Something Missing by Matthew Dicks

Something Missing by Matthew Dicks

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Martin's a thief--a very peculiar kind of thief. He keeps going back to the same places time and again, mostly stealing staples--food, household supplies, etc.--enough to get by on, but never enough to get noticed. This book takes effort to get through--the quirky, even funny, premise will carry you through the first chapter or two, but then the excruciating detail that the Narrator gives about every little thing threatens to drag the story to a halt. I wanted to stop more than once, but there's something about Martin that made me want to stick with it.



I'm so glad I did, it was so worth it. After all the painstaking detail about how Martin gets into people's homes, learns their habits, decides how much to take, and then inventories it and so on...a new side of Martin starts to break through. One that cares about people. He starts taking risks--and everything, every dull, obsessive detail that you trudged through pays off.



The book becomes thrilling, endearing, heartwarming...by the end, I couldn't believe how much I liked Martin and was pulling for him.



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The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The plucky young chemist with a nascent obsession with death is back in action. The case is a little less personal for Flavia de Luce this time, but that doesn't stop her from jumping in whole hog to get to the bottom of it.

Flavia runs into a couple of traveling performers with some car trouble and before you know it, she's got them some help--and a gig. While she hangs around the TV star and his assistant, she finds herself surrounded by some of her town's darker history and then face to face with a murder. And Flavia being Flavia, she can't resist sticking her nose in and making sure all the knots are untangled--particularly the ones adults are ignoring, despite them being painfully obvious to her.

We get less of Flavia's sisters (and the rest of the household, come to think of it) in this installment--but when they're around, their impact is greater. Clearly, as this series continues, there's going to be some serious drama on the homefront with some major implications for the de Luce family, I hope Bradley tackles that quickly, the foreshadowing's getting old quickly.

Unlike with so many other amateur sleuths (particularly juveniles), it's nice to see that her reputation and track record are acknowledged by some in the community -- which is both a help and a hindrance, I hope to see more of that in the future.

My only major quibble with this installment is that it takes far too long to set the main action of the novel up--in a 348 page mystery novel, you'd better get to the central crime before page 150 or so. Unless you've got a heroine like Flavia to focus on, I can't imagine being patient enough to wait that long to get the ball rolling.

Another fun (occasionally hilarious) read, with a mystery satisfyingly twisty, with just enough red herrings to get you through it. Highly recommended if you've read the first in the series.



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DVD: I Am Number Four

So the family and I sat down and watched the DVD for I Am Number Four this weekend--the oldest three of us enjoyed the novel to varying degrees, and probably at least one other kid would have, too, if it weren't for having to take it back to the library before he got to it. It's been awhile since I had such a visceral reaction to a movie, so I figured I'd write about it a bit. But I'm not in the mood to do more than provide two lists about the flick--a pro and a con, if you would.

Reasons to Watch It (largely for novelty):

• Timothy Olyphant gets more dialogue per second of screen time in this role than in any other I've seen him in (haven't seen him on The Office, so...I dunno about that). So as weird as it was to see him without a hat (thank you, Sheriff Bullock and Marshall Givens), it was weirder yet to see him as such a chatterbox. He was funny, too, I should add. Then he got to pick up a gun and blast a few bad guys, and everything was right with the world.
• Speaking of jarring, Dianna Agron spent a whole lotta time walking around a high school and no one, not one person, broke into song, even for a moment.
Reasons Why Not to Watch It:

• Everything else about the movie. The acting. The script. The characters. The plot. How do you take a novel that's basically a very thorough movie treatment to start with and ruin it? I dunno, but somehow the normally reliable Alfred Gough & Miles Millar and typically wonderful Marti Noxon did just that.

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I Thought You Were Dead by Pete Nelson

I Thought You Were Dead by Pete Nelson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Start with a young-ish divorced man, struggling to get his career going, in love with a woman dating someone else. Throw in a parent with a major health issue, a supportive sister, and a much more successful older brother who's a lifelong rival and idle who he must come to terms with. On the whole, there's not much here you can't find in many other books on the General Fiction shelves. But Nelson executes his story so well, the lack of novelty isn't that important. Nothing seems forced, even if several plot developments can be seen coming a hundred pages or more away, they still unfold naturally. And you're left with a tale well told, and well worth your while.

And that would be enough, but there is one element to this book you won't find anywhere else--Stella, "a mixed breed, half German Shepherd and half yellow Labrador, but favoring the latter in appearance. Fortunately, she’d also gotten her personality from the Labrador side of the family, taking from the Germans only a certain congenital neatness and a strong sense of protectiveness, though as the Omega dog in her litter, it only meant she frequently felt put upon." As with any good book with a dog as a main character, Stella is the heart and soul of this book--at least until her master gets his act together, and then he shares that billing. Stella's also the source of the humor in the book--humor frequently needed to keep the story from being bogged down in the muck of her master's life.

If you can buy Paul talking to Stella and Stella talking back (and there's no reason you shouldn't), this is a sweet, heart-filled book that's a great way to wile away a few hours.



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The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Meticulously crafted, wonderfully written, intricately , fantastic characters, a world you'd love to live in, imaginative, creative, a concept so great, so well executed...aaaaaand I had to force myself to read it. I took 3 breaks from this novel, and had to drag myself back to it each time.

I feel like I owe this book 5 stars because it deserves them, but I really want to give it 1.75 or so. There is no reason at all that I shouldn't like it--people should love this work, actually. But I just didn't.

Sorry Mr. Wroblewski.



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Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch

Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


In a very real sense, there's practically nothing new in this book--neophyte wizard just discovering a world of magic; super-secret police division tasked with investigating (and covering up) supernatural crimes; a whole world of ghosts, vamps, trolls, dryads, nymphs, demigods living unseen amongst mortals; clever (and funny) pop culture references littered throughout the text; and so on...Urban Fantasy 101.

BUT, there's something about the way that Aaronovitch writes that makes Midnight Riot so fresh, so entertaining, so fun, it feels like I'm reading a brand new genre. He's basically the British Anton Strout (but a tad bit funnier).

I had a blast reading this--every second of it--laughed out loud, sat on the edge of my seat, and tore through this book.





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Master of None by Sonya Bateman

Master of None by Sonya Bateman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I'm way late on this, but really wanted to write something about it, and yet I'm really lazy. So, this isn't going to be as good as it should be...let me start by quoting from the back of the book (or the amazon/goodreads description anyway, think it's what the book had on it):

ONE UNLUCKY THIEF. ONE UNLIKELY GENIE. ONE VERY ODD COUPLE. Gavyn Donatti is the world's unluckiest thief. Just ask all the partners he's lost over the years. And when he misplaces an irreplaceable item he was hired to steal for his ruthless employer, Trevor—-well, his latest bungle just might be his last. But then his luck finally turns: right when Trevor's thugs have him cornered, a djinn, otherwise known as a genie, appears to save him.Unfortunately, this genie—-who goes by the very non-magical name of "Ian"—-is more Hellboy than dream girl. An overgrown and extremely surly man who seems to hate Donatti on the spot, he may call Donatti master, but he isn't interested in granting three wishes. He informs Donatti that he is bound to help the thief fulfill his life's purpose, and then he will be free. The problem is that neither Donatti nor Ian has any idea what exactly that purpose is.

If that description doesn't pique your interest, you'd better skip this novel. If it does, on the other hand, grab the book--it delivers on the promise in spades. I mean, come on! A grumpy djinn "serving" a barely competent thief.



It's a good read, with a heckuva cast of characters, gritty but not grim--ensured by an overly generous supply of wisecracks, and a magic system/overall mythology that's intriguing and rich enough to mine for a long time.



Master of None is enjoyable enough on its own, but now that the initial bout of setup and world-building is done, I'm really looking forward to seeing what Bateman has in store for this series.


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Dark Jenny by Alex Bledsoe

Dark Jenny by Alex Bledsoe

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I'll be honest with you, I have only the vaguest of memory of what actually happened in the first Eddie LaCrosse novel (The Sword-Edged Blonde), and only somewhat better recall about the second (Burn Me Deadly). That's a reflection on the amount of stuff I've read in that time, and is in no way a reflection on Bledsoe. I do have a very clear recollection about what both books told me about Alex Bledsoe's talent and that I enjoyed them a lot. I'm equally certain that Dark Jenny won't suffer from that same fading from memory/excuse to reread them. This one is gonna stay with me for awhile.

Essentially, this book is a variation of an Arthurian story--ideal king, queen rumored to be less than ideal, noble knight corps with a few rotten apples thrown in, a wizard figure, wicked half-sister, and a whole lotta intrigue--with a few unique twists of Bledsoe's own thrown in for good measure. Not a sour note to be found here--some notes that were hard to listen to, sure, but...okay, there's a metaphor that went awry. I was trying to say that yes, there were things that were less pleasant than others--this book goes to some dark, nasty places--but it all worked well.

We get this Arthurian tale via an extended flashback--in the middle of a nasty winter storm, with nothing else to occupy the attention of his neighbors, Eddie receives an interesting package. One so interesting, there has to be a great tale that goes along with it--which he ends up telling to the crowd at his favorite tavern (with only the tiniest of breaks to remind us that this is all in Eddie's past). By making this all an extended flashback, Bledsoe is able to give us a slightly different version of Eddie--one on the way to being the guy we've seen in the last two books. It also gives him the excuse to have a great femme fatale to grab Eddie's attention without having to write around his lovely lady.

A great, riveting fantasy noir. Can't wait for the next one already. A decent jumping on point for those new to the series, and a great third installment for those who've been around for awhile.



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Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi

Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Short Version: A good, good story told in a fun--often funny--way.

Long Version: In the Author's Note, while Scalzi is describing the long, strange journey this novel took to get to this particular edition, he calls it the "book that won't quit." It took me maybe 50 pages to see why. This is one froody book.

The tone is great, the style is spot on, good satire/commentary on Hollywood's place in the world, everything about the alien race--their language, appearance, spaceship, ways to interact with humans/other creatures...just wonderfully imaginative.

In case you haven't read the blurb--an up and coming Hollywood agent is hired by a (by human standards) ugly, nauseatingly smelly alien race to help their "image" so they can make first contact with humanity. Why an agent, why not a President or something? 'Cuz the aliens know where real power and influence are centered. So, our hero has to balance his Hollywood weirdo clients, the aliens and a nosy journalist who won't leave him alone; while he comes up with a way to sell this species to humanity.

Funny, funny stuff on many levels and in different ways. But the book has a lot of heart, too. Just a pleasure to read.



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Steel by Carrie Vaughn

Steel by Carrie Vaughn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Let me start by saying I'm a big, big fan of Carrie Vaughn. Read every book--and can't imagine stopping. I've recommended this book to my sons and am going to loan this to my niece. But, (and you knew one was coming given that opening) man, this could've been--should've been--a much better book.

Jill, a championship level fencer and potential Olympian, suffers a tough loss, sending her into a losing battle with self-doubt. Soon after, her parents drag her along on a family vacation in the Bahamas (poor girl, right?). Walking along the beach, she stumbles on to a piece of a broken sword--an old, broken sword. First time she's held anything but a blunt, sport blade. Enchanted with the notion, she tucks it away.

Turns out, not only is her imagination bespelled, she is--before she knows it, Jill finds herself on an actual pirate ship a couple of hundred years in the past. After she figures out what happened to her, she finds herself part of the crew, growing close to a handful of them (a hunky age-appropriate pirate in particular) and learning about the sword's magic.

While she tries to find a way home, she learns a little about herself and a little about life. (wow, that sounds like a cheesy after school special...which not exactly inaccurate, but Vaughn pulls it off).

Vaughn touches upon some pretty dark stuff here, enough to make it authentic (or authentic-ish, anyway)--but makes sure that it stays a pretty tame PG-13.

And that's the crux of my problem with the book--she pulls her punches, just about all of them. She did it with Voices of Dragons, too--less so, here, though. Yes, it's a YA book, and yes, I think she's right to do it. I just think she shouldn't pull back as much. Everything here--from character, plot, setting, narrative, action--it's all perfectly fine, it's all age appropriate, but she certainly could've fleshed it all out more without going over the line.

Still, it's a good, swashbuckling read.



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Moonheart by Charles de Lint

Moonheart by Charles de Lint

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Man, I wanted to like this book. Really, really wanted to...and I almost did.

The plot, the characters, the world de Lint built...were all so close to being good, to being right what I was looking for, but ultimately missed it.

The elements are all there for something great: a mix of the real world, a secret government program, Celtic mythology and Native American tales--oh, yeah, and a magic house. Who could want more? Not me. Unless you count a plot that moves faster than a glacier and well-developed characters that get the chance to do something.

There are just far too many characters moving around this book -- it's honestly difficult at times to keep track of some of them. And tracking is essential, because the book is essentially 320 pages of introducing players and moving them around to set up the last 90 pages (don't have the book with me, so my page counts are estimates).

Nice try, but nowhere near as good as his straight fantasy that preceded it.



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Fourth Day by Zoe Sharp

Fourth Day by Zoe Sharp

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This isn't your typical Charlie Fox novel, and in this case, that's a good thing (I can easily see where an atypical Fox novel would disturb my quiet).

Are there twists? Yup. Action? Yup. Bad guys in need of taking down? Yup. As you'd expect. A few less bullets than you'd expect.

But there was more to this. Sure, Sharp develops her characters further and further each novel--but here, they grew by leaps and bounds, a few books' worth. And it didn't seem forced or obligatory, it was wholly organic and genuine.

Honestly, I groaned when I realized we were getting "undercover op in a cult compound" for a mission. But it turned out to be so much more, and a satisfying read.

(I just hope for a little more action and a little less heart next time)



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The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I don't know why so many of the reviews/recommendations I've read for this book compare the hero, Flavia de Luce, to Lisbeth Sanders. I guess it's because they're both not your typical female mystery protagonist. The comparison doesn't seem fair -- I know which one I'd like my sons to marry (seriously, if she has a granddaughter...). On the other hand, I know which one I'd like walking home with my daughter after dark, too.

Anyway, I need to get back on task, this, by gum, was a fun read with an utterly charming hero that deserves all the accolades and awards it's getting.

Our 11-year-old hero (no, this is not a kid's book [not that there's anything inappropriate for anyone who's made it through Rowling here]) is a budding, self-taught, chemist with a curious mind and a stubborn streak a mile wide. Her family life is a mess -- but in a charming, amusing, English countryside way -- but our plucky gal has managed to get through it pretty much intact and for the better.

So when she discovers a body on her lawn, yet the police shoo her away from the crime scene and dismiss her, she starts her own investigation. She's helped early on by a fact or two the police didn't obtain from her, and some that she kept to herself out of spite. Her father's arrest for the murder just adds fuel to her fire and becomes determined not only to solve the case before the police but to make them eat a good-sized helping of crow.

Probably not much of a spoiler to say that's exactly what she does, because the book's not about that foregone conclusion, but in watching Flavia do that while making less than flattering observations about her older sisters.

Highly recommended.



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Legacy by Jeanne C. Stein

Legacy by Jeanne C. Stein

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I was almost disappointed by this one, on second thought, maybe I was disappointed by this installment in the Anna Strong series.



Stein introduces us to her version of werewolves (different, a la Meyer, than the shapechangers we've already met). Her take on the species isn't my favorite, but I dig what she's doing with them and the backstory for vamps/werewolves/demons she worked up.



I wasn't crazy about how Anna "solved" the real world job (which she really didn't do), but I thought she handled the supernatural "case" okay. On the whole, though, this book showed Anna at her most clueless, which may be what Stein intended--as long as she's denying one side of her nature, she can't be what she needs to be, etc.--but I doubt it.



For a page or so I thought we were done with the Max subplot after book #3, but no. I thought we were done with the Gloria thing, but no. I thought the David stuff had turned a page and onto something new there, but no. And so on.



Basically, this book served to shuffle the characters around a bit to (potentially, hopefully) do something with next time around.



Don't get me wrong, I'm back for (at least) #5 and #6. Just hoping I don't regret it.



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God's War by Kameron Hurley

God's War by Kameron Hurley

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


On a planet colonized by Muslims using insect-based technology in the far-flung future ravaged a multi-sect religious war, in the midst of which a scrappy band of pansexual assassins try to scrap out a living (selling the occasional organ to pay bills). Ho-hum. Nothing we all haven't read a thousand times before, right?



Well, maybe not. Fantastic concept, well-written, heckuva world built by Hurley here.



But here's the problem -- I couldn't force myself to care about any of these characters, particularly the protagonist Nyx. Unpleasant people, no real moral core, no reason to root for/against them, to care about their lives, their missions, their wars. I kept trying and trying and trying to find a reason to get invested in this beyond trying to figure out exactly how the insect-tech worked and utterly failed at every turn.



You can have the coolest, most inventive setup imaginable, but if you don't fill it with people readers can give a rip about, it's just not worth the effort.



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Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook by Matt Dunn

Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook by Matt Dunn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The book begins with our hero, Edward, receiving one of the (if not the) worst Dear John letters imaginable. What's worse is that Edward soon realizes that every nasty thing enumerated in the letter is true. In her letter, Jane essentially has given Edward three months to fix himself, which will at least open the door for a discussion of their future.

So, with the guidance and help of his best friend/ladies' man/cad, the lady bartender from their pub, his lecherous/man-chasing boss, and his new personal trainer, Edward starts a process of self-improvement to become the kind of guy he imagines Jane wants him to be.

This was very funny book, a quick, light read that makes no pretensions of being anything but. It's a Nick Hornby/Jonathan Tropper book without the depth (which isn't a knock, Dunn doesn't seem to be going for depth--just enjoyment), it's more along the lines of a Mike Gayle or Jennifer Weiner book. Apparently the first of a series, I'm intrigued to see where they take things from here.

A lot of heart, a lot of laughs. All you can ask from it.



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The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

The Lover's Dictionary: A Novel by David Levithan

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I was really looking forward to reading this one, I mean, what a concept -- tell a love story through a series of personal dictionary entries. Amazon gives a sample or two (I'd provide my own, but I don't have the book on me): "breathtaking (adj.)," the unnamed narrator explains, "Those moments when we kiss and surrender for an hour before we say a single word." For "exacerbate (v.)," he notes, "I believe your exact words were: 'You’re getting too emotional.'"

Some of the entries are short, not even a sentence long; some go on for a page or two. Some are funny, some are bitter, some are lovey-dovey and sweet. The entries are listed alphabetically, rather than chronologically, so the reader has to piece together the story from beginning to end.

Great, great concept.

And that's pretty much all it is.

Sure, it was skillfully accomplished. Can't complain about the execution. But beyond that, there's little to be said about it. It comes across as little more than a clever exercise for a Creative Writing course.

I was pretty disappointed in case you can't tell.



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Dead Waters by Anton Strout

Dead Waters by Anton Strout

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Dead Waters displays the growth of Anton Strout as a novelist as much as it shows Simon Canderous' growth as a person. This fourth installment in the Simon Canderous series is (like each installment before) better than its predecessors -- which works out great for me, because I've enjoyed all four of them.

The best part of this series (next to the characters) is the way Strout mixes magic into the real world. The adversary in this go 'round brings the challenge in the best mix of magic, myth and technology I can remember. Worth the read just for this.

The humor sprinkled (sometimes heavily) throughout the tale isn't forced, like I think it was earlier in the series. It flows from the characters and the situations naturally.

Simon's partner, Connor, still doesn't get as much screen time as he should, but the partnership does seem stronger this go around -- and Connor's character feels more like a person. Maybe its because Connor's family situation is a bit more settled, or maybe it's just the nature of the case. Doesn't matter, it's a lot of fun.

Speaking of fun, Jane, Simon's girlfriend really gets to strut her stuff magically here, frankly, I'd love to read a solo adventure or two featuring her. More pressing for our hero, however, is the fact that she's putting pressure on him to deepen their relationship -- which causes Simon to go through a good amount of maturing (or at least to consider it).

The ending of Dead Waters is one I should've seen coming, it was telegraphed like crazy. BUT, I'd spent most of the book convinced Strout was telegraphing something else, so what do I know? Frankly, I'm not crazy about the major character development that happened at the end, I'm afraid it will lead to this series losing some of what sets it apart from the rest of the genre and become a little more like typical Urban Fantasies. But I figure Strout's gonna pull this off right and show me I'm worrying for nothing.

I should add here, that almost immediately after finishing this, I sent a tweet Strout's way bemoaning the ending, and in only a few minutes got a reply that made me laugh. Gotta love an author who'll take a moment for a fan and this Internet thingy that makes that interaction possible.



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Persuader by Lee Child

Persuader by Lee Child

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It's really hard to say something about a Jack Reacher book--in a very real sense, if you've read one, you've read 'em all (maybe this changes after book 7, but I doubt it). But dang it all if you don't come back for more and more and more--like Pringles, or Fritos, etc. Great action; totally outlandish, but (in the moment definitely) believable plot; lots of testosterone-y fun.

Two things I'd like to mention about this book.

First, there's this fad in TV lately where you watch a scene or two at the top of the show, and then the chyron flashes "X days earlier" and you get to see how events led up to this, and even get a better picture of what happened. It's a tired and overused gimmick. But in '03 when this was published, it wasn't. And even if it was tired then, Child does it right, and I would've been totally on board with it then. Great hook to begin the book. Really great.

Secondly, I couldn't help but be impressed with the way that Child laid out Reacher's motivation to hunt down this particular criminal in bits and pieces, scattered throughout the present day action. Sure, it was predictable after a certain point, but it was skillfully done. Giving Reacher the proper motivation each time to go after the baddie has to be a struggle, especially since it has to be sufficient motivation to get him to perform superhuman tasks. This was one of Child's best efforts in that regard.

One more thing that I just thought of--since Parker's God Save the Child and The Judas Goat I've been a sucker for a fight between big, tough hero and impossibly huge, strong, psychotic villain, and the one here delivers the goods in spades. Loved it.



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Blood Drive by Jeanne C. Stein

Blood Drive by Jeanne C. Stein

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is not the follow-up to The Becoming Anna Strong Chronicles 1 that I expected, it's a lot better. Something struck me odd about the way Stein included the detail about our heroine's dead brother in the first book, and I should've realized she was planting a seed.

The seed, no pun intended, is what just may be her brother's heretofore unknown daughter. Her brother's girlfriend at the time of his death appears, asking for Anna's help tracking down her runaway daughter, claiming it's Anna's niece. Before Anna can start looking, the girl's best friend turns up murdered in a grisly fashion with hints of the supernatural. While looking for the girl and trying to find the murderer, Anna deepens her understanding and awareness of the supernatural world that she's now a part of, and is reminded that perhaps the greatest monsters are merely human.

Great pacing, taught writing, good action--and even though I knew the identity of the bad guy at least one hundred pages before Anna did, I was on the edge of my seat.

The big issue that Urban Fantasy writers have to deal with his how to treat vampires (at least those authors that deal with vampires). Some leave them as horrid monsters, most find some way of toning down the whole vicious, blood-drinking, killer aspect. Stein doesn't do that, yet. If Anna ends up toning down the animalistic nature of her protagonist, it will be as a result of a lot of trial and error, and stubborn choices she makes. While I hope Anna never becomes someone that I want Ms. Summers and the Scooby gang to track down, I hope she doesn't turn off that aspect of her nature like a light switch.

I'm more than a little bothered by the dynamics between Anna and her boyfriend, and Anna and her partner, if Stein doesn't resolve or change them soon, it's really going to drag the series down. But I'm inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt.

I don't know why I keep comparing this series to the Rachel Morgan books as I read them, but I do. And, Anna Strong comes out looking better and better each time I do. I'm really looking forward to seeing where she takes this.



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