Sci Fi and Fantasy

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

2013, Books in Bed, Favorites, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

Chris is a Neil Gaiman fan so I pre-ordered the new book, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, and let Prince J and TW read it. Then I figured what the hell, I’ll read it too — it’s short.

I’m not a huge Gaiman fan (don’t stone me, or anything.) I like him well enough but I’m not a diehard and generally don’t care whether I read his new books or not (though I often do read them — eventually.)

This one, I really really liked. I mean really, REALLY liked. Enough that I could add it to my list of books I wouldn’t mind reading again (that list is very short.)

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The Kings and Queens of Roam

1 Comment / 2013, Books in Bed, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

It took me ages and ages to read this book and I couldn’t figure out what the problem was … YA should not take more than a week to read. Not YA that’s less than 300 pages…. Oh, it’s not YA after all. Which explains thins a bit.

It’s fantasy. Fairy-tale. Mythology. A little steampunk tossed in for good measure. And dark. Very dark.

I bounced around between loving it and hating it and ended up pretty darn satisfied with The Kings and Queens of Roam.

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Fang Chronicles: Zenya’s Story

1 Comment / 2013, Books in Bed, Fiction, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Women /

I’m playing catch up with a bunch of series I’ve read on my Kindle — most of them written by BlogHer community members. Hmmm, all of them written by BlogHer community members — cool!

The latest is Fang Chronicles: Zenya’s Story — I’m torn by this one. I couldn’t put it down, literally, but I’m not sure I liked Zenya as much as I did in the previous book. Or even early in the story. She got kind of wishy washy there in the middle and it felt not quite right.

But, it all worked out in the end and I’m pretty pleased with how things are progressing. I’m especially excited about the next one. I could not figure out why Honey would do THAT… so the first chapter of the next book cleared things right up. I should have guessed. It’s gonna be a good one!

PS. The edit on this one was outstanding. OUTSTANDING.

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NOS4A2

2013, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

I love Joe Hill. He’s so much better than his dad.

NOS4A2 was creepy — Christmasland, ugh. That’s some freaky stuff that can give a person nightmares if she spends too much thinking about it.

I loved Vic and Lou and Wayne and also Maggie and Tabitha (though I do find it disconcerting when authors give characters names of family members — I kept picturing Tabitha King, which didn’t work very well for this Tabitha.)

I was a little worried about the end but was happy with it when it was all over and done with. The ornament removal ending was the right ending. (The Acknowledgements and About the Font pages were also good. Don’t skip those and find yourself on the naughty list.)

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Feed

2013, Books in Bed, Favorites, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

Most months Sassymonkey posts a discussion post or blog post asking what people are reading and that’s always a good way to pad the TBR and library reserve list. Feedcame from the comments of one of those posts and I sure am glad it did.

I love this book.

I knew what was going to happen to Buffy. And at the ranch. I did not, however, see Georgia’s fate coming. I just didn’t. I should have — it was really all spelled out but, nope, didn’t see that coming.

Blogging, zombies, conspiracies — it’s awesome. I’m concerned that the second book in the series might not be as good. I’m so concerned that I’m not sure I’m going to reserve it. I don’t want to ruin such a good story with a bad sequel… has anyone read Deadline (Newsflash series)?

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Dreams and Shadows

2013, Books in Bed, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

Another year has gone by without me taking part in the Happily Ever After Challenge. Darn.

Though I didn’t do the challenge, I did reserve some books for the challenge and Dreams and Shadows is one of those — recommended by Sassymonkey. She specifically recommended it for TW, though. And, maybe I should have listened to that?

I did not love this book. I had to fight my way through the first 1/3 and only after I started skipping the book entries by Thaddeus Ray did I even begin to get into the story or care about the characters.

In a very odd twist, this book is set in Austin. You’d think that would have helped me get into it, since I was also reading Austin travel guides — and it did. But that’s really the only thing that kept me reading during pretty much all of part 1 of the book.

I can’t figure out why I didn’t love this story. I normally like urban fantasy (Holly Black?) and the addition of the djinn should have just made it better. It didn’t. If we could get a re-write of the first part of the book … maybe I’d like it better. And no, I don’t think I’m going to read any sequels. I like Colby and his djinn but not enough to slog through another 400+ pages to see what happens next.

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I Am Number Four

2013, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

It’s times like this that I wonder what the heck happened… I read a lot of middle grade and YA fiction so why didn’t I manage to read I Am Number Four the year it was published? Why did I wait so long… until I needed a book I’ve never read for a movie I’ve never watched challenge?

Sheesh.

Just goes to show you how little time we really have. Not enough to read everything we want to read or watch everything we want to watch.

Sigh.

So, about the book — it was pretty good in a 2010 middle grade fantasy sort of way. But, I’m wondering if this might be the time when I say the movie was actually better than the book? I don’t know but I’m guessing I might…

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Beautiful Creatures

2013, Books in Bed, Favorites, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Young Adult /

I finally read Beautiful Creatures, (for my Books to Movie challenge), and am wondering what the heck took me so long. I loved it. In part because of the fictional small town South Carolina setting –I’m a sucker for South Carolina — and also because the Sisters are fabulous characters. I love them.

I have one issue with the story … if you were Ethan and Marian the Librarian told you that it was your (dead) mother who gave her THAT special librarian job, wouldn’t you have had a conversation with her about that? Your mother was involved in the Caster world? Enough that she had the power to give someone a job as head librarian? Hello, someone would have had to explain to me just how that happened and what my mother was doing in that world.

I know Ethan (and Lena) had a lot on their minds but it was October — still a good bit of time til mid February. Plenty of time for a one hour discussion. I just don’t understand why that did not happen. Why Ethan didn’t even attempt to force that discussion.

That made no damn sense to me.

But it’s fiction, and I really enjoyed the book. Must reserve the next book ASAP… and either decide whether I want to drive into Indiana or somewhere that it might be playing in theaters or wait til the DVD release in May… I’ll probably wait but I’m looking forward to watching the movie…

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