Dinosaurs are Corporate Greed’s Lovechild
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
WARNING: Book contains graphic imagery of violent dinosaurs attacks.
Nothing fascinates a five year old quite like dinosaurs and no franchise in history has cornered the market on these bird/reptile beings quite like Jurassic Park . I’m sure there are very few people in the world today who haven’t seen Spielberg’s 1993 movie masterpiece Jurassic Park. When I was a kid that theme song was fire (honestly it still is). I’m normally not one who would watch a film before reading the book. However Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton did come out when I was attending kindergarten, so I’m going to cut myself some slack.
Bees, You Don’t Know Earth’s Crazy Pollinators
The Bees by Laline Paull
I used to think I knew what bees were about. Little buzzy insects whose life purpose is to gather pollen, make honey, and protect their queen who keeps pumping out replacement bees. While all of this is true, I had no idea the socio-implications that brew under the surface of every bee hive. The Bees by Laline Paull does a fantastic job of bringing you into the world of bees and for the first time you see just what the world is actually like for them.
When The Third Policeman Tells You About a Bicycle
The Third Policeman: A Novel by Flann O’Brien
There are books that exist to confuse and bemuse and I find it a treat whenever I encounter just such a book. The Third Policeman by Flann O’Brien was not at all what I had expected and I mean that in a good way…I think.
The Sandman My Old Friend, Darkness Comes Again
The Sandman Vol 1: Preludes & Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman, Illustrated by Sam Keith & Mike Dringenberg
There is an endless love in my soul for Neil Gaiman. He is everything I would love to be as a writer. Even still, I have never once picked up a copy of The Sandman – until now. Though I’ll admit picking up a graphic novel is covered in the shadow of bad graphic novels of the past. What I love about Gaiman is his ability to make a dark story seem light. There is always an element of darkness, but never fear and I appreciate that this is a feeling unique to his stories. Vol 1 of The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes did not differ from this.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
As a book reader there are times that I wish the world I was reading was the world I was living in. The vast differences in characters, ambitions, dreams, abilities, and above all magic that they have makes the real world seem dull in comparison. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is one of those books.
If You Feel Too Much: Thoughts on Things Found and Lost and Hoped For by Jamie Tworkowski
It’s hard to claim this book as anything but intense, but I think that is it’s intention. It is meant to make you think and more importantly it wants you to feel – something, which I think in my case it succeeded on that front.
For those who aren’t aware Jamie Tworkowski is the writer most well known for his story To Write Love on Her Arms, which gave way for a non-profit organization of the same name. It’s message is simple, yet profound. We are here, Hope is real, Help is real, Your Story is important. They help with the difficulties of depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. And If You Feel Too Much is Tworkowski’s fist full length book.
February BoTM & Gallifrey One Haul (Book Mail #4)
It is such a cliche to say that it’s been a rough two weeks, but for me it has been a rough two weeks.
Two weeks ago I attended the Doctor Who convention Gallifrey One in Los Angeles and if you are a Doctor Who fan and have never been to this amazing experience I would suggest re-evaluating your priorities and try to attend next year. It truly is the place to be for all American fans of the beloved BBC show.
Following that terrific weekend I was put out with a hard case of Con Crud (the cold that proceeds a non-stop nerd convention). To be honest I am still not completely over it, coughs linger. This is the main reason that the last two weeks have been rough, that and other personal reasons that I won’t go into here.
The point I am trying to make is that during this two week time period I have acquired a stack of books and I now have the energy to post and share them with you.
Warden’s Will: The Will and the Way (Tyranny Cycle Book #1) by Heath Pfaff, narrated by Amy Landon
***Thank you goes directly to Amy Landon, the narrator of the audio book, for an ARC to review the book and her performance***
WARNING: Book contains violent imagery and death.
I was honored and excited when Amy Landon agreed to have me review her audio book performance for Warden’s Will by Heath Pfaff. It was a first for me and I of course jumped at the chance. I’ll admit I was skeptical at first mainly due to my realization that I am not fond of audio books that are fiction. The ones I have listened to prove to me that it is hard for a narrator to know exactly what the author set out to do in terms of voice and making the characters sound a certain way, making most of my experiences disappointing. It probably didn’t help that the two fantasy novels I listened to before this was from the Mortal Instruments series and I doubt I would have liked those books in any format.
But I digress.
Remember Me by D.E. White
***A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review***
WARNING: Book contains sexual imagery involving both adults and children as well as murder.
It has been quite a while since I have delved into a mystery novel. Though Remember Me by D.E. White didn’t seem to have the hard core murder vibe that I used to love ah-la Mary Higgins Clark, I figured it would possess enough intrigue to make for a fast paced mind binder mystery. I was wrong on all fronts, but wasn’t fully aware how wrong I was until I was deep into the story.
The Shadow Kingdom (The Shadow Curse Series #1) by C.J. Inkson
***Huge thank you goes out to Net Galley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review***
Happy first book review of 2019! How is it that I already feel behind in accomplishing my book reading goals for this year? But at the very least I get to kick off this reading season with not only a fantasy novel, but one I actually enjoyed!
No, The Shadow Kingdom by C.J. Inskon isn’t perfect, but what it gets right is pretty spectacular. The synopsis and idea behind the story is what draws many in. Heck it’s what drew me in and though the details are murky and jumbled especially when it comes to the magic system, had these things been addressed I think the book would have been even greater. From here I think the only thing the author can do is push forward with the series and hopefully fill in those details and small plot holes in order for the series to end on a high note.
