I know Thomas Galvin from his blog featuring hilarious recaps of episodes of vampire shows, including two of my favorite shows, Vampire Diaries and TrI know Thomas Galvin from his blog featuring hilarious recaps of episodes of vampire shows, including two of my favorite shows, Vampire Diaries and True Blood. His sense of humor is also apparent in this book (and the mini-recaps he has been doing for his online Sire Book Club). It is also a treat to see elements in his vampire novel that he has commented on or made fun of in his past recaps. Overall, I found the book to be entertaining. I like the cold open of the book, I like the characters, I like the premise of a vampire town that collects pretty humans, I like the conflict, I like the derisive remarks about Twilight that pepper the dialogue. One of the only things I didn't like about the book was what a cliffhanger it ended on. But that just leaves me waiting, rather impatiently, wanting for more.
Merged review:
I know Thomas Galvin from his blog featuring hilarious recaps of episodes of vampire shows, including two of my favorite shows, Vampire Diaries and True Blood. His sense of humor is also apparent in this book (and the mini-recaps he has been doing for his online Sire Book Club). It is also a treat to see elements in his vampire novel that he has commented on or made fun of in his past recaps. Overall, I found the book to be entertaining. I like the cold open of the book, I like the characters, I like the premise of a vampire town that collects pretty humans, I like the conflict, I like the derisive remarks about Twilight that pepper the dialogue. One of the only things I didn't like about the book was what a cliffhanger it ended on. But that just leaves me waiting, rather impatiently, wanting for more....more
★★★★½ -- Collins does it again. This addition to the Hunger Games series is another emotional rollercoaster and a joyride of unexpected twists and tur★★★★½ -- Collins does it again. This addition to the Hunger Games series is another emotional rollercoaster and a joyride of unexpected twists and turns. Catching Fire continues the journey of Katniss and those she knows. As expected, it is not an easy path. I enjoyed the new characters, and appreciated the development with the old. Some of the twists I realized before Katniss, but others were quite unexpected. Overall, I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who read the first novel, fans of dystopian fiction, science fiction, young adults, and anyone that thinks they might like the series. You won't be disappointed. ...more
This was a very quick read. I think it took me all of 10-15 minutes. I'd say it's a good book to have out as a coffee table book, or in a waiting roomThis was a very quick read. I think it took me all of 10-15 minutes. I'd say it's a good book to have out as a coffee table book, or in a waiting room. Some of the examples are very funny, others less so. You may have already seen several of these funny answers somewhere on the internet (funnyexams.com comes to mind). The humor of the book is somewhat lessened to me because I'm concerned that many of the examples are fake. If you notice, *several* of the examples are written in the same "handwriting". It becomes quite clear at this point that the answers are written in various handwriting typefaces. I feel like the book would have been better if the examples were more authentic. Being able to think that students actually used these answers adds a greater level of humor for me. Overall, I would not recommend purchasing this book other than in the circumstances I mentioned above. If you happen to see the book somewhere, however, it's worth a quick flip-through....more
★★★★½ -- I selected this book to read because of what I had seen about it, and the fact that it was chosen as a monthly read for one of my groups. I w★★★★½ -- I selected this book to read because of what I had seen about it, and the fact that it was chosen as a monthly read for one of my groups. I was excited to read it, but I found myself afraid I wouldn't be able to finish it as soon as I started. For those that do not know, this book is written in vernacular. There is a seemingly good reason for this that doesn't come to light until later. In this dystopian, Western-like world, people no longer read books, and the written language has been largely lost. Thus, it becomes more expected that, for a book narrated by a protagonist in this world, that the spelling and sentence structure wouldn't be perfect. It seems like Moira Young decided that this would be a good way to add immersion to the novel. If you are a hardline grammarian that can't imagine reading a book rife with misspellings, bad grammar and a noted lack of correct punctuation, you may be put off of this book from the start.
That said however, I found the story of Blood Red Road to be amazing. Saba is a strong protagonist that is not without her flaws. She knows she is flawed, and she is not apologetic about it, something I really liked about her. Don't get me wrong, her character experiences a lot of development, but I like that she knows she's not perfect and she doesn't expect herself to be. The journey to save her brother is filled with twists, turns, unexpected characters and surprising events. Blood Red Road likes to keep you guessing, and it does so in a way that is still meaningful. The relationships in the novel are very refreshing. I am so happy that Saba doesn't just go straight for Jack, her love interest. Even though she finds that he is "her heart's desire" she is still reluctant. She has her brother to think about, after all. Can she really let other things get in the way?
Overall I found Blood Red Road to be a great story, and very refreshing. It has a little bit of everything from many genres, from action to thriller to romance, to Western, to dystopia, to gladiators. I wouldn't be at all surprised if this were made into a movie, and I think it'd make a good one at that. I recommend this to anyone that thinks it sounds interesting. As long as you can get over the style of writing (which I was), I don't think you'll be disappointed....more
The Future of Us is a solid, well-written young adult novel cowritten by the authors of Thirteen Reasons Why (a book I loved) and The Earth, My Butt aThe Future of Us is a solid, well-written young adult novel cowritten by the authors of Thirteen Reasons Why (a book I loved) and The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things. The novel has an interesting premise and several lessons to offer. It makes you consider what consequences your actions have on the future, the impact of your attitude on future events, the value of what you hold dear, the value of what you take for granted, and how much the relationships you have really matter. I think it has a special impact for me because I am familiar with memories of how the internet played out back in 1995 and currently. I'd recommend it to anyone that thinks they'd find the premise interesting, likes books about friends rediscovering their value to each other, and fans of either author. I enjoyed it, and I think you will too. ...more
This book started off on the right foot. I was interested by what was going on with Kaylee and the characters around her (although I was most interestThis book started off on the right foot. I was interested by what was going on with Kaylee and the characters around her (although I was most interested in Tod, who didn't get much focus in the book). I was interested in a young adult urban fantasy about creatures I hadn't yet read a story about. But as the story wore on, it wore on my patience. Maybe I should have known to expect it. When I saw that the book was a Harlequin Teen book, I expected PG-13 smut. However, it appears that a teen romance simply means that the main character and her love interest decided they were made for each other almost immediately after meeting. That's not my cup of tea. Kaylee and Nash's relationship seemed very artificial, as there were no layers of depth and no development to speak of. I believe people can only fall in insta-lust, not insta-love, so it was quite annoying to me. Given that this is one of the cornerstones of the book, I found it very hard to finish the book even though the story had an interesting plot. The book does have a good plot (although some of the twists are very predictable, at least to me), so if you don't mind a quickly developing romance, you will probably like it more than I did. I'd recommend it to people that can stand Twilight. To me, the writing is better, but the main relationship has about the same depth....more
I was pleasantly surprised by Death Island. Danny, an innocent man is framed for the axe murder of his wife and several other women. He is sentenced tI was pleasantly surprised by Death Island. Danny, an innocent man is framed for the axe murder of his wife and several other women. He is sentenced to exile on Death Island, a sentence that has replaced the death penalty in America. Death Island is the site of America's new favorite reality show, a pay-per-view affair that has families and friends gathering weekly to watch the convicts struggle for their lives. Death Island is the story of Danny and a friend, the pastor's wife he left behind, who may be his only hope. The book is very gripping and entertaining. It reads like a movie, and you won't want to put it down. There were only a few things that detracted from the experience, and they were mainly typos. The book could use another once-over by an editor, as there are a few misspellings and many instances of missing punctuation. The only other thing I didn't love about the book was the ending. It is clever, but I expected more closure. Overall, I'd recommend it to anyone that likes thrillers, reality TV, Lord of the Flies, or who just wants to be entertained.
This book was obtained freely through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review....more
Again, Neil Gaiman reminds me why he is one of my very favorite authors. He just has a way with words, and he weaves stories supremely. Although CoralAgain, Neil Gaiman reminds me why he is one of my very favorite authors. He just has a way with words, and he weaves stories supremely. Although Coraline is marketed as a children's tale, I stand by the fact the it is a story for all ages. A little bit Alice in Wonderland, a little bit Chronicles of Narnia, a little bit horror movie... Coraline is a creepy tale of a girl that learns of the subtle difference between what she wants and what she thinks she wants when the world she knows is on the line. Chilling and suspenseful, I'd recommend this book to fans of genres from dark fantasy to fairy tales. Seriously, just go read it. I don't care how old you are or what kind of books you normally read, you should give it a try....more
I didn't know exactly what to expect. I've liked the other works by Cherie Priest that I have read, but I didn't really picture her writing a vampire I didn't know exactly what to expect. I've liked the other works by Cherie Priest that I have read, but I didn't really picture her writing a vampire book. I'm glad she did, because I really enjoyed it. It's a dark urban fantasy comedy thriller vampire conspiracy book. If that sounds like a lot to pack into one book, may I direct you the Priest's Clockwork Century series? Cherie Priest is very good at crafting a multi-faceted novel, and making it work. The narration is snarky and funny. The plot is different than anything I've read lately, and was interesting. The twists and turns helped keep it lively. Notably, unlike most urban fantasy vampire books, the protagonist is not in bed with someone in the first 30 pages of the book. While I must admit that I enjoy well-placed, well-written smut as much as the next person, its absence isn't missed. Overall, Bloodshot is a fun romp, and I'd recommend it to fans of Cherie Priest, vampires, snarky narrators and urban fantasy....more
Simply amazing. Cassandra Clare is a wonderful, talented storyteller. Having just finished this novel, I don't believe there is anything I particularlSimply amazing. Cassandra Clare is a wonderful, talented storyteller. Having just finished this novel, I don't believe there is anything I particularly disliked about it. Everything that comes to mind when I think about the book, I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved the plot, the character development. I loved the conflict, the betrayal. I loved the many threads of story that wove their way back into the characters' pasts, or foreshadowed things to come. I may just be a sick individual (it's possible, even probable), but one of my favorite things about this book was just how thoroughly it broke your heart. It takes a good book to wrench your heart in so many directions, you don't know what to do with yourself. Clockwork Prince does it, and elegantly. I recommend it highly....more
The Pentacle Pendant had potential, but it couldn't quite live up to it. The plot itself is a generally interesting one. The synopsis of Claire's loveThe Pentacle Pendant had potential, but it couldn't quite live up to it. The plot itself is a generally interesting one. The synopsis of Claire's lover turning her into a werewolf, of Claire having to deal with moral/instinctual conundrums, of Claire's lover getting murdered and Claire herself being hunted sounds like an entertaining story. However, in practice, the style and approach left something to be desired.
I found that the book just did not keep my attention throughout a large portion of the story. There were times when I just didn't know if I was going to be able to make it through the book to complete my review. The first third or so of the book (and last third or so) was fine, primarily because plot development was occurring. Unfortunately, everything really bogged down in the middle. DeBock tries to use a lot of banter, which doesn't always work. Sometimes it is difficult to know which characters are speaking, or why characters say what they do or act how they do. Additionally, the story feels very non-continuous. The generous use of "* * *" throughout makes the reader feel as if they are constantly being dragged from once place to the next. Using more transitions instead of breaking up the events in such a way would have gone a long way to make the story feel like more of a contiguous whole.
Another thing I didn't particularly love about the book was how graphic it was. Graphic sex and violence are somewhat gratuitous in this book. I can deal with sex in my books, but the descriptions of eating animals and humans, particularly the parts about eating the brain and other such gory details just skeeved me out.
If you think the plot sounds really interesting, don't mind slow middle sections, enjoy banter, and don't mind interruptions, graphic sex or graphic violence, then you could very well enjoy this book. It just wasn’t my cup of tea.
This book was obtained freely through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review. ...more
**spoiler alert** It's the third book! Do you know what that means? It's time to throw a wrench in the whole story. And boy, does this one ever.
This **spoiler alert** It's the third book! Do you know what that means? It's time to throw a wrench in the whole story. And boy, does this one ever.
This was one of the books just felt like punching. I no longer like Seth, but I like Carter even more. The other characters? *sigh* I just wish Georgina could find some happiness. I feel like she lost everything in this book.
Seth, I don't even know what to say about you. I thought you were a nice guy. Georgina said you could get your sex fix elsewhere. What do you do? Sleep with and begin a relationship with her close friend? Break up with her? Take a dig at her humanity? I don't know you any longer, Seth Mortensen, and I don't like what I see....more
★★★½ -- The Radleys is an intriguing look into the life of a family of vampires trying to fit in as a normal family in a small, normal town. The vampi★★★½ -- The Radleys is an intriguing look into the life of a family of vampires trying to fit in as a normal family in a small, normal town. The vampire mythology in this novel is different than what readers are used to, and is quite interesting. First off, vampires aren’t immortal. They can subsist on human blood, vampire blood, or abstain from both. Those who do their best to ignore their cravings for blood are part of a vampire subculture known as abstainers, who work diligently to live uneventful, human-like lives, denying the callings of blood and the imagination.
The Radleys are abstainers. Helen and Peter have kept their children, Rowan and Clara in the dark for seventeen years. For years, these teens have tried to live unassuming lives in a small English town. However, they have always stuck out; have always been picked on by others who, subconsciously, realized that the Radleys are different. Nothing challenges this status quo until Clara is followed home and assaulted by the bully at school. He forces himself on her, and in a panic, she defends herself to keep herself from getting raped. This is the night that changes everything, that brings into question whether or not the Radleys can ever truly live normal lives again.
I thought the novel, overall, was quite well done. It really brings to light the issues of family, fitting in, guilt, temptation and identity. It may be a story about vampires, but there are messages applicable to real life. The general premise and themes remind me of “The Gates”, an American television show about a suburban gated community of supernatural beings, and their struggle to lead somewhat normal lives. I liked that show, and I liked this novel. I’d recommend it to fans of vampires and fans of books about the struggles of domestic life.
This book was obtained freely through the Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for an honest review....more