Favorite Books of the Year

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Hard to believe the year is almost over and 2014 is upon us. I started blogging regularly in June, although my first real reviews went up in March. Since that time I've made new friends and discovered books I otherwise never would have read, or even known about. That's an amazing feeling. I'm grateful to everyone who comes by and leaves a comment, and I hope my readers discover a book here occasionally that is new or fun or takes them on an epic journey. That's the point of this blog, after all. To share a good book.

Here are my top 10 faves of 2013 in no particular order. The link will take you to my review, and I've included a link to Goodreads as well.



Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole is one of the best books I've read this year. It's got humor, drama and a great love story, and I was totally on the edge of my seat by the end, waiting to see what would happen to these characters. Can't recommend this highly enough. It's also told entirely in letters, and it worked for this story.

See my interview with Jessica Brockmole here.

Letters from Skye at Goodreads.



Rutherford Park by Elizabeth Cooke is outstanding, probably in my top three of the year. I read a lot of books this year set in country houses but this one was by far the best. It has a real Downton Abbey vibe to it, but it's not just a DA knock- off. The author states on her website that the idea for the book had been with her for twenty years and was inspired by her grandfathers' service in a great house. She really captures the feel of a great house, and family, on the brink of change as World War I looms on the horizon. There are flawed characters here, human foibles on display and some tragedy and heartbreak as well- I was just really sucked in by this book and I understand a sequel is due in 2014. That will be one of my top draws for sure.

Rutherford Park at Goodreads.



Fangirl is the first book I've read by Rainbow Rowell, and man was I impressed. It's hilarious and moving and is guaranteed to resonate with anyone geeky at heart. I thought it was great. More Regan please. :)

Fangirl at Goodreads.



A Dance with Dragons by George RR Martin (spoilery review). To say I'm a big fan of A Song of Ice and Fire would be an understatement, and after a looong wait George RR Martin brought Jon, Tyrion and the rest of the cast back for another go- around. I really liked this book- it's big, sprawling, and truly epic. And you never really know what's going to happen. This is one of my favorite of the series, even though I think he is going a little overboard on the subplots and the story is just too big, but we see more of the world than ever and it is never less than compelling. Who knows if this series ever gets finished, but I am enjoying the ride.

A Dance with Dragons at Goodreads



Fractured by Teri Terry is the sequel to Slated and is a thrill ride. We learn a lot more in this one about the circumstances surrounding Kyla's mindwipe, and things get very tense and dangerous for Kyla as she truly does not know who she can trust. This series totally rocks and Fractured is even better than Slated.

Fractured at Goodreads



Slated by Teri Terry grabbed me from the very beginning, as Kyla has been mindwiped and is being introduced to her new family- a family she has never met before. She soon learns there are very few, if any people, she can truly trust including the members of her own family! I loved this book and grabbed the sequel as soon as it came out, and will be chomping at the bit for book 3 in 2014.

Slated at Goodreads



The Paladin Prophecy by Mark Frost. Another one of my favorites this year. This one is a YA about a guy (hey, a guy!) who is on the run and finds himself at an exclusive academy where many of the other students have "gifts" as well. This is longer than the average YA but I thought it was fantastic, mixing mythology and action and weird elements too. I didn't see this on very many blogs so it may have been overlooked by many, but the characters are great and if you love YA paranormal, you should give this a shot.

The Paladin Prophecy at Goodreads



13 Secrets by Michelle Harrison is the third of the 13 series and I loved this book. This series seems to skew a little younger on the YA side but they are surprisingly dark so I think they're a great fit for older readers. Tanya and Rowan are reunited at Elvesden Manor after the events of the first two books and they must discover who is killing those who can see the fairies. The conclusion of the book, with everyone holed up inside the manor under attack by fairy creatures, is awesome. A great series all the way around.

13 Secrets at Goodreads.






The Vanishing Thief by Kate Parker was a surprise, and a good one. I expected it to be a good cozy, but it was one of my favorite books of the year actually. Georgia Fenchurch is an antiquarian bookseller in Victorian London, and when she investigates the disappearance of a notorious thief she runs afoul of a duke who has his own reasons for wanting her investigation to stop. This has good period detail and a great story, and I will definetly be picking up the next installment of this series.

So have you read any of these? If so, what did you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Sunday Post #25/ It's Monday. What Are You Reading?

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.
It's Monday! What Are You Reading is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

 
CURRENTLY READING 








So how was your week? 

Sunday Post #24/ It's Monday. What Are You Reading?

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.
It's Monday! What Are You Reading is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

Well I'm writing this on Saturday and yes, still have shopping to do! I kind of don't mind though, as I like the hustle and bustle of being out. Am I crazy? Probably! I probably won't be blogging much next week but I do hope to check in a bit and maybe post a few things as time allows. I hope everyone has a warm and relaxing holiday, with everything that makes the day special for you. 

Merry Christmas!!! 



CURRENTLY READING 

 

This book is a trip! I've seen a slew of reviews popping up for it, and they're right- it's great. The protagonist is not exactly likeable, but he's kinda funny in a slacker, totally self- centered way. He of course gets in WAY over his head when he accepts a game from a strange cell phone. Just say no to strange phones, people! 

Review: The Crab with the Golden Claws

The Crab with the Golden Claws is a relatively early entry in the Tintin series. Tintin, our intrepid reporter, gets pulled into an opium smuggling caper and makes the acquaintance of Captain Haddock, the tipsy companion who becomes a mainstay of the series in later volumes. There is the usual amount of slapstick comedy and outrageous coincidences, and the bumbling detectives Thomson and Thompson make an appearance as well, complicating things as usual.

Tintin runs into the smuggling ring quite by accident- he happens to come across a label from a crab tin that his dog Snowy finds in the trash. When a similar label turns up in the belongings of a man found dead at sea, Tintin makes a connection. His curiosity soon earns him the ire of the smugglers, and he finds himself imprisoned on a freighter. Escaping with Haddock, they soon find themselves adrift in a lifeboat, stranded in the Sahara desert and matching wits with smugglers in a Moroccan port.

The action is fast and furious with lots of narrow escapes. It's breezy fun, but the story is a little less sophisticated than some of the later installments, and even the art seems less polished. Part of the problem could be that I recently read Tintin in Tibet and The Castafiore Emerald- both are later entries in the series and quite good, so this one may have just suffered by comparison.

The other issue I have is Captain Haddock. This is his first appearance, and while he is portrayed in later volumes as a lovable oaf, here he was just downright unlikeable. He’s always been known for his fondness for drink, but here is a drunkard and a buffoon. He even attacks Tintin on several occasions! Not the most reliable ally.

Still, this is worth a read if you like the Tintin series, or just want a graphic novel that is suitable for both adults and children. I would not recommend this as the place to start though. While these can all be read as standalones, some are better entry points than others, and I think this one is of average quality in the series as a whole.

Sunday Post #23/ It's Monday. What Are You Reading?

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.
It's Monday! What Are You Reading is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

The snow continues! The roads are finally better though, for about three days they were terrible. Welcome to winter! How is everyone's shopping coming, and more importantly are you enjoying the holiday season? 


CURRENTLY READING 





UPCOMING REVIEWS 




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Thursday Quotables #2

Thursday Quotables is a meme hosted by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. This is the place for a great line or quote from a book, whatever you want to share. For more details head on over to Lisa's blog and linky up, and join the fun! 



The OASIS is the setting of all my happiest childhood memories. When my mom didn't have to work, we would log in at the same time and play games or go on interactive storybook adventures together. She used to have to force me to log out every night, because I never wanted to return to the real world. Because the real world sucked. 

Here we're learning about Wade's early life, and how the OASIS ( a virtual reality universe) has taken over the world, to the point where millions of people spend all their time there, go to school there, the whole nine yards. The OASIS is truly a fascinating place, where you can access any fictional world. Want to visit Middle- Earth, Pern, or any other fictional world? They're all there- who wouldn't want to go?

I just finished this book and loved it. Check out my review here.

From Goodreads:

It's the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.

Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets. 

And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune--and remarkable power--to whoever can unlock them. 

For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday's riddles are based in the pop culture he loved--that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday's icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes's oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig. 

And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle. 

Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt--among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life--and love--in the real world he's always been so desperate to escape. 

A world at stake. 
A quest for the ultimate prize. 
Are you ready?

Review: Ready Player One

Ready Player One is an awesome thrill ride. Don’t know how else to describe it. Wade Watts is a gamer and hacker in a dystopian 2044. The world has changed, for the worse, and people all around the world log into the OASIS, a virtual reality wonderland, to escape the drudgery and horror of everyday life. The OASIS has permeated society to the point that Kids even go to school virtually. Wade lives with his aunt in a trailer, in what is basically a slum, but also has a hideout where he spends all his time logged into the OASIS. All his free time is devoted to winning a game, set in motion several years before by the creator of the OASIS- but he is not the only player. All over the world gamers and hackers compete to win the prize- a fortune and control of the OASIS. Clues were left behind by the creator of the OASIS- clues rooted in pop culture references from the 1980’s, his favorite decade. 

Everyone has an avatar in the OASIS, and this avatar is often more important to the player than their real life persona. Wade goes by the name Parzival in the OASIS, and when he uncovers a clue to the first puzzle in the game, he may have just taken a step into the big time. The problem is, another gamer makes the connection at the same time. Art3mis (named after the Greek goddess of the hunt) shows up, and the race is on. Art3mis is a well known gamer and blogger, and when Parzifal meets her he finds himself falling for her. Art3mis seems to have feelings for him too, but for her the game (and the prize) come first.

This is more than just a gamer competition though- there is also a company called Innovative Online Industries (IOI) that wishes to gain control of the OASIS and monetize it. And they don’t play nice. At stake is the virtual reality simulation that the entire world uses. Wade soon finds himself in danger outside the OASIS as well as in the virtual world. Tragedy strikes and Wade finds his life, both online and off, changed forever. Can he and Art3mis survive the game?

This book is just so much fun. The OASIS as described is fantastic, and the concept of clues buried in 80's movies, music and pop culture is unique.I actually thought the beginning of the book was a bit depressing, so in that sense the author succeeded in evoking the dystopian tone he was no doubt looking for. Once the pace picks up and things start happening, it turns into a real page turner.

Some personal highlights for me- getting to go inside the Tyrell building, from the movie Blade Runner, was a guilty pleasure of the first order. Love the way the author did it.  If you have a favorite movie from the 80’s, you may find it makes an appearance here. Having the classic videogame Joust play a prominent role in the story, as well as references to arcade chain Aladdin’s Castle, made me smile.

I do have some quibbles about the story. There are references to various programs and social media, such as Saturday Night Live and Youtube, that kind of took me out of the story. Does anyone think that SNL will still be on in 2044, or that Youtube will be just like today? Also Wade is something of an uber- hacker, but he’s only in high school. Sure there are good hackers that are young, I have no doubt, but some of the things Wade pulls off just strain credulity to the breaking point. I mean, really. The author lost me a couple times with that, but I just accepted it and moved on. Also, the last third of the novel just really stretched my suspension of disbelief to the breaking point. Wade makes a decision that risks his entire future, and bases it on a very risky gamble, and I just couldn’t buy it that anyone would risk all on such a flimsy hope.

The other issue I have is the nature of the narrative. There is plenty of good dialogue, but this is a very expository book. There are just pages and pages of description, both of the state of the world and of Wade’s own narrative. After reading books recently with lots of dialogue and witty repartee, this was an adjustment that, frankly, took me a while to get used to. Having said that, this is still a fascinating read. The ending was good, and has a great message about what’s important in life. It was also nice to have no cliffhanger, no wait for a sequel- just a good solid ending. The most fun here are the 80’s pop culture/ geek references, and the sheer imaginative scale of it all. A very impressive first novel.

From Goodreads:

It's the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.

Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets. 

And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune--and remarkable power--to whoever can unlock them. 

For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday's riddles are based in the pop culture he loved--that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday's icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes's oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig. 

And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle. 

Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt--among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life--and love--in the real world he's always been so desperate to escape. 

A world at stake. 
A quest for the ultimate prize. 
Are you ready?