Review: The God of the Hive by Laurie R. King

I purchased this book from Amazon for my Kindle. I read this book in the middle of our move, about three weeks ago. And, in the midst of all the chaos and disorganization, it was a wonderful way to escape. I couldn't put it down, quite honestly.

The book picks up where the last volume left off - Holmes and Russell have just saved Holmes' son, Damian Adler's life. They left the madman who was trying to assassinate him dead among the standing stones. Except he's not really dead. And the police still have warrants out for the arrests of Holmes, Russell, and Adler. So there's a lot of skulking around London and the Scottish countryside, coupled with some truly terrifying moments (Russell's plane crash in the middle of a forest), while racing to discover who is behind the murder of Adler's wife, and the attempt his life and his daughter's.

Awesome book. Absolutely awesome. I'm so glad I still have several volumes left in this series. Maybe it was just the right book at the right time, but I'm giving it five out of five Whatevers. Wouldn't change a thing about it.

2013-3

Review: The Ticking Is the Bomb by Nick Flynn

This book was a LibraryThing Early Reviewer book. And, I'm sorry to say, I didn't really care for it. It took me over a month to finish. Part of this was my lack of reading time lately (teaching and physical therapy during the week leave me with little time to do anything else, which makes me have to catch up on the weekends, which used to be my reading time). But part of it was that I was just not motivated to get back to the book once I put it down.

This book is a memoir. It deals with Flynn's preoccupation with the torture of the detainees in Abu Ghraib - his research into the acts and his feelings about what the use of torture means for us as Americans. The darkness of this storyline is juxtaposed with yet more darkness - Flynn's recollections of his mother, who committed suicide very young, and his homeless, alcoholic father - espcially in light of his own impending fatherhood. The book is very sad, and I think that is a large part of what I didn't like about it. The writing is also somewhat navel-gazing and pretentious for my taste. But one woman's pretentiousness is another's beautifully stunning prose, so definitely judge for yourself. Two out of five Whatevers. Not really my thing, but others' tastes may vary.

2013-2

Review: The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel

I was super excited to read this book, not only because it was next in a series that I enjoy, but also because it was my very first Kindle library book! I couldn't believe how easy it was. We were at my parents' house in Ohio and I had wanted to check the book out (since it came out not too long ago, it was just too expensive to buy), but I didn't have time to do it before we left Florida, so I went online to our local library and got the Kindle version. So easy! Sadly, though, the book didn't live up to my high expectations. The first two-thirds were, quite honestly, a slog. The last third was great, and I wish the whole book were more like it. It seemed like Auel felt it necessary to regurgitate not only the whole five-book back story, but also all of the biology and cultural history of prehistoric times which she already covered, exhaustively, in the other books of the series. In my opinion, it is probably highly unlikely that someone who hasn't read the other five books would just randomly pick this one up, so it felt rather unnecessary to go over all that again. For those of us who HAVE read the other five books, it was needlessly repetitive, which was a complaint of mine in the last book, as well. There was too much slogging through caves, looking at cave paintings and not enough actual STUFF happening. I kept going through the rough patches because...well, I'd read the last five and I felt like I owed it to myself to read the next one. And the last part of the book, when Ayla went to the Summer Meeting and was called to be a Zelandoni...that part was great. But it just seemed as if nothing really happened in the book up till then. It was boring.

So, sadly, two out of five Whatevers. Not an auspicious start to the new reading year. But into every life a couple of bad books must fall. Just can't recommend this one except for those very committed to the series.

2013-1

End of the Year Roundup

I don't think I've ever really done an end-of-the-year post before.  But we have the day off of work today, and I'm feeling contemplative, so here we are.

2012 has been an interesting year.  I've spent most of the year reading from three different series of books:  Laurie King's Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series (my favorite books by far this year...all of them!); Jean M. Auel's classic Earth's Children series, which I never read when I was younger for some reason (maybe because of all the sex?) - anyway, I doubt that these would have held my attention when I was younger anyway, as they are very info-dump-y with all the prehistoric stuff in them; and Heather Webber's Lucy Valentine series - a paranormal romance-type series in which the heroine uses her psychic abilities to solve crimes.  I also joined a reading challenge for the first time this year.  Literary Feline's Merely Mystery Reading Challenge was right up my alley, especially since I knew I'd be reading quite a few mysteries this year.  I read six of Laurie King's books this year, and if you count the Lucy Valentine series, too, that brings my total up to ten, I think.  I didn't link all of these (in fact, I think I only linked like two of them), but I more than met my goal of reading two or more mysteries for the year!

All told, I read 22 books this year (and am about halfway through another one, but I definitely won't finish it before tonight is over).  That's two more than I read last year!  That may not seem like a lot, but I'm glad I increased from the year before.  I credit that to the quick reads that were Heather Webber's books.  I read almost all of those in a day or less.  The Earth's Children series are a bunch of chunksters, as were the couple of last books in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series that I read this year (although those were pretty fast reads for me, too).  I'd like to read more than that next year.  Maybe I should up my YA and middle-grade reading, or start reading some graphic novels?  We'll see.  After I finish my current read (The Land of Painted Caves, the last in the Earth's Children series, published just this year), I have a review book and some more Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes novels awaiting me.  I'm glad - that's a series I'm not ready to see end.

What have you accomplished this year?  What are your reading plans for 2013?

Review: The Best American Non-Required Reading 2010 ed. by Dave Eggers

This volume is almost always my favorite of the Best American books. It's a great mix of humor, serious essays, fiction, and illustrations. This book was a Christmas gift in 2010, and I finally got around to reading it. I actually finished it on Sunday, but Blogger's been such a punk this week (and I've had so much going on in my own life with the end of the semester, a busy court week, and the holidays) that I couldn't post a review until now.

The Non-Required Reading book is split into two parts - a humorous intro by Dave Eggers and the kids of 826 National, a project intended to foster young writers and improve their writing skills - and the section including the selections from various magazines and literary journals. These included a memoir-ish essay by Sherman Alexis, excerpted from his book War Dances; an excerpt from Tea Obreht's The Tiger's Wife, which just makes me want to read it even more; and a short story by Kurt Vonnegut, called "The Nice Little People." There were also essays, most notably one called "Seven Months, Ten Days in Captivity" by David Rohde, about his time as a prisoner of the Taliban.

I'd give this one four out of five Whatevers. It was good, engrossing reading when I picked it up, but I wasn't running back to it as quickly as I might go back to a novel. Of course, that might have something to do with the season, too. It's been busy around here. Definitely a must for fans of the series or the Non-Required readers, and also for those who want something to digest in little pieces during this busy time of year.

2012-22

I'm not sure if I'll get another book in this year (in fact, I'm pretty sure I won't, since my next planned read is a doorstop), but I think I did better this year than last...I'll have to go check the numbers.

Review: The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King

Yet another in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series by Laurie King.  I bought this book when it came out, hence the hardcover version that I own.

Holmes and Russell have just returned home to Sussex from their trip abroad (chronicled in The Game and Locked Rooms) when Damian Adler appears at their door - Holmes' son by Irene Adler.  You may recognize her name from the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle series.  Damian is a Bohemian - an artist who has nevertheless seen his fair share of war.  He has married (an Asian former-prostitute named Yolanda) and has a three-year-old daughter, Estelle.  Damian is seeking Holmes' help because Yolanda has disappeared.  It's not unusual for Yolanda to go off on her own, leaving Estelle to Damian's care, in search of spiritual enlightenment.  But she's been gone longer than usual, and Damian is starting to get worried.

So he seeks out his famous father, with whom he has an uneasy relationship at best.  Holmes and Russell had once helped exonorate Damian when he was charged with murder, and when Yolanda turns up dead at the base of a strange monolith, it appears they may have to do so again.  Their investigation takes them into the strange world of the Children of Lights - a cult that has grown up around a man called The Master - one which Yolanda became involved with before her death.  Holmes and Russell soon discover that they are on the tail of a madman.  But what is Damian's involvement?  Is he an unwitting pawn?  Or did he have something to do with the murder?

This installment of the series was great.  I really enjoyed the look at alternative religions in the early 20th Century, especially the cult-like Children of Lights (a fictional religion, but similar to some of the spiritualist movements that were popular at the time).  The fact that this case involved Holmes' son gave it an added edge of suspense.  I'd give this one four out of five Whatevers.  Very solid entry in the series.  I only have three more to go!  At least King is still writing these.  I don't want the series to end!

2012-21

Review: Perfectly Matched by Heather Webber

The next novel in the Lucy Valentine series, Perfectly Matched was everything I hoped for...fluffy romance/mystery/psychic detective story and a quick read to boot.  I read my copy on my Kindle, so it was a copy I purchased from Amazon.  As usual, I loved it.

These books are fun and fluffy and a good break in between larger, heavier reading.  In this installment, a serial arsonist seems to be targeting Lucy's boyfriend's brother Sam...or is it her boyfriend Sean the arsonist is really after?  Lucy is also training with a group of other psychics, trying to expand her abilities beyond finding lost objects.  Will she be able to see visions of the past and present?  Can she teach herself to talk to animals?  What about spirits?

As with all the Lucy Valentine books so far, this one was a good mix of romance, mystery, and the supernatural.  The arsonist story was tense enough to keep me turning the (virtual) pages, and the side storylines of what was wrong with Lucy's friend Preston, and why Aidan Holliday, the state police officer she sometimes worked with, would be ignoring his burgeoning romance with Lucy's friend Em kept me interested as well.

This novel was a good continuation of the series.  Unfortunately, I think I am now caught up on the sereis.  But the ending left an opening for another installment, and I am eager to resolve the cliffhanger!!!  Five out of five Whatevers, just because it was such good fluff.

2012-20