Happy New Year's Reading!

Hello to those of you who do read and care to read my book reviews who don't follow me on Goodreads. I'm just checking in because I always feel a little bad when I haven't written anything in a while on my blogs. I haven't been reading as much (I got really engrossed in a video game, and then the holidays happened) but I've been plugging away at Koushun Takami's Battle Royale and I'm just under halfway through (it's a hefty 600+ pages). I probably will review it because of all the "Suzanne Collins stole Hunger Games from Battle Royale" nonsense I read all the time (and having seen the movie first, I thought to myself um, hell no she didn't and I still hold to that as I read the book. But more on that as I do the actual review.

My family have always been readers, but we usually don't buy books for each other because we have the tendency to just go out and buy them (I'm looking at you Mom) unless they are specifically mentioned. We tend to go with the much simpler gift card to a book store. This year Mom bought me Stieg Larsson's Millenium Trilogy (not that particular set, but I didn't want to link each book individually) which I explain to people as "the, you know, dragon tattoo and whatnot books." I had planned on getting them but kept putting them back at the book store. I wasn't emotionally ready to buy them, and now I don't have to.

I have a nice stack of books to read for the new year, and hopefully I can make my goal of 50 books on Goodreads in 2013. I came close this year with 44. Not shabby for having started in May.

Upcoming books to read (which may or may not be reviewed):

• The Host by Stephenie Meyer, because the movie is coming out and I need to see if it is as mockable as Twilight
• Iced by Karen Marie Moning, which I picked up simply because I saw Susan Ee was reading it on Goodreads and thought I'd give it a shot
• Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey, because I've always been curious about these books
• I am Legend by Richard Matheson, because I heard it was way better than the movie, even though I am so over zombies

I also need to start the third book in the Song of Ice and Fire series and I've been thinking about digging into one of my boxes and re-reading some of my Dragonlance books.  I may do a series of books that were adapted to film, because having looked at what's coming out this year and next, there's a ton. At the very least, I'll add a tag or something. Anyway, if you have been enjoying this blog, and you're not on my Facebook list, subscribe so you don't miss a review. I noticed that most of my reviews have been skewed toward the romance genre, so I'm going to fix that. I read (as you can see) a lot more than that.

Shadow's Claim by Kresley Cole

Separate from the Immortals after Dark series, the first book in The Dacians series, Shadow's Claim, still maintains continuity of the original IAD storyline, with slight overlap of Cole's last book, Lothaire. While tertiary characters are still working toward the Accession (or immortal end-of-days) the major plot line here focuses on Bettina, heir-apparent to a demonarchy, and the unfortunately timed wakening of vampire Trehan Daciano's heart.

What I appreciate about Cole's books, what has kept me reading, is that they aren't all-powerful Mary Sues. Bettina has flaws. She has past trauma that triggers panic attacks, even though she's an immortal. She's struggling under the hand of an outdated patriarchy, being patted on the head by everyone in her life and is thoroughly frustrated by her lot. Even the seemingly invincible Daciano has his flaws as he wars with an inner nature that he has worked hard to suppress. There's actual conflict between characters, and while yes, it's a romance novel and there's a happy ending, you can't help but feel enmeshed in the strife and wonder how things can be worked out between everyone. That's what keeps me turning pages. That, and tastefully written love scenes with anatomical terms.

This book leaves one loose end to tie up but I'm so glad this book exists, because now means exist to tie up loose ends from previous novels. And this, too,  is something I appreciate in Cole's writing. In approximately 12-13 books, the story has been consistent, and while loose threads have been left in places, they haven't been abandoned. It's one huge story arc, but each book can be read independently without the reader feeling completely lost.

Rated 5 stars on Goodreads

Angelfall by Susan Ee

I am a sucker for angelic lore and dystopian novels, but combining the two, I was skeptical. An hour later, I was nearly halfway through the book and forcing myself to put it down and go to bed. Susan Ee has created, in her novel, a protagonist that I actually like, that, in a post-apocalyptic setting has adapted and developed a thick skin in order to survive, a thick skin that has perhaps, been developed by a mentally unstable mother whom we get glimpses of throughout the novel. Ee's characters don't linger on sentiment, they live in the here and now as they struggle to survive, and I can appreciate that so much; I have no time for characters that wax sentimental for pages about the "way things were."

There is nothing happy in this book, but it's not depressing. Instead, you're thrust into the story as the protagonist, Penryn and her companion, Raffe, make their way to San Francisco toward their individual goals in a symbiotic-- if terse--  partnership. When resolution is found, even that isn't a "happy ending" as one would expect, and leads perfectly to the next book (oh god when does the next book come out?!). Ee delivers a gritty, suspenseful novel with no fluff.

While I find most young adult novels are primarily aimed at a female audience (most of them have female protagonists, and this is no exception) Angelfall felt, as I read it, like it would appeal to a much broader audience. And frankly, it read a little older than some young adult fiction I have read before. There are some heavy science fiction elements toward the end (and I can't wait to find out more), definite horror and gore violence (which was awesome), political maneuvering (unexpected), and an overall sense of chaos amongst the various sets of characters. It was a veritable buffet of literary genre nuggets for the sampling! Honestly, I couldn't put the book down, and when I finished, I really found myself wishing the second book was out already, but sadly, I haven't seen a publication date yet. I suppose, for a book that came out this year, we shall have to be a little patient for the sequel.

Rated 5 stars on Goodreads

Courting Darkness by Yasmine Galenorn

I had enthusiastically picked up this book with fond reminiscence of the first three books of the series, at the time of purchase not knowing that this was book ten of a series. The good thing about Galenorn's writing and the way that she does set up her Otherworld series, however, is that the novels can be read as stand-alone books as she does spend time reintroducing characters and giving a rehash of what happened previously. She rotates the point of view of her books between her three main characters, each sisters with unique talents. Courting Darkness is told from the point of view of Camille, a witch and priestess of the Moon Mother.

When I had picked up the book I noticed the spine was stamped "paranormal romance" and thought "that's not right. These were always more urban fantasy. Girls kicking butt with magic and being awesome." But, as I started reading, I quickly remembered why I didn't enjoy Camille as much as a character, and why this really is paranormal romance and not urban fantasy. As I saw someone describe them, her books are "porny." But really, what can you expect from a character who has three husbands?

I had some problems with this book. Big problems. There is a scene of sexual assault in this novel that I really don't think Galenorn needed to go into such graphic detail on. I've read other books where the horror of rape were implied without having to go into implicit detail. In addition to the scene, I found it ludicrous that after, the main character, Camille, would be lacing herself into a corset to "support" her bruised ribs. Really? And sexual activity right after a sexual trauma? Has Galenorn ever researched sexual trauma or PTSD? Looked at a psychology text? I really lost interest at that point.

Along with the disturbing rape/sex combo in the book, there were some inconsistencies that it seemed she tried to pick up at the end unsuccessfully. She kept introducing bad guys with no rhyme or reason as to why they were being introduced, then no mention of them until the very end. It looks like she's going to leave them for another book. Honestly, all I could think of was that her characters are big fat self-important Mary Sues.

Rated 3 stars on Goodreads

I HAVE been reading!

I know there hasn't been a review posted in a while, and I apologize to anyone who may actually read this. I have been reading, but I don't write a review for everything I read. I recently read The Wall at the Edge of the World by Jim Aikin which was so spectacular but I simply couldn't form the words to adequately write about the book. It also left me depressed for a week. Sometimes good books do that. Also, my reading slows way down in the Fall, without question. I read, but it just takes me much longer to get through a book for some reason. But never fear. I'm reading a paranormal romance/urban fantasy that I've been taking notes on that I fully intend to review (I like to have a variety on here) and I should have it done soon. I just peeked toward the end and realized that a big chunk of the end of the book are appendices, like anyone cares what the author's playlist was. Anyway, I have a quote I nicked from a Cracked article that sums up my feeling on finishing a really good book pretty well:

“You know that feeling when you finish a really good book, and you're just goddamn empty inside? If you could measure exactly when kids turned the last page of the Harry Potter series for the first time, I could probably extrapolate a pretty mean graph plotting the demise of childhood around the world. Finishing a good story is devastating. Because there's nothing more addictive than a good story, and just like any good high, it's going to be brutal coming down.”

Read more: 4 Reasons Hollywood Sucks (And It's All Our Fault) | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/blog/4-reasons-hollywood-sucks-and-its-all-our-fault_p2/#ixzz20FgDtNvq

I'll see you soon and happy reading!

Choke by Chuck Palahniuk

I entered into this book with no bias, having never read any of Palahniuk's novels, and not knowing what to expect. A clean slate. I know a lot of people don't care for the writing style, but for me, it's very similar to a stream of consciousness, a sort of disjointed inner monologue interspersed with memories and you know, it kind of works for me. I like a bit of grit in my fiction. I like that Victor has just enough of medical school under his belt that he has a WebMD reaction to every ailment, that he checklists his trysts, that he lies to the elderly with dementia to avoid the horrible reality of the disease. In a way, Choke is every dysfunctional relationship and aberrant behavior anyone has ever has, mixed with mental illness, rolled into one big disgusting, uncomfortable ball, a bitter pill to swallow. It doesn't pull punches about addictive and avoidant personalities, and I appreciate that. It's not the best book ever written, but it should be read. I would absolutely love to see this adapted into film.


Holy crap, apparently it was adapted into film! I'll have to check it out.

Rated 5 stars on Goodreads

Big Big Love by Hanne Blank

I was so taken by this book's introduction alone that I saw fit to review that section in and of itself, which was originally published on my sexuality blog back on October 29, 2011. Almost a year later and I've finally finished a book (it was one of those "read a little here and there between novels" books for me) but I'd still like to share the review on the intro, as it originally appeared in my old blog. If you read nothing else, at least read the intro to this book. It truly is eye-opening. --M.

Here is the first part in the long-awaited book review I promised. Since I am only about 1/3 through the book, today I am only going to cover a very small-- but very important-- part of the book. In fact, if you only read part of the book, this is the part I would want everyone to read. So everyone, pull my blog up on your smartphones, run to your local book store, pick up Hanne Blank's Big Big Love (Revised) and open up to the page entitled A Brief Introduction, With a Side of Debunking. Page 1, if you're lazy.

I don't care if you don't give a rat's ass about fat sexuality. Everyone should read the introduction to this book, especially if you have some fat-phobic tendencies. Right off the bat, in the third paragraph, Blank pulls out a statistic that people like to gloss over: 

Technically speaking, about one-third of adult Americans are obese by the BMI-happy standards of the Centers for Disease Control. At a rough estimate, that's about a hundred million people... this represents a wide range of people... with a couple handfuls of extra junk in the trunk to the fattest among us, and it represents a wide range of experience. (pp 1-2)

So what she's saying is... lots of us are fat. Get over it. Everyone has sex. I view the introduction to this book as a bit of a wakeup call to those who shudder and say "who would tap that mound?" or "she must be desperate!" As a society, thin is generally the accepted "pretty" and the only model of desirability. Blank's introduction is a fat-positive slap in the face to that. She can be pretty blunt, but her writing also has a bit of humor behind it, alleviating the sting.

While it might seem that she comes out in your face and aggressive with fat-positivity, it is all leading up to the next section in the book, which is about debunking common myths related to fat people and fat sexuality. Personally, I loved this section. My boyfriend is heavy and he has a lot of concerns related around these myths about his own body and this section was extremely helpful to me in opening a dialogue with him. I also told him I want him to read this book when I'm done with it. I think it will help his self esteem a lot.

Another thing that pops up in the introduction which is awesome are the personal anecdotes and survey answers provided by research done by Blank. Not only has she dedicated years of her life to writing fat-positive materials, she has also included the real-life voices of fat people and fat lovers in her book, both in interviews and side-bar quotes. They are a treat to read and really makes the book much more personal and intimate and relatable. I carry extra "junk in the trunk" myself and it really does help to hear positive words from others, even if in print, to build that positivity and confidence and love in myself. Part of why I selected this book in the first place is that you don't see much about fat sexuality or much that is fat positive on book store shelves. This screamed to me to buy it. So far, I love what I am reading. I hope this encourages you to read it too. Follow the link I provided to amazon and take a peek.

Rated 5 stars on Goodreads

Midnight Sun (Twilight 1.5) Stephenie Meyer

What Twilight fans clamored for, Midnight Sun is essentially Twilight from Edward's perspective, and it's a hell of a lot more honest. Apparently, though the Kindle edition I downloaded from Goodreads was only a partial draft, and not the full book, although I thought it was an appropriate length and what the parallel novel should have been. That being said, it did read like a draft, with awkward jumps in time, glaring errors, and awkward punctuation.

I can't decide if Meyer wrote this to show her young female audience that Edward Cullen really isn't the ideal man or if she really had no idea that she had such a detestable, arrogant snot of a character. This was really her chance to give him some depth but instead she reinforces everything that every woman with a sane mind and feminist bone in her body found when reading the books, and he even admits, as early as page 59, that he is "An obsessed, vampire stalker." Do you hear that, girls? This is not good boyfriend material! In fact, he constantly ruminates over his obsession as he blithely shuffles through the minds of other people to stalk and gather information on Bella.

I'm giving this 3 stars because of its honesty. Yes, at some point Edward starts to moo about his love for Bella and all that, yadda yadda, but at least we're not reading Bella's boring as shit inner monologue about being ordinary, bored, hating rain, etc for almost 550 pages!

Rated 3 stars on Goodreads

Highland Champion by Hannah Howell

I wasn't going to write a review for this book. I read it as a palate cleanser after reading something deeper and much more thought-provoking. After all, a romance novel doesn't require much thought, and I enjoy historical romances, but this was absolute crap.

I understand an author's desire, when writing anything historical, to want to be as accurate as possible, but to have all the dialogue in Highland Scots was distracting and unnecessary. If these people were as highborn as the author claims they are, then should they all be speaking with such a low accent anyway? Now an occasional "cannae" or "och" is fine, but all of the dialogue was in dialect. All of it.

I also expect a bit of misogyny in romance novels; after all, they are aimed at women who are trying to hide from their lives in a fantasy where they are swept off their feet by a knight in shining armor, but come on, this book was ridiculous. Everyone tells Keira what a wonderful laird she will be of Ardgleann and how well respected and loved she is by the people there, and in the next breath insist she marry Liam because having a male laird will just be better. Oh, and Liam. Liam Liam Liam, who can only think about getting her pregnant before battle "just in case" when she is thinking more pragmatically about the battle itself and the future of her land. Does she want babies? We don't even find out until later, but what if she didn't?

The one ray of hope I had for this book was that Keira was a widow. "Oh!" I thought, "none of this penetrating the maidenhood crap!" Oh but no, her marriage was never consummated so of course she's a virgin. For once, I'd like to read a romance novel with an experienced woman, not a wilting, submissive stereotype of a virgin. And FYI to all romance writers out there: not all women have vaginal orgasms, an no woman ever has an orgasm every single time she has sex, especially the first time. Find me the woman who claims to and I show you a liar.

Originally reviewed on Goodreads and rated 1 star

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

It is often hard to keep track of the dearth of characters in an epic fantasy series such as this one, but Martin handles this exceptionally well by dedicating individual chapters to the characters themselves, to their points of view, their voice, and story. This makes them memorable and therefore makes it so much easier to follow as the story progresses. I found there was less "who was that again?" and more "ah, hello again!" The characters are well-rounded and carry depth, which is hard to find in a lot of fantasy. It's not wonder this series was chosen to be adapted to film, as the characters practically leap from the page.

This is an immense novel, however, full of intrigue, politics, and varying cultures. Martin has pulled no punches in developing a harsh and unforgiving landscape, even for the youngest of his characters. Sansa, who for me throughout the novel was a contemptible spoiled brat finally has her romantic illusions shattered (I won't spoil it). The eight year-old Bran speaks earnestly to a prisoner about the harshness of life in the North (yeah, kids aren't exactly kids in this book, and rightly so) and barely-pubescent Daenerys learns that to be a female leader, there must be some ruthlessness involved. I can appreciate this in his writing, as far too often authors try to give their characters happy endings, coddling them and making everything happy and shiny.

There is nothing happy and shiny in Game of Thrones. Far from it. And I love it for that. Every dirty, nasty, incestuous, grasping, violent, back-stabbing, beheading moment of it. A fairy tale this is not.

While this book originally came out when I was a teenager (why oh why did I never notice it then?) and I could have read it, one book at a time as they were published, I have the entire series at hand now, however, I must say, having finished the book, Martin wrapped it up neatly enough that I am not clamoring desperately for the next in the series, which is unique also in fantasy. As a fan of the genre, often I would wait a year between books with a massive cliffhanger, leaving me empty and unresolved, but not so with Game of Thrones. Martin was so much more courteous and wrote a complete novel as part of a series, rather than something that felt like part one of a massive book to be assembled, like green stamp dictionaries from the super market. I tip my hat, sir. You do your craft a service.

Rated 5 stars on Goodreads

The Wolf Gift by Anne Rice

Where do I even begin? This was an Anne Rice book that did not read like an Anne Rice book. It was, to use a word she loves, interminable. Interminably dull. There was nothing sensual or romantic like I'm used to with her writing, although it looks like she tried really, really hard. Is this her writing now that she's found Jesus? I honestly hadn't read anything since the Vampire Chronicles and this was a letdown.

Reuben, the protagonist, is hardly a relatable or sympathetic character; he's a trust-fund baby who slums as a reporter that drives a Porsche and blithely throws money around on a house and the various accoutrements to fill it (said house is furnished...). And he (and everyone else in the book, including a 16 year old) is an expert in anthropology and theology. And music. And classical literature. The book wanders, meanders, tries too hard to be philosophical. The characters are all pretentious, especially Reuben's affair-turned girlfriend, the milksop Laura in her constant old-lady garb. People like this don't exist. And so much emphasis was placed on some ancient cuneiform tablets that were found within the house that the reader is lead to think, when they turn up missing "well, they must have something to do with this werewolf thing!" Nope. Not a damn thing.

With the topic of werewolves, she had so much potential, and this fell so painfully flat. I have never thrown a book down and yelled out loud my frustrations at an author before this. I hope never to have to again

Given 1 star on Goodreads (This review originally posted to Goodreads)

An Introduction, of Sorts...

I've decided to take book reviewing to blog form. I already do it on Goodreads, when a book either angers me or inspires me to the point of writing, but I've been investigating avenues of obtaining free books, and that includes reviewing. One of the more legitimate looking sites I found requires a blog. Not so hard. I'm not afraid to be honest about what I read, it's something that I learned in college in my writing courses. You can't just tell someone "this is so good" because that doesn't help. Why was it good? Why did you hate it? So with that critical thinking, I'm going to put up reviews both here and still on Goodreads because, let's face it, I am addicted to social media (and publishers like to see reviews in as many places as possible). I'm going to do this because I love to read, not because there is any money in it (there isn't) and perhaps through my reviews, I can inspire others to read more. It's a hope, at least.