Review: Endymion

Endymion by Dan Simmons
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm so glad I read this. Books 1 and 2 took me a while to get into, and I felt the story ended enough for me not to continue the series. However, I was looking for books to read and the person who recommended it to me (and the one who recommended it to him) said I should finish it. Reluctantly, I did.

The story felt a lot clearer to me than when I began book one. I felt like book 1 dropped you into the world and expected you to know it. By book 3, I did. The characters and their stories were not only far more interesting to me and right from the beginning, but there were fewer of them to keep track of, which I think worked a lot better.

I had a much better time getting through this book, and even looked forward to reading onward. Now, there is no doubt that I'll finish the series. :D

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Review: A Confusion of Princes

A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I never read book summaries, but with Princes in the title, I thought it was an odd book for Garth Nix to be writing.

Then I read it. Yeah, definitely a Garth Nix book, not all Prince and Princess-y fairy tale stuff that it sounded like.

From page one I was so intrigued by the premise. I knew right a way that this was my kind of book and couldn't read it fast enough to find out more about the world, and see where it was going. This is definitely a new favorite for me. Great sci-fi book. I could read a series of books set it this richly developed world. Also, for how short it was, to have developed such a rich, complex universe and make it so easy to understand as a reader is just freaking impressive.

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Review: Me Before You

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Had to read this after seeing a preview for the movie a while back. Pretty much everything everywhere (preview included) already gave away the ending, but it didn't ruin the book for me, and I was still hoping for a different ending, even knowing what it was going to be. I still liked it a lot, even though it was such a different kind of book for me. I feel like it ended so fulfilling-ly that I'm not sure I'll read the sequel.

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Review: The Heir

The Heir by Kiera Cass
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ok, I read it.

This book had four huge things going against it. 1) The premise reads as if the political ideals in books 1-3 never happened. 2) It's the same book as 1-3, but gender swapped 3) All the reviews complain about the main character being a brat. 4) It focuses on a different character than the first books (really should be a companion series but...)

I liked it. Let's address the things going against it in order 1) The premise for the situation was satisfying enough. You already know that's what it is, you already picked up the book anyway, so it's nice to see that it was justified, and in a way that I felt worked. 2) Yea, but, that was the best part of the books! I'm not mad that it's the same thing. 3) I didn't hate her. I might be in a minority here, but the Heir's personality makes sense for who she is. She's the first one who is allowed to be an Heir despite having brothers. She's walking that thin line between a strong woman in charge and traditionally feminine, and it's hard. She's got herself into a personality rut, like people do, and she's working through it. It's fine. She never made me mad, unlike every character in the first books. She's not stupid. I didn't mind her at all. 4) Well, you see how much I liked the new character. I barely even remember half the people in the first book to really remember them when their names pop up. I think it worked because it'd been so long since I read the first three that I was no longer tied to those characters.

Anyway, over all, I liked this way more than I thought I would, considering the reviews and change of cast, and I'm really glad I read it. It's everything it should be. I actually think it worked way better than the first three. I never really liked the back story to the kingdom, and now that explanation is done with you can just enjoy the selection process. Of course, politics still plays a role. The state of the country plays a role. It's still fun though.

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Review: UnHappenings

UnHappenings by Edward Aubry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I stumbled upon this book my accident while looking for something to read from the kindle store.

The initial concept is really fun and interesting- the narrator's life keeps 'unhappening' meaning there are little things around him that change, and no one notices but him. He meets a girl who knows what it's like, and knows what's happening.

UnHappenings is so well thought out. It has the potential to be really confusing, but it's not, not at all.

As I joyfully made my way through this page-turner, a few thoughts did creep in my mind, mainly that the whole book kind of centers around the complete selfishness of the main characters. I began to worry about this as it was revealed. But I needen't have worried. Stick with it to the end. Like I said, this novel is so well thought out, and the issue is thoroughly addressed. [ Maybe not in the most respectful way to Time and any people who did wind up suffering (Two in particular), but in a way that way right for the characters and story nonetheless.(view spoiler)[

Anyway, this is going to go on my 'highly-recommended' shelf.

I'm a little worried about the half sequel/companion novel in the works. They tend to lose the wonder of the original- but do know in this book the story is contained and all the lose ends are tied, so you can just read this by itself. (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]


Anyway, this is going to go on my 'highly-recommended' shelf.

I'm a little worried about the half sequel/companion novel in the works. They tend to lose the wonder of the original- but do know in this book the story is contained and all the lose ends are tied, so you can just read this by itself.

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Review: The Translator

The Translator by Nina Schuyler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book combines so many things I love. Japanese, translating, Japan. Hanne is a translator, working on a novel that's going to be 'huge' though the author doesn't seem to like the direction she's taken with it. We learn about her life and how her up-bringing caused rifts between her and her children.

Though I wanted a resolution of sorts that was similar to the actual ending, and though I can also see how the novel lead to that end, still somehow, the end felt a little disjointed from the rest of the novel. And it wasn't just the character transformation, because that was very well done. I don't know, it just felt tacked on at the end. I really enjoyed this novel so much but felt like the end was just shrug worthy. Not bad, but not what I thought really matched the story.

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Review: Buying a Fishing Rod for My Grandfather: Stories

Buying a Fishing Rod for My Grandfather: Stories by Gao Xingjian
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I always wanted to write a kind of disjointed dream story. Gau Xingjian does this magnificently. I, as always, didn't know what to expect when I began this collection but really enjoyed each story except the very last, that one was a little too disjointed for me.

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Review: The Martian

The Martian by Andy Weir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mark Watney is part of a six man crew with a Mission to mars, but six days in, a storm hits and they have to evacuate under rushed conditions. Mark is lost and presumed dead, but he's not! Now he has to survive in a barren wasteland until the next crew arrives.

A very fun and action packed read. It's cool to see all the ways he thinks up to survive, and what he thinks up again when those plans turn to hell due to unforeseen circumstances. He book is easy to get into and is fast paced.

Sometimes the change in viewpoint threw me off because at first it seems like it will all be Mark's POV then we hear from Huston which is fine, but then sometimes we get a narrated view of what Mark is doing, which only happens like twice in the novel. It's fine, it just wasn't what I was expecting.

Can't wait to watch the movie! I'm sure I'm a fool for reading the book first. Hopefully I won't hate the film. XD

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Review: The Sea of Monsters

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I really liked this book. The five stars was probably because I read it in a day, and quick reads always make me feel that it must have been a great book. I was expecting it to be longer, actually. I seem to remember the first one being longer.

I saw the movie first, so I kind of knew what to expect (and can't wait to read book three, where I'll be totally in the dark!). I realize there is a lot that is different in the movies, but from my 'reading the book afterward' perspective, I wasn't upset. I feel like the movies leave in that which is critical (The big three not being able to have half-bloods because of the prophecy, minimal parental intervention, character's personalities, and the end result of the golden fleece's effect on the tree). The only thing I wish they did keep in was the beginning where Grover missing, because the fact that the satyrs all disappear is important (I think), and that is what explains it.

Really, this novel is very fast-paced, and at no point was I bored. It's funny and I'm learning tidbits about mythology that I never knew and otherwise wouldn't go out of my way to study. :-P I think it's a great children's book. It's action packed and to the point, the vocabulary is age appropriate (I read a kid book recently with curse words so...), and also teaches kids some new vocabulary. It's pretty awesome.



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Review: The Bone Clocks

The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I won an advanced reader's copy through goodreads. I've watched Cloud Atlas but have yet to read the book. From talks with other people, this book may be a bit similar.

The Bone Clocks first follows our Main character, Holly. Holly used to hear voices until a doctor took them away. This is a terrible summary, and you might want to look up an official one.

For me, the book took some time to get to the point of the story, the point of which I'm not quite sure in the end what it was. It was really that section before the last where we really understand what Holly and previous characters were experiencing - what the whole novel was leading up to. Because the reveal was so late, there was a lot of information packed into that section, and hard to keep up with everything.

I still found the novel interesting and enjoyed reading it. I at first worried about jumping through time, especially after I'd gotten to the second section and didn't see anyone I knew around, but as I read through, I saw how it worked and liked it.

While it wasn't a novel that I jumped into and couldn't put down, I enjoyed reading it and found the lives of the character's and authors imagination of what could be fascinating.



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Review: Double Identity

Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Just some tiny thoughts on the book. I thought the character was very well developed- all the tiny little details about her personality and quirks was really great, and always came back to matter in the story. However, the age of landlines wasn't that long ago, so it's funny that people would think this - near the end, a power outage is blamed for the phone being cut as well, and... I know I've lost power before and still had landline capabilities. Just couldn't get past that. Phones still work.



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Review: Flashforward

Flashforward by Robert J. Sawyer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Great! After enjoying the TV show which ultimately was cancelled, I was ecstatic to see on goodreads that the whole thing was based off of a book.

It reminds me of something I told my coworker a few months ago, "The best part about reading is the show doesn't get cancelled in the middle." Of course, this is also why I try my hardest to say away from ongoing series. I fail.

This novel did not disappoint. It was interesting, clearly the tv show took a different direction, but that's ok. It reminded me a lot of some modern guy written sci-fi books I read and hated last year- except this one was actually good. I don't know how to explain the feel they all have which makes them stand out as similar in my mind... Maybe they way they integrate their idea of the future into the story, and the way the action sequences are made to be filmed. Like they write every book to be translated to a movie, or they already pitched the idea, and it got trashed, but they liked it so much they made it happen with a book (and the way they typically end supports this theory). This one, however, I liked.

I can't imagine what the TV producers thought they were going to do season after season with this. You could really fit it into a 3 to 6 episode mini-series and call it a day. I really with the US did that more. We just cannot let stories go. *sigh*



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Review: Children of the Mind

Children of the Mind by Orson Scott Card

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Ah the last book! (Though I guess I have to go back and read Ender in Exile?)

As I understand it, this book was really part two of book three, but was split up so the author would be able to finish it more fully. So while books 1, 2, and three have major events that make them distinguishable as separate, more so even than some newer trilogies, this one is really just a continuation. But I'm not sure how much sense that makes.

For me, this one wasn't as good and one and two. Book three already wasn't a shining star to me (though I really got into the Path's storyline), but I did enjoy it, and enjoyed this one as well, and was happy with the end. I see why the author did what he did, but I think that even in this sci-fi realm he built, it was still a little weird, but that started in book three anyway.

I think it still kept with it's previous installments as being very well written and philosophical.



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Review: Castle in the Air

Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



More like a companion novel than a sequel but I liked it.

I loved the main character's politeness and enjoyed experiencing a new setting in the same world. I don't think it was quite as funny and charming as the first novel, but that could be just because the story has sat with me for so long from watching the movie so many times.



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Review: The Shadow Throne

The Shadow Throne by Jennifer A. Nielsen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I loved the first book. The second one was okay, but I really feel the third one redeemed itself.

While we did revisit some plot points (Jaron gets caught, again) I feel like the execution was better this time around. Personally, I feel like the series could have been just the first novel and this one Roden's parentage not being that important to the plot at all to need book two, and the pirates role easily could have been anyone else .

There are some holes, unless I missed why Conner did what he did.

But overall, in keeping with the first book, this one was fast paced, humorous, with twists and turns throughout, Jaron knowing his plans well in advance to let the readers be surprised later. He's in control. Much closer to the atmosphere of the first installment.



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Review: Howl's Moving Castle

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Why did I wait so long to read this?! I'd been wanting to since the movie came out.

Of course there are many differences between the book and the film adaption, but I feel like the film very much captured the essence of the book, and so I can love them both equally.

What I liked so much with the book was how adorable it was. I love the curmudgeonly Sophie, though at the beginning it sometimes felt out of place (like how she handled the customers) but more often than not it added to the humor of the story. Howl was hilarious, and I didn't find any of the characters to be annoying in the least.

The one thing that put me off was that the story connected itself to the "real" world in a way that I feel pulled me too far out from the fantasy than I wanted to be pulled, but in the end, it didn't have as great of an impact on the overall story as I thought it was going to have. I just needed a little more faith. It all ended just great, and I can't wait to read the rest of the books. :)



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Review: The Runaway King

The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
It's like KJ Parker (Fantasy w/o magic) except for kids...and that the King is moderately competent and cunning...
Anyway, I really enjoyed the first book, but for me the second one lost a little of the magic. It might have hurt that I just finished reading a writing book, which made the characters telling each other information each of them already knew solely for the benefit of the reader stand out so much more.
I also felt that this book took me a bit longer to get into compared to the first one. I also though a thing that happened at the end was a little campy. Too easy kind of.
Anyway, it's still cute, but I liked the first one so much more. From the last few lines, book three seems to be exciting, and I'm looking forward to reading it.

Review: The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide To Staying Out of the Rejection Pile

The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide To Staying Out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Okay so first of all I will say the book addressed everything it set out to, and though it had a limited scope, I knew that from the beginning, and that in fact was an asset. I read some reviews complaining about things not touched upon- those were out of the scope, and the whys were discussed in the beginning of the book.

What I loved was how easy it is to read. I can jump to a chapter, learn about an issue, see examples, and get exercises to solve the problems. It's not this huge step my step technical manual, it's not dense and it doesn't treat you like a child either. It's perfect for me and I love it, I completely plan on reading it again (I only did the first chapters exercises and decided to read though the whole book once before doing the rest to confirm my suspicions that this is a book I'll be reading again, and I'll be wanting to buy and have as a reference myself, as the copy I have now is from the library).

The only downside is in some of the examples in the beginning, all the issues were underlined, when I'd rather try to find them myself, and then all the fixes were in a paragraph written out, when I felt reprinting the passage with the fixes would have been a better contrast. It also would have made the book longer, and it's not something that I think is completely necessary, but the visualization would have been helpful.

And there were a few typos. Well, at least one, and it was a little awkward to see it.

But you can see I gave it five stars. The book is a great reference and I felt a surge of creativity while reading it, thinking of all the fixes I can make to my work to really bring it up.



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Review: The False Prince

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I loved this book! The first few pages didn't really capture me from the start, because I didn't know how long it'd take for the plot to take off, but about ten pages in I knew it was good. Reading it gave me a sense of nostalgia and deja vu for some great fantasy I read in high school.

Recently, I've had trouble with teen books for various reasons, and while this could have easily fallen into one of my pet peeves of the author withholding too much information from the reader, it didn't. The author expertly handled the main mystery in such a way that I knew it early on, but didn't feel like I had to know it or that from figuring it out there was no need to continue to read. Sometimes an author will be so mysterious that it's hard to enjoy the book, or even understand it, but that did not happen here.

I can't even think of one thing I didn't like. There was nothing that bothered me at all. All the characters were great, the main character was amazing, the premise was good, it was fast paced, and I can't wait to read the next book, which I've already requested from the library. It's been a while since I wrote a "review" but I liked this book so much I felt I should tell people. :)



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Review: Where Children Sleep

Where Children Sleep by James Mollison

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I really enjoyed this. I understand the limitations the author faced which prevented more of a variety of places and backgrounds, but it was still an eye-opening book, highlighting exactly what it was meant to- the differences in wealth among children and the situations they can be placed in. From cultural and economical standpoints, it's a very interesting book.



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