everyone else is reading. Much more fun than braving the stores.

This year I signed up for two holiday gift swaps. The Book Blogger Holiday Swap sign-up has already closed, and I hope to get my secret someone's name soon. I've already starting thinking about what to get him/her and have started collecting a little pile of things I might send.

In the Winter Holiday Gift Exchange put on by Rants N Scribbles, the US is considered international since Gwenyth lives in Canada. I feel exotic. Love the button! This sign up is open until November 30. And there's a twist. Participants will get to know each other and their blogs. I can't wait to interview someone about their blog. I'm going to go after all the juicy back story. I was the first person to sign up, so it might be just me and Gwenyth. But that's ok. She has a great blog and can fill me in on the insider scoop.

It's Monday, what are you reading! - 8

2011-11-13T20:01:00.001-05:00

It's almost Monday again. Thanks go out to Sheila from Book Journey for hosing It's Monday!

I had a great week. I listened to a lot of new books and got some reviews in that had been on the shelf.

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi - Living on the edge in a dystopian future
Immortality, Inc by Robert Sheckley - a view of 2110 from 1958
Zoo City by Lauren Bleukes - South African fantasy noir mystery
Timesplash by Graham Storrs - a new kind of time travel
Emiko Superstar by Mariko Tamaki and Steve Rolston - a great graphic novel about being your own star
Mini reviews of Snuff by Terry Pratchett, Crossed by Ally Condie, and September Society by Charles Finch - I liked the Victorian mystery September Society the best out of these three

I'm almost caught up on my reviews. I only have to post for:
Johnny and the Bomb by Terry Pratchett - his time travel children's story
Amulet series 1-3 by Kazu Kibuishi - the Star Wars references are not my imagination
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami - this one's scarred me, but hopefully I can get over it soon. I used to like the moon

This week I'm determined to finish
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch - I've tried this one twice so far, but third time's the charm!

I'm also going to participate in I am a Reader, Not a Writer's Gratitude Giveaway Hop starting on Thursday. My last hop went really well, so I hope to find a bunch of new blogs from this one, too.

What are you reading?

Timesplash by Graham Storrs

2011-11-12T21:06:00.001-05:00

Timesplash by Graham Storrs
Genre: Time travel science fiction
Length: 9h 11m
Read by: Emma Newman
Audio publisher: Iambik Audio, 2011
From: Purchased

Story: In 2050, time travel is possible but illegal. That doesn't stop the extreme thrill-seekers who risk their lives for excitement and fame. If these "bricks" create a large enough paradox back in history, then when time self-corrects, it will be magnified through to the present, creating a "splash." The timesplashers are now taking things too far, creating bigger and bigger splashes. They're starting to kill people, even destroy cities, and must be stopped.

Thoughts: I find many time travel stories are overly concerned with paradoxes. I tune out whenever there are long explanations of things that might go wrong. I prefer characters to test their theories or just say "I don't know" get to their task in the past. In Timesplash, the time travelers have no idea how time travel works, and they don't care. That's what the techs worry about. Luckily, paradoxes are not possible. Time self-corrects, so it doesn't matter what timesplashers do in the past. They can't affect history. All they can affect is the present, and that's when problems arise.

Timesplash is a great near-future adventure story with two young protagonists who have to overcome their earlier traumatic experiences with timesplashing to try and stop widespread destruction. Sandra especially is an excellent character who starts off as a child in over her head and grows into a fiercely intelligent young woman who gets things done regardless of her fears or others' objections. Of course, I loved the shout outs to Star Wars and Doctor Who, even if the idea that teenagers will still be quoting these (or know who Patty Hearst is) in 2050 stretched my credulity a little. Unfortunately, it seems that all bad guys in the books I read lately are insane, so my one quibble is a personal preference for a more sane and functional bad guy. But then maybe he would have gotten away with it.

Reading: Emma Newman has a breathy, young-sounding voice that fits perfectly with the first female point-of-view character. Instead of acting out the story with different voices for the characters, Ms. Newman reads the book in her strong, clear accent. This worked quite well for most of the story. However, some of the passages with dialogue were difficult for me to follow since it was unclear who was saying each line.

Final thoughts: If you like cream crackers and sardines for breakfast (I remember eating this) or, more likely, if you like edgy time travel stories with a new view of time and lots of adventure, then try this one out.

Grade: 4 out of 5

Audiobook Review Roundup: Snuff, Crossed, September Society

2011-11-12T18:20:00.001-05:00

In between the great science fiction I've been listening to lately, I've had to clean by aural passages with some quick listens. These are all sequels or later in series by authors I know and love. They don't really need full reviews, but I wanted to share my two cents.

Snuff is the latest by Sir Terry Pratchett
39th in the Diskworld series
Genre: Fantasy
Audio publisher: Harper Audio, 2011; Length: 11h 29m
Read by: Stephen Briggs

If you've read Diskworld then you know Commander Sam Vimes of the City Watch. In this outing, Sam and his wife, Lady Sybil, visit her country house with their young son. Now, I've read maybe ten Diskworld books. I knew Sam and Sybil were together, but didn't remember a son. Vimes is one of my favorite characters, so it's great to have another story with him. Snuff is marketed as a book for adults (as opposed to Wee Free Men), but there's an awful lot of scatological humor. My favorite part was when Sam and Sybil visited a family with six daughters, much like the Bennets. Sam tells the girls to quit sitting around waiting for some unemployed layabout to marry them and instead find something productive to do like open a shop. He could give them a year's free rent. Priceless!

Stephen Briggs is an exceptionally good reader. I love his accents, and he really sounds like he's having fun with the reading.

Crossed by Ally Condie
Genre: YA dystopian SF
Audio publisher: Penguin Audio; Length: 9h 50m
Read by: Kate Simses & Jack Riccobono

I picked up Matched not knowing anything about the story, and it was such a pleasant surprise. I loved the YA retelling of 1984 and Brave New World. It was great learning about the Society, all of their rules, and the small ways that Cassia subverted those rules. Crossed takes us away from the Society as Cassia and Ky are each sent to the Outer Provinces. There's a lot of pining and some wandering in the desert. I have a very low tolerance for book love and prefer stories where the couple hates each other and calls each other names until they suddenly figure out at the very end that they're Meant to Be. Since Cassia and Ky found out they were Meant to Be in the last book, this one was all downhill. Even worse was hearing both Ky and Cassia's viewpoints. I didn't even have the "maybe he's not that interested in me" suspense. I will fess up that I have a huge crush on the radio announcer Kai Ryssdal from American Public Media's Marketplace, so I'm prewired to love anyone named Kai or Ky, but I'm still not at all excited for the next book in this series.

Crossed is very well read by Kate Simses and Jack Riccobono.

The September Society (2008) by Charles Finch
2nd in the Charles Lenox Mysteries
Genre: Historical mystery
Audio publisher: Tantor Audio;Length: 8h 46m
Read by: James Langton

I picked up the first Charles Lenox novel, A Beautiful Blue Death because I liked the cover. I also liked the story, and Lenox, the Victorian gentleman detective, won me over. The audiobooks just came out this year, so when I saw an ad for the 5th book, A Burial At Sea, I decided had to catch up. In this installment, Charles returns to his alma mater Oxford to solve a missing persons case. All his old quirky friends are here, neighbor Lady Jane Grey, manservant Graham, and eccentric physician friend Dr. McConnell. Lenox is a great detective. He's tenacious, has unlimited free time, and has People to do all the boring bits.

James Langton pulled out 20 or more different British accents for this book. The writing was very specific about which part of England each character was from, and even though I can't tell a Yorkshire from a Lancashire, but they all sounded spot-on to me. I also liked his female voices, which were equally distinct. I kept rewinding so I could listen longer.

Audiobook review: Zoo City by Lauren Beukes

2011-11-11T15:28:00.001-05:00

A fast-paced neo-noir journey through present-day alternate reality South Africa. With animal familiars!

Zoo City by Lauren Beukes
Genre: Modern fantasy mystery
Length: 9h 25m
Audio publisher: Angry Robot on Brilliance Audio, 2011
Read by: Justine Eyre
Awards: 2011 Arthur C. Clarke Award,
2010 Kitschies Red Tentacle
From: Purchased from Audible

Story: Zinzi December lives among criminals and ex-criminals in the tough Johannesburg neighborhood of Zoo City with the other Animalled. Zinzi's animal is a sloth, and her talent is finding things. But don't ask her to find missing people.

Thoughts: My dream superpower is the ability to find lost things, so Zinzi December was a kindred spirit from the start. I loved her sloth, her tenacity, and her dress sense of "Grace Kelly meets Sailor Moon." Zoo City starts by following Zinzi as she goes about her piecemeal jobs. The beginning was a little rocky for me. It took a while to get a feel for the unusual setting and characters, but as soon as the main mystery plot came around, I was hooked. I'm a huge Raymond Chandler fan, and a noir detective story with magic is right up my alley.

The story is peppered with newspaper articles, website pages, and other media excerpts that describe the recent appearance of animal familiars. The articles provide theories on where the animals might come from and why. They provide great back story and explain some of the differences between the Zoo City world and ours. Zoo City is also a travel log, showing Johannesburg from its slums and condemned buildings to multi-million Rand mansions. My one quibble is that the villain wasn't quite as unique and interesting as the rest of the cast. Luckily, Zoo City has more than enough characters to make up for it.

Reading: I'd heard Justine Eyre from her work on A Spy in the House by YS Lee, so I was a little surprised she was reading Zoo City. Zinzi is black African living in the inner city, but she's voiced with a very posh British accent. This choice is better explained as the story goes on and more of Zinzi's former life is reveled. I did enjoy the voices of Zinzi's friends and neighbors, especially Benoît, whose accent took me back to my time in West Africa and my own red and blue woven plastic bags.

Final thoughts: An amazing crime thriller through the backstreets of Joburg with a lot to say about guilt, discrimination, redemption, and fuzzy animals.

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

This post is part of Devourer of Books' weekly audio roundup, Sound Bytes. Have a look at the other great audiobook reviews from this week.

Imortality, Inc. by Robert Sheckley

2011-11-10T16:05:00.001-05:00

What if you died and woke up...in the future?

Imortality, Inc. (1959) by Robert Sheckley
Genre: SF Time travel
Length: 5h 48m
Audio publisher: Blackstone Audio, 2011
Read by: Bronson Pinchot
Nominated for a Hugo under the name Time Killer
From: Purchased from Audible
Buy this audiobook from Audible.com

Story: Thomas Blaine, a 32 year-old junior yacht designer, is already obsolete in 1958. There are only so many yachts that need designing. When he gets in a car wreck and wakes up in 2110 New York, he has some serious questions. How is he alive? What's happened in the past 150 years? and Who will hire a 20th century yacht designer?

Thoughts: For such a short story, Imortality, Inc. is full of big ideas. It's also really funny. I guess 'yacht designer' is an occupation much like 'architect.' It's upper class, cerebral, and pays well, but it's so random, it made me laugh every time it came up. The story follows every-man Blaine from the '50's as he bumbles around future New York. It's less about time travel and more about a future where ghosts and zombies have been scientifically explained, immortality can be bought, and the afterlife is for anyone who has the right insurance. Imortality, Inc. is a forward-thinking story that could almost have been written today. Almost because it shows its age in its female characters. They start off strong and unsympathetic, but as soon as they start acting sympathetic, they fall into the female 50's stereotype of stopping their own lives to follow their men. Bleck. Ignoring the women, this is a great story with fabulous ideas.

Reading: I knew Bronson Pinchot from his role as Balki on the 1986 sitcom Perfect Strangers. He did a great job on that show, but I had no idea the guy reading this story was the same person. His voices in Immortality, Inc. are all distinct and extremely well done with a 50's noir flair. I especially liked the voice of Joe, who sounded a lot like Peter Lorre in The Maltese Falcon. His female voices were good, too, although I didn't care for the 50's baby-doll bimbo. I know it's a period voice, but it's a period voice I'd like to forget.

Dose of Wikipedia: Imortality, Inc. was loosely adapted into the 1992 movie Freejack starring Emilio Esteves, Mick Jagger and Anthony Hopkins. That movie sounds so bad it must be good!
A scene from Imortality, Inc. where Blaine mistakenly stands in line for a suicide booth, was used in the pilot episode of Futurama. Funny stuff!

Final thoughts: A SF classic and must-listen for science fiction aficionados and Futurama lovers alike.

Grade: 5 out of 5

Graphic novel review: Emiko Superstar by Mariko Tamaki

2011-11-09T08:28:00.003-05:00

"How wyrd it is that 1 summer can chg everythg" - Emiko

Emiko Superstar by Mariko Tamaki and Steve Rolston
Genre: Contemporary YA
Publisher: Minx DC Comics, 2008
From: Library booksale

Story: Emiko is a half-Japanese, half-Caucasian Canadian trying to figure herself out during her high school summer. Along the way she meets some freaks and geeks. Which is she?
Update - Here's a 20 page preview courtesy of artist Steve Rolston. Thanks, Steve!

Thoughts: I am so sad the Minx imprint of DC comics is gone. Minx put out graphic novels for girls from 2007-2008, and every one of them is amazing! I always stayed away from comics because they're so serialized, but graphic novels, where there's a whole story with pictures in one book, touch my sweet spot. I especially like graphic novels about strong girls. Minx only put out 12 titles during their short time, but every one I've read has been great.

Emiko Superstar is an excellent example. Emiko's geeky high school friends are heading in different directions over the summer, so Emiko has to find her own path. After a few false starts, she decides performance art is her calling. Of course, things don't go smoothly from there.

Steve Rolston's clear greyscale graphics are perfect for showing Emiko's suburban lifestyle and, later, the Freakshow. I liked how the frames with the Freaks get more and more cluttered until there's a Where's Waldo? effect with too much going on and nothing shown clearly. Emiko is a Superstar, if only in her own mind.

Final thoughts: A fun story of growing up with great drawings. I could use more books like this about both girls and boys.

Grade: 5 out of 5

Audiobook review: Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

2011-11-08T21:23:00.001-05:00

A glimpse of one kid's life living near the bottom of a desperate and very believable near-future world.

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
First in the Ship Breaker series
Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
Length: 9h 8m
Audio publisher: Brilliance Audio, 2010
Read by: Joshua Swanson
Awards: Michael L Printz Award winner, National Book Award nominee
From: Library OverDrive

Story: In a world where the glaciers have melted, oil is gone, and gigantic hurricanes ravage the coasts, scrap metal is a precious commodity. People who strip derelict oil tankers for parts are called Ship Breakers, and children are sent through the duct work to get at the valuable copper wiring. Nailer is a Ship Breaker, but he's getting too big for a child's light duty, and he's wondering how he'll survive among the adults.

Thoughts: What a great book. It's rare that I listen to a YA story where the protagonist hasn't grown up in the suburbs, so to hear about Nailer and his crew, living in shacks on the beach and working to exhaustion just to survive, was inspiring. Even though they live in a dog-eat-dog world, literally due to genetic engineering, these kids don't pity themselves. They don't have the luxury to mope. They just get on with it. Nailer could teach some of those emo characters from other books a thing or two, after he roughs them up and steals their wallets.

Throughout the book Nailer is confronted with complex decisions, and I like that he weighs the options realistically. What's better, the sure money now or the chance of a larger payoff later? How does doing the right thing fit in? What is the right thing? Right for whom? He's never sure if his decisions are the correct ones, but once they're made, he sees them through to the end, even though most come back to haunt him.

I was also impressed by the female characters. Nailer is a teenage boy, but the leader of his crew and several of its members are girls. The girls are all competent, talk to each other about things other than boys, and are neither nice or polite. They never look in mirrors and don't care what anyone thinks. So refreshing.

Ship Breakers is the first in a series, but it's a complete book that can stand on its own. When it was over, I didn't know there was a sequel until I looked it up. It's nice to have a story that finishes in one book instead with a "to be continued" cliffhanger.

Reading: This is the first time I've listened to Joshua Swanson, and I liked his reading. His narration was clear and moved the text along. He used a lot of fun, distinct voices, although the Jamacian-ish females sounded strange to me. I'm looking forward to hearing more from him.

Final thoughts: An exciting, unique story in a very well-defined, believable world. I understand this book takes place in the same world as The Wind-Up Girl and Pump Six and Other Stories. I can't wait until the next Ship Breakers book comes out in 2012!

Grade: 5 out of 5

It's Monday What Are You Reading? 7

2011-11-07T19:14:00.003-05:00

It's Monday! Is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. Thanks, Sheila!

This week I was traveling, so I only got my October recap posted. October was a great month.

So far November is shaping up into Time Travel month. Several of the books I've been listening to have (unknown to me when I chose them) included time travel. I'll have to keep up the theme. This week I put in a lot of listening. Reviews coming!

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami - travel between parallel- worlds Japan
Johnny and the Bomb by Terry Pratchett - kids travel to 1941 Britain
Timesplash by Graham Storhhs - Time travel in the future for fun and profit.
Immortality, Inc by Robert Sheckley - Time travel for profit, but not for fun. 1959 Hugo award nominee.
Zoo City by Lauren Beukes - Alternate-reality present day South Africa with daemon animals, like in The Golden Compass, only neo-noir.

And some non-time travel books:
Emiko Superstar by Mariko Tamaki and Steve Rolston - Great graphic novel about a girl finding her wild side.
Snuff by Terry Pratchett - no time travel, but fun Pride and Prejudice references!

What have you been reading this week?

RIP, MX3 and October wrap-up

2011-11-06T20:09:00.001-05:00

October was great! Since I was traveling, it's taken me awhile to get to my wrap-up post up, but now that I'm back, here it is.

RIP VI from Stainless Steel Droppings started in September, but I didn't sign up until October. I started MX3 from Jenn's Bookshelves at the same time. For these challenges I got through 10 spooky audiobooks and 2 graphic novels.

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

Johnny and the Dead by Terry Pratchett

Children of Paranoia by Trevor Shane

The Passage by Justin Cronin

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

The Walking Dead Compendium One

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

A Discovery of Witches by Debra Harkness

Crossing Over by Anna Kendall

The Death Cure by James Dashner

I also reviewed two audiobooks in October outside of the challenges.

The Pirate King by Laurie R King

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

This month I participated in Leswamee's Literary Blog Hop Giveway and the fabulous Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon. So much fun! Stainless Steel Droppings is hosting The Sci Fi Experience starting in January, and Jenn is doing a Thanksreading weekend over Thanksgiving. I can't wait! Let me know what cool challenges/events you're doing.

It's Monday! Happy Halloween! 6

2011-10-31T05:25:00.001-04:00

It's Monday is hosted by Sheila from Book Journeys.

Happy Monday everyone!

Last week I got some great Halloween reviews up.

A Discovery of Witches by Debra Harkness - Twilight for grown-ups
Ready Player One by Ernie Cline - Loved this 80's adventure!
Crossing Over by Anna Kendall - A boy talks to medieval dead
The Death Cure by James Dashner - A disappointing ending to The Maze Runner

I'm traveling this week so won't be posting nearly as much, and I'm listening to the huge 47 hour 1Q84. I'm into Hour 34, so past the halfway point! I loved this book at the beginning, but the middle sagged a bit. I'm hoping it will pick up as we near the end.

Happy Halloween! What's up with you?

Audiobook review: The Death Cure by James Dashner

2011-10-28T21:29:00.002-04:00

The conclusion to the Maze Runner trilogy.

The Death Cure by James Dashner
Maze Runner Trilogy: 1. Maze Runner, 2. Scorch Trials
Genre: Young adult apocalyptic dystopian science fiction
Length: 8h 55m
Audio publisher: Listening Library, 2011
Read by: Mark Deakens
From: Library OverDrive

Story: They've gotten out of the maze and out of the scorch. Thomas and his friends are now at WICKED headquarters. What final trial awaits?

Thoughts: I'm a big fan of this trilogy. I was surprised by how much I liked The Maze Runner. Then The Scorch Trials stepped up with non-stop action. For the third installment, I wanted explanations of why these trials were necessary. A lot of questions were raised in the first two books, and I eagerly anticipated the answers.

The Death Cure gave me my explanations, but I came away unsatisfied. The story behind WICKED and their trials didn't make a lot of sense to my public-health training. There are a lot of new characters and a lot of running around for a final book. Thomas' choices add to the confusion. I liked that not everything was explained, but it seems that many threads were left for Thomas to learn off-page. The last book is always the hardest since it has to tie everything together, but my expectations exceeded the reality for The Death Cure.

Reading: Mark Deakens gave a solid reading every bit as good as the last two books. I'm looking forward to hearing him read other titles.

Cover: I love the snow on this cover. Brings in feelings of bleakness and chill. Brr.

Final thoughts: I was a little disappointed by this final installment to the Maze Runner Trilogy. My vote is for Scorch Trials as the best book of the three.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

Jenn is finishing up Mx3 over at her bookshelves and RIP VI is still going strong at Stainless Steel Droppings. Jen hosts Sound Bytes every Friday at Devourer of Books.

Audiobook Review: Crossing Over by Anna Kendall

2011-10-26T19:22:00.002-04:00

If you could talk to dead people, what would you ask?

Crossing Over
Author: Anna Kendall
Series: First book in Souvline Moor series
Genre: YA historical paranormal
Length: 9h 34m
Read by: Simon Vance
Audio publisher: Blackstone Audio, 2010
From: Library

Story: Roger can talk to the dead. He doesn't talk to ghosts. He goes to the land of the Dead and talks to them there. But Roger has to be careful. If anyone finds out about his talent, they'll think he's a witch, and witches are burned in the land of the Living.

Thoughts: There are several striking things about this book. First, the land of the Dead is great. It's huge and constantly changing. Roger has been crossing over since he was little and is completely unfazed by it. The inhabitants follow certain rules that Roger figured out a while ago, but I wonder how accurate he is. I would have liked Roger to use some trial and error during his trips, explore a little, and try new things. Have fun with his superpower! Instead, Roger treats his crosses like a dreary job.

Roger is not a hero. He admits to being a coward, but he's only afraid of the living. He's completely self-centered and self-absorbed. This is understandable since he's been abused and pretty much on his own, but he has no empathy. Roger is the only person he knows who can go to the land of the Dead and return at will, but he has no curiosity about why this is or desire to find anyone with similar abilities. He crosses to get information to further his aims, but he has no desire to learn about the people who are there or to help them in any way, even when his actions have unexpected consequences. He doesn't care much about the living, either, except for the targets of his obsessions.

I liked the theme of misinformation that runs through the book. Roger is constantly lying to people and they are lying to him. Most of the time, Roger doesn't care that they're lying. He doesn't try to figure out the truth. He just wants to survive. I like that a lot of things are never explained. People just say things and we never find out if it's the truth or not.

Although Roger's gift is the ability to cross over, he doesn't do it very often. The majority of the book follows Roger as he survives his harsh world of an abusive uncle, scarce food, and constant fear.

The tone of Crossing Over reminds me of the First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie. In both series I want to be sympathetic to the protagonists but they keep doing unsympathetic things. Both series left me with a feeling of unease, that something's wrong. When I was enjoying myself, I felt like I shouldn't be.This feeling continues until the end of the First Law Trilogy, and I wonder if the Crossing Over Trilogy will have some kind of twist in the third book that will explain and justify this feeling.

This is the first book in a planned series, but I couldn't find anything about the rest of the books. Crossing Over does a good job standing alone. It does seem more on the adult side of YA, with a lot of discussion of sex and disturbing violence. Update - Simon Vance was kind enough to let me know the second book in the Souvline Series, Dark Mist Rising is available now on Audible. Thanks, Simon!

Reading: Simon Vance can do no wrong. He was great reading this book. I especially liked all of the different accents and the different voices for the women.

Final thoughts: In the end, I liked Crossing Over. It's for people who want a little harder-edged YA fantasy, but don't mind long stretches of daily court life and intrigue.

Grade: 4 out of 5

This will be one of my last posts for MX3 from Jenn's Bookshelves and RIP VI from Stainless Steel Droppings. Sad

Audiobook Review: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

2011-10-25T08:54:00.001-04:00

What a great book! Action, adventure, romance. With lots and lots of of I ♥ the 80's: Revenge of the geek.

Ready Player One
Author: Ernest Cline
Genre: Dystopian adventure SF
Length: 15h 46m
Read by: Wil Wheaton
Audio publisher: Random House Audio, 2011
From: Library OverDrive

Story: The billionaire computer programmer James Halliday dies, and his fortune will go to the person who can find a secret hidden in his virtual reality universe, OASIS. Everyone is on the lookout. Wade has spent the past five years learning everything he can about 80's books, movies, and video games in an effort to uncover a clue to the treasure. He's dedicated. And the 80's are better than his life now.

My thoughts: I grew up in the 80's. I had a TRS-80 Color Computer II, played Zork, and listened to Duran Duran. I even played Dungeons and Dragons. So this book was written for me. The question is, will anyone who didn't grow up in the 80's get anything out of this book? I don't know. Some of the references have withstood time: Star Wars, Indiana Jones. Most haven't. That's what makes them fun. I didn't get the majority of the music or early video game references, and that didn't damper my enjoyment of the story. The most obscure were explained for us newbies without being pedantic. And it's not all 80's. There are Firefly and Matrix shout-outs along with Lord of the Rings.

The book follows Wade, and I loved learning about his life beyond the 80's. The story unfolds like a John Hughes movie with details of the world he lives in, both the real world and in OASIS, uncovered as Wade goes about his daily tasks evading bullies and going to school. The quest to find the treasure steamrolls in and action scenes fill in the gaps. There's even a love interest for variety. Yes, the plot hits each of the standard movie beats, but it moves along fast and I was enjoying it too much to care.

I liked the fact that NOT everyone in Wade's world is crazy about the 80's. Only a small group of people have chosen to dedicate their life to this decade. These people are driven to solve the clues and find the treasure using 80's trivia. I'm so sorry for them. To watch any of these 80's shows now would be torture. They are only good in retrospect.

Reading: I'm apprehensive of celebrity readers. I don't want the person reading to distract from the story, so I was worried when I found out Wil Wheaton read Ready Player One. As soon as the book started, my fears were put to rest. Wil Wheaton's energy and enthusiasm for the material come through. Some of the characters sound a little too similar, especially Wade and H, but since the secondary characters don't say much, it wasn't too a big deal.

Minor points: Food: The people in Wade's world don't appear to eat meat. It's too expensive and resource-intensive. Forced vegetarianism. It's coming.
Cover: This book has one of the worst covers I've ever seen. It took me several months to pick the book up because the cover is so bad.
Spoiler nit: ****I can't believe that A only had that blemish! I was expecting her to have no legs or be a dwarf or something. I guess she didn't watch any 90's infomercials. Hasn't she heard of Bare Escentuals?

Final thoughts: If you ♥ 80's geekiness, read this book. If you don't...you can still read this book, and we'll talk.

Grade: 5 out of 5

Audiobook Review: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

2011-10-23T23:24:00.000-04:00

Intelligent heroine, library intrigue and vampires. Why is this not my favorite book?

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Series: All Souls Trilogy
Genre: Paranormal romance
Length: 24h 02m
Audio Publisher: Penguin Audio, 2011
Read by: Jennifer Ikeda
From: Audible

Story: Diana Bishop is a professor on sabbatical at Oxford researching alchemical texts. During her study, she comes across Ashmole 782. She returns it to the stacks, but soon finds every witch, demon and vampire in England wants to get their hands on that manuscript, especially Matthew Clairmont, a vampire geneticist who has been looking for the Ashmole for 150 years. He needs Diana to get it.

Thoughts: Intelligent heroine, library intrigue, and vampires are exactly what I want in a book. I love the thought of vampires working in research labs. They're perfect for it! The late-night hours, antisocial behavior, and decade-long projects fit right in with immortal night owls. Thought somehow the laboratorians I know are not as amazingly handsome or snappily dressed as the ones in A Discovery of Witches. It seems everyone in this book is perfect, especially the heroine Diana. She has a photographic memory, teaches at Yale, and is a witch. Only she doesn't use her witch powers because that would somehow be cheating on her massive intellect.

This is the first book in a series, so after setting up the search for Ashmole 782, the book completely abandons that plot to concentrate on the vampire romance. I don't care for paternalistic love interests, and it was too bad Diana stopped being an intelligent professional as soon as a hot guy entered the room. It was also weird how much the hot guy loves yoga.

Reading: I hadn't listened to Jennifer Ikeda before, but did a great job on the reading. She puts in just the right amount of elitism into her reading of Diana, and I really liked her elitist male voices, too.

Final thoughts: A Discovery of Witches is less Da Vinci Code and more Twilight: The College Years, but there are indications the next book will be Outlander with vampires.

Grade: 3 out of 5

The Oddiophile has a fantastic flow chart to help you decide if you should read Discovery of Witches. I wish I had seen it before I started!

Murder, monsters and mayhem is the darling of the fabulous Jenn of Jenn's Bookshelves while Carl of Stainless Steel Droppings is the mastermind behind RIP VI.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? 5

2011-10-23T18:11:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Sheila from Book Journey for It's Monday!

I read-a-long with the 24 Hour Read-A-Thon yesterday. It was so much fun! I cheered on many bloggers and found some great new blogs. I have to thank the organizers again, especially the head cheerleaders who were so organized. Thanks!

Last week I put up reviews
Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol - So much fun! My perfect graphic novel.
I Am Legend audiobook by Robert Matheson - Such a great story. Much better than the movie.

This week I'm finishing up reviews for

Discovery of Witches by Debrah Harkness
Ready Player One by Earnest Cline

and for the Read a Thon I read

The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness
The Amulet 2 graphic novel by Kazu Kibuishi

How was your week?

Read-a-thon updates

2011-10-22T21:36:00.003-04:00

Here are my final read-a-thon totals.
Started and finished: 2 books (750 pages) and 2 graphic novels (361p)
Sanctuary by Meg Cabot, The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness, Amulet #2, Runaways #4
Finished (started earlier) 1 book (114p)
Ghostgirl #2
Started (didn't finish) 1 book (50p), 1 graphic novel (32p)
The Haunting of Hill House, Mr Punch
Listened to 5 short stories and 1 audiobook disk
Robert Matheson, Crossing Over

Total pages read: 1307!

I am very impressed with myself. Good showing. I'm especially glad to have read The Ask and the Answer. That was one that I tried in audio, and that didn't work for me, but I wasn't finding the time to read it in paper version.

Thanks to all the organizers and everyone who stopped by! Sleep well!

End of the read-a-thon! Whew, this last hour was killer. I listened to my audiobook Crossing Over. I had a great time reading! I'm so glad I participated.

I finished 4 books, 5 short stories, read tons of pages and had fun. Can't wait until spring!

6:00 am Only 2 hours left! I just finished Runaways #4: True Believers by Brian K Vaughan. I think that's 4 books down! What to read next? I think I have to take the audiobook out for another walk. Keep strong!

5:00 Time flies! Still going strong. I'm reading Runaways #4 and loving it. Had a great yoga workout for the challenge. I tried to doctor some zombie bookcovers, but photoshop is not my strong suit.

3:00 Beautiful outside. So many stars! Fresh air woke me up and time to cheer! Let's see who's still up.

2:30 Finally finished The Ask and the Answer. A little too much torture for me, so I'm glad I'm done. Looks like the third book is about war. I always like the first books in these series the best. They have small, personal challenges instead of world and universe-wide issues to solve. Oh well.

Time for a walk to clear my head and then on to the graphic novels. Onward!

1:00 Another 100 pages down. Oh no, I'm starting to get tired. Not a good sign. Two more hours and I should be done with this book. Then on to some cheering!

Midnight! Time to open the wine! Another 100 pages down on The Ask and the Answer. I'm waiting for it to move on to the next part of the story. I may need to do another walkabout after 1 to get some of the kinks out.

11:00 Got in 100 more pages of TAATA. What's going to happen next?!?

I also looked up some vocab words that I ran across this morning:
miscegenation (from 1-800-WHERE-R-YOU) = interracial marriage
atavistic (from The Haunting of Hill House) = evolutionary throwback

9:30 update: Mr. PK Dick wasn't doing it for me, so I switched to The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness, and it's cruising. Down 71 pages. I'd tried to listen to this one before, but that did not go well. This kind of YA can be read so much faster than it can be listened to, and it kind of dragged in audio. I really liked the first one in audio. But there are so many thoughts and asides that it's easier to understand written down. I'm off to read more!

Read-a-thon midway quiz

2011-10-22T21:19:00.003-04:00

Made it through 13 hours of reading, so I thought I'd do the mid-way quiz:

Mid-Even Survey

1. What are you reading right now? The Ask and the Answer
2. How many books have you read so far? 3 + 5 short stories
3. What book are yo most looking forward to? Mr Punch Graphic Novel by Neil Gaiman
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements? Just make sure I had enough books and snacks
5. How did you deal with interruptions? I put my audiobook headphones on when I had to go outside or do the dishes. I'm loving Crossing Over read by Simon Vance
6. Read-a-thon surprises? That it's going so fast!
7. How to improve next year? Everyone's done such a great job. No improvement necessary!
8. Do differently? I ran out of my favorite tea, Throat Coat. I'll be sure to stock up next year.
9. Tired? No!
10. Tips? I really like reading graphic novels between chapter books. They're quick reads and the panels use my eye muscles differently. It's like an eye massage.

What works for you?

Ready for the 24-Hour Read-a-Thon

2011-10-21T21:06:00.001-04:00

So, I'm ready. I have my books. I have my snacks. Now I just have to get to sleep so I can get up and read. I will be updating this post, but probably less than once an hour. I'll also be cheerleading for part, so I hope to see how some of the rest of you are doing on your blogs. Sleep well and happy reading. It's going to be fun!

Oct 22, 9am: hour 1 read 50 pages of The Haunting of Hill House. Ready for hour 2!

10am: Read 114 pages of Ghostgirl: Homecoming by Tonya Hurley. I had started that one before, so it's done! Hour 2 was great. Now that's it warmed up a bit, I'm going to move over to the sun porch where it's quieter. I'm also thinking a snack is in order. On to hour 3!

11am: Read 50 pages of Meg Cabot's 1-800-WHERE-R-You book Sanctuary. I think this is book 3 in the series. I'm reading them out of order. Maybe book 4. Anyway, it's really good and easy to read. This hour I'm cheerleading for Team Cocoa Puffs. Go puffs! See you on the other side.

12:45: I was cheering for the past 1 1/2 hours. Yeah team Cocoa Puffs! People are getting through a lot of good books. Now for some lunch and a walk outside. With audiobook, of course.

3:00 Wow, time flies. Since the last post I got 50 more pages into Sanctuary and finished 4 Richard Matheson short stories on audio: "Buried Talents," "The Near Departed," "Prey," "Witch War," and "Dance of the Dead." They were all really bad. I think I have to switch my audio selection. Now starts the serious reading.

4:45 Finished one book! Sanctuary by Meg Cabot. I got through 131 pages in that stretch. Now I need some aspirin for my headache. i think I'm going to go for another walk before the sun sets and then read some graphic novels. Now on my player: Crossing Over by Anna Kendall aka Nancy Dress. Read by Simon Vance. Simon will take all my pains away. Stay focused!

7:30 Finished another book! The graphic novel Amulet: Book 2 by Kazu Kibuishi. I liked this one better than the first in the series. There are a lot of good Star Wars references. I also wanted to add this photo of the graphic novels I have around and may or may not finish in the next 12 hours. Next up: some Philip K Dick short stories, Minority Report and Other Classics. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to cheer me on! It really is inspiring.

Audiobook Review: I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

2011-10-20T16:02:00.001-04:00

I'm on a monster kick and had heard I Am Legend (1954) by Richard Matheson has zombies and/or vampires. Since it's almost Halloween, that's what I want!

Genre: Post-apocalyptic horror
Length: 5h 19m
Audio publisher: Blackstone Audio (2007)
Read by: Robertson Dean
From: Local library OverDrive
Note: The version I listened to was I Am Legend and Other Stories (10h 52m)

Story: Robert Neville has been living alone in his Los Angeles area home for three years. He gets up every day at 5:30. He's inside everyday by dark. He's got plenty of food and wine. What he doesn't have is companionship, because he's the last man on earth.

Thoughts: What a fabulous story. I loved the deliberate way Neville went about his daily errands and how he used the scientific method to learn what he need to know. If I was the last person on earth, I would spend my time in the library, too. What I wouldn't do is use an alarm to wake up at 5:30 am. It's the end of the world, sleep in! Descriptions of I Am Legend say it has vampires. I can see where that comes from, but when vampires travel in packs and are as slow-moving as these ones, they're more like zombies. I guess it's all a matter of food source: blood vs brains. The book takes place in 1976, and I didn't realize when I was listening that it was written in 1954! I thought it was written in the 1970's and was wondering why some of the technology was a little off. A manual choke in a car, for example. Overall an excellent story about what it means to be human and what makes life worth living.

Reading: Robertson Dean has acted in a lot of movies and tv shows, but this is the first time I've listened to him in an audiobook. I loved his deep voice. His slow, methodical reading was perfect for Robert Neville. His female voices weren't as melodious, so its lucky the female characters don't say much.

Film: After I listened to I Am Legend, I had to watch the 2007 film with Will Smith to see what was altered. The book and film are not at all the same. They differ in every detail. It was fun to see the different takes on the same story, and I like the parts they added to the movie. I found the movie to be a little too simplistic and upbeat, so I prefer the book.

Final thoughts: A must-listen cannon classic for both vampire and zombie aficionados.

Grade: 5 out of 5

This post is a part of Murder, Monsters, and Mayhem by Jenn's Bookshelves and RIP VI by Stainless Steel Droppings.

Winners in the Literary Blog Hop

2011-10-20T08:14:00.000-04:00

Thanks to everyone who stopped by on Leeswamees' Literary Blog Hop! I had a great time and met some cool new blogs.

I separated all of the entrants by their choice of book, and through the magic of Random.org, we have some winners!

The winner of The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters is: Mia

The winner of The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon is: Cat

This week I was given a second copy of The Shadow of the Wind, so I'm going to put that into the giveaway, too.

The winner of the second copy of The Shadow of the Wind is: Isabella F.

Congratulations to all the winners! I will be sending you an e-mail notification. Please respond with your address by this Saturday.

Thanks again to everyone who participated. The Blog Hop was a great success!

Graphic novel review: Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

2011-10-18T21:52:00.005-04:00

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol is creepy fun!

Genre: YA Paranormal
Publisher: First Second, 2011
From: Local Library

Story: Anya is a typical highschooler who doesn't feel like she fits in. Her parents are immigrants from Russia, her brother is weirdly happy, and the guy she likes is seeing someone else. It's enough to make her skip school and hang out under the tracks. On her way Anya falls into a well and discovers a skeleton with a ghost attached. Anya wants to solve the ghost's murder, but things keep getting in the way. Here's a 17-page preview from First Second.

My take: I am a sucker for ghost stories and wish I had a ghost friend of my own. Anya's Ghost is a great ghost story. It's engaging, quirky, and even a little scary. I read it in one sitting and was sad when it was over.

Anya wouldn't be a typical American teenager if she wasn't insecure, and she wants to be a typical American. Her complaining gets a little annoying at times, but things pick up when she decides to takes action. I loved how the secondary characters were all well-defined. Anya's friend, the guy she likes, his girlfriend, all have their own unique characteristics. Anya's Russian family is fabulous. I'd love to read the story of Anya's brother. He seems like he gets up to some interesting activities.

Artwork: I am a fan of black, white, and grey comics and this one is an excellent use of the medium. The simple lines and and clean panels let the story jump out. I especially liked the dialogue-free panels. They convey so much better than words what's going through Anya's head.

Final thoughts: Anya's Ghost is a scary-fun teen ghost story perfect for Halloween!

Grade: 5 out of 5

This review is part of Murder, Monsters and Mayhem sponsored by Jenn's Bookshelves and RIP sponsored by Stainless Steel Droppings.

Audiobook review: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

2011-10-17T10:47:00.001-04:00

When I picked up The Shadow of the Wind (2001) by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, all I knew was Stephen King called it "one gorgeous read." Stephen and I will have to agree to disagree.

Genre: Historical gothic romance with magical realism
Length: 18h 10m
Audio publisher: Penguin Audiobooks, 2004
Read by: Jonathan Davis
From: Local library

Story: 10-year-old Daniel is taken by his father to see the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a huge sanctuary of lost and under-read titles. Daniel must choose one book to adopt and make sure it will never disappear. Daniel chooses The Shadow of the Wind. The book ensnares him and sends him on a quest to learn more about the author.

Review: I loved the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. I would have liked to spend the whole story there exploring and getting to know its patrons and employees. Unfortunately, the book quickly leaves the Cemetery to join Daniel as he grows up and peruses lead after lead following the author of The Shadow of the Wind.

The characters in this book are marvelous. The blind literature expert. The book buyer who dresses like Lord Byron. The homeless man who may or may not be a spy. However, with all these characters, several plots in the present and the past, and every cliche ever invented, the book was too much for me. I just couldn't care as much as Daniel about The Shadow of the Wind, its author, or the 20 or so other people whose lives the book ruined.

I did like how women in this book are assessed by how literate they are, instead of by their wealth or beauty (or in addition to their wealth and beauty).

Reading and production: Jonathan Davis does an excellent job. He speaks fluent Spanish, so puts the correct accents in all the right places. It's hard when a book takes place in a non-English speaking country. Should the reader give everyone Spanish accents? Only some people? I'm of the mind that no one should have an accent unless there's some other reason for it. I found it strange that Daniel's dad had such a heavy accent while Daniel had none.

I was distressed by the music that was overlayed on the reading. This happened several times and was always distracting. The music was loud, jarring, and prevented me from hearing what was being read.

Final thoughts: Although I enjoyed the writing and some of the elements of The Shadow of the Wind, the book as a whole didn't work for me. It was too jam-packed and rambling a story for me to relate.

Grade: 3 out of 5

Other bloggers really enjoyed The Shadow of the Wind.
You've Gotta Read This raves about it.
Outlandish Dreaming highly recommends it.
Literate Housewife enjoyed it as well.

Murder, Monsters and Mayhem is sponsored by Jenn at Jenn's Bookshelves. RIP is run by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings.

It's Monday, What are You Reading? - 4

2011-10-16T21:59:00.003-04:00

Thanks to Sheila from Book Journey for hosting It's Monday!

This week I started my first Blog Hop with Leeswammes' Literary Giveaway. I'm giving away copies of The Shadow of the Wind and The Little Stranger. Check out my post to enter and find links to other participating bloggers on the hop.

I've been reading and listening to a lot of scary stories for October.
The Passage Audio by Justin Cronin
The Little Stranger Audio by Sarah Waters
The Walking Dead Graphic Novel by Robert Kirkman
I also talked about my 5 Favorite Monsters.

Up this week is Anya's Ghost, I Am Legend, A Discovery of Witches, and I will finish Haunting of Hill House eventually.

What are you reading?

5 Best -- Monsters

2011-10-16T16:36:00.001-04:00

Cassandra at Indie Reader Houston has a great weekly meme of 5 Best Books. This week's theme -- Monsters and Freaks.

I find that most monsters are just misunderstood and only want to belong. Here are some that come to mind.

5. The Beast Seen in many romance books. Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley
4. The Phantom Called "the Stranger" in The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.
3. Zombie Vampires Vampires that travel in packs and don't try to fit in with society, but instead overrun it. They come in fast (The Passage) or slow varieties like in I Am Legend by Richard Matheson.
2. The Kraken Who isn't scared of immensely huge sea creatures? Kraken by China Mieville
1. The Plague Huge monsters may bump in the night, but it's the little ones that scare me. For Heaven's sake, wash your hands! Doomsday Book by Connie Willis

Graphic novel review: The Walking Dead issues 1-18

2011-10-15T17:56:00.002-04:00

The Walking Dead Season 2 starts Sunday on AMC!

To prepare, I wanted to read the source material. I had to see how far the show veered away from its origins and get some hints on where it might go from here.

Writer: Robert Kirkman
Penciler, inker: Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard
Grey tones: Tony Moore, Cliff Rathburn
Cover: Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn
Genre: Post-apocalyptic horror
Publisher: Image Comics
From: Local library
Reviewing: Issues 1-18; Chapters 1-3

Recap: Officer Rick Grimes wakes up from a coma to an eerie silence. Instead of doctors and nurses, the hospital is full of flesh-eating zombies. Rick sets off to find his wife and son in this dangerous, post-apocalyptic world.

Review: I loved the first season of The Walking Dead. It started off with an amazing pilot, and although it went down in excitement a bit after that, any TV show with zombies ranks pretty high on my list. However, I didn't know what to expect from the comic.

The Walking Dead comic, of course, is packed with zombies and zombie killings, but it focuses on the humans who are left and their relationships as they try to survive. The characters understandably get on each other's nerves. In the show, they depiction of these annoyances and personality conflicts make the characters seem petty. In the comic they come off as real people. It's not about the zombies. I love how much of the story is told with images instead of words. It sets an atmosphere of loss and desperation. No one expects to live long, but somehow they have hope that things will get better.

Artwork: I am relatively new to graphic novels and tend to gravitate towards ones with cartoonish drawings and lots of white space. The Walking Dead is the opposite of that. There is so much ink that many of the panels look black. For this comic, it works. It's amazing how realistic and elaborate the drawings are. There's a lot of detail, especially on the zombies. The color scheme is black and white with grey shading, and the shadows really add to the story. It's quite noir.

For so few people left in the world, this story has a lot of characters. I don't know why, but all the white guys look alike to me, especially when everyone has black hair. It was especially hard to keep the men straight after they changed their clothes or grew beards. Luckily, there are a lot of different ages and ethnicities among the characters, so eventually I was able to keep track of who's who, even if I couldn't remember their names. People keep dying off, and that makes it easier.

TV Show: Season 1 of The Walking Dead roughly covers issues 1-6 of the comic. The comic and the show started off the same, but the show adds some excellent details. There is more of a government presence, both in the initial phases of the outbreak and with the CDC. I haven't run across the character of Merle in the comic, and other significant plot points were changed. So far, I like the changes that were made in the show. The world seems to have more depth, and there's a concrete element of hope. In the comic the characters are hopeful, but it's hard to see why.

Compilations: The Walking Dead first came out as a monthly comic in 2003. So far, there are 89 issues. The comics have been compiled into several sets: The Walking Dead volumes each have 6 issues per volume, The Walking Dead books contain 12 issues each, and the 1,000 page Walking Dead Compendium One covers issues 1-48.

The Compendium One was a little hard to read because it doesn't have any issue breaks or page numbers. There are chapter breaks every 6 issues, but this is a large chunk to get through in one sitting.

Final thoughts: I'm glad I took a look at The Walking Dead comic before starting season 2 of the TV show. The plots of the show and comic are different, but the show may re-visit the comic for future story lines. Lets hope so, since the stories in the comic are really compelling. I know I couldn't have lasted as long as these survivors have.

Note: I've only gotten through the first half of the Compendium. Can't want to see what happens next!

Murder, Monsters and Mayhem is sponsored by Jenn's Bookshelves. RIP is sponsored by Stainless Steel Droppings.

Literary Blog Hop Giveaway

2011-10-14T20:40:00.003-04:00

Welcome to Nerfreader! Here I talk about audiobooks and graphic novels, mostly science fiction, fantasy, mystery, or anything with some sort of paranormal. Even literary fiction.

Thanks to Leeswammes for hosting the October Literary Blog Hop. I've been introduced to so many cool blogs.

Two winners will get these great Halloween-themed books. They're both gently read paperbacks, and the giveaway is open worldwide.

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. I loved this book! It's creepy with an eerie house, eccentric characters, and strange happenings.

Here's a link to my review of the The Little Stranger audiobook.

Steven King said, "Several sleepless nights are guaranteed."

The Little Stranger was shortlisted for the 2009 Man Booker Prize.

I'm listening to The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon right now. This is the English edition translated by Lucia Graves. The book started out being about books and how books influence people, but it's gone in a different direction since then. I don't know how it will end up.

Steven King said, "This is one gorgeous read."

So if Steven King liked these books, they must be good!

The paperback versions of these books will go to two lucky winners. To enter, just leave a comment with the name of the book you'd prefer, or you can enter both drawings with one comment. Be sure the comment system has your e-mail so I can contact you. You do not need to follow Nerfreader to enter, but feel free to follow if you'd like.

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to check out the other great blogs on the hop.

Audiobook Review: The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

2011-10-12T09:38:00.002-04:00

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters is my ideal book: eerie house, eccentric characters, and strange happenings. It's just creepy.

Genre: Gothic
Length: 15h 54m
Audio publisher: Penguin Audiobooks, 2009
Read by: Simon Vance
From: Local library

Recap: The Ayres family have been living in Hundreds Hall for centuries, but with Mr. Ayres gone, his wife and children are having a hard time keeping the crumbling place together. When Dr. Faraday is called in for a maid hysterical with fright, is it her imagination? Or is it something a little stranger?

Review: I get goosebumps just thinking about The Little Stranger. I want to stop everything listen to it again right now. I am a huge Hitchcock fan, but to me an eerie book is better than an eerie movie. It's more subtle, the characters are better developed and the suspense is longer-lasting.

The story starts a little slow, but I feel this adds to the ambiance. The book is from the point of view of local Dr. Faraday as he meets the inhabitants of Hundreds Hall after World War II. A limited number of characters allow us to experience them as people, each with their strengths and foibles. No one is spared from Dr. Faraday's frank assessments, and the doctor has some foibles himself.

A large dose of historical fiction provides details on the English countryside, Dr. Faraday's work as a country doctor, and the minute of life in Hundreds. These are all shown very naturally. The descriptions of day-to-day worries ground the novel and made it come alive. The book has a lot to say on the social changes in England after the war, both among the classes and for women, and these themes are seamlessly integrated into the story.

On top of this grounded reality are the strange happenings. Mysterious sounds, curious markings, and unexpected shadows seem to plague the hall. Is it the settling of an old house? A nasty prank? Are the inhabitants delusional? I'm sure I missed most of the clues during my first listen. That's why I have to listen again.

Reading: When I'm looking for a new audio book, whatever Simon Vance has read recently is always an excellent choice. His smooth British accent gives me chills even when the story isn't scary. His skilled readings draw me into any novel and make me want to stay.

Final thoughts: An evocative gothic tale with themes of class distinction, suspicion and paranoia, this complex and subtle book sends slow chills that build to the end.

Grade: 5 out of 5

Companion books and movies: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot, Suspicion directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

Audiobook Review: The Passage by Justin Cronin

2011-10-10T16:11:00.002-04:00

I was excited to find The Passage by Justin Cronin on CD. So excited that I listened to the whole thing before I realized this is an abridged version. Then I decided the abridged version is a good thing.

Genre: Science fiction, horror
Series: The Passage, book 1
Length: 14h 30m - abridged
Audio publisher: Random House Audio, 2010
Read by: Edward Herrmann
From: Local library

Recap: A previously unknown virus is found deep in the jungle of Bolivia. The US military believes the virus can be used to improve the human condition, but strange things are happening in the top secret base where the experiments are performed. The virus seems to have unexpected side effects....

Review: The Passage is my kind of horror story: a virus, super secret experiments, things going horribly awry. I love dystopias but had seen the word "vampire" attached to this book, so I was skeptical. To my relief, there are no magnetic, brooding men in capes. Some may call the infected people "vampires," but the virals are inhuman, wild, and very, very scary. That's more like it.

The Passage starts by following several point-of-view characters, but the story is primarily about Amy, a lost little girl with a difficult life, as she is pulled from one place to another. Following her as she grows up, we are provided with additional information on the virus, the experiments, and the people involved. I really enjoyed the depth of detail given for each character. Not only do we learn their backgrounds, but we find out what specifically led them to their current situations. I especially appreciated that none of the characters are perfect. Everyone has their flaws. These flaws define them, and they tend to show up at the least opportune times.

With so many characters and points-of-view, the story was a little hard to follow at first. It starts slowly, but as the threads entwine, the tension builds, and things get interesting. Be warned that the book is divided into two parts. It was jarring to go over this break and have to meet a new group of people on the other side, but the story eventually smoothed itself out. It's survival of the fittest, but it's a great ride.

Abridgment: If you've been waiting to read The Passage because it's just too thick, the abridged audio version is the way to go. The story is told in 14 hours, compared to 36 unabridged. The whole story is there, just streamlined.

When The Passage first came out, I attempted to listen to the unabridged version, but I didn't get past section one. Although I was surprised to find this was an abridged version, I think the abridgment helped by moving the plot along. I'm curious about the pieces I missed, but I don't feel like I lost anything vital. I'm ready for book two coming out in summer, 2012!

Reading: Edward Herrmann does a great job reading. I know him as Lorelei's father from Gilmore Girls, but this doesn't distract from his reading. Instead, his voice lends solemnity and authority to the story.

I was surprised when the epilogue was read by a different narrator. I don't know who she is since she's not credited on the package or websites I checked. The change in voice was unexpected. I would have preferred to have one reader for the whole story.

Nums: Love the cover!

Final thoughts: The Passage lives up to the hype. It's an exciting outbreak story with a unique and chilling threat. The abridged audio version keeps the plot moving while maintaining character detail.

Grade: 4 out of 5

This book is part of October's Murder, Monsters and Mayhem by Jenn's Bookshelves and RIP at Stainless Steel Droppings.

It's (almost) Monday, what are you reading? - 3

2011-10-09T14:40:00.001-04:00

It's Monday is the brainchild of the incomparable Sheila from Book Journey.

This week I started Murder, Monsters and Mayhem at Jenn's Bookshelves, and RIP at Stainless Steel Droppings. I tackled a lot of nice and scary Halloween books and got some good recommendations for more.

I had a lot of fun with The Scorch Trials by James Dashner. The Death Cure, book 3, comes out on Tuesday, Oct 11!

I was surprised how much I enjoyed Johnny and the Dead by Terry Pratchett since I didn't care as much for the first book in the series, Only You Can Save Mankind.

The action-adventure dystopian novel Children of Paranoia was not for me, but I know many people who really enjoyed its fast pace and realistic setting. I even got into a little discussion with the author over on Goodreads.

October 7 was Ada Lovelace Day, in celebration of the amazing woman who developed first computer program in 1842 and died when she was only 36. I celebrated by reading steampunk webcomics.

I just finished The Passage by Justin Cronin on audio, and it wasn't until I was done that I realized I was listening to the abridged version. I feel like I got the gist of the story, though I might have to tackle the 37 hour unabridged version before book 2 comes out this summer.

I'm just past half way on The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. Love Steven Vance's narration!

When I'm not listening, I'm reading The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson to get another take on living in the country and tackling the huge doorstop of The Walking Dead Compendium One.

Ooh, spooky! Feels like fall.

This week I changed my comments system. I think all the comments were saved, but it looks the links to your great avatar photos were lost. I hope your avatars show up in the comments today. They're so much fun.

It's Ada Lovelace Day - read Steampunk Webcomics!

2011-10-07T17:42:00.000-04:00

In honor of Ada Lovelace, mathematician and steampunk programmer, today I am reading steampunk webcomics put out by some very smart women (and men).

Hark, A Vagrant, the fabulous and funny musings of Kate Beaton, shows the absurdity of historical and literary figures, Ada Lovelace among them. I always learn something new about history or literature when I visit her site.

Lovelace and Babbage. Ada has her own comic! Where she solves crime with Charles Babbage! By Sydney Padua, there are several episodes on her website, and a new, free ipad application with historical references.

Girl Genius, the Hugo-award winning comic from Phil and Kaja Foglio, has Agatha Heterodyne as the genius in question. She's a whiz at making clockwork robots and doesn't let the men in her life stand in her way.

Virtuoso is steampunk Africa! With a matriarchal society! and Dinosaurs! Jon Munger and Krista Brennan have a fabulous story I just discovered.

Freak Angels by Warren Ellis and Paul Duffield is more post-apocalyptic, but it has a steampunk flair and strong women characters. For mature audiences

I'm looking to add some some more great webcomics to my pile. What are your favorites?

More on webcomics: 5 Webcomics That Make Me Smile

Thanks to The Mad Hatter's Bookshelf and Book Review for the Virtuoso recommendation. He's got a lot of good paper-version graphic novels to recommend, too.

Audiobook review: Children of Paranoia by Trevor Shane

2011-10-06T19:38:00.001-04:00

Children of Paranoia by Trevor Shane is the first book in the Children of Paranoia trilogy. I picked this one up on the recommendation of The Guilded Earlobe, but I didn't enjoy it as much as he did.

Genre: Dystopian action
Length: 12h 11m
Audio publisher: Penguin Audiobooks, 2011
Read by: Steven Boyer and Emma Galvin
From: Audible

Recap: Joseph is a soldier in a hidden guerrilla war. He lives in society but is separate from it. He doesn't know who his fellow soldiers are. He doesn't know who his enemies are. All that he knows is his enemies are evil and must die.

Review: Children of Paranoia a chilling tale that could be taking place right here and now. The book is non-stop action in a world a little too similar to our own that explores themes of duty, love, fanaticism, and revenge.

The story follows Joseph as he goes about his job as an assassin and keeps a record in his journal. He's good at his work but gets no enjoyment from killing. I enjoyed the meticulous planing and carrying out of his assignments, but the journal framework took away a lot of the suspense since Joseph had to survive in order to write his story.

Joseph isn't the smartest or most fearless of his colleagues, and his boredom and depression really come through. He's in his 20's, and the juxtaposition between his job as a ruthless killer and his complete lack of social skills in normal life led to some funny situations. There are obvious parallels between the war Joseph is fighting and religious wars past and present, but Joseph's cult provides none of the community, philosophy, or history supplied by actual religious organizations to inspire such fervent devotion. Instead, Joseph is paranoid with no delusions he can ever be safe.

Reading: Steven Boyer reads the majority of the book with Emma Galvin covering the prologue and epilogue. This is the first time I've listened to Steven Boyer, and I liked his reading. His voice sounds young and is well suited to express both Joseph's deliberation and his depression. Emma Galvin's direct reading style really moved along her short sections.

Final thoughts: Full of violence and action, this dystopian portrait-of-a-life didn't provide enough information on the whys of the world to keep me engaged.

Grade: 2.5 out of 5

Additional views on Children of Paranoia from The Guilded Earlobe, Jenn's Bookshelves, and more blogs.

This post is part of RIP VI hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings,
Murder, Monsters and Mayhem at Jenn's Bookshelves, and
Sound Bytes hosted by Jen at Devourer of Books.

Audio Review: Johnny and the Dead by Terry Pratchett

2011-10-04T20:41:00.001-04:00

Johnny and the Dead (1993) by Terry Pratchett, read by Richard Mitchley, is the second book in the Johnny Maxwell series after Only You Can Save Mankind. There's a lot of trademark Pratchett humor in this Halloween book for kids.

Genre: children's paranormal
Length: 4h
Audio publisher: Random House Audio GO, 2007
From: Library OverDrive

Recap: Johnny has returned from space and can now hear ghosts. But the cemetery is to be sold for development. Can Johnny and the ghosts stop the bulldozers?

Review: I love Halloween. It's my favorite holiday, so this second book in the Johnny Maxwell series hits my sweet spot. Terry Pratchett is a comedy master, and Johnny and the Dead has some really funny parts. The writing has tightened up a bit from Only You Can Save Mankind. The plot is smoother and the laughs louder. Luckily, Johnny and the Dead can stand on its own.

Johnny and his friends are the best part of these books. They're well developed and play off of one another with expert timing. I was disappointed the female friend from the first book isn't around, but Wobbler, Yo-less and BigMac hold their own. Published in 1993, a few of the references have become dated, but in all the book holds up surprisingly well.

Reading: Richard Mitchley is an amazing reader. His enjoyment just bursts out, and he does great sound effects, especially static. My Britishism dictionary was added to with the pronunciation of the word "mall." It rimes with "pal."

Final Thoughts: A fun ghost story for younger readers.

Grade: 4 out of 5

This post is part of Murder, Monsters and Mayhem hosted by Jenn at Jenn's Bookshelf
and RIP VI hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings.

Audio Review: Scorch Trials by James Dashner

2011-10-03T21:28:00.001-04:00

The Scorch Trials is the second book in the Maze Runner Trilogy by James Dashner, read by Mark Deakens. I got it from my library's OverDrive as soon as I finished the book one and was not disappointed. I liked this book better than the first!

The Maze Runner Trilogy: 1) The Maze Runner
Genre: Young adult apocalyptic dystopian science fiction
Length: 10h 22m
Audio publisher: Listening Library, 2010

Recap: After the trials of The Maze Runner, Thomas and his friends are not through with their testing: they have graduated to Phase Two. New challenges are in store as the kids jump through WICKED's hoops, fighting and hoping to survive.

Review: I loved this book. It was non-stop action. As soon as one hurdle was passed, the crew was thrown right onto another. The world is so deadly, but interesting. But more than the action, I loved the mystery. Why are these kids on trial? How can they not remember anything? What are WICKED's aims? Few of the questions brought up in book one are answered and more are added to the pile as Thomas and his gang try to figure out what's going on and what they're going to do about it.

A lot of the book takes place in Thomas' head as he remembers more of his past and tries to make sense of what they're going through. Thomas has grown up a bit and isn't as annoying as in The Maze Runner. I like the dialogue between the kids. It seems really natural as they call each other names and don't take any bull. One quibble I have is we aren't introduced to more of the Gladies traveling with Thomas. We know the ones who were prominent in book one, but there are several more hangers-on. What are they all doing back there?

The Scorch Trials is an excellent sequel to The Maze Runner. I liked it better than the first book, which never happens. I have high hopes that The Death Cure will explain the meaning behind all of this in a nice, satisfying package.

Reading: Mark Deakens has become one of my favorite audiobook readers. His voices for the different characters are subtle, but distinct. His calm and soothing voice is a nice contrast to all the crazy action of the story.

Final Thoughts: If you've read The Maze Runner, then you're already sold on this book. If you haven't read The Maze Runner, and you like action with your dystopia, read it. Book three of The Maze Runner Trilogy, The Death Cure comes out in October. I can't wait!

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

This post is part of Murder, Monsters and Mayhem hosted by Jenn at Jenn's Bookshelf
and RIP VI hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings.

It's Monday! What am I reading? - 2

2011-10-02T21:48:00.000-04:00

What are you reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

This week was pretty packed. I got through
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Pirate King by Laurie R King

I read a bit of How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, but it's so depressing. This one will be hard for me to get through.

I didn't make any headway on Lies of Locke Lamora. I might have to move that one off my "currently listening" tab and move on. It's just not holding my interest.

This week is the start of Jenn's Bookshelves' Murder, Monsters and Mayhem, which I'm really excited about. I've also signed up for Stainless Steel Droppings' RIP VI. I don't read much horror, so it will be good to catch up on some titles off my shelf. Here's the list of the scary stories I hope to read.

That's it for me this week. What are you reading?

October challenges: Mx3 & RIP

2011-10-02T15:18:00.003-04:00

It's October, my favorite month of the year. A chill is in the air and ghosts are all around. What better way to celebrate than some new challenges?

Jenn at Jenn's Bookshelves is hosting Murder, Monsters and Mayhem, and Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings has been hosting RIP VI since September. How did I miss it this so long?

I have been in the mayhem spirit this whole time and have already reviewed some scary stories:
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern read by Jim Dale
The Maze Runner by James Dashner read by Mark Deakins
The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta read by Dennis Boutsikaris
Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari read by Cassandra Campbell
Delirium by Lauren Oliver read by Sara Drew

I'll be participating with Jenn and Carl by continuing to read dystopia books with zombies and adding some horror into the mix. I already have some books picked out!

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner, book two in the Maze Runner Trilogy
Johnny and the Dead by Terry Pratchett, book two in the Johnny Maxwell Trilogy - a Halloween book!
Children of Paranoia by Trevor Shane
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
some HP Lovecraft
And the one I'm most excited about -- Chibi Vampire, a manga by Yuna Kagesaki. What could be better than Japanese schoolgirl manga vampires? Not much.

Join us!

September in Review

2011-10-01T12:39:00.001-04:00

Wow, one month of Nerfreader. Time to celebrate! My goal was to keep track of what I've been reading and listening to, and it's been great to get my thoughts down in writing. Now I don't forget what the book was about as soon as I start the next one. I've also been introduced to a lot of great book reviewers and have picked up some fab recommendations for next month.

So, what have I accomplished?

Audio books reviewed: 12
Paper books reviewed: 1

Favorite book of September: A Spy in the House by YS Lee, book one in The Agency series. It was the cover picture that sucked me in, but I'm so glad I picked this up from the library.

What was your favorite book this month?

Top 100 YA - what's your number?

2011-10-01T11:49:00.000-04:00

From Rather Barefoot than Bookless via The Eclectic Reader is a very subjective list of 100 recent and popular YA series. I've read some YA recently. How did I do?

Bold - read

Italics - started it but didn't finish

Read: 31/100 (at least one book in the series)

Didn't finish: 12

Total books read: 91/322

Pretty good. And now I have a nice list for further reading.

1. Alex Fin - Beastly
2. Alice Sebold – The Lovely Bones
3. Ally Carter – Gallagher Girls (1, 2, 3, 4)
4. Ally Condie – Matched
5. Alyson Noel – The Immortals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
6. Anastasia Hopcus – Shadow Hills
7. Angie Sage – Septimus Heap (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
8. Ann Brashares – The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (1, 2, 3, 4)
9. Anna Godbersen – Luxe (1, 2, 3, 4)
10. Anthony Horowitz – Alex Rider (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
11. Aprilynne Pike – Wings (1, 2, 3)
12. Becca Fitzpatrick – Hush, Hush (1, 2)
13. Brandon Mull – Fablehaven (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
14. Brian Selznick – The Invention of Hugo Cabret
15. Cassandra Clare – The Mortal Instruments (1, 2, 3, 4)
16. Carrie Jones – Need (1, 2, 3)
17. Carrie Ryan – The Forest of Hands and Teeth (1, 2, 3, 4)
18. Christopher Paolini - Inheritance (1, 2, 3, 4)
19. Cinda Williams Chima – The Heir Chronicles (1, 2, 3)
20. Colleen Houck – Tigers Saga (1, 2)
21. Cornelia Funke – Inkheart (1, 2, 3)
22. Ellen Hopkins – Impulse
23. Eoin Colfer – Artemis Fowl (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
24. Faraaz Kazi – Truly, Madly, Deeply
25. Frank Beddor – The Looking Glass Wars (1, 2, 3)
26. Gabrielle Zevin – Elsewhere
27. Gail Carson Levine – Fairest
28. Holly Black – Tithe (1, 2, 3)
29. J.K. Rowling – Harry Potter (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
30. James Dashner – The Maze Runner (1, 2)
31. James Patterson – Maximum Ride (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
32. Jay Asher – Thirteen Reasons Why
33. Jeanne DuPrau – Books of Ember (1, 2, 3, 4)
34. Jeff Kinney – Diary of a Wimpy Kid (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
35. John Boyne – The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
36. John Green – An Abundance of Katherines
37. John Green – Looking for Alaska
38. John Green – Paper Towns
39. Jonathan Stroud – Bartimaeus (1, 2, 3, 4)
40. Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl – Caster Chronicles (1, 2)
41. Kelley Armstrong – Darkest Powers (1, 2, 3)
42. Kristin Cashore – The Seven Kingdoms (1, 2)
43. Lauren Kate – Fallen (1, 2, 3)
44. Lemony Snicket - Series of Unfortunate Events (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
45. Libba Bray – Gemma Doyle (1, 2, 3)
46. Lisa McMann – Dream Catcher (1, 2, 3)
47. Louise Rennison – Confessions of Georgia Nicolson (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
48. M.T. Anderson – Feed
49. Maggie Stiefvater – The Wolves of Mercy Falls (1, 2, 3)
50. Margaret Peterson Haddix – Shadow Children (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
51. Maria V. Snyder – Study (1, 2, 3)
52. Markus Zusak - The Book Thief
53. Markus Zusak – I am the Messenger
54. Mark Haddon – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
55. Mary Ting – Crossroads
56. Maureen Johnson - Little Blue Envelope (1, 2)
57. Meg Cabot - All American Girl (1, 2)
58. Meg Cabot - The Mediator (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
59. Meg Cabot – The Princess Diaries (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
60. Meg Rosoff – How I live now
61. Megan McCafferty – Jessica Darling (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
62. Megan Whalen Turner – The Queen’s Thief (1, 2, 3, 4)
63. Melina Marchetta – On the Jellicoe Road
64. Melissa de la Cruz – Blue Bloods (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
65. Melissa Marr – Wicked Lovely (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
66. Michael Grant – Gone (1, 2, 3, 4)
67. Nancy Farmer – The House of the Scorpion
68. Neal Shusterman – Unwind
69. Neil Gaiman – Coraline
70. Neil Gaiman – Stardust
71. Neil Gaiman – The Graveyard Book
72. P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast – House of Night (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 )
73. Philip Pullman – His Dark Materials (1, 2, 3)
74. Rachel Caine – The Morganville Vampires (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
75. Rachel Cohn & David Levithan – Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
76. Richelle Mead – Vampire Academy (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
77. Rick Riordan – Percy Jackson and the Olympians (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
78. Rom LcO’Feer – Somewhere carnal over 40 winks
79. S.L. Naeole – Grace (1, 2, 3, 4)
80. Sabrina Bryan & Julia DeVillers – Princess of Gossip
81. Sarah Dessen – Along for the Ride
82. Sarah Dessen - Lock and Key
83. Sarah Dessen – The Truth about Forever
84. Sara Shepard – Pretty Little Liars (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
85. Scott Westerfeld - Leviathan (1, 2)
86. Scott Westerfeld - Uglies (1, 2, 3)
87. Shannon Hale – Book of a Thousand Days
88. Shannon Hale – Princess Academy
89. Shannon Hale – The Books of Bayern (1, 2, 3, 4)
90. Sherman Alexie & Ellen Forney – The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
91. Simone Elkeles – Perfect Chemistry (1, 2, 3)
92. Stephanie Meyer – The Host
93. Stephanie Meyer – Twilight Saga (1, 2, 3, 4)
94. Sue Monk Kidd – The Secret Life of Bees
95. Susan Beth Pfeffer – Last Survivors (1, 2, 3)
96. Suzanne Collins – Hunger Games (1, 2, 3)
97. Suzanne Collins – Underland Chronicles (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
98. Terry Pratchett – Tiffany Aching (1, 2, 3, 4)
99. Tonya Hurley – Ghost Girl (1, 2, 3)
100. Wendelin Van Draanen – Flipped

Audio Review: Pirate King by Laurie R. King

2011-10-01T10:21:00.000-04:00

Pirate King is the 11th Mary Russell book by Laurie R. King. When I found out there was a new book in this series, I couldn't wait to read it. I was surprised I could get it through my library on Overdrive. I still like Mary Russell, but this wasn't my favorite book of hers.

Genre: Historic mystery adventure
Length: 11h 12m
Audio publisher: Recorded Books, 2011

Recap: Mary and Holmes are caught up in another adventure as Mary infiltrates a silent film company to investigate allegations of illegal activity.

Review: I am a huge Mary Russell fan. She's independent, she speaks seven languages, and she can throw a knife. However, this book does not showcase her many talents. Pirate King is subtitled "a novel of suspense featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes." Unfortunately, there is a lack of suspense, little Holmes, and even Mary is missing for a stretch.

The movie industry is one of my least favorite settings. I've seen these stock characters and standard situations before. I was hoping in a Mary Russell book some people might buck their stereotypes. Maybe the director could be accommodating or the female lead humble. No such luck. Even Mary falls into standard cliches as she travels and doesn't listen when her translator warns her about cultural differences. Listen to your informants, Mary. You're better than this.

The sections with Holmes were excellent, as always. I would have liked to have more time with him and Mary together. It would be great if they could just be home to see their day to day interactions.

Reading: For me Jenny Sterlin is Mary Russell. Her voice takes some getting used to. It's a bit gravelly, and she makes Mary a little more sarcastic than I picture her, but the reading is so energetic I just get swept away. This story had a couple British pronunciations I liked. Shiek is pronounced "shake" and harem "har-eem." It's always fun to learn a new language.

Final thoughts: For anyone who likes Sherlock Holmes or strong women characters the first Mary Russel book, The Beekeeper's Apprentice, is great. Pirate King might be for people who like early cinema or Mary Russell completests. I'm looking forward to the next book, when Mary goes to Japan in the space between The Game and Locked Rooms.

Grade: 3 out of 5