Book Review - Challenge Update - August 10, 2018

I finished up 2 books over the last week.  The first was Lud-In-The-Mist by Hope Mirrless.

Book Summary:  Lud-in-the-Mist, the capital city of the small country Dorimare, is a port at the confluence of two rivers, the Dapple and the Dawl. The Dapple has its origin beyond the Debatable Hills to the west of Lud-in-the-Mist, in Fairyland. In the days of Duke Aubrey, some centuries earlier, fairy things had been looked upon with reverence, and fairy fruit was brought down the Dapple and enjoyed by the people of Dorimare. But after Duke Aubrey had been expelled from Dorimare by the burghers, the eating of fairy fruit came to be regarded as a crime, and anything related to Fairyland was unspeakable. Now, when his son Ranulph is believed to have eaten fairy fruit, Nathaniel Chanticleer, the mayor of Lud-in-the-Mist, finds himself looking into old mysteries in order to save his son and the people of his city. 

My Review:  I loved this little book.  Beautifully written, lovely language and a story about the power of the love for your child (as well as yourself).  There are echos of Tolkien in this book - things like the Bracegirdle's, and a bit of a Hobbiton feel to Dorimare. Another one recommended by my dad that I probably should have read years ago but am really glad I've read it now. 

Next up was A Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber. 

Book Summary: An intellectual property lawyer is at the center of a deadly conspiracy and a chase to find a priceless treasure involving William Shakespeare. As he awaits a killer—or killers—unknown, Jake writes an account of the events that led to this deadly endgame, a frantic chase that began with a fire in an antiquarian bookstore.

A distinguished Shakespearean scholar found tortured to death . . . 

A lost manuscript and its secrets buried for centuries . . . 

An encrypted map that leads to incalculable wealth . 

My Review:  I wanted to like this book a lot.  A historical mystery around finding old letters that tantalizingly lead to the possibility of a missing play by William Shakespeare sounded like a brilliant plot.  Sadly, while this was an okay book, it wasn't a great one.  It could have used an editor with a stronger pen for sure - by the middle third of the book, it was wallowing along in too much character development and digressing plot lines that didn't advance the story.  Probably a read for folks who like Dan Brown - it felt a lot like his writing, but for other folks looking for a great historical mystery, probably not. 

Book Review: Infernal Devices

This past week I finished up K.W. Jeter's Infernal Devices.  This is for the week #32 topic - an alternate history book.

Book Summary: He inherited a watchmaker's store and a heapful of trouble. But idle sometime-musician George has little talent for clockwork. And when a shadowy figure tries to steal an old device from the premises, George finds himself embroiled in a mystery of time travel, music and sexual intrigue. A genuine lost classic, a steampunk original whose time has come.

My Rating/Summary:  3 1/2 out of 5 stars. This book was one of the first "steampunk" books written - and if Wikipedia is to be believed, KW Jeter is the writer who actually coined the phrase "steampunk".

Steampunk:  A genre of science fiction that has a historical setting and typically features steam-powered machinery rather than advanced technology. 

Interestingly enough, this book really doesn't have much in the way of steam-powered machinery.  Instead, the concepts are focused around sort of seismic vibrations and clockwork.  Both of which the main character is completely clueless about although he is thrust into an adventure that requires knowledge of both.  I basically enjoyed this one - lots of clever (although maybe almost too clever) plot twists) and interesting characters who kept me guessing.  Lots of adventures and romps across England and unlikely red herrings strewn throughout the book, so it was an entertaining read.  I felt the ending maybe tied things up a bit to easily/quickly, but otherwise, if you like steampunkery, you'll probably like this one too. 

Book Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses

I finished up this book last week for my Around the World in 52 Books challenge: A Court of Thorns and Roses. 

Book Summary: Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price ...

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre's presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

My Rating/Review: 4 1/2 stars.  I really enjoyed this book - I think would have enjoyed it even more if I hadn't read An Enchantment of Ravens more.  They are similar in many ways - human female, Fairie courts who are brutal, and a bit of romance across the human/fairy boundaries.  The main character in this is a great, strong female lead.  There's a tiny bit of Katniss and The Hunger Games in there as well.  I liked the plot twists - there's a lot going on and of course, quests of an epic nature.  I think a very good read for the YA genre.  I also liked the retelling/reshaping of the classic Beauty and the Beast concept.  A few positive points taken off for my current pet peeve - a book within a series that leaves some unanswered questions, but overall, one I'd recommend if you like this sort of fantasy genre. 

Reading Challenge: December 11, 2017

I finished The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon for week 42, a best book of the 21st century so far.  I really enjoyed this book.  Definitely not an easy one to pigeonhole and I'm not even entirely sure how to describe it other than to say it's worth a read. From the Goodreads page synopsis: About a boy's quest through the secrets and shadows of postwar Barcelona for a mysterious author whose book has proved as dangerous to own as it is impossible to forget.

It is all that, but the back story is intricately crafted and as engaging as the front-end story.  The characters are memorable and multi-layered.  I loved the stories intertwined together in this one but I also really appreciated the author's craft - Zafon has an amazing way with words.  His opening paragraphs encapsulate exactly the lyrical style his words carry on throughout the book.  His description of the watchmaker's ancient mother was priceless. 

This book hit two major "good read" buttons for me:  1.  A story I will think about over and over.  2.  Writing that doesn't just advance the story (although it does that impeccably), but that I would find myself savoring in order to just enjoy the word choice or turn of phrase.  I'll highly recommend this book and I'm really happy I closed out (almost!) the year with it.

That brings me to my last read of 2017 for this challenge: Book 52 of 52, The Time Traveler's Almanac for week 18: A really long book. I'm not quite half finished, but reading along on this most evenings, so I feel 99% sure I'll be able to finish this up in the next couple of weeks. Enjoying most of the stories - some are better than others - but overall an easy, albeit long read to cap this year off. 

I'm really looking forward to the topics for 2018 too!  I've started a list for several titles I've found that fit into the prompts, and I've got the first 10 weeks' topics books nailed down to start as soon as Time Traveler's is done.  While I will be reviewing books on a weekly blog post as I've been doing in 2017, I also have the entire list (which I'll be updating as I go), on its own separate page here on the blog. 

The 2017 List
1. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2016: The Moon in the Palace by Weina Dai Randel.
2. A book with at least 2 perspectives (multiple points of view): Some Kind of Fairy Tale by Graham Joyce.
3. A book you meant to read in 2016: A Touch of Stardust by Kate Alcott.
4. A title that doesn't contain the letter "E":  Longbourn by Jo Baker.
5. A historical fiction: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe.
6. A book being released as a movie in 2017:  Olive Kitteredge by Elizabeth Strout.
7. A book with an animal on the cover or in the title: The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht.
8. A book written by a person of color: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead.
9. A book in the middle of your To Be Read list: Speaks the Night Bird by Robert McCammon
10. A dual-timeline novel: The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor.
11. A category from another challenge: Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier.
12. A book based on a myth:  Summerlong by Peter Beagle.
13. A book recommended by one of your favorite authors: The Lodestar of Ys by Amy Durreson.
14. A book with a strong female character: The Ornatrix by Kate Howard.
15. A book written or set in Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland): A Death in Sweden by Kevin Wignall.
16. A mystery: By Book or by Crook by Eva Gates.
17. A book with illustrations:  Prairie Girl by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
18. A really long book (600+ pages): The Time Traveler's Almanac, edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer.
19. A New York Times best-seller: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion.
20. A book that you've owned for a while but haven't gotten around to reading: Just One Damn Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor.
21. A book that is a continuation of a book you've already read: A Symphony of Echoes by Jodi Taylor.
22. A book by an author you haven't read before:  The Secrets of Wishtide, by Kate Saunders.
23. A book from the BBC "The Big Read" list (link) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
24. A book written by at least two authors: Jane Austen's England by Roy and Lesley Adams.
25. A book about a famous historical figure: The Dream Lover by Elizabeth Berg.
26. An adventure book:  The 100-year-old man who climbed out the window and disappeared by Jonas Jonasson.
27. A book by one of your favorite authors: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
28. A non-fiction: The Lost World of the Old Ones by David Roberts.
29. A book published outside the 4 major publishing houses (Simon & Schuster; HarperCollins; Penguin Random House; Hachette Livre) - check all the editions:  Wool by Hugh Howey.
30. A book from Goodreads Top 100 YA Books (link): The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater.
31. A book from a sub-genre of your favorite genre: Heart of Iron by Bec McMaster.
32. A book with a long title (5+ words, excluding subtitle):  I Shall Be Near to You by Erin McCabe.
33. A magical realism novel: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman.
34. A book set in or by an author from the Southern Hemisphere: The Settling Earth by Rebecca Burns.
35. A book where one of the main characters is royalty: The Shadow Queen by Rebecca Dean.
36. A Hugo Award winner or nominee (link): The Lady Astronaut of Mars by Mary Kowal.
37. A book you choose randomly: A Book of Bees by Sue Hubbell.
38. A novel inspired by a work of classic literature: Lady MacBeth by Susan Fraser King.
39. An epistolary fiction: I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
40. A book published in 2017: A Beautiful Poison by Lydia Kang.
41. A book with an unreliable narrator: His Bloody Project by Graeme McRae Burnet.
42. A best book of the 21st century (so far): The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.
43. A book with a chilling atmosphere (scary, unsettling, cold):  Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase.
44. A recommendation from "What Should I Read Next" (link): Tower of Thorns by Juliet Marillier.
45. A book with a one-word title: Uprooted by Naomi Novik.
46. A time travel novel:  Valley of the Moon by Melanie Gideon.
47. A past suggestion that didn't win (link) - A book you saw a stranger reading: The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff.
48. A banned book: So Far from the Bamboo Grove by Yoko Kawashima Watkins.
49. A book from someone else's bookshelf: The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguru.
50. A Penguin Modern Classic - any edition: Anna of the Five Towns by Arnold Bennett.
51. A collection (e.g. essays, short stories, poetry, plays) : Beyond the Woods; Fairy Tales Retold by Paula Guran.

52. A book set in a fictional location: Stronger than Magic by Melinda VanLone.

Reading Challenge: December 4, 2017

I finished The Settling Earth by Rebecca Burns this week for a book set in the Southern Hemisphere.  I absolutely loved this book.  The characters are all well drawn and I love the way the author skillfully intertwined all the stories.  Nine of the 10 short stories are written by the author of credit - Rebecca Burns.  The final one is written from an aboriginal perspective by an aboriginal author, which was a nice way to tie up some of the loose ends of the stories.  I was appreciative of the deft way the author handled the development of the immigrant experience on multiple social/economic levels in the early 20th century and all the stories (to me at least) had the mark of a great short story - that is, you were able to immediately immerse yourself in that person's life within the first couple of sentences.  Really glad I found this one to close out the year.

I then started Carlos Ruiz Zafon's The Shadow of the Wind for week 42, a best book of the 21st century so far.  I will start off by saying that I am generally suspicious of books labeled "a best book of the century", especially when the century is 17 years old and we have a whole lot of time to finish the century out.  That said, I can see why this book made the short list.  A mix of historical fiction, literary fiction, some Gothic horror, and a coming of age vibe - it's hard to specifically place this book in a genre.  So far, it reminds me a bit of The Historian, but I have yet to hit a point (which I did in The Historian) where the plot drags.  Enjoying this one immensely and I'm about 50% through - so more info and a review to come when it's finished.

I'm also still slowly tackling The Time Traveler's Almanac but feel sure I will wind up spending the last several weeks of the year with this one.

Currently standing at 50/52 books read with both of my remaining titles started!


The 2017 List
1. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2016: The Moon in the Palace by Weina Dai Randel.
2. A book with at least 2 perspectives (multiple points of view): Some Kind of Fairy Tale by Graham Joyce.
3. A book you meant to read in 2016: A Touch of Stardust by Kate Alcott.
4. A title that doesn't contain the letter "E":  Longbourn by Jo Baker.
5. A historical fiction: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe.
6. A book being released as a movie in 2017:  Olive Kitteredge by Elizabeth Strout.
7. A book with an animal on the cover or in the title: The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht.
8. A book written by a person of color: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead.
9. A book in the middle of your To Be Read list: Speaks the Night Bird by Robert McCammon
10. A dual-timeline novel: The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor.
11. A category from another challenge: Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier.
12. A book based on a myth:  Summerlong by Peter Beagle.
13. A book recommended by one of your favorite authors: The Lodestar of Ys by Amy Durreson.
14. A book with a strong female character: The Ornatrix by Kate Howard.
15. A book written or set in Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland): A Death in Sweden by Kevin Wignall.
16. A mystery: By Book or by Crook by Eva Gates.
17. A book with illustrations:  Prairie Girl by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
18. A really long book (600+ pages): The Time Traveler's Almanac, edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer.
19. A New York Times best-seller: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion.
20. A book that you've owned for a while but haven't gotten around to reading: Just One Damn Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor.
21. A book that is a continuation of a book you've already read: A Symphony of Echoes by Jodi Taylor.
22. A book by an author you haven't read before:  The Secrets of Wishtide, by Kate Saunders.
23. A book from the BBC "The Big Read" list (link) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
24. A book written by at least two authors: Jane Austen's England by Roy and Lesley Adams.
25. A book about a famous historical figure: The Dream Lover by Elizabeth Berg.
26. An adventure book:  The 100-year-old man who climbed out the window and disappeared by Jonas Jonasson.
27. A book by one of your favorite authors: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
28. A non-fiction: The Lost World of the Old Ones by David Roberts.
29. A book published outside the 4 major publishing houses (Simon & Schuster; HarperCollins; Penguin Random House; Hachette Livre) - check all the editions:  Wool by Hugh Howey.
30. A book from Goodreads Top 100 YA Books (link): The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater.
31. A book from a sub-genre of your favorite genre: Heart of Iron by Bec McMaster.
32. A book with a long title (5+ words, excluding subtitle):  I Shall Be Near to You by Erin McCabe.
33. A magical realism novel: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman.
34. A book set in or by an author from the Southern Hemisphere: The Settling Earth by Rebecca Burns.
35. A book where one of the main characters is royalty: The Shadow Queen by Rebecca Dean.
36. A Hugo Award winner or nominee (link): The Lady Astronaut of Mars by Mary Kowal.
37. A book you choose randomly: A Book of Bees by Sue Hubbell.
38. A novel inspired by a work of classic literature: Lady MacBeth by Susan Fraser King.
39. An epistolary fiction: I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
40. A book published in 2017: A Beautiful Poison by Lydia Kang.
41. A book with an unreliable narrator: His Bloody Project by Graeme McRae Burnet.
42. A best book of the 21st century (so far): The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.
43. A book with a chilling atmosphere (scary, unsettling, cold):  Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase.
44. A recommendation from "What Should I Read Next" (link): Tower of Thorns by Juliet Marillier.
45. A book with a one-word title: Uprooted by Naomi Novik.
46. A time travel novel:  Valley of the Moon by Melanie Gideon.
47. A past suggestion that didn't win (link) - A book you saw a stranger reading: The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff.
48. A banned book: So Far from the Bamboo Grove by Yoko Kawashima Watkins.
49. A book from someone else's bookshelf: The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguru.
50. A Penguin Modern Classic - any edition: Anna of the Five Towns by Arnold Bennett.
51. A collection (e.g. essays, short stories, poetry, plays) : Beyond the Woods; Fairy Tales Retold by Paula Guran.

52. A book set in a fictional location: Stronger than Magic by Melinda VanLone.

Reading Challenge 2017: October 26, 2017

I finished up Speaks the Night Bird by Robert McCammon over the weekend.  Set in early colonial America, it qualifies firmly as a historical mystery and checked week 9 (a book in the middle of your To Be Read List) off.  The plot revolves around a town in today's South Carolina at the edge of "civilization" before the Indian and Spanish-held lands of Florida take over.  The story opens with a magistrate and his young clerk (who is the focus of the story) heading to Font Royal to hear the testimony of locals about a witch in their midst.  There's a lot more going on in this little backwater town than just the witch trial, which the clerk soon finds out and puts his inquisitive nature towards figuring out.  A bit slow in a few spots, it's otherwise a very good read - the last half of the book picks up steam until the point where I didn't want to put it down.  I gave it 4/5 stars. If you decide to try this one, it's the first in a series, FWIW.  

Since I visited my parents this weekend, my dad had a book recommendation and a print copy to hand off to me, so I decided to substitute that in for week #26 - an adventure book.  The 100-Year-Old Man who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson is a fun romp thru 20th century history.  A bit like Forrest Gump, Allan Karlsson seems to find himself involved in all sorts of important historical moments, but really, he's just arrived for the vodka.  Deciding to remove himself from the assisted living facility which is throwing him a gala 100-year birthday party, Allan steps (carefully, because he's a centarian) out the window of his room into the flower bed and then departs for the bus station in search of adventure.  Told in flashbacks throughout his life, Allan collects a cast of oddball friends along the way, including Sonya, the elephant, as well as a large suitcase containing a very large pile of cash.  Fun, quirky, and a very entertaining read!

I'm going to start Stronger than Magic tonight for week #52 for a book set in a fictional location. 

Currently standing at 43/52 books read with 9 left to go this year!


The 2017 List
1. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2016: The Moon in the Palace by Weina Dai Randel.
2. A book with at least 2 perspectives (multiple points of view): Some Kind of Fairy Tale by Graham Joyce.
3. A book you meant to read in 2016: A Touch of Stardust by Kate Alcott.
4. A title that doesn't contain the letter "E":  Longbourn by Jo Baker.
5. A historical fiction: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe.
6. A book being released as a movie in 2017:  Olive Kitteredge by Elizabeth Strout. 
7. A book with an animal on the cover or in the title: The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht.
8. A book written by a person of color: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead.
9. A book in the middle of your To Be Read list: Speaks the Night Bird by Robert McCammon
10. A dual-timeline novel: The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor.
11. A category from another challenge: Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier.
12. A book based on a myth:  Summerlong by Peter Beagle.
13. A book recommended by one of your favorite authors: The Lodestar of Ys by Amy Durreson.
14. A book with a strong female character: The Ornatrix by Kate Howard.
15. A book written or set in Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland): A Death in Sweden by Kevin Wignall. 
16. A mystery: By Book or by Crook by Eva Gates.
17. A book with illustrations:  Prairie Girl by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
18. A really long book (600+ pages): The Time Traveler's Almanac, edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer.
19. A New York Times best-seller: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion.
20. A book that you've owned for a while but haven't gotten around to reading: Just One Damn Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor.
21. A book that is a continuation of a book you've already read: A Symphony of Echoes by Jodi Taylor.
22. A book by an author you haven't read before:  The Secrets of Wishtide, by Kate Saunders.

23. A book from the BBC "The Big Read" list (link) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
24. A book written by at least two authors: Jane Austen's England by Roy and Lesley Adams.
25. A book about a famous historical figure: The Dream Lover by Elizabeth Berg.
26. An adventure book:  The 100-year-old man who climbed out the window and disappeared by Jonas Jonasson.
27. A book by one of your favorite authors: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain 
28. A non-fiction: The Lost World of the Old Ones by David Roberts.
29. A book published outside the 4 major publishing houses (Simon & Schuster; HarperCollins; Penguin Random House; Hachette Livre) - check all the editions.  Wool by Hugh Howey.
30. A book from Goodreads Top 100 YA Books (link): The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater.
31. A book from a sub-genre of your favorite genre: Heart of Iron by Bec McMaster.
32. A book with a long title (5+ words, excluding subtitle):  I Shall Be Near to You by Erin McCabe.
33. A magical realism novel: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman.
34. A book set in or by an author from the Southern Hemisphere: The Bone People by Keri Hulme.
35. A book where one of the main characters is royalty: The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor.
36. A Hugo Award winner or nominee (link): The Lady Astronaut of Mars by Mary Kowal.
37. A book you choose randomly: A Book of Bees by Sue Hubbell.
38. A novel inspired by a work of classic literature: Lady MacBeth by Susan Fraser King.
39. An epistolary fiction: I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
40. A book published in 2017: A Beautiful Poison by Lydia Kang.
41. A book with an unreliable narrator: His Bloody Project by Graeme McRae Burnet.
42. A best book of the 21st century (so far): The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.
43. A book with a chilling atmosphere (scary, unsettling, cold):  Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase.
44. A recommendation from "What Should I Read Next" (link): The Dark Mirror by Juliet Marillier.
45. A book with a one-word title: Uprooted by Naomi Novik.
46. A time travel novel:  Valley of the Moon by Melanie Gideon.
47. A past suggestion that didn't win (link) - A book you saw a stranger reading: The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff.
48. A banned book: So Far from the Bamboo Grove by Yoko Kawashima Watkins.
49. A book from someone else's bookshelf: The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguru.
50. A Penguin Modern Classic - any edition: Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
51. A collection (e.g. essays, short stories, poetry, plays) : Beyond the Woods; Fairy Tales Retold by Paula Guran.
52. A book set in a fictional location: Stronger than Magic by Melinda VanLone.