Well readers, I didn't fare much better the last half of February or the first half of March, at least in the blogging department. I did have a few good, old-fashioned days off, so there were at least 10 hours well spent devouring books, enjoying some R and R, drinking tea, and feasting my ears on some Little Earthquakes. Now that I have a weekend ahead of me (sort of), I can take time to post some things.
For the latter half of February, I decided to focus primarily or reading recommended books. How else does a Book Pimp spot great new reading material? I asked around on my Facebook page and cornered a few friends and family members to get their thoughts as well. Since my friends and family are awesome and have awesome taste, I am sure this is only first of many 'Recommendations' posts.
**EDIT (before I get to the books)** This post was pretty much done, and I was getting ready to post it a little late since work had been just absolutely nutzo, when I received some shocking personal news. My stepmother suddenly passed away on March 24. She was 54 years old. The prayers, support and compassion from my friends, family and co-workers has truly made this difficult time easier. Please continue to keep my family, most especially my dad, in your prayers. He is just taking it one day at a time.**
Recommendations - Part 1
1) Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn.
This was recommended to me by one of JD's friends, who also happens to be named Candice. Without having met her, I decided she must be awesome: friends with JD, named Candice (and spells it the RIGHT way), and loves to read? Of course she must be awesome. Sharp Objects did not disappoint. WARNING: It is not for the faint of heart. It is CREEPY. REEEEEEEEEEEALLLY creepy. But, it isn't just about a cheap scare. Rather, it was the kind of psychological thriller that just sneaks up on you until you are in nightmare land.
Two things really stood out for me as truly excellent in this book. The first was, without a doubt, the way the author used language to make her point. She used words in a way that I never would have thought of, but that totally worked. When the protagonist, Camille, is working on a ho-hum story in the beginning of the book, she is writing about "a limp sort of evil". Her hometown is "one of those crummy towns prone to misery". The tale spins out in a sort of macabre beauty - the words simultaneously elegant and bleak.
Secondly, although rather short, the characters were still quite well developed and unique. And honestly, what makes for a better mystery than characters you think you really know doing something shocking? There was certainly a point when I thought I had the mystery figured out. I was wrong.
I will absolutely be reading more from Ms. Flynn. Sharp Objects was a sinister delight.
2) The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Recommended to me by my former boss, The PaleoPiMP, The Glass Castle is the memoir of Jeannette Walls, and at the heart is about overcoming adversity to become something great. This is just the type of book that I can imagine The PaleoPiMP reading. She reads a lot of non-fiction (certainly a lot more than I usually do), and she firmly believes that you can succeed at anything you set your mind to. In addition to being an all around amazing woman, she has been a great friend and mentor for me. She has always encouraged me to work toward the things I want, and set achievable goals for myself. Not just in my personal life, but in my career as well (like working toward my PMP - the PiMP certificate of the business world ('i' added for lol value)).
I feel like I should keep a copy of this book on hand to give to anyone I hear bitching about how rough their life is. Most people today have no idea what 'rough' is, and they certainly don't value hard work. 'Rough' isn't "only" having one car, or "only" being able to afford basic cable and not the deluxe package. 'Poor' doesn't mean that you have to skip getting coffee at Starbucks one or two times a week.
I have to say that I have no idea who Jeannette Walls is, so in some ways I guess I don't get the full impact of this book. In it, Walls describes the vagabond, bohemian life that resulted from her alcoholic father and mentally ill mother trying to raise their children in their own non-conventional way. What Walls describes in the ensuing pages is actually utter neglect. Like Sharp Objects, The Glass Castle is not for the faint of heart. There are some parts of the book that are almost unbearably depressing. And this book deeply affected me.
I read a lot of reviews of this book, and while they were overwhelmingly positive, I did see some negative reviews as well. Almost all the negative reviews say the same thing: Her parents are horrible, neglectful people. How could she love them? How could she idolize her father? First of all, her parents aren't horrible people - they are ill. Also, who doesn't love their parents? In some ways, this book reminded me a lot of a family I used to be close with. Even though they lived in a neglectful and sometimes abusive home, the kids absolutely loved their dad - they couldn't even stand to hear something negative about him. To criticize Walls' impression of her parents is just hurtful and hateful.
3) Divergent by Veronica Roth
This was recommended to me by both Candice A (for awesome) and The PaleoPiMP. - if you liked The Hunger Games, read this. It is very well written but with less of an ick factor (Hunger Games definitely had me taken aback at all the kids killing kids). Divergent is set against the dystopian background of a world where people must select their place in society when they come of age. In general, people stick with the faction into which they are born, but sometimes, they chose another.
Beatrice, born into Abnegation, must decide where she belongs. Is it there or in Amity, Candor, Dauntless or Erudite? I enjoyed accompanying her on her journey to find her place in the world (and young love - always a sucker for that). And, as with all dystopian novels, watching the carefully crafted world begin to fall apart. I can't wait to see what Roth has in store in the next books int he series.
4) The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Recommended by my fabulous sister, Mary. We don't have the same parents, and we aren't married to each other's siblings - she is my sister by choice (which, when you think about it, it way awesomer). She is a fabulous MUA to beautiful, blushing brides all over Ohio (seriously - check her out), and an MS freak of nature, healing herself through awesomeness every day (though she still may not be ready to go head to head with a spiral staircase).
Of course she would recommend Historical Fiction to me. As a general rule, this is not usually one of my favorite genres, but, my amazing sister always knows what I will actually read and enjoy. The book is incredibly well written, and was certainly out of my comfort zone to read. As you know from just about every single blog post I have, I prefer to read books that take me away from reality, not those that make me deal with uncomfortable truths that kind of hit close to home in some ways. Not for me personally, but for my sister. I can absolutely tell how and why this book made a huge impact on her, and, as far as I'm concerned, the fact that she read through it, loved it and recommended it to me is further proof of how awesome she is.
This book will make you face your faith and decide what to make of it. Beginning in 1959, it tells the story of a Southern Baptist family (well, the dad/preacher really - women don't count for Southern Baptists, at least not in this book) who decides to go on a mission to the Congo while it is on the cusp of a revolution. Daddy dear is advised against it - vehemently - by all of his contacts, and the people running the mission, but he forges ahead because he believes that is God's plan for him. This begins the chronicle of the Price family - the girls that is (mom and 4 daughters) and their crucible of darkest Africa.
Kingsolver goes the route of having a different character and their own unique voice for each 'chapter', and ties every section together with biblical references. At first, this style is difficult to read - Rachel, for example, thinks she is smarter than she is, and misuses words in her sections. Adah starts the book with a very unique thought pattern. Leah (Adah's twin) is totally her father's clone in the beginning. Ruth May is five. Orleanna is a woman who finds her backbone for the sake of her family. I cannot imagine the dedication and planning it takes for an author to inhabit all those voices and write a coherent novel in that manner, but Kingsolver pulls it off.
As a firsthand witness to the differences between a 'man of faith' and a good man, a life dedicated to the appearance of being a 'good Christian' and actually being a good Christian, of finding God in EVERYTHING to listening for God's guidance, I can say that this book captures that struggle really, really well. Nathan (the preacher man) puts on his blinders at the beginning of the story - to his detriment. As Rachel says "You can't just sashay into the jungle aiming to change it all over to the Christian style without expecting the jungle to change you right back." For anyone who has struggled with their faith, lived with a domineering parent or just loves historical fiction - check this book out.
March - back to fantasy
1) The Queen of the Darkness by Anne Bishop
I FINALLY got this book from the library - it was on reserve FOR.EVER. It was so good. I read it in one night. For reals. I can't say that there was anything that was truly surprising here - perhaps because Bishop spent so much time developing the characters in the other books, I understood their motives for acting as they did. I was definitely never thinking "They're doing WHAT?!?!?!". There were certainly parts that I expected - Daemon making his way back to Jannelle, for starters. Lucivar and Daemon making up with each other. Saetan taking his revenge on those who deserved it. Once all my favorite characters were in the same place, it was like enjoying a sleepover with all my friends - so fun to read (and fun to write, I expect).
I also absolutely, positively loved that the Kindred featured more prominently in this book. I imagine that it was a challenge to write from an animal's perspective - even if it was one with unique strengths. It makes the climax of the tale so much more touching and heart rending. This time, Bishop's tale was so bittersweet, there were definitely parts where I bawled. Also - fair warning - there was one really and truly disturbing section, that will forever erase any questions you may have had about why Daemon is called 'the Sadist'. Also, I am so glad that there are still four books left in this universe. The characters are so well crafted, and I want to get to know them all. Plus, I need to know what happens with Daemon and Jannelle. NEED TO KNOW.
One pet peeve. Did I mention how annoying these names are to me? I love Anne Bishop's writing. Truly. It is inventive and seductive, and the characters all have depth. But seriously - the names are sooo annoying. They almost seem like a cop out. Saetan SaDiablo? Whose sons are Daemon and Lucivar? Also, Lucivar names his son Daemonar after his brother? (I guess I get what she was going for there, but still...). Surreal (I admit, this one drives me the most nuts)? Having dabbled (very briefly) in writing of my own, I totally get that it is hard to pick the right names sometimes, so I guess I see why this seemed like the best choice, but still.
If you can get past this, pick up this series. Read it while you are waiting for your Jacqueline Carey books from the library. :)
2) Wi'tch Fire by James Clemens
Since there are no more Godslayer books for me to read right now, I picked up the first book in another of James Clemens' series. This was very similar to Godslayer in that it has a young heroine, but this has more of a 'hero's quest' feel to it. Also like Godslayer, Clemens really knows how to sell books - I NEED the next one from the library. Like, yesterday. I have to find out why the fate of the world hinges on this little wisp of a girl who hasn't even hit puberty yet.
I do have to say, I can tell that this is the beginning of a really involved series. This book was basically all exposition and crafting a way to get the characters all together, begin developing them a little, and throwing in some action for interest. I feel like I barely know the characters - they are still mysterious and I want to get to know them better. Clemens' characters also keep telling the reader how terrible it would be for a woman to have magic - I'm looking forward to seeing why that is the case as the story progresses.
Even though I have some other books on my plate right now (like the rest of Anne Bishop's series, plus another recommendation from my sis), I will definitely be delving back into this as soon as can be.
3) The Becoming by Jeanne C. Stein
I must say, this was kind of ho-hum for a vampire novel. Perhaps because it was told from what I find the most irritating point of view - 1st person present? I don't know - it seems like the beginning of an outline or procedure manual, and not a story. But maybe that is just my personal experience with present tense? Even this blog post isn't in 1st person present, and it is ostensibly an online personal journal. I couldn't identify with the characters very well - it seemed like we didn't get to know anything about Anna Strong before she became a vampire. Also, they seemed rather one dimensional - rich, handsome vampire doctor who is also the bad guy? Spunky girl who just became a vampire and is gonna kick butt? Strong and handsome male sidekick who 1) doesn't know about her double life, 2) would love to take care of her, 3) turns out to be the one who needs rescued and 4) doesn't have a prayer of getting in her pants and never did.
It was a mildly entertaining read on a rainy afternoon, but, nonetheless, I won't be picking up any more of this series - there are too many good ones to check out now.
**EDIT** OMG - trying to finish this post after my hellish personal experiences this past month, and I have to say, this book was SO mediocre that I actually forgot I read it. So there you go.
This was recommended to me by one of JD's friends, who also happens to be named Candice. Without having met her, I decided she must be awesome: friends with JD, named Candice (and spells it the RIGHT way), and loves to read? Of course she must be awesome. Sharp Objects did not disappoint. WARNING: It is not for the faint of heart. It is CREEPY. REEEEEEEEEEEALLLY creepy. But, it isn't just about a cheap scare. Rather, it was the kind of psychological thriller that just sneaks up on you until you are in nightmare land.Two things really stood out for me as truly excellent in this book. The first was, without a doubt, the way the author used language to make her point. She used words in a way that I never would have thought of, but that totally worked. When the protagonist, Camille, is working on a ho-hum story in the beginning of the book, she is writing about "a limp sort of evil". Her hometown is "one of those crummy towns prone to misery". The tale spins out in a sort of macabre beauty - the words simultaneously elegant and bleak.
Secondly, although rather short, the characters were still quite well developed and unique. And honestly, what makes for a better mystery than characters you think you really know doing something shocking? There was certainly a point when I thought I had the mystery figured out. I was wrong.
I will absolutely be reading more from Ms. Flynn. Sharp Objects was a sinister delight.
2) The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Recommended to me by my former boss, The PaleoPiMP, The Glass Castle is the memoir of Jeannette Walls, and at the heart is about overcoming adversity to become something great. This is just the type of book that I can imagine The PaleoPiMP reading. She reads a lot of non-fiction (certainly a lot more than I usually do), and she firmly believes that you can succeed at anything you set your mind to. In addition to being an all around amazing woman, she has been a great friend and mentor for me. She has always encouraged me to work toward the things I want, and set achievable goals for myself. Not just in my personal life, but in my career as well (like working toward my PMP - the PiMP certificate of the business world ('i' added for lol value)).I feel like I should keep a copy of this book on hand to give to anyone I hear bitching about how rough their life is. Most people today have no idea what 'rough' is, and they certainly don't value hard work. 'Rough' isn't "only" having one car, or "only" being able to afford basic cable and not the deluxe package. 'Poor' doesn't mean that you have to skip getting coffee at Starbucks one or two times a week.
I have to say that I have no idea who Jeannette Walls is, so in some ways I guess I don't get the full impact of this book. In it, Walls describes the vagabond, bohemian life that resulted from her alcoholic father and mentally ill mother trying to raise their children in their own non-conventional way. What Walls describes in the ensuing pages is actually utter neglect. Like Sharp Objects, The Glass Castle is not for the faint of heart. There are some parts of the book that are almost unbearably depressing. And this book deeply affected me.
I read a lot of reviews of this book, and while they were overwhelmingly positive, I did see some negative reviews as well. Almost all the negative reviews say the same thing: Her parents are horrible, neglectful people. How could she love them? How could she idolize her father? First of all, her parents aren't horrible people - they are ill. Also, who doesn't love their parents? In some ways, this book reminded me a lot of a family I used to be close with. Even though they lived in a neglectful and sometimes abusive home, the kids absolutely loved their dad - they couldn't even stand to hear something negative about him. To criticize Walls' impression of her parents is just hurtful and hateful.
3) Divergent by Veronica Roth
This was recommended to me by both Candice A (for awesome) and The PaleoPiMP. - if you liked The Hunger Games, read this. It is very well written but with less of an ick factor (Hunger Games definitely had me taken aback at all the kids killing kids). Divergent is set against the dystopian background of a world where people must select their place in society when they come of age. In general, people stick with the faction into which they are born, but sometimes, they chose another.Beatrice, born into Abnegation, must decide where she belongs. Is it there or in Amity, Candor, Dauntless or Erudite? I enjoyed accompanying her on her journey to find her place in the world (and young love - always a sucker for that). And, as with all dystopian novels, watching the carefully crafted world begin to fall apart. I can't wait to see what Roth has in store in the next books int he series.
4) The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Recommended by my fabulous sister, Mary. We don't have the same parents, and we aren't married to each other's siblings - she is my sister by choice (which, when you think about it, it way awesomer). She is a fabulous MUA to beautiful, blushing brides all over Ohio (seriously - check her out), and an MS freak of nature, healing herself through awesomeness every day (though she still may not be ready to go head to head with a spiral staircase).Of course she would recommend Historical Fiction to me. As a general rule, this is not usually one of my favorite genres, but, my amazing sister always knows what I will actually read and enjoy. The book is incredibly well written, and was certainly out of my comfort zone to read. As you know from just about every single blog post I have, I prefer to read books that take me away from reality, not those that make me deal with uncomfortable truths that kind of hit close to home in some ways. Not for me personally, but for my sister. I can absolutely tell how and why this book made a huge impact on her, and, as far as I'm concerned, the fact that she read through it, loved it and recommended it to me is further proof of how awesome she is.
This book will make you face your faith and decide what to make of it. Beginning in 1959, it tells the story of a Southern Baptist family (well, the dad/preacher really - women don't count for Southern Baptists, at least not in this book) who decides to go on a mission to the Congo while it is on the cusp of a revolution. Daddy dear is advised against it - vehemently - by all of his contacts, and the people running the mission, but he forges ahead because he believes that is God's plan for him. This begins the chronicle of the Price family - the girls that is (mom and 4 daughters) and their crucible of darkest Africa.
Kingsolver goes the route of having a different character and their own unique voice for each 'chapter', and ties every section together with biblical references. At first, this style is difficult to read - Rachel, for example, thinks she is smarter than she is, and misuses words in her sections. Adah starts the book with a very unique thought pattern. Leah (Adah's twin) is totally her father's clone in the beginning. Ruth May is five. Orleanna is a woman who finds her backbone for the sake of her family. I cannot imagine the dedication and planning it takes for an author to inhabit all those voices and write a coherent novel in that manner, but Kingsolver pulls it off.
As a firsthand witness to the differences between a 'man of faith' and a good man, a life dedicated to the appearance of being a 'good Christian' and actually being a good Christian, of finding God in EVERYTHING to listening for God's guidance, I can say that this book captures that struggle really, really well. Nathan (the preacher man) puts on his blinders at the beginning of the story - to his detriment. As Rachel says "You can't just sashay into the jungle aiming to change it all over to the Christian style without expecting the jungle to change you right back." For anyone who has struggled with their faith, lived with a domineering parent or just loves historical fiction - check this book out.
March - back to fantasy
1) The Queen of the Darkness by Anne Bishop
I FINALLY got this book from the library - it was on reserve FOR.EVER. It was so good. I read it in one night. For reals. I can't say that there was anything that was truly surprising here - perhaps because Bishop spent so much time developing the characters in the other books, I understood their motives for acting as they did. I was definitely never thinking "They're doing WHAT?!?!?!". There were certainly parts that I expected - Daemon making his way back to Jannelle, for starters. Lucivar and Daemon making up with each other. Saetan taking his revenge on those who deserved it. Once all my favorite characters were in the same place, it was like enjoying a sleepover with all my friends - so fun to read (and fun to write, I expect).I also absolutely, positively loved that the Kindred featured more prominently in this book. I imagine that it was a challenge to write from an animal's perspective - even if it was one with unique strengths. It makes the climax of the tale so much more touching and heart rending. This time, Bishop's tale was so bittersweet, there were definitely parts where I bawled. Also - fair warning - there was one really and truly disturbing section, that will forever erase any questions you may have had about why Daemon is called 'the Sadist'. Also, I am so glad that there are still four books left in this universe. The characters are so well crafted, and I want to get to know them all. Plus, I need to know what happens with Daemon and Jannelle. NEED TO KNOW.
One pet peeve. Did I mention how annoying these names are to me? I love Anne Bishop's writing. Truly. It is inventive and seductive, and the characters all have depth. But seriously - the names are sooo annoying. They almost seem like a cop out. Saetan SaDiablo? Whose sons are Daemon and Lucivar? Also, Lucivar names his son Daemonar after his brother? (I guess I get what she was going for there, but still...). Surreal (I admit, this one drives me the most nuts)? Having dabbled (very briefly) in writing of my own, I totally get that it is hard to pick the right names sometimes, so I guess I see why this seemed like the best choice, but still.
If you can get past this, pick up this series. Read it while you are waiting for your Jacqueline Carey books from the library. :)
2) Wi'tch Fire by James Clemens
Since there are no more Godslayer books for me to read right now, I picked up the first book in another of James Clemens' series. This was very similar to Godslayer in that it has a young heroine, but this has more of a 'hero's quest' feel to it. Also like Godslayer, Clemens really knows how to sell books - I NEED the next one from the library. Like, yesterday. I have to find out why the fate of the world hinges on this little wisp of a girl who hasn't even hit puberty yet.I do have to say, I can tell that this is the beginning of a really involved series. This book was basically all exposition and crafting a way to get the characters all together, begin developing them a little, and throwing in some action for interest. I feel like I barely know the characters - they are still mysterious and I want to get to know them better. Clemens' characters also keep telling the reader how terrible it would be for a woman to have magic - I'm looking forward to seeing why that is the case as the story progresses.
Even though I have some other books on my plate right now (like the rest of Anne Bishop's series, plus another recommendation from my sis), I will definitely be delving back into this as soon as can be.
3) The Becoming by Jeanne C. Stein
I must say, this was kind of ho-hum for a vampire novel. Perhaps because it was told from what I find the most irritating point of view - 1st person present? I don't know - it seems like the beginning of an outline or procedure manual, and not a story. But maybe that is just my personal experience with present tense? Even this blog post isn't in 1st person present, and it is ostensibly an online personal journal. I couldn't identify with the characters very well - it seemed like we didn't get to know anything about Anna Strong before she became a vampire. Also, they seemed rather one dimensional - rich, handsome vampire doctor who is also the bad guy? Spunky girl who just became a vampire and is gonna kick butt? Strong and handsome male sidekick who 1) doesn't know about her double life, 2) would love to take care of her, 3) turns out to be the one who needs rescued and 4) doesn't have a prayer of getting in her pants and never did.It was a mildly entertaining read on a rainy afternoon, but, nonetheless, I won't be picking up any more of this series - there are too many good ones to check out now.
**EDIT** OMG - trying to finish this post after my hellish personal experiences this past month, and I have to say, this book was SO mediocre that I actually forgot I read it. So there you go.
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