Chris Lee
Whew! So I stepped out of my genre comfort zone with this one and was pleasantly entertained. Overall, I thought the book had all the necessary ingredients for an emotional and thrilling read. The pairing of the strong-willed and fierce main character and the war-torn but empathetic high lord was thought-provoking and impactful. OK, so now I have a few bullet points to attend to:
• Masks - kind of weird at first, but horror books do it all the time; it's the same idea, but the reveal is a bit different.
• Amarantha- you would not want her as a quiz master at trivia night, that's for sure.
• I had a hard time picturing what the characters looked like. Maybe it's just me.
• The body paint that smears when touched was a novel concept.
• The biting. No, thank you.
This book surprised me. It's far from being a cheesy look at ray guns, flying saucers, and beings who say lines like, “Take me to your leader.” No, The War of the Worlds reads like, dare I say, realistic fiction. There is an aura of believability throughout its pages. An academic or elevated take on the genre, so as it was in 1898.
The story? Well, it's pretty straight-forward. Martians crash land on Earth and destroy everything and everyone in their wake. But it's much more than that. The narrator deals in speculative philosophy, so it reads like a bloke questioning what he is seeing and inferring what he knows about science and the world to arrive at logical conclusions. Now, if this sounds sort of drab, I understand. Some readers might want more bits of action or survival sequences, and although this has them, they are not the focus of the story. The focus is on the overarching reason why the Martians are here and what their goals are, rather than just trying our best to obliterate them and move on.
I really appreciate the focus on using street names and locations around England to paint the picture. The words are detailed and succinct, but they also have a bit of literary whimsy to make the writing not feel overtly wooden. The Martian description is fairly unique as well. Again, everything is more or less driven by technical details, so that may be a turn-off for some seeking something a bit more sensational or dramatic. The characters are pretty sparse as well. I enjoyed the framing on the theme of human vulnerability, survival, and the limits of knowledge at the time, even if the singular relationships suffer a bit.
|| “The chances of anything manlike on Mars are a million to one.””
Save it for a rainy day, in-between an X-Files sesh, or when you get a hankering for a classic. It will surely not disappoint.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first tale of Dresden. Its fun, scary, action packed and ends with a bang. It's one of those stories that keeps you hooked from chapter to chapter but does not use cliffhanger devices to do so.
I have a few mixed feelings after finishing up the book. I enjoyed the opening but the journey seemed to fizzle quite a bit after the first few chapters. The plot device used to move the story along felt tired and the rush of excitement on what the world promised ahead was not that releavatory in the end. You always want more of what the original offers much like your favorite movies but this feels less original and more like fluff. Walking dead was interesting in the beginning but became much to repetitive. I fear that this story is going down that same path. It feels like it was written by committee. Less about fleshing out the original and more about call backs.
According to the dictionary, aesthetics is “the philosophical theory or set of principles governing the idea of beauty at a given time and place.” Couple that definition with the blurb of the book, and you will have your very short introduction. I was hoping this entry in the book series would be as educational as some of the others, but sadly, it's fairly bland.
It's a primer for understanding the concept, and it might help build confidence in explaining an experience you had with nature, art, or whatever strikes the fancy, but I was hoping for a more linear history lesson than a few modern examples or fairly obvious conclusions one would arrive at after visiting a museum for the first time or participating in a critique.
Do not take my word for it, though. The book covers the objective (colors, shapes, designs, etc.) and the subjective (individual sensations and how what we see evokes these sensations within us). There might be some tibits to take away.
The author does have a challenge with such a short book. How does one explain a sustained “feeling” or sensory perception that a bit of art (or anything for that matter) conveys on whatever level a person deems pertinent at that moment in time? All of our backgrounds are completely different, and our tastes are wildly different. This is just a personal preference, but choosing sex, drugs, and rock and roll to convey these sustained experiences did not do anything for me. It's just one chapter, but it's fairly basic information. It's not a knock in any shape or form. I know it's an introductory book, but I feel like most would fill in the aesthetic blanks without even having to read the chapter. :D
Okay, enough rambling.
What I really enjoyed about this book was how “complete” it was. The final book in the series leaves no stone unturned, no emotional state unchecked, and no page left unturned without some sort of visceral reaction. Brandon Sanderson stated in the notes that he was fearful of this book because he actually had to end a series. Well, fear not, this ending was fantastic! Everything comes together like a grand puzzle. It's bold, clever, and satisfying.
What stands out to me is the flow of the book and the dedication to flesh out certain character traits in a methodical manner. No tricks here; just pure, exciting fantasy lore that has a quick pace and has something for everyone.
From here, I'll just say that I am not going to mention any characters storylines or plot points because, if you made it this far in the series, you are probably invested enough to give this last book a go. And if you do, it's best to go in without any knowledge, so it will probably be scatter-brained and vague from here on out.
I will say, however, that it is epic! There is such a fantastical density to the series. It ebbs and flows from one chapter to the next, adding memorable moments to characters while at the same time focusing your imagination on nostalgic moments and fully realized landscape eye-candy.
Initially, the draw of the first book is the hero's journey, the action, and the fun allomancy system, but those aspects are just a small fraction of what makes this book so great. It moves along at break-neck speeds, and although it is long in terms of page numbers, it never feels like it is too long or too short, if that makes sense. I even really enjoyed the action sequences in this novel as well. This is something that kind of irked me in the first two, but the large-scale descriptions worked better than the one vs. one fisticuffs.
Brandon Sanderson has done something special with this series. I know this isn't really a review, but I hope these ramblings will be the boost you need to check out the series if you are in the mood for a fun journey.
High School by Tegan and Sara Quin was a unique experience. I chose the audiobook because it is not only read by the talented twin sisters, but it also includes songs they recorded in their home before they made it to the big time. If you're a fan of the indie duo, it's exciting to hear their ideas blossom and grow as they tell their story.
Right out of the gate, I was enamored with the honest and blunt approach to the book. Nothing is held back as they explain and delve deep into their parents' separation, drugs, friends, sexuality, and more. It places you in their bedroom as the youngsters discover a guitar, write their first song, play it in front of friends, and ultimately transition to larger local events. I've read a few other books that go into depth about bands and their struggles and successes, but this one was the most raw and forthcoming. It feels much more personal and down-to-earth than their more ‘written' counterparts. VH1's behind the music, this is not.
Even if you do not know the band or are interested in the music they play, it has some important messages and will give you that nostalgic feel of growing up and the difficulties that arise as you try to find your place in the world.
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Okay, so this book is heavy. And by heavy, I mean mentally exhausting. At least it was for me. It's one that might horrify you, get under your skin, or worse, do both at the same time. Before I get to the review, which will probably be short, I had a song playing in my head the whole time, one of my favorites, Old Heart Falls by Katatonia. Spin it up; it has a depth of emotion and lyrical prose that I think encapsulates most of the emotions found in this book to a T.
Hmm. Where do I begin? The book follows a writer as she prepares to graduate from a prestigious art school. She does not fit in, has trouble making friends, lives in a grimy apartment, and does better expressing herself through her art than she does with words. The initial pages do a good job setting up the school and its students, but as soon as Sam starts to hang out with the Bunnies (an entitled writing group), it plunges into ghastly horrors that only a nightmare would conjure up.
All I will say about the plot is that it is definitely not for the faint of heart. It deals with some pretty distressing subject matter, but if you stick with it till the end, it makes sense. It uses familiar archetypes that, although extreme at times, have a payoff. I'm not quite sure “payoff” is the correct word to use, but all's well that ends well.
Let's put this another way. Have you seen the movie Saw? You know, the one with the puppet on a bike that traps people in precariously dangerous situations where they must choose to either leave missing limbs or succumb to their fate. Well, this book is kind of like that, but replace the extreme physical torture with more mental torment. I think we all do our best to quell extreme loneliness and the desire to belong, but it always seems to creep in from time to time, and for Sam, she has an interesting way of dealing with it.
Would I recommend this book? Hmm. That's a tough one. Again, it deals with matters that are more horrific than what's on the page. I know that doesn't make any sense, but it would be a major spoiler to bring up what that is or what I think that is. I'd say its very relatable, but if you said that to a friend and they had just read the first half, they may raise some eyebrows at you the next time you interact. Lets just say the author shines a light on a subject that might be close to home for some but oh so foreign to others.
So I started the review with a song, so let's end with one that fits with the ending and is much more uplifting.
–You're Not Alone by Lionville.
“Lolita” by Vladimir Nabokov tells a story that is compelling and thought-provoking, which will undoubtedly raise your hackles, give you goosebumps, and touch on just about every other __ (insert here) emotion we as humans exhibit.
**Do not worry, I will not go into the sordid details of the novel, I'll just list a brief synopsis and a few thoughts towards the end.
We begin with Humbert, a dashing English fellow who takes up residence with an American family so that he may write in seclusion. Little does he know that he will find his nymphet, a term Nabokov made up to describe an alluring young girl. His predatory nature is unlocked, and his target is acquired. There is one BIG problem, however: Lolita is underage, and Humbert is twenty-five years her senior.
After a few shocking happenings (to say the least), Humbert and Lolita journey across the USA, and you get a front-row seat to the nature of depravity that encompasses each and every town they visit. As Lolita starts to flirt with the idea of leaving Humbert, he does everything in his power to keep her by his side.
One thing to note is that Humbert is the ultimate unreliable narrator. Rarely do you get any insight into other characters points of view. He often projects humility on the outside, but he ravishes in his fantasies on the inside. It is not hard to follow by any means; you just do not get a clear picture of his overall psyche until the latter half of the novel.
/- The tone is doleful. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Nabokov's main purpose is to see if you can emphasize with a monster. The author knows that the subject matter is coarse, but I never really thought he was going for outright tantalization; It's more of an insight into just how much Humbert loves Lolita. -
The writing is very good, even great. It is extremely hard to look past the subject matter, but just like in A Clockwork Orange, you do get quite a bit of humor, satire, and genuine emotion. This is the first book I have read by Nabokov, but he sure likes to toss your heart in the blender on high and walk away. I'm not really sure how to put it. The book challenges your morality, your ethics, your judgment of others, and how we all communicate our feelings on the inside. It's hard to strip away the subject matter from your mind. It occupies a corner and constantly tests your resolve. Should you feel anything for the characters, or are you along for the ride, waiting for an eventual car crash?
I know I have been very vague with the plot, but it is an experience that is best (shudder
The blurb on Jane Harper's “The Lost Man” says it's suspenseful, dark, and atmospheric. I would add methodically paced, intriguing, and unique. It's equal parts family drama and mystery, where the setting is the Australian outback and desolation is in the hearts and minds of almost everyone for hundreds of kilometers.
Nathan, his son, and his brother Bub arrive at a grave site to find their other brother dead. No foul play is found, and his car is in full working order. How did the brother die? With no police or ambulance within three hours, the family must try and piece together what happened.
The book evokes the loneliness and vastness of the outback in such a beautiful way. Almost all of our time is spent outdoors in the rugged, dirt-filled landscape, but I found the setting unexpectedly refreshing.
// “A perfect sea of nothingness. If someone was looking for oblivion, that was the place to find it.” //
There is an underlying sinister tone that takes quite awhile to present itself. It lights a small bit of kindling in the mind, and it progressively whittles its way into a full-on conflagration towards the end. It's the epitome of a slow burn, but it's an impressive way to build the narrative. For example, the MC is pretty much banned from going into town, so he has been isolated from the world for the past 10 or so years. The only strong bits of interaction are when his son comes to town on vacation to visit. It makes you wonder if anyone in the family is a reliable witness. And the weirdness does not stop there. We have a few squatters that may be questionable, a mysterious painting that nobody can touch, and a police force that is understandably hard to reach when they are needed most.
// “The rules of the outback may seem brutal but they were written in blood.” //
The story has quite a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming, but everything is wrapped up at the end, for better or for worse. I'd say my favorite part is the overall tone. It makes you reflect on your own life and consider what could have been or ponder things you might have done differently. Not in the sense of what the family is going through, just in general.
The book was exciting, and I would recommend it if you are looking for a mystery that is off the beaten path. I'm glad my GR friends brought it to my attention.
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What I enjoyed most about the novel was the way it gets under your skin. One second it has scenes you relate to, the next it tries to creep you out, while in the back of your mind you are trying to put the entire story together. A quick and easy thriller that has a great journey and a great ending.
// Indelible: making marks that cannot easily be removed.
This entry was just okay.
The book begins with a hostage situation at the police station. Jeff is hurt and needs medical attention in a hurry. To make matters worse, a group of children were touring the station and got caught up in the fray. Sara is on the scene as well and must do her best to take care of Jeff while negotiators try to figure out what to do. This is timeline one.
Timeline two flashes back to the past, when Sara and Jeff first became an item. Jeff is quick to take her on a road trip to see how the relationship will progress. They make a quick detour to his hometown and are caught up in a murder investigation. Sara has the opportunity to tour the town, learn about Jeff's questionable past, and offer her medical (and emotional) services to help identify the killer.
The dueling timelines did not work for me. I like how we essentially get two murder mysteries wrapped up in one, but I thought the pacing suffered a bit in the process. Karin Slaughter has pulled this same process off in many other books; it just did not have the same impact on me.
I'll say one thing about Sara: She sure is an understanding partner. It's kind of endearing how in love she is with Jeff, especially after the red flags start to mount into a heap. Most other characters would have probably left Jeff in the dust the moment they met his friends, learned about his reputation, or met his charming mother.
In typical fashion, the ending shines, and the conversations are thrilling. I just wish the in-between sections would have been a bit better. I'm curious to see how the next one shapes up.
Extra
Many moons ago, when I became absolutely obsessed with hiking and mountaineering, I went to the second-hand book store and picked up old copies of Into Thin Air, High Adventure, and this book, Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors. There is nothing quite like the persistence of human achievement, and these stories speak to my adventurous soul. I'm not quite sure why this book sat and collected dust for so long. Maybe it's because I knew Sir Edmund and Jon had the supplies necessary to aid them in their frigid endeavors, whereas the unfortunate souls traveling on the Fairchild for Chile were terribly unprepared for their fate, which made it much more difficult to begin. Either way, this was a grim book filled with dismay, fear, and anguish, but I was not ready for the impact it would leave once the final page was turned.
** I like to be extremely vague when writing these reviews, but I feel particularly strongly about this story so I think I will add quite a bit of detail concerning the content. Please skip if you: 1.) Intend to go into this harrowing story knowing nothing; or 2.) Are squeamish. This book contains some grisly content. **
If you are not familiar with the story, it's a non-fiction book about a Uruguayan rugby team that chartered a plane from Montevideo to Santiago. The Fairchild F-227 aircraft with the 40 passengers aboard crashed in the Andes mountains, leaving very few alive to try to survive in the frigid temperatures. For the reader, it places you in the minds of those left to survive, and you can only begin to guess the horror of how it affected them both mentally and physically.
With the help of numerous interviews, the author was able to provide a detailed account of the events that took place over the course of those few weeks along the icy mountainside. It became apparent very quickly that if the survivors were to be located, they would need to attempt to signal for assistance. Using fabric from the plane, those who were not severely hurt in the crash built a cross in the snow, while others tore up cushions to fashion crude snowshoes and gathered up clothes from those who had passed on so they could survive the fridged temperatures. Most of the passengers were farmers and athletes, but there were a few who had some basic medical training. The injuries some of the crew sustained from the crash were just heartbreaking to read about. Boils formed, organs protruded through the body, and some had frostbitten appendages. This crew suffered a lot, but they also summoned the courage to survive by telling stories about food, leading a daily prayer service, and messaging each other's legs as they slept to keep the blood flowing. It is so incredibly hard to imagine the mindset it would take to persevere under these conditions. But just like in our world today, as long as we, as a collective, put our minds to something, anything and everything can be accomplished and overcome—even when all hope is lost.
One of the most heartbreaking aspects transpires as the group starts to run out of food. They ration a bit of chocolate after a few days, but once that dwindles, they look to their fellow passengers as sustenance. Most are completely against the idea because of their religious morals, but as time goes on, they come to the collective decision that the soul has left the body, and if Jesus gave up his body and blood for the people so that they all may live, these frozen bodies would help give them a chance for survival. The details are ultimately soul-crushing, but their fellow passengers who passed on helped a few of them survive in the end.
|| “You can make it tough God, but do not make it impossible.”
Once the food is sorted, the survivors attempt to create a sort of work hierarchy. This is the point where you get more insight into their families, politics, opposing views, and backgrounds. A few write letters to be found if they do not make it, while others stare into the stars at night, knowing that a loved one is doing the same. It helps make them feel more attached and boosts their mental state. A game plan is formed, and from here on out, expeditions are planned to see if they can summit the mountain and look for a path for rescue.
A tale of two: What's interesting is that you get quite a bit of story involving those looking for their loved ones on the other side of the mountains. The families turn to anything to help gain reprieve. They pray, concoct ideas about a plane hi-jack, and even hire clairvoyant mediums who give them locations on a map. There were desperate to come up with anything to help find them.
Eventually, an airplane and helicopter are sent out to try and locate them one last time, and that's where I'll leave it.
|| “I'm going to chew up the Andes. Search foot by foot until I find the boys.”
I do have a few nitpicks towards the end. The last 50 pages seemed a bit rushed and had a few too many jumbled sequences, which made it sort of hard to process. The media aftermath touched on because it had some important moments and messages, but I would have liked it to be more structured like the rest of the book, but this is just a personal preference.
The writing is done with sensitivity and compassion, even though the subject matter is quite disheartening. However, if you do plan to read it, I would suggest taking breaks. I feel like I only touched on the misfortune and struggles the crew had, but it is heartening to know that some of the brave ones returned home to be with their loved ones.
A murder, a psychiatric hospital, and plenty of drama. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is a psychological thriller through and through. After being booked for the murder of her husband, Alicia is sent off to the Grove mental hospital for treatment. There, she is heavily medicated, does not respond well to the program, and, more curiously, refuses to speak to anyone. (Hence the title of the book.) Enter Theo, a psychiatrist who has sought a job at the Grove so he can personally treat the hospitalized artist. The current psychiatric team has all but given up trying to treat her, so letting Theo have a go may be the last hope of saving her sanity and finding out why she committed such a heinous act.
I enjoy a slow-burn thriller, but the story and the character development were a bit too sparse for me; most of the patient treatments were head-scratchingly unprofessional; and the drama felt very much like a soap opera. That being said, I do believe the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
It might not reach the same heights as a similar Christie novel or do much for me, but it had its moments and might just wiggle its way into your psyche.
A desolate landscape. No, not completely devoid of life. What little ride on the dusty terrain outlined in this epic anti-western are those with a certain fate. A fate outlined in blood, doom, and destruction.
A 14-year-old from Tennessee, with a “a taste for mindless violence,” runs away from home and sets off to Texas in 1833. “The Kid” eventually joins a scalping gang who are paid well for completing contract massacres across the land.
The Kid meets up with the seemingly enigmatic character called The Judge. The judge is all but a puzzle. He is calamity. He is a blight on the world. He is catastrophe incarnate. An intelligent and omnipresent force that does not seek conformity. He is savage for sure, but he understands humanity. Not unlike the mercenaries who are only participating in the debauchery for money. The Judge teaches with parables, with art, and with ethics. Is he a monster in disguise, a traveled man of integrity who has given in to moral corruption, or something supernatural? All is explored and more!
Told from the perspective of The Kid mainly, this gritty portrayal of the old west reins in a wide variety of themes. Everything from warfare and rituals to partisanship and the nature of evil is covered in great detail.
Conventions are thrown out the window. The Kid is shaped by his encounters throughout the book, but very rarely gives the reader the opportunity to relate to the wholesale decimation of the land. It's highly impersonal. And that is by design.
Blood Meridian is a tough read. Brutal, even. Not for the light-hearted.
Cormac McCarthy's writing is masterful. The scene setups and ability to hold the reader's attention are second to none. Here is a passage I thought was simply incredible: “The shadows of the smallest stones lay like pencil lines across the sand, and the shapes of the men and their mounts advanced elongate before them like strands of the night from which they'd ridden, like tentacles to bind them to the darkness yet to come. They rode with their heads down, faceless under their hats, like an army asleep on the march.”
It's a novel I will most certainly never forget. A new favorite. One I shall have to read several times to take in the magnitude of the narrative.
Wow! I was surprised to find out that this book was so drastically different from the movie. It was more of a mystery than a flat-out horror novel, and I am fine with that.
The book follows the same central structure as the film, but I feel like most of the characters were drab and not all that relatable. Once the detective work started, however, it became much more enjoyable and the tension started to build.
Overall, it didn't really get to me or frighten me in anyway. It's not overly gory or even graphic. The story is quite sad and tragic, but there was just not enough meat on the bone to do much for me.
My good friend Allison was starting this, so I had to jump in and read it as well. I might have been a bit too hasty, because I read it in one sitting. (sorry A!) It's short, incredibly captivating, a bit strange, funny in places, and has quite a bit to say.
I really enjoyed it!
Keiko is a convenience store worker. She has been working at a local shop for 18 years, and although society might point to her and think she's wasting away at a dead-end job, she relishes the systematic occupation. Her family and acquaintances want to match her up and think that life (in general) revolves around meeting someone, marrying, and having kids. Keiko sees life in a completely different way. She sees it as a regimented work cycle. A cog placed in a way that gives her purpose. Having no friends, partners, or hobbies suits her just fine.
Things get interesting when she meets a guy (who is a piece of work, to say the least) that can give her a shroud of normalcy in the eyes of others. I won't get into details, but it's a clever setup that exposes a fascinating aspect of her psychology and makes a statement on how society views those who are perceived as being a little different.
The bottom line is this: If you love what you're doing, do it to your heart's content. You do not need society to judge you and tell you how to feel.
I will definitely look up what else the author has written.
Extra
You know that feeling you get when you have been waiting two hours at a concert for the headlining act to come on? There's that anticipation in the air. You're excited, you're flustered, and you're ready to rock! The lights go out, and your eyes start to sparkle as the band belts out the riff to your favorite song. Could this get any better? Then, as the musician makes their way to the mic for the second song, they say these eight dreaded words. “This is a song from our new album.” Heart-sink, buzz-kill, kill-joy. I went through similar emotions while reading The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa. The only difference is if the band continued playing songs from the new album; in fact, they played most of the new record, leaving you disappointed and scratching your head.
In a nutshell, this book follows the narrator as she tumbles down the rabbit hole of memory loss prevention. Her memory is not degrading because of old age; its deterioration is being systematically eradicated by the Memory Police. Dun dun duuun!
Do not let my rating hamper you from adding this book in any way; it might strike a chord for you, but it was definitely not the droids (book) I was looking for. I just found it lacking in the content department. After the initial setup, it digresses into fairly ordinary character moments and weighty chapters that are filled with whimsical ideas you understand within the first few paragraphs but seem to idle on for several pages. For every neat idea like, “Your voice is trapped inside this (type-writer) machine. It's not broken, it's just been sealed off now that it no longer has a purpose,” it has several paragraphs reiterating the same feelings over and over again. The words sterile, unassuming, round-about, and plotting come to mind. It just does not have the connective tissue to keep the feelings engaged.
Rather than using Fahrenheit 451, 1984, or even The Collector as a dystopian starting point (most of the ideas were lifted from these), this book just adds a bit of magical realism to the stew, but it never really simmers or adds anything new to the taste you already know and enjoy.
Oh! And that ending.
“Where The Crawdads Sing” begins with a deep jolt straight to the heart. A disgruntled family living near a marsh abandons each other, leaving only a father and his young daughter in a dilapidated cabin. The father chases his vices as the young one marvels at the joy of the outdoors and the wonderment of discovering birds and insects. When the father ups and leaves, Kya is left to fend for herself.
As the days pass, she meets a boy who teaches her how to read and encourages her to follow her interest in researching the critters that inhabit the marsh. Everything seems to be going great until someone dies and an investigation starts to unravel secrets in the small town.
“Time ensures children never know their parents young.”
I enjoyed the book quite a bit. It actually conjured up memories of my own upbringing. In a way, I understood what the main character was going through. Barkley Cove encapsulates everything about the harshness of a small town, right down to the proclivity to mistreat those who are outcasts. It's not all doom and gloom, though. Kya takes solace in those who are kind and understand her predicament, uses her knowledge of the area to help sustain her way of life, and ultimately unlocks the joy of learning to read.
“If anyone would understand loneliness, the moon would.”
There is quite a bit of pain, loneliness, and fear that surround Kya as she grows older and learns more about the world. Her research grounds her, but she still yearns for someone to share her life with. Something I think we can all relate to.
“Please don't talk to me about isolation. No one has to tell me how it changes a person. I have lived it. I am isolation.”
I'll say nothing more about the story, but I would like to talk a bit about the writing. Sure, it might meander a bit and gloss over pertinent character details, but what it does well is tell a great coming-of-age story. It covers most of the physical and biological touchstones in a primitive setting while providing vivid descriptions of the natural world.
The way the story ends is a keen fascination: We can guess where it might end up, but it takes guts to actually go through with it. Justification might be the way sinners are granted absolution, but in this fictional world, without spoiling anything, I think vindication reigns supreme.
❖ Category: literary fiction / mystery
❖ Rating: 4.5/5
“Pieces of Her” is dark, has some grim humor (rabbit foot scene anyone?), and packed with top-tier suspense. Overall, it details how some people can be manipulated by an idea, become embroiled in it, chase it to the brink, and then become destroyed by it or live with the consequences. One of the book's main characters, Andrea, is a self-deprecating, lively soul who seems to want something greater out of her life but has not truly found her way yet. Her and her mother are enjoying a birthday meal at the mall when a shooting happens. Andy's mother protects her by standing up to the gunman and taking him out. It is captured on the news and flips both of their lives upside down. Are there family secrets hidden deep below the surface? You better believe it! Does it have some heart racing moments throughout? Absolutely, positively. Would I recommend it? Yeah, go now and check it out.
“I believe it is in our nature to explore, to reach out into the unknown.” – Ernest Shackleton.
I've always seen hiking as a transformative experience. It can help you appreciate the world around you, warm your soul, test your physical (and mental) limits, and sear the most incredible sights onto your mind forever. But what if you were attempting to take on the fastest known time on one of the most famed trails in the world? That's what this book is about. Scott Jurek will need to set an average pace of 45+ miles a day in order to beat the standing record at that point in time. What takes most people 6 to 7 months to complete, he has to finish in under 50 days.
The book follows the record-breaking attempt from start to finish, and at the time, it was fairly big news in the sports and recreation world. Scott's wife, Jenny, accompanies him on the hike and helps provide moral support, food, confidence boosts, and more. I won't spoil the outcome, but even if you know what happens, the story is always in the journey, not the destination.
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“The X-Files: Cold Cases” is a fairly short, nostalgic audio drama featuring a full cast from the original series. What is an audio drama you say? Well, it's a full cast format with music and sound effects that harkens back to the 20's, 30's and 40's when families would sit around the radio and listen to their favorite caped crusaders (check out The Shadow – Its voiced by Orson Welles!), detectives that smoke pipes (Sherlock is voiced by Basil Rathbone in the audio production, who is great, but we all know Jeremy Brett portrayed him the best.) and fun horror anthologies. (The inimitable Bela Lugosi guests stars in some of these – need I say more?)
Sorry about the slight tangent. On wards with the review:
I really enjoyed the TV show as a youngster, so once I found out about how this audiobook expands upon some of the original cases, I had to check it out. So, the first thing I would say is that this is extreme fan service. There is practically no backstory, so if you pick this up without a strong knowledge of the show, you might be a bit lost.
Mulder and Scully dust off their trench coats and are pulled back into the X-files after a security breach on the bureau's firewall. Did you use an IDS instead of an IPS? Tsk, tsk, FBI. It is set after the movies, I believe, and right before the revival show.
I'm going to nerd out here, so please skip ahead if you so desire. Each mini-episode is about 15–25 minutes long and covers a vast array of exciting episodes. I was so INCREDIBLY excited and giddy when they chose to cover the Flukeman. Remember the weird, half-man, half-worm creature that floated around in the waste water system? Well, you find out (no spoiler) where it came from. Oh, Mr. X is back, Smoking Man is back, and the Lone Gunman are back. I could go on and on. It's just so much fun to briefly catch up with the characters.
There is a problem, though. It's not a turn-off by any means; it's just the nature of the production, I think. Since it's audio, some scenes have to explain away what is happening. For example, a gunshot will go off and someone has to say, “I think I shot (so and so)” or someone will transform into something and they have to describe what they are seeing. It has a campy feel, so it could be considered humorous, but it could also play as a negative for others. Your results may vary.
The bottom line is if you like the show, ‘I want to believe' that you will enjoy this. It's nostalgic and oh, so fun.
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Ever since I started reading Karin Slaughter books, she has surprised me, made me sad, made me extremely anxious, made me laugh, but about all else, her books have thrilled me to the highest degree. Last Breath is no different. It is a short Novella that follows the Quinn's; mainly Charlie, as she takes on a meaningful case towards the beginning of her law career. Charlie is invited to a girl scout meeting to pass on some words of wisdom when she is confronted in the restroom by one of the young members. Flora is having issues with her guardians and wants Charlie to help her file for emancipation. Are the guardians taking from the young girls trust or is she involved in a larger scheme? Charlie races to find out the truth.
// “You work on problems; you don't tear into each other to win.” //
One thing is for certain, if you read The Good Daughter, you must check this out as well. It's a good primer for the book and it gives you some extra insight into Charlie and Ben's relationship. My heart has been pounding in my chest ever since I finished it. The last chapter is so, so good! I hope there is a third proper, full-length sequel or prequel in the future because these characters are written so well.
// “If you're not being useful, your being useless.” //
So, we find out Flora's parents are both dead, and her guardians have been watching over her until she reaches the age of 18 and can go off to college on her own. Charlie questions the guardians, the shifty family who want to take her in after the emancipation (I cannot remember the legal term), and she has a run-in with the district attorney towards the end. It is an incredibly tight-knit story that is full of exciting and heartbreaking twists.
One part that struck a chord with me was when Charlie questions her ability to be good at her job, good as a person, or if she will be good as a future mother. Knowing what we know in The Good Daughter, you cannot help but emphasize with her because you know she is a good soul who will do anything to help her family or another person in need; her own health or mental stress be damned. You just want to give her a big hug!
Without saying much more, expect to be on the edge of your seat and thrilled throughout.
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// “It is not perfection we seek, for perfection is impossible; instead, we seek consistency.” \
This book has such a sweeping narrative that it would be almost impossible for me to write out a review that A, does it justice, and B, covers every part that I enjoyed. So, I thought I would just do a quick, tidy, and efficient Alphabet review. It will probably be a little “ranty” and incoherent, but it will give me a clear beginning and end.
So, hold your sprens close and your honorblades even closer, because here we go!
A is for Adolin – The fact that we do not get any significant answers to what happened in the bombshell of an ending in WOR until page 850 is something that is baffling to me. But it's apropos to the tone of the entire book. Each and every revelation is met with a ho-hum response. You wait for answers to BIG questions; they come, but for the most part, they are written with a nonchalant and non-revelatory prose.
B is for Burden – Both Shal and Azure have some pretty heavy burdens to overcome in this book, and by the end, I would say they are stifled; they will probably carry on in future books.
C is for Comradery – The comradery is strong with this one, but not as inspiring or electrifying as WOR.
D is for Dalinar - If there was a character that you liked at times, disagreed with at times, teared up with at times, or cheered with at times, it would be this guy. I enjoyed his story arc in this one. Oh, and the interactions with the storm father are top-tier.
E is for Evi –