Book reviews and a picture or two
As promised, I will now review the last 15 books I read. Maybe not individually though.
The Codex Alera series, by Jim Butcher: Although the first one (Furies of Cauldron) was a bit slow starting out, this series of 6 books gets very good, very quickly. I have yet to read the last one yet, but the first five were a very satisfying blend of politics, strong character development, and just the right amount of fantasy. As a bit of background, Butcher wrote the series after a discussion about whether stories need good premises to be good books. He maintained that it just had to be well written and said he would write a book about any two things they picked. And here you have it: the Roman legions and Pokemon. And it works. Really, really well. As stated before, the first book is a little slow starting, but by the halfway point I was fully invested in the characters and couldn't stop reading. I'm still a bit miffed that the library doesn't have the 6th one in yet but very glad I discovered the series after it was completed. Highly recommended.
The Battle of the Labyrinth and The Last Olympian, by Rick Riordan: The last two books in the Percy Jackson series represent a much stronger ending than I expected. As you may recall, I found the first few to be decent but not quite as excellent as I had expected from other reviews. However, I really found that the last two books did live up to that. Maybe I was in the right mood for them, maybe the characters developed enough for me to resonate with them more. I'm not sure. But overall I found them to be fun, fast reads with a satisfying conclusion to the series - still a bit open, but enough ends tied off that I don't mind if he leaves the world be. There were a few things that bugged me along the lines of "wait these bad guys are supposed to be invincible and you just killed 10 of 'em without even blinking?" and "wasn't this supposed to be her quest? How come you always seem to be the center of attention here?" but overall, it was easy to ignore those few bits. Considering how many series don't end in a satisfying way, the ending alone is enough to make this series worth reading.
The Demon's Lexicon, by Sarah Rees Brennan: Not quite the book I was expecting, but decent nonetheless. The viewpoint character is hard to relate to, which surprised me, but related plot twists make it work really well by the end. The world is also really bleak in a "oh yeah there's magic but it's all EVIL so it's not nearly so cool as you would expect" kind of way. But despite that, I kept wanting to know what happened next: there is so much that is unexplained (because the viewpoint character doesn't understand) that despite the grimness, I wanted to keep reading. Plus the plot unfolds so tightly that it's hard not to appreciate. I don't often find books where I finish them and think about all the unexplained things along the way that suddenly now make SENSE, completely and utterly, and wonder how I didn't see it all fit together before. This book does that, and I think that's why I liked it. I haven't started the sequel yet, but it's in my "to read" pile.
Ever by Gail Carson Levine: Not a typical Levine fairy tale, but a fairy tale nonetheless. It's told in a very simplistic style, with very straightforward characters and plot. Boy meets girl, can't have her, both must go through trials to grow and overcome the challenges they face, happily ever after ending. Predictable, as you may expect. However, I found the style in which it was written to be refreshing and reminiscent of a culture and society that felt foreign, even though it seemed like it shouldn't. It was a fun, quick read, although overall not quite as compelling as some of her other works.
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart: The third (and presumably final) installment starring 4 unique and brilliant children, this book maintains the same level of ingenuity found in the first two. I still like the first book best, but this one wrapped up all the loose ends from the other two books and was satisfying in its own way. I felt like the children weren't quite as ingenious as in previous installments, which was a little lame, but I guess for the sake of the plot was necessary. I think that's why I have a bit of an issue with it - in the previous two books, Stewart was able to craft the story such that yes, the children got in dangerous situations, but it was willingly and not because they were tricked. They aren't supposed to be tricked. That was really the only issue I had with the book, but it was enough to make it my least favorite of the three. Still worth reading for the closure if you liked the first two though.
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones: I've read it before, but I still enjoyed it this time around. It made for interesting discussion at book group too. I find it interesting that both main characters have severe character flaws (to the point that it seems like you shouldn't like them) and yet, you still do and are still rooting for them. At least, I was. Some of my book group commented that there were too many loose ends in this book for their liking and that it wasn't as tightly woven as some of her stories, but I think that kind of is a reflection of the type of characters that are in it than anything. Also, it's easier to like this story knowing how the sequels go.
Princess at the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George: Just like all of her works, this one is a fun read. Thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish and a very well done retelling of an old story.
A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner: While the viewpoint threw me off a little, I still enjoyed the book (once I figured out why she was telling the story as she did). It is one of the few YA books I have found that makes politics such a big part of the plot and world without making it too complex for younger readers to appreciate or get (although I suppose I'm not in that age group so I could be wrong). Given that my tolerance of complex political situations varies depending on my mood, it's very refreshing to know I can get a little bit of that without getting inundated. Plus I love the characters in this world. (This is book 4; the first three are The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, and The King of Attolia.) I've recently re-read the first two and remembered how much I like this author.
Fire by Kristin Cashore: I was grateful to discover this is a companion novel to Graceling, not a direct sequel, since I read that one quite a while ago when it first came out. Fire is a monster child in a neighboring realm who has to come to terms with the fact that she has much in common with her evil father along the lines of how she influences others, but that she is not destined to follow in his footsteps. It's at its heart a coming of age type of story. Overall I was quite impressed with the character development in the novel, not to mention Cashore's ability to explain a completely unique magic system. I am curious to see if Bitterblue, the next novel in this world, ties the first two together or if it is once again a companion novel. Either one would satisfy me, although I would appreciate a future novel that gives some sort of overall sense of how they all fit together.
The Thirteenth Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters by James Dashner: Surprisingly, I liked this book better than The Maze Runner even though Dashner says he thinks Maze Runner is a better book. For me, the characters in this one were more likable, and the premise is pretty interesting. I'm curious to see how the series progresses since I've only read the first one thus far.
There you have it. I still have 7 or 8 left to read from the library and then a whole bunch that we got from World Fantasy, so I should be busy for a while yet.
On to other matters.
The latest earring endeavors.
The haircut picture, as requested. rhb says none of the pictures turned out well and he hopes you aren't too terrified.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have a sore throat to contend with and conquer (and my 2 and a half hour nap earlier did nothing to help, sadly), and I fear that I will soon get tired of all my clocks being an hour fast and will have to resort to changing them, as inefficient as it seems.
The Codex Alera series, by Jim Butcher: Although the first one (Furies of Cauldron) was a bit slow starting out, this series of 6 books gets very good, very quickly. I have yet to read the last one yet, but the first five were a very satisfying blend of politics, strong character development, and just the right amount of fantasy. As a bit of background, Butcher wrote the series after a discussion about whether stories need good premises to be good books. He maintained that it just had to be well written and said he would write a book about any two things they picked. And here you have it: the Roman legions and Pokemon. And it works. Really, really well. As stated before, the first book is a little slow starting, but by the halfway point I was fully invested in the characters and couldn't stop reading. I'm still a bit miffed that the library doesn't have the 6th one in yet but very glad I discovered the series after it was completed. Highly recommended.
The Battle of the Labyrinth and The Last Olympian, by Rick Riordan: The last two books in the Percy Jackson series represent a much stronger ending than I expected. As you may recall, I found the first few to be decent but not quite as excellent as I had expected from other reviews. However, I really found that the last two books did live up to that. Maybe I was in the right mood for them, maybe the characters developed enough for me to resonate with them more. I'm not sure. But overall I found them to be fun, fast reads with a satisfying conclusion to the series - still a bit open, but enough ends tied off that I don't mind if he leaves the world be. There were a few things that bugged me along the lines of "wait these bad guys are supposed to be invincible and you just killed 10 of 'em without even blinking?" and "wasn't this supposed to be her quest? How come you always seem to be the center of attention here?" but overall, it was easy to ignore those few bits. Considering how many series don't end in a satisfying way, the ending alone is enough to make this series worth reading.
The Demon's Lexicon, by Sarah Rees Brennan: Not quite the book I was expecting, but decent nonetheless. The viewpoint character is hard to relate to, which surprised me, but related plot twists make it work really well by the end. The world is also really bleak in a "oh yeah there's magic but it's all EVIL so it's not nearly so cool as you would expect" kind of way. But despite that, I kept wanting to know what happened next: there is so much that is unexplained (because the viewpoint character doesn't understand) that despite the grimness, I wanted to keep reading. Plus the plot unfolds so tightly that it's hard not to appreciate. I don't often find books where I finish them and think about all the unexplained things along the way that suddenly now make SENSE, completely and utterly, and wonder how I didn't see it all fit together before. This book does that, and I think that's why I liked it. I haven't started the sequel yet, but it's in my "to read" pile.
Ever by Gail Carson Levine: Not a typical Levine fairy tale, but a fairy tale nonetheless. It's told in a very simplistic style, with very straightforward characters and plot. Boy meets girl, can't have her, both must go through trials to grow and overcome the challenges they face, happily ever after ending. Predictable, as you may expect. However, I found the style in which it was written to be refreshing and reminiscent of a culture and society that felt foreign, even though it seemed like it shouldn't. It was a fun, quick read, although overall not quite as compelling as some of her other works.
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart: The third (and presumably final) installment starring 4 unique and brilliant children, this book maintains the same level of ingenuity found in the first two. I still like the first book best, but this one wrapped up all the loose ends from the other two books and was satisfying in its own way. I felt like the children weren't quite as ingenious as in previous installments, which was a little lame, but I guess for the sake of the plot was necessary. I think that's why I have a bit of an issue with it - in the previous two books, Stewart was able to craft the story such that yes, the children got in dangerous situations, but it was willingly and not because they were tricked. They aren't supposed to be tricked. That was really the only issue I had with the book, but it was enough to make it my least favorite of the three. Still worth reading for the closure if you liked the first two though.
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones: I've read it before, but I still enjoyed it this time around. It made for interesting discussion at book group too. I find it interesting that both main characters have severe character flaws (to the point that it seems like you shouldn't like them) and yet, you still do and are still rooting for them. At least, I was. Some of my book group commented that there were too many loose ends in this book for their liking and that it wasn't as tightly woven as some of her stories, but I think that kind of is a reflection of the type of characters that are in it than anything. Also, it's easier to like this story knowing how the sequels go.
Princess at the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George: Just like all of her works, this one is a fun read. Thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish and a very well done retelling of an old story.
A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner: While the viewpoint threw me off a little, I still enjoyed the book (once I figured out why she was telling the story as she did). It is one of the few YA books I have found that makes politics such a big part of the plot and world without making it too complex for younger readers to appreciate or get (although I suppose I'm not in that age group so I could be wrong). Given that my tolerance of complex political situations varies depending on my mood, it's very refreshing to know I can get a little bit of that without getting inundated. Plus I love the characters in this world. (This is book 4; the first three are The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, and The King of Attolia.) I've recently re-read the first two and remembered how much I like this author.
Fire by Kristin Cashore: I was grateful to discover this is a companion novel to Graceling, not a direct sequel, since I read that one quite a while ago when it first came out. Fire is a monster child in a neighboring realm who has to come to terms with the fact that she has much in common with her evil father along the lines of how she influences others, but that she is not destined to follow in his footsteps. It's at its heart a coming of age type of story. Overall I was quite impressed with the character development in the novel, not to mention Cashore's ability to explain a completely unique magic system. I am curious to see if Bitterblue, the next novel in this world, ties the first two together or if it is once again a companion novel. Either one would satisfy me, although I would appreciate a future novel that gives some sort of overall sense of how they all fit together.
The Thirteenth Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters by James Dashner: Surprisingly, I liked this book better than The Maze Runner even though Dashner says he thinks Maze Runner is a better book. For me, the characters in this one were more likable, and the premise is pretty interesting. I'm curious to see how the series progresses since I've only read the first one thus far.
There you have it. I still have 7 or 8 left to read from the library and then a whole bunch that we got from World Fantasy, so I should be busy for a while yet.
On to other matters.
The latest earring endeavors.
The haircut picture, as requested. rhb says none of the pictures turned out well and he hopes you aren't too terrified.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have a sore throat to contend with and conquer (and my 2 and a half hour nap earlier did nothing to help, sadly), and I fear that I will soon get tired of all my clocks being an hour fast and will have to resort to changing them, as inefficient as it seems.