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Tuesday, September 17, 2013
TTT: What I'm FALLing For This Autumn
It's Tuesday again and, although I'm feeling a little under the weather, I'm excited for this week's TTT. Especially since we've got a nice, easy topic this time around. Sometimes, I can't think of one item that fits the weekly prompt, let alone ten, but when it comes to books I'm planning to read, that's easy as pie (although I don't even attempt to make pie because it's way too hard, so that's probably a crap analogy ... whatever). So, without further ado (Wait! One quick ado—Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish), I give you Top Ten Books on My Fall TBR List:
1. Monsters by Ilsa J. Bick—This is the final book in Bick's dystopian Ashes trilogy. I adored the first installment in the series, was a little less impressed by the second, and can't wait for the third. If you like zombie novels, definitely give these a try.
2. More Than This by Patrick Ness—Ness' Chaos Walking series is one of my very favorites, so I was excited to learn that the author published TWO new books this year. While The Crane Wife, an adult magical realism novel, sounds interesting, it's the YA novel that really interests me. In it, a boy who's pretty sure he drowned wakes up in a strange, alternative world that vaguely resembles the place he lived as a child. It's up to him to figure out what in the world is going on. Sounds good, right?
3. Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein—Like lots of other readers, I found Code Name Verity a unique and compelling read. The author's much-anticipated new book is another WWII thriller that's supposed to be just as amazing as her debut novel.
4. A Spark Unseen by Sharon Cameron—I just finished The Dark Unwinding, the first novel in Cameron's YA steampunk series about a girl who discovers the strange, but intriguing world her eccentric grandfather inhabits. The next installment sounds just as entrancing. I can't wait to read it!
5. Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson—I enjoyed Donaldson's debut novel, Edenbrooke, and am glad to see that her newest is getting rave reviews. Good, clean reads are difficult to find, so I'm excited about this one.
6. SYLO by D.J. MacHale—This one's been out for a little while now, but I haven't gotten a chance to dive into it just yet. It's about a boy living on an isolated island who witnesses several cold-blooded murders that lead him to try to escape. It's supposed to be a "high-octane," apocalyptic thriller—how could I not be drawn to this one?
7. The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason—Bram Stoker's sister and Sherlock Holmes' niece team up to solve the mystery of disappearing debutantes in this YA mystery/steampunk/romance. Sounds fun, no?
8. Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston—I just received an invitation to be on the blog tour for this one. This dystopian thriller is about a young blackjack dealer who risks it all to flee post-apocalyptic Las Vegas for the mythical "Blue," a place where beauty still exists—if only she can survive to see it. Sounds a little cliché, but still intriguing.
9. Dead Girls Don't Lie by Jennifer Shaw Wolf—I love novels about the terrible secrets that tear people apart (I'm just sadistic like that), so this one, about a girl who's trying to figure out how her friend really died, sounds like it will be right up my alley.
10. Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller—Stories about kids raised in unique situations (cults, remote villages, etc.) trying to integrate into the "normal" world always intrigue me. This one, about a girl who's been raised off-the-grid by the mother who kidnapped her and is released to her father after her mom is arrested, sounds super compelling.
What do you think? Any of these sound good to you, too? What's on your Fall TBR list?
* Book images from Barnes & Noble
Monday, September 16, 2013
Can a Newbie Author Pull Off Such an Ambitious Plot? Well, No, Not Really.
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
School and 17-year-old Tyler MacCandless don't get along very well. It's not that he doesn't try. He does. And it's not that he isn't smart enough. He is. It's just that his ADHD makes it difficult to sit still, impossible to concentrate. It's a whole lot easier to pretend he doesn't care. Blowing off class to spend quality time with his game console is more to Tyler's liking anyway. And, if he does it well, it might even lead to a real job. That's what Rick Anderson, an Air Force vet who's become Tyler's mentor and father figure, says. He's given Tyler an amazing new game to test—if Tyler can reach a high enough score, he can earn his way into flight school. At the very least, the game keeps his mind off his other problems: failing grades, his workaholic mother, and an older brother who's in rehab trying to get clean.
Ani Bagdorian is a brilliant, 16-year-old computer programmer from L.A. A freshman at Yale, she's feeling just a little out of place. At least her secret job designing software for a mysterious company called Haranco pays for most of her tuition. Even if the whole situation makes her feel a little uneasy. Still, she doesn't dare quit, not if she wants to keep herself out of jail.
When Tyler and Ani meet, the two are instantly attracted to each other. Not that they're allowed to have any kind of relationship. Haranco won't allow it. But the more the two learn about the dangerous game they're both playing, the more sure they are of one thing: something screwy's going on. And they're going to get to the bottom of it, whether Haranco likes it or not. With a powerful corporation tracking their every move, the pair will have to use every ounce of smarts, sense and courage they've got to solve the mystery before people get hurt—people who include not just themselves, but everyone they love.
While the premise behind Playing Tyler, a debut YA thriller by T.L. Costa, sounded intriguing, it also seemed ambitious. Maybe too ambitious for a newbie author. Turning a plot that already sounds far-fetched into something believable—well, I just wasn't sure Costa could pull it off. And she didn't, not really. Still, there were things the author did right, things that surprised me, things that made the novel more entertaining than I thought it would be. Tyler, for one—the thoughts constantly pin-balling around in his head, echoed in the stacatto rhythm of his narration, as well as his hot-tempered, half-baked ideas and actions just seemed right-on for a teenage boy with ADHD. After reading a few chapters of the book, I actually said aloud to my husband, "Wow, no wonder [a kid we know]'s the way he is, if this is what goes on in his head all day." So, that at least seemed authentic to me. The rest? Not so much. Costa's prose definitely impressed me more than I thought it would, but Playing Tyler's still full of contrived plot twists, under-developed characters and a storyline that should have been trimmed in order to create a stronger, tighter narrative. I ended up enjoying this one, more or less, but it's still a pretty average thriller, in my (oh, so humble) opinion. And yet, Costa is an author on which I'll definitely be keeping me eye.
(Readalikes: Reminded me of The Kill Room by Jeffery Deaver)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for strong language, sexual innuendo/content, depictions of underage drinking/illegal drug use, and violence
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Playing Tyler from the generous folks at Strange Chemistry via those at BookSparks PR. Thank you!
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Bookish Me, From A to Z
Author you’ve read the most books from:
I'm not a frequent enough user of Goodreads to look there for help with this one, so who knows if this answer's accurate or not, but I would guess Jodi Picoult. I've read every book she's written except the two or three newest. She's definitely one of my faves!
Best Sequel Ever:
I'm going to go with Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. I loved Cinder so much that I was a *little* bit afraid to read the sequel. Turned out, I had no reason to fear. In Scarlet, Meyer introduced a whole new set of characters with their own storyline, which was disorienting for a second. But only a second. Then, it was awesome! The new cast was just as compelling as the old, plus Meyer kept the action going strong and used the continuing plot from Cinder as a parallel, then intersecting, storyline in Scarlet. I think I just made it sound a whole lot more confusing than it is. Just trust me on this one, Scarlet's a fine example of a sequel that gets everything right.
Currently Reading:
The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron. Why didn't I pick this one up earlier? I'm devouring it.
Drink of Choice While Reading:
Most of the time, I go with a nice, big glass of ice water. I'm just boring like that.
E-reader or Physical Book?
I used to rage endlessly against e-books. Then I got a Kindle Fire. And I didn't hate it. In fact, I sorta loved it. I still read more *real* books than e-books, but I like the flexibility that owning a Kindle gives me. This quote from Stephen Fry sums up my feelings on the subject exactly: "Books are no more threatened by [e-readers] than stairs by elevators."
Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School:
I don't know, probably someone sweet and nerdy, like Simon from The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare.
Glad You Gave This Book A Chance:
Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer. This swashbuckling YA novel really didn't sound like my kind of thing, but lots of bloggers were raving about it, so I decided to give it a try. It ended up being a huge favorite.
Hidden Gem Book:
Can I cheat and use the answer above for this one, too?
Important Moment in your Reading Life:
I didn't realize it at the time, but deciding to keep an online reading journal changed my reading life forever. It was the earliest incarnation of this blog. Creating BBB opened up my reading world in ways I couldn't even fathom back in the day.
Just Finished:
Not A Drop To Drink by Mindy McGinnis -- It's one of the most frightening YA dystopians I've read in a long time because it presents a scenario that could actually happen. Plus, it's intriguing, well-written and peopled with compelling characters.
Kinds of Books You Won’t Read:
Erotica -- just, no thanks
Poetry -- usually I'm too dense to understand it
Boring Non-Fiction -- zzzzzzzzz
Longest Book You’ve Read:
Hm, I don't know for sure. Probably something by Stephen King. Or Brandon Sanderson.
Major book hangover because of:
A couple years ago, I had a thyroidectomy, followed by two rounds of iodine radiation therapy. While radioactive, I couldn't leave my bedroom, so I spent lots of time reading. During the first round, I read the first three books in The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare back-to-back. The story definitely kept me entertained, but man, I was in some pain afterward: my eyes stung, my head throbbed and my hands hurt from holding those big, ole tomes.
Number of Bookcases You Own:
I have bookcases all over my house, but there are 5 main ones. I haven't posted pictures of my brand new, 9 feet tall x 12 feet long beauty, but heck, there's no time like the present. Here's the unfilled version:
I'm about 5'5", so that gives you an idea of this bookcase's crazy bigness. I LOVE it! I'll post the filled and frou-frou-ed version later.
One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:
I'm not much of a re-reader, although I've read both Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins twice—does that count?
Preferred Place To Read:
My reclining couch or in my adjustable bed. Yes, I am a senior citizen.
Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read:
I can't think of a book-specific quote, but I like this one from Stephen King: "Books are a uniquely portable magic."
Reading Regret:
I regret not having re-read the Harry Potter books yet. I enjoyed them all as they came out, but haven't gone back to re-enjoy them yet. I definitely need to do that—and soon!
Series You Started And Need To Finish(all books are out in series):
It would take me years to list all the series I've started and haven't finished yet. 'Course, most of them are still being written. So, for this question, I'll choose ... the original Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan.
Three of your All-Time Favorite Books:
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Unapologetic Fangirl For:
The Hunger Games series. Even if the movie didn't quite capture its essence and my husband now thinks I'm a cold-hearted monster for loving the story, even then, I adore it.
Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:
I've been waiting and waiting to get my hands on The Shade of the Moon, a new entry in Susan Beth Pfeffer's YA dystopian series. The story officially ended with This World We Live In, but we fans pressured her to continue the story and voila, she did! The good folks at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt recently sent me an ARC and I can't wait to dive into it.
Worst Bookish Habit:
Probably eating while I read. I can't count the number of times I've dripped something on a page or marred it with a greasy fingerprint. Unforgivable, I know.
X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:
Since I have about a bajillion bookcases, I chose the behemoth that houses all my adult review books (see photo above). The top left section houses non-fiction, so the 27th is Ree Drummond's The Pioneer Woman Cooks. I've had this cookbook since it came out and haven't even cracked the spine yet. What's wrong with me??
Your latest book purchase:
Probably The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. I love his quirky, creepy stories, but this one's getting mixed reviews so I've been hesitating to read it. I'll get to it eventually.
ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):
Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts. The book wasn't even that good, I just wanted to finish it, even though I knew reading it late at night was going to give me nightmares. Which it totally did.
So, what do you think? Did you learn anything new about me? Have you done this survey on your blog? If so, let me know as I'd love to come learn more about you and your bookish life. If you haven't done the A to Z survey yet, do, it's a whole lot of fun!
Monday, September 09, 2013
Miss Monk on the Small Screen? Never Fear—You Can Still Find Him in Your Library (He'll be the One Dusting the Lightbulbs).
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
If you've seen an episode of the t.v. show Monk (and who hasn't?) you'll understand why I love its title character so much. Adrian Monk, especially as portrayed (to perfection) by the incomparable Tony Shalhoub, is quirky, fun, hilarious and just all-around charming. If you're not familiar with OCD-afflicted Detective Monk, never fear, you can watch the series on Netflix. If you've seen every episode and still can't get enough, no worries, you can check out the 15 Monk mysteries Lee Goldberg wrote. Bummed that Goldberg's moved on? Not a problem. Hy Conrad, one of the original writers of the t.v. series, has taken over where Goldberg left off. Mr. Monk Helps Himself is the first of Conrad's Monk novels and, guess what? Reading it is just as delightful as watching Monk solve cases on the small screen.
Like the other Monk novels, this one is narrated by Natalie Teeger, Monk's assistant. Having returned from a sojourn in New Jersey, she's back in California helping Monk keep his OCD in check long enough to aid the San Francisco Police Department with their toughest cases. Determined to become more than just Monk's babysitter, she's studying for the exam that will make her a licensed private investigator. Once she's legal, Natalie will become her boss's partner. Until then, she's the "unlegendary, underpaid and overworked ... assistant to a brilliant and very stubborn six-year-old" (2).
To get a little breather from her hectic life, Natalie sneaks off to a seminar led by a successful self-help guru named Miranda Bigley. She purposely lies about her whereabouts so her boss won't pester her to dust his already spotless lightbulbs or call fifty times to moan about his newest phobia. And yet, somehow, he finds her. Monk's raving about cults when Miranda walks right off a seaside cliff, plunging to her death. The police call it a suicide, but Natalie knows better. How could someone who spent her life helping people find happiness be miserable enough to kill herself? It makes no sense. No one else seems to care about poor Miranda, especially not Monk, who's hard at work trying to catch a serial killer. Natalie won't give up on it, though. She's going to find her heroine's killer if it's the last thing she does. With two cases to solve, an exam to study for and Monk to hand-hold, Natalie's got a lot on her plate. Can she do it all and pass her P.I. exam, too? Or is she destined to be Monk's babysitter forever?
As you can probably tell, the book remains true to the lighthearted tone of the t.v. series. Not that it doesn't have its gory parts. It does. But, overall, Mr. Monk Helps Himself is a quick, enjoyable read that won't tax too many of your brain cells. If you're looking for a complex, nuanced mystery, look somewhere else. If, on the other hand, you simply want a funny, upbeat story, well, you've found your next read. Whether you're an old Monk fan or a new one, chances are, you're going to enjoy the ride.
(Readalikes: I haven't read them, but I assume the Monk mysteries by Lee Goldberg are very similar)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, and sexual innuendo/references to sex
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Mr. Monk Helps Himself from the generous folks at Obsidian (a division of Penguin) via those at Premier Virtual Author Book Tours. Thank you!
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