Archive for June, 2010
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
Several months ago when we started this blog and the Twitter account, we tossed around the idea of hosting an online book club. I’ve never participated in a book club but couldn’t tell you exactly why. I would love to so the idea of helping host one was – is - rather appealing.
I have this vague idea to regularly post a brief overview of chapter(s) we’re reading and have participants chime in either with a comment or a post on their own blog. It would be a great opportunity to get other viewpoints on a book while meeting new people (and possibly building some blog traffic if you’re into that)
So here are a few questions:
1. Would this be something that would interest you?
2. Would you want to do a chapter a week? More? Less? Depends on the book?
3. Do you want to jump in with a new(er) release or go old school?
You can respond here, or email me, or hit me up on Twitter or Facebook. This could be a lot of fun!
*Yes, yes…I DID just make an Ice Cube reference. Please don’t hold it against me.
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
I’m about halfway done with “A Fierce Radiance” by Lauren Belfer. It was released on the 15th of this month.
Claire saw her cover story for the magazine taking shape. This was what she was truly here for: not fumbling espionage, but the gift she had for creating evocative images.
Monday, June 28th, 2010
Here’s the weekly comparison of the Wall Street Journal and New York Times Top 5 bestsellers in Fiction Hardback.
| Wall Street Journal Top 5 |
New York Times Top 5 |
| The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner Stephenie Meyer |
The Overton Widow Glenn Beck* |
| The Overton Widow Glenn Beck* |
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest Steig Larsson |
| The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest Steig Larsson |
The Lion Nelson DeMille |
| The Lion Nelson DeMille |
The Passage Justin Cronin |
| Whiplash Catherine Coulter* |
Whiplash Catherine Coulter* |
*New this week
Monday, June 28th, 2010
Hardback fiction new releases:
06/29/2010
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet (David Mitchell)
Deadline (Stella Rimington)
Tutankhamun: The Book of Shadows (Nick Drake)
Foreign Influence (Brad Thor)
Work Song (Ivan Doig)
A Vintage Affair (Isabel Wolff)*
Kraken (China Mieville)*
In the Name of Honor (Richard North Patterson)
Running Dark (Jamie Freveletti)
Keys to the Repository (Blue Bloods Series) (Melissa de la Cruz)
Inside Out: A Novel (Barry Eisler)
Nights of Villjamur (Mark Charan Newton)*
The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives (Lola Shoneyin)
The Whisper (Carla Neggers)
Ice Cold (Jane Rizzoli & Maura Isles Series #8) (Tess Gerritsen)
Five Days Apart (Chris Binchy)*
The Exile (Andrew Britton)
The Grave Gourmet (Alexander Campion)
Shoulder Bags and Shootings (Dorothy Howell)
June 30, 2010
A Rainbow of Blood: The Union in Peril? An Alternate History (Peter G. Tsouras)
Forbidden Fruit (Corinna Chapman Series #5) (Kerry Greenwood)
July 1, 2010
The Sleeping Beauty (Five Hundred Kingdoms Series #5) (Mercedes Lackey)
On the Nickel (John Shannon)
Still Waters (Marilyn Todd)
Life, After (Sarah Todd)*
Witchcraft (Jayne Ann Krentz)
The Magician’s Accomplice: A Commander Jana Matinova Investigation (Michael Genelin)
Danger Close (William G. Boykin)
The Eye of the Virgin (Frederick Ramsey)
A Pig of Cold Poison: A Gil Cunningham Murder Mystery (Pat McIntosh)
The Price of Liberty (Kier Graff)
Koko (Peter Straub)
Resolutions (Jane A Adams)
Dying to Know: A Lance Elliott Mystery (Keith McCarthy)
The Mills of God: A Reverend Nick Lawrence Mystery (Deryn Lake)
Late Rain (Lynn Kostoff)
In Concert (Steve Rasnic Tem/Melanie Tem/Howie Michels)
The Secret Intensity of Everyday Life (William Nicholson)
Caged (Hilary Norman)
July 5, 2010
Death is Not an Option: Stories (Suzanne Rivecca)*
* Added to my TBR list
Friday, June 25th, 2010
A few weeks ago, BookAngel from As I Turn the Pages posted that she had received “The Souls of the Fire Dragon” from debut author John Wrieden for review. She commented that she hadn’t read sci-fi in a long time and felt it was a good chance to step outside her comfort zone. When she realized she couldn’t finish it though, she offered it to whoever would do a review. We all know I’m a self professed sci-fi fan and the book sounded intriguing so I jumped at the chance. (Although I must admit, I cringe every time I refer to myself as a “sci-fi/fantasy” fan because I’m just waiting for someone to contact me with a quote from some obscure cult classic that I’ve never heard of, much less read, and I’ll be exposed as a complete fraud.)
Mr. Wrieden’s debut book had every element that (usually) pulls me into a book: magic and dragons, alternate realities, love and war, rivalries and sacrificing friendships. There’s a lot of clichés but that’s not an issue for me; I consider familiar formulas the comfort food of entertainment. However, the ONLY reason I finished “The Souls of the Fire Dragon” was because I promised to do a review. This is not a fun review to write though. The writing was heavy handed and wooden. It lacked the subtlety that allows a reader’s imagination to take over and draw them in. Elements were introduced, then never mentioned again (ex. Akea’s telekinesis…he never uses it except to play with a chandelier once. Was it only supposed to be a hint of his true power?). There were inconsistencies from line to line, paragraph to paragraph. Descriptions were flat and often repetitive. On more than one occasion I wondered if maybe Mr. Wrieden’s first language is something other than English. I started to compare it to a bad translation of a great book but that’s not accurate. It’s poor construction from the start. It was just…awkward.
There were a few points where I wondered if he wasn’t going for a “punny” tone in the vein of Piers Anthony’s “Xanth” novels. For example on page 63 describes “The sounds of the operations were like a ticking clock, without the ticking.” But if that’s the case, it got bogged down quickly.
I wanted to love this book. I expected to love it. I know every story, including this one, is a labor of love. I KNOW its hard work. And the premise of the book was good – great even. It excited me: Fate (who is married to Chance) discovers that the main character, Akea, has cheated him – he was moved from one reality to another as a baby. Akea turns out to be the most powerful magician of all time and the key to overthrowing the oppressive government. He falls in love with a dragon and with their friends (and the help of Fate, Chance and their twin children Death & Life) they train and embark on their mission. It SHOULD have been fun…especially with the family of Fate, Chance & kids. That idea had me salivating with the possibilities.
Fans of this author, of this book, please stand up. Defend this. Tell me I’m missing the point, the subtle British humor. Tell me I’m dense and that I clearly did not understand the satirical jab at modern society. Show me why I should have loved this book. Because I wanted to but right now, I’m not feeling it.
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
As a young girl (early junior high days), one of the books that impacted me the most was “The Diary of Anne Frank”. I lived in my own little bubble and that glimpse into her world…well it rocked mine. (Though I must say, reading it as an adult lends a much different view than as a pre-teen) Now there is some hullabaloo over a new book coming out.
Sharon Dogar, an author of novels aimed at teens, is releasing “Annexed” in October of this year. It is a fictional tale focusing on Peter van Pels, the boy whose family hid with the Franks. The family is up in arms over Dogar’s portray of Anne, Peter and their relationship. The article indicates that their relationship was “sexed up” although it also states that the most controversial part (that Anne & Peter actually consummated their relationship) was removed.
On one hand I sympathize with the family. Frank has become a symbol of the indefatigable human spirit. Her name is practically synonymous with Jewish persecution during World War II. I admire her and her family. But overall, I feel the reaction to this fiction novel is a bit over the top. The fact is, Anne herself discusses sex on more than one occasion in her diary and is very open about how she feels. She experiences the same emotions and confusion of other 13-15 year old girl discovering herself and longing for independence but all while dealing with the fears of discovery and pressure of living in close quarters. If she and Peter DID have sex, I’m quit certain she would have vividly wrote about it. The fact that it’s not mentioned means either (a) it didn’t happen (my completely uneducated guess) or (b) it was excluded from publication. “Annexed” is obviously conjecture and speculation. There are plenty of historical fiction novels that take launch from what we know of real people. An author has the freedom to fill in the gaps of known history with whatever conjecture their imagination can provide.
I’m certainly not trying to downplay the tragedy of the Holocaust. But I just don’t get the impression that Dogar is trying to make light of the Van Pels’ and Franks’ shared history. Peter was a teenage boy locked up with teenage girls. I sincerely doubt his thoughts and feelings were entirely pure. Obviously we don’t know for sure how he experienced the reality he shared with Anne. But I think Dogar is highlighting the fact that there were other stories we didn’t get the privilege of hearing, that there were other amazing spirits snuffed out well before their time.
What do YOU think of this whole fracas? Will you read “Annexed”? I know I certainly will. If nothing else, this push back has just given the book more publicity than she could have ever bought.
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
I actually just finished this book late last night but absolutely loved it. “The Bucolic Plague: How Two Manhattanites Became Gentlemen Farmers“ is billed as an “unconventional memoir”.
Each pass across the plot drew new bruises on both shins as rocks, chunks of old fence-posts, and random rusty machine parts shot up out of the earth, as if it kept its own artillery down below. Strangely the most common pieces of detritus were bones.
Monday, June 21st, 2010
Hardback fiction new releases:
06/22/2010
Dark Flame (Immortal Series #4) (Alyson Noel)
Silencing Sam: A Novel (Julie Kramer)
Pray For Silence (Kate Burkholder Series #2) (Linda Castillo)
A Night of Long Knives (Rebecca Cantrell)
Mission of Honor (Disciples of Honor #4) (David Weber)
Temperence (Cathy Malkasian)
A Desirable Residence (Madeline Wickham)
Banana Republic: From the Buchanan File (Eric Rauchway)
The Templar (P.C. Doherty)
Sizzling Sixteen (Stephanie Plum Series # 16) (Janet Evanovich)
The Omega Point (Whitley Strieber)
In My Father’s House (E. Lynn Harris)
The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno (Ellen Bryson)*
Bad Samaritan (Aimee & David Thurlo)
Queen of Secrets (Jenny Meyerhoff)
The Devil Amongst Lawyers (Sharyn McCrumb)
The Dog Park Club (Cynthia Robinson)
Ancestor (Scott Sigler)*
Blood Feud (Alyxander Harvey)
The Wolves of Fairmount Park (Dennis Tafoya)
Mr. Peanut (Adam Ross)
Crashers (Dana Hayes)
Family Ties (Danielle Steele)
The Thrill of Night (James Hayman)
The Palace of Impossible Dreams (Tide Lord Series #3) (Jennifer Fallon)
Go Mutants (Larry Doyle)
Broken (Karin Slaughter)
Take Four (Above the Line Series #4) Karen Kingsbury
Glimpse (Carol Lynch Williams)*
Strong Justice (Jon Land)
Intelligence (Susan Hasler)
Bone Appetit (Carolyn Haines)
The Lovers (Vendela Vida)
32 Candles (Ernessa T. Carter)*
Following Polly (Karen Bergreen)*
Snowbound (Blake Crouch)
Nomansland (Lesley Hauge)*
Beachcombers (Nancy Thayer)
The Amateur Historian: A Thriller (Julian Cole)
June 23, 2010
The Space Between Trees (Katie Williams)*
June 24, 2010
Bliss Remembered (Frank Deford)
The Sisters from Hardscrabble Bay (Beverly Jensen)
The Liar’s Lullaby (Jo Beckett)*
June 28, 2010
Private (James Patterson)
* Added to my TBR list
Monday, June 21st, 2010
Here’s the weekly comparison of the Wall Street Journal and New York Times Top 5 bestsellers in Fiction Hardback.
| Wall Street Journal Top 5 |
New York Times Top 5 |
| The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner Stephenie Meyer |
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest Steig Larsson |
| The Lion Nelson DeMille* |
The Lion Nelson DeMille* |
| The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest Steig Larsson |
The Passage Justin Cronin* |
| The Passage Justin Cronin* |
The Help Kathryn Stockett |
| The Red Pyramid Rick Riordan |
The Spy Clive Cussler/Justin Scott |
*New this week
Friday, June 18th, 2010
I picked up “The Windup Girl” by Paolo Bacigalupi, not because it was a new release, but because it is the 2009 Nebula Award winner.
The events take place in a world where all food is bio engineered. Plagues have wiped out natural crops and continue to be a serious threat, leaving a starving, desperate world. Enter the “calorie corporations”, the big companies that control food, turning calories into currency and bio-terrorism into a tool for profits. In addition to food, there is a new race of bio engineered people, grown & programmed to perform duties for the Japanese. Though accepted there, these New People are shunned in Bangkok where the story takes place. This new race of people are often called “windups” for their tell-tale stop/start stuttering movement – hence the book’s title.
The cast of characters is rather large and often seem unrelated. Emiko, the windup girl the book is named for, is introduced in chapter 3 but doesn’t become a major player until much later. Another character begins as a key player and continues to affect events throughout the pages, though in a very unexpected manner. Anderson Lake is the first character to make an appearance and continues to be a dominant figure until the end. As the book jumps from story to story, the plotline initially seemed disjointed. However, as the narrative progressed Bacigalupi wove these diversities into one intense story line that presses forward towards the climax.
I had high expectations for “The Windup Girl”. After all, it was written by a Hugo nominated and Locus Award winning author. The novel itself earned top honors from The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. It had a lot to live up to. I thought the book started out slowly. While initially reading, the world was so alien that it took awhile to become familiar enough to immerse myself in it. Those first few chapters seemed interminable at the time but they built a strong foundation for the environment and characters. By the end of chapter three I couldn’t put the book down. And by the time I closed the back cover, I felt that it had more than met my expectations. This won’t leave you with warm fuzzies. But Bacigalupi shows skill in creating a believable and spine chilling future as well as characters that draw the reader in. You might not LIKE all of them, but you’ll care what happens to them.
