Book Review: The Burned Tower by Sergey and Marina Dyachenko

My rating: 4/5

From Amazon: "A truck driver on a lonely stretch of road, a hitchhiker, and an ancient curse— a brilliant and moving tale, steeped in folklore, by the masters of modern Fantasy."

I'm loving the folk tales lately, and I haven't even been seeking them out.  This short story is currently a free download for Kindle through Amazon; which is why I thought, even though I'd never heard of the authors or the story before, why not download it. 

Because it's a translation from Russian (and well done, but still pretty obviously a translation), I do feel that I maybe missed some of what the story was trying to say.  Despite this though, I enjoyed it. The Piper was unearthly and creepy (and exactly how I imagine someone of his supernatural persuasion would act), and poor Guy's story weaves from being about an average schmo driving a delivery van to a series of questions about heaven and hell, life and the afterlife, reality and monsters, and even time. 

I will definitely be keeping these authors in mind for future reading.

Book Review: The Woodcutter by Kate Danley

My rating: 4/5

From Amazon: “Cinderella is dead and one of Odin's hellhounds has gone rogue. The Woodcutter, protector of peace between Man and Fae, is charged with finding the beast and returning him to the Wild Hunt. 

“Unfortunately, the forces of evil have other plans. 

“Leaving the comforts of his quiet home, he finds a pixie dust trade raging out of control and a power hungry Queen who will stop at nothing to take over the world.   The lives of Snow White, Rapunzel, and Little Red Riding Hood are at stake in this dark fairytale.  It is a race against time as the Woodcutter travels east of the sun and west of the moon, up beanstalks and down to the bowels of the earth to unravel a mystery that can only be described as Grimm.Show MoreShow Less”

I’m not into stories about fairies, but this was actually a really good read and one of the most unique books I’ve read.  The story is written as if it were a fable passed down through the centuries, and the style is pulled off very well.  Nothing is overdramatic and some things just “are,” without need of explanation, the way a fairy tale is told to a child. And in spite of not being written in an overly dramatic fashion, the reader becomes very attached to the Woodcutter, and the author includes some beautiful imagery.  I was honestly in tears near the end, and that does not happen to me often with books.   I also enjoyed how almost every fairy tale I remember was woven into this story. Though this seems to be a trend lately (a la Once Upon a Time), The Woodcutter stands apart, and I would recommend it to almost anyone.

The only reason I didn’t rate it higher than a 4 is that the last half seemed to drag a bit for me.  Personal opinion, but I think the book could have been a little shorter and still been just as good.

I purchased the Kindle version and plan to buy a paperback just to have for my collection.

Book Review: Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

My rating: 3/5

From Amazon:
"Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

    

"Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all--hope--in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world."

I finished this book in only a few nights, which is becoming an increasingly rare thing for me, so I have to give the book credit for being engaging and interesting enough to hold my attention and make me want to finish it.

The only problem is that by the end I was disappointed, and for several reasons.  I understand now that this book is part of a 3-book series, but that only the last book continues this book's story.  However, I still felt let down that this book does not tell us what happens to many important characters.  They just up and leave, and that's it.  Part of what kept me reading was wondering what happened to these people, and then, poof; it's over.

Characterization was a bit of a problem also.  I could cut it a little slack since it's told from the perspective of a 16-year-old's journal, but I still wish I'd gotten a better "feel" for all of the major players, Miranda included.  They just never quite felt entirely real.

And then there's the stuff that the author just didn't bother to research that got irritating.  Apparently most of the science (about the moon, the weather, etc.) doesn't add up; but to be honest, I wouldn't have known if I hadn't read others' reviews.  But the well kept working without electricity?  They tossed their hair clippings into the fire to "watch them sizzle" but don't mention the horrible stench that would've caused?  The wood stove that they're sleeping in front of backfired and they woke up from the smoke, not the *boom*?  The mayor has a snowmobile, that he could have used to go find and talk to people, but simply wonders out loud why no one's coming for supplies?  These are all pretty big errors, and I'm surprised they made it past an editor, let alone the author herself.

Also, as much as I could be called a "crazy liberal," the jabs at George W. Bush and Fox News were a little much. The crazy Christians didn't bother me as much, but I would've liked to see some realistically reasonable Christians as well.  It's pretty far-fetched to think the only Christians Miranda comes into contact with are in a cult.

And that's why, as much as I honestly enjoyed the read, I can't rate it any higher than a 3.

Book Review: The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross

My rating: 3/5

From Amazon: "Finley Jayne knows she's not 'normal'. Normal girls don't lose time, or have something inside them that makes them capable of remarkably violent things. Her behavior has already cost her one job, so when she's offered the lofty position of companion to Phoebe, a debutante recently engaged to Lord Vincent, she accepts, despite having no experience. Lord Vincent is a man of science with his automatons and inventions, but Finley is suspicious of his motives where Phoebe is concerned. She will do anything to protect her new friend, but what she discovers is even more monstrous than anything she could have imagined…"

This is actually a short-story prequel to the series' first book, The Girl in the Steel Corset, which I have not read.  This prequel is also currently free on Kindle.

Overall, this wouldn't be bad for a reader probably in the junior high age range.  It gets a little tiring though when Finley Jayne never seems to grow into more than a Mary Sue.  Keep in mind, this judgment is based solely on the short story; maybe Finley is better developed in the novels.  And the story as a whole isn't terrible, especially since the author clearly knows very well the world she's created.  But I never cared for Finley's constant haranguing herself for doing good things that she had somehow determined were part of her "bad side," and so I have no real interest in reading the series.

Book Review: Bossypants by Tina Fey

My rating: 4.25/5

From the back of the book:

"Once in a generation a woman comes along who changes everything. Tina Fey is not that woman, but she met that woman once and acted weird around her.

"PRAISE FOR TINA FEY:

"'You'd be really pretty if you lost weight.'(College Boyfriend, 1990 )

"'Tina Fey is an ugly, pear-shaped, overrated troll.' (The Internet )

"'Mommy, where are my pretzels?' (Tracy Morgan )

"ADVANCE PRAISE FOR BOSSYPANTS:

"'I hope that's not really the cover. That's really going to hurt sales.' (Don Fey, Father of Tina Fey )

"'Absolutely delicious!' (A Guy Who Eats Books )

"'Totally worth it.' (Trees )

"'Do not print this glowing recommendation of Tina Fey's book until I've been dead a hundred years.' (Mark Twain )

"'Hilarious and insightful. Laugh-out-loud funny -- oh no, a full moon. No! Arrgh! Get away from me! Save yourself!' (A Guy Turning into a Werewolf )"

This autobiography by comedienne Tina Fey (SNL, 30 Rock, Sarah Palin doppelganger) at times seemed randomly put together but for the most part follows the timeline of Tina's life, the majority dealing with her professional life as a writer and an actress. It's pretty short (288 pages with big type), but that's one of only a few complaints that I had. And maybe it's not even a real complaint to wish the book were longer.

I love Tina Fey and found this book laugh-out-loud funny, so much so that I'm sure my husband is glad that I've finished the book and quit reading passages out loud to him.  Good chunks of the book though seemed written almost directly for people in the entertainment industry, and I found myself a little bored in spots.  I would like to emphasize "a little" though, because for the most part, I really enjoyed the book and didn't want to put it down. 

If you like 30 Rock and/or somewhat bizarre humor, you'll like this book.

Book Review: Every Which Way but Dead by Kim Harrison

My rating: 3.25/5

From Amazon:

"There's no witch in Cincinnati tougher, sexier, or more screwed up than bounty hunter Rachel Morgan, who's already put her love life and soul in dire jeopardy through her determined efforts to bring criminal night creatures to justice.

"Between 'runs,' she has her hands full fending off the attentions of her blood-drinking partner, keeping a deadly secret from her backup, and resisting a hot new vamp suitor.

"Rachel must also take a stand in the war that's raging in the city's underworld, since she helped put away its former vampire kingpin—and made a deal with a powerful demon to do so that could cost her an eternity of pain, torment, and degradation.

"And now her dark 'master' is coming to collect his due."

This book started out slow, but that really didn't bother me.  The author isn't a bad writer as far as that goes, and she kept me hooked plot-wise.  Some things might even keep me reading the series, such as the introduction of a demon creepier than Algaliarept.  But as interested as I still am in Rachel's background and the secrets of her father and the ever-after and whatnot, I still don't like Rachel as a character, and that's a big problem. Sometimes she's alright, but other times she's just an irritating plot device instead of a person.  In spots that were meant to be character-driven, the book read a lot like fan fiction, in that I'm pretty sure the author wishes she were a witch with a mysterious background who could kick butt and be vulnerable and sleep with a vampire with no consequences.  This vampire, by the way, does the bidding of the master vampire who raped her roommate in the previous book and tried to (and nearly did) kill Rachel.  And Rachel knows all of this.  So her new relationship with him is, from this reader's perspective, inexcusable.  The guy even causes a bunch of deaths (and nearly Rachel's) and Rachel basically shrugs it off as not really his fault. She even makes a friend uncomfortable by overtly sexually flirting with the vampire, and she thinks this is funny.  This isn't normal person behavior.  I would also like to know why she keeps fantasizing about Trent when he tried to kill her in book 1.  That's not normal or relatable behavior either.

One of the best characters, Jenks, disappears midway through the book after getting into a huffy argument with Rachel too.  And that's it; no more Jenks for the rest of the book.  He's brought up a few times, Rachel feels guilty, etc., but it seems the author realized she had too many characters and got rid of one of the most interesting ones.  Harumph.

The first two books weren't completely vampire-centric, but this one verged on it, and I have a feeling the series is headed that way.  I'm tired of vampires, so I hope not.  I may continue reading the series, but I'll be giving it a break for a while.

Book Review: 10 Ways to Kill a Cupid

My rating: 3.5/5

From Amazon: "Leigh has a story to tell and despite the absurdity of it, it has to be told before it's forgotten forever.

"You see Leigh used to be a Cupid.
A very silly, naive and regretfully bitter Cupid.
And those are traits a Cupid shouldn’t technically possess.
When Leigh’s murderer is the next assignment, revenge stands in the way of helping Natalie McIntyre find her perfect partner…
That is until the appearance of the blue spark."

Through the course of this novel, you're following Leigh as she becomes a cupid, and then through her most difficult task as a cupid: finding a match for Natalie McIntyre.  Natalie is one of the most hateful people I've ever met in a book, but not to the point of hating to read about her.  She isn't an evil person; she's just had a hard time in life, is full of piss and vinegar about it, and takes it out on everyone around her.

My only real complaints about the book involve not being clear on cupid rules (e.g., at one point it's said that cupids are always of the same gender as their projects, but one woman's cupid was a male?), and that sometimes the violence (though not especially gory) was a little over the top, to the point of distraction. 

This was a cute read though, and not half bad for the author's first novel.  Despite some typos, they were easy to overlook while reading, especially because the story is entertaining and humorous.  I would warn that there's quite a bit of swearing, but again, it's used humorously.  I don't think I've ever read a book before that mixes somewhat serious subjects with such Looney-Tunes-esque slapstick, and for the most part it was done pretty well.