Title: Shadowfall, Book One of the Godslayer Chronicles
Author: James Clemens
Publication Year: 2005
Synopsis: The unspeakable and impossible has happened--a god has been murdered. A former Shadowknight bears her blessing, which has healed his broken body. Unfortunately for Tylar de Noche, many people interpret the blessing and healing as a sign that he slew the goddess. Tylar must prove his innocence, gathering those who believe around him while dodging the assassins of those who killed the goddess as well as those who believe he was the slayer.
This book has all of the basic fantasy principles: a (not-s0-)shining knight, an epic quest, gods and goddesses, and mulitple mysteries. However, instead of the sweetness and light all the main characters live through each battle unscathed, the tone of this book is dark. It's a refreshing change for this genre. It's a great read, if just for that alone.
The Reader's Rating: 8.75 out of 10 books
Amazon Link: Shadowfall, Book One of the Godslayer Chronicles
Related Books You may Enjoy: The Eye of the World by Robert Jordon
Beyond the Pale by Mark Anthony
Wit'ch Fire by James Clemens
And so I ask you, how would you feel to wake up one morning and find yourself the focus of a prophesy?
Monday, October 6, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Shameless Promotion Day #2
Are you a writer? Are you always talking about how you have the best idea for America's Next Bestseller? Do you just want to give writing a book a try?
Well, November is the month for you!
Visit http://www.nanowrimo.org for detailed information, and keep reading for highlights!
Starting at 12:01 am on November 1st and ending at 11:59:59 on November 30th, thousands of writers across the country buckle down and write a 50,000 word novel (that works out to around 1667 words a day, for those who are counting). 50,000 words equals out to about 175 paperback book pages.
So stop talking about how you want to write a book someday, make SOMEDAY this NOVEMBER. Join myself and everyone else in the mad dash to 50,000 words. And remember the most important part: you are not alone in this, NaNoWriMo offers groups across the nation where you can meet your fellow writers and connect with them.
Check it out, it's fun, it's rewarding, and best of all, you can tell your friends that you wrote a book! How many people do you know that can say that?
Well, November is the month for you!
Visit http://www.nanowrimo.org for detailed information, and keep reading for highlights!
Starting at 12:01 am on November 1st and ending at 11:59:59 on November 30th, thousands of writers across the country buckle down and write a 50,000 word novel (that works out to around 1667 words a day, for those who are counting). 50,000 words equals out to about 175 paperback book pages.
So stop talking about how you want to write a book someday, make SOMEDAY this NOVEMBER. Join myself and everyone else in the mad dash to 50,000 words. And remember the most important part: you are not alone in this, NaNoWriMo offers groups across the nation where you can meet your fellow writers and connect with them.
Check it out, it's fun, it's rewarding, and best of all, you can tell your friends that you wrote a book! How many people do you know that can say that?
Monday, September 22, 2008
Book #4 You Slay Me
Title:: You Slay Me, an Aisling Grey, Guardian Novel
Author: Katie MacAlister
Publication Year: 2004
Synopsis: Aisling Grey is sent to Paris by her employer, who also happens to be her uncle, to deliver a 600-year old artifact to its new wealthy owner. Upon arrival, Aisling has the artifact snatched out from under her nose and from under the dead body of the woman who purchased it. With the help of a cabbie, Rene, and a cast-out demon from Abbadon in the guise of an overly enthusiastic Neufoundland dog, she has to find out how to get her artifact back from the theif. The problem? He's a dragon, she's his mate (and a Guardian and a Demon Lord) and everyone Aisling runs into ends up dead with her as the main suspect.
This was a fun and fast read! Ms. MacAlister keeps the pace going fast, and I kept trying to guess who the bad guy was, and failed every time....or so I thought. Aisling is a likable, if a bit clutzy heroine who seems to get the hottest guys in Paris falling at her feet...who cares if they're dragons? Her supporting characters made me laugh (and, I have to admit, cringe a little since one of my novels has a character very similar to Jim in it) with their antics. It's not a book that will make you think, but if you're looking for an entertaining read, I'd a copy of this up.
The Reader's Rating: 8 out of 10 books
Amazon Link: You Slay Me
Related Books you May Enjoy: One for the Money (a Stephanie Plum book) by Janet Evanovitch
Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K Hamilton
The Vampire Diaries Trilogy by LJ Smith
And so I ask you, would you let the fact that hot and sexy man is a dragon bother you, really?
Author: Katie MacAlister
Publication Year: 2004
Synopsis: Aisling Grey is sent to Paris by her employer, who also happens to be her uncle, to deliver a 600-year old artifact to its new wealthy owner. Upon arrival, Aisling has the artifact snatched out from under her nose and from under the dead body of the woman who purchased it. With the help of a cabbie, Rene, and a cast-out demon from Abbadon in the guise of an overly enthusiastic Neufoundland dog, she has to find out how to get her artifact back from the theif. The problem? He's a dragon, she's his mate (and a Guardian and a Demon Lord) and everyone Aisling runs into ends up dead with her as the main suspect.
This was a fun and fast read! Ms. MacAlister keeps the pace going fast, and I kept trying to guess who the bad guy was, and failed every time....or so I thought. Aisling is a likable, if a bit clutzy heroine who seems to get the hottest guys in Paris falling at her feet...who cares if they're dragons? Her supporting characters made me laugh (and, I have to admit, cringe a little since one of my novels has a character very similar to Jim in it) with their antics. It's not a book that will make you think, but if you're looking for an entertaining read, I'd a copy of this up.
The Reader's Rating: 8 out of 10 books
Amazon Link: You Slay Me
Related Books you May Enjoy: One for the Money (a Stephanie Plum book) by Janet Evanovitch
Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K Hamilton
The Vampire Diaries Trilogy by LJ Smith
And so I ask you, would you let the fact that hot and sexy man is a dragon bother you, really?
Monday, August 25, 2008
Book #3: Firetrap
Title: Firetrap
Author: Earl Emerson
Publication Year: 2007
Synopsis: The Z Club, and illegal club in Seattle catches fire and burns down. Lost in the fire are more than a dozen people, all of them African American. Trey Brown, a captain in the Seattle fire department, gets assigned to look into the mess with reporter Jamie Estevez. The city explodes into sides, was the Z club ignored because of the race issue or was it just a series of unfortunate events?
Earl Emerson is a firefighter in Seattle, so he is writing what he knows. And it is fantastic. He weaves areas of Seattle into the storytelling with a vividness that actually allows you to visualize where the characters are in the city, especially if you've been there. His characters are likable and life-like.
The story is a bit hard to follow, I'll admit. The story jumps back and forth between Trey and Jamie's POV, and sometimes that makes it hard to follow. It also flips into other characters POVs as well, so you might want to make a map to see how everyone is involved.
It's worth the mental involvement you have to put it, though, to read your way through the tangled storyline. Delve into Trey Brown's past and figure out how he's related to the city's top politicians.
The Reader's rating: 6.5 out of 10 books
Amazon Link: Firetrap, a novel of suspense
Related Books you may enjoy: Into the Inferno by Earl Emerson
And so I ask you, how would you react if you found yourself seemingly trapped in a burning building?
Author: Earl Emerson
Publication Year: 2007
Synopsis: The Z Club, and illegal club in Seattle catches fire and burns down. Lost in the fire are more than a dozen people, all of them African American. Trey Brown, a captain in the Seattle fire department, gets assigned to look into the mess with reporter Jamie Estevez. The city explodes into sides, was the Z club ignored because of the race issue or was it just a series of unfortunate events?
Earl Emerson is a firefighter in Seattle, so he is writing what he knows. And it is fantastic. He weaves areas of Seattle into the storytelling with a vividness that actually allows you to visualize where the characters are in the city, especially if you've been there. His characters are likable and life-like.
The story is a bit hard to follow, I'll admit. The story jumps back and forth between Trey and Jamie's POV, and sometimes that makes it hard to follow. It also flips into other characters POVs as well, so you might want to make a map to see how everyone is involved.
It's worth the mental involvement you have to put it, though, to read your way through the tangled storyline. Delve into Trey Brown's past and figure out how he's related to the city's top politicians.
The Reader's rating: 6.5 out of 10 books
Amazon Link: Firetrap, a novel of suspense
Related Books you may enjoy: Into the Inferno by Earl Emerson
And so I ask you, how would you react if you found yourself seemingly trapped in a burning building?
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Shameless Promotion Day #1
It's Wednesday, which I have dubbed Shameless Promotion Day. This'll happen every other Wednesday, and it's a way for me to share some of my interests outside of reading with you.
Today's Shameless Promotion will be about music. Specifically, an alternative band called The Clarks.
The Clarks are a local Pittsburgh band with a large following in that area. I learned of them through an ex (who took me to a concert once upon a time). I fell in love with them immediately. The had some minor national recognition with some of their songs off of Another Happy Ending, including On Saturday, a song about breaking up and moving out (on Saturday).
My favorite Clarks album continues to be the first album I heard from them, 2000's Let It Go. That album has some great songs, including Flame (best Clarks' song, ever), the title track Let It Go, and Butterflies and Airplanes, which is written and sung by the guitarist.
I guess they've been around long enough and have gained enough popularity to get covered by another band, because on my last trip back to the VA area from Ohio, I managed to catch a remake of Cigarette as I was passing through the Pittsburgh area. As good as the original? No, but still a good listen and wow for someone covering a Clarks song!
The Clarks are a fantastic band with a great sound, and they put on a great live show. Check them out at Clarks Online.
Today's Shameless Promotion will be about music. Specifically, an alternative band called The Clarks.
The Clarks are a local Pittsburgh band with a large following in that area. I learned of them through an ex (who took me to a concert once upon a time). I fell in love with them immediately. The had some minor national recognition with some of their songs off of Another Happy Ending, including On Saturday, a song about breaking up and moving out (on Saturday).
My favorite Clarks album continues to be the first album I heard from them, 2000's Let It Go. That album has some great songs, including Flame (best Clarks' song, ever), the title track Let It Go, and Butterflies and Airplanes, which is written and sung by the guitarist.
I guess they've been around long enough and have gained enough popularity to get covered by another band, because on my last trip back to the VA area from Ohio, I managed to catch a remake of Cigarette as I was passing through the Pittsburgh area. As good as the original? No, but still a good listen and wow for someone covering a Clarks song!
The Clarks are a fantastic band with a great sound, and they put on a great live show. Check them out at Clarks Online.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Book #2: Isolation
Title: Isolation
Author: Christopher Belton
Publication Year: 2003
Synopsis: Peter Bryant works for one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Japan as a Japanese to English translator for patents. The company he works secretly engineers a lethal bacterium as an agent of biological warfare for the Japanese government. A careless lab tech ends up exposing the bacterium to the populous of Tokyo and starts an epidemic. Peter is contacted by a "Deep Throat" who feeds him information about the germ. Meanwhile, people connected to the pharmaceutical company and the bacterium begin to die mysteriously, including the man who was working with Peter to expose the company. It is up to Peter and a mysterious online community to save Japan, and the world, by finding the cure and getting it into the right hands.
I'll tell you right off the bat, my husband enjoyed this book much more than I did. That was surprising to me, because it seemed like you would need a working knowledge of microbiology at the least to be able to keep up with the technical aspects of the story. The story was well written, however, so I guess you could work your way around what I felt was a bit over-technical in the plot. Also, being set in Japan, some of the names are a handful to remember exactly who they are.
This book will keep you guessing til the end about the identies of several of the characters, which keeps it interesting. It also make you think, because you know that goverments all over the world are probably doing what Hamada Seiyaku Pharmaceuticals is doing in this novel. What would happen if a clumsy lab tech, did, in fact, rip his suit or gloves and inadvertently take his work home with him? Though a bit slow to start, once the author gets his stride, the book just runs along with details falling neatly into place. There were a few things I thought wold happen, and they didn't, which made me like the book even more. Many authors would have taken what would be considered an easy way out, a quick way to generate a plot idea. But not Christopher Belton. He leads you along a twisted path, dodging obstacle and still getting you to the end wanting more.
The Reader's Rating: 7 out of 10 books
Amazon Link: Isolation
Related Books You May Enjoy: Contagion by Robin Cook
Bloodstream by Tess Gerritsen
Mount Dragon by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
And now, I ask you, What would you do if your city beame infested with a deadly pathogen?
Author: Christopher Belton
Publication Year: 2003
Synopsis: Peter Bryant works for one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Japan as a Japanese to English translator for patents. The company he works secretly engineers a lethal bacterium as an agent of biological warfare for the Japanese government. A careless lab tech ends up exposing the bacterium to the populous of Tokyo and starts an epidemic. Peter is contacted by a "Deep Throat" who feeds him information about the germ. Meanwhile, people connected to the pharmaceutical company and the bacterium begin to die mysteriously, including the man who was working with Peter to expose the company. It is up to Peter and a mysterious online community to save Japan, and the world, by finding the cure and getting it into the right hands.
I'll tell you right off the bat, my husband enjoyed this book much more than I did. That was surprising to me, because it seemed like you would need a working knowledge of microbiology at the least to be able to keep up with the technical aspects of the story. The story was well written, however, so I guess you could work your way around what I felt was a bit over-technical in the plot. Also, being set in Japan, some of the names are a handful to remember exactly who they are.
This book will keep you guessing til the end about the identies of several of the characters, which keeps it interesting. It also make you think, because you know that goverments all over the world are probably doing what Hamada Seiyaku Pharmaceuticals is doing in this novel. What would happen if a clumsy lab tech, did, in fact, rip his suit or gloves and inadvertently take his work home with him? Though a bit slow to start, once the author gets his stride, the book just runs along with details falling neatly into place. There were a few things I thought wold happen, and they didn't, which made me like the book even more. Many authors would have taken what would be considered an easy way out, a quick way to generate a plot idea. But not Christopher Belton. He leads you along a twisted path, dodging obstacle and still getting you to the end wanting more.
The Reader's Rating: 7 out of 10 books
Amazon Link: Isolation
Related Books You May Enjoy: Contagion by Robin Cook
Bloodstream by Tess Gerritsen
Mount Dragon by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
And now, I ask you, What would you do if your city beame infested with a deadly pathogen?
Friday, August 15, 2008
Book #1: The Serial Killers Club
Title: The Serial Killers Club, a novel
Author: Jeff Povey
Publication Year: 2006
Synopsis: The main character runs into a serial killer out to kill him, and ends up killing the serial killer instead. In the killer's wallet, he finds a personals ad made out to the serial killer. He responds, and ends up as a member of The Serial Killers Club. The Serial Killers Club is made up of serial killers nation-wide, who get together to disuss their kills and make sure that they aren't going to kill the same people. Oh, and no real names, only psuedonyms of famous celebrities. After Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. joins the club, serial killers mysteriously just stop showing up, and Dougie also has to contend with an FBI agent who wants him to help him, in exchange for his freedom.
This book was fantastic and original. It's a fast read with a fast paced plot. I had a hard time putting it down. I got to the last chapter and had to put it down for a night, and I just couldn't wait to finish up that last little bit. It captivated me from start to finish. Plenty of adventure and death without being horrifying, as some books can be. You'll guess several times who the Kentucky Killer is, but I can guarantee you you'll be as wrong I as was three times. "It's gotta be so-and-so" I told myself, only to have that hope dashed as the author weaves in enough information to keep you informed and yet trick you at the same time.
The most interesting plot point, to me, was the fact that the serial killers all named themselves after famous actors and actresses. From Cher to Richard Burton to, yes, even Chuck Norris. No one can have the same name or even use one of a past club member. You have to sit and ask yourself, if you were a member of the Serial Killers Club, what would your name be?
Amazon link: The Serial Killers Club
Related Books you may enjoy: Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
The Conspiracy Club by Jonathan Kellerman
Lucky You by Carl Hiasson
I ask you, What would your Serial Killers Club name be?
(mine would be Jamie Lee Curtis, because she's kicked some serious ass, and wouldn't you need to do so as a serial killer?)
Author: Jeff Povey
Publication Year: 2006
Synopsis: The main character runs into a serial killer out to kill him, and ends up killing the serial killer instead. In the killer's wallet, he finds a personals ad made out to the serial killer. He responds, and ends up as a member of The Serial Killers Club. The Serial Killers Club is made up of serial killers nation-wide, who get together to disuss their kills and make sure that they aren't going to kill the same people. Oh, and no real names, only psuedonyms of famous celebrities. After Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. joins the club, serial killers mysteriously just stop showing up, and Dougie also has to contend with an FBI agent who wants him to help him, in exchange for his freedom.
This book was fantastic and original. It's a fast read with a fast paced plot. I had a hard time putting it down. I got to the last chapter and had to put it down for a night, and I just couldn't wait to finish up that last little bit. It captivated me from start to finish. Plenty of adventure and death without being horrifying, as some books can be. You'll guess several times who the Kentucky Killer is, but I can guarantee you you'll be as wrong I as was three times. "It's gotta be so-and-so" I told myself, only to have that hope dashed as the author weaves in enough information to keep you informed and yet trick you at the same time.
The most interesting plot point, to me, was the fact that the serial killers all named themselves after famous actors and actresses. From Cher to Richard Burton to, yes, even Chuck Norris. No one can have the same name or even use one of a past club member. You have to sit and ask yourself, if you were a member of the Serial Killers Club, what would your name be?
Amazon link: The Serial Killers Club
Related Books you may enjoy: Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
The Conspiracy Club by Jonathan Kellerman
Lucky You by Carl Hiasson
I ask you, What would your Serial Killers Club name be?
(mine would be Jamie Lee Curtis, because she's kicked some serious ass, and wouldn't you need to do so as a serial killer?)
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
A History of The Reader
I probably started reading about the same time as everyone else, kindergarten or first grade. It wasn't hard for me, though, and soon I was reading just about everything I could get my grubby little hands on. My mother, also, was a huge reader, so there were always books in the house for me to read. Once I could read, though, I didn't want to have stories read to me anymore, because, hey, I can read them myself, thankyouverymuch.
I used to compete with a friend in grade school to see who could read the most horse books. Whenever one of us would get a new horse book that the other hadn't read, it was a big deal. The bookmobile driver would hold back the books for us, and we'd fight over who got what book first.
Eventually, I moved out of the horse genre (but I do still have most of those books somewhere, The Valley of the Ponies still being one of my most favorite horse books around) and moved into The Babysitters Club, the Mandy series, Choose Your Own Adventure, Judy Blume, and more. My mom would also bring home books out of series that she would find, so I had some slightly obscure series such as the Drina books, Bad News Ballet, and The Secret of the Unicorn. High School saw me go through a Steven King phase (like most high schoolers, I'm sure), and I discovered the fantasy genre. I about lived in the library over summer vacations, and usually had the maximum amount of books allowed to be taken out of the library at any given time.
I almost exclusively read fantasy through college and beyond. I didn't start broadening my reading horizons until my mom and I started hitting the fleamarket about 5 years ago and finding a wealth of books for $1 or less. Let me tell you, there are just not a whole lot of fantasy books at fleamarkets, so I had to branch out. Plus, my mom would read something and then pass it along to me. I started reading more literature, more mysteries, and I discovered the guilty pleasure genre of chick lit. We had to start carrying around a small notebook to write our purchases in so that we didn't double buy (though at a $1, it wasn't too big of a deal).
Currently, I read around 2 books a week, depending on the size. My husband is good at finding used book stores, so now I can start trading in the books I've read in return for store credit. I used to be a book hoarder, but that's because I love to go back and reread favorite books. But since the advent of the $1 fleamarket book, I now had a quantity of "read but I'll probably not read again" books, so this is just perfect. It's also a great way to try out new books without having to pay $8-10. If I pay $.60 for a book and don't like it, no big deal. I pay $8 for a book and hate it....I'm out $8.
Favorite book: Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Favorite series: The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
Favorite guilty pleasure books: cheezy teen horror ala RL Stine and Christopher Pike
Favorite fantasy author: Mercedes Lackey
Favorite horror/mystery writers: Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Strangest like: JD Robb books (considering I can't even make it through a Nora Roberts book)
Favorite Author-who-isn't-published-yet: Jill Christine
Favorite photo webcomic: Kimono's Townhouse (Geek Humor in a Pink World)
Favorite drawn webcomic: College Roomies from Hell
I'm always on the lookout for suggestions for good books to read. Who knows, maybe you'll show up on Books You Should Be Reading. See you all on Friday with the very first book!
++The Reader++
I used to compete with a friend in grade school to see who could read the most horse books. Whenever one of us would get a new horse book that the other hadn't read, it was a big deal. The bookmobile driver would hold back the books for us, and we'd fight over who got what book first.
Eventually, I moved out of the horse genre (but I do still have most of those books somewhere, The Valley of the Ponies still being one of my most favorite horse books around) and moved into The Babysitters Club, the Mandy series, Choose Your Own Adventure, Judy Blume, and more. My mom would also bring home books out of series that she would find, so I had some slightly obscure series such as the Drina books, Bad News Ballet, and The Secret of the Unicorn. High School saw me go through a Steven King phase (like most high schoolers, I'm sure), and I discovered the fantasy genre. I about lived in the library over summer vacations, and usually had the maximum amount of books allowed to be taken out of the library at any given time.
I almost exclusively read fantasy through college and beyond. I didn't start broadening my reading horizons until my mom and I started hitting the fleamarket about 5 years ago and finding a wealth of books for $1 or less. Let me tell you, there are just not a whole lot of fantasy books at fleamarkets, so I had to branch out. Plus, my mom would read something and then pass it along to me. I started reading more literature, more mysteries, and I discovered the guilty pleasure genre of chick lit. We had to start carrying around a small notebook to write our purchases in so that we didn't double buy (though at a $1, it wasn't too big of a deal).
Currently, I read around 2 books a week, depending on the size. My husband is good at finding used book stores, so now I can start trading in the books I've read in return for store credit. I used to be a book hoarder, but that's because I love to go back and reread favorite books. But since the advent of the $1 fleamarket book, I now had a quantity of "read but I'll probably not read again" books, so this is just perfect. It's also a great way to try out new books without having to pay $8-10. If I pay $.60 for a book and don't like it, no big deal. I pay $8 for a book and hate it....I'm out $8.
Favorite book: Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Favorite series: The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
Favorite guilty pleasure books: cheezy teen horror ala RL Stine and Christopher Pike
Favorite fantasy author: Mercedes Lackey
Favorite horror/mystery writers: Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Strangest like: JD Robb books (considering I can't even make it through a Nora Roberts book)
Favorite Author-who-isn't-published-yet: Jill Christine
Favorite photo webcomic: Kimono's Townhouse (Geek Humor in a Pink World)
Favorite drawn webcomic: College Roomies from Hell
I'm always on the lookout for suggestions for good books to read. Who knows, maybe you'll show up on Books You Should Be Reading. See you all on Friday with the very first book!
++The Reader++
Monday, August 11, 2008
Welcome
Welcome to Books You Should Be Reading!
This is mostly going to be a way for the author to chronicle the books she's been reading. Updates will be on Mondays and Fridays, with every other Wednesday being dedicated to other things you should be doing, like music to listen to, foods to eat, etc. There may also be updates throughout the week just with interesting tidbits, publication dates, and general news if I feel it might be worth writing about.
Each post will contain a synopsis, as spoiler-light as possible, a brief review of the book and why you should be reading it, and a link to it on Amazon, just in case you'd like to give it a try.
*Author's Note: This blog is in no way affliated with the authors of the books mentioned, or with Amazon.com. She just likes to read and wants to share that love with others
++The Reader++
This is mostly going to be a way for the author to chronicle the books she's been reading. Updates will be on Mondays and Fridays, with every other Wednesday being dedicated to other things you should be doing, like music to listen to, foods to eat, etc. There may also be updates throughout the week just with interesting tidbits, publication dates, and general news if I feel it might be worth writing about.
Each post will contain a synopsis, as spoiler-light as possible, a brief review of the book and why you should be reading it, and a link to it on Amazon, just in case you'd like to give it a try.
*Author's Note: This blog is in no way affliated with the authors of the books mentioned, or with Amazon.com. She just likes to read and wants to share that love with others
++The Reader++
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