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MINI-REVIEWS: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Vesper, Dramarama

Posted by Anastasia on February 3, 2012 No Responses »

Feb 032012

017. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
Publication: Dell Books for Young Readers (April 26, 2005), Paperback, 352pp / ISBN 0553494791
Genre: YA Fiction

Read: January 26-27, 2012
Source: Bought

Mini-Review

I’ve been meaning to read this book for forever, mainly because it’s one of those generation-defining books that’re so important. I’ve seen bits of the movie and I know vaguely what it/the book is about, so I was expecting something cute and touching and possibly melodramatic. There’s actually not that much melodrama in it, but it IS cute and touching. And kind of boring, to be honest. Continue reading »

REVIEW: The Darkest Powers series by Kelley Armstrong

Posted by Anastasia on September 16, 2011 5 Responses »

Sep 162011

Book cover: The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Book cover: The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

Book cover: The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

93-95. Darkest Powers #1-3 by Kelley Armstrong
Publication:
Book 1: HarperCollins; Reprint edition (March 31, 2009), Paperback, 416pp / ISBN 0061450545
Book 2: HarperCollins (April 28, 2009), ebook, 384pp / ISBN 0061450553
Book 3: HarperCollins (April 6, 2010), ebook, 416pp / ISBN 0061662836
Genre: YA Paranormal

Read: August 5-9, 2011 (entire series)
Source: Sandy for the first book (thanks so much!), and I bought the next two books

Summary of The Summoning from Amazon:

My name is Chloe Saunders and my life will never be the same again.

All I wanted was to make friends, meet boys, and keep on being ordinary. I don’t even know what that means anymore. It all started on the day that I saw my first ghost—and the ghost saw me.

Now there are ghosts everywhere and they won’t leave me alone. To top it all off, I somehow got myself locked up in Lyle House, a “special home” for troubled teens. Yet the home isn’t what it seems. Don’t tell anyone, but I think there might be more to my housemates than meets the eye. The question is, whose side are they on? It’s up to me to figure out the dangerous secrets behind Lyle House . . . before its skeletons come back to haunt me.

Review

Sandy and I were talking during the blogger reception thing at BEA this year about paranormal YA books and how a lot of them are basically copies of one another. Also, that some things (okay, a lot of things) about paranormal books annoy me. If you’ve been my blog for a while you’ve no doubt that noticed that I tend to get really annoyed about such things as “love” at first sight, everyone being soulmates, romantic gestures that are actually really stalkerish, and how everyone always thinks they’re going to be together forever (and then they are). Cynical? Maybe. I’d just like a little variety, you know? It’s not the end of the world if your vampire boyfriend breaks up with you, and that hot guy in gym class that you saw that one time is not your soulmate. Just. C’mon.

ANYWAY, Sandy told me about the Darkest Powers series, and about how it was different and good and then she offered to send me the first book so I could read it for myself and OH MY GOD SANDY you were so right. This series? To use the vernacular of paranormal romances: it’s like this series and I were meant to be. Continue reading »

MINI-REVIEWS: Jane-Emily, Mechanique, Hounded

Posted by Anastasia on September 5, 2011 7 Responses »

Sep 052011

As always, click on a book’s cover to go to its Amazon page.

83. Jane-Emily by Patricia Clapp
Publication: Harper Paperbacks (August 7, 2007), originally published 1969, Paperback, ~130pp / ISBN 0061245011
Genre: Children’s Horror

Read: July 26, 2011
Source: Bought

Review

Things that scare me: evil children, ghosts, haunted houses, evil child ghosts haunting houses, evil child ghosts haunting houses and trying to kill people. Jane-Emily has all that and more! It’s a short book, but I got so freaked out during the course of reading it that I was sure a ghost was hovering right behind me waiting to pounce.

For all that it’s a ghost story, it’s more psychological horror than anything else. If you like that sort of thing then you’d no doubt enjoy Jane-Emily. I think it’d make a great book for RIP VI, too!

Rating

I nearly couldn’t sleep after reading this book. It’s great!

89. Mechanique: A Tale of the Circus Tresaulti by Genevieve Valentine
Publication: Prime Books (April 23, 2011), ebook, 320pp / ISBN 1607012537
Genre: Sci-fi

Read: July 30, 2011
Source: Gift

Review

This was a surprise gift from someone. Thank you, someone! I’ve been wanting to read this book for a while, as I’m familiar with the author’s blog (which I love) and I adore stories set in a circus environment. Mechanique was great because not only did it have a circus, but it’s got steampunk/futuristic/apocalyptic elements as well, all tied together with some rather lovely poetic writing.

I really enjoyed Mechanique. It’s kind of a weird book, but it’s weird in a way I can appreciate. It’s kind of spooky, it’s kind of quirky and cool, and it’s also kind of tragic in a way. It’s not really a fast-paced, exciting plot, but it’s enthralling nevertheless and I think partly that’s because of the setting and the characters. Anyway, if you like circus stories with tragic characters and a bit of a steampunk/dystopia thing going on, you’d like Mechanique.

Rating

Well who wouldn’t enjoy a steampunk circus dystopian tragedy?

91. Hounded by Kevin Hearne
Publication: Del Rey (May 3, 2011), ebook, 320pp / ISBN 0345522478
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Read: July 31, 2011
Source: Bought

Review

I’ve been hearing really good things about Hounded for a while now, and so I finally decided to just go ahead and get it so I so find out if those good things are true. (I think it was on sale a while ago? Anyway–) Those good things are totally true, and I think Hounded is basically my new Dresden Files.

I guess I just have a soft spot for stories about snarky, heroic geeks and their supernatural friends. I also appreciate a bit of action, a bit of drama, some mystery and some romance (sort of). I also liked the emphasis on Celtic mythology, as that’s a bit different from what other urban fantasy books are doing. Unlike the Dresden Files series, there’s no noir-ness to Hounded, and I think there’s less emphasis on the mystery in favor of the characters (which could be either a good or a bad thing, depending on your story preference). It is, however, still a lot of fun, and I’m for sure going to continue reading the series.

Rating

Now that I’ve reviewed this I can finally read the second book. Huzzah!

REVIEW: Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis

Posted by Anastasia on August 29, 2011 6 Responses »

Aug 292011

82. Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis
Publication: Angry Robot (July 7, 2011), ebook, 400pp / ISBN 0857661159
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Mystery

Read: July 18-25, 2011
Source: Author (thank you!)

Summary from Amazon:

Stan Markowski is a Detective Sergeant on the Scranton PD’s Supernatural Crimes Investigation Unit.

Like the rest of America, Scranton’s got an uneasy ‘live and let unlive’ relationship with the supernatural. But when a vamp puts the bite on an unwilling victim, or some witch casts the wrong kind of spell, that’s when they call Markowski. He carries a badge. Also, a crucifix, some wooden stakes, a big vial of holy water, and a 9mm Beretta loaded with silver bullets.

Review

I don’t know why, but I basically compare every urban fantasy mystery with The Dresden Files, which can be detrimental to how much I like a book when it’s really not like The Dresden Files at all. Hard Spell is sort of like TDF in that it’s got urban fantasy stuff and a dude who walks around wearing a trench coat, but TDF is fantasy noir and Hard Spell is more like a police procedural (with vampires). TDF has snarky, pun-y humor; Hard Spell has bantering police officers and really dark humor. TDF has more twisty, interconnecting plots; Hard Spell is more straightforward.

Okay, so: did I enjoy Hard Spell? Yes, even though I kept wondering why it wasn’t The Dresden Files. Continue reading »

MINI-REVIEWS: Jack’s New Power, Villain School, Decline & Fall

Posted by Anastasia on August 2, 2011 4 Responses »

Aug 022011

Click on a book’s cover to go to its page on Amazon.

50. Jack’s New Power by Jack Gantos
Publication: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (September 30, 1997), Paperback, 214pp / ISBN 0374437157
Genre: MG Fiction

Read: May 30-31, 2011
Source: Library Book sale

Review

This is less like a novel and more like a short story collection of vaguely related events, and unfortunately it’s kind of boring. After the greatness that was Dead End in Norvelt I wanted to really like this one, too, but for the most part I was, well…bored. Oh, it’s got some funny bits in it, and some sad bits and some “oh that was clever” bits, but on the whole, when I think back on it, I remember a sort of bland gray color. I wouldn’t recommend starting with this book if you’ve never read a Jack Gantos book before, although you might like it if you like JG’s other books.

Rating

Just okay.

58. Villain School: Good Curses Evil by Stephanie S. Saunders
Publication: Bloomsbury USA Childrens (August 30, 2011), ARC Paperback, ? pp / ISBN 1599908484
Genre: Children’s/MG Fantasy, Adventure

Read: June ?-25, 2011
Source: BEA 2011

This title will be released on August 30, 2011.

Review

I think if I was younger I’d like this book more. It’s got a magical school where vampires and werewolves and monsters from Scooby-doo movies learn about being “villains,” and there’s a quest and a princess (who is actually pretty wonderful) and it’s kind of funny, but in a way that comes off as trying too hard. It’s not a bad book, it’s just one that severely tests my powers of ignoring things that don’t make sense (why must vampires/werewolves/etc. be villains? Because they just are, apparently). I’m sure if I was younger– more in the range of readers it’s targeted for– I wouldn’t have a problem just going along for the ride. But as an adult reader, I was disappointed.

Rating

It’s not bad for what it is, but I wanted it to be something more.

61. Decline & Fall by Evelyn Waugh
Publication: Dell (1972), originally published 1928, Paperback, ~270pp
Genre: Fiction, Satire

Read: July 1, 2011
Source: Free book box

Review

The bad thing about reading so many books in one month is that one tends to forget things about the books you read at the beginning. Decline & Fall was the first book I finished during my July book-a-day plan, and I’ve almost forgotten everything about it. That’s not a good thing! I can’t remember anyone’s name, I barely remember the plot, and all that’s left is a vague impression that I enjoyed reading it. I had to read the summary on its Wikipedia page to refresh my memory, and even then I was like “oh, did that really happen?” I feel really bad about this, as I do like Waugh’s books and considering that I rated this one 4.5 birds I must have really liked this one. Unfortunately I keep getting bits of it mixed up with A Handful of Dust; I guess it’s a good thing this is a mini-review instead of a full one.

Anyway, despite my memory problems, I did really like Decline & Fall. It’s got that same sort of hard-edged satire that AHOD has, only without the downer ending (although I did like AHOD’s ending). It’s also kind of more surreal than AHOD, which was a lot of fun, and though I don’t think I laughed out loud I did smile widely for a large portion of it. After reading three of Waugh’s books I think I’m getting a feel for his type of humor, which is good, and I think also I’m starting to see a pattern with the characters, which is less good. I prefer it when authors mix up their tropes and whatnot, and Waugh doesn’t seem to be doing that. Then again, I’ve only read three of his books– maybe the fourth one will have more variety.

Rating

An excellent book, despite my having almost entirely forgotten it.

Review: Changeless by Gail Carriger

Posted by Anastasia on May 18, 2010 No Responses »

May 182010

111. Changeless by Gail Carriger
Publication: Orbit (April 1, 2010), Paperback, 384pp / ISBN 0316074144
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Mystery, Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating:
Read: May 1-3, 2010
Source: Borrowed
Summary from Amazon:

Alexia Tarabotti, the Lady Woolsey, awakens in the wee hours of the mid-afternoon to find her husband, who should be decently asleep like any normal werewolf, yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he disappears – leaving her to deal with a regiment of supernatural soldiers encamped on her doorstep, a plethora of exorcised ghosts, and an angry Queen Victoria.

But Alexia is armed with her trusty parasol, the latest fashions, and an arsenal of biting civility. Even when her investigations take her to Scotland, the backwater of ugly waistcoats, she is prepared: upending werewolf pack dynamics as only the soulless can.

She might even find time to track down her wayward husband, if she feels like it.

Previously: Soulless

Review

I said in my review of Soulless that while I enjoyed the plot/characters/etc I couldn’t help but be annoyed by the plot holes (or maybe “plot gaps” is a better term). Changeless doesn’t really fill in any of the gaps, but it does expand on some of the world’s details (like the technology!) and it was overall a so much more fun book that I’d say even if you didn’t particularly like Soulless you WOULD like Changeless. Which is just a rather confusing way to me to say this: Changeless is even more amazing than Soulless was.

Everything just seems so much better done in Changeless. There are less plot gaps, there’s more Alexia being awesome, more information about the Parasol Protectorate world and the people living in it (which is what I wanted), there’s a wicked interesting mystery with ANCIENT EGYPTIAN things in it (love!), and I even think the writing itself is a little bit better! I seriously couldn’t put Changeless down once I started reading it, and by the time I got to the end I felt like I was talking in capslock, that’s how happy I was reading it. Also, more exclamation marks!!

I rated both Changeless and Soulless 4 birds, but actually I enjoyed Changeless more than Soulless. It felt more solid, characterization- and plot-wise, and the plot itself was more fun. With twists! But not silly twists that just come out of nowhere (although they did sort of lean on the other side where you COULD see them coming, but just a bit). And even though it ends on a cliffhanger– which I tend to dislike– it ended in a way that the main plot, with the mystery, was solved and all that’s left to hang was the sticky personal relationships bit. Which, I admit, made my heart go “ow.” My heart went “ow” so much I actually read the bonus chapter from the third book that was in the back, and I never do that.

So, yeah, I loved Changeless. Can’t wait to read the third book!

And

Get your own copy @ Amazon or IndieBound and support Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog!

Other reviews: Dear Author | Stella Matutina | Outlandish Dreaming

Review: Soulless by Gail Carriger

Posted by Anastasia on March 27, 2010 2 Responses »

Mar 272010

63. Soulless by Gail Carriger
Publication: Orbit (October 1, 2009), Paperback, 384pp / ISBN 0316056634
Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Horror
Rating:
Read: March 9-12, 2010
Source: Borrowed
Summary from Amazon:

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she’s a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire — and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London’s high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

SOULLESS is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.

Review

I borrowed this from a coworker who told me it was a historical fantasy mystery with steampunk and werewolves and vampires, and the vampires weren’t ninnies. You can see she knows my taste in books extremely well– probably because I complain to her whenever I have a problem with a book! I’m always telling her I want to see something different in fantasy books, not just the same old stuff rehashed and stuffed into a leather miniskirt. And Soulless turned out to be that book!

My coworker didn’t tell me Soulless was a paranormal romance, though, which was probably actually a good thing because I tend not to like most paranormal romances (humans with paranormal creatures just squick me, okay). However, the romance in this book was actually quite interesting and, well, romantic, and I really liked it! I think this is because Alexia is human but she’s got an edge over paranormal creatures, so it kind of…evens the odds? Something like that.

I really liked Alexia, because she kind of reminded me of Marian from The Woman in White, except she’s not actually ugly and only thinks she is because her family keeps telling her that. That’s horrible stuff, and I didn’t entirely understand why her own mother was so horrible to her, but then I often don’t understand when mothers hate their children. Anyway, Alexia is smart and brave and obviously restricted under the Victorian mores and morals of the time, and I can’t wait until she finally breaks free and starts actually doing investigative stuff. And I loved the other characters too, especially the werewolves. I never expected to like a werewolf, mainly because I’m so disinterested by them in general. But I liked them in Soulless!

The plot was really interesting, too. It’s sort of like in the Sookie Stackhouse books, when the vampires reveal themselves? Except in the Soulless world it’s vampires and werewolves, mainly, and I think they revealed themselves rather early on. I read somewhere that Ms Carriger created her world with the idea that the werewolves/vampires helped England become an empire and so on, and I find that idea really fascinating, as well. Plus there’s some steampunk stuff, although not as much as my coworker would have be believe, and it all seems to take a backseat to the romance bit, anyway. But still, really exciting stuff.
Continue reading »