Scythe by Neal Shusterman- Book Review

There are certain themes that run through the holiday season- happiness, hope, joy, and of course straight up death and destruction. Ok, maybe not so much the last part, but for some reason I decided this holiday would be a good time to read Scythe, the first of a new series by Neal Shusterman.

Scythe is the story of Citra and Rowan, two scythes in training picked by a leading scythe. Scythes are the new death bringers in a society where death is no more. Sickness, death, and aging have all been cured, so the society created a group of Scythes who randomly choose people to be eliminated from society. Scythes are above the law and are only self governed. Youth are picked to be part of a training program to become future Scythes. The only way a Scythe can be stopped is if a Scythe chooses self death.

Once Citra and Rowan are picked, the Scythe community decides only one of them can become a scythe, so now they are in instant competition with one another. The other aspect is whichever Scythe wins, the first person he/she must reap is the other.

More of the story continues as the two are also separated with one going down a traditional route and the other headed toward a bloodthirsty Scythe who loves to reap whole groups. What will happen as time ticks forward?

The thing that will be noticed immediately before reading this book is this is a long book. At  just shy of 500 pages, this book takes a long time to get to the ending we are waiting for. It is told in three parts bouncing back and forth between Citra and Rowan’s perspectives on what is happening in their lives. We also can guess where the book is headed at times, but there is a good enough twist to keep readers reading. Even at its heft, I found myself immersed in the world.

I will state the ending was sort of ruined for me when I found out 1. There is a sequel and 2. The cover of said sequel. Even knowing that, it was a great read.

I gave it 3.5 stars.

The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand- Book Review

This is tough to state, but I am not a fan of romance novels and especially not a fan of teen romance novels. I needed to state that first.

I am a huge fan of A Christmas Carol though and read it every single year. I also watch the Alister Simm version whenever it is on TV. It is one of my favorite Christmas traditions.

When I heard there was a teen romance novel with the center being a flipped Scrooge story, I bought in. I am glad I did as I got an enjoyable read which was just right for this season even if it was a teen romance.

We know the story of Scrooge- three ghosts visit a cranky, money grubbing old man who learns his life was shaped by misfortune which turned him into the person he now is. Christmas Day he wakes up repentant and transforms his life.

What if Scrooge though was a 17 year old girl and she stays a horrible person even after the ghosts? This was Holly Chase. She was a mean girl Scrooge and she failed to repent, so now she has been working as the Ghost of Christmas Past for the last 6 years (this happens in the first chapter) for a company called Project Scrooge.

Their job is to pick a Scrooge annually and get the person to repent of his/her old ways through research and finding all the right characters to fit the Scrooge narrative. Every year it has been an old man or woman and Holly is finding herself bored.

In her 6th year, after learning she has an intern, the new Scrooge- a 17 year old boy and he is cute! Holly’s life is about to change, but the question is- can she change this boy’s life in the midst of it?

There is a lot within this book not to like- it is pretty predictable and you will see the end coming a mile away, it is a tad too long, and it is a teen romance *wink*, but in December right before Christmas this is exactly what I was looking for!

I wound up having a lot of fun with this book. I really enjoyed the idea of the unrepentant Scrooge and getting a look at the life of the Ghosts. It was a bit of fun. What I wanted a bit more of is her life before the boy. It would have been nice to see how she interacted with the life in her first year, for example.

The only major problem is I did not see a lot of problems with the boy. He was rich and alone due to some life choices, but he is never really particularly Scrooge like. It was also a very quick romance- he sees her and is instantly wants to date her.

I am not sure how I would have taken this book out of the Christmas season, but it was just right for this time. I gave it 3 stars.

Top 10 (turned up to 11) Books of 2017

I read a lot of books and most of the books I read, I really enjoy. They all have nuggets I find in them which are just delightful. There are some books that just stick with me after reading them. They get a reaction from me, such as "Ohhhh! You have to read that one!" These are the 10+1 books that stuck with me all year or immediately after reading them.

There were three books that have stuck with me all year and two of them, I had the chance to read advanced copies of in January, so I had a great start to the year. Each one is different in its own way, but when asked "what was your favorite book this year?" Lincoln in the Bardo will come out of my mouth first, Sing, Unburied, Sing second, and Borne will come out third. Then the person will get angry because he/she asked for just one book.

Bardo got to me because it is the deconstruction of a book. It tells a lot in the complex, yet simple way it is told. The story itself was good, but how the story was told blew me away. I had no warning when I started this book and I did not like it the first few pages, but when I figured the rhythm and kept an eye on which publication or ghost was speaking, I was enraptured. I highly recommend the UK cover too.

Sing, Unburied, Sing is similar to Bardo. I had no idea what I was reading, in fact, I started it a week after Bardo and thought publishers had gone crazy for the year. Once I figured this was Ward, writing in the style of Faulkner, I just fell into the book. It is a rough book too and not light.

Neither Bardo nor Sing are books for everyone, which is why I talk about Borne to people. Vandermeer is becoming one of my favorite Sci Fi authors as he writes just straight Sci Fi. His worlds are different, usually with a nature spin on the story telling, but they are just good. Borne is a world that is alive, has a witch and a bear fighting, and is a dark dystopian world.

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There is no order to this list and these two books have nothing to do with one another, except they were books which stand out and are two books I have given away often.

Option B is one of the best books on living after a loved one has died. Sandberg begins with the story of the death of her husband and is raw and open about feelings and the deep difficulty of moving on, but having to move on. I have given this book away to some in my life who have lost loved ones and I know it has helped.

Coates' essay book about the 8 years of Obama is much needed, especially during this time. These are deep, yet short essays about items that were happening within each year of the Obama Presidency around race and race relations. Coates does not paint Obama into a pretty picture, but talks about the difficulties found within that year. A great book.

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 These two would fall under the funny, yet difficult biographies section, if I had such a section.

Alexie's autobiography on the death and relationship with his mother will have you both laughing and crying at the same time. His storytelling about his relationship with his mother, who had mental health issues, and her death are mixed with funny stories about poop and poetry he had written around those times. While the poems are not his strongest, I wondered if they were more journal entries or right at that moment poems.

Priestdaddy snuck up on me. I got it from Book of the Month on a whim. This is mostly about Lockwood's relationship with her father, who is a Catholic priest converted from Lutheranism. He is quite a character too. Almost Al Bundy like, as he rarely wears pants in the house and has some strange things come out of his mouth. This book was funny and I just loved it.

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These two books deal with death and relationships following death.

I am a huge Tin House Publishing fan, as most of the books they take on stick with you for a long time. While reading it, Rabbit Cake was not my favorite book of the year, but as I looked at the cover, I remembered everything about it. The madness after death, the brokenness of relationships, and just missing mom while trying to hold onto dad who is losing it. The more I thought about the book, the deeper is stuck with me, so it made the list!

Autumn is just beautiful. I have not read an Ali Smith book before and after reading Autumn, I ran out to grab more of her books and even ordered Winter from England, so I can read it before it comes out in the States. This is about platonic friendship between and older man and a young woman. It is told by different narrators, including Daniel who is the older man and is dying (boy a lot of my favorites are about death or dying). The book is looking back at life and taking a moment to appreciate the relationships along the way. The great thing is, Smith doesn't make it romantic as one would expect, except the main character, Elizabeth, has a hard keeping boyfriends because no one measures up to the love Daniel has shown her.
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Since I have picked so many books about death, how about some life ones...that also deal with death...sorry, it really wasn't my intention.

My last blog post was about Future Home of the Living God and I ended the post by saying, this one snuck into my best list and it is true. I describe this as Erdrich writing her own Margaret Atwood type book. One does not know what is going on and that is half the fun. It is about the strength of womanhood in the face of death and the desire to give life.

Long Way Down also snuck up on me. There is a juggernaut YA book that probably most people have read by now called The Hate U Give. It has been on the YA bestseller list for the entire year. That would have been on my list too, but I wanted to shine a small light on a smaller book that is just gaining traction.

This book is written in verse and takes place entirely within an elevator. Will is on his way to murder the man he believes killed his brother. Each floor has another person who has died by the hands of someone else within the community. The main lesson is the cyclical nature of death and murder, but being told through verse popped the book out a bit. It is a very short and quick read, but so well done.

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That is my list. I have others that would have made a "get this one too" list, but I tried to stick to 10 and turned it up to 11! I hope you enjoyed it.

Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich- Book Review

I have been slowing down a bit with my fun reading and have been focused a bit on my educational reading, so my blogging has suffered a bit in the last few months. I am never sure if individuals would be interested in reviews about non-fiction educational books, so I have erred on the side of not posting. The good news is, I am making a slight swing back into the fun reading, so we are off and running again.

For those who have never read a Lousie Erdrich book, there are a few things you should know:
1. She is one incredible Native American author and brings Native culture into her books.
2. Her books are not what you would call happy books. They are deep and often explore the darker side of light, but are so worth reading anyway.
3. She often has strong female lead characters who undergo a lot, but persist through their own strength.
4. She has written 35 books! From children's books to poetry to novels to short stories. Yet, when asked, many have not had the joy of reading her books.

Future Home of the Living God does not give you much to begin with. Cedar Hawk Songmaker is pregnant and begins a quest for her biological parents. We don't know why she is in danger, but she is on the run. Revealing her pregnancy to individuals means trouble for Cedar.

As the book progresses, we see a group of religious radicals have taken over and are imprisoning pregnant women. Street names are changed, churches have become shelters, and pregnant women are disappearing never to return. Cedar is being protected and taken care of by her boyfriend.

I will not spoil anything as part of the book's draw is being in a world where you do not know much at all. The book jacket and descriptions spoil the book pretty harshly, but I won't do that in the review. One can guess though that something will happen to Cedar.

It is difficult not to draw comparisons to Handmaid's Tale in the sense that a religious group has taken over and pregnant women are the focus and strong feminine characters are present. That is where the comparisons end, although one can feel Atwood's presence within this book. Erdrich has her own spin on this though to make it very much her book.

This book, while dystopian in nature, is more about the strength and the power of women. Cedar does not need anyone to take care of her, but allows herself to be cared for at times by others. She will do anything to protect her unborn child in this world, even at the expense of her own safety. Getting her child born is the goal and loving the child no matter what is the desire.

After the initial first act where one has to get his/her bearings, this book simply takes off. It has gotten on my list of favorite books of the year. Yes, it is bleak and yes it is difficult, but get through this one as it is such an incredible story.

I gave this one 4.5 stars.

Artemis by Andy Weir- Book Review

I was blown away, like most people, by The Martian. It was hard to believe it was a self published book that just blew it out of the park. The characters were so well developed and the technical aspects were interesting and moved the story along nicely. When I received notice I was getting an ARC of Weir's sophomore book, I was over the moon, so to speak. Would it hold up?

Artemis takes place on the moon which has become a haven for rich tourists. Jazz is a local to the moon. She lives in a small alcove and has unsuccessfully tried to get a real job on the straight and narrow rather than her current smuggling job. When she fails again, she gets a proposal from a "friend." He is going to purchase a company that seems like it is failing and he wants Jazz to destroy the machines of a competing company- a simply job.

As one can guess, things go horribly wrong and Jazz must now get herself out of a nightmare predicament on an isolated planet.

I will tell you up front, I wanted to love this book, but something did not work for me. It had all the right elements- the technical, the humor, and a good story, but something just did not click for me and I think it was Jazz.

Jazz was meant to be a street wise 20 year old, but often comes off as an inexperienced 13 year old. In fact, I thought she was a kid and often forgot she was 20. When the protagonist doesn't hold the story, it hurts the book.

I also thought the smuggling story and the escape portion just kind of ok. I really don't enjoy reviewing books that I didn't care for, but this was an ARC and I had to.

I gave this one 2.5 stars.

*I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green- Book Review

If you are like me, when this book came out, you saw or read one of the many articles written about this book you would have seen the three words “John Green” and “anxiety.” This was billed as a book about a teen who has anxiety. What it winds up being is a small mystery/romance/book about anxiety.

Aza, a sixteen year old with anxiety, and her friend Daisy, who writes Star Wars fan fiction often involving human and Wookiee romance, see an ad offering a reward to find information about the local rich man who is missing.

Seeking to find information, Aza is reunited with her childhood crush Davis, the missing man’s son. Davis and his brother are living in his mansion filled with hundreds of thousands of dollars strewn about the house. If their father is found dead, they lose it all as their father left the entire estate to an exotic pet.

As Aza reconnects with Davis, old crushes begin to stir again, but Aza’s sometimes crippling anxiety might derail a romance that could be.

This one was a tough one for me. While I enjoy John Green’s writing and his writing style, I often find his books fall into the danger zone of YA in the sense that lots of things seem rushed and often story lines are forgotten about until the very end. I found, for example, I forgot about the missing dad and how Aza and Daisy were looking for him until there is a later chapter where Aza and Daisy once again decide to go looking for the missing dad. Aza’s anxiety shows up here and there, but one doesn’t get a complete picture of what it looks like to live with anxiety. The romance seems to be the main focus of the book, while the other two aspects play support to that romance until they are needed.

At the same time, I did find the sections on Aza’s anxiety spot on and even shared some paragraphs on my Facebook feed because they gave a great insight on what it means to live with anxiety. I found Aza’s debating with herself as to whether or not she changed her band aid, for example, as very real and true to the anxious mind. I found this would be a good tool to help a youth/young adult recognize anxiety and to learn about it, but I will warn it is a brief glimpse. This is a romance book first.

Any time I read YA, I keep in mind that I am not the target audience, so I try to read the books with different eyes, which is why I keep reading John Green books. He has a great voice and writing style for the YA audience. I would recommend this book for the person who wants a brief glimpse into anxiety without too many technical moments and a cute teen romance in the midst of it all. The mystery isn’t a mystery and it gets very rushed at the end.

I would give this one 3.5 to 4 stars.

Bonfire by Krysten Ritter- Book Review

Many people will know Krysten Ritter as an actress in several TV shows, especially Jessica Jones. She has been incredibly successful in the work she has done. Now she is entering the world of writing with her first book Bonfire. Will Bonfire hold up?

This is the story of Abby who returns home to investigate the local company who have been accused of poisoning members of the community. As Abby returns home, she falls into old HS patterns of popular and unpopular kids, who are now adults and sees the newest generation repeating the patterns of her generation. As she investigates, she realizes things from her past especially her missing friend, might all be tied together with certain people in the community. As she also investigates, she meets resistance from town members, as the company is the main industry that supports the town. Can the town turn a blind eye to what is happening to their children? What about the harmful patterns that are happening within the HS?

Let me first state, this is an incredible book. Ritter knows how to write and it shows. The story moves along pretty quickly and the cast of characters are well developed. This is a great story too.

Where I found a bit of difficulty is I think she tries to tackle a lot of subjects within the story. She focuses on environmental issues as the main part, but there is also sexual assault, bullying, the story of coming back, and a few other issues. With all the topics, some get shortchanged a bit within a great story.

I think readers will really enjoy this one. It is a fantastic book that many will enjoy. I gave this one 4 stars.

I want to thank NetGalley for the early access to the book. I received it in exchange for an honest review.

Best Day Ever by Kaira Rouda- Book Review

I will admit I am a sucker for a good cover. The week this book came out, this cover stuck out among all of the other books. The bright red crunchy envelope just called out to me.

I am also in the mood for good horror/psychological thrillers with the approach to Halloween, so I got this one on a whim. I knew nothing about it, didn't even read the inside jacket except to verify that it was a thriller, and impulse purchased this sucker.

I was glad I did because it hit the spot at the right moment and just in the right way.

Told completely in first person, this is the story of a narcissist, abusive, womanizer named Paul. He is taking his wife, Mia, up to their holiday cabin right at the change of season. He plans to have the best day ever with her after a few situations that have strained their marriage. He plans to have a good meal, sex, and murder her (not a spoiler), so he can head off with his fling who is much better than his wife. Paul uses people until he is done with them and then discards them through violent means. This is going to be the best day ever for Paul until he turns into the driveway and sees Buck, the neighbor who cares for their cabin in the off season. Buck just won't go away and keeps appearing at the wrong time not to mention Mia is getting a little too close to Buck for Paul's taste.

First up, one needs to know this is not literary fiction nor does it set out to win the Pulitzer for writing. I state that because I think reviewers on occasion treat every book written equally and they shouldn't. This is a weekend/vacation/Halloween/sit by the fireside and just release for a few hours type book. You know what you are going to get.

With that written, there are some moments that are jaw dropping in terms of plot, but I completely did not mind because I knew what I was getting. How things play out throughout the book are pretty elaborate and that is completely ok with this type of book. This isn't a bad book, but it is a fun book.

Paul, as a character, is creepy, over the top, and completely in love with himself and his needs. He thinks he is fooling everyone. He thinks he is more handsome than most men. He thinks all women want to instantly have sex with him, while he deems them worthy or not. Paul is pond scum and the great thing is Rouda treats him as such. She does not try to make him empathetic, there are no lessons learned, and he isn't redeemable. He is loathsome and you cannot wait to get his comeuppance. This is what makes the novel fun. He is the heel about to get his. How that happens is a little over the top, but who cares?

I did enjoy that the final chapter is the entire book retold from Mia's point of view too. It was a nice little bonus.

I gave this one 3.5 stars, but not a bad 3.5 stars. It is a- you know what you are going to get type of book and I enjoyed it a bunch. Trigger warning for abuse told in the first person by the abuser.

I Can't Breathe by Matt Taibbi- Book Review

We know the story- On July 17, 2014, Eric Garner was surrounded by police for selling "loosies" (loose cigarettes). When he questions why he is being arrested, he attempts to walk away, when he is wrestled to the ground in a chokehold. As he is dying, he repeats the phrase- "I can't breathe" over and over again, until he dies. The police officer continued to hold him until he died. There was no indictment, but only an internal investigation. It was settled out of court for $5 million.

This book looks at the incident from all sorts of angles- what was happening at the time leading up to the death, what were the policing policies in place at the time, why was this hold used, etc. Taibbi talks to people that know Garner, people in similar situations, and proves a full account of that day.

I will admit I was a bit hesitant requesting this as a galley. The hesitancy came from the question- can a white guy tell a black man's story and do it well? Taibbi didn't have the experiences that Garner had and even though Taibbi is an incredible journalist, I wondered if the story could be told with justice.

After reading it, I can say, absolutely yes Taibbi did a fantastic job. While other authors touch upon Garner and lift up similar issues- such as Guiliani's crack down on crime, the rise of loosie's, etc, having that information all in one place was a big help. It led to a fuller story and Taibbi goes into Garner's life a bit more than some other authors do.

This was a tragic read, but a well researched and complete narrative. I am glad I read it.

I gave it 4.5 stars.

*I want to thank NetGalley for the advanced copy. I received it in exchange for an honest review*

The Visitors by Catherine Burns- Book Review

It is October and we are getting closer to Halloween. Like most readers, I begin to get into the mood for creepy, scary horror stories. My focus is more the creepy than the gory, so I look for the thrillers and the tense books. When I read the description of The Visitors, I knew this was the right October book.

There is something happening in Marion’s basement. She has heard cries for “Help,” babies crying, and other noises that occur throughout the day. Her brother John is the only other occupant in the house though. He goes downstairs each night and doesn’t tend to return until morning. Marion relies on John because she is not the brightest person, so she ignores the noises she hears.

Marion and John have lived in the house for their entire lives. Their parents had high hopes for John, but not many hopes for Marion. They would travel together and be a family together. Their father would often be with John, while Marion sat with her mother. Marion has seen her father do strange things too, but chose to ignore them, just like her mother did.

As the novel progresses, John has a minor accident which causes him to go to the hospital. Marion must now care for John’s projects in the basement. What will Marion see and what will she do?

This book has creep factor written all through it. There is no guessing what John is up to at all, but the story is the lead up to how we got to this situation. While John is the outright psychopath, the fun of the book is figuring out Marion. She is not an innocent, even though she believes she is. It is this tense line that keeps the book going well.

The entire book is told from Marion’s perspective. She is a pretty unreliable narrator in that she constantly convinces herself that she is innocent in everything and is just a simple woman. It is her unraveling and her leaps to make herself innocent while she justifies her and John’s evil deeds that keeps the book moving. She is not an innocent though and glimpses of that begin to appear in her story too with the thought- are you evil too, when your brother is more evil? Comparative evilness.

This book will not be for everyone. Marion is not treated well by her family or John. She is often verbally abused by her parents and sibling, but she doesn’t always see it that way. We also journey into the basement and see up close what John has in there. This is not an easy scene. It is good solid October horror though and just right for the season.

I gave this one 3.5 stars.

Origin by Dan Brown- Book Review

As much as I want to write a bunch of excuses for why I have not been posting as much recently, I am going to use the simple statement- Pastor stuff. I'll leave it as that.

There have been a lot of incredible releases within the last few weeks and each has seemed to be a giant book! One of those books was the new release by Dan Brown. A new Robert Langdon adventure.

This time around, Langdon almost plays second fiddle to his student- Edmond Kirsch and his AI Winston. Almost.

Kirsch has figured out the answer to the big questions- "Where do we come from and where are we going?" His answer has threatened to undo the three major religions of the world. Before he presented his findings to the world, he presented them to the three heads of the major religions and they knew this information must not get out.

Langdon is present on the night of the presentation, when all of a sudden Kirsch is killed. It is up to Langdon, Winston, and the beautiful Ambra Vidal to find a way of getting the presentation out. They are against the clock, against the major world religions, and even a King!

Yes, this is a typical Langdon adventure- short chapters, exciting cliffhangers, and a few puzzles. For me, what was missing was the art. While there were some art aspects, it was not the amount as in other books. I found I missed those moments.

It is though a great discussion around the origins of the universe and a theory about what is happening to us. While I don't think it quite dismantles all religions, in fact there was a positive aspect to religion in the end. I found the theory quite interesting.

While I still think the DaVinci Code is still one of his best books, I did find this one quite fun. My only critique was the lack of art and that 200 pages are about finding one thing. I won't say what, as that will be a spoiler, but it wasn't so much about solving puzzles rather it was about finding information. Once I got past that, I went along for the ride and enjoyed it a lot.

Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke- Book review

I will fully admit I had certain assumptions when I started reading this book and avoided reading it because of those assumptions- African American Texas Ranger, a white town, a murder of an African American and a White Woman, and my assumptions began to take shape. We all know the sayings about assumptions though, don’t we?

While some of my assumptions were true, if you pass this one up strictly due to the description, you will miss such a twisty turny murder mystery that kept my attention from beginning to end. Yes, some things you can imagine would happen, happen, but this is not a paper cut out story. The characters are rich and it has an ending you might not expect.

Darrin Matthews is a black Texas Ranger who is on suspension when he hears about a murder in a mostly white town- first an African American male is found dead and the town doesn’t care much. Then a second body is discovered- a white woman, whom the town knows well. Drawn in by the mystery, Matthews begins investigating even though he is not allowed to.

As he begins investigating, Matthews discovers a bar where the woman worked. In it, he finds a group of Aryan Nation members. This is that type of bar. Turns out it was also the last place where both of the victims were found. This is the part where you think what is going to happen begins to happen.

On the other side, Matthews has unreliable witnesses, family histories that go generations deep, the black/white divide that goes back to slavery days, and Matthews himself is battling his own history and his suspension. To solve this mystery, Matthews must get out of his own way first.

As stated, there may be some initial eye rolling at the mention of a Black Ranger and an Aryan Nation bar, but this is not that story. In some parts it is, but this is more a story about a town with deep secrets that may not always want to be shared outside of town people. It is a town rich with layers that goes beyond the black/white divide.

Even Matthews himself is not the typical cop on suspension character. He is a screw up. He has deep flaws. His addiction is not just to take the edge off, but it is a real addiction where he needs a drink to just get by. His addiction has also ruined his relationships and his career. He too is a complex character.

I had a guess where the ending was going, but it took almost to the end to figure it out. The way she rolls out the story was quite well done. As Matthews finds out information, the story of what happened with the two victims begins to roll out, but stops at the information that Matthews knows. By the end, we see the full night and watch everything play out from beginning to end. It is like getting pieces of a puzzle where the picture isn’t quite clear and even when you figure something out, there is one more piece which changes the perspective.

This was so well done that I am ready to tackle another of her books. I loved this one. I gave it a solid four stars.

*I want to thank NetGalley for the advanced copy. I received it in exchange for an honest review.*

Warcross by Marie Lu- Book Review

One of my favorite books from the last few years was the book Ready Player One. It was a great mix of video games, dystopia, and adventure. I have been looking for a book with a similar spin and the good news is Warcross is that book. It is difficult not to draw comparisons between the two, but Warcross stands well on its own.

Warcross is a virtual game that has taken over the world. Everyone either plays or watches Warcross. Each year, the finals of the game attract everyone who plays including Emika Chen. Chen is a hacker and a bounty hunter.

As she is watching the finals, she hacks into the game and is seen by everyone including the creator of the game- Hideo Tanaka. Tanaka recognizes that someone is trying to destroy his game and it is happening from the inside. He hires Emika to not only play the game, but to find out who is coming after him. He is the target because he is about to launch the latest version of his glasses to get into the game.

Emika is going to enter a world of teamwork, of competition, and may lose her life in the process. It gets even more complicated the closer she grows to Tanaka.

I really enjoyed this one, except the ending. I am not going to spoil the ending, but it has happened in a Doctor Who episode and a certain movie that just had a sequel this year.

Besides the ending, I had a lot of fun with this one. It is a good mix of adventure, video games, and Emika is a great female lead. I read this one in a few hours because it was so fun.

I gave this one four stars.

What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton- Book Review

I have thought about how to begin this blog post for a little while now. Do I begin with how I voted in the election? Do I write about how Bill Clinton was the first candidate I ever voted for? Do I put some kind of asterisk next to everything I will write?

What I decided to do is write why I purchased the book. None of us can deny that when one talks about HRC, everyone has an opinion of her. She has been in the political spotlight on a national level since Bill Clinton became candidate Clinton and then President Clinton. In my state, HRC's legacy continued as she became our state Senator (the first First Lady to have a political career post White House days). Then she ran for President, became Secretary of State, and then ran for President again. I have to write this- no matter what your opinion of her is, you have to respect the accomplishments that she has made. This is the reason I purchased the book. No one compares to HRC when it comes to her political career. She broke all kinds of ceilings and was a forerunner for candidates who are women. I wanted the book to get an insight into her life, post political career (as it is looking like that is the case).

This book is so many things and at 500+ pages, it should be. It covers what it was like to lose the Presidency after winning the popular vote, what it was like to run against Trump and Obama, what it means to be a woman in politics, what it is like to be in the spotlight for so long, etc. This book is raw and is nothing like what it is being painted as.

The book is being painted as a blame book. I am not going to lie, there is some blame at others, but I found much more self blame. There were plenty of sentences that focused on whether or not she had done something correctly or if she had just tweaked something. In the parts that blame others, it comes from a rawness in her reflection. She has reason to be angry. She has been under a hate machine since 1992 and had all sorts of criticism, critique, and lies spread about her. I would be pretty angry at times too.

Yet, with some minor anger passages, there are many more passages about the love she has for her grandchildren, her need for self care, and just being alive and trying to live a normal life in the midst of a spotlight searching out every mistake and problem. That made this a powerful book. After reading it, I turned to my wife and said "I wish I saw this Clinton on the stage instead of what was presented to me." In that statement, I realized I too had bought into some of the attacks.

With everything typed, I do think this book could have been trimmed a bit. A whole section on life of the road was almost unnecessary as she divulges which is the best hot sauce. Those parts seemed a bit tedious. Overall though, I thought it was a good insight into her mindset including her frustrations, her joy, her life, and presented all in a very real and raw way. In this book is HRC the woman and person and not HRC the candidate. I really enjoyed it.

I gave this one 4 stars.

We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates

In my circles, anytime a group wants to focus on race/race issues, the book that is normally turned to is Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow. It is a fantastic book and should be studied, but I almost always push for a different book- Between the World and Me by Coates. Why? It is less about stats and figures and gets to a personal and deeper level of race relations. The book is a letter to his son about growing up as a black man in America. To me, it just brings everything home.

I mention this because this book is his follow up to the incredible Between the World and Me. The question is- does it stand up? Is it just as powerful?

These are 16 essays, two for each year of the Obama Presidency. The first is Coates relating what is happening in the larger context to his individual outlook. He paints a big picture of what was happening in the world with just a handful of pages.

Then he zeroes in on one particular moment during that year to talk about what it meant for the black experience in the world. The first, for example, was Bill Cosby's speech that was both praised and panned about growing up as a black individual in America. Coates, obviously knows what will become of Cosby, but he frames that speech with what was happening, how it was received, what it meant, and what happened to Cosby. He writes an essay on Michelle Obama and a few other individuals.

What I love about Coates' work is he has a unique way of looking at the world and just putting it out there to observe. He has an opinion on it and just lays it out with a lot of knowledge, experience, and history behind his words. He tries to view each item through several angles before coming to his conclusion. The amazing thing is he does it all within a few pages. None of the essays are terribly long, but the are all incredible.

This one has a lot of hype going into the Fall book season and there is a good reason for it. This one is an immediate buy, underline, hold onto, and buy it for a friend. It is that good, especially for those who want a conversation about race. So, so good.

I gave this one 5 stars.

*I want to thank NetGalley for the advanced copy. I received it in exchange for an honest review.*

Buried Secrets by TJ Brearton- Book Review

I will admit that I read semi-self published books with different eyes. This title is published by Bookouture, which seems to be a self submit publishing company that will help publish books. I write this because I found this to be a fun book for a semi-self published book, but if it were a major publishing company, I would pass on this like crazy.

This is really two stories. Story one is about a couple who while digging in their backyard find pieces of bones. What they realize is the bones are human and there is a piece of paper with a code on it.

The second story is about an inmate who is hired to do a job, while in jail. If he does the job without questions, he will be released, go back to his daughters, and his debt forgiven. He is driven to Upstate NY and dropped off in front of the couple's house and he is to unload a package, but must search the house for the package.

Things are going well until the wife returns. What will happen to all of their lives as the two stories intersect? What about the people who hired the criminal? How will they come into play?

This book starts with a great premise. We know the two lives will intersect. We know the job will involve the couple. We are expecting this. The problem begins as the story starts to unravel a bit. When a third party is added into the soup, it gets a little crazy at times. There are also odd interactions with the police that don't make much sense.

The book is advertised as having tons of twists and turns, but I would disagree with that statement. It is pretty straightforward and not very surprising. Characters will make some odd choices, which maybe are the twists, but it isn't a thriller.

I gave this one 3 stars, but that is with recognizing this is semi self published. I would say pass if it was a major printing. At the time of this writing, it is $.99 on Amazon.

I want to thank Netgalley for the advanced copy. I received it in exchange for an honest review.

The Grip of It by Jac Jemc- Book Review

I tried a book box for the first time and did their horror box. Within the box was a copy of The Grip of It. This book had been on my radar a little bit, so I was glad to receive it. I don't often talk about the cover of the book, but if you are interested in this one, definitely get the paper copy. The cover has spooky "hand drawn" faces on the cover that show when the light hits it just right. It was a great little touch.

Julie and James look for a new home in a small town. The couple are looking to start their lives over again. We don't know why in the beginning of the book, but hints begin to show that there has been some stress in their marriage including a gambling problem for James.

The house they find seems perfect, except it has some strange creaks and groans. James decides to research the house a bit to see the history of the house. Julie stays home as some strange bruises appear on her body.

As one can imagine, the horrors of the house begin to ramp up a bit with strange drawings, a secret journal, and a neighbor who stares at them at seemingly all hours of the day. When the neighbor goes missing, the police become involved with James and Julie as things begin to unravel. The house seeks to consume them and their marriage problems begin to amplify. Will they survive the house?

There are many haunted house novels out there, but I enjoyed Jac Jemc's take on it. It is a slow unraveling of both the characters and the house with enough doubt about whether or not the characters are losing their minds or is it really the house. Jemc adds in a troubled marriage and the doubts begins to grow a little more. Even though we are being told the story through the eyes of James and Julie, we know they are a bit unreliable.

This way an incredibly quick read and made a great weekend read. I highly recommend the paper version. I gave this one 4 stars.

Here and Gone by Haylen Beck

I love books that get right into the action and this one definitely delivers. Within a few pages, we are off and running on this tense adventure of a mother who has her children taken from her after a fake arrest.

A woman is on the run from her abusive husband. At the beginning of the book, we do not know much except she is in the car with her children that she may not have custody for. She has a past history of drug abuse, but for the time being she needs gas in order to continue.

After seeing a police car when she stops, she is nervous until pulled over. The police search her car and she is arrested for possession of narcotics. Her children are removed from her sight as she is in jail.

When she asks about her children, the police officer replies- "what children?"

This is the beginning of the book! As the book progresses, we meet a man who becomes very concerned about the children as he has had a similar story. Both people must now try the best they can to save these children.

I found this book so quick moving and so tense. I will state that I get a bit icked out by pedophiles, so that could have added to the tension of the book for me. The "dark net" plays a role in this book.

The scenes play out so well and dark. You can feel the dank cell and the hopelessness of the situation. This is a rough, but good summer read.

I gave this one 3.5 stars.

I want to thank BloggingforBooks for the copy. I received it in exchange for an honest review.

The End of the World Running Club by Adrian Walker- Book Review

After the self publishing success of The Martian, there has been a search for what the next big self published hit would be. Enter The End of the World Running Club as the next big contender to The Martian throne! The book has been picked up by Del Rey and has been brought to the masses to enjoy. Looking at the reviews, it is definitely a hit.

A giant meteor shower hits the UK and destroys most of it. There are a few survivors clustered together searching for others. Edgar is the father in one of those families. He had a shelter and his family survived the onslaught.

It is months later and Ed finds himself with a small group of survivors who now must be trained as military to survive. While out on a scout mission, a rescue group comes and takes Ed's family and other survivors halfway across the country. With his small group, Ed must traverse the landscape to get back to his family. He will run into danger, people that help, and more danger. Will he make it back? To get there in time, he and his group must run 20 miles a day, hence the name- The End of the World Running Club.

I am going to start off with my criticism to just get it out of the way. While I enjoyed the book, I felt this wasn't a huge addition to the apocalypse genre. There were characters that could have been in other books, i.e. the cooky guy who lost his mind a bit and still tries to maintain his home, the apocalypse journey was somewhat typical, and I wasn't a huge fan of the main character.

With that stated, I still have to write that I did enjoy the book. While there were certainly some slower parts, all the other ones moved fairly quickly. Ed was going from one place to another at a good clip. The problem was the slower parts were really slow, which took away a bit from the pacing. The characters were well developed and the story was a good one. I can see why a lot of people enjoyed it.

I thought it was a bit on the slower side. As stated, I did enjoy it, but would have a difficult time recommending it to others as the next great apocalypse book. I think it is a genre that is not only plentiful right now, but has some pretty tough books to best, such as The Road. It is too much of a popular genre right now that I wonder if this book might struggle a bit as it hits the main publishing house. It comes out in September, so we will see.

I gave it 3.5 stars.

*I want to thank NetGalley for the early release. I received it in exchange for an honest book review.*

Pretend We Are Lovely by Noley Reid- Book Review

There are certain books that are read that are so worth reading, but once it is over, you never want to read it again. This is one of those books. The characters are great, the writing is incredible, but the story is such a rough one.

The story is told from 4 points of view- daughter Vivian who is 13, daughter Enid who is 10, dad Tate, and mother Francie. It is the story of a family trying to hold it together following the mysterious death of their son.

Tate and Francie are separated, yet they keep getting pulled back together as Francie struggles with an eating disorder. Tate has his own troubles as a college professor who has slept with his student. The two girls also float through school and have an unhealthy relationship with a next door neighbor boy who forces himself on both girls, yet the girls interpret it as being loved.

It is Francie's eating disorder that is at the center of the story as she starts to hit rock bottom. She chooses not to eat for several days bringing her to the brink of death. The family must somehow pull it all together to support their mother, even in the midst of their disfunction.

As difficult as this book is, I wound up tearing through this book. Having the story told from all four members of the family helped move the story along. Each member of the family has a unique point of view and is dealing with their own struggles. While Vivian recognizes what her father is doing, for example, Enid thinks of the college woman her father flirts with, as the donut girl.

The other intriguing part of this book is how the two girls take on the aspects of their parents. Vivian, for example, also knows how to count calories and often becomes mom for Enid when Francie is out of the picture. Enid has an unhealthy relationship to food because of her father's unhealthy relationship to food. He often sneaks food and overeats encouraging Enid to do the same. She starts gaining weight, which sets both Vivian and Francie off.

By the end, the main message is moving from an unhealthy relationship to food to eating food for nutrition, but it takes a full journey to get there. As stated, there is a lot of dysfunction within this book, so be prepared. I found the sections with the neighbor boy some of the more uncomfortable sections especially when he moves from Vivian to Enid. This is a tough book, but so good at the same time.

I gave this one 4 stars.

Pretend We Are Lovely by Noley Reid

Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew Sullivan

As stated in my previous review, I have been on a roll with books. I am going to label this one under fun books perfect for a good read. It isn't too heavy, has some odd twists, and is a lot of fun.

The book opens with a suicide. A bookfrog- Joey, Lydia's name for the bookstore regulars who spend all day at the bookstore, hangs himself in the bookstore and leaves everything he has to Lydia. Lydia is a book clerk with a mysterious past. She likes to live her life in secret and is pretty quiet about her life.

Lydia is the survivor of a brutal murder where she was left as the only survivor. Her father is the main suspect in the murder as his blood was everywhere, but no one has been able to connect him to the murders. Joey, it turns out, has been looking into her past.

From Joey's clues, Lydia will learn about her past, her father, and what happened the night she survived Hammerman.

There will be some moments in this book that will make the reader scratch his/her head a bit. There will also by some pretty big stretches within the book. With that written, I still have to say this was a fun read and a good romp. This is one of those summer books that is a great palate cleanser.

This does not mean it is an easy read. There is suicide, a brutal murder, and a dark story as we explore Lydia's past. It has a few layers to the mystery with some great reveals. It has an ending that might surprise you too.

I gave this one 3.5 stars.

Autumn by Ali Smith- Book Review

I have been reading all the Man Booker Long List nominees for fun this summer. If it were not for that list, I would have overlooked this book. It has a simple cover, the description is kind of bland, but this is an incredible book about the end of life and lifelong friendship between an older man and a younger woman.

The book is told from two perspectives- Elisabeth, who is the main narrator with most of the story following her life. Daniel, who is a century year old and dying. His narrative is told from within his dreams as he lies within a nursing home. It is the story of both of these friends and their lives together and apart. Elisabeth struggles with love as she loves Daniel, without it being an eros type love, so she struggles with people who don't care for her the way Daniel does.

The story is told within a back and forth nature dropping the reader within the moment without letting the reader know the narrator, nor what time period it is. This is a little off-putting at first, but once you get into the groove, it just flows.

The writing is the main draw of the story too. It is as if it were poetic, freeform, and flow of consciousness. Ideas that start within one chapter appear in another chapter. A passport picture follows Elisabeth throughout the book and adds a bit of comedy throughout the book.

The book's background within the present portions follow the Brexit vote. Half of one town hates the other and things have become complicated. Elisabeth struggles with this as well.

When I finished the book, I could absolutely see why this was nominated. This is a beautiful book and contemporary, yet dealing with issues that flow through time. I am wondering if it has a chance of winning, but don't pass on this one.

I gave this one 4.5 stars.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman- Book Review

I am going to tread carefully around this review as part of the fun of the book is the piece by piece reveal of why Eleanor Oliphant is not completely fine. To give you an idea of what this book is like, here was my midway reaction review on Litsy-
Oh, she is quirky like Amelie.
She sure is opinionated.
That is funny.
Wait, did I just read that?
I did just read that, where did that come from?
Oh, that just took a turn.
This is nothing like Amelie

Eleanor is hardworking as an office worker at her job. She has co-workers that make fun of her, she talks to her mother every Wednesday, and has the same exact routine every single week. She doesn't go out much except to the same few restaurants and she enjoys quiet evenings at home. To quote the book- everything is completely fine.

Eleanor is also extremely critical of others. She thinks her co-workers are oafs and doesn't quite understand their quirks. She believes everything has their proper place. She is also madly in love with a rock artist whom she has not met yet, but is going to marry. Everything is completely fine.

After meeting with an IT specialist, Eleanor and Raymond run across a man who has fallen with an apparent heart attack. As Raymond springs into action, Eleanor's life begins to turn. Raymond wants to keep visiting the man and wants Eleanor to come with him. Raymond begins a friendship with Eleanor from that moment on. The more the story unravels we will see that Eleanor's life is not completely fine at all.

This book was along my string of good books that I have been on. I have read quite a few in a row that have just been spot on for an entertaining read and Eleanor's story was just that- an entertaining read. This does not mean that it was exactly a fun read. Eleanor's life is very difficult. It would not be a spoiler to say her mother, for example, is extremely verbally abusive toward Eleanor on their Wednesday night calls. This is just one example of the difficult life of Eleanor. She also has scars along her face, which too will be revealed as to why. This is a good and entertaining read, but it isn't an easy read by far. Eleanor's story will slowly unravel through little bits here and there that come off as pretty shocking at times.

I enjoyed this book so much that it may be one of my top 10 of the year. I discovered the book from a list from Bookriot. They had printed a great books so far type list and several comments underneath stated Bookriot had missed Eleanor Oliphant and I would agree. This one is easy to miss as the title just screams that it is a book geared toward an older crowd who like Ove or Lilian Boxfish. This is a deep book though and not to be taken lightly.

It is about new friendship that can become deep friendship through the thick and thin. It is about healing old scars and walking with new purpose. It is also about overcoming abuse and healing. I gave this one 4.5 stars.

Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore- Book Review

I went into Reincarnation Blues cold after receiving it as a recommendation from NetGalley. I thought the cover looked like The Hike and thought it was going to be in a similar vein. It is a strange little book at times and kind of a fun adventure.

The book follows Milo as he faces death for the 9,995th time. Each time he dies, he wakes up on the shore and is guided by Suzie aka Death as he recovers.

Milo has begun to enjoy his deaths, but perfection still alludes him. He states that he has chosen not to chase that dream since he is having too much fun. The problem is he only has 5 more chances to get it right before becoming nothing. If he can achieve it, he joins the oneness of the universe and has eternal bliss.

The reason Milo enjoys dying is because he has fallen in love with Suzie and each time he dies, he gets to spend time with her. Suzie also loves Milo, but knows this is a relationship that cannot be because Death cannot love a human being.

This now lays out the adventure as Milo has 5 more chances and Suzie becomes conflicted so much so that she considers giving up her position. The book continues looking it Milo's remaining lives as well as his time in the bardo.

This was a fun book with some predictable parts and some very slow parts. Overall, I loved the whole concept and storyline of the book. There were some of Milo's lives that just bogged the book down a bit. He has some very fast lives which are more enjoyable than his very lengthy extended lives. I was wondering why Poore made some of the decisions he did as his interactions with Suzie were much more enjoyable than his time on Earth.

As a reader, Milo becomes a great character as you get to know some of his lives and the choices he makes. There are some moments where Milo is conscious of his previous lives and makes choices to listen or not to listen to his past lives' voices. That was a lot of fun.

I did wonder if Buddhists will not enjoy one of his lives as he comes to know Buddha and does something that may anger some readers. Again a question of why he chose that path as it didn't really effect the character's arc.

As stated, I did enjoy the book as a whole, but did find myself skipping and coasting through some of Milo's lives as I enjoyed the Bardo' storyline much more. I just wish Poore had spent a bit more time there.

I gave this one 3.5 stars.

*I want to thank NetGalley for the early release. I received it for free in exchange for an honest review.*

Dying: A Memoir by Cory Taylor- Book Review

This is the first book I have read this year where as soon as I finished it, I flipped to the front of the book to read it again immediately. I found the book that good. It is also incredibly short at 140 pages that the two readings took one day. The reason why I wanted to read it immediately again is the book is wonderful poetic and insightful. It is one of those books where you know the author is bearing her soul for the world to read and you just have the desire to honor that story.

Cory Taylor died two months after the book originally came out in Australia of melanoma. This book is her walk through the beginning stages of facing her own mortality. She knows she is not going to get better and the only thing that will happen is she is going to die. There is not a miracle drug, a procedure that will reverse everything, or anything like that and she knows it. This memoir is her facing death.

She does not hold back in this book, which is why it is so powerful. The book opens with her confession that she has purchased a suicide drug from China. She proceeds to question whether or not suicide is an option for her and what effect it would have on her family if she did it. That is the opening of the book!

Throughout the rest of the book, she covers topics such as euthanasia, becoming aware of oneself, remembering when she was first conscious, love, her family, and of course death. The way she writes is in this wonderfully poetic and conversational style that draws the reader in. It isn't cold or distant, but warm and inviting. It is as if you were sitting with a cup of coffee with her as she faces her death.

Death is not an easy topic to read about, but this book is so worth your time. There were three really great books on death this year that should be on any shelf- This one, Option B by Sheryl Sandberg, and On Living by Kerry Egan

*I received an advanced copy of Dying a Memoir directly from Tin House Publishing. I received it in exchange for an honest review*

The Secret Diary of Hendrik Growen 83 1/4 Years Old- Book Review

Within the last few years, there has been an uptick of quirky, elderly, sarcastic/angry protagonists. There was Ove in A Man Called Ove, who would regularly kick things while being super grumpy. There was Allan in the 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, who wasn't so grumpy, but just got tired of being in a nursing home. There was also Martha of The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules and her mighty band of pensioners who go for broke one day and go on a spree.

Into this genre, enters Hendrik Groen who is 83 years old and is one of the youngest people at his old age home. He decides to keep a diary for a year telling about life in the home. He is sarcastic, opinionated, and is approaching the diary without a filter, as he says.

There are fights in the home as to who can sit in certain benches or not. There are mysteries, such as they dying fish (they died because Hendrik threw a rock hard biscuit into the tank), and there is a new "gang" called The Old, but Not Dead Club of which Hendrik is a founding member. They stay up late and keep planning to go on an outing.

Life in the home is pretty normal with all of these things going on, until Eefje moves in. Hendrik has always had a thing for her and wishes life had been a bit different.

Throughout the book, Hendrik also deals with a memory that seems to be slipping at time, getting older so he might need a scooter, and has insights about getting older that will delight.

This book is a "safe" one. By that, I mean you know what you are going to get and it can be read by any single person in the family who can read. It is heartwarming, it is funny, and there isn't too much to set someone off. It is a completely "safe" book. It would be fun for a book club to read.

The good news, is I am not quite tired of these types of books yet. I am still enjoying the sarcastic, grumpy, yet a heart of gold elderly person books. I find them good palate cleansers after some heavier books and this one is no different. It was so fun, I started it in the afternoon and finished it right before going to bed that evening. It was a simple, fun read. This sounds like an insult, but it isn't meant to be- this is the equivalent of a Hallmark movie, but in book form. I think too many more of these types of books will start to burn out the genre, but for now, I am still loving them.

I gave this one a 3.5.

*I want to thank NetGalley for the early copy of the book. I received it in exchange for an honest review*

Girl in Snow by Danya Kukafka- Book Review

As I was reading Girl in Snow, I kept getting mixed feelings about the book. In the beginning, I kept checking to see if the book was a YA book (a little more later) and by the end, I found I really enjoyed what I read even if the ending was a bit stretched.

A girl, Lucinda, is found dead in the school playground- her neck is broken and she has been hit in the head.

Cameron, one of our narrators, has autism and has been Lucinda's stalker. He watches her at night and is enraptured with her. He draws her, has her diary, and used to just stare at her.

Jade is a teen with body issues. She used to date Lucinda's ex boyfriend. Lucinda stole her boyfriend and she hexed Lucinda. She wanted her gone after Lucinda also stole her babysitting job. Jade is an aspiring script writer.

Russ is the police officer investigating the murder. He used to be partners with Cameron's father before the father's trial for the murder of a woman. Russ is having problems at home with his wife and her ex con brother, who is the janitor at the school and the one who found Lucinda's body.

The book is told through their eyes, alternating between the three of them. Ultimately the book becomes less about Lucinda and more about why these three act the way they do.

The writing in this book is very simple, which is why I thought it was a YA book. The chapters are very short and the sentences are not too complex. As the book moves forward though, the simple writing is used as a disarming technique as we move through these people's lives.

The art of the book comes through the three individual voices. Each character's chapters are written with a unique voice. Cameron has some type of autism and so he makes lists, points out things, and doesn't quite understand what is going on. Jade will switch in the middle of her narratives into a script form that may or may not be the actual conversation. Russ is the grown up and has a more difficult story as he wrestles with his many demons. Switching voices keeps the book moving.

I am not going to lie, this book drags a ton, especially in the beginning. Even though the chapters are very short, I kept looking to see how many pages I had left. By the end of the book, as the story starts to peak, it does pick up a bit more. There are some twists. I have to also state, I didn't enjoy the actual murderer reveal, but as stated earlier, the murder became a secondary story anyway. I kept wanting to see what happened in Russ' life more than the other two. His life becomes pretty complex toward the ending and his relationship with Cameron's father becomes a great center.

Overall, I thought the book was just ok. Nothing too outrageous and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I gave this one 3.5 stars.

*I want to thank NetGalley for the early copy. I received it in exchange for an honest review.*

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn- Book Review

This was a book that started strongly, continued to have fun with the idea, but then as it moved on, I just wanted it to end and then it did!

The story of Ella Minnow Pea takes place on an island where the famous phrase "The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over The Lazy Dog" was created. The creator of the phrase Nevin Nollop is so highly regarded that he is treated almost as a godlike character. The comes into play when letters begin falling off the memorial to him. The island council decides this is fate and begin deeming the letter that has fallen can no longer be used.

The whole story is an epistolary story between Ella and her family and friends. As the first letter is banned, use of it will lead to several punishments including banishment.

As one can guess, letters begin falling off of the sign and each time, the council decides to ban the use of that letter. The letters sent also begin transforming as certain letters are now banned.

This book took a lot of skill to write. It had to be a difficult challenge to continue writing while not using certain letters as the book continued. It was fun reading it in that sense as the author goes with some deep cuts for words to continue telling the story.

The problem is, once the pattern emerges and the story continues, it begins to get a little tedious. The skill is acknowledged to write, but story wise it started to become- let's get this over with already and tie it up.

The other difficulty was trying to distinguish the different character voices in the book. Nothing in the letters being sent lead the reader to a certain character, except for a few kitchen table letters. I had to keep reading the letter's signee to figure out who was speaking.

Overall, it is still a fun and quick book. At just 200 pages, it took an afternoon to read and it was a bit of fun. I gave this one 3.5 stars.

How Do You Read So Many Books?

I thought I would have a little fun with this blog post as it is the question I get the most from my friends.

How do you read so many books?

I often have a few silly answers ready to go:
1. I am a genius. A real life genius.

2. Reading is my super power after getting bit by a radioactive book worm.

3. It is a burden and a curse. If I stop reading, I die instantly.

I also have my serious answers:

1. My parents were avid readers and we had books everywhere. My wife nearly fell over the first time she came to my house because she did not believe me. There are bookcases everywhere.

2. I didn't really start reading until my Senior year of High School as I didn't enjoy it. Now I am catching up for lost years.

3. In seminary, we were required to read hundreds of pages a night and I just never stopped.

4. I started slowly and eventually my reading skill built up.

5. I really am a genius. For some reason, no one believes me.

The thing is, I am not a fast reader, but I do have a routine that works and it is really simple. So, I am going to teach you my routine in this blog post.

If you try it, know that you are going to be giving up some TV/movie time. I also don't have kids, so I recognize I have a bit more self time than most. If you are going to try my routine, adjust as you see fit. 

First I pick out about 3-5 books for the week. 

I make one my morning book, one my afternoon book, and one my evening book. My morning book has shorter chapters and can be picked up and put down. My afternoon book is my meat and potatoes book. My evening book is a book where I know I will read a solid chunk of it, but I also know I will get sleepy and put it down eventually.

In the morning, I commit 30-40 minutes to reading my morning book. Once 30-40 minutes is up, I don't touch it until the next morning. This book isn't too plot heavy. Poetry is great, mysteries, top 10 books, etc. I find non fiction works best for me in the morning as I feel I am learning something first thing in the morning over coffee and it becomes a great brain stimulant. Thirty to forty minutes seems quick, but it is about 40-60 pages when you think about it. If it is a 200 page book at 40 pages a day, you will be done in 5 days.

For my evening book, I commit at least 40 mins straight and then pick it up and put it down the rest of the night until I fall asleep. This book has some substance to it because I am going to have a block of time where I could read on a good night. On a typical night, I can get through 80-100 pages in one evening. On a really good night 100-150.

Now the afternoon book. This is my go to for most of the day. I bring it with me everywhere- at work, during waiting times for appointments, during lunch, or any time I have a bit of free time. You will be surprised how often you find yourself waiting. I sometimes show up 15 minutes early to appointments to have that precious reading time. If you look for moments, you will find time to read. 

Once I finish one book, I swap it for a different one in the pile. 

Now, I am a slightly crazy person, so I throw one in that I am going to start for the weekend around Wednesday and flip between two books for my evening books. I just tease this book and don't get to into yet. This gives me a head start for the weekend selections.

I find with my system, I can generally finish 3 books definitely by the end of the week. On really great weeks, all 5 are done and I have a weekend to finish two more.

Now you know how I read so many books! Give it a try and then you too can be a genius!