Review: Third Willow

Third Willow by Lenore Skomal
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

****There are minor spoilers in this post****

I still have no idea why this was on my to-read list. I think I must have entered a giveaway and put it on there, but didn't win, and forgot about it. And the only reason I started reading it was because it was available to read in its entirety from the website.

The book was problematic for me, mostly because nothing actually happens while you're reading. All the action is told in retrospect, in memory, in "thinking back to that moment so many hours ago", which after a few instances can become bothersome but through the entirety of the book is irritating. You get the story in bits and pieces, in all sorts of orders, and through the eyes of the kids who, lord knows if they're even telling it right. Because how far can you trust a child narrator?

Much of the action also seems disconnected from the rest of the story. For example, the stranger in town that the children are scared of, his side story has nothing to do with the rest of what happens, especially since the children all keep silent about what they witnessed and nothing ever comes of it.

Beah's flirtation with being a lesbian doesn't seem to fit either, and neither does her discovery that she's adopted. I suppose the adoption could explain her relationship with her mother, but even that wasn't delved into too deeply. The children's parents show up in the background, without truly affecting the children's points of view. Patsy becomes really good at lying to her parents, who just sit back and take it. No punishment for anything ever gets in the way. And Raz, a background character who has almost no development outside of being smart and gorgeous, simply defers to her father's judgment in everything except one.

The ending was too dramatic for the rest of the story, and I'm not sure I agree with how Hap's situation was handled.

A semantics issue but still bothersome: every now and then the author would slip a little bit of Midwestern drawl into the narration, such as "t'other". It was rare and randomly done, which ended up pulling me out of the story and into a "huh?" type moment. If it were written that way all the way through, it wouldn't have been so glaringly obvious. But it seemed that the author was trying too hard to get the Midwestern dialect into the story.

2/5 stars because I didn't enjoy it, but it wasn't terrible. Just not for me, I guess.

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Review: The White Hawk

The White Hawk by David Pilling
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I guess you could say this book was good, if you like gory descriptions and lots of battle with little plot in between. I am not that person.

I was mostly bored, kind of grossed out, and confused by all the different names. I took a few days off from reading and had forgotten who all the characters were. The copy I read was a proof, so obviously there were errors, but at points there were wrong names which confused me even more.

Not a very enjoyable read, and while I realize it's rooted in history, I wish there had been more story and less description of battles.

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The To-Read Pile Just Keeps Growing

Image from readinghorizons.com

The To-Read pile of books in my library is growing by leaps and bounds.  I feel like that little girl to the left when I look at it, wondering what I'm going to read next.  I have oft touted the awesomeness of the website that is BooksFreeSwap, because I can sometimes get relatively new books, in mostly new-ish condition, for super cheap.  It's how I managed to get the three books in the Chemical Garden series, and now I'm just waiting for The Lunar Chronicles to actually come through (I had a copy of Cinder in swap, but apparently the sender cancelled or didn't respond in time.  Oh well).  I also bought a bunch of books from Amazon (pictured here), and a few from the Goodwill, and now and then Chris will come home with books for me...

On top of all of that, I'm addicted to the Goodreads Giveaways page and enter to win like a crapload of books every week.  Of course, I never win (and haven't for over a year, but that's another rant).  But in the meantime, my To-Read list keeps growing and growing (I am at 1019 and counting).

So there are genuinely piles and piles of books in my library room just waiting to be read.  I'd shelve them, but then I'd forget about them.  If they're in a pile, I know I'm supposed to do something with them.  This has been my logic my whole life - if it's out, I can see it and know where it is and that it needs to be read.  (This philosophy has, however, contributed to the loss of many books over the years, as they tended to get "misplaced" before I could read them.  I've been missing a couple of my Katharine Kerr books since I moved out of Dunkirk, and the hardback of Ilium, and The Golden Compass was misplaced sometime in undergrad.)

While I figure out what to read next, I've forbidden myself from checking books out from the library (*gasp*) because I have so many at home to read.  This means that I'll have to wait to read some books I've been anticipating for months, and other books I've been trying to win, and maybe even stuff that has gone out of print.  But hey, at least I'll never run out of reading material, right?

Review: Code Name: Atlas

Code Name: Atlas by Tony Evans
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book for free by the author in exchange for an honest review.

It's hard to know where to begin with a book like this. I was intrigued by the storyline, pulled in by the quick pacing, but also confused by the end and unable to reconcile the entire book with the very last few pages.

The book begins almost at the end - the main character (were we ever given his real name? I don't remember it being mentioned before he's given his code name) is being held prisoner, among his "men," for something the reader is apparently left to figure out. This kind of tactic, revealing the near-end of a book in order to start a story, doesn't always sit well with me. Primarily, it's because we're told what's going to happen, and then told the story of how it happened. I would rather have the story build to the climax, and have it happen in order, so that I don't sit reading the entire book going "Yeah but..."

There are spoilers after this point so... Click here to read the rest of the review

While I didn't love the book, I did like the story and the ideas it proposed. I wasn't attached to the characters, though, and was almost happy when *spoiler - click the link above to read* and if there is a sequel I really hope that it delves further into character development. If you can look past spelling/grammar errors, and don't so much care about writing style as much as plot, then this book is a good read and an interesting and semi-original sci-fi plot. I appreciated the military and scientific background that came through, as the author mentions in the afterword, and it wasn't too much that the average layperson couldn't follow (Kim Stanley Robinson has the problem of being too high-minded for the average person to follow, this book was much more on equal footing with people who aren't versed in science).

Overall, 3 out of 5 stars for the experience, the story, and Atlas. Get rid of the plot holes, the format errors, and such and it would have been 4.

An Evening with Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer

Image credit: Kimberly Butler

This past weekend, I dragged my husband along down to Bard College to spend an evening with Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer (his wife - and what a cute couple they are!).  It was a lovely night with a pretty full crowd, made up of college students and the general public.  I noticed a few children, which was an odd sight to me.  I'm wondering, did those parents realize that Neil Gaiman isn't exactly a children's author?  I mean, I know he's written books for kids, like The Graveyard Book, but his adult stuff is about sex and monsters and there's a lot of the f-word involved.  I'm curious if the children went home saying "What a fucking awesome time, Mommy!  Thank's for fucking bringing us to this fucking reading!"  As much as I advocate for free reading and giving children the opportunity to see great writers in person, I don't know that I would have taken kids under 10 to this kind of thing.

Anyway...

I had such a great time hearing Amanda's music for the first time, experiencing the two of them as newlyweds, and experiencing several readings from works Neil has never read out loud to an audience before.  It felt intimate, and special, even though we weren't that close to the stage.  Neil's personality certainly came through in his readings, his conversations with Amanda, and even the songs he sang (yes, he sang for us!).

Review: Scapemaker

Scapemaker by Steve V. Cypert
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I feel terrible leaving this book only one star. Absolutely terrible. I wanted to like this so badly. But it was not a good book. I don't know if I downloaded an un-proofed copy, or if everyone else was able to look past all the mistakes, but the whole thing was just a mess.

I was able to download this for free from Smashwords with a code - otherwise the book is $2.99. And if I had paid $2.99 for this book, I'd want a refund. I'd actually be mad if I paid money for this. Again, I feel terrible saying this, but it's true.

Mr. Cypert could have used a serious proofer before publishing this and charging money for it. Unfortunately, I think there's just too much wrong with it to be considered "good" even if I liked the concept (which I did). The concept is something I haven't read or heard of too much, and it is an interesting way of portraying the dream world. However, the copy I downloaded from Smashwords reads more like a first draft than a finished product. I sincerely urge Mr. Cypert, if he is dead set on making this into a profitable series, to hire and pay for a professional proof-reader before continuing with selling the second book (and if he did hire one before publishing this one, he should get a refund). I wish him the best, but at this point I wouldn't consider this anywhere close to finished.

In list format I will discuss my problems (and I really hope that the author takes this as constructive criticism because that's how it's meant - I am sorry if it comes off as harsh, but I really think this needs a lot of help):

A note on comments

Just a quick note to let you all know that I've had to disable anonymous comments because of the high number of spam comments this blog has been getting.  If you have a Google account, or any of the accounts listed in the comment box, please feel free to use those to comment.  If you do not have one but do wish to comment in the future, please create one or use the OpenID option.

I apologize if this causes anyone any trouble.  I am attempting to make this place user-friendly, but do not want to take risks with any of you accidentally clicking on something that could be harmful to your computer.

Feedback is welcome, as always.

<3

Review: Evan Burl and the Falling

Evan Burl and the Falling by Justin Blaney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I was sent a copy of this (revised) book in exchange for an honest review.

The last time I read this book, I gave it four stars. It didn't feel complete, but I still really enjoyed it. This time around, it is deserving of the five-star rank.

Evan Burl and the Falling is about a boy named Evan who discovers that he's doomed to become a monster. He lives with his uncle who he finds is charged with destroying him. He also lives with a group of girls he calls The Fallings, because they all fell from the sky as babies in boxes, completely unharmed. They appear to be immortal at first, as nothing can truly harm them and their wounds heal very quickly. But as he and they soon find out, they are not immortal at all. And something is causing them to die one by one.

Evan decides he must leave to protect them, but only after he finds out what is causing them to die. Is it him? Is it his uncle? What is happening to these girls he sees as his own sisters? And what is his future? Can he choose not to be a monster?

It's difficult to describe exactly what made me love this book so much. The writing style was great, very fluid and mostly easy to read. I felt so badly for Evan and his struggles with trying to control the sapience. I enjoyed the story immensely, and wanted to keep reading and reading and reading. It was a wonderful piece of fantasy, and only fantasy, which is so rare to see these days (unless you're looking for epic fantasy, of which there is plenty - but this is just simple fantasy).

****THERE ARE SPOILERS AFTER THIS POINT****

Free E-Book: Evan Burl and the Falling

Evan Burl and the
Following via Goodreads

Another free download for you all today! I've been given permission by Justin Blaney to share his book Evan Burl and the Falling with you all for a limited time.  He doesn't know how long it will be available for free, so download your copy today.  And if you really enjoy it, please buy a copy!

Evan Burl and the Falling is about a boy named Evan who discovers that he's doomed to become a monster.  He lives with his uncle who he finds is charged with destroying him.  He also lives with a group of girls he calls The Fallings, because they all fell from the sky as babies in boxes, completely unharmed.  They appear to be immortal at first, as nothing can truly harm them and their wounds heal very quickly.  But as he and they soon find out, they are not immortal at all.  And something is causing them to die one by one.

Evan decides he must leave to protect them, but only after he finds out what is causing them to die.  Is it him?  Is it his uncle?  What is happening to these girls he sees as his own sisters?  And what is his future?  Can he choose not to be a monster?

I have read an older version of this book and really enjoyed it.  I'm reading the current version now and loving it so much more.  Justin has done extensive work to the story and expanded it so much that it now feels like a full novel instead of a novella.

If you would like to download a copy of the book, you can find the link here.  If you would like to purchase a copy, you can do so on that site, or on Amazon.  If you do download it, Justin requests that you leave an honest review somewhere (Goodreads, Amazon, etc.), so please leave a review when you're finished.

Please comment if you download, and let me know what you think!

Review: Pearls in the Ashes

Pearls in the Ashes by Shelagh Meagher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fantastic foray into the history of the persecution of Buddhists and the rise of Communism in Mongolia from the 1930s until the 1990s. Pearls in the Ashes was not on my to-read list, but for some reason I downloaded it anyway. This book was so beautifully written, simple in style and plot but so rich and complex with details. Dash, the main character, is not always likable and not always pitiable. But when he finally gets the chance to redeem himself, I felt powerfully exactly who he was meant to be.

It's a quick read, even though it's a couple hundred pages long (the e-book edition I read was 138 but the description says it's more than 200). The flow is easy and the terminology is also relatively easy to understand. There is a glossary at the back in case you forget what something means.

Beautifully written, and I recommend it to anyone interested in Buddhism, Mongolian history, religious persecution, and stories of hope.

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