I love end of the world fiction and I love Joe Hill. Obviously I was going to love this book. Which, actually, is a scary way to b4.5 rounded up to 5.
I love end of the world fiction and I love Joe Hill. Obviously I was going to love this book. Which, actually, is a scary way to begin a story - full of expectations that may never be met. Thankfully, I was far from disappointed with The Fireman. I thought it was exciting, insightful, emotional, scary, and like fifteen other things.
NOS4A2 is one of my favorite books and is the novel that introduced me to Joe Hill. I do think that NOS4A2 is better than The Fireman and, therefore, would recommend that anyone who hasn't read Joe Hill start with that one. It will give you a glimpse into Hill's genius storytelling that will have you appreciating everything else he touches even more.
The Fireman is the story of a pregnant woman living in a world that is burning down around her, and potentially within her. It is also a story of how a random group of people come together with the intent to stay alive in the apocalyptic world they now reside in.
This book reminded me of Lord of the Flies, even though I read that about a hundred years ago. Both include the fascinating elements of people trying to introduce order into the chaos, and how this can have such extreme effects on people's humanity. I can't get enough of stories with people desperately trying to hold onto their humanity and decency, in a world that is so obviously no longer humane or decent.
I am so thrilled to say that Joe Hill didn't disappoint. I already can't wait for his next work to come out. ...more
Why are we scared of spiders? I mean, spiders keep the mosquito population in check and mosquitoes are3.5 man-eating, skin-burrowing, egg-laying stars
Why are we scared of spiders? I mean, spiders keep the mosquito population in check and mosquitoes are just the worst. After all, mosquitoes are the pesky little buggers actually carrying deadly diseases. And they are just so damn annoying, but I digress..
While there are a few types of spiders that actually are deadly, most species of spiders have no ability to harm us at all... other than when one pops up out of no where in the shower and you flail around until you end up on your ass, wrapped in the shower curtain, with a nasty bump on your head from the faucet, spider no where to be found. But that has far more to do with us, than the spider itself.
And while I would probably react poorly to a spider showering with me, I do not consider myself one of those people who lose control of their arms and flee from the vicinity any time a spider is seen. By those standards, no, I am not scared of spiders.
Am I afraid of a black wave of man-eating, skin-burrowing, egg-laying spiders, though? Yes. A thousand times, yes.
Ezekiel Boone's spiders are terrifyingly disturbing. And, yes, The Hatching has a lot to do with creepy crawlers, but it is also about people and how these people, from all different walks of life, react to this unexpected, deadly threat. And that was my favorite component to this novel by far.
There is not a lot of time spent on just one person, or one group of people. Instead, Boone spreads this story out across time zones, continents, and most significantly I felt, job professions. The central characters all had careers placing them in the firing line of this spreading epidemic (in a few cases there is an actual firing line).
My favorite group were the "preppers" who had already been living in a bunker of sorts and just waiting out the end of the world, impatiently. Yes, they were impatiently waiting for the world to implode .. that is so perfectly hilarious, Mr. Boone.
Having all of these different points of view allowed for a much more in depth perspective of circumstances. The obvious downside though, is that you never really get to know any of the characters very well. I am sure that this will bother some people, but for me it didn't work against the story.
If you are a giant sucker for end-of-the-world fiction like I am then this is a book I would certainly recommend. It is a nice deviation from the often used zombie or virus outbreak apocalypse story line. But fair warning, you will jump up in the middle of the night convinced that a spider just skittered across your cheek (that seriously happened to me).
I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways...more
I am obsessed with the lack of stereotypes in this series. It is obvious that V.E. Schwab has no qualms with writing her characters outside of certainI am obsessed with the lack of stereotypes in this series. It is obvious that V.E. Schwab has no qualms with writing her characters outside of certain -and in my opinion, outdated- expectations. There is a blurred line between heterosexual and homosexual in this series that in no way feels contrived or manipulated. It comes across as completely natural. As a reader, I didn't even stop to think about it -- outside of now taking the time to write out my thoughts and impressions. Without spoiling anything for those who have not gotten to this sequel yet, I will only say that Schwab has created male characters that are strong, powerful, and attracted to men and women both. This is something I have seen in the real world, but not so much in the world of fiction. Schwab does not label these characters as one thing or another and as a reader it never feels necessary that she do so. The characters are so complex and human - even in this universe of magic and multiple worlds - it's like a dream, or a hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning; it's hard to put your finger on, but it feels a long time coming.
Schwab also created the fabulous, mighty character, Delilah Bard, who, as the only female of the four main characters in A Gathering of Shadows, has the amazing quality of never, ever being the 'damsel in distress'. She takes care of herself, always. And while, sometimes, it can be entertaining reading about a woman being saved, it is MUCH more thrilling to read about a woman saving herself. Schwab has written her so, so well and Lila has quickly become one of my all-time favorite characters in fiction. And I do not say that lightly.
"Lila hadn't believed in God for a very long time -- she'd given up praying when it was clear that no one would answer -- and while she was willing to admit that magic existed, it didn't seem to listen, or at least, it didn't seem to care. Lila took a strange pleasure in that, because it meant the power was her own."
I thought that A Darker Shade of Magic was YA, but when I went to buy A Gathering of Shadows I found it in the Fantasy/Sci-Fi department. I think that might have to do with the use of the word "fuck" scattered throughout the books and probably the use of violence. All I know is that I hope the lack of a Young Adult stamp convinces more people to pick this series up, because it is so fucking worth it.
I've given this a 4.5 star rating, which I rounded up to 5, because while I loved A Gathering of Shadows, I didn't love it quite as much as I loved it's predecessor, A Darker Shade of Magic. ADSoM was just a little more exciting, probably because in the first book Kell and Lila were fighting for their lives, and in the second most of the fighting took place in the context of a tournament. Regardless, I love this series and simply cannot wait for the next installment to be released! I also read that the books might be made into a television series, which I imagine will be fantastic....more
At this point it seems as if everyone has read Gone Girl. And whether you hated it or loved it (like I did), you can't deny that it has to be one of tAt this point it seems as if everyone has read Gone Girl. And whether you hated it or loved it (like I did), you can't deny that it has to be one of the most talked about novels of the last decade. Practically every thriller that has been published since is marketed as "The Next Gone Girl".. And I think it's safe to say we are all pretty sick of the tagline that long ago lost its credibility.
Gone Girl was published in 2012 and I read it in January 2013. Since then I haven't been looking for the 'Next Gone Girl' - I have been looking for the 'Next Gillian Flynn Novel'. And now, a few years later, Gillian Flynn is back..........with a short story? Published all by itself? At a total of 64 pages? Are the royalty checks from the movies starting to run dry, or are you just trying to piss people off? I mean, really, who publishes a 64 page book in hardcover? Or as its own audiobook? And who the hell buys it? Well, apparently me. And not only did I buy it, I also liked it.
Taken for what it was, completely disregarding Gone Girl, Dark Places, and Sharp Objects, as well as ignoring the shamelessly obvious publicity scheme, The Grownup is an intriguing and well-constructed short story. I do feel that Flynn could have -and really should have- made a full length novel out of The Grownup, though. There was plenty of opportunity to expand upon the characters and their situations. She also could have dragged out the twists more; maybe given us a real ending. But she didn't and she must have her reasons, so my rating is based solely on what she did give us. And in my opinion, what she gave us here was worth 4 stars. ...more
Travis Mulhauser's "Sweetgirl" is a beautiful, gritty story in which the characters are just as relentless and powerful as the landscape their story tTravis Mulhauser's "Sweetgirl" is a beautiful, gritty story in which the characters are just as relentless and powerful as the landscape their story takes place in -- a landscape that turns out to be a central character, in and of itself.
Percy is a fascinating and beautiful character whose strength was extraordinary. I was blown away by how deeply I found myself immersed in her and Jenna's story. I could not stop reading -- I had to know what was in the next chapter, on the next page, in the next paragraph. My need to continue was relentless!
There is a lot to like about the author's writing here; it has a simplicity to it that feels genuine to the more uneducated characters. But it also had this sort of poetic element to it that hit me right down in my core.
I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
Only 5 books into 2016 and I already have my first 5-star rating -- here's to many more this year :) ...more
The last couple of books I've read have this underlying (yet completely obvious) message that you can never really, truly know someone. That 3.5 stars
The last couple of books I've read have this underlying (yet completely obvious) message that you can never really, truly know someone. That the people closest to you will always have the capacity to surprise you, most of the time in a bad way. Especially husbands. Husbands are the scum of the literary world, it would seem. And even worse than husbands -- dead husbands. Such is the story here. And it is highly entertaining. Even with the flock of very unlikable characters and complete sickos, I got into this story and stayed in it right up until the end. I'm leaving The Widow behind, but I will be taking with me a very legitimate concern about ever having a husband. Because, well, people are SICK and clearly cannot be trusted ;)...
I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways....more
Having loved Caroline Kepnes' "You" so much, I was equally ecstatic and hesitant in regard to it's sequel, "Hidden Bodies." Far too often a highly antHaving loved Caroline Kepnes' "You" so much, I was equally ecstatic and hesitant in regard to it's sequel, "Hidden Bodies." Far too often a highly anticipated sequel does little more than disappoint; or even worse, comes across as a clear attempt by the author to recreate that initial feeling, the buzz that sent the checks coming. "Hidden Bodies" was the real deal though, fortunately. Some may disagree, but hear me when I say, Damn, Joe Goldberg, how I missed you, love and loathe you.
In "You," Kepnes created a brilliant character in Joe and I say that confidently and certainly. In "Hidden Bodies" he is just as fascinating, terrifying, hilarious. His crimes continue to be horrible, but committed with such surety and clear explanation that it gets harder and harder to even blame him.
A lot of the time, the books that I like the most are the hardest for me to review. I often feel the urge to just type, in all caps, stop reading my review and go read this book!
But if I did that, then I wouldn't be able to confess that Joe Goldberg is probably my favorite character in fiction right now. I can't get enough of his commentary on the state of our society and the people it in. I like how he isn't a hero, or even the kind of killer you can excuse because they are of the vigilante variety. Joe is the bad guy, I'm not delusional, but I like him anyway.
"So I Lyfted to Home Depot, where I bought random stuff, rope and duct tape, plastic bags, cable ties, and plastic gloves. The girl at the register winked and said she's also a big fan of Fifty Shades and this is what has become of our society. Fucking and killing are the same damn thing."
Caroline Kepnes has done something unique with this series and it's main character, and it feels like such a great break from the norm. Please, please keep this series going.
I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways....more
"We tell stories,' he says, 'because we know no other ways to fly.'
Branded as a middle-grade read, this creative little novel comes in large print, "We tell stories,' he says, 'because we know no other ways to fly.'
Branded as a middle-grade read, this creative little novel comes in large print, complete with beautiful illustrations and a mysterious, but sinister, plot. There is also an obvious darkness to this story that made me question it's classification early on. Certain aspects of "Tell the Story to Its End" brought to mind Neil Gaiman's "Coraline" (an all-time favorite of mine). The biggest of which was the fact that both stories target a younger audience, but are appreciated more by an older crowd.
There is a fairy-tale/fable aspect to this story as well. But not the sort of Cinderella-esque fairy tale we have come to expect in this day and age.. No, no, no. I am talking about the old time fairy tales, without any clichéd happily-ever-after's. Not the best bedtime reading material out there for 9-13 year olds. But perfect for me :)
In all seriousness, I cannot stress enough just how stunningly beautiful the art work in this book is. They may seem simplistic, but they blend into the story so perfectly that without them I'm not sure I would have given this book a 4 star rating.
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