Bookish Review: Advent

I really enjoyed reading Advent. I think they are  promoting it as an adult novel, but the main protagonist is 15, so I think teens would enjoy it too. It is a twist on the legend of Dr. Faustus. As Faust is  trying  to wield all of the magic in the world, his ship sinks and he is buried, powerless.

Hundreds of years later, a young boy sees things that he is told are not real. He is sent by his parents to stay with his aunt, when weird things continue to happen. Soon, Dr. Faustus is unleashed on the world again, magic is back, and ordinary people start to see extraordinary things. A few powerful children willl have to fight Faust as he attempts to control all the magical power in the world--no matter the cost.

This is the start of a trilogy, and was quite a compelling read. Recommended.

Atria Books sent me a free galley copy of this book for review. Their generosity did not affect the content of the above review.

Bookish Review: A Dance with Dragons

The 5th book in the Game of Thrones Series (I know that's not the official series name, but it's how everyone knows it) was confusing, but good. I had forgotten that the book overlaps with the 4th, so I was very confused about the timeline at first. Once again, Martin introduces dozens of characters, so it's a challenge to keep them all straight. Despite the fact that I know no one is safe in Martin's books, he surprised me yet again with who he seemingly killed off in this one (can't be completely sure,but I'm 99% confident the person is dead). He always makes me want to throw the book across the room in a rage when he does that, but I keep reading! I was happy to see more of Arya,Tyrion, Bran, and John Snow in this one. Martin better get writing--I want #6!

Bookish Review: One of Our Thursdays is Missing

I'm a big fan of the Thursday Next, but be warned: this one is really for only hard-core book nerds. It's kind of meta-fiction, drowning in literary allusion and even typesetting humor--if you only occasionally dip your toe into reading, it's really not for you. The books are very complex, so make sure you start with the first one.

In this one, the real Thursday Next is missing and it is up to the written Thursday to figure it all out. She races through the Book World and even makes a foray into the real world to try to uncover the mystery--all while trying to keep control of her series.

Another fun one from Fforde. Fans of Thursday will enjoy it.

Bookish Review: P is for Peril

P is for Peril is the latest addition to Sue Grafton's series. I have read other books in the series, but it has been so many years since I read one, I could not even tell you which ones, though I am fairly certain A is for Alibi was among them. The main character, Kinsey Milhone, is a private investigator. In this one, she has been charged with finding a doctor who just disappeared, seemingly into thin air. There is also a side plot line involving the new landlords she gets herself involved in. Some things are rather far-fetched, but it's overall a quick, pretty enjoyable read. You can absolutely jump into the series with virtually no problems from not having read the earlier works. Not a must-read, but not bad.

Bookish Review: Seven Sorcerers

Seven Sorcerers is the start to a series, so don't expect a very tidy ending. This middle-grade novel involves a girl, Nim, who wakes up to find that every trace of her brother has disappeared and she is the only one who remembers him. He's been snatched by a bogeyman, and she is the next on the list. She joins up with another kidnapped child who managed to escape the bogeyman's grasp and goes on a quest to find her brother and return everyone's memories of him and her. They travel through a magical world fueled by human's hopes and fears that is slowly dying, encountering magical creatures and danger along the way. Nim is a very likeable character, and it's a pretty good read. Recommended for fans of Fablehaven. (It is not, as one person told me it was supposed to be, "the next Harry Potter.")

Bookish Review: The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag

Flavia DeLuce is one of my favorite characters. First seen in The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, she returns in this book to solve another mystery. A precocious 11-year-old, Flavia is ever trying to poison her older sisters, who torment her in many ways, under the nose of their inattentive philatelist father. Flavia misses nothing and her observations and machinations are always entertaining. This one is highly recommended, and I hope to find the time soon to read the others in the series.

Bookish: A Feast for Crows

The fourth book in the Game of Thrones series, A Feast for Crows is an enjoyable read, if a bit more of a slog than the first three. Martin continues to introduce new characters and continues to have no compunctions about maiming, torturing, or killing off characters, no matter how beloved. Many of the most lovable, favorite characters are not even featured in this book. This book and the fifth actually encompass the same time period, so you're only getting half the story, which is rather frustrating, especially when you finish the book and the story feels so incomplete. Luckily for you and me, the fifth book is out now. The poor, unfortunate souls who read this when it first came out had to wait YEARS for the fifth one, which seems quite like torture. So, overall, a good read, though I was left with the feeling that I had to get through this one to get onto book five rather than really enjoying it for itself.

Bookish Review: A Storm of Swords

A Storm of Swords is the 3rd book in George RR Martin's Series. I must warn you, this one is very infuriating at times. Martin kills off some beloved characters in really terrible ways and gets other embroiled in terrible situations. A lot of it is tough to read. There are triumphs as well, of course. Dany, the dragon queen, gains a lot of strength in this one. Another exciting addition to the series.

Bookish Review: A Clash of Kings

A Clash of Kings is the sequel to A Game of Thrones. In this book, the king is dead, as is his Hand, who was labelled a traitor for exposing the truth--that the queen cuckholded her husband with her own brother, so the king's supposed children are not legitimate heirs to the throne. The kings brothers are battling to take over, lords of the other kingdoms are declaring themselves king and/or dividing their loyalties among the contenders. The last remaining heir of the original ruling family has rediscovered how to awaken dragons and magic is reawakening in the kingdoms. In short, all hell is breaking loose and more characters are going to die along the way.

Martin introduced even more characters to keep track of, but this one is another page turner, for sure.

Bookish Review: A Game of Thrones

A Game of Thrones has been getting a lot of press lately because of the HBO series based on the book. That would not normally be enough to get me interested in a book, since I don't even have HBO. It had been recommended to me by several friends, though, so I decided to read it.

The book is the first in a series. It is long, and complex. Martin switches perspective every chapter, there are lots of characters, and it is highly detailed. SO, it takes a little while to get into it. The characters are nicely fleshed-out, though, and you'll begin to care about them pretty quickly. The book is low fantasy, set in a kind of medieval world made up of 7 united kingdoms, as well as a few others. The king who is currently on the throne took it by force, overthrowing the mad king, who had inherited the throne, and killing or banishing his offspring. The new king is pretty well-loved, but not by his wife, and if something should happen to him, what will happen to the kingdom?

A few things to be aware of: the book contains sex, violence, and incest. Martin also has no problem killing off characters--even main characters, so don't get too attached. Despite being so long, the book really is compelling and a page-turner. You'll want to have the 2nd one waiting in the wings for when you finish.

Bookish Review: The Betrayal of the Blood Lily

Lauren Willig has again created a fun romp in her Pink Carnation series. The twist in this one is that our heroine is already married (she was forced into marriage at the end of the last book) and after relocating to India with her husband (yet another twist--it's not in England or in France!) she meets her true love. But she's already married! The horror! Will she come to love her husband? Will she run off with her new swain? Oh, the twists and turns!

I pretty much figured it out, but it was fun.

There is the usual spy snatching and fun interludes of Colin and Eloise to be had. If you've read the others in the series, you know what to expect. Fun and fluffy.

Bookish Review: The Spellmans Strike Again

If you read this blog, you know I am a fan of Lisa Lutz and her Spellman series. This is book 4, and it does not disappoint.

Izzy is still dating her bartender boyfriend, but her mother does not approve, and blackmails her into going on dates with lawyers every few weeks. Rae has gotten herself a boyfriend, refuses to take the bus or buy a car, and decides to take up a crusade to free someone who was wrongly convicted. Rae is also still best friends with Henry, who starts pestering Izzy to be his friend again, too. David is dating Henry's old fiancée, and the Spellman parental units kick everyone out of the house once a week. Shortly after this, things like doorknobs start disappearing from all over the house.

The book is once again filled with family drama and little mysteries on top of the projects the family is investigating. Two thumbs up!

Bookish Review: Mockingjay

The final book in the Hunger Games trilogy did not disappoint! Katniss is finally going to have to choose between Peeta and Gale--if they all survive the war, that is. District 13 wants to use Katniss to help rally the rebel effort, but she's not sure she wants to let them use her like the Capitol did. When she realizes it may be her only option to save Peeta, she acquiesces, but not before naming her price.

There has been a lot of backlash over the violence in this book, and the series as a whole. I think this is ridiculous. It's not that the books aren't violent. because they absolutely are. However, the books are about war, about what is worth dying for--and what is worth killing for--and how far is too far, even in war. Guess what? Wars are violent. Men, women, and children die, often in horrible ways. That is reality, and if these books can bring that reality home to a few people, maybe we'll have fewer wars and less violence, not more of it. It's a beautifully done series. Highly recommended.

Bookish Review: Catching Fire

This is the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy, and it's probably even better than the first. Katniss and Peeta survived the Hunger Games, but their defiance of the Capitol has not been forgotten, and it seems that uprisings are inevitable and Katniss will be held responsible. How will Katniss keep her family, Gale, Haymitch, and Peeta safe? Will she have to pretend she loves Peeta forever? When she and Peeta are sent back to the Hunger Games, will either of them be able to survive again? (Well, it is a trilogy, so it seems likely Katniss isn't going to die, right?) Will Katniss be able to figure out how she feels about Gale and Peeta? The action and tension are high, just as in the first book, and when Katniss and Peeta have to travel to the other districts, I actually shed a few tears. Can't wait for the third one

Bookish Review: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

The 3rd book in Steig Larsson's Millennium trilogy wraps up the story quite nicely. The book picks up exactly where the last one left off. Lisbeth has been shot, multiple times, and requires brain surgery. Micke is being questioned by incompetent police, and since Sapo is involved, the investigation is difficult, to say the least. Zala is still alive and Lisbeth's brother is on the run, and the police have no leads. The staff of Millennium are trying to wrap up Dag's story and prove Lisbeth's innocence (with Armansky's & Palmgren's help). With Erika leaving the staff, this is not easy, and Erika is having trouble of her own in her new job, including picking up an apparent stalker.

Micke gets yet another love interest in this one, and she is very quickly under his spell, as usual. The truth of Lisbeth's past comes out, and she actually gets some closure by the end.

Another exciting romp from Larsson--too bad it's the last one!

Bookish Review: The Temptation of the Night Jasmine

This is the 5th book in Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation Series, and it follows along in the same formula as the others. All of the books are told on two levels: on one, Eloise, modern-day grad student and researcher and on the other, her latest discovery in her research. Eloise is dating a very handsome Brit who is descended from the very spies she is researching for her dissertation. In this volume, Eloise uncovers the story of Charlotte, a friend of some of the other ladies she has studied, and her distant cousin Robert. They, of course, fall in love and discover a plot to kidnap the king in the meantime!

These books are fun and fluffy, quite a quick read, and always have a happy ending. Good fun.

Bookish Review: Finger Lickin' Fifteen

This is the newest volume in Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. Readers of the series will know what to expect. Stephanie Plum is a hapless bounty hunter. Each book involves a romantic subplot with either (or both) Joe Morelli and the mysterious Ranger Manoso, In this case, Stephanie is yet again "off-again" with Morelli, and coincidentally Ranger needs her help investigating some break-ins. Lula, Stephanie's big, flashy, former-'ho' sidekick, witnesses a murder and she and Stephanie must avoid the hitmen trying to take her down. Stephanie weighs her options between Morelli and Ranger, her mother tries to set her up with new men, and Grandma and Lula decide to learn how to barbeque. The book is fun and fluffy, as usual, but the typical pattern is starting to get old after 15 installments. Let's hope #16 has something new to offer.

Bookish Review: Revenge of the Spellmans

Lisa Lutz has done it again with another great Spellman romp. This is the third book in the series--please read the 1st two first; you won't regret it. It's a very fast and fun read. Izzy Spellman is forced into court-ordered therapy, which she mostly gets through by taking long pauses where she pretends to think about her responses. In the meantime, she takes up secretly living in her brother's house while trying to investigate the recent changes in his life. She also must decide if she wants to quit the PI biz for good, or go back to working for her parents. She also needs to stop Rae, her sister, from trying to break up their cop friend Henry and his girlfriend (even though Izzy is in love with Henry) and stop her from stealing Izzy's car. She must also convince her old friend Morty to move away to Florida and solve a case--the result of which will determine her future.

There's lots of intrigue, familial investigating, blackmail, car chases, stakeouts--all the usual Spellman ingredients. It's funny and well-written, and I can't wait for the next one!

Bookish Review: Cross Bones

Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs is another book in her series featuring Temperance Brennan. This one takes Tempe on a crazy international quest to Israel to investigate the provenance of some bones that show up in Canada by way of France after disappearing from an archaeological dig in Israel many years ago. A possible conspiracy is involved, as some believe the bones belong to Jesus Christ, a find which would have huge historical and religious implications. The plot only gets more complicated, with more bones uncovered, once she arrives overseas.

The book is good and entertaining, but I have the same problem I had with the last book I read in the series: I am too much of a fan of the TV show Bones, which is (loosely) based on these books. The Bones depicted in the show is pretty much nothing like the Temperance depicted in the books, and since I like the show so much, I find that a disappointment. However, if you only read the books or don't watch the show, this is an interesting historical mystery with some grounding in actual archaeological finds. Fans of the Da Vinci code or Steve Berry books might enjoy.