Review: Starling
October 4, 2012
Starling by Lesley Livingston
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I received this in a giveaway from a Goodreads first reads contest. I enjoyed this book and liked the idea of the different pantheon of gods being real and having pathways to Earth. The Norse mythology angle is a nice change too but I was hoping for a stronger novel. Too many books these days have the love triangle and I was hoping for more. I also realized I may have missed some of the background because I have not read Livingston’s previous Faerie series which has a major character crossover that I learned of when I Googled a character name. It was enjoyable and Mason was a great heroine with her fencing skills but something seemed to be missing. It could be resolved with subsequent books in this series but for now, I will put this on the shelf and possibly revisit in the future.
Review: Grace Doll
September 29, 2012
Grace Doll by Jennifer Laurens
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Disclaimer: I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
I really thought this was going to turn into a vampire story but it did not. Which was not a bad thing as it did go against my expectations. This was a quick read that did not blow me away but did keep me entertained. The author did a great job of showing bits and pieces of the old Hollywood system and how stars were born and used by producers, directors, and studio heads. Unfortunately the characters never drew me in enough for me to have me become very invested in their fate. There was a twist I did not see coming that helped and the ending was really well done but this will not be on the top of my read-again list.
Review: Bella Fortuna
September 27, 2012
Bella Fortuna by Rosanna Chiofalo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
I read this book rather quickly and did enjoy it. The description and lead up to Valentina finding her bella fortuna took much longer than I expected- 200 pages of a 350 page book. I still enjoyed it but the blurb was misleading in that way. Also the switch of narrator from Valentina to Olivia was good but at times unnecessary. The story was well written and it was a predictable but good plot. I enjoyed hearing all about the wedding gowns and crazy bridezillas as I was one about a year ago so I remember that time quite well. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a quick read where you know what is going to happen but you want to go along anyways.
Review: Redshirts
September 5, 2012
Redshirts by John Scalzi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was fantastic. Oh my gosh I did not want to put it down. This is definitely a book for any Star Trek fan, even those inevitable awful episodes. We are following ensigns who have been assigned to the Intrepid for duty. The contrasting thoughts of these ensigns and their actions lead to some of the best moments of the book. They act like brave idiots and over-dramatic when with the senior crew but they cannot reconcile their actions with what common sense is telling them to do. The book could have end at the 3/4th point but the continuation did give the novel a more bittersweet ending. I want everyone to find this novel and love it as much as I did. I think that the word “Redshirt” has achieved a certain connotation in pop culture and i love that Scalzi uses this concept and flips it around for the enjoyment of the reader. I may have to dress as one of these Redshirts for Halloween even if no one knows who I am. Just brilliant.
Review: Yseult: A Tale of Love in the Age of King Arthur
September 5, 2012
Yseult: A Tale of Love in the Age of King Arthur by Ruth Nestvold
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A very well written re-telling of the Tristan and Isolde legend. There were a lot of elements I did not expect to be included such as the focus on the actual war between the Britons and the Saxons but it was well done. It did drag at some points but I kept coming back to it. It made me want to get the next book in the series as well to see where Nestvold is going to take the character of Iseult. I do not know if anyone can state with absolute certainty that everything in the book is historically accurate but it was one of the more accurate ones that I have read. If you love Arthurian legend the way I do, you will go and pick up this book.
Review: The Moth Diaries
July 21, 2012
The Moth Diaries by Rachel Klein
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a book full of twists and turns and I still do not know if there was a vampire or not in the school but our main narrator is a disturbed girl who may not be able to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Not sure what to think of this one but it will stick in my mind for a bit. It is also a faithful reenactment of adolescence and the effect the changing hormones have on a young girl who is already altered by her father’s suicide. If you want to remember life as a teenager , read this book but be ready to be puzzled and moved.
Review: Year Zero
July 18, 2012
Year Zero by Rob Reid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I kept hearing about this book from everyone and now I know why- it is fantastic. I burst out laughing every 15 minutes reading this book and learned more than I ever thought I would about music copyright law and weird alien cultures. Nick Carter may not be a Backstreet Boy but he is a great hero for this book when he is just trying to do his job when aliens show up in his office asking for the license for all of the music produced since 1977. I read this book as quickly as I could just so I could enjoy each moment more. Rob Reid has a hit on his hands. I saw comparisons to Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and I have to agree with them. This book was funny, insightful, and definitely one I want to revisit.
Review: The Last Policeman: A Novel
July 17, 2012
The Last Policeman: A Novel by Ben H. Winters
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was lucky enough to receive this book as an ARC from Quirk Books before publication and I was not sure what I was going to think of it. I am not the biggest fan of crime fiction but this was so much better than I expected. I love that Winters was able to combine a crime procedural with the looming end of the world. The twists and turns were wonderful and it went somewhere I never expected. Our main detective is just trying to do his job and live his life before Maia comes crashing down to end it all. This isn’t Deep Impact or Armageddon but it is an asteroid coming for us and how it would affect real people. Just amazing overall and another hit for Quirk.
Review: The Last Policeman: A Novel
July 17, 2012
The Last Policeman: A Novel by Ben H. Winters
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was lucky enough to receive this book as an ARC from Quirk Books before publication and I was not sure what I was going to think of it. I am not the biggest fan of crime fiction but this was so much better than I expected. I love that Winters was able to combine a crime procedural with the looming end of the world. The twists and turns were wonderful and it went somewhere I never expected. Our main detective is just trying to do his job and live his life before Maia comes crashing down to end it all. This isn’t Deep Impact or Armageddon but it is an asteroid coming for us and how it would affect real people. Just amazing overall and another hit for Quirk.
Review: Desperate Duchesses
July 15, 2012
Desperate Duchesses by Eloisa James
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I read this as a part of the Vaginal Fantasy book club and I loved it. It was a book of mostly smut but it was so well done. All of the characters were people I enjoyed and the relationships made sense to me. Roberta was the perfect mix of naivete and sexual knowledge and Damon falling for her was perfect. Yes it was part of a setup but I still loved it. I was hoping to see the relationship between the Duke and Duchess Beaumont but that is why there are other books that come after this one. I cannot wait to get the others to see if they can live up to this.
