tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48068295113997174092024-02-08T08:28:02.407-08:00To Read or Not to Read?Just a non-degreed librarian and book lover who wants to share my insight with the masses. All genres likely to be mentioned.Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4806829511399717409.post-10223045748876312432015-02-07T18:53:00.003-08:002015-02-07T18:55:52.311-08:00Merging<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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I’ve dabbled in blogging for a half a dozen years (ever
since I was assigned to write one for a class). That original one hasn’t been
touched pretty since the day the class ended but I have started three others.
Yes, three!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Here on Blogger I have two. To Read or Not to Read? which you are reading now and Writings and Musings where I write about my
experiences as a struggling author, rant about never-ending book series that need
to end already damn it,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and books that
have been turned into movies among other things. (Basically anything and
everything book/writing related that is not a book review or an original
fiction piece).</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And in late 2014 I started up a Tumblr where I post short
story fiction because I need to practice being more succinct in my writing. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But having so many different things going on on different
sites is driving me crazy so I came up with the perfect idea to consolidate
them all into one! And not only that but I found the perfect way to do that
because, here on WordPress, there’s an option to do categories so over there on
the right hand side is a drop down menu. You can find it here: <a href="https://readwriteink.wordpress.com/">https://readwriteink.wordpress.com/</a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Below is how things will be arranged on that blog:</div>
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<br /></div>
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The Short Story category is pretty self explanatory. If you’ve
read/want to read my fiction, you can find it there. To Read or Not to Read? is
what you’ll want to click if you only want my book reviews while Writerly
Musings will be where you’ll find the kind of random hodgepodge of other ideas.
Or you can choose to read it all, I won’t complain.</div>
Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4806829511399717409.post-5684113385054610852015-01-09T20:06:00.002-08:002015-01-09T20:07:06.246-08:00The Walled City by Ryan Graudin<span class="readable reviewText">
<span id="freeTextreview1154753133">Note: I received a free copy of "The Walled City" from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.<br /><br />I
finally got around to reading this book after having requested it
months ago and I'm so disappointed in myself that I hadn't read it
earlier! This was a wow book.<br /><br />"The Walled City" by Ryan Graudin
is set in Hak Nam, a fictionalized version of Hong Kong's very real
Kowloon Walled City which was a densely populated settlement that was a
hot bed of gambling, prostitution and drug use. And the three main
characters are involved in it all (well other than the gambling...I
don't believe there was any gambling?)<br /><br />The chapters were told
from the point of view of three very different and distinct characters
who all have their own secrets. (And the author did a very good job of
keeping the sections distinct, I never forgot whose section I was
reading as I read it!) There's Dai: a boy who traffics drugs for
redemption, Jin: a young girl posing as a boy in order to find her
sister who has been sold into prostitution by their father, and Mei Yee:
a girl who has been trapped in a brothel for two years and who,
throughout the novel, learns that she has more strength than she could
have ever imagined. <br /><br />Just from the book blurb I knew how two of
the characters were connected but I was very curious to know how they
were all going to meet and it was splendid. It was dark and gritty and
real and not the situation, the characters felt real as well. Every time
someone pulled out a gun or a knife or interacted with the gang leaders
I feared for the characters lives. And I was cheering them on as they
raced to beat the clock and get what they needed to get out safely. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextreview1154753133"><span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextreview1154753133">And
to add to my enjoyment (though it feels wrong to say I "enjoyed" a book
with such horribly realistic dark situations like human and drug
trafficking) I also decided to do one of those 2015 book challenges and I
chose this one to qualify as my "book set in another country" because
even though Ryan Graudin changed the names of the real locations it was
very clear what city this was based on (there was even an author's note
at the end of the book) and that city was in China.</span></span> </span></span>Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4806829511399717409.post-12707419769191367722014-12-12T16:55:00.002-08:002014-12-12T16:57:42.610-08:00Wishes and Sorrows by Cindy Lynn SpeerNote: I received a NetGalley free copy of “Wishes and
Sorrows” by Cindy Lynn Speer in exchange for an honest review.<br />
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<br /></div>
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I still love fairy tale retellings but honestly I need to
stop getting collections of short story fairy tales like this for one simple
reason: when the stories are so short there’s really nothing all that new that
can be said. It’s different when it’s a full book about one specific story
because it means there’s a chance for the author to create a new background
story, new information about the characters. That’s not really the case with
10-20 page stories.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There were a few segments that were more of an original
idea/story than the others and while some of them were very interesting to read
others were odd. I can’t remember the names of which ones stuck out but there
were a few that just didn’t make sense at all, they were disjointed and kind of
pointless. I understand the struggle of finding a balance between keeping a
short story short and making an actual point because I’ve written some short
stories myself but if you’re going to publish something in a collection I feel
as though you should have to make it feel as though there was a reason for the
story in the first place and some of these didn’t have that.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So out of the dozen or so stories there were maybe four
really original ones, most of which didn’t make sense. The rest were more
traditional and familiar, as though I’d read them before. And one story, the
only one I really remember and enjoyed, was something I had read in a previous
fairy tale collection. It’s called “Necklace of Rubies” and was a retelling of
the story of Blackbeard. I especially loved this one because it was dark and
creepy and it was based on a tale that wasn’t as common as some of the others.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From now on out I probably will not be requesting/reading
fairy tale collections anymore just because, as I said earlier, the stories are
too short to really offer anything new.</div>
Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4806829511399717409.post-1425306460228084202014-11-29T10:08:00.003-08:002014-11-29T10:08:33.876-08:00Imitation by Heather Hildenbrand<span class="readable reviewText"><span class="elementTwo" id="freeTextreview1116202928">Note: I received a free copy of Imitation by Heather Hildenbrand from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.<br /><br />I
chose Imitation, the story of Ven who is an Imitation/clone, of a
privileged young woman because it reminded me of the movie The Island.
And in a way it was very similar. There is a whole building, called Twig
City, where the Imitations are shown footage of the Authentic they have
been created to look like. They keep their figures in shape according
to what their Authentic looks like and they know little of the outside
world beyond what they must do to help their Authentic. That includes
being around if their Authentic needs an organ transplant or if they
need to stand in for their Authenics during dangerous situations. <br /><br />The
latter (going undercover) is the case for Ven, an Imitation of Raven
Rogen, the daughter of a man very important to the science world. Only
she finds that the world as she knows it is not what she expected when
she realizes her best interests don't matter to most anyone and in fact,
society as a whole,does not even see the Imitations as real people.<br /><br />So,
in the realm of most futuristic/slightly dystopian, a rebellion is
spoken of and begun though not much more than basic planning is started
in the first novel. That's why I gave it only three stars, because this
is definitely not a stand alone novel in any sense of the term. The
story isn't complete and I don't like that. Even if there are more books
to come in a series there should be some type of resolution and Ven
finding out more about the rebellion is not a good enough one. <br /><br />One
complaint though: in the clone training center they are shown some
footage of their Authentic's lives. But they aren't allowed to really
experience any of the stuff for themselves. How are you supposed to act
natural when riding in cars and elevators or talking to boys when you've
never done any of that? That does not make any sense!</span></span><br />
<span class="readable reviewText"><span class="elementTwo" id="freeTextreview1116202928"></span></span><br /><span class="readable reviewText"><span class="elementTwo" id="freeTextreview1116202928">But other than that I really liked the book and will likely buy the second one when it comes out next month.</span></span>Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4806829511399717409.post-2045031555206672542014-11-17T18:05:00.002-08:002014-11-17T18:05:31.729-08:00The Thirteenth Tower by Sara SniderNote: I received a NetGalley affiliated free copy of The Thirteenth
Tower by Sara Snider earlier in the year (though I'm a little confused
because even when I got it a few months ago it wouldn't have been an
advanced copy and I'm used to having advanced copies but oh well, moving
on).<br />
<br />
I went into this book having read the blurb about it quite
some time go. I remembered there was a female as a main character and
that the story was about magic. What I had forgotten, and quickly found
out while I was reading, was that The Thirteenth Tower was very much a
"discovery of self" "coming of age" type of novel. Only coming of age
with magic, which is always something I find interesting.<br />
<br />
The
story is about Emelyn, a supposedly orphaned housemaid from the village
of Fallow. Throughout the story she travels far and wide and discovers
quite a bit about herself, magic, and the world around her. And boy is
it an interesting tale of travel.<br />
<br />
I loved The Thirteenth Tower.
The writing was tight and interesting. The characters were fairly
well-developed and it kept me on my toes, especially as to what exactly a
few of the characters were up to throughout the novel.<br />
<br />
And,
even better, the story ended very nicely. It tied up enough strings to
feel like a complete story but enough was left open that I could see
Snider deciding to make it the first of a series if she so chose. <br />
<br />
The
only complaint I had was that some of the scenes with magic may have
been handled a little better. I've read plenty of fantasy/magic stories
and magic is something that can be hard to describe and that seemed like
the case here. Descriptions of how the magic in this world works were
long winded and slightly confusing. The magic battle at the end was VERY
confusing. <br />
<br />
But I still enjoyed what was going on. So as long as
you're not afraid to be a little confused (because even if you do get
confused, by the end of it you will know what happened) it's definitely a
worthwhile read for fantasy fans.
<br />
<div id="review-like">
<span class="likeItContainer" id="like_container_review_1101697551"></span>
</div>
<div id="review-follow">
</div>
Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4806829511399717409.post-89116953472485947482014-10-07T17:49:00.003-07:002014-10-07T17:49:55.568-07:00Black Rose by Kris ThompsonNote: I received a free NetGalley copy of "Black Rose" by Kris Thompson
in exchange for an honest review. And this review will get slightly
spoilery.<br />
<br />
I chose "Black Rose" to read especially for the
Halloween season because it was creepy and horrifying. Not in an
unbelievable "oh my gosh, vampires" kind of way but in a "this is
something that could really happen. I mean look at the guy who kept the
women hidden in Cleveland for years."<br />
<br />
So if you aren't familiar
with the Cleveland, Ohio man who abducted several women and stored them
in a house for years this book definitely parallels that story. (Women
held captive, raped with at least one pregnancy). Only in "Black Rose"
Lillian, aka Lee, aka Lilly knows that the abductions are happening, she
just doesn't think it could happen to her. And then it does.<br />
<br />
Lee
soon finds herself chained up in an underground room with nothing but a
mattress and a bucket for human waste. Only she's not alone. The other
missing girls are in rooms all around her and they share their stories.
They were kidnapped months before and have faced various forms of
torture including physical beatings, being lit by fire, and rapes. <br />
<br />
The story flashes back and forth between Lee's perspective and that of
her boyfriend Richard who is close to Lee's friends and family. He
refuses to give up on his girlfriend until the end. <br />
<br />
So content
wise I both liked and did not like this. Of course it was kind of
graphic (no overly gratuitous rape or torture scenes but descriptive
enough to make me a little squeamish). And there were parts that I felt
didn't make sense. As another reviewer mentioned, one of the first
scenes where the captured girls talk they end up talking about sex even
though they are being repeatedly raped. I'm not so sure that's
believable but then again I have never been in, and hopefully never will
be, in that kind of situation. So who knows.<br />
<br />
I did like that the
story went farther than I thought it would. I thought the book would
end with the girls escaping. But instead it carried on through the
escape, the hospital stays of the survivors, and the trial and verdict
for the captor. <br />
<br />
But even though I read it quickly, mostly
because it was an easy read (not content wise but style wise) and
because it was suspenseful enough that I wanted to know "what happens
next" I wouldn't say I loved the book. Sure that might have something to
do with the whole distastefulness of the situation but it was also
because the characters didn't really come alive for me. Sure I rooted
for Lee but I would have rooted for anyone in her position.<br />
<br />
So this is not on my top rated shelf. It just felt like so much more
could have happened and that it could have been written better but it
didn't and it wasn't.<br />
<br />
And I'm going to complain about something else...something very spoilery. So here goes...<br />
<br />
If
you are abducted and raped and tortured and you knock your captor out
(especially if you can't save all your fellow captive girls) why
wouldn't you make absolute certain that the guy was dead? Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4806829511399717409.post-28869108863497072802014-09-24T17:45:00.002-07:002014-09-24T17:46:06.150-07:00Wildlife by Fiona Wood<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]-->Note: I received a free advanced copy of “Wildlife” by Fiona
Wood from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I requested “Wildlife”, a story about two teenage girls
named Sibylla and Lou and their school term at an outdoor education program, I
did not realize that it’s basically a sequel to another book that featured Lou.
I actually didn’t realize that until now, over a week after I finished the
book, when I happened to see that it was listed as ‘book 2’ on Goodreads. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now I know that sometimes it doesn’t really seem to matter
whether or not you’ve read the first book and I doubt it would have changed “Wildlife”
all that much for me but I think it might have helped enough for me to rate
this a bit higher.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I enjoyed the duel perspectives, the naïve Sibylla and Lou
who had experienced so much (most likely in the first book I’m guessing)
although at first I didn’t pick up on the whole multiple narrator thing and was
very confused. Which was probably pretty stupid of me since some chapters were
written in diary form while others were just first person but since narrator
names weren’t mentioned for a few pages I got lost. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What I did like about the story was that some parts of it
were very realistic. Lou’s depression was understandable and I liked that she
merely isolated herself and observed instead of behaving more erratically like
fictional characters often seem to do. But where I liked Lou I found Sibylla
very flip floppy. Sometimes she had some great common sense and observations
while other times, whenever her best friend and her new boyfriend were
involved, she was horribly naïve. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All in all it wasn’t a bad story but it wasn’t really all
that amazing either. Not much happened and I didn’t get pulled into the
characters as much as I have in other books though I did like bits and pieces
of the character’s personalities.</div>
Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4806829511399717409.post-64065542870837064022014-09-06T16:57:00.001-07:002014-09-06T16:57:39.456-07:00Salt & Storm by Kendall KulperNote: I received an Advanced Reader Copy of Salt & Storm
in exchange for an honest review.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Salt & Storm was the story of the Roes, specifically
Avery Roe, who belongs to a family of witches who keep Prince Island safe with
their magic. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For hundreds of years the Roe family passed the magic from
daughter to daughter, using it to help the whalers who populate the island they
live on. Their magic comes with the cost of pain and a life span and a
shortened life span. Most of the witches in the family line took up the mantle
but Avery’s mother chose not to, leaving her aging mother to care for her daughter
until her circumstances change. That’s how the story starts.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The majority of the story seemed to revolve around the
relationships between Avery, her mother and her mother’s mother as well as the
Roe family’s relationship to island. Avery makes it very clear that she wants
to be the Roe witch but it’s not long into the story that she has a dream that
reveals that her own death is imminent so she tries to find a way to prevent it
from happening. That way ends up involving a boy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Although I liked it well enough this book was not all that
memorable. I’m finally writing this review about a week after I finished it and
I’m struggling to remember all the details. From what I can remember my
favorite part of the story was the history of the Roe family. It was kind of
neat to read about what powers the other women had and so on. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And the major thing that bothered me was that there wasn’t
really much of a resolution. The question of Avery’s imminent fate was answered
but certain relationships weren’t resolved. I expected more and didn’t find it.</div>
Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4806829511399717409.post-8824310286829205632014-08-21T19:08:00.001-07:002014-08-21T19:08:40.200-07:00Sway by Kat Spears“Sway” by Kat Spears is, if we’re taking it down to a bare
bones comparison, a retelling of the story of Cyrano de Bergerac. The main
character is Jesse, a high school student with connections and pull with many
different people (you call him when you want drugs or alcohol, if you want a
fundraiser to be successful, if you’re the principal and you want a trouble
student out of your hair). So when popular kid Ken Foster offers him two
hundred dollars to help him get a date with the nice, beautiful Bridget, Jesse
agrees. What Jesse doesn’t expect is that by getting to know Bridget he’d end
up falling in love with her as well.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I ended up really liking this book mostly because the high
school that was featured wasn’t one of those stereotypical schools that only
exist in fiction. I mean, how often do we end up reading stories or watching
movies where all the kids get along and nobody drinks or ever does anything
wrong? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well these characters were real and they were raw. Jesse deals
drugs but has a conscious about it (he warns his new friend, who is Bridget’s
brother, that he shouldn’t rely on drugs to feel good at parties). Bridget is a
good girl who likes to volunteer her time but also likes to go out at night. All
the characters show a full range of emotions and are snarky and annoying at
times and loveable at others. It was nice to see a less idealistic version of
high school and high school students. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My only issue with the book is exactly how many different
things Jesse had a hand in. Drug deals, fake ID’s, friends with DJ’s and
cheerleaders and bowling alley owners and he’s not even a senior in high
school? At one point he even has the principal coming to him for help which
seemed to me like it was a little bit of “movie magic” so to speak (suspension
of disbelief).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But all in all I liked it
and will be following Kat Spear’s career. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4806829511399717409.post-62927865641013611642014-08-10T18:40:00.001-07:002014-09-12T19:57:58.584-07:00Rant: Mockingjay by Suzanne CollinsBeware! There will be spoilers for Mockingjay, the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.<br />
<br />
This isn't exactly a typical book review, it's more of a rant/complaint in a way.<br />
<br />
Okay,
okay, I'll admit that I didn't start paying attention until the Hunger
Games series until they decided to make it into a movie. But once I
started I felt like I caught on fire! I whipped through that book series
in a little less than three weeks and, like I almost always do when
I've read a book or series that I feel strongly about one way or
another, I went into the book reviews and message boards on Goodreads to
see what others were saying about certain plot points.<br />
<br />
Boy
was I surprised when I looked at the one about Mockingjay! Let's go
through the list of things many people found fault with and why their
negative opinions were a little unfounded. Because honestly I think some
of the people complaining must not have read the same book I did.<br />
<br />
1: People who thought Katniss was annoying and mopey.<br />
<br />
We
all read the first two books in the series, right? By Mockingjay
Katniss is only seventeen but yet she's been thrown into two Hunger
Games, she's unwillingly killed a slew of people because it was a killed
or be killed situations, and she's been made a symbol of the rebellion
even though she doesn't want to be. She was, in a way, responsible for
the annihilation of her entire district through her actions in the
second Hunger Games. She is broken and suffering post-tramautic stress
disorder and yet I saw tons of reviews where people thought she
shouldn't have been moping, freaking out, or fighting against being made
"the Mockingjay." What?! She's been through so much and yet you don't
think she deserves freak out time?<br />
<br />
2: People who think
the deaths of Finnick and/or Prim shouldn't have happened or were upset
because the characters didn't take the time to grieve.<br />
<br />
Mockingjay
was set during a rebellion, during a war. In war people die completely
insensible deaths. There is no time to mourn when it happens. Yes after
Finnick's death they ended up camped out in the clothing store that same
night but guess what? They still had to focus on staying alive the next
day so it only makes sense that Katniss would be thinking about her
choice between Peeta and Gale (something she'll only have to think about
if they all survive) and thinking of Finnick and death. Personally I'd
rather think of life.<br />
<br />
And Prim's death. Although I
liked Prim, she was a sweet girl, her death was necessary. Without it
Katniss would not have taken a stand against Coin. And, what with the vote Coin had them make on having another Hunger Games, we can only assume that Coin would have been a horrible leader as well. Which leads me to my final point of contention.<br />
<br />
3: People who thought Katniss voted for another Hunger Games and meant it.<br />
<br />
The surviving victors were given a choice of whether or not to hold a Hunger Games with the Capitol children. This is after Katniss has already started to wonder what kind of person Coin is and it makes her realize how much of a tyrant Coin could be. The main clues are when she wonders if Haymitch will understand what she's doing (meaning her yes doesn't just mean yes) and when she says "yes, for Prim" (there is no way Prim would want the deaths of more children). That, to me, meant one thing: Katniss wanted to get revenge for Prim and so she says something that will ensure that she will be next to Coin and holding a weapon at what was supposed to be Snow's execution. She said yes not because she wanted another Hunger Games but because she wanted to take out Coin.<br />
<br />
And that's part of the reason why I shouldn't read reviews, sometimes I just get way into them and can actually feel myself getting mad. Maybe it's part of being an English major, being trained to look deeper into things as I read. Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4806829511399717409.post-47757206089168882722014-08-01T18:49:00.002-07:002014-08-01T18:51:41.817-07:00The House of the Four Winds by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]-->Note: I received an ARC of “The House of the Four Winds” by
Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory from NetGalley in exchange for an honest
review.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First I’m going to share a little story. I don’t remember
when it was for sure but a few years back I stumbled upon a paperback copy of “The
Fairy Godmother” by Mercedes Lackey. Even though I’ve been an avid reader of
fantasy fiction since even before reading “Harry Potter and the Chamber of
Secrets” in the late 1990’s I hadn’t read of Mercedes Lackey. But I read “The
Fairy Godmother”, absolutely loved it, and made that I got my hands on the rest
of the Tales of the 500 Kingdom books that have published so far.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is what that series has taught me to expect of Mercedes
Lackey: action, adventure, and kick ass heroines. Three great qualities in
books of any genre. So when I was browsing NetGalley and saw the first book of
a new series, one that promised to feature even more powerful female characters
(what with a series title of One Dozen Daughters) I was intrigued. Then I
started the book and I was captivated.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“The House of the Four Winds” starts out in Swansgaard, a
small kingdom with too many daughters to afford their dowries. This means that
once the girls turn eighteen they are free to venture out on their owns and
make their own fortunes. The first book starts with Clarice, an accomplished
swordswoman, deciding to take a ship to the New World. There she meets a motley
crew of seamen, including the dashing Dominick. But the thing is, Clarice is
masquerading as Clarence Swann, a wealthy gentleman. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The plot runs quickly with a normal sea journey turning into
a story of mutiny, pirates, treasure, and then romance enters the scene. The characters
were lively and well written and the intrigue was great. There was even some
humor thrown in! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, even though I have a feeling that the next novels in the
series won’t be following Clarice (I am hoping there will be mentions of
marriages, children, etc.) since there are eleven other daughters to follow the
lives of, I will still be looking forward to getting my hands on the books.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Recommended for anyone who has read and enjoyed Mercedes
Lackey books, likes fantasy and strong female characters.</div>
<br />
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Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4806829511399717409.post-62652359279249372682014-07-29T18:33:00.001-07:002014-08-01T18:51:31.274-07:00Suffer the Children by Craig DiLouie<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]-->Note: I received an advanced copy of “Suffer the Children”
from NetGalley but although I did get the Kindle version the title was deleted
from my NetGalley dashboard so I won’t be able to post the review on their
website. Not sure what happened there but oops. <br />
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<br /></div>
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Now on to the actual review and what a bumpy ride it was!</div>
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If you want to take it down to bare bones “Suffer the
Children” is a vampire/zombie book but it’s so much more than that. The premise
is that after being introduced to several different characters (a couple with
two children, a single mother who sometimes resents her son, and a pediatrician
with a rough family life) an event happen. That event becomes known as Herod’s
Syndrome and results in the death of every child (I believe the designation was
that they hadn’t hit puberty yet), even those who are in utero. But then the
kids come back and not only do they just wake up but they rise out of their
graves in order to do it. </div>
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<br /></div>
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(Side note: the only plot point that really bothered me.
Herod’s Syndrome isn’t really explained enough. Yes it only effects the
children and it’s said to be something in their DNA or something that got
triggered but what exactly was the trigger? It just happens in one place and within
a day it’s spread across the rest of the globe. There was nothing that
supposedly set it off or anything).</div>
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<br /></div>
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Creepy, huh? But that’s just the beginning because what
happens next, or I suppose it just gets more heightened, is the psychological
drama. And now I’m going to get a little spoilery. Or maybe a lot spoilery. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Even though I’m not a parent this story bothered me (and it
definitely makes me wonder how I’d see this story if I did have children of my
own), only in a good way because it made me think and wonder and kind of freak
out along with all the characters in the story. Because this is what happens:
kids die and the parents mourn, a few days later the kids crawl out of their
graves and return home, they spend a few days or hours or something all happy
and then the kids suddenly die again. Then, in the middle of the night, they
let their parents know exactly what they want with shrieks and moans asking for
blood.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Sounds a little cheesy but in the heat of the story it’s
actually kind of terrifying, especially once the parents realize that they don’t
produce enough blood to keep their children alive for long. That means they
have to try different methods because for each time their children die they
decompose more and more so they can’t exactly just wait until their own blood
supplies replenish. Some parents just try and get as many friends and family
members to help out as they can. Others turn to more nefarious methods
including murder and prostitution. </div>
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<br /></div>
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And that’s when the division between different types of parents
becomes even more obvious because with each time they arise they become more
animalistic, more like the traditional stereotypical “vampire”, i.e. increased
strength, single-minded want for blood. Some parents want to just let their
children go while others decide they’d rather die themselves than do that. </div>
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Then the ending that I loved and hated at the same time. I
was half afraid it would all be wrapped up in a neat little bow with the fake
blood serum being made and distributed and the majority of the characters
making it out alive but it did not, boy did it not! There was death and murder
and an epilogue where creepy vampire children are roaming the streets and
methodically killing everyone with a heartbeat. And while it was a great ending
I was also really curious to know more. Would the children really manage to
kill everyone? If not would any more children be able to be born what with the
whole fact that the disease killed even unborn ones? I just have so many
questions! </div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4806829511399717409.post-77700138404631783932014-06-29T17:27:00.001-07:002014-06-29T17:27:15.858-07:00Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore Note: I received a free copy of "Just Like the Movies" from
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. And this review will contain
spoilers because the only thing keeping me from giving this book a
higher review would be the ending.<br /><br />"Just Like the Movies" by
Kelly Fiore was certainly exactly what the title and the brief blurb
would lead you to expect: a story that reads exactly like how a romantic
comedy would play out on the screen. Which isn't necessarily a bad
thing if you like cheesy romantic comedies, which I do. But,
unfortunately, there wasn't necessarily anymore substance than there is
in a 90 minute movie.<br /><br />The gist of the story is that, after a
series of random events, the studious and underappreciated Lily and the
track star with the hot boyfriend, Marijke end up forging a friendship
after running away from a viewing of Titanic. You see Lily has an
unrequited crush on a boy who doesn't even really know she exists while
Marijke's boyfriend is wanted by every hot blooded female in the school
and he seems to like that. So the two girls decide on a plan, to
recreate scenes from popular romantic comedies and use them to get
Lily's crush to notice her and to get Marijke's boyfriend to finally
return those three little words.<br />
<br />
One thing I was glad of with this book, the fact that I had watched all
but one of the movies they mentioned (and that was one I'd seen
recreated on other shows). The references were probably enough that it
would have taken away from my enjoyment of the book if I hadn't seen
them so that might be a deterrent to some readers. To appeal to more
readers perhaps the movie tropes could have been used but without
mention of specific titles and movie characters? That way it would have
been a need little inside joke if you knew the movie but you wouldn't
feel excluded if you hadn't. There are plenty of romantic comedy
situations that are used over and over again and would have gotten the
same points across.<br /><br />I figured with the title of the movie and the
plot that there would be happily ever afters for both couples involved
but I was honestly hoping for something else. The turn around of Lily's
love interest was too quick and she accepted it to easily. Marijke and
her boyfriends relationship bothered me the whole way through because,
as she cited when she finally did break up with him, their love was
unequal. She was basically obsessed with him (which rubbed me the wrong
way...shouldn't we have more stories where the relationship is healthy?)
while he didn't seem to care much for her, only when she got mad and he
needed to apologize. I was glad when they broke up and she was able to
become her own person. But then they, of course, got back together right
before prom. Just in time to be named prom king and queen. Sigh.<br />
<br />
I had hoped, and would have given more stars, if the book had broken
some of the whole romantic comedy plot lines. By the middle of it I was
hoping Lily and Marijke would realize the guys were holding them back
and they'd decide to go to prom together, as friends and be very happy
with their decision. But that didn't happen and the book became one big,
girl depends on guy cliche. <br /><br />But it was cute and it was a quick read so all in all I did enjoy it.Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4806829511399717409.post-6905180218191041192014-06-17T19:41:00.001-07:002014-06-17T19:41:09.912-07:00The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith aka JK Rowling<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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The main reason I read this book is because I found out that
Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym for JK Rowling and I was hoping for a better
reading experience than the one I had with “The Casual Vacancy” a few months
back. I thought perhaps the reason I did not like “The Casual Vacancy” was because
of the plotline because I honestly wouldn’t have even tried to read it had it
had another author name attached. But “The Cuckoo’s Calling” did sound fairly
interesting even before I knew it was a Rowling book.</div>
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<br /></div>
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But now I’m afraid I have to admit that, at least in regards
to her currently published books, I don’t like JK Rowling for anything but
Harry Potter. There, I said it. Now please don’t attack me. (And yes I am smart
enough not to have expected her adult books to be like Harry Potter so I’m not
judging it based just on that. I’m judging the book purely on its own merit and
not because I’m comparing it to one of my favorite series). Now that that’s out
of the way let’s get into the meat of my issues.</div>
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“The Cuckoo’s Calling” is the first book in a series about
the private investigator Cormoran Strike who is struggling to find and keep
cases. Then he is approached by John Bristow who wants Strike to investigate
the supposed suicide of his famous sister Lula Landry. (Side note: about two
thirds of the way into the book we find out Lula is called “Cuckoo” by the
clothing designer that made her famous therefore referencing the title.
Honestly if the title was going to be referenced at all I wish it would have
mentioned earlier on in the book but I digress). </div>
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So Strike, along with his temporary secretary Robin, start
an investigation to see if Lula really did kill herself or if there was foul
play involved. And the story and plotline was at least interesting enough that
I was curious to figure out the answer myself but getting there was kind of a
chore. There was too much description in some places, as in paragraph upon
paragraph of useless information just for a character to get from one scene to
another when it honestly didn’t matter. And then I felt like I was lacking some
descriptions in the scenes that really mattered. It was frustrating.</div>
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<br /></div>
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And then the book finally started to bring me in when I was
about seventy percent of the way through with it which is the only factor that
redeemed it for me. That was the point when I really started to care about the
mystery and the people involved because that’s when I felt like I knew them. I
understand that it takes time for a reader to become familiar with new
characters but damn, more than halfway through a book is not when you want your
reader to start feeling it. </div>
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<br /></div>
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At the end of it the book ended up being both very
predictable and not so much. The true story behind what happened to Lula Landry
was not what I had expected though several theories had run across my mind
during the telling of it (because Rowling set up several characters to be very
suspicious and at the top of any readers suspect list). And, something that I
don’t really feel is a spoiler because it was obvious and because the blurbs
about the second book in the series mention it, the temporary secretary of
course ends up sticking around to the end.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So all in all “The Cuckoo’s Calling” was not one of my
favorite books of the year, I didn’t find it very memorable, and I doubt I’ll
bother reading any of the other books in the Comoran Strike series though I may
surprise myself someday.</div>
Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4806829511399717409.post-31536568861488679242014-06-17T18:56:00.003-07:002014-06-17T18:56:58.492-07:00The Unicorn Chronicles by Bruce Coville<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I want to start this review by telling you a little story.
When I was in elementary and middle school I absolutely loved book fairs even
though I was teased by some of my fellow classmates for how many books I would
buy. One of those books (I even still have the copy with the special stamp mark
designating it a book fair purchase) was “Into the Land of the Unicorns” by
Bruce Coville. I remember reading it over and over again though I didn’t have
the rest of the series nor did I try to find them to borrow. Not until this
year.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Yep, at age twenty six I walked through the library I work
at and checked out the four books of a series targeted for an Amazon specified
age range of eight to twelve. But was I ashamed? No, not at all because I was
darn curious to know how the epic story ended. And although I could tell by the
wording, etc. of the story that it was targeted to a much younger audience, I
still enjoyed the story.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So here’s a brief synopsis. The Unicorn Chronicles is a four
book saga about, of course, unicorns. And since I’m reviewing the series as a
whole and not the individual books I’m going to let you in on a few little
details that weren’t discovered until later on. The history goes that the
unicorns used to live on Earth but then humans learned that their horns had
magical healing powers and decided to hunt them so they could take their horns
and use the magic for themselves. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Then a misunderstanding between a girl named Beloved, a
unicorn, and her father led to an accident that caused the unicorn and the girl’s
father to die and the girl to be in a perpetual state of injury and healing so
that she could never die. This leads to a vendetta between Beloved and the
unicorns and the unicorns are hunted so badly that in order to survive they must
escape to a new world named Luster.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Years later a young girl named Cara and her grandmother are
being chased by a man, a Hunter descended from Beloved. So Cara, using the
amulet her grandmother gives her, is transported to Luster. Throughout the
course of the four books of the saga Cara meets not only unicorns but dragons,
centaurs, trolls, and various other magical creatures. </div>
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<br /></div>
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How the story was laid out was very interesting, with events
in earlier books coming almost full circle in a way, in later books. Each book
had a major event/problem that needed to be solved so my interest was kept
throughout (instead of just feeling like you’re focusing on the main event that
takes forever to be resolved). </div>
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<br /></div>
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One thing I was surprised at: the violence. It was never
anything too gory, at least not to a well seasoned mature reader, but I could
see where it could be a bit too much for an eight or ten year old. For example,
during the final battle a woman grabs an arrow and uses it to stab a man in the
throat and kill him. A young boy uses a knife to slash open a Hunter’s
hamstring. Many unicorns, men, and other creatures are killed with depictions
of their blood streaming onto the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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But violence aside I did enjoy the series and I am very glad
I finally got around to finishing it!</div>
Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4806829511399717409.post-33169706822820890332014-06-17T18:56:00.001-07:002014-06-17T18:56:53.195-07:00The Unicorn Chronicles by Bruce Coville<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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I want to start this review by telling you a little story.
When I was in elementary and middle school I absolutely loved book fairs even
though I was teased by some of my fellow classmates for how many books I would
buy. One of those books (I even still have the copy with the special stamp mark
designating it a book fair purchase) was “Into the Land of the Unicorns” by
Bruce Coville. I remember reading it over and over again though I didn’t have
the rest of the series nor did I try to find them to borrow. Not until this
year.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yep, at age twenty six I walked through the library I work
at and checked out the four books of a series targeted for an Amazon specified
age range of eight to twelve. But was I ashamed? No, not at all because I was
darn curious to know how the epic story ended. And although I could tell by the
wording, etc. of the story that it was targeted to a much younger audience, I
still enjoyed the story.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So here’s a brief synopsis. The Unicorn Chronicles is a four
book saga about, of course, unicorns. And since I’m reviewing the series as a
whole and not the individual books I’m going to let you in on a few little
details that weren’t discovered until later on. The history goes that the
unicorns used to live on Earth but then humans learned that their horns had
magical healing powers and decided to hunt them so they could take their horns
and use the magic for themselves. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then a misunderstanding between a girl named Beloved, a
unicorn, and her father led to an accident that caused the unicorn and the girl’s
father to die and the girl to be in a perpetual state of injury and healing so
that she could never die. This leads to a vendetta between Beloved and the
unicorns and the unicorns are hunted so badly that in order to survive they must
escape to a new world named Luster.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Years later a young girl named Cara and her grandmother are
being chased by a man, a Hunter descended from Beloved. So Cara, using the
amulet her grandmother gives her, is transported to Luster. Throughout the
course of the four books of the saga Cara meets not only unicorns but dragons,
centaurs, trolls, and various other magical creatures. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How the story was laid out was very interesting, with events
in earlier books coming almost full circle in a way, in later books. Each book
had a major event/problem that needed to be solved so my interest was kept
throughout (instead of just feeling like you’re focusing on the main event that
takes forever to be resolved). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One thing I was surprised at: the violence. It was never
anything too gory, at least not to a well seasoned mature reader, but I could
see where it could be a bit too much for an eight or ten year old. For example,
during the final battle a woman grabs an arrow and uses it to stab a man in the
throat and kill him. A young boy uses a knife to slash open a Hunter’s
hamstring. Many unicorns, men, and other creatures are killed with depictions
of their blood streaming onto the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But violence aside I did enjoy the series and I am very glad
I finally got around to finishing it!</div>
Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4806829511399717409.post-4210158412463733492014-06-03T18:20:00.003-07:002014-06-03T18:20:37.847-07:00City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra ClareSpoilers ahead! All kinds of spoilers, for this book and for the entire Mortal Instruments series what with this being the final book and all.<br />
<br />
I had placed City of Heavenly Fire on hold at the library months ago
hoping that we'd get it in and processed right away but when the week
before Memorial Day hit and there was still no evidence that the book
was on its way I knew drastic times called for drastic measures. So I
pre-ordered the book from Amazon to have it sent to my Kindle the day it
was published. (Not that I don't think buying books is a good thing
because it is, I just owe too much on student loans to go all crazy
purchasing all the books instead of getting them through the library).
But I'm glad I did because I'd still be waiting for it if I hadn't!<br /><br />City
of Heavenly Fire was full of twists and turns, some good things, some
bad and some unexpected. And since it's the last book in a, supposedly
finished now, series I am going to get all spoilery with it.<br /><br />All
in all I did enjoy this series. I liked most of the characters, all for
different ways and in ways that I only like fictional characters (i.e.
like I've said before, I have a serious crush on Jace but in real life
I'd look at him in awe but never be willing to date him because he's
kind of a douche through most of the story) things like that. I think
they were all decently well written and had their own distinct
personalities and if some of them were super annoying sometimes its only
logical because everyone has flaws and can be annoying sometimes.<br />
<br />
And the ending of this kind of surprised me/didn't surprise me. After
reading the Infernal Devices series I could tell that Clare was the kind
of writer who would go "out there" and kill everyone off like George
R.R. Martin does in The Song of Ice and Fire series. So when all the
main characters made it out alive and when there was a mostly happy
ending for Alec and Magnus I wasn't surprised. I was surprised that: 1.
Simon lost all of his memories and didn't get them all back by the end
of the book. 2. The ending wasn't as perfect as the one in Infernal
Devices. (After that series I was expecting there to be an epilogue that
was ten years down the road with Jace and Clary marrying and welcoming a
baby into the world while Jocelyn and Luke stood by with their own
child, and Magnus and Alec would be wed and have a whole bunch of cats,
and Simon and Izzy would be married too and he'd be all humanized). <br /><br />So
there's both a good thing and a bad thing to the type of ending she did
do. The good thing is that it wasn't too cookie cutter happy. The bad
thing/good thing, maybe? is that she left their fats open ended so that
the characters might be touched upon in a later series like Tessa and
Zacariah/Jem were in this one. That might be okay but I could also see
Clare deciding, years down the road, that she wants to continue the
story which at this point probably wouldn't be a good idea. (There are
so many series that are ruined because they just keep going and
going...I'm looking at you Pretty Little Liars and Stephanie Plum). <br /><br />All
in all I'd say I'm pretty content with the ending but will probably
indulge in the guilty little pleasure known as reading fanfiction.
Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4806829511399717409.post-66528709652177006202014-05-24T12:17:00.001-07:002014-05-24T12:17:49.748-07:00The Queen's Exiles by Barbara Kyle<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Note: I received an advanced copy of this book from
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I requested The Queen’s Exiles by Barbara Kyle because it
seemed like it was a historical fiction about a strong woman and I like
historical fiction, especially stories set before, during and after the reign
of Henry VIII because I’m really intrigued by the crazy wife murdering queen
for some reason. And yes with the whole title being about the “queen’s exiles”
I had a feeling she wouldn’t be much of a character and her citizen’s would be
but Elizabeth was nothing but a deus ex machina, using her queenly powers to
bring about a happy ending. So that was a big letdown among many other
confusing and annoying plot points and writing techniques.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I sincerely hope that a lot of the technical issues have
been solved in the published copies because my ARC was all over the place.
First of all, I’m okay with books that switch perspectives between different
characters but this one gave no indication when that switch would happen and it
happened in such random places that it got soo annoying. Paragraphs would go on
for pages and pages. Page long flashbacks would happen in the middle of a
section without any clue that they were flashbacks. Whole paragraphs would be
repeated less than 10% of the book after they were first mentioned. </div>
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<br /></div>
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And the content itself was not as interesting as I would
have liked. There were so many passages about the specifics of maintaining a
ship which I understand was important because the main characters were into
ship repair and sailing but honestly I think the first 3% of the book was all
about the rigging, masts, etc. As someone who has been on a boat but never
messed around with that part of it it got so boring so fast. And this happened
again and again throughout the book. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now onto the romance. I had not read the rest of the books
by Barbara Kyle so perhaps I was missing something but I thought the romance
between the two main characters was unbelievable. It felt as though Fenella and
Adam only admired each other because they kept saving each other’s lives, like
it was an obligation to feel attracted to each other and not much more. And so
when the Queen came in with all her deus ex machina-ness at the end I really
didn’t care. I didn’t really care about any of the characters actually.</div>
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So all in all I this book was not for me.</div>
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<![endif]--><br />Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4806829511399717409.post-2100340899362533222014-05-10T17:52:00.001-07:002014-05-10T17:52:20.488-07:00The Fault in Our Stars by John GreenI think I might be broken because I didn't cry during this book nearly
as much as I tear up watching the commercials for the upcoming movie
based on it. That does not mean it wasn't an emotional read but from
reviews from friends on its tear-jerkiness I was expecting something
akin to what happened to me during the last half of Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows (meaning so many tears that the book had to be put down
so I could wipe my eyes and un-fog my glasses). I'm wondering if
perhaps the warning ahead kept me from bawling or if it was the fact
that the emotional scenes kept getting interrupted by phone calls, dogs
barking, etc. But tears, or lack thereof, aside I did love the book.<br /><br />So
for those of you don't know, The Fault in Our Stars is about Hazel
Grace Lancaster, a teenage girl with terminal cancer and her
relationship with fellow cancer ridden teenager Augustus Waters. There
is certainly more to the story (commentary on life and death, the ups
and downs of a teenagers life that even the healthiest of teenagers will
relate to, etc.) but what drives the plot is Hazel and Augustus forming
a relationship around a book that Hazel suggests he read. What follows
is a beautifully written coming of age story with fantastic characters.<br /><br />I
loved Hazel and Augustus. They were sarcastic, intelligent, and
annoying at times (which is good because characters who are perfect all
the time are even more annoying). <br /><br />And since I like to read
negative reviews of books and get really mad at them I'd also like to
address some of the issues I saw people had with this book. Some people
thought the two main characters, who are sixteen, did not speak like
they were teenagers. And yes there was quite a lot of existential
musings and so forth but jeeze...these are two teenagers who, instead of
worrying about what party to go to during the weekend, they are worried
about how many days they have left to live. Isn't that enough of a
reason for them to act more maturely?<br />
<br />
Plus, not every teenager in the world speaks in text abbreviations or
uses an elementary school vocabulary. And I liked how in certain
situations they were very immature while in others they were not because
that's just normal for people of any age.<br /><br />I did like the story
although I was expecting, and wanting, the story to continue a bit
further than it did. (And honestly I was sort of figuring it would end
like the fictional book within a book An Imperial Affliction that Hazel
and Augustus liked so much).
Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4806829511399717409.post-58051076618324208912014-05-06T18:22:00.002-07:002014-05-06T18:22:22.901-07:00Village Books by Craig McLayAfter reading a few reviews for this book I wasn't sure if I wanted to
read it because quite a few of them were not exactly favorable. Now I
know why.<br /><br />Village Books is a more boring (and book centric
instead of music centric) version of the 1995 movie Empire Records. (I'm
not sure how many people will understand the reference but I just
thought I'd put it out there). Village Books is about a crazy crew of
bookstore workers (some in managerial positions, some part time, some
who the reader barely hears from personally) and the owners and
customers to the store. And the characters are pretty entertaining but
unfortunately they don't make up for the complete lack of a plot.<br /><br />From
the blurb for the book I knew the story centered around the addition of
a beautiful aspiring actress to the renegade team of bookstore
employees. But I figured there would be more to it, especially with the
mention of how the shop owners were aging and ailing and how some
horrible corporate company wanted to buy the store out from under
everyone. There should have been more of a conflict there, right?
Shouldn't saving the store which was so important to the plot and all
these characters, be a key plot point? Apparently not.<br /><br />So I'd say
the main saving grace of the book, for me, was that all the characters
worked around books (which I love) and that quite a few of the "types"
of workers and customers are ones I've seen while working at a library.
But it just wasn't enough for this to be a truly good book. <br /><br />Plus
the ending was just too predictable and happily ever after. Everything
worked out for the good guys while the bad/annoying guys got their
comeuppance but that all happened in a pretty brief epilogue.
Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4806829511399717409.post-1159115812591010112014-05-06T18:06:00.001-07:002014-05-06T18:06:01.689-07:00Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys<span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextreview925907734">I
will admit that, although I often love historical fiction, I'm actually
not a history buff at all. But there are certain time
periods/historical events that I am especially drawn to (i.e. Tudor
England and the Holocaust). So, when I was burnt out on fantasy stories
and wanted something standalone and I ran across a review for this book I
was instantly drawn to it because the situations listed on the back
cover were very much like those found Nazi concentration camps.<br /><br />The
book is about Lina,a Lithuanian girl who is taken from her home by the
Soviets during the summer of 1941. What follows is a years long journey
that separates her family from her father and takes them to Siberian
prison camps where they face disease, starvation, and much much more.
And yes this is a young adult novel (which so many people tend to look
down upon) and yes there is a touch of a romance weaved into the story
but the focus was not on the romance itself. Instead it was on hope,
survival, and the power of artwork.<br /><br />I liked the characters and
personally thought they came alive through the beautifully written
passages. I worried for them and I hoped for them even though I knew
going into it that not everyone would make it out alive. (I was
pleasantly surprised to read the letter at the end and learn that there
was a bit of a happy ending for a few of the characters). <br /><br />I
thought the pacing was good. In a story of confusion, shattered hopes
and dreams, one would dwell more on the beginning of the fall of their
normal life than after they became used to it so I find it very
understandable that the first train ride and journey took up a majority
of the story but not a majority of the character's lives. <br /><br />And I
also liked that in almost every chapter there was a flashback to
something that happened in Lina's life before she was imprisoned. They
not only showed how different the protagonist's life was before it
happened but I also found it interesting that most of the flashbacks
directly correlated with what was happening in real time (i.e.
remembering conversations that Lina didn't understand at the time but
would in the new context of her life).<br /><br />All in all I really liked
this book and thought it was powerful, beautifully written and
heartbreaking in places. And I'm also glad that it taught me more
history because, as a friend of mine pointed out in her own review of
this book, we must know about our past to make sure we don't repeat it.</span></span>Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4806829511399717409.post-75804752796334604642014-04-27T09:36:00.003-07:002014-04-27T09:36:43.851-07:00City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra ClareThis review will contain spoilers for the first three books in The
Mortal Instruments series. Though I'm not sure why you'd be reading this
review if you hadn't already read those I figured I should be nice and
let you know. Actually I think the whole review will be more spoilery
than I usually post because of reasons.<br /><br />City of Fallen Angels
picked up just days after the ending of City of Glass. I was expecting
at least a little bit of this book to be have everyone happy since at
the end of the last book the following things happened:<br /><br />- The bad
guys were defeated! (Kind of, but we'll touch upon this again later).
(P.S.- Never trust that someone is dead if you don't find the body).<br /><br />- Clary and Jace finally found out that they were not related!<br /><br />- Magnus and Alec made some headway on their relationship in a very public display.<br /><br />- Isabelle and Simon had a little heart to heart and things were looking on the up and up.<br /><br />- Clary's mom woke up from her magically induced coma and was made to realize that she'd been in love with Luke all along. (Well, duh...get it together Clary's mom). <br /><br />So
with all those loose ends neatly tied up I figured the Shadowhunters
and their friends would have a little bit of a a reprieve in this book.
And while there's quite a few pages of happy Jocelyn and Luke planning a
marriage (yay!) everything else falls apart very quickly.<br /><br />Like
seriously, within the first few pages all of the teenage relationships
are showing cracks. Not just tiny cracks but huge fissures. I know high
schools were like that, on and off again couples and so on and so forth,
but every single relationship that was established in the other books
got messed up. Which leads to my main problem...<br /><br />From reading The
Infernal Devices series I know that Clare likes to tie up her books
with happy endings which can be great. (Even if it's not realistic for
everyone to survive it's kind of nice when all your favorite characters
make it out alive and get happy endings). But if the entirety of Jace
and Clary's relationship is so screwed up (first thinking they're
brother/sister, then they have a week to enjoy it before demony
possessions start happening) then how in the world will your readers
believe it in the likely event that you write a happy ever after for
them?<br /><br />I'm writing this review after already having read 30% of
book five and I gotta say one thing: the love Jace and Clary supposedly
feel for each other is so obsessive that it's borderline ridiculous.
They haven't had enough of a "normal" relationship for them to feel so
strongly which is why I think City of Fallen Angels should have given
them at least a half a book of normal to build on it.<br />
<br />
The same goes for Alec and Magnus. I liked them together and I had high
hopes for their relationship but jeeze...so far it's been nothing but
toxic. <br /><br />But even with all that I did like the books and will
continue the series because no matter how much Clare butchers the
characters and their relationships I still want to know how their
stories end up.<br /><br />So I have hopes that the rest of City of Lost
Souls will either fix said relationships or will just end them before
everyone gets too annoying.
Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4806829511399717409.post-22969688198514047042014-04-14T17:36:00.001-07:002014-04-14T17:36:51.010-07:00City of Ashes by Cassandra ClareCity of Ashes is the second book in The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra
Clare. And the first time I read it was a few years back but, as I
posted in my review of City of Bones, I had to do a re-read of the first
three books because I didn't know there were more to the series (now,
or at least by the end of May, there will be six books in the series).
And yes I did like them enough to read them a second time around.<br /><br />I
think I like the series because everyone is so flawed. Jace is kind of
an ass but in the vein of the great annoying characters in the world.
(Like in real life the annoying conceited hot guy is mostly on your hate
list...like cute enough to maybe make out with but you'd never want to
date him because he's an ass. But it's okay to want to date him in
fiction. I mean there are countless of asshat characters that make no
sense for me me to like but I do...Spike from Buffy, Draco from Harry
Potter, etc.) So I like Jace in the book and cheer for a relationship to
work out but I'd definitely avoid him in real life and go with Simon.<br /><br />I
liked how Simon and Clary both kind of came into their own in this
book. It took a major change for Simon to become a more three
dimensional character while Clary just kind of grew into her skills. It
was nice to see because I get sick of it when character's don't try to
defend themselves (I'm looking at you Stephanie Plum in Janet
Evanovich's series...I've read fifteen books and Stephanie still hasn't
learned a damn thing).<br /><br />And yes there are similarities to Harry
Potter even in this second book of the series (the Inquisitor is
basically Umbridge only in gray, not pink) but that was the biggest one I
noticed this time around. <br /><br />The only reason I don't think I
enjoyed this as much as the first time around is because I'm ready to
get past the books I've already read and get into the new ones!
Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4806829511399717409.post-87882527035034985052014-04-06T18:39:00.003-07:002014-04-06T18:40:07.979-07:00The Ring and the Crown by Melissa de la CruzNote: I received a free copy of The Ring and the Crown from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.<br />
<br />
The
Ring and the Crown was a cute little historical/fantasy novel that
actually kind of reminded me of a Shakespeare play (think A Midsummer
Night's Dream or Twelfth Night). The story is Shakespearean in a way
because almost everyone pretends to be someone they aren't, some in
disguise and some just through their actions, and they all begin the
story in love with the wrong people. <br />
<br />
The main story is set
around Princess Marie Victoria and her newly returned friend Aelwyn who
has been away at Avalaon to learn to control her magic. When she returns
Marie is affianced to a Prince Leopold who both girls knew when they
were younger. There are also side plots involving Leo's lover and her
cousin and lecherous uncle, Leo's brother and an American girl who he's
expressed interest in, and Marie's guard Gill. <br />
<br />
It was very
interesting to see how author Melissa de la Cruz envisioned a world
where royal families had the help of their Merlins or Morgaines, aka
sorcerers and sorceresses who can use magic to help change appearances,
influence others, and basically help save or sink an entire nation. But
it wasn't just the magic that intrigued me, it was the lively
characters.<br />
<br />
Even though the "cast" as you might call it was large
(even the secondary characters had full chapters dedicated to them) it
was nice to see each of them fleshed out with motivations of their own
and even resolutions to each of their stories. I also liked that each
and every character learned something new about themselves and that,
though they didn't necessarily get the endings they had wanted, most of
the good characters got relatively happy endings and the bad characters
met endings they deserved. <br />
<br />
Sometimes it's just nice to read something that ends in such a nicely tied up way.
Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4806829511399717409.post-76179057448065147952014-04-06T18:37:00.002-07:002014-04-07T18:29:40.831-07:00City of Bones by Cassandra Clare<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]-->I read the first three books in the Mortal Instruments
series back when the third one came out, thinking the trilogy was complete. And
then I was looking around the internet a few months ago and saw that the sixth
book in the series was to come out this year. So what did I have to do? Reread
the first three books so I can catch up and finish off the series. And with the
popularity of the books and the addition of Goodreads I’ve learned quite a bit
more about Cassandra Clare and the beef that so many readers seem to have with
her. So after my rereading I figured I should actually write a review of the
books.<br />
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<br /></div>
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To me, now and then, the premise of the Mortal Instruments
series was very interesting. You have a female protagonist (which is almost
always nice because I find it easier to get into the mind of a female lead) who
thinks she’s an ordinary human and she soon finds out she is not. Enter the
world of Shadowhunters (demon killers), Downworlders (your vampires,
werewolves, etc.) and demons. They all have hierarchies and their own worlds
and I was very intrigued to see how Clary handles it when this whole new world
opens up to her.</div>
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<br /></div>
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When I first read the series I loved it. I was not a part of
Goodreads and I didn’t really read reviews before I picked up books. Instead I
just wandered around the library and took home things that looked interesting.
Now I know more.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Apparently Cassandra Clare used to be a pretty big name in
the world of Harry Potter fanfiction. (Which is really weird that I had never
come across some of her stories because I have gotten pretty far into the
wormhole that is Harry Potter fanfiction. Hell, I’m even to the point where I
write my own but I digress). But it seems that when Clare was into fanfiction
she liked to take quotes and passages from other people, either their
fanfiction pieces or quotes from popular shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer
and inserted them into her fanfiction without attributing them to the original
writer. So basically plagiarism. Which, as a fanfiction writer and an aspiring
author myself, I know is a very bad thing. </div>
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<br /></div>
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But I’m sure she’s learned her lesson (do you really think
an agent/editor wouldn’t have learned about the issue and then did everything
to make sure there weren’t any problems in the published pieces?) I don’t think
that’s an issue when you look at the series that did end up getting published,
i.e. The Mortal Instruments. Sure there are some similarities to popular books and
shows but what show/book hasn’t been influenced by things that have come before
it? </div>
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<br /></div>
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The major points I see people taking offense to include (and
I won’t mention the ones that could spoil the book for others): Valentine is
like Voldemort because both V’s wanted “pure” worlds and surrounded themselves
by weaker followers that they pretended to be friends with. Those two are
similar but who else does that sound like? Hitler, maybe? And I’m sure there have
been dozens of other literary and historical figures who have followed the same
path. There’s also parts where when a Shadowhunter sees a building it looks all
nice but normal humans would see a hovel or something. That sounds a little
like Harry Potter but also like any other story about magic where there are
things like “glamours.” I could go on and on and link things that people say
remind them of Harry Potter but in truth you can find links between so many
things in this day and age. Just to name a few: Gandalf is Dumbledore is Obi Wan
Kenobi. Luke Skywalker is Harry Potter is Eragon is Clary. </div>
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<br /></div>
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It happens because, as I think I heard/learned somewhere, is
that there are only like seven major arcs in storytelling but there are
millions of stories that are being told so it only makes since that things
overlap sometimes. And in this case I don’t find so many similarities that it
puts me off. </div>
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<br /></div>
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I like Clary and Jace and their eccentricities and issues. I
like that the Shadowhunter world is flawed and that there are quite a few
people who are judgmental and borderline “racist” (maybe “speciest” is a better
word since it’s Shadowhunters looking down upon vampires and vice versa, etc.)
because although it’s not nice it does reflect how a society would really work.
And I will read the series and if I like it then that is all that matters. </div>
Crystal McNealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17711884415290932958noreply@blogger.com0