The Everafter by Amy Huntley

Jul 262009
 

The Everafter by Amy HuntleyWow. Let me say that again. Wow. The Everafter by Amy Huntley is a unique and mesmerizing story told from the afterlife.

Madison Stanton doesn’t know where she is or how she got there. But she does know this—she is dead. And alone in a vast, dark space. The only company Maddy has in this place are luminescent objects that turn out to be all the things she lost while she was alive. And soon she discovers that, with these artifacts, she can reexperience—and even change—moments from her life. Her first kiss. A trip to Disney World. Her sister’s wedding. A disastrous sleepover. In reliving these moments, Maddy learns illuminating and frightening truths about her life—and death.

I hadn’t read that copy when I started the book. I had no idea what I was getting into. I was actually wanting to read another book but couldn’t get the file to work on my ereader. So, I skipped to this book. Once I started it though, I had a hard time putting it back down again. I ended up finishing it in one sitting.

This story is imaginative and gripping. What pulled me in was Huntley’s approach to the afterlife. It’s an item that went missing that pulls you back to a scene from your life and seeing that scene is what helps restore your memories. Plus, you only get to see the scene from where you lost said item. I loved that. I’d never seen something like that done before. I got absorbed in watching how that worked. Somewhere along the way, I connected with Maddy and her attachment to each item…and to life itself. I laughed and cried right along with her. Maddy has a voice that lingers with me still. I will definitely need to reread her story. This time I’ll have a box of tissues handy. :P

I’ll also add that shortly after I started reading this book, I was reminded of Emily Dickinson’s poetry, Margaret Atwood’s “This is a Photograph of Me” and Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones. This story is only similar to the latter two in that it is narrated in the afterlife. However, a few of Dickinson’s poems are featured within. They add well to tone of the tale and it almost seems like Dickinson’s voice is there too. I was happy to see them there.

The cover: I like it. I think those are orchids floating there. It reminds me of the objects floating in the afterlife space or “Is” as Maddy refers to it. Orchids were one of the things she lost. Plus, I can imagine the objects having that ethereal quality floating around her.

Hunted by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Jul 212009
 

Hunted by P.C. Cast & Kristin CastThis past week I felt like such the teenie fangirl as I plowed through five House of Night books. They are fast paced and have an intriguing take on the rules of vampires. They  also have a wonderful blend of Pagan and Cherokee elements throughout.

But then I got to the fifth book, Hunted and I hit a wall. First, I think the authors have made a mistake with this series by having too many characters with similar names: Erik/Erin, Damien/Darius. The names get mixed up and used to identify the wrong character. I’d seen this happen in the previous books, but not to this degree. Hunted had the most glaring name mixups that it was jarring to read.

My bigger complaint has to do with the number of boyfriends Zoey has. I understand love triangles are a tactic used in a lot of teen girl fiction (as well as in shojo manga and adult romance). But seriously? By this book she’s had 4 swooney moments of “Ohmygodi’msoinlovewithhim!!!” It’s moved on from being that special connection to simply seeming like over the top, raging hormones.

Gag.

I’m holding out for the 6th book to see if the story can redeem itself. But I can’t help but be reminded of the Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire Series where Sookie always seemed to end up in bed with some guy…no idea how this keeps happening…tee hee. Sure, honey. You’re just a tramp. That’s all there is to it. *eye roll* Anyway, House of Night books are more toned down than that but it’s the same issue going on there. It’s why I stopped reading the Harris books and may be what stops me here too.

End ramble rant.

If you are interested in reviews for the series, here are a few from Love Vampires:

Green by Jay Lake

Jun 122009
 

Green by Jay LakeGorgeous cover isn’t it? The art is by Dan Dos Santos and Tor.com has wallpaper available for it, so fyi to that. Jay Lake ran a photo contest that has some great pics you should see too.

For those unacquainted with how I talk about books online, I don’t really review our (Tor) books since it’s where I work. And truthfully, you wouldn’t believe my opinion anyway, right? But sometimes I do like to talk about things within a story and there you have it. There is a great review up on i09 for Green. Go read that if you are looking for a review.

Thar be spoilers in me ramblings…forewarned ye be.

What struck me most about the character Green was her fierce sense of will. She lost everything—even her name—when he father sold her into slavery. But something kept her going. Something that made her an inherent survivor, even at the age of three. And that would be her fabulous stubborn will. I love that!

There were so many times during the first part of the book where I thought, okay, she’s gotta cave now. She’s just a child. But nope. “I am Green, here me ROAR!” She didn’t actually ever say that, of course, but you get the idea.

Green’s world is brutal. Harsh. Crude. And the options she’s presented with are so damn limiting. You can A. Be shackled to a man and a few kids living in poverty, B. Be shackled to a man (or men) as a courtesan, C. Dismiss men all together and live as a lesbian, ass-kicking nun. Come on now, what will it be?

Heh. Well, there were other options but overall the world didn’t seem all that pretty for women, let alone a female child! And that’s what Green really was—a child. Sure she lived in one of those worlds where people marry as children. But that doesn’t exactly curtail childlike behavior. It’s that strange blend of being taught to act like a women but still often reacting as a child. Kick it first, ask questions later. Hell, there are times when I still want to do that and I’m just a wee bit older than 12! :P

The limited roles for women also played into Green’s struggle for self identity. She transitioned from being trained to be “woman” to disguising herself as a boy to taking a role normally given to a man. In the end, she will be woman as mother. And, she will also simply be Green.

Of course there is a lot more to the story than any of that tells you. There are Gods and Goddesses intertwining into the story too. And the ever present symbol of an ox named Endurance. Plus cat-like creatures and more! But it was Green’s stubborn will and reflecting on the roles of women in her world that stuck with me most and what I felt like rambling about today.

And that’s that.

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Green by Jay Lake

Small Favor by Jim Butcher

Mar 012009
 

I listened to the audio version of this book because they opted to print the mass market as a premium size this time around. That extra inch to the height is annoying to me. I don’t like the feel of it in my hands. Worse, I hate the look of it on my standard mass market friendly bookshelf. Why they do that in the middle of a series is beyond me. Grr.

But, this is the first Dresden audiobook I’ve listened too and OMG, wow! James Marsters is the best reader I’ve ever heard. I used to listen to audiobooks all the time because I drove a lot. I’ve never heard someone change their voice in such extreme ways to create the variety of characters so well. From Toot Toot, to Mab, to all the various Denarians…WOW! Freaking amazing. It was a truly awesome experience and I must listen to more Dresden audiobooks now!

Small Favor is the tenth book in the Dresden series. I’ve never stuck with a series this long before. There’s no lag in the quality of these stories. In fact, they get better as they go. Book 7, Dead Beat, is still my favorite. It might be the undead T-rex, Sue, that puts that one over the top. Just maybe. :P

I guess at this point I should say spoilers abound. So, be forewarned.

Small Favor by Jim ButcherIn Small Favor, the Denarians return. We haven’t seen them since book 5, Death Mask. I’m not counting Lasciel since she was really just a shadow. The Denarians are the scariest characters in these books. True evil. I mean, they are the arch nemeses of the Knights of the Cross, eh? That speaks wonders. And the way they manipulate Dresden in this book only shows just how scary they can be.

Add to that craziness, Dresden is being hunted by none other than the Billy Goats Gruff. The absurdity of that still makes me laugh. And I loved how Dresden outmaneuvered that situation in the third encounter by requesting a donut. Freshly baked cake donut with white frosting and sprinkles. Of course.

I could yammer on and on. Total fangirl thing. The pace, the humor, the outlandish ways Dresden gets out of situations…it’s all brilliantly done. :D

My biggest frustration with this story though comes with what Mr. Butcher did to Michael. For the love of…talk about a sadistic DM. He went for the overkill. I mean, really, Michael gets hurt. Fine. There were signs that he wanted to lead a normal life and not be a knight anymore as is. You needed a way to get him there. But to pummel him in every which way possible? WTF? You wanna go that nuts on someone, go for one of the NPCs, man, not a PC. That. Was. Wrong. I’ll say it again. That. Was. Wrong.

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Oh! And in case you missed it. Wallpapers are available for this book here.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Feb 282009
 

Speak by Laurie Halse AndersonI just finished listening to the audiobook of Speak. I’d seen the movie a few times before and wondered how the book would compare. I opted to listen to it because I wanted to see if the reader would capture Kristen Stewart’s haunted voice from the movie. The reader didn’t hit that mark, but I still found it enjoyable to listen to.

Spoilers abound so if you haven’t read the book or seen the movie, be forewarned.

This is the story of a girl, Melinda, who was raped and discovers that after the trauma, she can’t find the voice to tell anyone what happened. It happened at a party and she called the cops. The party was broken up but by then she’d already lost her will to speak so she left and never spoke to the cops. She was ridiculed by her classmates for having called them at all.

She enters ninth grade to find herself an outcast. We see her world through skewed, pain-filled eyes. And it’s her journey to finding that voice that I find remarkable to see. I also loved how her pursuit to draw a tree that projects emotion a fitting parallel to her own personal struggle and growth.

As a story itself though, my opinion may be skewed. I’ve seen the movie a few times and I thought it was great. As I listened to the book, I imagined it as the characters from the movie. Many of the differences between the two seemed better executed in the movie than the book too. So, all in all, I like the movie best. But the story itself and the character’s voice tend to haunt me. I’ll probably have to read the book eventually too. :P

On a side note, I have seen some reviews online where readers complain that they can’t relate to the character. That she was flat and dull. And that the high school was a bit stereotypical. Plus, rapists don’t tend to get what’s coming to them in real life.

I think these reviewers are missing the point of the story. Melinda is in a state of depression and shock. Of course she appears flat and dull. She’s trying to meld into the background, despite her head screaming, “Pay attention to me!” As she works through her pain and finds her voice, she gets a more developed personality. That’s how depression works, folks.

As for the high school, we are seeing it through her eyes. She’s presented it to us as a stereotype because that’s how she’s classified it. I took it only to be her perspective and not necessarily what really was. I could be wrong though.

And yes, sadly rapists do not always get what’s coming to them. It’s a sad fact of life. But, this is fiction. Yes, fiction. And, in my humble opinion, hope in fiction can be better created when they do. It’s that wonderful sense of justice, I guess.

The Killing Way by Tony Hays

Feb 242009
 

The Killing WayI read this book back in the bound manuscript stage and am realizing now that I probably should have written down notes to use in this post. It would have made it more detailed. Oh well. :P

When the editor presented this book, she referred to it as CSI Medieval. Seriously? Enough said. I’m sold. I wrote this comment about the book over on the Goodreads account I have for work and figured I’d share it here too:

CSI Medieval. What’s not to love? That description is why I picked the book up. Malgwyn is why I kept going. He’s a great character. The Saxons took his wife’s life, then he lost his arm in battle. There he waited to die the good death. Arthur (yes that Arthur) saved him and Malgwyn hates him for it. He became a drunk. After all that, Arthur asks him to lead a murder investigation. That’s where the CSI Medieval comes into play.

I enjoyed Malgwyn’s incites into people as well as his own struggle with facing life outside a tavern again. And, I found it fun to see how crude an investigation it would be without all the fancy equipment we have today.

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So, there you have it. All in all, one enjoyable read. I know, I didn’t write much. Like I said, I should have taken notes or even written this long ago. :P

Book Trailer: Rise of the Iron Moon by Stephen Hunt

Feb 122009
 

I know, it’s starting to look like all I do is repost videos I see on other sites these days, isn’t it? I’ll start catching up with regular posts soon. I saw this one on Grasping for the Wind.

Snagged from his post: “This is quite a cool animation and unusual book trailer. Be sure to read my interview with the author and review of his first novel, The Court of the Air. Or you can read the first couple of chapters.”

I agree that it is a cool animation. I think it moves a little too fast though since I had to pause it a few times to catch up with the text. But I should also point out that I read about as fast as frozen molasses drips. I have started reading the first book. I’m not very far into it yet but I will be adding the second book to my to read list too.

On to the trailer:

GoAnimate.com: The Rise of the Iron Moon


Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It’s free and fun!

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Oh! While I’m at it I should mention too that Claire Eddy wrote a really nice piece about the first book too. AND Here’s the trailer for the first book. I love the Samurai Jack style of it!

Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book wins Newbery Award

Jan 262009
 

Awesome news!

From ALA website:

2009 Medal Winner

The 2009 Newbery Medal winner is The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean, and published by HarperCollins Children’s Books.

A delicious mix of murder, fantasy, humor and human longing, the tale of Nobody Owens is told in magical, haunting prose. A child marked for death by an ancient league of assassins escapes into an abandoned graveyard, where he is reared and protected by its spirit denizens.

“A child named Nobody, an assassin, a graveyard and the dead are the perfect combination in this deliciously creepy tale, which is sometimes humorous, sometimes haunting and sometimes surprising,” said Newbery Committee Chair Rose V. Treviño.

And Gaiman posted via twitter that you can listen to the entire book here.

Congratulations to Neil Gaiman!

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And if you haven’t seen it yet, here’s the Coraline trailer that Gaiman has stated is the first trailer he’s really liked:

Daily life, etc.

Jul 172008
 

Yes, I added a new category called Daily Life. No worries. I won’t yammer on about personal stuff. I plan on keeping it to keeping it to things like current reading, writing, and web projects, plus just general amusements here and there.

I think it will help swing this blog on over to a more casual tone, in effect making it easier for me to keep up with. If I wait until I finish reading a book to talk about it, I’ll rarely get back to posting about it—especially if I’ve already slipped into reading the next in a series. As is, I already have a habit of starting too many books at the same time. (See my current reading list in the sidebar and you’ll understand what I’m talking about.)

Plus, there are manuscripts to read too. I can’t help it. I try to not take on too many of those to read, especially since I read slowly. Much too slowly. But as it is, we are currently in the process of starting a new season of books. The way it works for us on the marketing side of things is that we start by having the editors present their titles for that season to us. And wouldn’t you know it? I already jotted down two manuscripts I wanted to see. Steampunk. It couldn’t be helped, you see?

As to my current reading list, I just started reading The Somnambulist. I’m about 50 pages into it and am already enjoying it a lot. :) There are some rather quirky characters that have already endeared themselves to me. I’ve had that Dresden book on my currently reading list for a while and really, I should have finished it by now. But here’s the thing, it’s got horror film characters in it. I love horror, but it feels like I should be reading it in the Fall. Or at least if it’s a little cooler out. So, although I’m a chunk of the way into it, and loving the story so far, I think I would enjoy it more if I read it with the right setting.

And since this ramble is already long, I’ll just head right into Hoody-Hoo!  I’ve been reading a lot of Knights of the Dinner Table lately. I’ve plowed through Bundles of Trouble volumes 1-21 and am currently reading volume 22. They only have 23 volumes out at the moment, which means I just may have a meltdown after I read that one. I don’t read the monthly magazine since, to put it bluntly, it sucks. I have no interest in the peripheral mumbo jumbo. I just want to read the comics!

All right, all right. Guess I’ll stop there.

Later! :)

Harry Dresden is the classic PC

Jun 042008
 

I recently finished reading Dead Beat by Jim Butcher. It’s the 7th book in the Dresden Files series. As I read it, I was reminded more of why this series appeals to the gamer in me. I’m talking about more than just the fact that Dresden games with a pack of werewolves (and we know how much I adore werewolves!) and that Butcher references Tolkien at least once in most every book. I’m also talking about more than the way the story is set up with quests, random encounters, quirky spell components, etc. What I focused on instead was Dresden as a character.

Harry Dresden is your classic PC, pushing the limits of the rules dictated by the DM (or in this case, the white counsel, the law, etc. etc.). He finds the loopholes and jumps into them without looking back. Case in point in that in this book it’s against the law (magic laws) to use necromancy on people. Nobody said anything about raising an animal though, let alone a freaking T-Rex! :)

It’s not the only reason he makes a classic PC, but it was what came to mind when I thought about it. I mean really, what PC isn’t trying to maximize what their character can do by working the system to their advantage, eh?

As to the book itself, WOW. This one was intense. I think mostly because Dresden finds out he actually has people he cares about now. The stakes have been raised…egad, have that ever.

And well, that’s really all I have time for now. The point was on my mind and that’s all there is to it. Hah!

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