Tag: book nerd

Thin Air-A Book Review

Lauren1 Comment

In August the book club I am a member of picked Thin Air by Lisa Gray to read. I decided to listen to the audio book.

Why did I decide that?

Narrated by Amy Landon, I found her voice to be a tad too soothing to fit a thriller style book. I wish to be tense when finding out who the killer is, not relaxed!

In fact, I had so much of a wish to be tense that I switched to the e-book version of the book for the last few chapters.

As for the book itself, I found the character development to be well done, though some of the twisty character bits I saw coming. The plot was very well done and the ending was satisfying. And although I enjoyed the book, I’m not running off to read the rest. I think my experience of the book was colored by the bad narration, so I didn’t get as much enjoyment out of it as I hoped to.

I think I may give this book another try in about a year and see how I enjoy it then as an actual book, not an audio book, when it’s not so fresh on my mind. Maybe then I will like it better.

To make a blog post short, don’t listen to the audio book on this one, stick to the book you actually lay eyes on. You might enjoy it more.

Spy, Spy Again-A Book Review

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So I should mention before I start this review that I am a huge Heralds of Valdemar fan. From way back in the day. Been reading them for years. Also I’m doing a reading challenge with the books this month.

That being said I have felt like, in the last five books or so, the writing had started to suffer from the dreaded series fatigue. You know. The thing that happens when a writer has been writing the same universe or characters for so long.

That being said, this book gave a much needed breath of new life into the series.

That was quite a nice surprise.

The basic premise of the book is a prince and his best friend (who are both spies in training) are called upon to go rescue a skilled assassin from the clutches of a evil neighboring nation. Of course, this being a Valdemar book means there is magic and demons and a whole host of other fantastical things you might not otherwise see in a book with that plot.

The book does start out off a little slow, but not so slow that you loose interest. For me it picked up speed and had me excited to see how it would end.

If you haven’t read from Foundation onwards, a few things won’t make sense. And yes, that is a lot of books to read (at least ten). This book does, however, provide a brief synopsis of the backstory and why it’s important, so you can skip all that extra reading if you want to. But why would you want to?

All in all, it’s a good book. I was pleasantly surprised by how it turned out. It’s a good lazy afternoon’s (and evenings) read!

A Book A Day

Lauren3 Comments

So I’ve been in a reading slump lately. I’ve had the same three books on my Goodreads currently reading page for months!

So I decided to try something.

I’m a pretty decent reader. I can work my way through a 300 page book in one sitting no problem. So what if I challenged myself to read a book a day in August?

I can do it, right?

Yeah, I got this.

I decided, since I’m going to nail this, to keep all the books between 350 to 400 pages. I also decided to read all the Heralds of Valdemar books by Mercedes Lackey. There are something like 36 books in the series, so I should be good for choices here!

My first book was Foundations. The story of Mags, a child slave at a gem mine who gets Chosen by Dallen to become a Herald of Valdemar, thus changing his life forever.

Next up was Intrigues. That’s the further adventures of Herald trainee Mags.

Follow me on Instagram to see what I’m reading everyday!

Gods Behaving Badly-A Book Review

Lauren1 Comment

This book came out in 2007, so I’m a little late to the book reviewing game on this one.

See, I’m a big fan of Greek myth stories. I just found out about Song of Achilles, like, two months ago, and I need to read it now!

Back to this book. My main problems were with the characters and the plot. The world building was perfectly fine, and since it was our world it wasn’t a hard sell.

The characters, however, were rather flat. Our female protagonists are polar opposites of each other, which normally isn’t a bad thing. You look for that opposition to bring out the characters strengths and/or weaknesses. But in the case of Alice, it did nothing but make her look weak. No redeeming qualities at all. Poor Alice.

The premise of the book held great promise, but when you got into the actual meat of the book, the plot fell flat. Until that twisty bit with, well, to say its name would give away part of the twist now, wouldn’t it?

After that twisty bit it did get pretty good. Not great, mind you, but good. I did like the bit with Hades and Persephone.

At the end of the day this book was just okay. I didn’t hate reading it. I also didn’t love reading it either. I give it a solid “meh”.

Gods Behaving Badly was written by Marie Phillips and was chosen as my book club’s book of the month.

A Case for the Kindle

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I know what your thinking.

Why do a post about something that tons of readers already own?  Or can use on their phones?

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Because quite a few don’t.

I used to be one of those people who thought that a Kindle (or any e-reader really) was useless.  Who could possibly want one of those?  Books are superior!  The smell of the pages.  The way a spine cracks on a new book.  Being able to pick a great bookmark.

All of these things are fantastic.  And don’t get me wrong, I have an entire library full of books to read.

But I also have a Kindle.

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My first Kindle was a gift from the hubs before he was the hubs!  He had given it to me right before we were going on our first beach trip together.  He wanted me to be able to take as many books as I could!

Yes, he is the sweetest.

But I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this new device.  I had always been firmly in the ‘books good, Kindle bad’ camp.  Because, to paraphrase Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, books should have a smell.

Suffice it to say, after not having to lug a week’s worth of reading materials to the beach and back, I was a convert.

Now I’m on my second Kindle, I wanted the one that lights up so I could read in bed while the hubs is sleeping without disturbing him.

One of the advantages to the Kindle are the great sales that Amazon regularly has.  You can often find books for $0.99 or higher, sometimes free, in the Kindle store.  New releases are also often cheaper in the Kindle store than they are in hardcover on release day.

You can even borrow library books on your Kindle, which is a great perk. You can also store hundreds of books on your device.  I love that it takes up less space in my purse than an actual book, so I have more room for important things, like receipts.

I also love the complete lack of glare you get when using it.  That’s something you don’t get when using the Kindle app on your phone.  It’s a huge plus when you are in the bright sun somewhere, say on the beach or at the park, and you don’t have to worry about the glare.  Stupid glare!

The real question is do I, a girl who is constantly buying new books to read in physical form because I just can’t help myself, like the Kindle more or less than actual books?

The answer is I like it the same.

 

 

Re-Reading A Favorite

Lauren2 Comments

Why is it that re-reading a favorite book is like saying hello to a good friend you haven’t seen in a while?  It’s doesn’t matter how much time has passed, it’s like no time has passed at all.

I recently decided to re-read the Harry Potter series because I may be going to Universal Studios Orlando next year.  The idea of the trip sparked some nostalgia in me.  It made me want to revisit some old friends.

I haven’t picked these books up in at least ten years, being quite content to watch the movie adaptations.  This re-read made me smile at the favorite things I missed that weren’t in the movies, like Hermione trying to free all the Hogwarts house-elves.

I was in my twenties when I picked up my first copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.  I remember feeling baffled at all of these people, these grown folks, loving a children’s book series.

And then I became one of them.

I quickly went out and purchased the next three books in the series.  I was hooked.

And I never looked back.

 

Used Book Haul

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So I recently spent some time perusing the shelves at a variety of used book markets, both online and off.  I might have bought a few things.

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The books just followed me home, I swear!  And the ones I bought online?  Those just wandered in the locked front door!

Several of these books are ones I need to complete a series where I already own the books on an e-reader.  Some of them are for series I want to read but haven’t started yet.  And some of them are just because.  I mean, who doesn’t want more books?

I usually get my used books from Half Priced Books, and that’s where a majority of that stack is from.  But I also use Thriftbooks.com.  Both are great.

There are a couple of downsides to using online retailers for used books though.  You don’t always know what condition you are going to get your book in.  For example, I bought a book that said it was in good condition, and the cover is all banged up.  Maybe I’m just a book snob and want my books in great condition.

The other downside is that sometimes when order hardback you may get a library copy, and they don’t always tell you it’s a library copy.  Personally, I don’t mind library copies.  It means the book jacket will survive a long, long time.

My First Book Club

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I joined a book club.

While this may seem small to you, it’s huge to me.  I’ve never been part of a book club before.

Which is very weird because I’ve always surrounded myself with people who loved books.  Apparently we just never got our act together and formed a book club.

So very, very weird.

I mean, I suppose I could start one with my friends now, but they live in a different city and we wouldn’t be able to get together once a month to talk about books.  That would make for a lonely book club.

So yes, I joined a book club.  And the first book I got to read for it was on last year’s TBR!

The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure by William Goldman!!!

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What a terrible picture.  This is what happens when you take a picture after you have cracked the spine!   Anyway…

I’m so excited to go to my first book club meeting!  I can’t wait to meet all the other awesome ladies and talk about my first love!  Books!

 

The Affair of the Mysterious Letter-A Book Review

Lauren3 Comments

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You know that feeling you get when you stumble across a truly great find in a bookstore?

Yeah, you know that one.

Of course, you don’t realize it’s a great find until you’ve finished with it.  Which is problematic.  Because then you want more of it.  But what if there isn’t more of it?  Then you are left with despair!

That’s how I feel right now.

Despair.

Because my book is over.  And it’s not (currently) a series.

Now, what is this book about that you so distraught, you might ask?  Well, it’s a retelling of Sherlock Holmes if Holmes was a woman…and a sorceress. Her name is Shaharazad Hass.

The plot of the story is written from the perspective of her roommate, Mr. Whyndham. He writes the story as if he is writing a serial for a paper or a magazine.  Which does mean the chapters are short.  Some of them are very short, maybe two full pages at most.

The world-building and character development are delightfully zany.   The plot is very intriguing (I mean, really, it’s great and twisty!) but it’s all the little things that drew me in.  The minor characters are just as intriguing as the major ones.

I just want more of this world.

Can I have more, please?

 

2020 TBR

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It’s that time of year.  The time when we proudly proclaim the books we are going to try and read over the course of the next year.

That’s right, it’s TBR time!

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The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, Circe by Madeline Miller, The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang, The Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin, The Tethered Mage by Melissa Caruso, The Affair of the Mysterious Letter by Alexis Hall (I am currently reading this one) and Oathblood by Mercedes Lackey.

And these are just the physical books, I have a few e-books that I have already purchased that are in the TBR as well.  And maybe an audiobook… or two.

The audiobooks are Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell and Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari.  I prefer to get my non-fiction through audiobooks, I usually can’t finish it otherwise.  Usually.

My e-books are Nevernight by Jay Kristoff, Renegades by Marissa Meyer, The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, Everything is F*cked: A Book About Hope by Mark Manson, and The World According to Mr. Rogers: Important Things to Remember by Fred Rogers.

That’s only 14 books,  I can do that this year, right?