leahbird keeps up the good fight in 2015 (3)
É uma continuação do tópico leahbird keeps up the good fight in 2015 (2).
Discussão75 Books Challenge for 2015
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1leahbird
Look what I got!
Just kidding, he's not mine! My brother and SIL just got him and I'm trying not to steal him away. His name is Wrangler and he's a little Red Heeler pup. I think he looks like a little fox!
*Note: Descriptions are not mine, but culled from LT or other sources. Thoughts are all me.
Just kidding, he's not mine! My brother and SIL just got him and I'm trying not to steal him away. His name is Wrangler and he's a little Red Heeler pup. I think he looks like a little fox!
“She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain.”― Louisa May Alcott
"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need."― Cicero
*Note: Descriptions are not mine, but culled from LT or other sources. Thoughts are all me.
2leahbird
45. Prudence by Gail Carriger (read by Moira Quirk)
Description: When Prudence Alessandra Maccon Akeldama ("Rue" to her friends) is bequeathed an unexpected dirigible, she does what any sensible female under similar circumstances would do -- she christens it the Spotted Custard and floats off to India.
Soon, she stumbles upon a plot involving local dissidents, a kidnapped brigadier's wife, and some awfully familiar Scottish werewolves. Faced with a dire crisis (and an embarrassing lack of bloomers), Rue must rely on her good breeding -- and her metanatural abilities -- to get to the bottom of it all...
Thoughts: Yay! This one was so much fun! I have high hopes for this new series.
Rating: 3.91
Description: When Prudence Alessandra Maccon Akeldama ("Rue" to her friends) is bequeathed an unexpected dirigible, she does what any sensible female under similar circumstances would do -- she christens it the Spotted Custard and floats off to India.
Soon, she stumbles upon a plot involving local dissidents, a kidnapped brigadier's wife, and some awfully familiar Scottish werewolves. Faced with a dire crisis (and an embarrassing lack of bloomers), Rue must rely on her good breeding -- and her metanatural abilities -- to get to the bottom of it all...
Thoughts: Yay! This one was so much fun! I have high hopes for this new series.
Rating: 3.91
Liked: 4
Plot: 3.5
Characterization: 4
Writing: 4
Audio: 4
3leahbird
46. Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman (read by Mandy Williams)
Description: The kingdom of Goredd: a world where humans and dragons share life with an uneasy balance, and those few who are both human and dragon must hide the truth. Seraphina is one of these, part girl, part dragon, who is reluctantly drawn into the politics of her world. When war breaks out between the dragons and humans, she must travel the lands to find those like herself—for she has an inexplicable connection to all of them, and together they will be able to fight the dragons in powerful, magical ways.
As Seraphina gathers this motley crew, she is pursued by humans who want to stop her. But the most terrifying is another half dragon, who can creep into people’s minds and take them over. Until now, Seraphina has kept her mind safe from intruders, but that also means she’s held back her own gift. It is time to make a choice: Cling to the safety of her old life, or embrace a powerful new destiny?
Thoughts: For the most part, I really enjoyed this follow-up to Seraphina. There were lots of new places to go and characters to meet and the history of Seraphina's life and that of all the Southlands was greatly expanded.
I found the interplay between the half dragons believable in the cultural settings Hartman created. It set a beautiful background for the battle of wills between Seraphina and Jannoula, something that makes up the bulk of the driving force for the story.
But, in the end the whole story just became rushed and convenient. Everything feel together a little too perfectly and quickly. It felt abrupt and was pretty disappointing. Had this ended a chapter earlier and led to a third book I could have been happy with it, but as the ending of the story? Nope, didn't work for me.
Rating: 3.75
Description: The kingdom of Goredd: a world where humans and dragons share life with an uneasy balance, and those few who are both human and dragon must hide the truth. Seraphina is one of these, part girl, part dragon, who is reluctantly drawn into the politics of her world. When war breaks out between the dragons and humans, she must travel the lands to find those like herself—for she has an inexplicable connection to all of them, and together they will be able to fight the dragons in powerful, magical ways.
As Seraphina gathers this motley crew, she is pursued by humans who want to stop her. But the most terrifying is another half dragon, who can creep into people’s minds and take them over. Until now, Seraphina has kept her mind safe from intruders, but that also means she’s held back her own gift. It is time to make a choice: Cling to the safety of her old life, or embrace a powerful new destiny?
Thoughts: For the most part, I really enjoyed this follow-up to Seraphina. There were lots of new places to go and characters to meet and the history of Seraphina's life and that of all the Southlands was greatly expanded.
I found the interplay between the half dragons believable in the cultural settings Hartman created. It set a beautiful background for the battle of wills between Seraphina and Jannoula, something that makes up the bulk of the driving force for the story.
But, in the end the whole story just became rushed and convenient. Everything feel together a little too perfectly and quickly. It felt abrupt and was pretty disappointing. Had this ended a chapter earlier and led to a third book I could have been happy with it, but as the ending of the story? Nope, didn't work for me.
Rating: 3.75
Liked: 3.5
Plot: 3.5
Characterization: 4
Writing: 4
Audio: 4
5thornton37814
Happy New Thread! I'm about ready for one too!
8leahbird
47. Fairest Vol 4: Cinderella- Of Men and Mice by Marc Andreyko
Description: Cinderella returns in an all-new epic! After an assassination attempt on Snow White, Cind is called back into service to unravel an age-old conspiracy that dates back to that fateful midnight ball! Can Cind uncover the plot and prevent a massacre in Fabletown? By critically acclaimed writer Marc Andreyko (MANHUNTER, Torso, The Lost) and legendary artist Shawn McManus (CINDERELLA, SWAMP THING), FAIREST VOL. 4: CINDERELLA - OF MEN AND MICE ties directly into FABLES!
Thoughts: Maybe it's because I read this so long after the Fables volume it ties in with or maybe because it's just gone off the rails, but I didn't get this installment of Fairest/Fables at all. What is the point? Why waste Cinderella on this story? Ugh.
Rating: 2.75
Description: Cinderella returns in an all-new epic! After an assassination attempt on Snow White, Cind is called back into service to unravel an age-old conspiracy that dates back to that fateful midnight ball! Can Cind uncover the plot and prevent a massacre in Fabletown? By critically acclaimed writer Marc Andreyko (MANHUNTER, Torso, The Lost) and legendary artist Shawn McManus (CINDERELLA, SWAMP THING), FAIREST VOL. 4: CINDERELLA - OF MEN AND MICE ties directly into FABLES!
Thoughts: Maybe it's because I read this so long after the Fables volume it ties in with or maybe because it's just gone off the rails, but I didn't get this installment of Fairest/Fables at all. What is the point? Why waste Cinderella on this story? Ugh.
Rating: 2.75
Liked: 2.5
Plot: 2.5
Characterization: 2.5
Writing: 3
Art: 3.5
9leahbird
48. Fables Vol 22: Farewell by Bill Willingham
Description: Completing more than thirteen years of critically-acclaimed storytelling, FABLES #150 is here!
Doubling as the final volume of the series, creator Bill Willingham, artist Mark Buckingham and a host of the industry’s finest artists deliver the end to this legendary Vertigo series that sees the final fates of beloved characters Bigby Wolf, Snow White, Rose Red, Boy Blue, Pinocchio and countless others. Ready or not, ever after is here.
Thoughts: At least I can say it didn't end as terribly as I was convinced it was going to! The "main narrative" of this issue, the war between Rose and Snow and the fate of Fabletown, is pretty weak but it had a bit of a gleam of redemption. There were several "Last of" stories that were really quite good and engaging and I'm glad to have read them. I'd actually read a lot more of "The Last Blossom Story."
One of the best parts of this volume is it's beautiful foldout cover.
What you see are 177 characters from the series run depicted by a great artist, Nimit Malavia. Being a big fan of Boy Blue, I loved seeing him there front and center. There is another fold out inside the volume but I won't spoil it for anyone who's planning on reading.
Rating: 3.08
Description: Completing more than thirteen years of critically-acclaimed storytelling, FABLES #150 is here!
Doubling as the final volume of the series, creator Bill Willingham, artist Mark Buckingham and a host of the industry’s finest artists deliver the end to this legendary Vertigo series that sees the final fates of beloved characters Bigby Wolf, Snow White, Rose Red, Boy Blue, Pinocchio and countless others. Ready or not, ever after is here.
Thoughts: At least I can say it didn't end as terribly as I was convinced it was going to! The "main narrative" of this issue, the war between Rose and Snow and the fate of Fabletown, is pretty weak but it had a bit of a gleam of redemption. There were several "Last of" stories that were really quite good and engaging and I'm glad to have read them. I'd actually read a lot more of "The Last Blossom Story."
One of the best parts of this volume is it's beautiful foldout cover.
What you see are 177 characters from the series run depicted by a great artist, Nimit Malavia. Being a big fan of Boy Blue, I loved seeing him there front and center. There is another fold out inside the volume but I won't spoil it for anyone who's planning on reading.
Rating: 3.08
Liked: 3
Plot: 2.5
Characterization: 3
Writing: 3
Art: 4
12rosylibrarian
Happy new thread to you!
14leahbird
I really did. The Finishing School series has definitely grown on me but it was not instant love. This one just felt so right!
15leahbird
The mall and, thus, my store opened two hours early today for the last day of Tax Free Wknd. The problem: I don't think the mall bothered to tell shoppers that we were opening early because I haven't had a SINGLE person in the store in the 1.25 hours I've been sitting here. There's hardly a soul in the mall altogether. So dumb.
I'm trying to figure out how I can surreptitiously listen to The Unmapped Sea while I wait, but Katherine Kellgren's voice carries a bit too well to be easily masked in this big echoy store.
I'm trying to figure out how I can surreptitiously listen to The Unmapped Sea while I wait, but Katherine Kellgren's voice carries a bit too well to be easily masked in this big echoy store.
16leahbird
49. The Unmapped Sea by Maryrose Wood (read by Katherine Kellgren)
Description: Lord Fredrick Ashton may not feel ready to be a father, but with a little Ashton on the way, he's sure about one thing: The wolfish curse on his family must end soon, before the child is born. Penelope willingly takes on the challenge; when Lady Constance's doctor prescribes a seaside holiday, Penelope jumps at the chance to take the three Incorrigible children to Brighton, where she hopes to persuade the old sailor Pudge to reveal what he knows about the Ashton curse.
But the Ashtons are not the only ones at the beach in January. The passionately temperamental Babushkinov family is also taking the winter waters. The Incorrigible children may have been raised by wolves, but the Babushkinov children are the wildest creatures they've ever seen. Is it more than mere coincidence that these untamed children have turned up in Brighton just as Penelope and the Incorrigibles arrive?
Thoughts: Since Overdrive apparently refuses to buy this latest installment in the Incorrigible series, I broke down and bought it myself, something I very rarely do with audiobooks. It's ironic, then, that this is my least favorite so far and it's the only one I own.
It's not fair to say that it's bad. I don't think an Incorrigible book read by Kellgren COULD be bad. This one is just flat compared to the others. Which is really saying something given all the things that we learn and all the things that change hugely. I think it's becauseEdward Ashton and his scheming is completely background until the end so we're left being a bit irritated by the Babushkinovs, and especially their employees Julia and Gogolev, instead of enjoying the Incorrigibles and Lumley and Simon and the rest.
BUT there are some big reveals there at the end. Several of them were exactly what I had been expecting but a few were shocking and exciting. I'm certainly looking forward to the next one to see how things work outeven though it means MORE Babushkinovs, boo.
Rating: 3.83
Description: Lord Fredrick Ashton may not feel ready to be a father, but with a little Ashton on the way, he's sure about one thing: The wolfish curse on his family must end soon, before the child is born. Penelope willingly takes on the challenge; when Lady Constance's doctor prescribes a seaside holiday, Penelope jumps at the chance to take the three Incorrigible children to Brighton, where she hopes to persuade the old sailor Pudge to reveal what he knows about the Ashton curse.
But the Ashtons are not the only ones at the beach in January. The passionately temperamental Babushkinov family is also taking the winter waters. The Incorrigible children may have been raised by wolves, but the Babushkinov children are the wildest creatures they've ever seen. Is it more than mere coincidence that these untamed children have turned up in Brighton just as Penelope and the Incorrigibles arrive?
Thoughts: Since Overdrive apparently refuses to buy this latest installment in the Incorrigible series, I broke down and bought it myself, something I very rarely do with audiobooks. It's ironic, then, that this is my least favorite so far and it's the only one I own.
It's not fair to say that it's bad. I don't think an Incorrigible book read by Kellgren COULD be bad. This one is just flat compared to the others. Which is really saying something given all the things that we learn and all the things that change hugely. I think it's because
BUT there are some big reveals there at the end. Several of them were exactly what I had been expecting but a few were shocking and exciting. I'm certainly looking forward to the next one to see how things work out
Rating: 3.83
Liked: 3.5
Plot: 3
Characterization: 4
Writing: 4
Audio: 5
17leahbird
50. Dodger by Terry Pratchett (read by Stephen Briggs)
Description: Beloved and bestselling author Sir Terry Pratchett's Dodger, a Printz Honor Book, combines high comedy with deep wisdom in a tale of one remarkable boy's rise in a fantasy-infused Victorian London.
Seventeen-year-old Dodger is content as a sewer scavenger. But he enters a new world when he rescues a young girl from a beating, and her fate impacts some of the most powerful people in England.
From Dodger's encounter with the mad barber Sweeney Todd, to his meetings with the great writer Charles Dickens and the calculating politician Benjamin Disraeli, history and fantasy intertwine in a breathtaking account of adventure and mystery.
Thoughts: I picked this audiobook up free from Audiobook SYNC this summer, mostly because it was Terry Pratchett but also because it reminded me a little of Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore (historical fiction comedy mucking about with famous painters).
I quite enjoyed this book for the most part. The characters are great, the writing is very good, the exploration of old London very interesting. The only disappointment is the conclusion of the mystery that is supposedly driving the story.Yes, Dodger figures out how to save Simplicity-turned-Serendipity from being returned to her scoundrel of a husband, and everyone in the story seems to have pieced together exactly WHO that scoundrel is, but the reader is never explicitly told. It seems like he's a prince of "one of the Germanies," important enough that they have an embassy, but that's all we know and then that part of the story is dropped. I really wanted a confrontation, or a fuller explanation at the very least. Without that, the ending felt too pat and convenient.
Rating: 3.75
Description: Beloved and bestselling author Sir Terry Pratchett's Dodger, a Printz Honor Book, combines high comedy with deep wisdom in a tale of one remarkable boy's rise in a fantasy-infused Victorian London.
Seventeen-year-old Dodger is content as a sewer scavenger. But he enters a new world when he rescues a young girl from a beating, and her fate impacts some of the most powerful people in England.
From Dodger's encounter with the mad barber Sweeney Todd, to his meetings with the great writer Charles Dickens and the calculating politician Benjamin Disraeli, history and fantasy intertwine in a breathtaking account of adventure and mystery.
Thoughts: I picked this audiobook up free from Audiobook SYNC this summer, mostly because it was Terry Pratchett but also because it reminded me a little of Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore (historical fiction comedy mucking about with famous painters).
I quite enjoyed this book for the most part. The characters are great, the writing is very good, the exploration of old London very interesting. The only disappointment is the conclusion of the mystery that is supposedly driving the story.
Rating: 3.75
Liked: 3.5
Plot: 3.5
Characterization: 4.5
Writing: 3.5
Audio: 4
18leahbird
Hitting 50 books is pretty huge for me. Hitting 50 books in August is GIGANTIC! In the 8 years I've been tracking my reading, I've only managed to read more than 50 books IN A WHOLE YEAR three times: last year I read 51, in 2009 I read 63, and in 2011 I read 67. Thank god for audiobooks this year!
19leahbird
In a related note, I find it interesting that the year I read the most books, 2011, was the year I DIDN'T participate in a challenge... 2009 and 2010 I tried the category challenge but it wasn't for me. 2012 was my first year in the 75ers which I found much more enjoyable, but apparently much more distracting!
21cbl_tn
Congrats on hitting 50! I also downloaded Dodger from the Sync program. I'm not sure how soon I'll get to it...
22leahbird
Thanks, I'm pretty excited about it and what it could mean for my overall numbers this year. I stopped really trying to get to 75 about 2 years ago, but it's exciting to think that I might actually hit it this year without a lot of effort.
In other news, has anyone else seen the Uptown Funk parody, Unread Books? It's AWESOME! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6zcIFUvdJ0
Also, I've complained several times before about my local library and how weird it's selection and policies are. Well, tonight I was trying to decided if I wanted to buy The Martian for $1.99 via Book Riot's deal (here) or if I should just check it out from Overdrive so I went to see how long the wait was at my various libraries. My little rural county library has THIRTY-FOUR ebook copies! What the crap? Seattle's Overdrive only has 27 and another MUCH larger service only has 11. I know this is a hot book and I appreciate that there's shorter wait lists, but why are we spending money on 34 copies of this book and 0 of so many other great books? Makes no sense.
In other news, has anyone else seen the Uptown Funk parody, Unread Books? It's AWESOME! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6zcIFUvdJ0
Also, I've complained several times before about my local library and how weird it's selection and policies are. Well, tonight I was trying to decided if I wanted to buy The Martian for $1.99 via Book Riot's deal (here) or if I should just check it out from Overdrive so I went to see how long the wait was at my various libraries. My little rural county library has THIRTY-FOUR ebook copies! What the crap? Seattle's Overdrive only has 27 and another MUCH larger service only has 11. I know this is a hot book and I appreciate that there's shorter wait lists, but why are we spending money on 34 copies of this book and 0 of so many other great books? Makes no sense.
23thornton37814
Congrats on getting to 50! I am trying to figure out how I ever made a triple plus that one year. I'll be over 100 this year, especially since I'm about to read a bunch of picture books that arrived at the library, but I'll be over 100 even without those.
24leahbird
I think I just gamed the system and I feel a tiny bit guilty. I never feel guilty when I game the system on purpose, but having it happen serendipitously is kind of weird.
I went to cancel my Audible account since I really only signed back up to get one book and don't really need to buy an audiobook EVERY month. To keep me from canceling they offered me a $20 credit and I took the bait.
I then noticed the deal from Book Riot and went to snag The Martian for $1.99.
Amazon THEN offered to add Audible Narration to my ebook for only $2.99 more.
I've never taken the Audible Narration deals before, but getting the ebook AND audiobook for $5 instead of $31 sounded like a pretty good deal. Especially when I went to check the transaction and the $2.99 for the narration came out of the $20 credit Audible gave me.
So, ultimately I'm going to spend $14.95 more than I really intended to on the Audible membership but I ended up about $50 richer in product and credits than I was 10 minutes ago.
Somehow they are going to stick it to me. I can feel it.
I went to cancel my Audible account since I really only signed back up to get one book and don't really need to buy an audiobook EVERY month. To keep me from canceling they offered me a $20 credit and I took the bait.
I then noticed the deal from Book Riot and went to snag The Martian for $1.99.
Amazon THEN offered to add Audible Narration to my ebook for only $2.99 more.
I've never taken the Audible Narration deals before, but getting the ebook AND audiobook for $5 instead of $31 sounded like a pretty good deal. Especially when I went to check the transaction and the $2.99 for the narration came out of the $20 credit Audible gave me.
So, ultimately I'm going to spend $14.95 more than I really intended to on the Audible membership but I ended up about $50 richer in product and credits than I was 10 minutes ago.
Somehow they are going to stick it to me. I can feel it.
25cbl_tn
>22 leahbird: I think your library is part of the state's regional library system. The libraries in the regional system have a joint Overdrive account called Tennessee R.E.A.D.S. so those 34 copies are probably for all the libraries in the regional system and not just your local library. Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, and Chattanooga are not part of the regional library system and have to do their own thing.
27leahbird
>25 cbl_tn: It's definitely under the Tennessee READS umbrella but I could have sworn they purchased their e-copies separately. Trying to remember if I was told this explicitly at some point but I can't remember. That would explain the 34 copies of The Martian but make some of the gaping holes a little more irritating... I don't think I'll ever understand this library system OR forgive it for not being the Austin Public Library system- which I'm big enough to admit is NOT BCPL's fault, just a horrible trick played on me by the universe. ;p
28norabelle414
>24 leahbird: A few years ago I got a free 3-month membership to Audible, and with all the promos and coupons they kept giving me I ended up being a member for technically over 9 months. You're not really gaming anything; it's their thing.
29leahbird
>28 norabelle414: When I got three months (and therefore 3 credits) for $3, they let me go without any attempt to keep me, but this time I paid the full membership price for one month and they threw $20 at me. I guess I felt like a real customer this time? Weird.
30Ape
Suck it, Audible! Errr, sorry, I got carried away there. Sounds like a good deal for you... :)
32leahbird
Check out what came today!
I was trying to figure out exactly why this quite slim volume cost me nearly $40 until I opened it up to see this signature page! Nowhere in the description was it mentioned that this was numbered and signed. Weird but a nice surprise. I am quietly geeking out that I now have Catherynne Valente's autograph!
Even stranger that I can't find any other hard copies but these limited edition ones.
I was trying to figure out exactly why this quite slim volume cost me nearly $40 until I opened it up to see this signature page! Nowhere in the description was it mentioned that this was numbered and signed. Weird but a nice surprise. I am quietly geeking out that I now have Catherynne Valente's autograph!
Even stranger that I can't find any other hard copies but these limited edition ones.
33leahbird
51. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (read by Rebecca Lowman and Maxwell Caulfield)
Description: In Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life--and she's really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it's what got them through their mother leaving.
Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.
Cath's sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can't let go. She doesn't want to.
Now that they're going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn't want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She's got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?
Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?
And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?
Thoughts: It's taken me a week to decide if I really liked Fangirl or not. I think that I did like it but probably not as much as I had hoped that I would. That other Rowell book that I've read, Eleanor & Park resonated so strongly in my head and heart that I almost expected this one to do so by default, even though it has a very different subject matter and protagonist. While I could see myself very clearly in Eleanor, I didn't see myself in Cath and it was disappointing. Even worse, I saw myself a bit more in Wren, the irritating, self absorbed sister, and in Reagan, the grumpy but kind and yet almost completely disposed of halfway through the book roommate.
I was a big Harry Potter fan in HS and college (still am), but I think I just missed the hardcore fandom boat. Yes, I geek out when news trickles out and I did stalk the internet to get an early invite to Pottermore and I read some fanfic at one point, but I did not chat on forums or really live inside the fandom the way a lot of people did. I don't think there is anything WRONG with that, but reading about Cath's inability to separate herself from that world was a little depressing for me.I couldn't understand how she could be writing all this unSimon related work all semester and then flip out when her professor doesn't respond well to her turning in something that is so completely different than what she'd been writing. And THEN to have a breakdown over how she couldn't and didn't want to write anything of her own WHEN SHE'D ALREADY BEEN DOING IT all year was really confusing and frustrating.
I also feel like the story ends rather abruptly. Just because Cath's first year of college comes to end doesn't mean you can just stop the story, Rainbow! You are starting to get a reputation, lady!
But, I did like Cath and Reagan and Levi quite a lot. I liked the dynamic between them and the relationships they were building. I just wish there would have been more of that. And I wish I could have related to Cath more.
Rating: 3.33
Description: In Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life--and she's really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it's what got them through their mother leaving.
Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.
Cath's sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can't let go. She doesn't want to.
Now that they're going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn't want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She's got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?
Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?
And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?
Thoughts: It's taken me a week to decide if I really liked Fangirl or not. I think that I did like it but probably not as much as I had hoped that I would. That other Rowell book that I've read, Eleanor & Park resonated so strongly in my head and heart that I almost expected this one to do so by default, even though it has a very different subject matter and protagonist. While I could see myself very clearly in Eleanor, I didn't see myself in Cath and it was disappointing. Even worse, I saw myself a bit more in Wren, the irritating, self absorbed sister, and in Reagan, the grumpy but kind and yet almost completely disposed of halfway through the book roommate.
I was a big Harry Potter fan in HS and college (still am), but I think I just missed the hardcore fandom boat. Yes, I geek out when news trickles out and I did stalk the internet to get an early invite to Pottermore and I read some fanfic at one point, but I did not chat on forums or really live inside the fandom the way a lot of people did. I don't think there is anything WRONG with that, but reading about Cath's inability to separate herself from that world was a little depressing for me.
I also feel like the story ends rather abruptly. Just because Cath's first year of college comes to end doesn't mean you can just stop the story, Rainbow! You are starting to get a reputation, lady!
But, I did like Cath and Reagan and Levi quite a lot. I liked the dynamic between them and the relationships they were building. I just wish there would have been more of that. And I wish I could have related to Cath more.
Rating: 3.33
Liked: 3
Plot: 3
Characterization: 3.5
Writing: 3.5
Audio: 4
34leahbird
52. The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen (read by Davina Porter)
Description: In this riveting sequel to the national bestseller The Queen of the Tearling, the evil kingdom of Mortmesne invades the Tearling, with dire consequences for Kelsea and her realm.
With each passing day, Kelsea Glynn is growing into her new responsibilities as Queen of the Tearling. By stopping the shipments of slaves to the neighboring kingdom of Mortmesne, she crossed the Red Queen, a brutal ruler whose power derives from dark magic, who is sending her fearsome army into the Tearling to take what is hers. And nothing can stop the invasion.
But as the Mort army draws ever closer, Kelsea develops a mysterious connection to a time before the Crossing, and she finds herself relying on a strange and possibly dangerous ally: a woman named Lily, fighting for her life in a world where being female can feel like a crime. The fate of the Tearling —and that of Kelsea’s own soul—may rest with Lily and her story, but Kelsea may not have enough time to find out.
In this dazzling sequel, Erika Johansen brings back favorite characters, including the Mace and the Red Queen, and introduces unforgettable new players, adding exciting layers to her multidimensional tale of magic, mystery, and a fierce young heroine.
Thoughts: I put off listening to this sequel mostly because Katherine Kellgren was not narrating it. She is always superb and did a wonderful job with The Queen of the Tearling and I had significant doubts that a new reader would work for me. In some regards, I think that the change in reader did have a negative effect on my enjoyment of the story but I think there were also a lot of aspects to the story itself that I would have found problematic even with Kellgren still reading.
Porter has a nice voice and is a fine reader, but her Kelsea sounded older and harsher. The text does back this up to a certain extent, but sometimes it was really hard to picture her as 19 when listening to Porter's rendition of her. Porter also does not differentiate between characters very well, and doesn't even try to give Lily the correct American accent, simply continuing to speak with her own British accent. This was awkward and took me out of the story several times.
But even if I had read the book rather than listened to the audiobook, this one is certainly a different animal than the first book. Everyone is harder, no one seems as honorable or noble as they did before, and there are some truly horrific events that I was not prepared for. I think I understand what Johansen was trying to accomplish, but it just felt like too much all the time for me to be able to say I really enjoyed or loved this book.
I'm interested to see where the story goes next but I really hope that the tone is a little lighter, at least in places. And, to be honest, I might read the next one because I'm not sure I can take the disconnect of Porter's voice with these characters a second time.
Rating: 3.17
Description: In this riveting sequel to the national bestseller The Queen of the Tearling, the evil kingdom of Mortmesne invades the Tearling, with dire consequences for Kelsea and her realm.
With each passing day, Kelsea Glynn is growing into her new responsibilities as Queen of the Tearling. By stopping the shipments of slaves to the neighboring kingdom of Mortmesne, she crossed the Red Queen, a brutal ruler whose power derives from dark magic, who is sending her fearsome army into the Tearling to take what is hers. And nothing can stop the invasion.
But as the Mort army draws ever closer, Kelsea develops a mysterious connection to a time before the Crossing, and she finds herself relying on a strange and possibly dangerous ally: a woman named Lily, fighting for her life in a world where being female can feel like a crime. The fate of the Tearling —and that of Kelsea’s own soul—may rest with Lily and her story, but Kelsea may not have enough time to find out.
In this dazzling sequel, Erika Johansen brings back favorite characters, including the Mace and the Red Queen, and introduces unforgettable new players, adding exciting layers to her multidimensional tale of magic, mystery, and a fierce young heroine.
Thoughts: I put off listening to this sequel mostly because Katherine Kellgren was not narrating it. She is always superb and did a wonderful job with The Queen of the Tearling and I had significant doubts that a new reader would work for me. In some regards, I think that the change in reader did have a negative effect on my enjoyment of the story but I think there were also a lot of aspects to the story itself that I would have found problematic even with Kellgren still reading.
Porter has a nice voice and is a fine reader, but her Kelsea sounded older and harsher. The text does back this up to a certain extent, but sometimes it was really hard to picture her as 19 when listening to Porter's rendition of her. Porter also does not differentiate between characters very well, and doesn't even try to give Lily the correct American accent, simply continuing to speak with her own British accent. This was awkward and took me out of the story several times.
But even if I had read the book rather than listened to the audiobook, this one is certainly a different animal than the first book. Everyone is harder, no one seems as honorable or noble as they did before, and there are some truly horrific events that I was not prepared for. I think I understand what Johansen was trying to accomplish, but it just felt like too much all the time for me to be able to say I really enjoyed or loved this book.
I'm interested to see where the story goes next but I really hope that the tone is a little lighter, at least in places. And, to be honest, I might read the next one because I'm not sure I can take the disconnect of Porter's voice with these characters a second time.
Rating: 3.17
Liked: 3
Plot: 3
Characterization: 3
Writing: 3.5
Audio: 3.5
35leahbird
53. Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan (read by Ari Fliakos)
Description: A gleeful and exhilarating tale of global conspiracy, complex code-breaking, high-tech data visualization, young love, rollicking adventure, and the secret to eternal life—mostly set in a hole-in-the-wall San Francisco bookstore
The Great Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon out of his life as a San Francisco Web-design drone—and serendipity, sheer curiosity, and the ability to climb a ladder like a monkey has landed him a new gig working the night shift at Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. But after just a few days on the job, Clay begins to realize that this store is even more curious than the name suggests. There are only a few customers, but they come in repeatedly and never seem to actually buy anything, instead “checking out” impossibly obscure volumes from strange corners of the store, all according to some elaborate, long-standing arrangement with the gnomic Mr. Penumbra. The store must be a front for something larger, Clay concludes, and soon he’s embarked on a complex analysis of the customers’ behavior and roped his friends into helping to figure out just what’s going on. But once they bring their findings to Mr. Penumbra, it turns out the secrets extend far outside the walls of the bookstore.
With irresistible brio and dazzling intelligence, Robin Sloan has crafted a literary adventure story for the twenty-first century, evoking both the fairy-tale charm of Haruki Murakami and the enthusiastic novel-of-ideas wizardry of Neal Stephenson or a young Umberto Eco, but with a unique and feisty sensibility that’s rare to the world of literary fiction. Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore is exactly what it sounds like: an establishment you have to enter and will never want to leave, a modern-day cabinet of wonders ready to give a jolt of energy to every curious reader, no matter the time of day.
Thoughts: I should have read this as soon as it came out. I BOUGHT it then, but we all know how that works. There was never any reason I wasn't reading it, I just kept picking up other books instead.
I finally decided to try to listen to the books on my unread shelves. And I LOVED this one! It's so fun and sweet and about young, smart tech kids and elderly, smart scholarly folks. It's. Just. So. Charming! I want to be Clay Jannon!
Rating: 4.08
Description: A gleeful and exhilarating tale of global conspiracy, complex code-breaking, high-tech data visualization, young love, rollicking adventure, and the secret to eternal life—mostly set in a hole-in-the-wall San Francisco bookstore
The Great Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon out of his life as a San Francisco Web-design drone—and serendipity, sheer curiosity, and the ability to climb a ladder like a monkey has landed him a new gig working the night shift at Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. But after just a few days on the job, Clay begins to realize that this store is even more curious than the name suggests. There are only a few customers, but they come in repeatedly and never seem to actually buy anything, instead “checking out” impossibly obscure volumes from strange corners of the store, all according to some elaborate, long-standing arrangement with the gnomic Mr. Penumbra. The store must be a front for something larger, Clay concludes, and soon he’s embarked on a complex analysis of the customers’ behavior and roped his friends into helping to figure out just what’s going on. But once they bring their findings to Mr. Penumbra, it turns out the secrets extend far outside the walls of the bookstore.
With irresistible brio and dazzling intelligence, Robin Sloan has crafted a literary adventure story for the twenty-first century, evoking both the fairy-tale charm of Haruki Murakami and the enthusiastic novel-of-ideas wizardry of Neal Stephenson or a young Umberto Eco, but with a unique and feisty sensibility that’s rare to the world of literary fiction. Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore is exactly what it sounds like: an establishment you have to enter and will never want to leave, a modern-day cabinet of wonders ready to give a jolt of energy to every curious reader, no matter the time of day.
Thoughts: I should have read this as soon as it came out. I BOUGHT it then, but we all know how that works. There was never any reason I wasn't reading it, I just kept picking up other books instead.
I finally decided to try to listen to the books on my unread shelves. And I LOVED this one! It's so fun and sweet and about young, smart tech kids and elderly, smart scholarly folks. It's. Just. So. Charming! I want to be Clay Jannon!
Rating: 4.08
Liked: 4
Plot: 4
Characterization: 4.5
Writing: 4
Audio: 4
36leahbird
54. The Martian by Andy Weir (read by R. C. Bray)
Description: Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.
Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.
After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.
Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first.
But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?
Thoughts: I loved this book! Yes, it could have had a bit more character development, but given the way it's written, I totally understand why it's not there. I just love how science focused it is while also being a great survival story and really really funny. Most books with this premise would tend to go dark and gritty. The Martian, instead, goes funny and nerdy badass. Botany! Chemistry! Engineering! Actual math calculations on what it takes to stay alive. All by a guy who could totally be one of my friends, cracking wise while in insane peril, screaming about being screwed and then fixing the problem, being exceptionally immature (I mean, seriously, there is a "That's what she said" joke) while grappling with what it means to be the only person on an entire planet. It's just so great!
I'm going to see the movie on Sunday and I'm VERY excited now.
RC Bray does an admirable job reading Mark, but the rest wasn't perfect and some of his characters are hard to tell apart.
Rating: 4.17
Description: Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.
Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.
After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.
Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first.
But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?
Thoughts: I loved this book! Yes, it could have had a bit more character development, but given the way it's written, I totally understand why it's not there. I just love how science focused it is while also being a great survival story and really really funny. Most books with this premise would tend to go dark and gritty. The Martian, instead, goes funny and nerdy badass. Botany! Chemistry! Engineering! Actual math calculations on what it takes to stay alive. All by a guy who could totally be one of my friends, cracking wise while in insane peril, screaming about being screwed and then fixing the problem, being exceptionally immature (I mean, seriously, there is a "That's what she said" joke) while grappling with what it means to be the only person on an entire planet. It's just so great!
I'm going to see the movie on Sunday and I'm VERY excited now.
RC Bray does an admirable job reading Mark, but the rest wasn't perfect and some of his characters are hard to tell apart.
Rating: 4.17
Liked: 4.5
Plot: 4.5
Characterization: 4
Writing: 4
Audio: 3.5
37leahbird
55. Yes, My Accent is Real by Kunal Nayyar (read by Kunal Nayyar)
Description: In the spirit of Mindy Kaling’s bestseller Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, a collection of humorous, autobiographical essays from Kunal Nayyar, best known as Raj on CBS’s #1 hit comedy The Big Bang Theory.
Of all the charming misfits on television, there’s no doubt Raj from The Big Bang Theory—the sincere yet incurably geeky Indian-American astrophysicist—ranks among the misfittingest. Now, we meet the actor who is every bit as loveable as the character he plays on TV. In this revealing collection of essays written in his irreverent, hilarious, and self-deprecating voice, Kunal Nayyar traces his journey from a little boy in New Delhi who mistakes an awkward first kiss for a sacred commitment, gets nosebleeds chugging Coca-Cola to impress other students, and excels in the sport of badminton, to the confident, successful actor on the set of TV’s most-watched sitcom since Friends.
Going behind the scenes of The Big Bang Theory and into his personal experiences, Kunal introduces readers to the people who helped him grow, such as his James Bond-loving, mustachioed father who taught him the most important lessons in life: Treat a beggar as you would a king. There are two sides to every story. A smile goes a long way. And, when in doubt, use a spreadsheet. Kunal also walks us through his college years in Portland, where he takes his first sips of alcohol and learns to let loose with his French, 6’8” gentle-giant roommate, works his first-ever job for the university’s housekeeping department cleaning toilets for minimum wage, and begins a series of romantic exploits that go just about as well as they would for Raj. (That is, until he meets and marries a former Miss India in an elaborate seven-day event that we get to experience in a chapter titled “My Big Fat Indian Wedding.”)
Full of heart, but never taking itself too seriously, this witty and often inspiring collection of underdog tales follows a young man as he traverses two continents in search of a dream, along the way transcending culture and language (and many, many embarrassing incidents) to somehow miraculously land the role of a lifetime.
Thoughts: I really love The Big Bang Theory and Raj is one of my favorite characters. What can I say, I'm a sucker for smart, adorable Indian guys. I was sure that Kunal Nayyar's autobiographical essays would probably be hilarious and interesting and I was not disappointed. Raj and Kunnal share a sweetness and tenderheartedness that I really love.
There are stories from Kunnal's childhood in New Delhi, from his college years in Portland, detailing his first loves and disasters, his important friendships, and his road map to acting, success, and, eventually, marriage. And it's all charming and sweetly written.
I HIGHLY recommend listening to the audiobook and letting Kunal read his story to you. His voice is so pleasant and he knows exactly how to highlight the stories perfectly.
Rating: 4.21
Description: In the spirit of Mindy Kaling’s bestseller Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, a collection of humorous, autobiographical essays from Kunal Nayyar, best known as Raj on CBS’s #1 hit comedy The Big Bang Theory.
Of all the charming misfits on television, there’s no doubt Raj from The Big Bang Theory—the sincere yet incurably geeky Indian-American astrophysicist—ranks among the misfittingest. Now, we meet the actor who is every bit as loveable as the character he plays on TV. In this revealing collection of essays written in his irreverent, hilarious, and self-deprecating voice, Kunal Nayyar traces his journey from a little boy in New Delhi who mistakes an awkward first kiss for a sacred commitment, gets nosebleeds chugging Coca-Cola to impress other students, and excels in the sport of badminton, to the confident, successful actor on the set of TV’s most-watched sitcom since Friends.
Going behind the scenes of The Big Bang Theory and into his personal experiences, Kunal introduces readers to the people who helped him grow, such as his James Bond-loving, mustachioed father who taught him the most important lessons in life: Treat a beggar as you would a king. There are two sides to every story. A smile goes a long way. And, when in doubt, use a spreadsheet. Kunal also walks us through his college years in Portland, where he takes his first sips of alcohol and learns to let loose with his French, 6’8” gentle-giant roommate, works his first-ever job for the university’s housekeeping department cleaning toilets for minimum wage, and begins a series of romantic exploits that go just about as well as they would for Raj. (That is, until he meets and marries a former Miss India in an elaborate seven-day event that we get to experience in a chapter titled “My Big Fat Indian Wedding.”)
Full of heart, but never taking itself too seriously, this witty and often inspiring collection of underdog tales follows a young man as he traverses two continents in search of a dream, along the way transcending culture and language (and many, many embarrassing incidents) to somehow miraculously land the role of a lifetime.
Thoughts: I really love The Big Bang Theory and Raj is one of my favorite characters. What can I say, I'm a sucker for smart, adorable Indian guys. I was sure that Kunal Nayyar's autobiographical essays would probably be hilarious and interesting and I was not disappointed. Raj and Kunnal share a sweetness and tenderheartedness that I really love.
There are stories from Kunnal's childhood in New Delhi, from his college years in Portland, detailing his first loves and disasters, his important friendships, and his road map to acting, success, and, eventually, marriage. And it's all charming and sweetly written.
I HIGHLY recommend listening to the audiobook and letting Kunal read his story to you. His voice is so pleasant and he knows exactly how to highlight the stories perfectly.
Rating: 4.21
Liked: 4
Writing: 4
Content: 4
Authority: 5
Value: 3.5
Audio: 5
38leahbird
It's crickets in here! Hello? ::taps the mic:: Is anyone listening?
Just kidding. Kinda. I'm barely listening to myself at this point.
Maybe this will liven things up. I've got 2 Audible credits to spend because I got beat by my own scheme and forgot to cancel my membership before they charged me again... Stupid. Any recommendations for audiobooks I really need to listen to? Preferably not only a great story but a great reading too please.
Just kidding. Kinda. I'm barely listening to myself at this point.
Maybe this will liven things up. I've got 2 Audible credits to spend because I got beat by my own scheme and forgot to cancel my membership before they charged me again... Stupid. Any recommendations for audiobooks I really need to listen to? Preferably not only a great story but a great reading too please.
39foggidawn
>38 leahbird: It's been quiet all around lately. As for audiobooks, I've been meaning to listen to The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place ever since I heard the narrator read an excerpt at a conference, so that might be good? I read the book and liked it.
40Ape
I agree with Foggi. Maybe we're all getting old and "uncool." I still follow and read all the same people I've talked with for years, but now all our threads are dead half the time.
41cbl_tn
Hi Leah! I've been lurking here! I'm currently listening to Dracula. The production uses multiple readers and it's very good.
42scaifea
I'm currently listening to The Return of the Native read by Alan Rickman. The issue, though, is that I can't seem to focus on the story because, well, ALAN RICKMAN is reading to me. *dreamy sigh*
43drneutron
This year has definitely been quieter than any in recent memory for us... But I'm still here lurking!
44leahbird
I'm just as guilty. I read threads but don't post on others as often. Does this mean we're all reading more this year? ;)
45leahbird
Here's what I've been doing today.
It's so much fun to see a 6 year old get excited about inventorying books! And it's nice that the new LT inventory system is so easy that she can do it with limited guidance by me. We got through probably 100 books today!
It's so much fun to see a 6 year old get excited about inventorying books! And it's nice that the new LT inventory system is so easy that she can do it with limited guidance by me. We got through probably 100 books today!
46Ape
I also remember when the Top 10 Reviews on the site were almost exclusively 75ers, when everyone was constantly reading and thumbing each others' reviews, but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore either. Actually, I just checked and the top review only has 6 thumbs. Maybe it's just bad timing, but it seems the whole site is a little less active overall. The top review usually had 15+ thumbs at any given time back when I paid attention to such things. *Shrug*
Also, hurray for child labor! :D
Also, hurray for child labor! :D
47leahbird
>42 scaifea: ::Sigh:: Alan Rickman does have a lovely voice. I'll have to check that one out.
>46 Ape: Yeah, it's definitely a group wide silence this year, which is way weirder than my thread being quite when I don't take very good care of it to begin with. It's nice to see other groups really flourishing though, even though I'm not a part of them. ;)
Willing child labor is like a gold mine. She's so excited to do the most boring adult tasks. Wind thread on a bobbin? She whines when I haven't bought more for her to wind. Dust? I got yelled at for dusting when she wanted to do it. And now organize and inventory my books. It's crazy. And I'm taking advantage while it still lasts.
>46 Ape: Yeah, it's definitely a group wide silence this year, which is way weirder than my thread being quite when I don't take very good care of it to begin with. It's nice to see other groups really flourishing though, even though I'm not a part of them. ;)
Willing child labor is like a gold mine. She's so excited to do the most boring adult tasks. Wind thread on a bobbin? She whines when I haven't bought more for her to wind. Dust? I got yelled at for dusting when she wanted to do it. And now organize and inventory my books. It's crazy. And I'm taking advantage while it still lasts.
48leahbird
Two awesome things from Saturday.
The Illustrated Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone came in and it's GORGEOUS! And then I treated my little helper to a trip to the bookstore and let her pick out some first readers. She had the BEST time.
The Illustrated Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone came in and it's GORGEOUS! And then I treated my little helper to a trip to the bookstore and let her pick out some first readers. She had the BEST time.
49leahbird
56. A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore (read by Fisher Stevens)
Description: Charlie Asher is a pretty normal guy with a normal life, married to a bright and pretty woman who actually loves him for his normalcy. They're even about to have their first child. Yes, Charlie's doing okay—until people start dropping dead around him, and everywhere he goes a dark presence whispers to him from under the streets. Charlie Asher, it seems, has been recruited for a new position: as Death.
It's a dirty job. But, hey! Somebody's gotta do it.
Thoughts: I listened to this to refresh my memory of the finer details so I can read Secondhand Souls. It was almost as good as I remembered. I didn't love Fisher Stevens's reading of it, which probably affected my overall enjoyment of the story, but I think a little of the humor felt forced and juvenile this time around.
I still really enjoyed it though. I always enjoy Chris Moore books. And now I'm ready to tackle Secondhand Souls as soon as it's available!
Rating: 3.75
Description: Charlie Asher is a pretty normal guy with a normal life, married to a bright and pretty woman who actually loves him for his normalcy. They're even about to have their first child. Yes, Charlie's doing okay—until people start dropping dead around him, and everywhere he goes a dark presence whispers to him from under the streets. Charlie Asher, it seems, has been recruited for a new position: as Death.
It's a dirty job. But, hey! Somebody's gotta do it.
Thoughts: I listened to this to refresh my memory of the finer details so I can read Secondhand Souls. It was almost as good as I remembered. I didn't love Fisher Stevens's reading of it, which probably affected my overall enjoyment of the story, but I think a little of the humor felt forced and juvenile this time around.
I still really enjoyed it though. I always enjoy Chris Moore books. And now I'm ready to tackle Secondhand Souls as soon as it's available!
Rating: 3.75
Liked: 4
Plot: 3.5
Characterization: 4
Writing: 3.5
Audio: 3.5
50leahbird
I just completed the Great Inventory and Purge of 2015. It's been an ongoing project for a few weeks now and involved lots of yelling at the laptop (which is legitimately possessed and goes into other pages all by itself, like when I'm out of the room.....), fixing book covers and ISBNs, weeding out the books and movies I've decided need to go live somewhere else, and adding in the horde of books that I'd somehow managed to not catalog OR shelve. It's so nice having it completed and I only have 5 books unaccounted for which is impressive.
Here's the finished but not quite tidy product (minus the side shelves for obvious reasons)
However, when you get rid of this many books and movies
and only manage to find this much extra space
there may be a problem. At least I have open space for my birthday and Christmas books this year. ;)
Here's the finished but not quite tidy product (minus the side shelves for obvious reasons)
However, when you get rid of this many books and movies
and only manage to find this much extra space
there may be a problem. At least I have open space for my birthday and Christmas books this year. ;)
51Ape
Haha, I had a similar (but different) problem recently. I received a new "book shelf" from my sister and completely filled it with books. I thought this meant I had lots of room for new books, but after going to a library I somehow seem to have less space than before. I think I broke physics somehow.
52leahbird
It makes perfect sense to me!
Usually when I attempt to sell books, I get offered next to nothing. This time, McKay's offered me $190 store credit or $100 cash! I could hardly believe it! So cool.
Usually when I attempt to sell books, I get offered next to nothing. This time, McKay's offered me $190 store credit or $100 cash! I could hardly believe it! So cool.
53thornton37814
>52 leahbird: Congrats on the McKays! I always try to take only things I think they might take, but I haven't quite figured out their parameters for non-fiction because what is on the shelf is not necessarily consistent with their stated policies. I will usually only take mass-market fiction because most of my oversize is too old for them to want. They are not nearly as generous as they used to be on compensating you.
54leahbird
57. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (read by Euan Morton)
Description: Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who's ever been chosen.
That's what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he's probably right.
Half the time, Simon can't even make his wand work, and the other half, he starts something on fire. His mentor's avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there's a magic-eating monster running around, wearing Simon's face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here--it's their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon's infuriating nemesis didn't even bother to show up.
Carry On - The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow is a ghost story, a love story and a mystery. It has just as much kissing and talking as you'd expect from a Rainbow Rowell story - but far, far more monsters.
Thoughts: This was really quite good. As a piece of fanfic written by a character in Rowell's Fangirl, I think it's hugely successful. You can feel the foundation in an established series and the little tweaks that Cath would have made to manipulate Simon and Baz onto the path she wanted.
As an actual novel taken by itself, it's still really good. I very much enjoyed the world Rowell built and the commentary it is on Rowling's world of magic. I think the characters of Simon and Penny and Baz are wonderful. The other characters are a little less fleshed, which hinders the story in some places, especially in regards to the Mage, Lucy, and Eb.
The final action and resolution were just TOO brisk for me though. It was abrupt and a bit confusing and just left me a bit deflated.I think Lucy died just after giving birth to Simon, but did Davy sacrifice her life or was it just too much for her? What exactly did he think he was going to accomplish by killing Eb and taking her powers? Did he really not understand Simon's connection to the Humdrum? I was irritated that Simon didn't get to find out who his parents were and how he came to be an orphan.
I'd like to get a sequel that sees Simon and friends facing a new magical challengenow that Simon doesn't have magic .
Euan Morton is a great narrator for this. Simon and Baz sound too much alike sometimes but his accents are pretty solid, and his reading of Lucy was very feminine.
Rating: 4
Description: Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who's ever been chosen.
That's what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he's probably right.
Half the time, Simon can't even make his wand work, and the other half, he starts something on fire. His mentor's avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there's a magic-eating monster running around, wearing Simon's face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here--it's their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon's infuriating nemesis didn't even bother to show up.
Carry On - The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow is a ghost story, a love story and a mystery. It has just as much kissing and talking as you'd expect from a Rainbow Rowell story - but far, far more monsters.
Thoughts: This was really quite good. As a piece of fanfic written by a character in Rowell's Fangirl, I think it's hugely successful. You can feel the foundation in an established series and the little tweaks that Cath would have made to manipulate Simon and Baz onto the path she wanted.
As an actual novel taken by itself, it's still really good. I very much enjoyed the world Rowell built and the commentary it is on Rowling's world of magic. I think the characters of Simon and Penny and Baz are wonderful. The other characters are a little less fleshed, which hinders the story in some places, especially in regards to the Mage, Lucy, and Eb.
The final action and resolution were just TOO brisk for me though. It was abrupt and a bit confusing and just left me a bit deflated.
I'd like to get a sequel that sees Simon and friends facing a new magical challenge
Euan Morton is a great narrator for this. Simon and Baz sound too much alike sometimes but his accents are pretty solid, and his reading of Lucy was very feminine.
Rating: 4
Liked: 4
Plot: 3.5
Characterization: 4.5
Writing: 4
Audio: 4
56leahbird
This was my third and I've enjoyed them all. Eleanor & Park was my favorite.
57MickyFine
Skipping the review of Carry On because I want to go into it relatively blind. Glad you enjoyed it though.
59leahbird
Today I am 33 years old. I celebrated with dinner with my family and my newly reading niece read 15 first reader books to me which is about the best gift ever.
67thornton37814
I'm even later than Carrie in wishing you a Happy Birthday. Sounds like it was a good one.
69leahbird
58. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley (read by Jayne Entwistle)
Description: Banished! is how twelve-year-old Flavia de Luce laments her predicament, when her father and Aunt Felicity ship her off to Miss Bodycote’s Female Academy, the boarding school that her mother, Harriet, once attended across the sea in Canada. The sun has not yet risen on Flavia’s first day in captivity when a gift lands at her feet. Flavia being Flavia, a budding chemist and sleuth, that gift is a charred and mummified body, which tumbles out of a bedroom chimney. Now, while attending classes, making friends (and enemies), and assessing the school’s stern headmistress and faculty (one of whom is an acquitted murderess), Flavia is on the hunt for the victim’s identity and time of death, as well as suspects, motives, and means. Rumors swirl that Miss Bodycote’s is haunted, and that several girls have disappeared without a trace. When it comes to solving multiple mysteries, Flavia is up to the task—but her true destiny has yet to be revealed.
Thoughts: There was the hint of a lot of lovely potential story in this installment of my favorite child sleuth but most of it seemed wasted by the end. I knew we were in for something different since Flavia was leaving Buckshaw and I was really interested to see what she would do with a horde of girls her own agebut I thought that this was going to be the first book of many set in the school rather than an apparent standalone. All the potential of the cast of characters and Flavia's possible relationships with them seems totally pointless and squandered since she is apparently headed back to England. I'm actually disappointed that she won't be palling around with Jumbo and Scarlet and Grimley et al any more. A shame.
Jayne Entwistle is a very good narrator for Flavia, even if some of her voices are hard to tell apart. She conveys such wonderful cheek in Flavia's inner monologue while still pulling off the faces that Flavia puts on for others perfectly.
Rating: 3.42
Description: Banished! is how twelve-year-old Flavia de Luce laments her predicament, when her father and Aunt Felicity ship her off to Miss Bodycote’s Female Academy, the boarding school that her mother, Harriet, once attended across the sea in Canada. The sun has not yet risen on Flavia’s first day in captivity when a gift lands at her feet. Flavia being Flavia, a budding chemist and sleuth, that gift is a charred and mummified body, which tumbles out of a bedroom chimney. Now, while attending classes, making friends (and enemies), and assessing the school’s stern headmistress and faculty (one of whom is an acquitted murderess), Flavia is on the hunt for the victim’s identity and time of death, as well as suspects, motives, and means. Rumors swirl that Miss Bodycote’s is haunted, and that several girls have disappeared without a trace. When it comes to solving multiple mysteries, Flavia is up to the task—but her true destiny has yet to be revealed.
Thoughts: There was the hint of a lot of lovely potential story in this installment of my favorite child sleuth but most of it seemed wasted by the end. I knew we were in for something different since Flavia was leaving Buckshaw and I was really interested to see what she would do with a horde of girls her own age
Jayne Entwistle is a very good narrator for Flavia, even if some of her voices are hard to tell apart. She conveys such wonderful cheek in Flavia's inner monologue while still pulling off the faces that Flavia puts on for others perfectly.
Rating: 3.42
Liked: 3
Plot: 3
Characterization: 4
Writing: 3.5
Audio: 4
70leahbird
59. Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore (read by Fisher Stevens)
Description: In San Francisco, the souls of the dead are mysteriously disappearing—and you know that can’t be good—in New York Times bestselling author Christopher Moore’s delightfully funny sequel to A Dirty Job.
Something really strange is happening in the City by the Bay. People are dying, but their souls are not being collected. Someone—or something—is stealing them and no one knows where they are going, or why, but it has something to do with that big orange bridge. Death Merchant Charlie Asher is just as flummoxed as everyone else. He’s trapped in the body of a fourteen-inch-tall “meat puppet” waiting for his Buddhist nun girlfriend, Audrey, to find him a suitable new body to play host.
To get to the bottom of this abomination, a motley crew of heroes will band together: the seven-foot-tall death merchant Minty Fresh; retired policeman turned bookseller Alphonse Rivera; the Emperor of San Francisco and his dogs, Bummer and Lazarus; and Lily, the former Goth girl. Now if only they can get little Sophie to stop babbling about the coming battle for the very soul of humankind . . .
Thoughts: This was ok. I didn't really love the plot but it was nice to visit these characters again. The cover is freaking adorable but really misleading if it makes you think Sophie is going to be a major character. She's important to the story, but even more marginalized than she was in the first one.
Rating: 3.17
Description: In San Francisco, the souls of the dead are mysteriously disappearing—and you know that can’t be good—in New York Times bestselling author Christopher Moore’s delightfully funny sequel to A Dirty Job.
Something really strange is happening in the City by the Bay. People are dying, but their souls are not being collected. Someone—or something—is stealing them and no one knows where they are going, or why, but it has something to do with that big orange bridge. Death Merchant Charlie Asher is just as flummoxed as everyone else. He’s trapped in the body of a fourteen-inch-tall “meat puppet” waiting for his Buddhist nun girlfriend, Audrey, to find him a suitable new body to play host.
To get to the bottom of this abomination, a motley crew of heroes will band together: the seven-foot-tall death merchant Minty Fresh; retired policeman turned bookseller Alphonse Rivera; the Emperor of San Francisco and his dogs, Bummer and Lazarus; and Lily, the former Goth girl. Now if only they can get little Sophie to stop babbling about the coming battle for the very soul of humankind . . .
Thoughts: This was ok. I didn't really love the plot but it was nice to visit these characters again. The cover is freaking adorable but really misleading if it makes you think Sophie is going to be a major character. She's important to the story, but even more marginalized than she was in the first one.
Rating: 3.17
Liked: 3
Plot: 3
Characterization: 3.5
Writing: 3.5
Audio: 3
71leahbird
60. After Alice by Gregory Maguire (read by Katherine Kellgren)
Description: When Alice toppled down the rabbit-hole 150 years ago, she found a Wonderland as rife with inconsistent rules and abrasive egos as the world she left behind. But what of that world? How did 1860s Oxford react to Alice’s disappearance?
In this brilliant work of fiction, Gregory Maguire turns his dazzling imagination to the question of underworlds, undergrounds, underpinnings—and understandings old and new, offering an inventive spin on Carroll’s enduring tale. Ada, a friend of Alice’s mentioned briefly in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, is off to visit her friend, but arrives a moment too late—and tumbles down the rabbit-hole herself.
Ada brings to Wonderland her own imperfect apprehension of cause and effect as she embarks on an odyssey to find Alice and see her safely home from this surreal world below the world. If Eurydice can ever be returned to the arms of Orpheus, or Lazarus can be raised from the tomb, perhaps Alice can be returned to life. Either way, everything that happens next is “After Alice.”
Thoughts: I was very excited about this new book from Maguire, especially since it was a new classic retelling, but it didn't really work for me in the end.
There are some really fascinating additions in the beginning. We see what's going on in the real world on the day that Alice and Ada fall into Wonderland, with sisters and governesses and cooks and preeminent biological pioneers. It's a nice anchor for the weird story of Wonderland. There is the hint of a really interesting conversation about the life of the soul in the realm of Evolution that I wish had been allowed to be more explored.
And I liked Ada as a character quite a bit. She's a girl apart, but she manages to still have a kind heart and an adventurous spirit even after a life of limited physical mobility and having people stare at her and children avoid playing with her. I wanted her adventure to be really wondrous.
Instead, as the story unraveled, it really did feel too much like getting to the party 10 mins late over and over and over. There just wasn't enough meat to Ada's adventure. It was simply a series of encounters that were too familiar to be really interesting. And too convenient.
And then there was Lydia. What a snotty little brat. At first I was fascinated to see what her day was going to be like, but she ended up being a mean spirited, jealous girl.
And Siam felt completely tacked on at the halfway point. He could have been interesting, but he wasn't. And Mr. Winter, by proxy, felt useless as well.
Even with these disappointments, Maguire's word craft is always lovely and there are many nice passages. As a whole, however, it just didn't come together well. It's much better than Mirror, Mirror was but no where near the beauty of Wicked or Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister.
I preordered the hardcover of this and then also ended up using an Audible credit to get the audiobook because KATHERINE KELLGREN was the narrator. Her voice and characters are lovely as always, but I heard characters from her other narrated stories creeping into this one a bit too much and it kept throwing me out of the narrative flow. Bummer.
Rating: 3.58
Description: When Alice toppled down the rabbit-hole 150 years ago, she found a Wonderland as rife with inconsistent rules and abrasive egos as the world she left behind. But what of that world? How did 1860s Oxford react to Alice’s disappearance?
In this brilliant work of fiction, Gregory Maguire turns his dazzling imagination to the question of underworlds, undergrounds, underpinnings—and understandings old and new, offering an inventive spin on Carroll’s enduring tale. Ada, a friend of Alice’s mentioned briefly in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, is off to visit her friend, but arrives a moment too late—and tumbles down the rabbit-hole herself.
Ada brings to Wonderland her own imperfect apprehension of cause and effect as she embarks on an odyssey to find Alice and see her safely home from this surreal world below the world. If Eurydice can ever be returned to the arms of Orpheus, or Lazarus can be raised from the tomb, perhaps Alice can be returned to life. Either way, everything that happens next is “After Alice.”
Thoughts: I was very excited about this new book from Maguire, especially since it was a new classic retelling, but it didn't really work for me in the end.
There are some really fascinating additions in the beginning. We see what's going on in the real world on the day that Alice and Ada fall into Wonderland, with sisters and governesses and cooks and preeminent biological pioneers. It's a nice anchor for the weird story of Wonderland. There is the hint of a really interesting conversation about the life of the soul in the realm of Evolution that I wish had been allowed to be more explored.
And I liked Ada as a character quite a bit. She's a girl apart, but she manages to still have a kind heart and an adventurous spirit even after a life of limited physical mobility and having people stare at her and children avoid playing with her. I wanted her adventure to be really wondrous.
Instead, as the story unraveled, it really did feel too much like getting to the party 10 mins late over and over and over. There just wasn't enough meat to Ada's adventure. It was simply a series of encounters that were too familiar to be really interesting. And too convenient.
And then there was Lydia. What a snotty little brat. At first I was fascinated to see what her day was going to be like, but she ended up being a mean spirited, jealous girl.
And Siam felt completely tacked on at the halfway point. He could have been interesting, but he wasn't. And Mr. Winter, by proxy, felt useless as well.
Even with these disappointments, Maguire's word craft is always lovely and there are many nice passages. As a whole, however, it just didn't come together well. It's much better than Mirror, Mirror was but no where near the beauty of Wicked or Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister.
I preordered the hardcover of this and then also ended up using an Audible credit to get the audiobook because KATHERINE KELLGREN was the narrator. Her voice and characters are lovely as always, but I heard characters from her other narrated stories creeping into this one a bit too much and it kept throwing me out of the narrative flow. Bummer.
Rating: 3.58
Liked: 3.5
Plot: 3
Characterization: 3.5
Writing: 4
Audio: 4
72norabelle414
DID SOMEONE SAY KATHERINE KELLGREN!?!?
I already have After Alice in hardcover though.....
I already have After Alice in hardcover though.....
73leahbird
Yeah, I'd say wait and see if it comes to Overdrive. I have the hardcover AND the audio now and am kinda wishing I didn't have both...
74leahbird
61. Manners & Mutiny by Gail Carriger (read by Moira Quirk)
Description: If one must flirt...flirt with danger.
Lessons in the art of espionage aboard Mademoiselle Geraldine's floating dirigible have become tedious without Sophronia's sweet sootie Soap nearby. She would much rather be using her skills to thwart the dastardly Picklemen, yet her concerns about their wicked intentions are ignored, and now she's not sure whom to trust. What does the brusque werewolf dewan know? On whose side is the ever-stylish vampire Lord Akeldama? Only one thing is certain: a large-scale plot is under way, and when it comes to fruition, Sophronia must be ready to save her friends, her school, and all of London from disaster--in decidedly dramatic fashion, of course.
What will become of our proper young heroine when she puts her years of training to the test? Find out in this highly anticipated and thrilling conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Finishing School series!
Thoughts: This was a wonderful installment of the Finishing School series, probably my favorite one. Loved finding out everyone's little secrets and seeing them all in top form. LOVED the ending. Now just hoping that these characters pop up again somehow, either in another series when they are a bit older or in the Custard Protocol series.
Rating: 3.92
Description: If one must flirt...flirt with danger.
Lessons in the art of espionage aboard Mademoiselle Geraldine's floating dirigible have become tedious without Sophronia's sweet sootie Soap nearby. She would much rather be using her skills to thwart the dastardly Picklemen, yet her concerns about their wicked intentions are ignored, and now she's not sure whom to trust. What does the brusque werewolf dewan know? On whose side is the ever-stylish vampire Lord Akeldama? Only one thing is certain: a large-scale plot is under way, and when it comes to fruition, Sophronia must be ready to save her friends, her school, and all of London from disaster--in decidedly dramatic fashion, of course.
What will become of our proper young heroine when she puts her years of training to the test? Find out in this highly anticipated and thrilling conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Finishing School series!
Thoughts: This was a wonderful installment of the Finishing School series, probably my favorite one. Loved finding out everyone's little secrets and seeing them all in top form. LOVED the ending. Now just hoping that these characters pop up again somehow, either in another series when they are a bit older or in the Custard Protocol series.
Rating: 3.92
Liked: 4
Plot: 4
Characterization: 4
Writing: 3.5
Audio: 4
75leahbird
I'm listening to Uprooted by Naomi Novik and LOVING it. It's very different from her Temeraire books but it's totally spellbinding. Julia Emelin was a fantastic choice of narrator! I'm so glad they went with an actual Russian speaking reader and not just someone reading in straight English or with a fake accent. Her differentiation between characters is not great, but her voice totally transports me into the story.
This makes about the 100th book I've purchased as a hardcover this year that I ended up listening to instead. My consumption numbers are way up but my physical book reading is abysmal.
This makes about the 100th book I've purchased as a hardcover this year that I ended up listening to instead. My consumption numbers are way up but my physical book reading is abysmal.
76Ape
Haha, at first I thought you meant literally 100th. Well, look at it this way, you get to experience the book and your hardcovers get to remain in immaculate condition! :)
77leahbird
62. Uprooted by Naomi Novik (read by Julia Emelin)
Description:“Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that grateful.”
Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.
Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.
The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.
But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, anything could happen.
Thoughts: I finished this book back on the 15th. I blame Christmas for the delay in reviewing. Because I really, really liked this book. The characters, especially Agnieszka and Kasia, but also the wizards and the prince and even the Wood, are fascinating and well crafted. Agnieszka's determination and devotion to those she loves is so authentic and vital that you can't help but feel her emotions in your own stomach.
My only complaint is a selfish and petty one: I want more! Specifically,I want more of Agnieszka living in the defeated wood in her tree hut and being a wild woman. I'm happy that the Dragon came back to her, but I wish there had been a chapter or two of her getting by on her own and really exploring the wood, with us along for the ride. Or that she'd already taken on a student. I don't know, that little glimpsed life was so fascinating!
I did buy a hard copy of this, but as has become the norm this year, I listened to the audiobook. And it's WONDERFUL! Julia Emelin is a native Russian speaker so her voice lent a perfect tone to the audiobook. Her characters, especially her male characters, could use some more differentiation, but I could have listened to her read this story forever.
Rating: 4.5
Description:“Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that grateful.”
Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.
Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.
The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.
But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, anything could happen.
Thoughts: I finished this book back on the 15th. I blame Christmas for the delay in reviewing. Because I really, really liked this book. The characters, especially Agnieszka and Kasia, but also the wizards and the prince and even the Wood, are fascinating and well crafted. Agnieszka's determination and devotion to those she loves is so authentic and vital that you can't help but feel her emotions in your own stomach.
My only complaint is a selfish and petty one: I want more! Specifically,
I did buy a hard copy of this, but as has become the norm this year, I listened to the audiobook. And it's WONDERFUL! Julia Emelin is a native Russian speaker so her voice lent a perfect tone to the audiobook. Her characters, especially her male characters, could use some more differentiation, but I could have listened to her read this story forever.
Rating: 4.5
Liked: 4.5
Plot: 4.5
Characterization: 5
Writing: 4.5
Audio: 4
78cbl_tn
Hi Leah! Belated Christmas wishes to you! I'm going to take advantage of this unusually warm December afternoon to take Adrian on a long walk. I need to soak up all the sun I can in case this February is as cold and snowy as the last.
79leahbird
Belated Christmas to you too Carrie! I'm at work trying to restrain myself from changing our window painting from snowmen to puddles. ;)
81leahbird
63. Lexicon by Max Barry (read by Heather Corrigan and Zach Appelman)
Description: At an exclusive school somewhere outside of Arlington, Virginia, students aren’t taught history, geography, or mathematics—they are taught to persuade. Students learn to use language to manipulate minds, wielding words as weapons. The very best graduate as “poets,” and enter a nameless organization of unknown purpose.
Whip-smart runaway Emily Ruff is making a living from three-card Monte on the streets of San Francisco when she attracts the attention of the organization’s recruiters. Drawn in to their strage world, which is populated by people named Brontë and Eliot, she learns their key rule: That every person can be classified by personality type, his mind segmented and ultimately unlocked by the skilful application of words. For this reason, she must never allow another person to truly know her, lest she herself be coerced. Adapting quickly, Emily becomes the school’s most talented prodigy, until she makes a catastrophic mistake: She falls in love.
Meanwhile, a seemingly innocent man named Wil Parke is brutally ambushed by two men in an airport bathroom. They claim he is the key to a secret war he knows nothing about, that he is an “outlier,” immune to segmentation. Attempting to stay one step ahead of the organization and its mind-bending poets, Wil and his captors seek salvation in an unlikely place.
A brilliant thriller that traverses very modern questions of privacy, identity, and the rising obsession of data-collection, connecting them to centuries-old ideas about the power of language and coercion, Lexicon is Max Barry’s most ambitious and spellbinding novel yet.
Thoughts: I imagined this being a bit more like The Magicians with a thriller element thrown in, but it was nothing like that at all. The story bounces back and forth between the mostly linear story of Emily Ruff, streetwise kid who hits the big time only to realize that she has no idea what's she's really gotten herself into, and Wil Parke and his captors, the story of which is happening at some later point in the plot. Both sections are interesting in different ways, but also lacking in significant ways. These seem mostly deliberate, an effort to drive up the mystery and move the story along, but they weren't always effective for me.
The most interesting part of the construction of the story is the little snips of news stories and internet chat threads and scientific research that are peppered throughout the text. The story is grounded in some real and quite neat neurolinguistics, linguistic anthropology (especially it's subset archeolinguistics), and the application of analytics/psychographic segmentation to predict behavior. All of these things reflect some action or event in the book and give it a really great creepiness factor. This is even used to a laugh a time or two. Just wait til you get to the last page!
But even with all this going for it, the story feel a little flat for me. It lacked emotional depth, which makes a little sense, but it just wouldn't allow the story to really work for me. Fascinating but not all that compelling.
Listening to the audiobook feels like the correct way to approach this story that is so obsessed with words and the spoken language, but there is a catch. Zach Appelman narrates Wil's sections and Heather Corrigan narrates Emily's, but each of those characters has interactions with several overlapping characters and there is very little continuity in character delivery. It's weird. It's not something you can't get past, but it's weird. More problematic is that a good portion of the book takes place in a foreign country and Ms Corrigan CAN NOT do that country's accent. AT. ALL. She sounds Scottish and it's very wrong. It's cringe-worthy. Corrigan's voice is pleasant otherwise and fits Emily, and Appelman reads Wil very well, but it wasn't enough to make me overlook the problems.
Rating: 3.34
Description: At an exclusive school somewhere outside of Arlington, Virginia, students aren’t taught history, geography, or mathematics—they are taught to persuade. Students learn to use language to manipulate minds, wielding words as weapons. The very best graduate as “poets,” and enter a nameless organization of unknown purpose.
Whip-smart runaway Emily Ruff is making a living from three-card Monte on the streets of San Francisco when she attracts the attention of the organization’s recruiters. Drawn in to their strage world, which is populated by people named Brontë and Eliot, she learns their key rule: That every person can be classified by personality type, his mind segmented and ultimately unlocked by the skilful application of words. For this reason, she must never allow another person to truly know her, lest she herself be coerced. Adapting quickly, Emily becomes the school’s most talented prodigy, until she makes a catastrophic mistake: She falls in love.
Meanwhile, a seemingly innocent man named Wil Parke is brutally ambushed by two men in an airport bathroom. They claim he is the key to a secret war he knows nothing about, that he is an “outlier,” immune to segmentation. Attempting to stay one step ahead of the organization and its mind-bending poets, Wil and his captors seek salvation in an unlikely place.
A brilliant thriller that traverses very modern questions of privacy, identity, and the rising obsession of data-collection, connecting them to centuries-old ideas about the power of language and coercion, Lexicon is Max Barry’s most ambitious and spellbinding novel yet.
Thoughts: I imagined this being a bit more like The Magicians with a thriller element thrown in, but it was nothing like that at all. The story bounces back and forth between the mostly linear story of Emily Ruff, streetwise kid who hits the big time only to realize that she has no idea what's she's really gotten herself into, and Wil Parke and his captors, the story of which is happening at some later point in the plot. Both sections are interesting in different ways, but also lacking in significant ways. These seem mostly deliberate, an effort to drive up the mystery and move the story along, but they weren't always effective for me.
The most interesting part of the construction of the story is the little snips of news stories and internet chat threads and scientific research that are peppered throughout the text. The story is grounded in some real and quite neat neurolinguistics, linguistic anthropology (especially it's subset archeolinguistics), and the application of analytics/psychographic segmentation to predict behavior. All of these things reflect some action or event in the book and give it a really great creepiness factor. This is even used to a laugh a time or two. Just wait til you get to the last page!
But even with all this going for it, the story feel a little flat for me. It lacked emotional depth, which makes a little sense, but it just wouldn't allow the story to really work for me. Fascinating but not all that compelling.
Listening to the audiobook feels like the correct way to approach this story that is so obsessed with words and the spoken language, but there is a catch. Zach Appelman narrates Wil's sections and Heather Corrigan narrates Emily's, but each of those characters has interactions with several overlapping characters and there is very little continuity in character delivery. It's weird. It's not something you can't get past, but it's weird. More problematic is that a good portion of the book takes place in a foreign country and Ms Corrigan CAN NOT do that country's accent. AT. ALL. She sounds Scottish and it's very wrong. It's cringe-worthy. Corrigan's voice is pleasant otherwise and fits Emily, and Appelman reads Wil very well, but it wasn't enough to make me overlook the problems.
Rating: 3.34
Liked: 3.5
Plot: 3.5
Characterization: 3
Writing: 3
Audio: 3.5
82leahbird
Year End Review for 2015
Books read: 63 (up 12 from last year)
Books paused: 0 (down 4)
Paper books: 15 (down 2)
Kindle: 2 (down 15)
Audio: 46 (up 29)
New reads: 62 (up 11)
Rereads: 1 (down 9)
From my shelves (physical): 0 (down 1)
New: 20 (down 2)
Library: 43 (down 15)
Listened To Off My Shelves: 5 (new stat)
Fiction: 61 (up 12)
Non-Fiction: 1 (down 1)
Series: 52 (up 9)
Fantasy: 50 (up 10)
Sci-Fi: 6 (down 3)
Young adult: 23 (up 2)
Fairy Tales/Myths & Retellings: 6 (up 2)
Comics & Graphic Novels: 13 (up 9)
Classics: 0 (no change)
Cookbooks: 0 (no change)
My rating of 4 or higher: 8 (down 18)
Average rating: 3.472 (down .234)
LT rating of 4 or higher: 22 (down 6)
Pages read: 3,417 (down 6,784 OUCH!)
Hours listened: 19 days, 22 hrs, 12 mins (up 10d, 3hr, 51min!!!!)
Average page length: 228 (down 72)
Average hours: 10 hrs, 24 mins (down 3 hrs, 12 min)
Longest book read: 305 (down 207)
Shortest book read: 72 (up 22)
Books by female authors: 28 (no change)
Books by male authors: 35 (up 12)
Female authors - average rating: 3.58 (down .29)
Male authors - average rating: 3.39 (down .11)
Books from the female perspective: 47* (up 22)
Books from the male perspective: 21* (down 8)
Female perspective - average rating: 3.38 (down .08)
Male Perspective - average rating: 3.63 (down .21)
Female author/Male perspective: 2* (down 14)
Male author/Female perspective: 21* (up 7)
Female author/Male perspective - average rating: 3.84 (down .29)
Male author/Female perspective - average rating: 3.10 (down .15)
*If books had multiple main protagonists, I counted them in both groups.
Books read: 63 (up 12 from last year)
Books paused: 0 (down 4)
Paper books: 15 (down 2)
Kindle: 2 (down 15)
Audio: 46 (up 29)
New reads: 62 (up 11)
Rereads: 1 (down 9)
From my shelves (physical): 0 (down 1)
New: 20 (down 2)
Library: 43 (down 15)
Listened To Off My Shelves: 5 (new stat)
Fiction: 61 (up 12)
Non-Fiction: 1 (down 1)
Series: 52 (up 9)
Fantasy: 50 (up 10)
Sci-Fi: 6 (down 3)
Young adult: 23 (up 2)
Fairy Tales/Myths & Retellings: 6 (up 2)
Comics & Graphic Novels: 13 (up 9)
Classics: 0 (no change)
Cookbooks: 0 (no change)
My rating of 4 or higher: 8 (down 18)
Average rating: 3.472 (down .234)
LT rating of 4 or higher: 22 (down 6)
Pages read: 3,417 (down 6,784 OUCH!)
Hours listened: 19 days, 22 hrs, 12 mins (up 10d, 3hr, 51min!!!!)
Average page length: 228 (down 72)
Average hours: 10 hrs, 24 mins (down 3 hrs, 12 min)
Longest book read: 305 (down 207)
Shortest book read: 72 (up 22)
Books by female authors: 28 (no change)
Books by male authors: 35 (up 12)
Female authors - average rating: 3.58 (down .29)
Male authors - average rating: 3.39 (down .11)
Books from the female perspective: 47* (up 22)
Books from the male perspective: 21* (down 8)
Female perspective - average rating: 3.38 (down .08)
Male Perspective - average rating: 3.63 (down .21)
Female author/Male perspective: 2* (down 14)
Male author/Female perspective: 21* (up 7)
Female author/Male perspective - average rating: 3.84 (down .29)
Male author/Female perspective - average rating: 3.10 (down .15)
*If books had multiple main protagonists, I counted them in both groups.
83leahbird
And now for my favorite part of the end of the year!!!
END OF YEAR BOOK MEME!
How the meme works: Simple! Just fill in the answers with books you read this year!
Describe yourself: Fangirl
Describe how you feel: Uprooted
Describe where you currently live: The Unmapped Sea
If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
Your favorite form of transportation: American Gods
Your best friend is: The Martian
You and your friends are: Secondhand Souls
What’s the weather like: The Light Fantastic
You fear: The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil
What is the best advice you have to give: Carry On
Thought for the day: Yes, My Accent is Real
How you would like to die: Waistcoats & Weaponry
Your soul’s present condition: Stardust
(I had to do a little editing this year because it bugged the crap out of me that the pronouns changed in those last two from second to first person. It's better now.)
Bonus! TOP TEN BOOKS OF 2015
1. Uprooted by Naomi Novik (4.5)
2. American Gods by Neil Gaiman (4.3)
3. The Martian by Andy Weir (4.17)
4. Stardust by Neil Gaiman (4.14)
5. Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett (4.1)
6. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman (4.08)
7. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan (4.08)
8. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (4)
9. Manners & Mutiny by Gail Carriger (3.92)
10. The Girl With All the Gifts by MR Carey (3.91)
Very Honorable Mention: Yes, My Accent Is Real by Kunal Nayyar (which I actually gave 4.21 stars but couldn't bring myself to allow to nudge out any of the great fiction I read this year.)
END OF YEAR BOOK MEME!
How the meme works: Simple! Just fill in the answers with books you read this year!
Describe yourself: Fangirl
Describe how you feel: Uprooted
Describe where you currently live: The Unmapped Sea
If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
Your favorite form of transportation: American Gods
Your best friend is: The Martian
You and your friends are: Secondhand Souls
What’s the weather like: The Light Fantastic
You fear: The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil
What is the best advice you have to give: Carry On
Thought for the day: Yes, My Accent is Real
How you would like to die: Waistcoats & Weaponry
Your soul’s present condition: Stardust
(I had to do a little editing this year because it bugged the crap out of me that the pronouns changed in those last two from second to first person. It's better now.)
Bonus! TOP TEN BOOKS OF 2015
1. Uprooted by Naomi Novik (4.5)
2. American Gods by Neil Gaiman (4.3)
3. The Martian by Andy Weir (4.17)
4. Stardust by Neil Gaiman (4.14)
5. Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett (4.1)
6. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman (4.08)
7. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan (4.08)
8. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (4)
9. Manners & Mutiny by Gail Carriger (3.92)
10. The Girl With All the Gifts by MR Carey (3.91)
Very Honorable Mention: Yes, My Accent Is Real by Kunal Nayyar (which I actually gave 4.21 stars but couldn't bring myself to allow to nudge out any of the great fiction I read this year.)
85foggidawn
>83 leahbird: Great answers! (A couple of them, we have in common!)
86leahbird
>84 cbl_tn: & >85 foggidawn: Well thank you ladies!
My 2016 thread is now open for visitors! http://www.librarything.com/topic/210747
My 2016 thread is now open for visitors! http://www.librarything.com/topic/210747
