Book Review - Cast in Shadow by Michelle Sagara

Cast in Shadow by Michelle Sagara

Series: Chronicles of Elantra #1

Publisher: Luna

Publication Date: 1 July 2005

Genre: Fantasy

My Copy: Library - Paperback

Seven years ago Kaylin fled the crime-riddled streets of Nightshade, knowing that something was after her. Children were being murdered -- and all had the same odd markings that mysteriously appeared on her own skin...

Since then, she's learned to read, she's learned to fight and she's become one of the vaunted Hawks who patrol and police the City of Elantra. Alongside the winged Aerians and immortal Barrani, she's made a place for herself, far from the mean streets of her birth.

But children are once again dying, and a dark and familiar pattern is emerging, Kaylin is ordered back into Nightshade with a partner she knows she can't trust, a Dragon lord for a companion and a device to contain her powers -- powers that no other human has. Her task is simple -- find the killer, stop the murders... and survive the attentions of those who claim to be her allies!

Review:

This book was kind of weird for me. I loved the characters, and that alone is enough to make me read the second book. There's a lot of action and mystery in the book. However, the story line was very confusing to me. There wasn't enough of the setting explained early enough in the story, so it took me a long time to figure out what the world was like. It's difficult to read a book when you don't understand the foundation. I'm not one to like long winded descriptions, but in this case, a little more description would have been helpful. I found myself going "What?" on multiple occasions. Despite that, I was hooked into the story early on. I'll admit Kaylin is a bit annoying, but somehow I still found that I liked her. I think what annoyed me is trying to figure out what was going on, and Kaylin kept saying she didn't want to know. I wanted to yell at her "But I do!" 

The book has a wide variety of elements from lion/human-like characters to angel type characters to dragons. Once I understood the world a little better, I really liked it. I also have a thing for the fieflord Nightshade. I get that he's probably sort of a bad guy, but I think he's also kind of a good guy deep down. Probably not the right person to root for, but I liked him anyway. Tiamaris is probably my second favorite. He seems very wise and private, but he's also weirdly likeable to me. Severn is the obvious male interest, but because he's obvious, he's also somehow less interesting to me. Plus compared to the other two, he's just kind of a guy with a past. I still liked him, but I wasn't crazy about him. I'm curious to see how things play out in Cast in Courtlight.

Favorite Quote:

Truth, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder.

Book Review - Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Series: Lunar Chronicles #1

Publisher: Square Fish

Publication Date: 1 January 2012

Genre: YA - Sci-Fi

My Copy: Library - Paperback

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

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

Review:

This was one of those books where I had doubts that I would like it. I'm not that big into fairytale retellings, and Cinderella is probably one of my least favorite fairytales. However, I kept hearing wonderful things about this series, a coworker gushed about the series, and the cyborg aspect kind of interested me. I didn't have high expectations going into this novel, and in fact, I almost convinced myself that I wouldn't like it. I had checked it out from the library on a whim, and I waited until a couple days before it was due (roughly 54 days since I checked it out since I renewed it once) to actually read it. I'm really glad I decided to go ahead with it since I found myself loving the story!

I thought Cinder was kind of badass by the end of the book. She took care of herself and stood by her stepsister who was obviously the less important daughter to her mother. She started a little "woe-is-me" but she ended by taking a stand for not just herself, but for Earth. Sure she had moments of self-doubt, but I think everyone does so that just made her even better. I guessed at the ending fairly early in the book, so the only thing that kind of irritated me was that she didn't pick up on it sooner. I thought she ought to put the pieces together herself quicker than she did. I like that she's a female mechanic too. The secondary characters were a little one-dimensional to me. Even Prince Kai was kind of blah. I hope to see more development out of them in the second novel, even if Scarlet is focused on a new character and different fairytale.

Despite this being a twist on Cinderella, there is plenty of unique story line. The Cinderella aspect isn't overly obvious and isn't even the main story to me. The cyborg business wasn't explained perhaps as much as I would have liked, and Cinder was the only one named in this book. I hope the next book has more about the cyborg process as well as going more into depth about the Lunars. I knew this was futuristic and had cyborgs and androids, but despite reading the synopsis, I didn't pick up on the fact that there would be a civilization on the moon as well which made the story that much more awesome to me. So many interesting dynamics and politics explored in the book. I'm really looking forward to reading Scarlet next.

Favorite Quote:

Vanity is a factor, but it is more a question of control. It is easier to trick others into perceiving you as beautiful if you can convince yourself you are beautiful. But mirrors have an uncanny way of telling the truth.

Book Review - Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Publisher: Bloomsbury Books

Publication Date: 19 June 2012

Genre: YA/New Adult - Contemporary

My Copy: Library - Hardback

When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.

Review:

I have to mention one thing before I start my review, and for the record, it has no bearing on my review. I recently discovered Trish Doller in a strange way. I had heard the names of the books, and working in a library I saw her books circulate regularly. The thing is, I worked with her husband Captain Phil for several months when I first moved to Fort Myers, FL. It wasn't until after I started my new job at the library and was no longer working with Phil that I found out his wife was Trish. So, there you go, it's a small world. Anyway, once I found that out, I had to read her books because it's exciting even if I've never actually met her. I just finished this one and I'm getting ready to start Where the Stars Still Shine. 

I really enjoyed this story. I wasn't sure going into it that I would like it which made me a little nervous to read it. I don't usually like anything war related in fiction. I know that is weird since my focus for my BA in History was Nazi Germany and the Holocaust, but because of knowing so much about it, fiction just kind of irritates me. I think because this was set in present day and dealt with Afghanistan that it didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. Travis was an easy character to care about. Usually I don't feel for male characters as much as female, but I really wanted things to work out for Travis. I liked that the writing made his story seem realistic. Sometimes YA/New Adult novels make it seem as though everything is tied up in a pretty bow at the end, like there should be a "and they lived happily ever after" at the end. Without spoilers, the end seems plausible. Hopeful, but plausible. 

I have read a few reviews on this book and a few say that the PTSD isn't as bad as it really is in life; however, I think there are different levels of PTSD. Not to mention, it's great to bring this up in a YA novel because the truth is lots of people join the military right out of high school, but much of the effects of war is not mentioned, particularly to teenagers. Or at least, I never really heard much about it until after I was out of high school for awhile. It's something that shouldn't be shameful. It also shows that it's okay to need help. I think that's a big theme in this book. It's okay to need someone else to help you. Everyone needs someone else to pick up some of the burden, someone who understands you and accepts you without judgment.

Travis goes through a lot in this book and grows up quickly. There were several actions by him that endeared him to me multiple times in the story. I wanted to punch his dad and shake some sense into Ryan. I cheered for his mom, especially at the end. She started out weak and ended strong. I love characters that change within a story, and this one had two. The book gets 4 stars because while I liked the story, characters, and lessons, it didn't quite have that thing that makes it a book I absolutely love. Still, I recommend this book and I did thoroughly enjoy reading it. In fact, I read it all at once.

Favorite Quote:

But here's the thing: the strings are already attached.

Book Review - The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Publisher: Algonquin Books

Publication Date: 1 April 2014

Genre: Literary Fiction

My Copy: Library - Hardback

 On the faded Island Books sign hanging over the porch of the Victorian cottage is the motto "No Man Is an Island; Every Book Is a World." A.J. Fikry, the irascible owner, is about to discover just what that truly means.

A.J. Fikry's life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island-from Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who's always felt kindly toward Fikry; from Ismay, his sister-in-law who is hell-bent on saving him from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who keeps on taking the ferry over to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.'s bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly.

And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It's a small package, but large in weight. It's that unexpected arrival that gives A.J. Fikry the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn't take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J.; or for that determined sales rep, Amelia, to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light; or for the wisdom of all those books to become again the lifeblood of A.J.'s world; or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn't see coming. As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.

Review:

LOVED THIS!!! Okay, now that that's out of the way, this book is going on my top lists. I went into the book, like I do most books, with a certain idea of how the story would go. It wasn't really at all what I expected, which I liked. The story is all about A.J.'s life, as you can probably guess from the title. At first I had this "poor guy, but what a jerk" feeling towards A.J. However, it didn't last very long before I found his quirks endearing. At first I was a little confused about how time was passing in the book because it doesn't seem to flow at a consistent pace. Some chapters started immediately after the one before it, but others started varying years after the previous chapter. It was a little bit of a hangup at a couple places. Each chapter also starts with an book entry by A.J. which gives clues to what will happen in the following chapter. It took some of the surprise out of parts of the story, but for me there were still things that I didn't see coming.

There are a lot of wonderful, well-developed supporting characters in The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. Maya is a very intelligent young girl, and it was interesting to watch her grow up through the book with A.J. as an influence. Amelia was the perfect balance to A.J. Lambiase, Ismay, and Daniel each have their part to play in the story. They were each unique characters which was refreshing to read. Many times the secondary characters are all kind of the same character. 

I loved how the story was centered around books. A.J. is a bookstore owner. Amelia is a publishing agent. Daniel is a writer. Ismay is an English teacher. Maya is a reader and future writer. Daniel is a reader. Everyone bonded over books. Since I'm obviously a book person myself (library assistant), I personally love books that incorporate books, especially if love is involved! Timing is also important in the book. Things happened as they were supposed to at the right time to each of the characters. The writing in the book is a little odd from what I'm used to, but I kinda liked it. The plot reminded me of Jojo Moyes in some ways, so if you like her, I'd recommend this one. Although, I'd recommend this to everyone. I cried at the end, so have some tissues ready!

Favorite Quotes:

 We aren't the things we collect, acquire, read. We are, for as long as we are here, only love. The things we loved. The people we loved. And these, I think these really do live on.

We read to know we're not alone. We read because we are alone. We read and we are not alone. We are not alone.

You know everything you need to know about a person from the answer to the question, What is your favorite book?

It is the secret fear that we are unlovable that isolates us,” the passage goes, “but it is only because we are isolated that we think we are unlovable. Someday, you do not know when, you will be driving down a road. And someday, you do not know when, he, or indeed she, will be there. You will be loved because for the first time in your life, you will truly not be alone. You will have chosen to not be alone.

Book Review - He's Gone by Deb Caletti

He's Gone by Deb Caletti

Publisher: Bantam

Publication Date: 14 May 2013

Genre: Literary Fiction / Mystery

My Copy: Library - paperback

The Sunday morning starts like any other, aside from the slight hangover. Dani Keller wakes up on her Seattle houseboat, a headache building behind her eyes from the wine she drank at a party the night before. But on this particular Sunday morning, she’s surprised to see that her husband, Ian, is not home. As the hours pass, Dani fills her day with small things. But still, Ian does not return. Irritation shifts to worry, worry slides almost imperceptibly into panic. And then, like a relentless blackness, the terrible realization hits Dani: He’s gone.

As the police work methodically through all the logical explanations—he’s hurt, he’s run off, he’s been killed—Dani searches frantically for a clue as to whether Ian is in fact dead or alive. And, slowly, she unpacks their relationship, holding each moment up to the light: from its intense, adulterous beginning, to the grandeur of their new love, to the difficulties of forever. She examines all the sins she can—and cannot—remember. As the days pass, Dani will plumb the depths of her conscience, turning over and revealing the darkest of her secrets in order to discover the hard truth—about herself, her husband, and their lives together.

Review:

I had such high hopes for this book. It sounded interesting, and everyone raves about Deb Caletti. This was the first book by her that I have read, and I have to say I was disappointed. Most of the book takes place in Dani's head. There's not a whole not propelling the book except her memories of the past and her fuzzy ideas about the night Ian went missing. I didn't connect with any of the characters, and most of the side characters just made me angry. I admit to skimming the second half or so of the story. The only reason it gets two stars and that I bothered to skim the second half was that I was interested in finding out what happened to Ian, although it wasn't surprising.

Book Review - The Beautiful Ashes by Jeaniene Frost

 

The Beautiful Ashes by Jeaniene Frost

Series: Broken Destiny #1

Publisher: Harlequin HQN

Publication Date: 26 August 2014

Genre: New Adult / Urban Fantasy

My Copy: Library - paperback

 In a world of shadows, anything is possible. Except escaping your fate.

Ever since she was a child, Ivy has been gripped by visions of strange realms just beyond her own. But when her sister goes missing, Ivy discovers the truth is far worse—her hallucinations are real, and her sister is trapped in a parallel realm. And the one person who believes her is the dangerously attractive guy who's bound by an ancient legacy to betray her.

Adrian might have turned his back on those who raised him, but that doesn't mean he can change his fate…no matter how strong a pull he feels toward Ivy. Together they search for the powerful relic that can save her sister, but Adrian knows what Ivy doesn't: that every step brings Ivy closer to the truth about her own destiny, and a war that could doom the world. Sooner or later, it will be Ivy on one side and Adrian on the other. And nothing but ashes in between…

Review:

 Whoa. I loved this book. I thought Ivy was brave and kick ass. I thought Adrian was perhaps a little over tortured, but still HOT. I know other readers will feel like there's a problem with instalove, but really I thought the book made it fairly clear that it was instaLUST (although personally I rarely have a problem with instant love in books, they're relatively short and it usually would take too much time to build a relationship). There's no sex in the book, but plenty of steamy sexual tension. I loved the twisty-ness of both characters. They both had multiple motivations for their goals, and I thought that brought a lot to the book. I also enjoyed their witty exchanges. I even enjoyed the side characters, both the good and the bad.

I admit that I usually space out a bit on action scenes, but I did kind of get into the ones in this book more than usual. The author did a good job with the ending and letting out bits and pieces as the book went along. Everything made sense to me in the world she created. There was a lot of light vs dark in the story that I thought was very well handled. The dark was really dark but produced Adrian as someone struggling for the light, and the light was bright but had some shadows. Really the dark was more honest than the light which I find is the case most of the time. The book grabbed me from the beginning, and I just had to know what was coming in the end. LOVED it.

Favorite Quotes:
"You're the light I can never have, and I'm the darkness you'll never succumb to." 

"He was danger wrapped in secrets tied with a bow of bad intentions."

"When it's light versus dark, that doesn't matter. One shadow in a brightly lit room goes unnoticed, but shine a ray of light into even the darkest corner and everything changes."

Plot: 5 stars
Pacing: 5 stars
Characters: 5 stars
Ending: 5 stars
Recommend: YES!

Book Review - One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books

Publication Date: 1 July 2014

Genre: Literary Fiction / Women's Fiction

My Copy: Library - hardback

Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being bullied and your math whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can’t afford to pay for. That’s Jess’s life in a nutshell—until an unexpected knight-in-shining-armor offers to rescue them. Only Jess’s knight turns out to be Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. But Ed has big problems of his own, and driving the dysfunctional family to the Math Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages . . . maybe ever.

Review:
 Wow. I think I love Jojo Moyes even more than I did after I read Me Before You. Her books are just what I'm looking for right now, a little bit romance and a little bit real life. This is a lovely story about a woman who is trying so hard to provide for her children and teach them kindness and honesty. It's also about a man who doesn't really appreciate the good life he has. It takes a very long road trip in a small car with 4 people and a dog to really allow Jess and her kids to relax and make Ed see how good he really has it. But Jess did something desperate that may change everything.

Jess is a single mom who does everything she can to keep her head above water. She's positive and quick to bounce back from problems (both Ed and Nicky refer to her as Tigger). She works two low income jobs to keep the roof over their heads and food on the table, but she still has a hard time paying the bills. Her daughter Tanzie is a math genius, and her stepson Nicky is socially awkward and bullied. The police ignore the escalating problems her children face with the neighbor hood bullies even after Nicky gets his face busted up. Tanzie is very innocent and naive, and Nicky tries to shield her from the world. Ed is rich by most standards but doesn't see how lucky he really is. He makes a mistake in an effort to remove a clingy woman from his life, and it comes back to threaten his whole life.

Jess does her best to put a brave face on and encourage her children, but it's not easy when it seems like everything is falling apart. Tanzie gets a chance to go to a fancy school, but Jess doesn't have the money. One night Ed ends up at the bar where she works, and she gets him home in a cab. Once she gets him home and leaves, she's faced with a moral dilemma which haunts her throughout the book. It's really a great plot line with humor and sorrow. I definitely laughed several times and cried at others. You want so desperately to help Jess and her kids out that it hurts. I'll be looking for another Jojo Moyes book to read soon, and I absolutely recommend this one!

Book Review - Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

Publisher: Amy Einhorn

Publication Date: 17 April 2012

Genre: Memoir / Humor

My Copy: Library - hardback

When Jenny Lawson was little, all she ever wanted was to fit in. That dream was cut short by her fantastically unbalanced father and a morbidly eccentric childhood. It did, however, open up an opportunity for Lawson to find the humor in the strange shame-spiral that is her life, and we are all the better for it.

In the irreverent Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, Lawson’s long-suffering husband and sweet daughter help her uncover the surprising discovery that the most terribly human moments—the ones we want to pretend never happened—are the very same moments that make us the people we are today. For every intellectual misfit who thought they were the only ones to think the things that Lawson dares to say out loud, this is a poignant and hysterical look at the dark, disturbing, yet wonderful moments of our lives.

Review:
This is seriously one of the most hilarious books I've read in a long time. Multiple times I was laughing until I was crying. Then, of course, I was forced to stop reading because I couldn't see the page through my tears! I borrowed this from the library, but I'm going to have to buy a copy. And then obviously shove it into everyone's hands and make them read it. I had never heard of The Bloggess prior to finding this book on a reading list. I'm now a follower; I only wish I'd known about Jenny Lawson earlier! If nothing else will convince you, go to a library or a bookstore, pick up the book, and read the chapter Stanley, the Magical Talking Squirrel. I couldn't BREATHE.

The book is witty and snarky and all around amazing. It starts with stories about Lawson's childhood growing up with a taxidermist father and his horrible ideas for practical jokes. (Seriously, read Stanly, the Magical Talking Squirrel--you'll pee your pants.) Then it moves through her meeting her husband, having their daughter, and their lives since. I would recommend reading it in small bits. The chapters are fairly small, so read a couple each day and savor this magnificent memoir! Unless your easily offended, and then maybe this isn't for you, or you just need to get over it so you can love this book.

Series Spotlight - Captive Hearts Series by Grace Burrowes

The Captive by Grace Burrowes
Series: Captive Hearts #1

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Publication Date: 1 July 2014

Genre: Historical Romance

My Copy: Library - mass market

Captured and tortured by the French, Christian Severn, Duke of Mercia, survives by vowing to take revenge on his tormentors. Before the duke can pursue his version of justice, Gillian, Countess of Greendale, reminds him that his small daughter has suffered much in his absence, and needs her papa desperately.

Gilly endured her difficult marriage by avoiding confrontation and keeping peace at any cost. Christian's devotion to his daughter and his kindness toward Gilly give her hope that she could enjoy a future with him, for surely he of all men shares her loathing for violence in any form. Little does Gilly know, the battle for Christian's heart is only beginning.

Review:
I love Grace Burrowes. Seriously. This was such a heart-wrenching novel for me. Mercia is wonderful as a vengeful war veteran. He's just the right amount of hurt, guarded, and angry. Gillian is the perfect soft, betrayed woman for him. She had a horrible marriage and just wants a place to live quietly. Taking care of Mercia's daughter Lucy seems like the perfect way to obtain this goal. However, two wounded people in need of healing become perfect companions and slowly begin to fall in love. Nothing is ever simple in a Burrowes romance, and the story is full of wonderful layers. There's even a cameo from Devlin St. Just (The Soldier). The ending wrapped up nicely, and the story line set up the foundation for the rest of the series perfectly.

The Traitor by Grace Burrowes
Series: Captive Hearts #2
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Publication Date: 5 August 2014
Genre: Historical Romance
My Copy: Library - mass market

As a young boy, British-born Sebastian St. Clair was abandoned in France and forced to join the French army in order to survive. Now that the war is over, he has returned home to his beloved England, and is determined to live a quiet life as a country gentleman. He believes that his wish is about to come true when he begins to fall for his elderly aunt’s lovely companion, Miss Millicent Danforth.

But the French are not quite ready to let him go, and they’ve devised a devious plot that could destroy everything that Sebastian holds dear. He will have to use all of his wits if he plans on escaping this scheme with his life…and his love.

Review:
 This book was a fascinating addition to the series. I was amazed at how Burrowes was able to take a seemingly sadistic St. Clair and turn him into a character I loved. He was actually probably my favorite male character out of the series. Such a tortured, complicated, and misunderstood soul. Millie didn't really impress me as much. Out of desperation, she takes a position in the Traitor Baron's home and begins to learn more about him. She's sweet, but felt a little flat to me. The ending was everything I wanted for St. Clair.

  The Laird by Grace Burrowes
Series: Captive Hearts #3
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Publication Date: 2 September 2014
Genre: Historical Romance
My Copy: Library - mass market

The morning after Michael Brodie marries the lovely Brenna, he marches off to join Wellington’s army, leaving his new wife alone with his unseemly Uncle Angus and an estate to manage.

Ten years later, when Michael finally returns home, he discovers a nest of vicious lies, tales of disloyalty, and most surprising of all, a blossoming love for the woman he left behind.

But his beloved is keeping a dark secret from him. A secret that begins to unfold when Michael’s young sister joins their household, and Uncle Angus’ true nature is revealed.

Review:
  What a heart-wrenching conclusion to the Captive Heart series! The Author's Note in the beginning of the book states that this is darker than any of the books she's done thus far, and it certainly is. That being said, this might be my favorite book by Burrowes, and that's saying something. Michael is a patient and insightful man which is just what Brenna needs from her husband when he returns home from war. Brenna has been through an unimaginable 9 years, and really her story starts before those years. My heart broke for her over and over in this story. I loved the way Michael and Brenna come together. There's just something wonderful about the steadfast relationship they have despite everything they've been through. They just don't give up, and that's admirable. They are both very complex characters set against the unfortunate harsh realities of life. My only (very small) complaint is the handling of Maeve. I feel like Brenna wouldn't let Maeve be alone as much or be someone else's responsibility. That's all I'm going to say on that, so I don't give anything away, but it bothered me. I loved this book despite it's darkness, or maybe because of it.

This was absolutely another fantastic historical romance series. It really shows Grace Burrowes's talent for writing layers within stories that capture your heart. You should definitely add these to your list!

Book Review - Lock In by John Scalzi

Lock In by John Scalzi

Publisher: Tor Books

Publication Date: 26 August 2014

Genre: Science Fiction / Mystery

My Copy: Library - hardback

Fifteen years from now, a new virus sweeps the globe. 95% of those afflicted experience nothing worse than fever and headaches. Four percent suffer acute meningitis, creating the largest medical crisis in history. And one percent find themselves “locked in”—fully awake and aware, but unable to move or respond to stimulus.

One per cent doesn't seem like a lot. But in the United States, that's 1.7 million people “locked in”...including the President's wife and daughter.

Spurred by grief and the sheer magnitude of the suffering, America undertakes a massive scientific initiative. Nothing can restore the ability to control their own bodies to the locked in. But then two new technologies emerge. One is a virtual-reality environment, “The Agora,” in which the locked-in can interact with other humans, both locked-in and not. The other is the discovery that a few rare individuals have brains that are receptive to being controlled by others, meaning that from time to time, those who are locked in can “ride” these people and use their bodies as if they were their own.

This skill is quickly regulated, licensed, bonded, and controlled. Nothing can go wrong. Certainly nobody would be tempted to misuse it, for murder, for political power, or worse...

Review:
This was a really weird book for me. I've been trying to expand my reading horizons because every once in awhile, I need something different to read. Chris Shane is a Haden, the name for people who are locked in.  He's a famous Haden due to his father's vast collection of accolades as well as being the public face of Hadens as normal people. He wants to be able to live on his own and gets a job as an FBI agent. Hadens live with their bodies in cradles at home while a computer installed in their brains allows them to virtually live inside what are essentially fancy robots. This makes them valuable in the law enforcement field because they can record and scan their surroundings for viewing later. On his first official day on the job, he meets his partner Agent Vann who has her own set of problems. Immediately, they have a murder to solve. At first it seems like a garden variety murder, but then several things start to come to light and nothing seems to add up. Both characters annoyed me at times. Agent Shane acted like a spoiled rich kid a few times, which is actually probably realistic, but annoying none the less. Agent Vann was moody and rude, but again you kind of understand why later in the book.

The story was kind of hard for me to get into at first. I didn't really understand what Agent Shane was walking around as which made it really difficult to visualize the story (I was thinking something like R2D2, and it was more like I, Robot). There is apparently a prequel novella that explains some of this, so you might want to read that first. Once I understood a little better (about a quarter of the way through the book), I really got into the book. There is so much going on in it. Scalzi did a great job of connecting all the dots and there are a lot. I was a little worried it would seem rushed at the end since I was really close to the end and there were still way too many loose ends, but it was all wrapped up and surprisingly didn't feel rushed to me. I thought the mystery aspect of this was very well put together.

I am not aware of a sequel planned for this, nor does the ending leave it to where there has to be one, but I would kind of like to see one. There are many more story lines available here and much about the Agora and the new circumstances for the Hadens that could still be evolved further. I did take away a star for it being hard to get into and understand at first. I almost gave up on it, but I'm glad I didn't. I highly recommend this book, but you should probably read the novella first!

Rating Breakdown:

Plot: 5 stars

Pacing: 5 stars

Characters: 4 stars

Ending: 5 stars

Recommend: Yes!

Book Review - Contents May Have Shifted by Pam Houston

Contents May Have Shifted by Pam Houston

Publisher: W W Norton & Co

Publication Date: 6 February 2012

Genre: Literary Fiction/Short Stories

My Copy: Library - hardback

Stuck in a dead-end relationship, this fearless narrator leaves her metaphorical baggage behind and finds a comfort zone in the air, “feeling safest with one plane ticket in her hand and another in her underwear drawer.” She flies around the world, finding reasons to love life in dozens of far-flung places from Alaska to Bhutan. Along the way she weathers unplanned losses of altitude, air pressure, and landing gear. With the help of a squad of loyal, funny, wise friends and massage therapists, she learns to sort truth from self-deception, self-involvement from self-possession.

At last, having found a new partner “who loves Don DeLillo and the NHL” and a daughter “who needs you to teach her to dive and to laugh at herself”—not to mention two dogs and two horses—“staying home becomes more of an option. Maybe.”

Review:

I picked up this book because it was on a list of "Must Reads by Women," and I didn't really know much about it. It started out so great, but then I lost interest pretty quickly. I don't read very many short stories mostly because I like my stories to be longer with a defined and well sculpted plot. Which is probably why this book and I didn't get along. The book is divided up into 144 little stories about events or places the main character visited or regularly frequented (a possible title choice being "144 Reasons Not to Commit Suicide). I had a hard time connecting to it because of the way it jumped all around in time and place. Not my thing. I skimmed through most of the second half because I did enjoy a couple of the short pieces, but not enough to hold my interest. I do have some quotes to share from early in the book.

Quotes:

If I die tonight it will be with every single thing unfinished (like, I suppose, any other night), and yet, what a gift to die on the verge of tears. I have spent my life trying to understand the way this rock and this ache go together, why a granite peak is more dramatic half dressed in clouds (like a woman), why sunlight under fog is better than the sum of its parts, why my best days and my worst days are always the same days, why (often) leaving seems like the only solution to the predicament of loving (each other) the world. - pg 14

He tells me we've been put on earth to crack each other open, and then to stick around long enough to watch the thing that, having been cracked open, suddenly shines. He says he knows there is only a thin wall between himself and all that shining, but sometimes he forgets how thin the wall is, because somebody came along when he wasn't looking, and painted the damn thing black. - pg 15

I'm beginning to understand that when we want to kill ourselves, it is not because we are lonely, but because we are trying to break up with the world before the world breaks up with us. - pg 21

At our first therapy session in over a year Patrick said, "Pam! Don't you get it? If Ethan spends every minute he's eating your mango, longing for the old mango, he doesn't have any brain space to worry about losing the mango he's got right now." - pg 47

Janine said, "The best way to think of Ethan's energy is like mistletoe. We have all these nice kissy associations with mistletoe, and even out in nature it doesn't look that bad, but give it enough time and it will kill the tree." - pg 61

Rating Breakdown:

Plot: 1 star

Pacing: 1 star

Characters: 3 stars

Book Review - The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks

The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: 11 October 2011
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
My Copy: Library - hardback

In the spring of 1984, high school students Amanda Collier and Dawson Cole fell deeply, irrevocably in love. Though they were from opposite sides of the tracks, their love for one another seemed to defy the realities of life in the small town of Oriental, North Carolina. But as the summer of their senior year came to a close, unforeseen events would tear the young couple apart, setting them on radically divergent paths.

Now, twenty-five years later, Amanda and Dawson are summoned back to Oriental for the funeral of Tuck Hostetler, the mentor who once gave shelter to their high school romance. Neither has lived the life they imagined . . . and neither can forget the passionate first love that forever changed their lives. As Amanda and Dawson carry out the instructions Tuck left behind for them, they realize that everything they thought they knew -- about Tuck, about themselves, and about the dreams they held dear -- was not as it seemed. Forced to confront painful memories, the two former lovers will discover undeniable truths about the choices they have made. And in the course of a single, searing weekend, they will ask of the living, and the dead: Can love truly rewrite the past?

Review:

Nicholas Sparks is one of those authors that everyone has read, or at least seen a movie based off one of his books. I usually love his books. They're good for when you want a sad love story. They offer a hard dose of reality or give you a chance to cry if you haven't in awhile (okay, maybe that last one is just me). Readers can pretty well pick up one of his books and know what they're getting into. The Best of Me was much the same. 

Amanda is a wife and mother who has some martial problems following a family tragedy. Dawson is your rough-around-the-edges man who works on an oil rig and spends his time alone. He never married or even dated after Amanda. He was from a bad family, and she was from a good one. Tuck was a lonely man who let Dawson live with him, gave him a job, and provided a place for Dawson and Amanda to hang out. In the beginning of the book Dawson and Amanda have just found out that Tuck passed away. While Dawson had kept in touch via letters, Amanda had visited Tuck many times over the years after the tragedy. Tuck left special instructions upon his death to reconnect Dawson and Amanda. They meet at his house after years apart, and here's where you can expect a somewhat typical Nicholas Sparks love story. 

The ending kind of ruined the book for me. Everyone expects a sad ending to most Nicholas Sparks novels, but this one felt way too contrived. He tried too hard to make it work and make all the connections. I did love the characters, especially Tuck even though he was written more as a plot device than a character. It wasn't one of his best novels, not even really one of his good novels, but it is still Nicholas Sparks at the core.

Rating Breakdown:

 Plot: 3 stars

Pacing: 4 stars

Characters: 5 stars

Ending: 2 stars

Recommend: Maybe, if you like Nicholas Sparks