Mogsy: A Book That I've Read More Than Three Times

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Okay, I'm going to cheat a little for this question. The thing is, I don't typically reread books. If I were to read a book again, it would be a book that I love, and generally books that I love, I remember very, very well, and that's why rereading isn't something I do a lot. Unfortunately, life's just too short (or more accurately, my TBR list is just too long) for it, so you can see why it would be kind of a challenge to come up with a book I've read more than once, let alone more than three times!

But...there is a book that comes close. In the fourth grade, I had a fantastic teacher called Mr. Smiley. And I am so not kidding, that was his real name. Mr. Smiley was a fun guy who was also Australian, so he had this really cool accent which made class story time even more amazing with his ability to do these great voices. One of the books he read to us was The Hobbit. And that, dear readers, was my very first exposure to this fantasy classic and the name J.R.R. Tolkien. I loved it.

Fast forward a couple years, in Grade 6, at another school in another country, my fellow students and I were assigned The Hobbit to read for English class. I'll admit, reading the book for a school assignment was definitely not as fun as listening to Mr. Smiley do his Gollum voice, but eh, what can you do? I remember having a great time returning to Middle Earth, nonetheless. It was just as good the second time around.

I have, of course, read The Hobbit again since my school years. But even if you count that along with the first couple of times (which I do, even if it was read to me the first time around) that's still just three times. But I included this book in my answers to the 30-Day Reading Challenge anyway, because as you can see the adventures of our beloved Bilbo Baggins played a big role in my childhood reading experiences which ultimately lead to my love for the fantasy genre in my adult years.

Eventually, I hope to be able to read The Hobbit to my own child, when she is a bit older. When I do, I suppose then it will be a book I have read more than three times, but too bad we're not counting future reads! In any case, I can't think of a better title to introduce my daughter to the world of fantasy books, and who knows, maybe it'll be the one that leads her down the road to become a fantasy fiction fan, like it did for her mom. The thought warms my heart.

Book Review: Cobweb Bride by Vera Nazarian

Cobweb Bride by Vera Nazarian

I have to praise Nazarian's artistry when it comes to the written word. She seems to enjoy the language and it felt like she was painting with her words. But after about thirty pages, it started to very much feel like the canvas was growing much larger than necessary and the painting started to get very, very repetitious.

As the story goes, Death appears to a dying monarch and demands his Cobweb Bride. The monarch, who should have breathed her last when Death arrived, instead rattles on. Simultaneously, he visits a battlefield and the warring soldiers find themselves missing blood and body parts, but they are not officially dead. Then there is a celebration for the sixteenth birthday of the Infanta. Celebration turns to murder, but the dead won't die until Death finds his Cobweb Bride. And there is another dying woman, this the grandmother of our heroine, Percy, who is able to see the shadows of Death, who visits Percy's grandmother and makes his demands there as well.

In case we missed all that, we get to revisit all of these places and go through the details of the undead and the conversations of those around them several more times before all come to the conclusion that Death won't let anyone die until he gets his bride. Buuuuut just in case it wasn't clear, let's also throw in one butchered pig that continues to squeal.

After 100 or so pages ... I get it. Death. Cobweb Bride. Or else zombies forever.

Someone finally figures out that the solution must be for eligible ladies to make their way to Death's Keep. One of these young women is Percy - Persephone, whose name, from Greco-Roman mythology, should already link her to Death. Percy is, apparently, a rather plain, perhaps even ugly protagonist. I point this out, because it is repeatedly pointed out within the story. I am all for heroines (and heroes) not being typical beauties, but I was disappointed in the need to have her appearance juxtaposed with her beautiful sisters who are the favourites of her beautiful mother and her formerly beautiful grandmother. I feel that if a writer wishes to portray a "plain" heroine, there shouldn't always be a need to point out how plain or even ugly she is, by ensuring that there are always paragons of beauty available for comparison. If the point is that heroes can be everyday people who aren't gorgeous examples of humanity, then why not allow everyone in the story to reflect reality in that way.

But I digress. As does the story, which moves on to the women traveling to Death's Keep. Many of them band together, but their journey is hindered by the soldiers who have decided not to die. As with the earlier encounters with Death, this section drags with repetition and a collection of unmemorable characters (save for Percy, and two others whose relationship takes an interesting turn.)

About fifty pages from the end of the book, we finally get the plot twist that is actually quite interesting. It sets  up nicely and obviously for the second book in the planned trilogy, but after slogging through the other 200+ pages, I am convinced that three is not a magic number. This story likely would have done well as a duology or even a longer single novel, if it had more focus and less repetition.

2 of 5 stars

Book Review: Blood of Dragons by Robin Hobb

Blood of Dragons by Robin Hobb

This is the fourth and final book of the Rain Wild Chronicles series, bringing a close to the story of the dragons and their keepers...for now. In the last book, we saw the characters arrive at the legendary Elderling city of Kelsingra, only to find it accessible only by flight. 

At the start of Blood of Dragons, many of the dragons have managed to learn to fly, with the rest well on their way to achieving it. The dragonkeepers have also been transformed, becoming beautiful Elderlings. Expeditions have been made into Kelsingra; every day more artifacts are discovered, and more memories are lifted magically from the city's stones. It'll all be for naught, however, if the one thing the dragons and their Elderlings need to stay healthy and survive cannot be found -- silver, a substance that has the power to heal and rejuvenate, among other mystical properties.

I think I've finally gotten into the flow of Robin Hobb's writing. I love her style, but what I've discovered is that her books are not so traditionally structured, which can sometimes make them feel lacking in direction. But unlike the three previous books in the series, this is the first one where I can distinctly identify a climax and a definite ending. Well, this being the last book and all, I would have certainly hoped so.

As a series conclusion, I was pretty satisfied. Still, maybe it's just me, but so much of it felt driven by pure relationship drama. Of course, there's a positive side to this; I was extremely looking forward to see how this book will end up dealing with Hest Finbok, for one. Despite being jilted by Alise, he's still a despicable human being and needed to get his due. There were also the usual conflicts, but the love triangle between Thymara, Tats, and Rapskal seemed to dominate a lot of it. Even the dragons were are getting into the action with their mating quarrels. 

And on the topic of the dragons, even after four books I have to say I still haven't managed to find much sympathy for the arrogant, belligerent creatures (with only a couple exceptions). Take the least flattering stereotypes about cats, and dragons are like that but about a hundred times worse. Is it horrible of me, that I actually wanted to see doom come to Tintaglia when she was caught in the trouble with the human hunters? I definitely wouldn't fault this against the book though; it's to Hobb's credit that she was able to give her dragons such severe qualities and evoke these reactions from me.

My main issue, however, was probably with the subject of the silver wells. I don't remember them being an important factor in this series at all until this book. All of a sudden, there's this need for silver, and why is this matter just coming up now? Wouldn't something like this have been helpful for everyone to know earlier in the expedition? Seems weird that it only came up once the characters are actually in Kelsingra. It's possible I'm missing something because I haven't read all the books in the Realm of the Elderlings, but the problem with the search for silver still feels like it came out of nowhere, thrown in as a conflict at the last minute.

Speaking of which, I probably should read the other books. I definitely have the interest and the desire to after reading this series, plus I should really try and finish off the Farseer Trilogy since the second book has been in my to-read list for almost two years. However, Liveship Traders probably interests me more at this point.

Final verdict:

  3.5 of 5 stars

Note: Previous books in the Rain Wild Chronicles:

Dragon Keeper - my review

Dragon Haven - my review

City of Dragons  - my review

You've come a long way, baby

Shiny!

I maintain a sordid, lovehate relationship with Marvel Comics, but back in the 1990s, there was a time when we kind of sort of broke up. That is to say, I cheated on Marvel. With Image Comics. I know I know, but you have to understand that I was young and naive and easily swayed by the shiny!

I followed my favourite X-Men artists, Jim Lee and Marc Silvestri over to Wildstorm and jumped head first into Cyberforce and WildCATs. Some intelligent part of me was aware that these books were just X-Men with shinier costumes and bigger boobs, but I persevered, picking up other titles like GEN13, Wetworks and Witchblade. I became a Disciple of the Blade, I moderated Top Cow message boards for Fathom (RIP Michael Turner), designed outfits for Pez and I was (am) hopelessly smitten with Ian Nottingham.

But eventually, I grew up.

The thing is, so did Image.

Over the past few years, I've slowly been getting back into the comic book scene and more often than not, Image books are popping back up on my radar. Long gone are the days of extremely perky nipples and spine-adjusted women. Image now boasts Eisner Award winning titles. A friend recently stubbornly spoke about how he'd never read another Image comic after he too had woken up from the foil covered '90s. But when my friends and I started listing off some of the fantastic titles Image has been pushing out for the past while, he realized he'd been reading and loving Image Comics all along.

A lot of credit goes to their push for creator owned comics. A lot of comic companies accept original submissions, but I doubt you'll ever see that happening with DC and Marvel. Image has opened its doors and as a result, we've gotten some really amazing and off the wall books. Not all of them are good, but all of them feature some fantastic ideas. Yes, even Ziggy Marley's Marijuana Man has its merits. Here are just a few of the goodies that we've reviewed here at The BiblioSanctum.

 

Not to mention Saga, Mind the Gap, Fatale and a little something called The Walking Dead. These days, its hard not to make a list of critically acclaimed comics and not find a few Image titles on there. Image still has some of its old titles like Witchblade and Cyberforce, but even those books have matured. I've not read the new versions yet, but I definitely want to.

Book Review: Playing Tyler by T.L. Costa

Playing Tyler by T.L. Costa

Expected Date of Publication: July 2, 2013

Thank you to Netgalley and Angry Robot/Strange Chemistry for providing me with an e-ARC of Playing Tyler in exchange for an honest review. When I read the synopsis for this young adult novel, it was the video game angle that initially piqued my interest. Being an avid gamer myself, I was immediately drawn to the story.

It begins with just a typical day for 17-year-old Tyler MacCandless. Tyler has ADHD, but has long stopped taking his medication because his older brother Brandon kept stealing it before landing himself in rehab for drug abuse. School's a struggle when none of the other students or his teachers understand what's going on in his life. Tyler's father is dead and his mother isn't dealing too well with the problems at home, so the only person Tyler can turn to is Rick, his friend and mentor at the Civilian Air Patrol.

Tyler loves playing video games, so it was a dream come true one day when Rick asks him to beta test a new flight simulator, which may also be Tyler's chance to get into flight school if he scores well enough. Even better, the designer behind the game is teen prodigy Ani Bagdorian AKA Slayergrrl, legendary International League Gaming champion. It doesn't take long for the two of them to strike up a romantic relationship. However, just as Tyler think his life is finally on the right track, Brandon goes missing from rehab and it appears there is more to the simulator game than meets the eye.

Right away, I liked that this was a story about two teenagers who fall outside conventions when it comes to YA protagonists. Video gaming as a hobby is still often made a subject of ridicule in mainstream pop culture, with its enthusiasts portrayed as weirdos who don't get out much, which is why I love how the hero and heroine of this novel are both hardcore gamers. When you try to picture someone who is good enough to win championships at international gaming competitions, you don't typically think of a smart and beautiful 16-year-old female Yale student, which is why I think Ani is especially kick-ass.
 
Still, at first, I wasn't sure if I was going to get into this book. It begins with Tyler's perspective, whose ADHD made his narration a little confusing to follow, since the writing style is so abrupt to convey that his attention is all over the place. The positive side is that it's also very effective, because it made me feel like I'm actually inside his head. Tyler's sections do get a bit easier on the eyes after a while, once you start getting used to it. Ani's point-of-view, which alternates with Tyler's, also helped change things up a little and gave me the breaks I needed.

The story itself was a little predictable, perhaps, and yet still quite suspenseful, especially once you reach the final chapters. But one thing I wasn't a big fan of was the romance. I'm aware that having the element of a love story is a big thing and a wise decision in YA fiction these days, but quite honestly, I felt Playing Tyler could have been much stronger and better as a straight-up thriller suspense story. 

Even just the gradual build-up of the relationship between Tyler and Ani would have been sufficient, without the first third of the novel devoted to getting them together. I felt that bogged down the beginning of the story somewhat, and that's really where I'm looking for a book to hook me and pick up momentum. Though, I do have to admit I found some of the awkward "first date" moments oddly enjoyable to read, especially with Tyler's penchant to say the wrong things at the wrong time. It was sort of funny and cute in its own way.

I would say this book would be perfect for its intended audience, which includes readers who like YA fiction as well as older teens, since it does contain mature themes and some instances of strong language. There's a good combination of thrills and intrigue, a very strong debut novel from a new author and an engaging read over all.

Final verdict:

3.5 of 5 stars

Mogsy: Worlds Without End Women of Genre Fiction Reading Challenge

As always, I feel lucky and grateful to be writing for The BiblioSanctum along with my fellow blog contributors, because between them they are a boundless trove of book recommendations, new authors to discover, and interesting things to learn. Earlier this month, Wendy posted about the 2013 Women of Genre Fiction Reading Challenge hosted by the fan-fun community site Worlds Without End. So naturally, I've decided to join the fun.

So I realize the year's already almost half over, but I figure at the rate I devour books, realistically this is something I can still manage to do. Not to mention I already have a couple books that are eligible for the challenge under my belt, so I wouldn't be starting completely from behind.

The process of selecting the authors and books was easy; wouldn't you believe it, but when I went over my Goodreads account for my list of books I've read this year so far, as well as books on my to-read list, there are EXACTLY 12 female authors who 1) I haven't read prior to 2013, and 2) are also on the author list provided by WWEnd! Is this a sign or what?! As for the one random author pick, well, their random author picker was still under construction, and I figure most of the books I choose to read are pretty random anyway.

If anything, I'm with Wendy on this being a great way for me to polish off some titles from my TBR pile, some that have been on there for a while but I still really want to read. Here's my progress so far:

  Completed Reviews:

Miserere by Teresa Frohock

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

And my plans for the rest!

Book Mini-Review: The Red Wolf Conspiracy by Robert V.S. Redick

The Red Wolf Conspiracy by Robert V.S. Redick

This is a story of The Chathrand. Built six hundred years go, the great ship is a towering palace on the seas and the last of her kind. Now she sets sail on a mission of diplomacy, carrying the only daughter of the Emperor's Ambassador to a marriage that will ensure the peace between two nations. The rest of the passenger list is diverse, including the ship's psychotic captain, a tarboy with a magical gift for languages, a spymaster and his six deadly assassins, a hundred imperial marines, and a small band of gremlin-like Ixchel stowaways. All look on with wonder and pride as The Chathrand embarks on this most important voyage...and then the great ship goes missing.

The Good

I loved how this book started -- right away, the reader is informed through a "special notice" that the great ship has vanished at sea, along with the 800 souls she was carrying. (Souls...the choice of that word in the report had a chilling effect on me). Immediately, you're drawn into this mystery and you're flipping to the first page of the first chapter, eager to start the story which would tell you what happened. 

I was also impressed with just how much is in this book. There's so much magic and different races and different creatures in this book. Everyone seems to have an element of fantasy surrounding them, like Pazel the tarboy who has been blessed/burdened with a gift/curse that allows him learn and understand any language after only being exposed to them for a short time. But this power, however, also frequently gives him debilitating fits that interferes with his job aboard the decks. 

Then there are the Ixchel, a race of tiny people that sailors often consider nothing more than pests because their tendency to stow away aboard ships. There are also the Flikkermen, Murths (like mermaids), and a race of gigantic, enormously strong humanoids called the Augrong, among others. Not to mention the presence of special animals that are "awakened" with self-awareness and the power of intellectual thought and speech. The book is a trove of new and interesting ideas for people who love fantasy fiction.

The So-So

There is such thing as too much of a good thing. The plus of having so much going on in this book can also be seen as a minus. There are a lot of ambitious ideas in this ambitious story set in an ambitious fantasy world, and sometimes it can all get just a little too overwhelming. 

The first few chapters were done really well, telling a sequence of events through the eyes of several characters, with each point-of-view picking things up right after where the last one left off. Unfortunately, it also made me feel so disoriented that I had to go back and read through them again just to make sure I didn't miss anything. At this point, there were still a lot of things I didn't understand, but I just made do with telling myself to trust the author, that hopefully there will come a time when everything will be made clear.

Ultimately, everything was explained, which was good, but I still thought it was a lot in the intro to heap upon your reader so quickly. 

The Not-So-Good

This is more of a personal preference, really, but I just don't think "maritime fantasy" is for me. Reading about great ships and pirates and the ocean and sailing and all that puts me more in mind of historical fiction, and so I had a really hard time bringing myself back to the fact I'm actually reading a fantasy. It's just really weird. No matter how long I'd been reading this, there was always a moment of discombobulation and confusion when I picked up the book again to continue where I left off.

Unfortunately, it really kept me from being immersed in this book and enjoying it fully. That said, those who love maritime settings and stories about ships would probably really love this. But even though that aspect wasn't exactly my cup of tea, I do have to say I was completely enchanted by the book's fantasy elements.

Final verdict:

3 of 5 stars

Graphic Novel Review: Chew Vol.1: Taster's Choice by John Layman and Rob Guillory

Chew, Vol. 1: Taster's Choice by John Layman

If you have a weak stomach, do not read Chew. It is a foodie's worst nightmare drawn and spelled out in vivid, disgusting detail. It is, plain and simple, gross.

With that warning out of the way, I sit here enjoying my shrimp fried rice while my husband makes yummy hamburgers and I can happily inform you that I love the entire concept of this comic and continue to be impressed with Image Comics for their promotion of such amazing, off the wall creator-owned books.

Chew is a detective story starring Tony Chu, a cibopath. Tony can read psychic impressions from anything he eats (except beets). Such a "gift" could make a solid vegan out of anybody, but Tony's line of work ensures that won't be happening any time soon. The story occurs during a time when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the most powerful authoritative body. Poultry products have been banned due to avian flu epidemic threats, creating a black market for chicken and chicken substitutes. Many radical groups are up in arms against the government and the FDA, serving as a backdrop to Tony's personal adventures that all start when he takes a bite out of a serial killer to track down his victims.

It is black comedy at its finest. Hilariously dark situations are peppered with just the right amount of witty one-liners and commentary, with Guillory skillfully complimenting the words with his images.

The cast of characters is spectacular, each uniquely brought to life by Guillory's art. I love that Tony is the typical new kid on the block when he joins the FDA, but he isn't completely green. He's a good and capable detective with morals and conviction and, despite the personal inconvenience of his ability, he's reasonably willing to do what he has to do - from eating bad sushi to munching on decayed fingers - to catch the bad guy.

What's a lonely guy without a potential love interest? She comes in the form of Amelia Mintz, a food critic with a special gift of her own that makes her perfect for Tony, but that doesn't mean their relationship will be an easy sale. She falls into the Lois Lane category of strong, outspoken women who really don't need (or even notice) the guys who are pining after them.

The different food related powers (link contains spoilers) are like characters themselves and should not be overlooked as mere plot devices.

But let's not forget that this is a detective story. All the characters and interesting abilities are fascinating, but there actually is a story here and I appreciate the way Layman brings in all the extra details, without weighing things down or venturing too far from the unraveling main plot. There is a mystery to solve and in typical detective story fashion, a seemingly inconsequential case grows into a much, much larger conspiracy that leads to a pretty impressive cliffhanger ending to the first arc.

I am sad to learn that Chew will not appear on television as originally planned, but I'm secretly still holding out hope for a special guest appearance on Hannibal.

5 of 5 stars

Wendy's Book Haul

I'm focused on World Without End's Women of Genre Fiction reading challenge and my local library has been good to me. I did my best to walk out with only the books I had requested, but got caught right at the check out desk with the "book of the day": The Red Chamber by Pauline A. Chen.

The Red Chamber by Pauline A. Chen

In this lyrical reimagining of the Chinese classic Dream of the Red Chamber, set against the breathtaking backdrop of eighteenth-century Beijing, the lives of three unforgettable women collide in the inner chambers of the Jia mansion. When orphaned Daiyu leaves her home in the provinces to take shelter with her cousins in the Capital, she is drawn into a world of opulent splendor, presided over by the ruthless, scheming Xifeng and the prim, repressed Baochai. As she learns the secrets behind their glittering façades, she finds herself entangled in a web of intrigue and hidden passions, reaching from the petty gossip of the servants’ quarters all the way to the Imperial Palace. When a political coup overthrows the emperor and plunges the once-mighty family into grinding poverty, each woman must choose between love and duty, friendship and survival.


The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

The Blind Assassin opens with these simple, resonant words: "Ten days after the war ended, my sister Laura drove a car off a bridge."

They are spoken by Iris, whose terse account of her sister's death in 1945 is followed by an inquest report proclaiming the death accidental. But just as the reader expects to settle into Laura's story, Atwood introduces a novel-within-a-novel. Entitled The Blind Assassin, it is a science fiction story told by two unnamed lovers who meet in dingy backstreet rooms. When we return to Iris, it is through a 1947 newspaper article announcing the discovery of a sailboat carrying the dead body of her husband, a distinguished industrialist.


The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

Sixteen-year-old Maya is just an ordinary teen in an ordinary town. Sure, she doesn't know much about her background - the only thing she really has to cling to is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip - but she never really put much thought into who her parents were or how she ended up with her adopted parents in this tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island. Until now.


Aaaand as I was writing this post, this just popped up on my Goodreads radar (Amazon's one-click buy button wins again!):


Eye of the Goddess by M.J. Faraldo

Kyra St. Clair’s life is about to change. Terrible events will thrust her head first into a world unknown to her, a secret world where ancient Egyptian gods are not myth but in fact very real. With the help of an unexpected friend she will come to terms with who she is, and in doing so they will both discover that there is much more to the story than meets the eye.

June Book Club Read: World War Z

Trailers for the movie based on World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks have been out for a while, so in preparation for the movie's release, LeVar's Rainbow Book Club will be reading this for the month of June!

"The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time.World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years."

We'll see how the movie stands up or if, as it seems, it's completely walked away from its source material.