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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Sure, it's Cold, but the Dude's Got a Point

catchy tune, too

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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Some Music to Kick Off the Weekend

Not since Run DMC's "You be Illin'" or LL's "I'm Bad" have I felt that a rap song has looked deep into my soul and displayed it for the world the way this has:

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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Eye of the Storm

what? not a book review? I know, I know, sorry. Other posts have been eaten by sloth or time lately...but anyhow

This is an awesome music video (decent song, too, I need to pay more attention to it than the video next couple of times I watch) that once upon a time would've been shown on a cable network devoted to the media...a magic time, known as the 80's


more about the musician and the making of the video, check out this post at The Nerdist.

And, yeah, I know, it's a cheap shot to talk about MTV not showing videos anymore, but given the fact that they're talking about airing new episodes of Beavis & Butthead, can't help feeling nostalgic for the good ol' days. (am seriously torn on the appropriate reaction to that piece of news, actually)

Love in the Time of Fridges by Tim Scott

Love in the Time of Fridges by Tim Scott

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


It's not often that a book leaves me as uncertain as this one does. Parts 1 & 2 were odd, amusing, a bit confusing (but not in a way that really detracted from the experience). Part 3, alas, fell apart, leaving me feeling all sorts of...eh...towards the book.

Scott's prose is light, breezy, charming, incredibly quotable (about 50% of this book is worth memorizing to sprinkle in conversation), with just a hint of profundity, and a touch of sadness.

Other than the protagonist, Huckleberry Lindbergh, the characters are more hints, or sketches, of characters--in a couple of cases, a hint of a sketch--rather than fully-developed characters. Given that this is a thriller (and a fairly satirical one at that), it works, we don't need complete backstories. Fridges is about the plot and the world Scott's imagined, not people.

This is a world where the Nanny State has run amok, drunk on marketing. In part of their benevolent(-ish) efforts to protect the citizenry, they've developed technology to listen to moods, and search, print, and erase 24-hours worth of memory (anything more than that will likely lead to severe damage).

Oh, and there's the whole thing with sentient, verbal, and semi=intelligent appliances and furniture. No idea what that was all about.

The novel was built on a tight inner logic, and was a heckuva ride, until Part 3 where Scott found/created a loophole in that logic and gave his reader a sloppy deus ex Heisenberg uncertainty principle ending. And that's where he lost me. I'm still giving it three stars for the fun leading up to that tho'.



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The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Blast it all, Larsson made me eat my words -- many of them, anyway -- about his ability to write a decent thriller with his third Millennium book. If anyone else had written this, I'd probably have given it 2.5-3 stars, but in comparison to his first two books, this one looks sooo much better.

A lot of the weaknesses of the first two books are still present--the persistent eye for irrelevant, and momentum slowing detail; an overabundance of characters; plotlines that do little-to-nothing to serve the main plotlines; stock characters abound; etc., etc.

But we see some real growth in Lisbeth, some potential growth in Blomquist, and a courtroom scene at the end that makes one wonder if there's another female character that's supposed to be the real hero of this set. In my book, that scene covers a multitude of crimes against fiction that Larsson committed.

Am I glad I slogged through the series? Not really. But having made it through the first book, and suffered through the second, I really enjoyed this one.

But man, am I so glad there's not a #4



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Agatha H and the Airship City by Phil & Kaja Foglio

Agatha H and the Airship City by Phil Foglio

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I've recently discovered--and become a fan of--the Foglios Girl Genius comics, doing so just before the release of the first novelization of the series was a nice bit of fortuitous timing.

There's a part of me that wonders if they've been wasting their time, the Foglios have a wonderful, playful way of using their words. Certain phrases, sentences, and even whole paragraphs are filled with a whimsy that just makes me smile. Little things like:

"Now I am in control!" He followed this statement with a burst of laughter that showed the owner had done a fair share of gloating in his time, and had the basics down pat.

If you've read the comics, you're not going to find a lot new here--they fill out some details here and there, spell out some things that the reader had to assume, that sort of thing. I honestly don't know if someone who hadn't read at least some of the comics could visualize the clanks, airships, Jägermonsters, etc. That's the closest I can come to a negative to point out about this novel.

Full of laughs, romance, adventure, strong (and smart!) female characters, this is one fun read. Bring on the further adventures of Agatha and co.!



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The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman

The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I'm not sure I'm up to writing up my thoughts on this book, they seem pretty inadequate...but if I don't do it now, I probably won't at all. This is a really good book, a love letter to a medium that's (almost certainly) dying and a rich character study. Touching, funny, moving, and more than capable of throwing a surprise at you.

At the center of the novel is an international English language newspaper based in Rome. The story of this paper, from its founding in the 50's through its coverage of the U.S. Invasion of Iraq is told in brief (2-3 page) spurts between chapters telling us about the people who read and/or work for (and/or their families) the paper.

More than once, I was astounded by how invested I could be in a character I just met by the end of one of those chapters--each of these really could be a short story unto themselves. But when looked at as a whole--once you reach the end--it is a well-crafted novel, not just a series of semi-related short stories.

That's not to say that all the chapters are great--there were a couple that almost missed the mark, and a one flat-out dud (I felt I've read the story of the novice reporter being taken advantage of by the veteran a few dozen times).

From the other reviews I've read (at goodreads and elsewhere), it's easy to oversell or overhype this book--and I don't want to do that, nor do I want to undersell it. It's very good--not fantastic--not a "must read", but a "really, really should read."



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I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Overall, this was a fun, fast read, though it wasn't the best written book.



The book opens with a scene that's supposed to grab you by the lapels and not let go for the next 440 pages. Personally, it didn't work at all, particularly because I could see the authors doing that.



Thirty pages or so later, the story did get rolling pretty well and before I knew it I was hip deep in the book, and fairly invested with some of the characters.



I had a list of quibbles I had with the writing, but decided not to bother. While they detracted from my enjoyment, they didn't ruin anything.



The highpoint of the novel was the mix of SF and Magic. It's not often that you come across that kind of thing, and when done right, it's dynamite. These authors pull it off pretty well, as they do the rest of the story. I'll be back for more.



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So Much for that Father of the Year Nomination

I just got an email from Samwise's school administrator, letting me know that he'll be meeting with her tomorrow, thanks to an email I sent his teacher.

It's not that he's in trouble or anything, don't get me wrong (me, either...at least not with the school). No, he's going to be asked some questions, which will lead him to "snitch" on some classmates (I'm using some vernacular here that I understand is used by "skels" on "the street").

What guy doesn't want to do that? What guy isn't filled with gratitude toward the person that put him there?

sigh

The Becoming by Jeanne C. Stein

The Becoming by Jeanne C. Stein

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


(3.5 actually, but goodreads won't let me do that) This was just what the doctor ordered, over the last couple of months, I'd tried out a handful of new (to me) urban fantasy series, and had to force myself to finish them. Not this one. A fun ride from start to finish.

It's the kind of start to a series that reminded me of Kitty and the Midnight Hour -- and judging by the fact that of Carrie Vaughn books are now on my shelves at home, that's a good thing. It's very much a start to a series, a good ol' origin story. Butt-kickin', independent woman (with family issues), is out with her partner doing their bounty hunter thing, and unbeknownst to them, try to take a vampire into custody. Hilarity, er, blood-swapping ensues, and you've got yourself a butt-kickin', independent vampire (with family issues).

Sure, our hero, Anna, has a heckuva learning curve in front of her--which Stein uses well to introduce the reader to her vampire rules, society, hunters, history, and whatnot. A good healthy mix of tradition and nouveau vamp lore.

It is a setup novel, so it's hard to predict what form the future installments will take, once Anna's more settled into her fangs, things will be different. But it's a good start, with a likable cast, and a couple of good threads to follow in future books. Sign me up for more.



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So I'm Done with Elevators for a While Now - Updated

Update: TLomL pointed out that in the initial posting, I neglected to mention the name of the movie I was talking about. Which is a pretty dumb thing to overlook. Thanks for the catch, dear.

One guy on screen for 95 minutes, in one set, only interacting with other actors over brief cell phone calls doesn't sound like the most interesting, never mind exciting, movie. This fails to take into account a few things:

1. The actor is Ryan Reynolds, a man who can be comfortable in any genre
2. The action takes place in Iraq
3. The set is a buried coffin

All that together results in Buried--one of the most taut, suspenseful, and pulse-pounding movies I've ever seen, and one of the best I've seen in months.

In case you aren't familiar with the movie or trailer or anything, the premise is pretty simple. Reynolds plays Paul Conroy, a contractor in Iraq, a truck driver transporting materials for rebuilding efforts. A convoy he's in is attacked and he wakes up in a coffin underground, with a Zippo and a cell phone left by the attackers (with a less than full battery, it should be noted). Paul starts making calls, trying to get someone to believe what's happening to him, desperate for someone to come looking for him.

And well, things go on from there. Not much else to say without giving the whole thing away. I was sitting on the edge of my seat the whole time, I squirmed a couple of times, chuckled once or twice, had to remind myself to breathe occasionally and hoped I'd taken my blood pressure meds more than once.

Can't say I recommend it, because I really wouldn't wish any of my readers the distress they may feel watching it, but sheee--oot. What a movie.

Oh, and before I forget...honey, if I die in the next month or so, please cremate me. Please. Or a nice pyre. Anything but a coffin.

Possibly the Most Disillusioning Blogpost Ever

I can't remember who on my Twitter feed posted this link, so I can't give credit where it's due, but this post is well worth the read and listen. What is it, you ask, rather than clicking the link blindly.

It's a list of 15 songs you probably didn't realize were covers--one of these I knew was a cover. One. And I really like/love most of these songs.

I know that Rob Fleming and the rest of the crew at Championship Vinyl would be ashamed of me. I am.

Regardless, this post is quite educational and entertaining (and a leeetle scary)

The Sentry by Robert Crais

The Sentry by Robert Crais

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


So the third Joe Pike novel starts off with him gassing up his Jeep and noticing that across the street that a couple of gang-bangers are up to no good at a sandwich shop. Pike decides to intervene, roughs up the ruffians little (well, by Pike's standards). The shop owner isn't grateful, but his niece sure is.

Pike senses an instant connection with her, the kind of connection that he hasn't felt in a long, long time. Where some guys will do something to show off for a gal, try to impress them, Pike decides to get the gang to back off what what seems to be a straightforward protection racket. And it seems to work, very easily.

Which of course, is where things go very, very badly for all involved. The woman and her uncle go missing, so Pike sets off to find her, rescue her from whatever she needs rescuing from and brings Elvis along for the ride. A twisty, nothing is as it seems (at least twice), ride.

More than maybe any other Pike/Elvis or Elvis/Pike novel, this one is about the friendship between these two men. Yeah, there's the action, the mystery, the bullets (MINOR SPOILER: far, far fewer than we've come accustomed to Pike using), and so on. But at the core, this is about the bond tying Pike and Elvis together.

Told in Crais' (sadly) now-typical shifting perspectives, the action, once it starts, doesn't relent. I flew through this book without realizing it. The only thing that kept me from finishing it in one setting was forcing myself to put it down so I could get a few winks before work. The best of the Pike books so far, better than a couple of Elvis books, too.

Perfect book for immersing yourself into to get out of a crappy day.

Waiting for the next book from Crais, if only he could write faster...



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