Wool Omnibus Edition - Hugh Howey

I like dystopian future novels.  I just discovered this in the last few years, as I find myself reading more and more of those.  This is definitely in that category.

What if, you lived your whole life in one huge building.  You can't leave because the outside is a poisonous waste land, and you know this because their are huge view screens that show you this poisonous wasteland, and you also know because every so often people as punishment at sent to clean the lenses of the camera's that show you this great outside, and despite heavy protective suits, they die within moments of leaving your safe confines - and you know this because their bodies are left outside as moldering mounds.  Your parents never left, their parents never left. Generations have been born, lived and died in this confined space that revolves around a central stairwell and about 150 floors.  That to walk from top to bottom is a 2 day journey.  That your religion teaches you that god created the Silo, and that this is where you were meant to live.

Now imagine you live in this place, and you discover something.  And that discovery makes you think that maybe the outside isn't as bad as it is believed.  That maybe it is all a lie.  And you beg to go outside, and you do go with the promise to your loved one that you will return for him/her.  And after a few years of waiting and missing you, your loved one, despite daily seeing your fallen body, nestled in the curve of a hill, decides to follow you out.

This is Wool. This is Silo 18.

Now you follow the spunky sheriff who didn't want to be sheriff as she discovers secrets, and she herself is sent to Clean, that death sentence for those who can't fit into the closed confines of Silo 18.  And what happens when someone actually refuses to clean.  To pull the wool pads from their neatly numbered pockets on their heavy suites and just walks away, out of sight, the first ever.

I was captivated by this book.  I really like spunky Juliette, brilliant, bitter, hard worker, stubborn, Juliette.  I liked Holston, sad, lonely, lost Holston who followed his wife into the poisonous world.  I admired hard working Jahns, who does what she can to make her world safe and keep her people safe,and who is determined to be a better mayor.  And Solo, lonely, mostly mad, Solo.  The story is improbable, but the characters are memorable, each with their own flaws and strengths, and this speaks to people who stand up to make bad situations better and all the people who quietly live their lives and make the most of a bad situation, and still find quiet happiness.  This book explores what keeps oppressed people from rising up, and improving their lot - fear and belief.

Khe - Alexes Razevich

I do love books that have unique views.  I do like standard sci fi and fantasy worlds as well, but I really enjoy a world that is based in nothing I have ever seen before.  And Khe delivers.

Khe is not only the name of this quick read, but also the main character.  She lives in a commune with other doumana (females) of her species, and will only see a male once a year when she mates.  Very communistic - everyone has a job, and everyone works.  They art tutored to find joy in hard work and sharing.  They share a house with their age mates, and those become their closes friends and comrades.  They are also the first to go to the commune leaders if they believe one is acting odd.

The world has  an odd mix of high technology - moving cities, advanced medicine, advanced power supply, access to their version of TVs, and low technology - they do a lot of their work very manually, they create their textiles in old fashion ways, and they live very simply.

Khe is unique though - when she comes of age, she does not feel the urge to mate, to return to her birth place and create life with a male.  And this colors the story, and the rest of the story hinges on this and Khe's search to be normal, and ending up being anything but.

A bit on Khe's people - these are not humans.  They are another species on another world completely.  And it becomes obvious not in only in how they are described, but in their mating rituals - where once a year, they feel a strong urge to return to the place they were created, and choose a mate.  They do not give live birth, but lay eggs.  They do not raise their young themselves, but the eggs are distributed among the communes, and their is great competition to receive more eggs in the communes.  The only time during the whole books we see a male of the species is during mating.

This is really a story of finding one's gods are anything but, and learning to live without the tampering of one's 'gods'.

BTW, this book in the e format is only 99 cents on Amazon.  An amazing price from an author I would love to hear more from.

The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archives #1) - Brandon Sanderson

This is a book that seems to be going absolutely nowhere....But I still really, really liked it.  The characters are fascinating and the world (as is true with all that I have read by Brandon Sanderson) is unique - the magic, the world, how the world works, and the peoples.

I love that about Brandon Sanderson that he creates the out of the box, not standard fantasy worlds, and I always want to know more about his world. In this world, it is world ruled by violent storms called the High Storms that come on a regular basis, and all the animals and plant life are adapted to these storms, and so have protective shells that plant and animal alike can retreat into to weather these harsh storms.  But on the plus side, these storms provide the magic for the world through the energy they bestow.

His characters are wonderful as well.  I want to know what is happening next, what the character is going to do, how they are going to achieve their goals, what motivates these people.  This book does have a myriad of characters - it is almost like he saw how popular George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series is doing with its myriad of characters and constant shifting view points, and thought he would adapt that to his own world view.  It works. I am waiting to see if he is as ruthless with his characters as George RR Martin is in the Song of Ice and Fire series.

All that said, I still have no idea where this books is going, or what the purpose of the story is.  I have a general idea - a big event is on the horizon, but not how the characters are linked to it.  It really seemed that this is a book that is going nowhere, and yet due to the wanting to know more about the world and the characters, I could easily over look that flaw because it is just a pleasure to read.

That said, I am anxiously awaiting the next in the series.

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (and The LYDIA Bennet)

I love Pride and Prejudice, and after watching the BBC miniseries with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth, I was even more in love with the story.  I really thought Colin Firth brought Darcy to life, and who could ever forget that wonderful, diving into the pond mostly clothed to hide from the pain scene.  Devine.

I have found competition for the BBC miniseries called the Lizzie Bennet Diaries. A modernization of Pride and Prejudice. Lizzie is a grad student in media and communications, and is doing a vlog for a school project. What follows in the vlog is amazing.

The whole story is told through the vlog and nothing is missed.  It is beautifully done, and the heartache and love and beauty is all there in 100 3-5 minute episodes.

Yes, there are some changes from the book.  Kitty is now a cat.  Mary is now a cousin.  Mr. and Mrs. Hurst are no where to be seen.  Mrs. Gardner is now Lizzies grad adviser.  I agree with these changes - in a modern story where having to marry off 5 daughters and attempting to produce a son isn't an imperative.  And so Kitty and Mary were not needed.  The characters that were the focus of the sisters were always Lizzie, Jane and Lydia.  Mr. and Mrs. Hurst never added much except to show how easy Mr. Bingley was to take advantage of.  And the Gardners were characters introduced to give Elizabeth the reason to end up at Pemberly.   This adaptation finds new ways to do it, and does it well.


The acting is really good.  And surprisingly poignant especially with Lydia.  In the book, you never really get to learn more about Lydia than that she is selfish and vain.  And yes, she is portrayed here as selfish and vain, but oh so much more.  Beautifully done.  Mary (through The Lydia Bennet vlogs) is given more duty and depth as well despite being minor character.  Wickham remains a unredeemable jerk, Darcy the socially awkward wonderful man he is, and Bing Lee (Bingley) the sweet, and lovable counter part to Jane.

All in all, the best adaptation of Pride and Prejudice since the BBC Miniseries.  Move over Colin Firth, Daniel Gordh is definitely a winner as Darcy.

Emerald Isle (A Stacy Justice Mystery) - Barbara Annino

I am a fan of free books, and although this book was not free, the first in the series was, and I was hooked.  The Kindle edition of this book was still nicely priced at $4.99.  Add to that that I like a good mystery and throw in witches to boot, and I am a happy camper.

This is the fourth book in the Stacy Justice Mystery series.  And although it was much shorter than I would  have liked, it was still a lot of fun. 

Stacy is a reluctant witch - she suffered several tragedies as a teenager - the loss of her father and then her mother, which left her bitter and a bit estranged from her family.  Throughout the series, there is a tug of war between Stacy and her Grandmother, a powerful witch.  Stacy seems to have a lot of resentment towards her Grandmother and also is rather condescending towards her and her witchcraft. 

Although Stacy knows that magic is real, and she does practice it when necessary, she doesn't quite believe in it.  She looks at her Grandmother and two great Aunts as a bit wacky.  Her Grandmother, she has some disdain for, and her Aunts she accepts like one would those slightly off kilter relatives, who are fun, but need to keep a bit of an eye on in case they do something too crazy like strip off their clothes in public (okay, Aunt Lolly maybe, but that is besides the point!). 

In this book, we see Stacy actually accept magic as a powerful force to be reckoned with.  It takes a goddess or two to get her there, but she does.  Some lose ends were tied up in this book, and Stacy also garners a real appreciation and respect for her Grandmother. 

All in all a fun, rollicking ride.  My only complaint, is the book was very short.  I would have liked to see it fleshed out a bit more. 

I'm not going to review all the books in the series, but I am including a link to all the books below.  The Kindle editions of the first three books in the series are $3.99 each. 

Heir of Novron (Riyria Revelations) - Michael J. Sullivan

Hadrian and Royce return.  Have I mention that I really like these characters? 

This is the final installment in the Riyria Revelations.  It opens with Arista in prison, and soon to be executed as a Witch.  Modina (Thrace) becoming more aware and Amelia falling in love and becoming more comfortable with who she is.  What more can one ask?  Oh, yes, a climax to the wonderful adventure we taken on in the first two books. 

This book does not fail to satisfy.  We at long last discover the true heir to Novron in this book, and without giving anything away, it was one I suspected early on but discarded.  The evil ones are routed, new evil is discovered and peace is achieved. 

There are some losses of major characters, but even those are given a happy ending.  Modina (Thrace), Amelia, Arista, and Hadrian find happy endings, and Nimbus finds a bit of what he is searching for in the end as well. 

Most of this book is the mad search for the Horn of Gylindora, which will save mankind from extinction.  Unfortunately, the horn was lost with the capital city of the Old Empire, and nobody knows where that may be.  And time is short because the elves are invading and annihilating all humans in their path.  The last bastion of human kind is Aquesta, where Modina is damned and determined to save her people.

Everyone discovers a lot about themselves in this book and what they believed to be true is set on its head.

I really enjoyed this book.  There are some things that are hinted at, but never fully disclosed in this book, which frustrated me a bit, but other than that, well written, a pleasure to read and a delightful adventure.  All in all, a good ending to a very good series.  I look forward to reading more from Michael J. Sullivan. 

The Language of Flowers - Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Another book club selections, but this is a book that I have wanted to read before it became a book club selection, but just didn't seem to have the time to do it.  Another thing I love about book clubs, it forces me to pick a book that I may be putting off for others. 

This is the story of Victoria Jones, a child who grew up in the foster care system.  She bounced from home to home until at long last she finds a place that is her home, but that doesn't last either and she ends up back in the foster care system, this time in group homes until she ages out when she turns 18. 

The book weaves between Victoria's current life and the year she lived with Elizabeth, which was an idyllic year for Victoria in many ways.  With Elizabeth, She found someone she connected to, and who wanted her, a first in her short life of 9 year. Part of the mystery of this book is what happened and how did Victoria end up back in the foster care system. 

Victoria can be described as angry and distrustful.  With her life, it is understandable, she never had anyone to trust, but Elizabeth.  Her adolescence was spent in group homes with other angry, distrustful young girls that society failed.  It is a wonder that so many people were willing to bend over backwards for this young woman. 

Victoria's current life, she begins as a homeless girl, who builds her flower collection in a local park in San Francisco, where she lives.  She eats people's left overs slipping into vacant seats at restaurants and deli's after the customer's leave.  In her wanderings, she runs across a florist, and asks for work.  She eventually gets the work. 

Renata is the florist who takes Victoria under her wing when she recognizes Victoria's genius with flowers. Renata finds a place for Victoria to live and teaches Victoria about running a floral shop.  Renata is really, in the long run, Victoria's savior, who asks nothing in return from Victoria.

What I saw in this book is people who bent over backwards to help Victoria (after she turned 18), and she was cranky, unreliable and taciturn. The book glosses over quite a few things that I had questions about.  I don't really think through this whole book, Victoria grows in the least.  She seems  angry and taciturn until the very end, even though there is resolution and the requisite happy ending. 

Despite these issues, I did really enjoy the book, and it kept me turning the pages.  Well written with some problems, in my opinion, but still enjoyable. 

Turn Of Mind - Alice LaPlante

This book was a recommendation of one of my reading clubs.  It is a book I had never heard of, and probably would not have picked on my own.  This is one of the reasons I love reading groups - I am forced out of my comfort zone and often am pushed to read books I would otherwise never pick up. 

I am glad I did pick up this one.  It was a wonderful read and I did read it in one sitting.  It just captivated me.  A murder mystery told from the perspective of a woman suffering from advanced Alzheimer disease. 

The book opens with the main character, Jennifer White, a one time brilliant orthopedic surgeon in a room she doesn't recognize.  This is a brilliant tool for the writer to get in a lot of detail without the reader feeling overwhelmed with it.  Jennifer describes the room, and draws us the picture of a police station. 

Jennifer sees the world in pockets of lucidity that she understands, but more so in pockets of loss, not knowing where she is or what decade she is in.  Remembering that she has a best friend, but that friend is now dead. Remembering that she is married, but not that her husband is also deceased.  Not remembering her children. 

What I find fascinating, as a mother, is her descriptions of her adult children when she doesn't remember that she has children, and her descriptions of those same children when she remembers that they are hers. I found it fascinating how our love can blind us to the obvious flaws, but our bias towards strangers can blind us just as much and make us miss the good. 

Jennifer's story is slowly unraveled throughout the book along with the investigation of who murdered her best friend.  It is a story of loss of not only of one's loved ones, but of one's self.  Of not understanding, and the rage that can be bring which in turn to brings out violence and screaming fits from one who was always so controlled and rationale, to the point of be described as being cold. 

I found this book to be very well written, and a pleasure to read - I could not put it down.  I was anxious to see that next flash in Jennifer's life and where she would go, as she rapidly descends further and further into dementia until she doesn't even know who she is any longer. 

Rise of Empire - Michael J. Sullivan

This is the second book in the Riyria Revelations.  And it was an enjoyable as the first.  The bad guys are a little more obvious, but there are still some surprises.

We meet back up with Royce, Hadrian, Arista and Thrace (now Modina) from the first novel. 

In the previous installment, we learned that there had once been an Empire that ruled over all the lands, and there was great peace and prosperity.  But a thousand years before, the Emperor was murdered by his trusted advisors, and his son was sent into hiding, accompanied by a Teshlor Knight as his guardian. There has been a search for the Heir ever since.

I really enjoyed the mystery here; everytime I was sure I knew who the Heir was, I found I was wrong.  Although I think it was obvious from the beginning of a Theft of Swords, who the guardian was. 

Thrace after killing the Gilarabrywn, a creature of pure magic that is created as a tool for war, and can only be dispelled with the one sword made at its creation inscribed with its name, is now Empress, but she is practically cationic.  Saladur, from the previous novel, has set Thrace up as the living descendent of Novron, and thereby the one true heir to the Empire. Along with Ethelred, Saladur has taken up the reins to run the new Empire with Thrace is but their puppet. 

We are introduced to some new characters:  One is Amelia, a scullery maid raised to a lady, to help Modina learn to be Empress.  Sir Breckton, a champion of the Empire, who is incredibly loyal and honorable to a fault, and Nimbus, a courtier who comes to Amelia's aid to assist Modina in learning to be an Empress. 

Royce and Hadrian are once again brought in to aide Melengar with their struggle against the Empire.  Arista also plays a larger part in this novel, and comes to accept her powers more and where she is going. 

Arista proves herself a capable and competent administrator, but she is meant for something else.  I like strong women in books, and Arista is strong, but with some of the foibles strong women have, which is self doubt in their attractiveness.  I like her - she is great, but not perfect. 

This book covers growth of the characters and the beginning of realizing who they are and who they can be.  Lot of great action in this book also, and it ends on a cliff hanger. 

My only slight criticism about this book:  I would have liked to know a lot more about Gwen.  The prostitute with a heart of gold, and Royce's love.  

A wonderful addition to the series. 

Theft of Swords - Michael J. Sullivan

I didn't read this book as much as listened to it over a 4 day drive from Charleston, West Virginia to Carson City, Nevada.   It made the incredibly long drive actually enjoyable. 

I picked up this book because it looked interesting and I needed listening material for my long drive and at 22 hours, it would cover a good portion of my 36 hour drive. 

The book starts out with the characters of Royce, a very good thief, and Hadrian, an excellent swords man, two renown thieves who make up the Organization Riyria.  They are contracted for an enormous amount of money to steal a renown sword from the castle of the king of Melengar.  Hadrian, who has a heart of gold and really desires to help people accepts the job, not just because of the ridiculous amount of money offered but because he believed unless the sword was taken, a man would die. 

A word on Royce's and Hadrian's relationship:  These two men are close, very close.  They disagree a lot and they bicker frequently, but Michael J. Sullivan really built their relationship well, and despite the bickering and back biting, the characters obviously care about one another deeply. 

Royce is described as 'scary' throughout this book and the subsequent sequels, and a bit of delving into Royce's past, shows he is scary, but he is also smart and an excellent tactician.  Hadrian could have easily been played as the big, dumb lovable guy to foil Royce, but although Hadrian is the lovable guy, always willing to crack a joke and is very friendly, he is much more complex than initially meets the eye.  Needless to say, I really liked both of these characters.  They have depth, and I enjoyed reading about them.

After attempting the job, the two find that they have been set-up.  Surprised?  Not I, but there wouldn't have been much of a story had they just easily gained the sword, now would there?  The two end up accused of the murder of the King, and end up in the dungeon.  The son of the king, pronounces death upon them come the dawn.  The sister of the King, Arista, sets them free and commissions them to kidnap her brother for his own safety as she believes there is a plot to eliminate their family, the Essendon's.

And so they do.  And a delightful romp begins. Where the two travel to an hidden prison, rescue a eidetic monk, set free a renown evil wizard, and win the trust of the prince along the way.  And save the Kingdom of Melengar....at least for now. 

I was impressed that throughout the book, it had me second guessing who the good guys were and who were the bad guys.  It was well done, and I enjoyed that depth, which unfortunately, you don't always get in a Sword and Sorcery novel.

This book was so enjoyable that even though I had a second book lined up for the drive, I ended up buying the second book in the series, Rise of the Empire, to listen to during the remainder of the trip.

Seraphina - Rachel Hartman

I received this book from a friend at a New Years book exchange party we had.  I think I had seen it briefly here and there, but had so much on my reading list that I never got around to picking it up. 

I really enjoyed this book.  It pulled me in immediately.  I kind of like the fact that the author treats the reader like they are part of the universe and instead of using blatant exposition to explain her world, she lets the reader learn as they go.  It was almost as fun when I finally understood the role of the saints played in this world.  I really like when a book doesn't beat one over the head explanations. 

The basic story is a girl who is half dragon and half human.  She doesn't fit in either world, and her heritage is a secret because it is illegal in both the dragon world and the human world.  She sees herself as a monster, and is uncomfortable in her own skin.  It doesn't help that the one person who really loves Seraphina for the person she is, can't show her because he, Orma, is a dragon and the dragons are breathing down his neck about showing excessive emotions.  It is a fascinating struggle, but the love is obvious in the care that he shows Seraphina and the lengths he goes to hide that love just so the dragons won't excise his memories of her and her mother. 

Seraphina struggles to find her place in the world, amidst an uneasy treaty between dragons and humans, and deep horrible prejudice on both sides.  She learns and grows and something I like to see, other character's grow as well.  To many books fall into the trap of having their character's remain stagnant, which makes them just unfleshed out shells of the people the author really wants them to be.  Seraphina and the other cast members are nicely fleshed out, and I look forward to seeing them fleshed out in the coming sequel. 

Replay - Ken Grimwood

That said, this book disappointed me in the end.  It seemed like there was no resolution. As if he learned nothing from his repeated journeys and re-workings of the past.  Also, the main character in this book came off as rather selfish. 

He used people and events to his advantage, but seems to give little in return.  He brushed off his family, which to me, who has lost my mother at an early age is a travesty.  If I were to go back 25 years, I would be 19 years old, and have another year with my mother.  I would treasure that year, and my mother more than I did my first go around. 

Also, there is the implication that major events, such as the Kennedy assassination, can not be changed, but in the book over his several replays of his life, he has made major changes to the world by effecting events, so that was confusing and contradictory. 

But I have to say, despite these flaws, I did enjoy the journey, and it made me think. 

The Blue Sword - Robin McKinley

This is amongst my favorite books of all time.  I rank it up there with Anne McCaffery's The Dragon Riders of Pern and Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice.  Something about this book draws me. 

Harry is a girl who has often felt alone and out of place in the world, and even more so after the death of her father and her move to the dry, dusty and reddish Darian desert far from the wet and green world she is familiar with.  She feels out of place not because of the Desert which calls to her, but because of who she is.  She feels awkward in her own skin.  No great beauty, taller than fashion permits, and just different from her surroundings.  I think many a teen girl, and I was such a teen girl when I first read this book, can identify with this feeling. 

But more than that I can identify with Harry, I like Harry.  She is different, and although she tries to bridle her difference and be content with her lot, she doesn't surrender to it.  And when she is taken from all that is familiar - kind people who love and care about her, and forced into a foreign world, she doesn't curl up and become useless, she strives to grow and learns to understand her difference.

When duty calls to her, she is not afraid to abandon the person she loves to do what she must.  She is strong and brave, and it shows deeply when she returns to the man she abandoned afr
aid of his rejection, but returning all the same to face the music, so to speak. 

I love this book.  I like the world it is set in.  I like the magic that inhabits this world, and most of all, I like the characters who are flawed, but willing to learn and grow. 

Still after all these years, a favorite of mine.  I have read this book at least a two dozen times over the last 30 years, and like an old, well loved friend, it is there to greet me each and every time, I open its cover. 

Notorious Nineteen: A Stephanie Plum Novel - Janet Evanovich

Well, as the title says, this the 19th book in the series, and they are still a great deal of fun.  Yeah, Stephanie doesn't grow much, and her cars being blown up can get a bit old, but the humor is still there, and I don't know, I just like these books.  They are carefree fun. 

In this one, Stephanie as usual is trying to apprehend some slippery characters with her usual assortment of ultra competent (and sexy) and incredibly incompetent friends and associates.  This time a hawaiian Tiki, that may or may not be talking to Stephanie, is involved and encouraging her to eat way to much junk food and to do things that she knows better than to do.  And there is a wedding!!  Sort of.

I did like that in this book for the first time, Stephanie does admit that even though her life is a mess and her job isn't the best, she likes it that way.  She is rather addicted to the whole mess of it.  She is still torn between Ranger and Morelli.  Lula is still the plus sized ho who actually shows a bit of brains in this book, not her usual shoot first and not care later attitude.  Even Grandma Mazur shows some modicum of decorum, but hilarity still ensues.

These books still manage to make me laugh out loud, which is surprising in a series that has been going on this long.  I think the wacky characters do it for me, and they are wacky.  Nothing in these books is plausible, but that is part of the fun.  This is definitely not an intellecutal adventure.  In fact, I may lose a few IQ points every time I read one of these, but the pure fun is worth the ride. 

So here is to many more of Stephanie's adventures! 

The Weight of Blood - David Daglish

I picked up this book because a few years ago when I got my first Kindle, I became hooked on the free books available.  A lot are by independent authors trying to get their writing out there, and offer a book or two as loss leaders.  If you read my review of the game Of Orcs and Men, you know that I have a fascination for Orcs, so this book drew me like the proverbial moth to a flame.

This is the first book in the series, and it pulled me in.  Here are two half-Orc brothers, Harruq and Qurrah, who are very flawed. Qurrah is a necromancer of great power, and Harruq is his strong, warrior brother.  Harruq is really the focus of this book.  Harruq is Qurrah's strength and is often treated as the stupid muscle, but as the book unfolds, I found that Harruq is not as dumb as one would think, but is torn between his love for his brother and what is right. 

Not instantly redeemable or likeable characters - they start out killing children, which Harruq does at Qurrah's bidding, but feels horrible about at the same time; Harruq believes Qurrah that they are doing the right things.

Once the gods in their world are understood a little better, it was easier for me to accept the brutality of these characters and to a certain degree find some empathy for them, especially Harruq who eventually repents for what he has done, and tries his best to be a better person.  He pays for his sins later, but that is in the subsequent books in the series.

I am usually not drawn to such dark characters, but the writing sucked me in, and the character development was fascinating to me.  So despite my initial horror, I found I really, really enjoyed this book and the subsequent entries into the series, and was a bit sad to see the series end.

Aftermath (Sirantha Jax) - Ann Aguirre

The final installment of the Sirantha Jax series. 

I loved this series - it featured a strong female lead, which is something I look for in books, who was by no means perfect, another thing that I enjoy in books. Jax is tough, a bit selfish at times, very devoted to those she cares about, but she grows and changes.  Jax started out as a very self-involved, egocentrical character who saved the universe by accident, but she becomes a much more balance character in the end.  It is something that annoys me in so many series when the characters never seems to learn or grow from their experiences, and yet, Jax does that.  Yes, like so many leads in series she does end up saving the universe, but she does it in the most backhanded fashion.

After surviving an attempt that to take her life, and managed to take the life of her lover, her holding in a psychiatric facility, her break from said facility, her involvement in a war, the bringing down of the universes corrupt government, the chaos that reignes, the creation of a new government, preventing the Morgut invasion, and  imprisonment for mass murder, Jax is back to save the Lehengri from their slavehood to keep her promise to her friend, Loras, and she does it in typical Jax fashion.  She tries to do it the right way, but everything ends up cocked up, and civil war is the result. 

I have to say, I identify well with characters who are very flawed, and not a little broken.  I enjoyed Jax's journey, and feel that this is a strong entry, and it had what I like in books, a happy ending.  Not a perfect ending, just happy. 

Another thing I enjoy in books is when all the lose ends are tied up, and I felt this was done very well in this book  I always wonder after watching a movie, and everything was blown up, or massive destruction happens, and it ends, well what then? What about the consequences?  Does the hero have to face legal consequences, explain to the police, retain a lawyer to explain the destruction and deaths?  Well, each subequent book in this series is dealing with the fallout and consequences from the previous book. 

I highly recommend this series. 

Below, I have linked to both the this book and the first book in the series.

It Says Here You Shot A Puppy - Elbow Jobertski

This is definitely a book for those who like dark humor, but beware there are some very serious issues dealt with in this book, which in my opinion, gives the story depth. 

This book is about the trials and travails of the fictional lawyer, Elbow Jobertski, a public defender in rural West Virginia.  Elbow starts out as a rather niave young lawyer who progresses to a more jaded viewpoint in about 300 pages. 

It was interesting to me how dealing with defending some of the lowest members of our society, many who prey on the most defenseless, that I found myself feeling more compassion for these people than I thought possible.  Reading this book gave me a lot of insight into the subjective nature of the law, and a greater respect for those who defend those accused of horrible crimes.  I really left this book with a new perspective. 

There are some gramatical issues - this is a the first book for Elbow, and it was self-published, but once you get past the comma issues and the unreferred pronouns, it is well worth a read. 

More of Elbow's writings can be found on his website: Elbow Jobertski, Legendary West Virginian Lawyer

The book can be purchased either hardcopy or electronically at Amazon.com

I Am Chani, Chani Am I

I love reading - always have.  From the first time I picked up a book, I was hooked.  Reading has been my constant companion for most of my life, and it brings me joy.  It has been my friend, my solace and my joy and sometimes my frustration. 

I love the smell of books, but I adore the convenience of my e-reader which allows me to carry my library with me where ever I go. 

So, here you will find my take on the things I read. I am an eclectic reader, and will read lots of different genres from classics to fantasy to mystery to young adult.  I love a good tale, and am not that picky about the genre most of the time.  I do find myself drawn to dystopian fantasies, such as the young adult trilogy Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Of course I go through stages - where I will read nothing but fantasy, then nothing but mysteries, then nothing but young adult, and then a mix of anything and everything. 

But reading is not all I do.  I do also enjoy games, video and real time and those items will pop up as well on this blog.  In the video game arena, I do prefer RPG's.  Dragon Age: Origins and Elder Scrolls are some of my favorites, athough I do like a good building game as long as it isn't hinged on war - not a lot of them out there, but Caesar III and Tropico are still favorites that I go back and play from time to time. Oh and cats - also my friends, my solace, my joy and sometimes my greatest frustration.  But they are warm, soft and cuddly, rather like a good book. 

If there is a book or game that you think I might like, drop me a line.  You may see your suggestion as a review! 

Enjoy!

Chani

Room: A Novel - Emma Donoghue

This is a book written from the perspective of a 5 year old boy, who has lived his whole life in one 11x11 room, where his mother who had been kidnapped has been kept for years. 

This book will not be an easy read for many people.  I think the perspective of coming from the child, whose mother kept very sheltered and protected despite the circumstance, made this easier to read.  Due to the perspective, we miss much of the horror that the mother had to go through over the years, but we do see it echoed gently in the boy's narrative. 

To the boy, the room is normal.  His life is normal.  His mother loves him.  He is safe, he is warm, and he has almost enough to eat.  His mother tries her best to assure that her captor gives them healthy foods and vegetables, which is a struggle for the mother, who has to beg for everything from her captor.  The mother insures that the little boy has regular activities and as normal a routine as possible. 

Due to the limited mobility of the mother, she has portrayed the outside world as a fantasy to the boy, which makes sense becuase to have him believe it was real, would have caused the boy to feel dissatisfaction with his life and realize something was wrong.  It is apparent that the mother loves this little boy very much, and is doing the best she can in the circumstances she is given, which basically isn't that what most parents who love thier children do?

I loved the soften edges of the mother's trauma portrayed through the boy's eyes: It makes it her experiences and sacrafices all the more poignant, and strangely enough sharper than if it had been from her perspective. 

I really enjoyed this book, and recommend it highly. 

Of Orcs and Men

I like Orcs, and a friend knowing my fascination with Orcs recommended to me Of Orcs and Men, so the other day I picked it up from Amazon. I tried playing it last night, and was so frustrated, I quit not very far in.

1) It starts out with a tutorial, which is great, but in the tutorial, it stops the action and tells you how to do something, like pull up the combat action screen. Here is what the tutorial says: "Press to bring up the combat actions to change your action and to slow down the fight so you can pick different actions" (not exact wording). Yep, doesn't tell you WHAT to press. Nope. So I decide because there is no back or replay button on the tutorial that I will quit the game, and start again, maybe thinking I missed something....

2) The game so far has almost non-stop conversations: You can not quit during these conversations, so I kept trying to speed through them to get to a place that allowed me to quit the game, no such luck...

3) The game would not allow me to bring up the menu screen at all at any time that I could see - I tried ESC and the F1, which is what the tutorial told me would bring up the menu screen. So, the only way I could actually quit the game was to either force it to close by rebooting my computer or going in through the task manager...

4) Guess what? The task manager is pushed to the background so even if you open it, it wouldn't allow me to get to it. The game kept popping up in front. I finally finageled (used the windows key) it so I could get to the task manager.

5) It annoys me intensely when I can't choose the gender of my character and must accept what they give me, which is basically a male Orc. Great, I get the Orc part, but it is inherent bias in game designers to make one only able to pick male. Hello Game Designers: Women also play video games. I know, hard to believe, but we do. Consider that when making your game environment because it doesn't make sense to alienate a good portion of your audience.

6) It also mildly irritates me that I can't pick how my character looks, not that big of a deal, but still.

7) The Orc's look odd - in that their skin texture looks weird, like a beat-up suite case died green. Also, surprisingly the graphics are pretty basic in this game: pretty cartoonish and rough. I guess Skyrim and Dragon Age spoiled me with beautiful graphics.

8) As the other reviewer states, the voice acting could be much better.

9) The download from Amazon was incredibly slooooooooowwwwww. It said it would take about 30 minutes to 1.5 hours. It actually took more almost 12 hours. Granted our DSL internet is not the best, but still, it was very slow.

I will probably try the game again, afterall, I did spend $40 on it, but so far, not even 10 minutes into the game, and it has frustrated me beyond belief.