Sci Fi and Fantasy

The Elementals

1 Comment / 2012, Books in Bed, Don't Read This, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

I was talking to some of my coworkers about books I might purchase for some of my kids for Christmas and during that discussion, Sassymonkey reminded me that Francesca Lia Block (who Michelle loves) has written an adult novel. Before I had the chance to figure out whether I should buy it or reserve it at the library to read, first – I found it sitting on the library bookshelf. That answered that question. And boy am I glad it was on the shelf.

The Elementals is not a long book so it should have taken me a day to read. Two max. It took a week. I couldn’t get into it. As TW said after she read it – nothing happened.

There’s not much action. There’s not much dialogue. There’s a good bit of sex. It’s also very much a Francesca Lia Block novel. Magic, fairies etc. Except, there’s not.  The fae weren’t real fae and the magic was (mostly?) not real magic. Which is maybe what makes this different from her YA novels and what makes this an adult novel? Allusions shouldn’t need to be explained to YA readers, much less adults. Block should stop doing that, it just adds to the word count and  annoys readers.

Blah.

I just didn’t like this book and I spent the enter time reading it trying to figure out why this is listed as an adult novel. (Hoping the 20 somethings/30 somethings who love Weetzie Bat will take a chance on her new book just because it’s not listed as YA?)

I’m glad I didn’t buy it. I wish that wasn’t the case, but it is.

I’ll leave it here on the library cart in case Michelle wants to give it a try while she’s home for Christmas but she’d probably be happier reading one of the old Francesca Lia Block YA novels. Weetzie Bat FTW – Ariel/Jenni/John/Perry/Tania (the Elementals), not so much.

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Soulless: The Manga

2012, Books in Bed, Comics & Graphic Novels, Favorites, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Women /

Last week, or maybe earlier this week (I dunno, time flies and I can’t keep track anymore), Sassymonkey asked some folks what the best book they read this year was. I refused to answer because I can’t do “favorites” – there are lots of different kinds of “best” and “favorite” and how do you pick just one?

Whatever, right?

One of my favorite series was The Parasol Protectorate. I loved those books and I’m dying to read the next series – I mean really dying to read them. I introduced them to Michelle Belle and she ripped through the whole series, too.

I’d been meaning to check out the manga versions and when Michelle read the series last week, I was inspired to grab one from the library. Soulless: The Manga was just as fun as Soulless (the not manga).  The color frames in the beginning are GORGEOUS and I really wish the entire book was color. It’s not that the black and whites aren’t good, they are – but the color really did justice to all of the characters and I didn’t think I’d feel that way having loved the non-manga series so much.

The only tiny little complaint I have about the first book is Lord Maccon’s accent…. It’s supposed to get stronger and revert to the Scottish brogue when he’s wound up by Alexia and that didn’t really happen.  There’s one bubble where he starts to slip into it but that was it. I’m not sure what the thinking was behind that change but it disappointed me.

Otherwise, bring on Volume 2!

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The Rook

1 Comment / 2012, Books in Bed, Fiction, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Women /

When Sassymonkey tells me I should read a book, I almost always listen because she’s almost always right. It sometimes takes me months to actually find the time (or the room on my TBR list) to read what she recommends but I do it. Luckily, the timing was pretty much perfect for her recommendation of The Rook. I reserved it within minutes of her telling me I needed to read it. And, I read it just a couple of days after it arrived at the library. The most frustrating thing was having it ready to read and being too busy, too tired, or to ill to read it.

The opening page is fabulous. The first five pages were so interesting that I kept putting it down to think about what I’d do if I was in THAT position. What choices would I make? How come she did not even THINK about calling the police? I mean really… wouldn’t she have? Was there something underneath it all, maybe a memory or a piece of personality not gone that caused her to never even really consider that as an option? And if that’s true, is she really someone “else” at all?

It’s a fun book, a really fun book. I cannot get enough of Myfanwy Thomas. I need more. Immediately. Or I might just have to read this darn book all over again. And I want more Ingrid, too.

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Wool

4 Comments / 2012, Books in Bed, Favorites, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

My mom buzzed me last month and told me to buy Wool for Kindle. She said it was a bunch of short stories or novellas — a series of them or something. I told her I’d reserve it at the library. She insisted my library would not have it.

My library did have it (she’s always surprised by this, for some reason) and it arrived just in time for the Readathon. Of course I didn’t get around to it during Readathon — my book stacks are always larger than my 18 hour Readathon day. Then I made the mistake of starting it the day TW went into the hospital — I managed all of one page in the five days she was in the hospital, that one page made no sense and I kept reading it over and over again.

I was a little worried that this was going to become another “Moonstone” and I’d never manage to read it.

Silly me. The Wool Omnibus is no Moonstone — it’s hella awesome post-apocalyptic fiction. One of the best I’ve read in awhile (saying something since I read a lot of post-apocalyptic fiction.) My mother is also silly because she described it to me as science fiction, which it certainly is but it’s post-apocalyptic scifi. There’s a difference. A big difference.

The title is excellent. Wool — when Elly saw the book, she couldn’t figure out why I would read a book about … Wool. Or sheep. It took her awhile to grok the concept of people as sheep or the wool being pulled over someone’s eyes.

This deserves to be Kindle’s #1 Indie Book of 2012. You should read it. On Kindle or in paper. Who cares, just read it. (And pray that there’s an installment 6-12, too.)

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Dragon Castle

2012, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Young Adult /

Dragon Castle was a wee bit like Tuesdays at the Castle – just a wee bit. What was different was that Rashko’s parents are dumb, and his brother’s not so smart, either. At least that’s what Rashko thinks. What was also different was that the author seemed to be having a whole lot of fun. That’s really what made this book good – the reader never loses the fun.

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Angelfall

2012, Books in Bed, Cybil Challenge, Favorites, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Young Adult /

The End of Days! Angels destroy the world, or much of it, in Angelfall – and I loved it. Well I didn’t love the destruction of the world but I loved the story of Penryn and Raffe (and the supporting cast of characters, evil and not evil – and what is evil, anyway.) What happened to Penryn’s sister… OMG. A wheelchair bound, vegetarian, seven year old became… gah!

Must. Have. Book. Two. ASAP.

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Middle Grade Fiction, YA Fiction — One Cybil, One Not

2012, Audiobooks, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Fiction, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Young Adult /

How the heck did The Encyclopedia of Me end up on my bookshelf if it’s not a Cybil? This is really not the kind of book I’d just pick up and nothing about the cover screams “must read” to me. So weird.  It’s not a bad book, just not my thing and I’m so far behind on my reading lists that taking time to read this one wasn’t smart. Oops. I liked bits and pieces of it but I found the encyclopedia idea a bit tedious. I’d have rather just had the story of Tink/Isadora and her family/friends without the encyclopedia entries because that part was good. (If you’re looking for a book about autism and families, this one is interesting.)

A YA scifi/fantasy that is on the Cybils list and was good, was The Shattering. It’s written by the same author who wrote Guardian of the Dead that we listened to earlier in the year? Last year? Recently. So we had some ideas about what it would be like – and it was, though less Maori mythology than I expected there to be. And, the same thing happened in this book that happened in the last one – it runs just a little long.

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The Inquisitor’s Apprentice

2012, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

Alternate reality fun! NYC in the early 1900s – magic is everywhere, so is anti-semitism. Houdini & Edison + J.P. Morgaunt + Teddy Roosevelt = fabulous. Throw in a nice Jewish boy who has a whole lot of magical power that he doesn’t know about and some awesome visits to Coney Island and you’ve got The Inquisitor’s Apprentice plus a really great book.

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Frost

2012, Books in Bed, Cybil Challenge, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Young Adult /

Frost is one of the creepiest books I’ve read in a good long while. The house was creepy, obviously, but the brother/sister were creepy, too. Heck, even Leena is a wee bit creepy even without the weird house and/or the… well I won’t give it away.

The question is, was it the house or was there REALLY a reasonable explanation. I vote it was a combo of the two and the next time someone tells you a girl went crazy and died in a house and from then on, only men lived in the house – hang onto that idea and if you’re female, get the hell out no matter how awesome and cute the little Victorian is.

Just sayin’.

Not my favorite from the Cybils shortlist but man it was creepy.

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