End of the Year Book Survey - Best Books!

I decided to actually BLOG and figured this survey by The Perpetual Page-Turner was a good start!

Number of Books You Read: 

59 60! (Which considering I was hardly reading isn't terrible!)

Number of Re-Reads: 

6

Genre You Read the Most From: 

Fantasy. Mostly in graphic novel form.

Best Book You Read in 2014:

Best YA: Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

Best Fantasy: Pantomime by Laura Lam

Best Science-Fiction: The Martian by Andy Weir

Best Graphic Novel: Anything Saga.

Best Fiction: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Best Book in a Series: Frost Burned and Night Broken by Patricia Briggs

Best Audiobook: Fangirl  by Rainbow Rowell (or The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon)

Best Essay Collection: What Makes This Book so Great by Jo Walton

Other Favourites:

Barrayer by Lois McMaster Bujold

Shadowplay by Laura Lam

Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

The Woodcutter by Kate Danley

Random Acts of Senseless Violence by Jack Womack

Book You Were Excited About and Thought You Were Going to Love More But Didn't:

House of Mystery by Matthew Sturges ~ I still plan to read on in this series, but I was looking for something different with it...

Most Surprising Book You Read in 2014:

The Woodcutter by Kate Danely ~ Never heard of it before, but Heather read and loved it. How had we missed her! Why isn't she more famous??

Book You "Pushed" the Most People to Read in 2014:

I think this is always Fables.

Best Series You Started in 2014:

hm... Probably Pantomime and Shadowplay by Laura Lam

Best Sequel of 2014:

Saga or the latest two books in the Mercedes Thompson series by Patricia Briggs.

Best Series Ender of 2014:

Never finished a series. 2015 it will probably be Fables. *cries*

Favourite New Author You Discovered in 2014:

Let's see... Laura Lam was really good. Kate Danely was awesome. Andy Weir. This was also my first time reading Katherine Addison, Gabrielle Zevin, and Jennifer McMahon.

Best Book From a Genre You Don't Typically Read/Was Out of Your Comfort Zone:

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight

Most Action-Packed/Thrilling/Unputdownable Book of the Year?:

Pantomime by Laura Lam or The Martian by Andy Weir

Book You Read in 2014 That You Are Mostly Likely to Re-Read Next Year?

I don't reread a lot, but there are few books I got on audio to reread (The Martian by Andy Weir for example). Otherwise, it will be comics likely.

Favourite Cover of a Book You Read in 2014?

Well, comic books always have nice covers... Otherwise, Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi.

Most Memorable Character of 2014?

There are a few, but I am going to go with A.J. Fikry.

Most Beautifully Written Book in 2014?

I have no idea... I don't pay attention to that, really.

Most Thought-Provoking/Life-Changing Book of 2014?

What Makes This Book so Great by Jo Walton. Maybe not for the reasons you would typically put for this question...

Book You Can't Believe You Waited UNTIL 2014 to Read?

Saints and Boxers by Gene Luen Yang.

Favourite Passage/Quote From a Book You Read in 2014?

Normally I wouldn't answer this, but the beginning of The Martian was awesome!

Shortest and Longest Book You Read in 2014?

I don't keep track.

Book That Shocked You the Most?

Reconstructing Amelia

OTP of the Year?

Not something I really comment on.

Favourite Non-Romantic Relationship of the Year?

Not sure on this one either.

Favourite Book You Read in 2014 From An Author You've Read Previously?

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

Best Book You Read in 2014 That You Read Based SOLELY on a Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure?

There were a few, but let's go with The Woodcutter or Pantomime.

Newest Fictional Crush from a Book You Read in 2014?

Also not something I talk about.

Best 2014 Debut You Read?

The Queen of the Tearling

Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

The Martian or Random Acts of Senseless Violence.

Book That Put a Smile on Your Face/Was the Most Fun to Read?

Anne of Green Gables.

Book That Made You Cry or Nearly Cry in 2014?

There probably were some... I find when Matthew dies in Anne of Green Gables sad, for example, but nothing really jumps to mind.

Hidden Gem of the Year?

The Woodcutter

Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Maybe Stolen Songbird?

Most Unique Book You Read in 2014?

Random Acts of Senseless Violence

Book That Made you the Most Mad?

The Book of Unknown Americans. I just finished this recently, so not sure if I have fully thought about it yet, but I did really like it! It just was so close to possible it was upsetting.

Midsummer by Carole Giangrande

Midsummer by Carole Giangrande

Completion Date: May, 2014
Length: 96 Pages

All her life, Joy's been haunted by a man she's never met -- her visionary grandfather, the artist Lorenzo. At work on digging a New York subway tunnel, his pickaxe struck the remains of an ancient Dutch trading ship -- and a vision lit up the underground, convincing him that he was blessed. As it turned out, his children did well in life, and almost a century later, his granddaughter Joy, a gifted linguist, married the Canadian descendant of the lost ship's captain. Yet nonno's story also led to the death of Joy's cousin Leonora, her Aunt Elena's only child. It was a tragedy that might have been prevented by Joy's father, Eddie, a man who's been bruised by life and who seldom speaks to his sister. Yet in the year 2000, he has no choice. Wealthy Aunt Elena and Uncle Carlo are coming from Rome to New York City to celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary. They've invited the family to dine at the sky-high tower restaurant above the tunnel where nonno Lorenzo saw his vision long ago. On the first day of summer, Elena and Eddie will face each other at last. Midsummer is a story of family ties and fortune, and of Minding peace as life nears its close, high above the historic place where nonno's story began.

“Carole Giangrande's Midsummer sets sail in search of distant turning points. She holds the heart of her story gently, and she steers us gracefully through time, and memory. The elegance of her language casts long shadows. She moves us as she writes from the center of longing and wonder.” - Karen Lee Lewis, author of What I Would Not Unravel

"Midsummer is emotionally focused and charged with the power of archetype, its undercurrent of passion perfectly controlled. Carole Giangrande has mastered the novella form." - Eva Tihanyi, author of Flying Underwater: Poems New and Selected

When a book is so short I struggle with how best to address a review because it runs the risk of being as long as the book itself! I always want to read more novellas, but it never seems to happen. I am more of a novel reader than any of the shorter fiction out there. But, sometimes a novella comes along that I just have to read and this was one of them. I think that shorter works need to have that 'bang factor'. It did take me a bit to get into this one, but it was worth it in the end.

But, then there is only positive... I love family history. I am a bit obsessed with my own. So, a novel that shows that as a main theme is going to call for me. I am a bit of a history buff, too, so that all plays into it! The characters really came to life for me. My big complaint with novellas and short story is that they are not long enough. I get to the end and 'I WANT MORE!'  How can it be over? How can there not be more to the story? Even though Giangrande wrote fabulous characters and a great, engaging story... I wish it was a novel and not a novella and that is why I don't read much in the way of short fiction. It is not really a bad thing and just is a mark of how fantastic the works are. But, Giangrande made things work and I am glad that I had a chance to read this book!

Recommended!!

Book Review: Blossoms and Bayonets by Jana McBurney-Lin and Hi-Dong Chai

Blossoms and Bayonets by Jana McBurney-Lin and Hi-Dong Chai

Completion Date: May, 2014
Length: 316 Pages

"McBurney-Lin crafts…an engaging and entertaining read from beginning to end." --Midwest Book Review

"Impossible to put down—or to forget—authors’ grippingly suspenseful and deeply affecting historical novel limns the lives of a Korean family under Japanese rule with astonishing grace and power." --Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You

"Riveting internal dialogue and narration interspersed with quotes from those running the war efforts on various fronts combine to compel the reader forward. I say compel rather than propel, because I had to read. I had to know how this family and those around them would fare in the end."—Keri Rojas, bookseller at Cornerstone Cottage, Hampton, IA.

Hi-Dong Chai and Jana McBurney-Lin, the award-winning author of My Half of the Sky, turn their hands to a remarkable story of a family and country torn apart by outside forces.

The time is 1942, the place, Japanese-occupied Seoul, Korea. Fifteen-year-old He-Seung is full of fire, ready to take on these Japanese…if only he could convince his father, a Christian minister more concerned about saving his flock in a time when Emperor-worship has become mandatory.

Since occupation, the Japanese have eradicated the Korean language, names, even the country’s flower. Now they are seeking Korean boys as volunteers for their army. When his father is arrested by the Japanese, however, He-Seung must swallow his hatred of the enemy. Even harder, he must leave his mother and baby brother He-Dong to fend for themselves.

Based on a true story, Blossoms & Bayonets is suffused with the tense atmosphere of the period. The story lends an eyewitness perspective to events as they unfold. revealing an era of nuance and complexity, and shedding a bit of light on why --and how--one war led to the next.

The problem with getting away from blogging is that it makes it harder and harder to get back in the groove. I sit down to blog, but I wind up staring at a blank screen. Then, I fall behind entirely and that makes it seem like work to catch-up and blogging is supposed to be fun. I told myself I would make June a blogging month, but it has taken me this long to actually sit down and post. It's sad.

One of my favourite subjects to read about is WWII, so, when I saw this was set during then I knew I was going to have to snatch up a copy. Especially since I typically read books about the Canadian involvement and have been a bit slack with everyone else. This book is about the Japanese-occupied Seoul, Korea. This is something that I have been aware of, but never read a book that centres around it. And, it is based on the true story of Hi-Dong Chai, the co-author, so it definitely paints a picture of this time period. I think it is fantastic to take advantage of these resources before we don't have them any more.

Each chapter of the book opens with real quotes said during this difficult time. It helps frame the story and shows a wide-range of people around then. I loved how this book was written. It was very well-written with the three different narrators telling the story. The narrators, the wife and sons of a Christian minister, were great choices. This definitely was a story of love, faith, and courage during a difficult time. I am glad I read it!

Recommended!

Book Review: All That is Solid Melts into Air by Darragh McKeon

All That is Solid Melts into Air by Darragh McKeon

Completion Date: May, 2014
Length: 464 Pages

Russia, 1986. On a run-down apartment block in Moscow, a nine-year-old prodigy plays his piano silently for fear of disturbing the neighbors. In a factory on the outskirts of the city, his aunt makes car parts, hiding her dissident past. In a nearby hospital, a surgeon immerses himself in his work, avoiding his failed marriage.

And in a village in Belarus, a teenage boy wakes to a sky of the deepest crimson. Outside, the ears of his neighbor's cattle are dripping blood. Ten miles away, at the Chernobyl Power Plant, something unimaginable has happened.Now their lives will change forever.

An end-of-empire novel charting the collapse of the Soviet Union, All That Is Solid Melts into Air is a gripping and epic love story by a major new talent.

This book was outside my general reading in many ways... First, I don't typical read books that place so recently as 1986. My interests tend to be older history. But, I am interested in the Soviet Union and realized I had never really read a novel that takes place during that period in history. I remember kids coming to Canada for the summer from places in what used to be the Soviet Union because of the radiation from the Chernobyl Power Plant explosion. I have to admit it was not something I had thought of in a while, but it gave me even more interest in reading this book that sheds some light on that terrible time.

A mark of a good book, for me, is one that makes you want to read more about a certain subject. I think it is timely that Russia is in the news so heavily right now. While they have changed a lot since the country they were in 1986, there are still similarities that make you appreciate the fact you can read about it from a distance. And, McKeon puts a human face on the tragedy. I wish I paid more attention to the outside world and had read more on the Chernobyl disaster before now. There is just always so much happening in the world that you can't focus on everything like you would hope to. So, you read a novel about it instead and then feel guilty because you can't read everything. I think a lot of that relates to how events like WWI and WWII get so much exposure even now, but events like this sort of vanish into the background.

I read more young adult fiction that I used to, but I have to admit that I am not usually a big fan of adult fiction told from the point of view of teenagers. There are sometimes, though, that I think it makes a book even more human. I think there is a different level of sympathy for young people and animals than older people who have all ready lived a large part of their lives. I personally liked that there was a range of characters in this book, though. It worked better for me. I would sometimes have to slow down my reading to keep everything straight, but it all worked out in the end.

One thing I am finding this year with TLC Book Tours is that I am reading a lot of strong, well-written debut novels. I sometimes worry that I won't like them or they will try too hard and it will fall flat. It seems that 2014 is a good year for debuts, though. With a title like All That is Solid Melts into Air, I was worried this would be too literary for me, but I wound up just being impressed with the writing overall. McKeon is a fabulous writer and I hope that his next book is equally as well-written. He is definitely someone to watch!

Book Review: The Dirty Book Murder by Thomas Shawver

The Dirty Book Murder by Thomas Shawver

Completion Date: May 7, 2014
Length: 220 Pages

In this smart, fast-paced mystery debut, Thomas Shawver introduces a charming, unlikely hero from the rarefied world of antique books.

Book merchant Michael Bevan arrives at the Kansas City auction house hoping to uncover some hidden literary gold. Though the auction ad had mentioned erotica, Michael is amazed to find lovely Japanese Shunga scrolls and a first edition of a novel by French author Colette with an inscription by Ernest Hemingway. This one item alone could fetch a small fortune in the right market.

As Michael and fellow dealer Gareth Hughes are warming up for battle, a stranger comes out of nowhere and outbids them—to the tune of sixty grand. But Gareth is unwilling to leave the auction house empty-handed, so he steals two volumes, including the Colette novel. When Gareth is found dead the next day, Michael quickly becomes the prime suspect: Not only had the pair been tossed out of a bar mid-fistfight the night before, but there is evidence from Michael’s shop at the crime scene.

Now the attorney-turned-bookman must find out who wanted the Colette so badly that they would kill for it—and frame Michael. Desperate to stay out of police custody, Michael follows the murderer’s trail into the wealthiest echelons of the city, where power and influence meet corruption—and mystery and eroticism are perverted by pure evil. Unfortunately for Michael, one dead book dealer is only the opening chapter in a terrifying tale of high culture and lowlifes.

Fiction or Non-Fiction? Genre?: Crime Fiction.

What Lead You to Pick-up This Book?: I read it as part of a TLC Book Tour, but I have to admit that I wanted to read it because I was expecting a book about books. I love those!

Summarize the Plot: The book opens discussing the bookstore that Michael Bevan owns. I enjoyed the descriptions and his trip to an auction that sets off the chain of events that makes up the plot of this book. Part of me was wondering when the book was going to get going. Then, there was this other part of me that wanted to see more of the bookstore. (I like books afterall!) After about 50 pages Michael gets into an altercation with Gareth Hughes. Gareth was at the auction I mentioned before and things didn't go so well for either of them. It is when Gareth turns up dead that things really get interesting. The world that this death opens up is strange. I am not sure what to even think of what this book explores behind closed doors. You will have to read the book to find out more.

What Did You Like Most About the Book?: Well, I always appreciate a book that has books as its background. Michael owns a bookstore that we get to explore a bit. The bookish connection is why I wanted to read the book in the first place.

What Did You Like the Least?: Unfortunately, the book was a bit predictable. The fact that I can almost always solve the mystery is why I don't read a lot of crime novels. The plus side was there was still a bit of mystery to other aspects of the novel that were slightly less predictable. I think it evened out.

What Did You Think of the Writing Style?: For a crime novel, I felt that the author was a bit too caught up in physical appearances. I really only need the basics from secondary characters and I don't really care if they are good looking or not. For whatever reason, the characters just didn't stick in my mind.

What Did You Think of the Main Character?: I didn't love Michael, but then I didn't hate him either. I think he is a character that has to be explored and the first book was only sort of an introduction. He has done so much in his life all ready that I am not entirely sure we really get to know the 'real him'.

What Did You Think of the Ending?: The ending just got weird. I think I was expecting lighter reading than what the book actually resulted in! I blame the cover. And, I also was expecting something entirely different when the title was 'dirty' books.

Overall, I didn't hate the book. I don't read a lot of mystery series and probably wouldn't have read this one if not for the tour, title, and cover. I am not entirely sure if the second book will work for me just because I think I was looking for something different for this series, but I am probably in the minority compared to people that read mystery novels all the time. That being said, I am curious about how the rare book element will play through the rest of the books.

Book Review: Incendiary Girls: Stories by Kodi Scheer

Incendiary Girls: Stories by Kodi Scheer

Completion Date: April, 2014
Length: 208 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Incendiary Girls explores our baser instincts with vivid imagination and humor. In these stories, our bodies become strange and unfamiliar terrain, a medium for transformation. In “Fundamental Laws of Nature,” a doctor considers her legacy, both good and bad, when she discovers that her mother has been reincarnated as a thoroughbred mare. In the title story, a mischievous angel chronicles the remarkable life of a girl just beyond death’s reach.In Scheer’s hands, empathy and attachment are illuminated by the absurdity of life. When our bodies betray us, when we begin to feel our minds slip, how much can we embrace without going insane? How much can we detach ourselves before losing our humanity? Scheer’s stories grapple with these questions in each throbbing, choking, heartbreaking moment.

I never know what to say about short story collections, so I am going to a 'bulleted' review:

• Generally, I am not a big short story reader because I just prefer the longer format of novels. I like to make exceptions once in a while and this was my recent exception.
• I read the descriptions initially, but then time goes on and I completely forget by the time I read the book. I was very surprised by this book! 
• I think this might be the best short story collection I have read in years. I read the book entirely in one sitting, which rarely happens with short story collections, and for the most part enjoyed all of the stories.
• The description above mentions 'vivid imagination and humor'. That sounds about right. Actually, I kind was thinking that Scheer's brain must be an interesting place to come up with these stories.
• If you are looking for something original you need look no further than this book!
• The stories are a bit unbelievable... I mean, how often do you read a story about a girl who believes her boyfriend has turned into a camel or a daughter who is thinks her mother has been resurrected as a horse. At face value, it seems kind of crazy, but it is really not because the stories are written so well.
• The only story I was a bit 'meh' about, funny enough, was the title story. I feel like I have to reread it because it just didn't seem to mesh with the rest of the collection for me. I might have missed something.
• Other than themes of fantastical and magical, the combining thread is medical. It is not something I would rush out and read typically, but it worked in this context. 
• I think my only major complaint with this collection, especially for some of the stories, was I wanted more... I hope Scheer plans to write novels because I am curious!

Bottom line... I don't generally like short story collections, but I loved this one!

Book Review: The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

The Queen of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling, Book 1) by Erika

Johansen

Completed: April, 2014
Length: 448 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads:

On her nineteenth birthday, Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn, raised in exile, sets out on a perilous journey back to the castle of her birth to ascend her rightful throne. Plain and serious, a girl who loves books and learning, Kelsea bears little resemblance to her mother, the vain and frivolous Queen Elyssa. But though she may be inexperienced and sheltered, Kelsea is not defenseless: Around her neck hangs the Tearling sapphire, a jewel of immense magical power; and accompanying her is the Queen’s Guard, a cadre of brave knights led by the enigmatic and dedicated Lazarus. Kelsea will need them all to survive a cabal of enemies who will use every weapon—from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic—to prevent her from wearing the crown.

Despite her royal blood, Kelsea feels like nothing so much as an insecure girl, a child called upon to lead a people and a kingdom about which she knows almost nothing. But what she discovers in the capital will change everything, confronting her with horrors she never imagined. An act of singular daring will throw Kelsea’s kingdom into tumult, unleashing the vengeance of the tyrannical ruler of neighboring Mortmesne: the Red Queen, a sorceress possessed of the darkest magic. Now Kelsea will begin to discover whom among the servants, aristocracy, and her own guard she can trust.

But the quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny has only just begun—a wondrous journey of self-discovery and a trial by fire that will make her a legend…if she can survive.

The Queen of the Tearling introduces readers to a world as fully imagined and terrifying as that of The Hunger Games, with characters as vivid and intriguing as those of The Game of Thrones, and a wholly original heroine. Combining thrilling action and twisting plot turns, it is a magnificent debut from the talented Erika Johansen.

Fiction or Non-Fiction? Genre?: Fantasy. Fiction.

What Lead You to Pick-up This Book?: I read it as part of a TLC Tour.

Summarize the Plot: When you read the back of the book, or the synopsis I posted above, you expect a straight fantasy novel. That is not what you get! This actually takes place in a different version of our world. We only start learning about what happened to create this new world, but there are mentions of the society we live in now. I suppose that is where the comparision to The Hunger Games comes in... Something bad has happened, but the 'games' are wars and power struggles. Kelsea is a reluctant queen, though. She was brought up in isolation until her 19th birthday when she is collected to take over the kingdom. In many ways she is prepared, but in other ways she has a vast new experience ahead of her. She is also determined to be different from her mother which leads to a different sort of queen. It's hard to be original in such an explored genre, but I think Johansen is well on her way and this is her debut novel!

What Did You Like Most About the Book?: Firstly, strong female character. She definitely grows within this book, so, I expect she will even more as the series progresses. She still accepts help when she needs it so it is not unbelievable. I also like that there is no love triangle so far (and hopefully won't be!). As to the story itself, I liked how it was set in a different version of Earth. I wasn't expecting that in the beginning. Johansen really thinks everything out to both intrigue and inform the reader. I am curious to learn more about the events. I also enjoyed all the characters in their own ways.

What Did You Like the Least?: There was nothing that really stuck out as bad about the book.

What Did You Think of the Writing Style?: I liked it! She knew just how to keep the readers interest. There were quiet moments and more exciting moments. It was just enough mixture to progress the story, but also keep the reader interested. You also felt like you were getting to know the world and the people that inhabit it.

What Did You Think of the Main Character?: In the beginning, I wasn't so sure... But then the novel got going and Kelsea grew on me. She was basically a lonely young woman that had been thrust into a very important role. She has moments where you remember that she is 19. I like that there was a mixture there so that she wasn't so naive the whole book it was annoying, but also that she felt feelings for a boy and other things that 'normal' teenagers should experience. She was also a big reader and I appreciated that.

What Did You Think of the Ending?: Well, you obviously know this is going to be a trilogy or series or something along those lines. But, no cliffhanger ending! There are some things that obviously you still want to know more about and events that are in the workings, but the ending is satisfying. I was very happy with it!

Overall, I am very impressed that this is a debut! Bravo to the author. Definitely worth checking out and I can't wait for the sequel!

Book Review: Wake by Anna Hope

Wake by Anna Hope

Completed: February 21, 2014
Length: 304 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A brilliant debut for readers of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, in which three women must deal with the aftershocks of WWI and its impact on the men in their lives—a son, a brother and a lover. Their tragic connection is slowly revealed as the book unfolds.

Wake: 1) Emerge or cause to emerge from sleep 2) Ritual for the dead 3) Consequence or aftermath.

Hettie, a dance instructress at the Palais, lives at home with her mother and her brother, mute and lost after his return from the war. One night, at work, she meets a wealthy, educated man and has reason to think he is as smitten with her as she is with him. Still there is something distracted about him, something she cannot reach...Evelyn works at the Pensions Exchange through which thousands of men have claimed benefits from wounds or debilitating distress. Embittered by her own loss, more and more estranged from her posh parents, she looks for solace in her adored brother who has not been the same since he returned from the front...Ada is beset by visions of her son on every street, convinced he is still alive. Helpless, her loving husband of 25 years has withdrawn from her. Then one day a young man appears at her door with notions to peddle, like hundreds of out of work veterans. But when he shows signs of being seriously disturbed—she recognizes the symptoms of "shell shock"—and utters the name of her son she is jolted to the core...

The lives of these three women are braided together, their stories gathering tremendous power as the ties that bind them become clear, and the body of the unknown soldier moves closer and closer to its final resting place.

Fiction or Non-Fiction? Genre?: Historical Fiction.

What Lead You to Pick-up This Book?: hm... I think I saw it on a list of books out in 2014 and thought it sounded good. It was on Netgalley, so I grabbed a copy.

Summarize the Plot: This book takes place over 5 days. WWI is over, but the men and women of this novel are still dealing with things in their own way. The novel follows three women over these five days: Hettie, Evelyn, and Ada. Hettie is a dance instructor at a local dance club. She is one of the women that men pay to dance with. She is still living at home with her mother and her emotionally-disturbed brother. One night she meets a wealthy man and takes a shine to him. She thinks that he likes her as much, but things are not always as they seem. Then there is Evelyn. She is wealthy, but chooses to live in a flat and work for the war department at the Pension Exchange. She is dealing with her own loss from the war and trying to deal with her brother who is dealing with different demons in different ways. Lastly, there is Ada. She has not taken the loss of her son well and her husband has grown distant from her. Then a young man shows up at her door and sets everything back in motion for her. The three characters wind up with unknown connections to each other, but they are also connected by the moving of an unknown soldiers body as it moves towards its final resting place.

What Did You Like Most About This Book?: I really liked that the book took place after the war. It still illuminates the tragic events, but it also shows what it is like for the people afterwards. The war may be over, but there are still many things to deal with. It is a very humanizing story. Plus, it is about the women who don't always get as much attention in the overall picture of war. It doesn't just show them, though. They interact with men and we get to see their sides of things, too.

What Did You Like the Least?: There is a question that specifically pertains to my problem with this book, so I will mention it there. Otherwise, I quite enjoyed this book and have no major complaints.

What Did You Think of the Writing Style?: This is a debut novel, but all ready Anna Hope is a fantastic author. I was drawn in right away and found that I was eager to turn the pages and find out what happened next. I actually was having e-reader issues when I first started this book and read the first half or so on my computer. I didn't mind at all. I really look forward to seeing where her writing takes her next.

What Did You Think of the Main Character?: As I mentioned above, the book follows Hettie, Evelyn, and Ada. I have to say that I enjoyed them all. In many ways they have grown up very differently and had very different experiences during the war, but on the other hand they are very much the same. The war touches everyone and makes complete strangers similar to one anther. It does turn out that there are connecting lines between the characters, but that isn't entirely apparent in the beginning and doesn't always mean the characters themselves are even aware of it. I enjoyed learning about all three of them and seeing things from their points of view.

What Did You Think of the Ending?: *ahem* I finished this book in February. It has taken me this long to review the book... I still remember the book very clearly considering it has been so long. I would even go to say that it might have been one of my top reads of the year... And then the ending happened. I was reading an e-galley and thought maybe there was something wrong with it. I finally got definite confirmation today that there was nothing at all wrong. What do I even say? I hated the ending. I glanced around Goodreads, though, and no one said anything about it... I am not sure if I would have liked it better if I didn't think it was some sort of error?

I am glad I don't rate books because I am not sure what I would even give this one... A great rating for the book and then a separate rating with the ending? It has been a couple months and I still have no idea what to think.

So, recommended, but with a warning...

Book Review: The Time Traveler's Boyfriend by Annabelle Costa

The Time Traveler's Boyfriend by Annabelle Costa

Completed: April 14, 2014
Length: 183 Pages

Claudia’s geeky boyfriend Adam has just invented a time machine.

No, really—he has. She doesn't believe it either until Adam provides her with definitive proof that he does, in fact, have a functioning time travel device sitting in the living room of his Manhattan brownstone.

But instead of getting ready to accept the Nobel Prize, Adam has very different plans for his groundbreaking invention. He wants Claudia to use the machine to travel back in time and stop the accident that landed him in a wheelchair over a decade ago, and prevent the trajectory of events that he believes ruined his life.

When Claudia reluctantly agrees to become the first human time traveler, she knows she’s making a big gamble. If she succeeds, she could have the happy ending with commitment-phobic Adam that she’s always dreamed of. But if she fails, it could mean the end of the universe as she knows it.

Fiction or Non-Fiction? Genre?: I guess this is almost science-fiction... And romance... Definitely fiction.

What Lead You to Pick Up This Book?: I read it as part of a TLC Book Tour.

Summarize the Plot: Well, there is a girl and a guy. Claudia is a school teacher and Adam is a computer programmer and inventor. He is in a wheelchair because of an accident that leaves him paralysed from the waist down. They are in their 30's and Claudia is feeling her time slipping away. She is ready to settle down and have a baby. Adam keeps putting on the brakes and blaming it on a relationship from his past. Then, Adam invents a time machine and asks Claudia to go back in time to try and stop the cab that hit him from succeeding. That's when Claudia takes the risk of being the first time traveler. You will have to read the book to see what happens!

What Did You Like Most About This Book?: First of all... I was worried I wouldn't like it at all. It is just another book in my attempt to branch out with my reading. And, you know what, while I wouldn't call it my favourite read of the year, I did find it a fun read. I liked Claudia most of the time. I thought the time-travelling angle was different. I liked that I didn't find myself groaning at the silliness. And, it was a book with real people. Claudia was just an average person and Adam was average other than being in a wheelchair... And inventing a time machine... I mentioned the other day that I get tired of everything being so perfect...

What Did You Like The Least?: Let's see... I sometimes didn't like the dialogue. It didn't flow or something. It was just in the beginning of the book, so I must have got used to it as I read it. I also found things were unnecessarily repeated over and over again. I wish those moments were used to add more to the story than to reiterate something we know all ready. I am sure if I didn't go into this book expecting a fun read, I would dislike a lot more.

What Did You Think of the Writing Style?: Not perfect, but not terrible either. It is just something that will get better with practice. I finished the book, so it couldn't have bothered me that much.

What Did You Think of the Main Character?: I mentioned above that I mostly liked Claudia, but there were times where I didn't. I think the only reason I reached the end of the book and liked her is because she goes back in time and encounters her younger self. Her younger self is much, much worse. I think a lot of it was that all Claudia seemed to be thinking about is her size, getting married, and having kids. It's really what the whole book is focused around. I couldn't help wishing she had some deeper thoughts.

What Did You Think of the Ending?: A bit predictable, but satisfactory. I don't think I would have liked it if the book ended any other way. I wouldn't expect the book to end any other way.

Bottom line, if you are looking for a cutesy, science-fiction-like, romance story... Give this a try! It won't knock your socks off, but you will have fun reading it!

Book Review: Trinity Stones (The Angelorum Twelve Chronicles, Book 1) by L.G. O'Connor

Trinity Stones (The Angelorum Twelve Chronicles, Book 1) by L.G.

O'Connor

Completed: April, 2014
Length: 366 Pages

Anxiety-ridden New York investment banker, Cara Collins, has little to smile about on her twenty-seventh birthday between a hostile work environment and her impossible romantic situation with her longtime friend and first love, Dr. Kai Solomon. But before the day ends, she learns she has inherited $50 million—a windfall that must remain secret or risk the lives of those close to her.

As Cara unravels the truth surrounding her inheritance, she makes a startling discovery: angels walk among the living, and they’re getting ready to engage in a battle that will determine the future of the human race. In the midst of these revelations, she meets mysterious and sophisticated Simon Young, who offers her the promise of romance for the first time since Kai—but when Kai and his daughter are kidnapped by dark forces, Cara must choose: accept her place in a 2,000-year-old prophecy foretold in the Trinity Stones as the First of the Twelve who will lead the final battle between good and evil . . . or risk losing everything she holds dear.

One of the reasons that I enjoy doing book tours is because it gives me a chance to hear about books I may not have heard about otherwise. I also enjoy getting out of my comfort zone a bit. I was originally interested in this book because of the fantasy elements. I was a little unsure about the religion and romance. I read books that include both, but they are not something I look for in my normal reading. While essentially a very different book, I was mostly intrigued because this series reminds me of the things I loved about the Gardella Vampire Chronicles by Colleen Gleason. That's another series that was largely out of my comfort zone... (I had to enter the romance section of the bookstore even!) It was worth it, though, and has helped make me take chances with other books.

So, on to the book... First of all, I am a sucker for books with a strong female lead. Cara Collins is only 27 and is about to have her life changed entirely. And, we get a taste of that right from the very beginning. I appreciated that we are an audience to Cara's future before she even knows things are about to happen. We don't know everything, we will learn as she does, but it was enough of a teaser to get me interested in the story. Cara is really well. Her life has been turned upside down, but O'Connor managed to write her with the right mixture of kick-ass heroine and 'what the hell did I sign up for'. I sometimes find the character is too ready to accept their fate, which can sometimes seem unbelievable. Or, go in the other direction so much that they just annoy me. It is important to have a mixture to make the store work for me.

Then, there are all the religious connections to the book. I have to admit, I really liked how they were handled. That was a relief because if I wasn't, this would have been a very wasted book for me. And, really, any time you attempt to tackle such a subject you are taking a huge risk if you ask me. Anyway, O'Connor takes the typical religious stories and expertly weaves in Cara's story. I actually found it all really interesting. Sometimes stories about the battle between good and evil can be a bit silly, but this read more like a history lesson. As a big fan of history I was delighted to see how everything unfolded.

And, well, the romance is there. I didn't hate it... Sometimes I admit I groaned a bit. (Mostly in the beginning when meeting all the characters...) I liked Kai. There is one scene where he is dressed in a polo shirt and slacks and just looked like an average person. The rest of the men in the book mostly had 'amazing' bodies, appearances, blah blah. The women, too. I kind of get tired of a guy meeting a girl and liking her immediately and vice-versa. It's all based on appearance and it grates on my nerves. It could have been a lot worse, though. There were just a few scenes that bugged me. I won't go into detail because I know it is mostly me and other people like those kinds of scenes. No point in ruining it for anyway with my grumbling.

Other things to mention... I love Chloe. She's a dog. I am a sucker for animals in books.... I can't help it! And, she is such a great character all on her own! (The fact that we are in the process of hopefully getting a dog probably contributed!) I liked that Chloe played the right amount of a roll in the book... Is it sad that in many ways she was my favourite character? Don't mind me... I haven't had a dog in years and I am a tad bit excited about dogs in general at the moment!

Back to the book... Overall, I found it to be a page-turner. Any problems I had with it were minor. One other thing I will mention is that there is a lot of information dumped on you in this book... It might have been nice to have a bit more of a story, but it will definitely set up the rest of the series, so I understand it was necessary.

I recommend this book and look forward to the rest of this series. I am glad I took a chance on it!

Book Review: Alice Will by Ashley Chappell

Alice Will (Dream of Chaos, Book 1) by Ashley Chappell

Completed: April 2, 2014
Length: 297 Pages

With her leaky powers and premature smiting problem, fourteen year-old Trotter was still just trying to get the hang of the demi-godding business when the apocalypse began. In a world where the gods have withdrawn from humanity, leaving mortals bitter toward magic, she finds herself torn between the human and the goddess in her. When the world begins to fade away and she becomes the prime suspect, her search to determine the cause and prove her innocence ends up revolving around a mysterious little girl named Alice. Then she discovers that not all of the gods had been as distant as they seemed...

Now, with everyone against her and the gods fighting amongst themselves, Trotter is on her own to save her world and stop a spiteful god from using Alice to destroy everything.

Fiction or Non-Fiction? Genre? Young Adult Fantasy. Mythological.

What Lead You to Pick up This Book? I am reviewing this book as part of a TLC Book Tour.

Summarize the Plot: We have two young girls: Trotter and Alice. Trotter is aware of who she is and knows that she has special powers. Alice is an orphan, being treated badly, who is growing into abilities she didn't know she had. Trotter is told that she holds the ability to stop some violence that is moving into the world. But, Alice's youth and innocence are making things even more difficult for the world. There is a war coming and it has interesting players. This book also has a talking cat named Prowler that serves as Trotter's companion.

What Did You Like Most About This Book? There were a few things... First of all, I really like talking cats in books. I know it is silly and drives some people crazy, but think it is fun and Prowler definitely added comedic relief. Then, I really liked the mythology in this book. It was a bit rushed in the sense I wish I knew more, but it was still a creative idea. And, as always, I enjoy books where women save the world without help from men. Just saying!

What Did You Like The Least? In the interest of full-disclosure, there were a bunch of typos in this book. Just words that should be other words basically. Sometimes it wasn't a big deal, but other times it sort of jolted you out of the story. I really don't have any major to say against the book, but it did take me a while to get into it. There were a few inconsistencies... Nothing major, but just little things that I didn't really either believe should be part of the narrative or didn't fit with the world she has created.

What Did You Think of the Writing Style? I always seem to answer this question in earlier questions... Basically what I said above... Bit hard to get into and needed a little more editing.

What Did You Think of the Main Character? I will talk about Trotter and Alice in this question. While this book is essentially about Alice, Trotter is the recurring character for the series. Alice is almost 7, an orphan, and rather naive about the world. When she discovers that she has amazing powers, she sets out to create a world that will make her happy. The problem is she has seen so little of the world and experienced so few things. This makes her limited in her creativity. She is a cute kid, though, and just wants to be happy and have people love her. Then there is Trotter. It is less of a secret to her about who she is and she is 14. This makes her less naive and innocent than Alice. Not entirely, though, because she is still just a kid. That's where Prowler, the cat, comes in. He keeps her balanced. Trotter is the one that we will see grow in Chappell's series, so it will be interesting to see where she is headed. Alice and Trotter may seem different, but they have a lot of similar characteristics and made for readable characters most of the time.

What Did You Think of the Ending? Well, it wasn't a cliffhanger, so it had that going for it. It might have been a bit too perfect, but maybe I am used to books having lots of lose ends in this world of constant series. Frankly, with a few interesting revelations, the ending was not amazing. It wasn't terrible either. It was just the ending.

Recommended, but with a few reservations!

Book Review: Coincidence by J.W. Ironmonger

Coincidence by J.W. Ironmonger

Length: 304 Pages

Thirty years ago, on the date in June known as Midsummer's Day, a young girl is mysteriously orphaned. Now, after a life of bizarre and troubling circumstances, she becomes obsessed with the idea that she too will die on Midsummer's Day . . . until she meets the one man who may be able to save her.

Azalea Lewis's life has been dominated by coincidences-a bizarre, and increasingly troubling, series of chance events so perfectly coordinated that any sane person would conclude that only the hidden hand of providence could explain them.

On Midsummer's Day, 1982, at the age of three, Azalea was found wandering a fairground in England, alone, too young to explain what had happened to her or her parents. After a brief investigation, she was declared a ward of the court, and placed in foster care. The following year, the body of a woman-her mother-was found on a nearby beach, but by then everyone had forgotten about the little girl, and no connection was ever made. The couple who adopted Azalea brought her to Africa, where-on Midsummer's Day, 1992-they were killed in a Ugandan uprising while trying to protect their children. Azalea is spared on that day, but as she grows into adulthood, she discovers that her life has been shaped by an uncanny set of coincidences-all of them leading back to her birth mother, a single mother on the Isle of Man, and the three men who could have been her father, each of whom has played an improbable but very real role in her fate.

Troubled by what she has uncovered-and increasingly convinced that she, too, will meet her fate on Midsummer's Day-she approaches Thomas Post, a rational-minded academic whose specialty is debunking our belief in coincidence: the belief that certain events are linked, even predestined, by the hands of fate. Even as they fall in love, Thomas tries to help to understand her past as a series of random events-not a divinely predetermined order. Yet as the fateful date draws closer, Thomas begins to fear that he may lose her altogether, and she may throw herself into the very fate she fears.

A warm and romantic, yet intellectually fascinating, story of two souls trying to make sense of the universe and our place in it, Coincidence is an unforgettable novel by a storyteller of masterful gifts.

This post was actually supposed to be up on the 19th, but I was thinking about everything still and decided to write my post while on vacation. That was very silly of me because I never turned my computer on the entire vacation. So, sorry I am late!

I tend to fit in similar 'niches' with my reading... I don't really do 'contemporary' or more modern works. That's not because I don't like them, but more because my reading tastes tend to go in a different direction. I make an effort to branch out from time to time, though. Firstly, it adds some variety and prevents burnouts. Secondly, I may be missing out on an awesome author while only reading the same ol' same. I chose to join in for this tour because Coincidence sounded 'different' from anything I would normally read. I like to think and a book about coincidences sounded like some food for thought.

I have to admit that I do really like books that move back and forth between time if they are done well. There has been a run in historical fiction that takes place in the past and then jumps to the modern period. This book doesn't go quite that far back, but it does use time to frame the story and look at the ideas of coincidences as they relate to Azalea's life. Right from the very first pages you know that interesting things are in store for the reader. Azalea is found at a circus when she is a young child. She has no memory of how she got to be there and this leads to a police hunt into her origins.

I find the idea of coincidences really interesting. I have often thought about things like preordained, free-will, etc. Coincidence is another thing worth thinking about and this is the first time I have read a book where they look into it. It makes you think about your own life and the events in them. Was everything all planned out for you? Are random events, you wouldn't even think about as linked, actually linked? I kind of think I thought about that more than I thought about the actual book. That is partly why it took me so long to write a review about this one.

There are lots of other things happening in this book, but I hate giving away too much about the plot. It was the first I had ever heard of J.W. Ironmonger. This was his first book released in the U.S., I guess. I hope he will release more because he definitely writes about things that will get you thinking amongst things that are a bit more typical. It makes for an interesting mixture.

Recommended!

What are your thoughts on coincidences?

Book Review: The Frangipani Hotel by Violet Kupersmith

The Frangipani Hotel by Violet Kupersmith

Completed: March 10, 2014

Length: 256 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Based on traditional Vietnamese ghost stories told to the author by her Vietnamese grandmother but updated to reflect the contemporary ghost of the Vietnam War, here is a mesmerizing collection of thematically linked stories, united by the first and last story of the collection.

Violet wrote these unusually accomplished stories as an undergraduate at Mt. Holyoke College in an attempt to update the traditional Vietnamese ghost stories her grandmother had told her to incorporate the more relevant ghosts of the aftermath of the Vietnam War on a generation of displaced Vietnamese immigrants as well as those who remained in Vietnam. From the story about a beautiful young woman who shows up thirsty in the bathtub of the Frangipani Hotel in Saigon many years after her first sighting there to a young woman in Houston who befriends an old Vietnamese man she discovers naked behind a dumpster to a truck driver asked to drive a young man with an unnamed ailment home to die, to the story of two American sisters sent to Vietnam to visit their elderly grandmother who is not what she appears to be, these stories blend the old world with the new while providing a new angle of insight into the after-effects of the war.

Fiction or Non-Fiction? Genre?: Fiction. Vietnamese Ghost Stories.

What Lead You To Pick Up This Book?: A combination of a book for a TLC Book Tour and the fact that it is ghost stories and folk tales from Vietnam.

Summarize the Plot: A collection of Vietnamese ghost stories updated from old traditional stories to have the Vietnam War as a background. The stories all seem traditional in general, but there are strange, supernatural elements to each one. Sometimes it would be a while before you found out what they were. Then there were others that you found out about right away. There is enough connection between each story to flow together. And, the first and last story are connected eve more directly than that.

A bit about the stories:

'Boat Story' - A grand-daughter is asking her grandmother about her escape from Vietnam and gets an entirely different story than she is expecting. This story sets the scene for the unusual that was set to come. It ends with the sentence 'Did we ever really escape'. That could be a theme to the collection in many ways. A strange story that cemented my decision that I was going to like this collection.

'Reception' - This is the story that actually takes place at The Frangipani Hotel. (A word that I keep worrying I am going to spell wrong on a side note.) There were scenes in this story that had me laughing. But, like the rest of the collection, there are strange, dark elements. In this story they take the shape of a woman who the receptionist, the main character, finds after she almost floods the bathroom. That's just the beginning of the strangeness. I really liked this story! Even if it had those dark elements, it was actually one of the lighter stories in the collection.

'Skin and Bones' - Two daughters are sent from America to stay with their grandmother in Vietnam over the holidays. It all starts because the younger daughter eats too much and her mother thinks Vietnam food will help. Nothing is as it seems in this story. This was one of my favourites in the collection. It was kind of a Wait... What??? story.

'Little Brother' - In this story a truck driver tells stories from his time on the road. There is one about a shark which is very strange. The other one, though, was almost expected but not at the same time. At this point in the collection you definitely expect weird things to happen, but still... It was kind of another 'what is going on' story. I liked it, but it kind of creeped me out.

'The Red Veil' - I think this story was probably the creepiest one in this collection. It's the story of two sisters whose mother dies and their father remarries. It was the one story in the collection that I really, really wanted to know what happened in more detail. I think it would make a good novel. It really drew me in but I wasn't entirely sure about everything that happened. It is still running around in my head.

'Guests' - This is the story of Mia who had decided to work for the American consulate in Vietnam. Her father doesn't understand why because he has escaped from there and she wants to go back. Her job is to deal with the woman who have been impregnated and then abandoned by American men. In her personal life she has a live-in boyfriend also from America, but things are not going as well as she expects. This launches a counter story that winds up with an ending that I didn't really like all that much. It worked for the story, but, yeah, wish it had ended differently.

'Turning Back' - uh, yeah... This story was weird right from the very beginning! Another story that would make an interesting novel. It was a very intriguing retelling of a story that exists in many forms across many cultures. Definitely a page-turner!

'One-Finger' - A Calligrapher, a Poet, and a Guitarist sit around the Calligrapher's living room. They have been friends for 40 years after serving together in the Vietnam War. Their friendship is about to take a very different turn, though. The Calligrapher's past is about to catch up with him and he has a story to tell his friends. A good story!

'Descending Dragon' - A story that links from the beginning of the collection. It takes place in a Seniors Home. Ms. Nguyen is a very entertaining character! The Vietnam War is coming to visit her in a very real way. It is a great way to end the collection!

I don't read very many short story collections. I am so happy this one worked for me. I really really liked it! If not for the tour, positive reviews would have likely made me add it to my wish list, but I am not sure how likely my reading of it was. It is nice to have an enjoyable experience with something essentially outside of your comfort zone.

Strongly Recommended!

Buddy Book Review: The Debt of Tamar by Nicole Dweck

The Debt of Tamar by Nicole Dweck

Completed: March 2, 2014
Length: 330 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads:

"Scheherazade, the ancient Persian Queen, could tell a good story, But so can Nicole Dweck..." -Book Morsels

During the second half of the 16th century, a wealthy widow by the name of Doña Antonia Nissim is arrested and charged with being a secret Jew. The punishment? Death by burning. Enter Suleiman the Magnificent, an Ottoman "Schindler," and the most celebrated sultan in all of Turkish history. With the help of the Sultan, the widow and her children manage their escape to Istanbul. Life is seemingly idyllic for the family in their new home, that is, until the Sultan's son meets and falls in love with Tamar, Doña Antonia's beautiful and free-spirited granddaughter. A quiet love affair ensues until one day, the girl vanishes.

Over four centuries later, thirty-two year old Selim Osman, a playboy prince with a thriving real estate empire, is suddenly diagnosed with a life-theatening condition. Abandoning the mother of his unborn child, he vanishes from Istanbul without an explanation. In a Manhattan hospital, he meets Hannah, a talented artist and the daughter of a French Holocaust survivor. As their story intertwines with that of their ancestors, readers are taken back to Nazi-occupied Paris, and to a seaside village in the Holy Land where a world of secrets is illuminated.

Theirs is a love that has been dormant for centuries, spanning continents, generations, oceans, and religions. Bound by a debt that has lingered through time, they must right the wrongs of the past if they're ever to break the shackles of their future.

This is a buddy review with Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader. She has the first part, so you will have to read it over there for it to make sense. She is in black and I am in the red colour.

---------------------

The story jumps around a fair bit from 16th century Spain to modern day Turkey and America, and to Israel and France in the mid 20th century. How did you find these changes in time and characters? Did it flow smoothly for you?

As to the actual time changes themselves, I enjoyed the glimpses of different aspects of history, but just like the characters I wish we had a chance to experience things longer. I think that might be one of the shorter glimpses of the Holocaust, for example, I have ever experienced. And, I read this book because of the ‘different’ aspects of history and still didn’t feel like I learned enough. I suppose as a ‘learning’ experience I should read a non-fiction book and not look for it in fiction.

Had you read much about the expulsion of the Jews from Spain before? I had only read about about it a few months ago in another book so it was interesting to contrast how two authors handled the aspects of the story which were similar.

I have not, actually. I think that is why I was curious about this book. I have read a lot about the Jewish experience, but it was typically surrounding the Holocaust and those aspects of history. I will have to seek out some more books and read more about these times in history.

I thought that the changes in time and setting were handled well but I wanted more from each of the stories. We were just starting to learn about one character and then it would change to another story. I guess wanting more is better than being bored with a particular story and wishing that it would change to someone else though! I did find the story of Davide very interesting. That one thread alone would have made a really good subject for a book. A Jewish baby raised by a Catholic family, the drama when the truth came out, the divergent path of the two brothers. I wanted more!

That’s true. I wasn’t bored at all. I actually found that the book was a relatively fast read!

It was definitely a fast read, and one that it is easy to get invested in. It is actually one of those books that I probably wouldn’t have read if not for the enthusiastic reports from other bloggers. This meant that when we got the offer for the blog tour I was primed to accept it and to read the book. Did the book meet your expectations, were you surprised it was a debut novel and would you recommend it to others?

I have to admit I was just looking for something ‘different’. I wasn’t even aware that it was getting a lot of buzz. I should pay more attention, I guess! I agree with the buzz, though. My only complaint was that I wanted more. And, yes, for a debut, it was very well done. To be honest I didn’t know it was a debut and I think I probably only read it because of the tour. Now, the tour might have changed that when I saw the book around more!

What about you? What did you think of the ending?

I liked the ending. I liked how everything came together. I think that even though it was quick snippets, you find yourself waiting for the ending. I am not sure the book ended as I expected, but that was not a bad thing! I think the ending made me love the book where I was only sort of a fan before that.

I thought it was a good place to end the story. There is a glimpse of hope for the future but it wasn’t a sugar coated fairytale type ending. There was a good mix of history, a touch of romance of the doomed variety, and, for a debut novel, I thought it was a good read. I will definitely look out for Nicole Dweck’s next book.

Me too! Thanks for doing this buddy review with me!

This book was part of a tour hosted by the Historical Fiction Virtual Blog Tour.

Graphic Novel February - The Final Week - Six Sentence Saturday Style

The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories - Volume 2 by Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Completed: February 8, 2014
Length: 127

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, Looper, 500 Days of Summer) made a big splash with The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories - so now he’s back with volume 2! One of the most ingenious and successful projects to come out of Gordon-Levitt's online creative coalition hitRECord - an international collaboration of artists and writers - The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories: Volume 2 offers more quirky, delightfully small, ingeniously illustrated haiku-like tales, proving once more that the universe isn’t made of atoms; it’s made of tiny stories. The best things do come in small packages.

(I know this is not technically a graphic novel, but if I don't post about it now, I probably never will.)

I have wanted to read these forever, but I have never been able to talk me into buying one. When I randomly got a chance to try one, though, I jumped at the chance! And, this was as good as I expected. The art is very intense and memorable, for starters. And then, there are the stories. I am terrible at saying great things in short lengths, but this book does an amazing job!

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

Completed: February 10, 2014
Length: 232 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A fresh and brilliantly told memoir from a cult favorite comic artist, marked by gothic twists, a family funeral home, sexual angst, and great books.

This breakout book by Alison Bechdel is a darkly funny family tale, pitch-perfectly illustrated with Bechdel's sweetly gothic drawings. Like Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, it's a story exhilaratingly suited to graphic memoir form.

Meet Alison's father, a historic preservation expert and obsessive restorer of the family's Victorian home, a third-generation funeral home director, a high school English teacher, an icily distant parent, and a closeted homosexual who, as it turns out, is involved with his male students and a family babysitter. Through narrative that is alternately heartbreaking and fiercely funny, we are drawn into a daughter's complex yearning for her father. And yet, apart from assigned stints dusting caskets at the family-owned "fun home," as Alison and her brothers call it, the relationship achieves its most intimate expression through the shared code of books. When Alison comes out as homosexual herself in late adolescense, the denouement is swift, graphic — and redemptive.

I actually reread this because I didn't love it the first time I read it and I felt like maybe I was missing something? I liked it better this time! It is basically the story of a long girl growing up with a mostly in the closet gay father and then coming to accept her own coming out later. Her family is dysfunctional, crazy things happen over the years, and I am still sort of surprised she airs her dirty laundry so publicly. The art is low-key, but really good. Overall, while I still didn't love this comic, I am glad I gave it a second chance.

Archie Americana Series: Best of the Nineties - Volume by George Gladir and Company

Completed: February 8, 2014
Length: 98 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Get ready to party like it's the 1990s with Archie and the Gang!

The '90s were a decade of innovation and invention. Personal computers and virtual reality were no longer science fiction. Popular music was transformed into a world of grungy college rock and poppy boy bands. Relive all of the trends, fads and fashions that defined the decade with America's orange-haired icon, Archie!

Revisit the virtual world with Jughead as he devours digital delicacies in "Simulation Stimulation." Archie goes Hollywood in "Ratman" and "Duggy Wuggy, M.D.", and Betty pierces her nose in "That Certain Ring." All this and more awaits in this collection of the best stories of the 1990s!

Another random choice, but one I decided to read for nostalgia sake. I used to read Archie comics all the time, but they are ridiculously overpriced now. It was still nice to go back and revisit the decade in which I would have been reading them and the stories that I had sometimes read before. It was like visiting with old friends and I enjoyed how some things never change. This series will always be memorable and I hope that it is around for many more years. A fun read!

House of Mystery - Volume 1: Room and Boredom by Bill Willingham & Company

Completed: February 15, 2014
Length: 128 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Matthew Sturges, writer of the Eisner-nominated JACK OF FABLES, and his JACK co-writer Bill Willingham, proudly unlock the doors to the HOUSE OF MYSTERY, a series that reinvents a classic DC Comics comic. HOUSE OF MYSTERY focuses on five characters trapped in a supernatural bar, trying to solve the mystery of how and why they're imprisoned there. Each one has a terrible past they'd like to forget, and with no books, newspapers or TV allowed in the House, they face an eternity of boredom. But stories become the new currency, and fortunately, the House attracts only the finest storytellers.

This is a comic I read on my mission to find a new comic book series, but was kind of unsuccessful because it turns out this series is largely out-of-print! I liked this first volume, though. It is kind of like Fables and The Unwritten in the sense that stories play a large roll, but it is a darker book that those two series. This book gives the reader a chance to meet the five main characters, sets up the darkness of the house, and makes you curious about the stories and adventures that will show up in the future. This volume was more atmospheric than scary, but there is definitely the potential for some darker moments in the future. Overall, I still love some other series better, but I am curious enough about this series that I would like to read more.

House of Mystery - Volume 2: Love Stories for Dead People by Matthew Sturges

Completed: February 15, 2014
Length: 128 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Matthew Sturges, writer of the Eisner-nominated JACK OF FABLES, and his JACK co-writer Bill Willingham, the creator of FABLES, proudly unlock the doors to the HOUSE OF MYSTERY, a new graphic novel series that reinvents the classic DC Comics concept. It focuses on five characters trapped in a supernatural bar, trying to solve the mystery of how and why they're imprisoned there. Each one has a terrible past they'd like to forget, and with no books, newspapers or TV allowed in the House, they face an eternity of boredom. But stories become the new currency, and fortunately, the House attracts only the finest storytellers.

(That is totally the same synopsis... Good ole originality, Goodreads.)

In the first volume we met all the characters, so, in this volume it was time to get to know them a bit better and get to understand the house more. The house is essentially another character in the book, an important character, so it was important to get a feel for why it was important. Again, a very atmospheric story, but creepier than the first volume. There are some seriously strange things that happen in this book! The characters are starting to get meshed out more, so you find yourself curious about how they are all going to play out with each other. I am curious enough about this series to read Volume 3.

Locke & Key - Volume 1: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill

Completed: February 28, 2014
Length: 158 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Locke & Key tells of Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion, with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them. Home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all...

(You know, I never noticed that I bought two graphic novels about creepy houses in the same order!)

Oh, my, yay, I loved this intro! I have wanted to read this series forever and I am so happy that I finally did. There is so much happening in this comic, and it is another spooky and atmospheric story, that I cannot wait to see what happens next! Keyhouse is a cool, old house that I am so intrigued by and can't wait to see what we learn about it next. If there wasn't murder involved and a creepy creature that you imagine will be wrecking havoc in the later volumes, I would love to visit this place. Joe Hill definitely brought the spirit of old houses alive and I can't wait until I let myself buy Volume 2!

Bayou Volume 1 by Jeremy Love

Completed: February 28, 2014
Length: 160 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads:

South of the Mason-Dixon Line lies a strange land of gods and monsters; a world parallel to our own, born from centuries of slavery, civil war, and hate.

Lee Wagstaff is the daughter of a black sharecropper in the depression-era town of Charon, Mississippi. When Lily Westmoreland, her white playmate, is snatched by agents of an evil creature known as Bog, Lee's father is accused of kidnapping. Lee's only hope is to follow Lily's trail into this fantastic and frightening alternate world. Along the way she enlists the help of a benevolent, blues singing, swamp monster called Bayou. Together, Lee and Bayou trek across a hauntingly familiar Southern Neverland, confronting creatures both benign and malevolent, in an effort to rescue Lily and save Lee's father from being lynched.

BAYOU VOL. 1 collects the first four chapters of the critically acclaimed webcomic series by Glyph Award nominee Jeremy Love.

(Full confession... I claimed I wasn't going to go to the library this year because my TBR is insane, but we were out for a walk the other day and I FINALLY went to check out the new-to-me library and would have felt rude not borrowing a couple things...)

I have wanted to read Bayou for ages because many bloggers that I trust have recommended it. I was very surprised to see it just sitting on the shelf at the library, so I had to finally give it a try. Set during the Depression in Mississippi, this starts out about the hardships of being black during that time, but then an entirely different world opens up. I really enjoyed the mesh of the 'real' and the magic realism that this volume weaves together. Lee is a great, strong female character in a time when she really shouldn't be, so you can't help wanting to follow her on all of her adventures. I am so glad I gave this a try and strongly recommend it!