Three Mini Reviews - vacation books

August has been a travel month in my house.  We drove 7 hours to North Carolina to take Kiddo to camp then 7 hours back home the next day.  At the end of camp we flew to North Carolina, drove an hour to pick up Kiddo, drove an hour back to the airport, then flew to Disney World in Florida. After a week we flew home again.  Needless to say, all that travel time gave me lots of opportunities to listen to audio books and to read.  Here are some quick thoughts on a few of those books.

Forever, by Maggie Stiefvater (400 pages) - This is the final book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series. I mentioned in my reviews of book one and book two that although I really like the author's twist on werewolf mythology I'm not really in love with the story itself; that continued for me in book three. The relationship between Grace and Sam just doesn't move me. Isabel is still my favorite character (she's nothing like me but I feel like I really understand her) and Cole yet again adds some excitement and intensity to the story. And even though I didn't love it I still felt like it was a good end to the series, so I'm not disappointed in it either.

Drums of Autumn, by Diana Gabaldon (44.75 hours, narrated by Davina Porter) - This is book four in the Outlander series and continues the story of Jamie and Claire, but with a twist. I'm looking forward to continuing the series soon. *** MINOR SPOILER ALERT FOR PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE SERIES *** I didn't think I'd like the story as much once it moved to pre-revolution America but I actually really enjoyed the setting and the new characters. I also liked the way Briana's and Roger's relationship developed - I figured they'd end up in the past somehow but I wasn't sure how or why. I'm definitely excited to see what happens next for all of them! (And as a side note, much of the story takes place in the Cape Fear River area so imagine my delight as we drove through North Carolina and saw signs for the Cape Fear River!)

Other Kingdoms, by Richard Matheson (8.5 hours, narrated by Bronson Pinchot)- Hubby and I needed a book to listen to on one of our drives without Kiddo and this was available for download from our library. It is the story of a young American man named Alex who survives WWI and goes to live in a small village in England. While there he discovers that the forest in inhabited by The Little People, and that they may not be as friendly as he has always heard. We wanted to listen to the book because it is by the same guy who wrote I AM LEGEND, and we figured that was a good enough recommendation. Sadly it was not. The first half of the book was great! The story is told by Alex at age 82. He's spent his life writing cheesy horror stories and now he wants to share the truth about what happened to him at age 18 in England. The writing is fun to read - Alex continually comments on his sentence structure or word choice, critiquing himself as if he were editing one of his horror tales. This made the storytelling aspect of the book very entertaining.  Unfortunately the plot became rather predictable and boring and really didn't keep our attention once we hit the midway point. I finished it on my own once we got back home and told Hubby he didn't miss much. (Oh, one quick note about the narrator. He did a very convincing New York accent - appropriate for Alex - but I wasn't a huge fan; that accent drove me a bit batty! I don't know why, since my mother and lots of relatives talk that way, but for some reason it really got to me.)

I've read a few more books but they were sent to me for review and I always give review books their own posts. They should be coming up in a few days, if I can make time to write them!

The "Bloody Jack" Series - 7 books (so far)

The "Bloody Jack" Series

by L.A. Meyer

I can't remember where or when I first heard of the book BLOODY JACK but I do know that I didn't think it would be my kind of read.  It was supposed to be a young adult story of an orphaned girl on the streets of old London who dressed as a boy and went to work on a ship where she had all sorts of adventures.  Now why I wouldn't like that I'm not certain, except maybe because it was YA?  Anyway, when I got laid off back in November I simply couldn't stand to read or listen to audiobooks for quite a while. My life was crazy and everything was turned on it's head.  One day I decided that I needed a light, fun audiobook to entertain me as I cleaned the house.  I saw that BLOODY JACK was available for download from my library so I decided to give it a shot. HALLELUJAH! I found a jem of a book! This series is exactly what I was looking for at the time and I'm thrilled that I found it.

This series is laugh-out-loud funny yet filled with enough historical detail to seem (at least somewhat) realistic. Jacky is tough and wiley and downright lucky, plus she's got attitude and to spare. You can't help but love her and hope for the best for her.

Rather than review each book individually I'm going to give you a few sentences on each one all in this post. I'll do my best to be spoiler-free but there might be a few minor things in the later books that might be considered spoilers for the first few books (nothing that would ruin the story though!).




Bloody Jack - This is the book that made me fall in love with the series.  It is fun and funny, yet historically detailed and interesting.  It follows Jacky from the streets of London on to the HMS Dolphin where she disguises herself as a ship's boy.  She forms a brotherhood with her fellow ship's boys and does her best to keep anyone from figuring out that she's a girl (which becomes more difficult as she hits puberty).  (7.36 hours)





Curse of the Blue Tattoo - Jacky navigates new waters when she finds herself enrolled at the Lawson Peabody School For Young Girls in Boston.  Can a wild and willful orphan/ship's boy learn to be a lady?  Maybe, but it will be VERY difficult ...  (14.15 hours)





Under The Jolly Roger - Jacky's back at sea in this book, and she's in a bit of trouble (no big surprise by this point!). Can she keep herself clear of a creepy captain who wants her as his prize? And will she make it back to London to be reunited with her true love?  And how does Lord Nelson and the Royal Navy play into the story?  (14.73 hours)




In The Belly Of The Bloodhound - The girls from the Lawson Peabody are ALL in trouble this time around.  The focus of this story is slavery in its many forms, and there were parts of this book that actually brought me to tears (chills first, then tears).  Although this wasn't one of my favorites in the series I have to admit that it packed more of an emotional punch than the others. (15.35 hours)



Mississippi Jack - Jacky finds herself on a journey down the Mississippi River in what may be my least favorite book in the series.  There was one particular character who drove me crazy in this book, and I also felt like coincidences were stretched to their breaking point quite often.  It wasn't nearly enough to put me off the series but I was glad to move on to the next book.  (17.4 hours)



My Bonny Light Horseman - Several characters from previous books make appearances in this adventure which finds Jacky as a spy in Napoleon Bonaparte's army. Again, chance and circumstance are stretched beyond belief in this book but I still quite enjoyed it.  Jacky seems to be turning into a deeper character as she grows up a bit and I really enjoyed that aspect of the story.  (12.01 hours)



Rapture of the Deep - I couldn't believe how this story started out (one of those crazy coincidences again) but once I got past that I really loved this book.  It incorporated both treasure hunting and scientific discovery and the story was downright entertaining.  (12.33 hours)






I really do love this series in spite of the flaws.  It is fun and entertaining, it makes me laugh and cry, and it is simply a good series of books.  If you can take it just as seriously as it takes itself (which is not very) then you will probably enjoy it as much as I did.

The next book, The Wake of the Lorelei Lee, is out in hardcover but not in audio yet. I'm still deciding whether I want to read it now or wait for the audio ...

A quick note on the narrator: Katherine Kellgren narrates all the Bloody Jack book and she is AMAZING.  She has a great ability with accents and voices and also with songs (there are lots of songs in these books). I will definitely be on the lookout for other books she's narrated; she is incredibly talented and versatile and she's a joy to listen to.

Prisoners in the Palace

Prisoners in the Palace: 

How Princess Victoria became Queen with the Help of Her Maid, a Reporter, and a Scoundrel 

by Micheala MacColl

368 pages

*** About the Book *** 

Young Liza is about to make her entrance into London society when her parents are killed in a tragic accident.  She suddenly finds herself without money and without family of any kind to support her.  When the opportunity to work in Princess Victoria's household Liza considers herself lucky to be given a chance to support herself.  But what she finds is a lonely young girl living a confusing and extremely sheltered life and adults who are conniving to gain control over the future queen.


*** Why I Read It ***

I have to be honest ... it was because of the cover! This book is absolutely gorgeous.  The dust jacket has shimmery effects that really attract the eye, the cover itself is a beautiful grey and white paisley pattern, and each new chapter starts off with a decorative page.  Of course, the idea of reading about Queen Victoria as a young woman was quite appealing as well.

I received this book for review from the publisher.



*** My Thoughts ***

I really enjoyed this book.  It is a Young Adult historical novel and is very well written and engaging.  I loved the historical details that were included and especially appreciated the detailed authors note explaining what was taken directly from history and what was embellished.  The life of the young princess Victoria was so horribly sheltered that it is amazing she became the queen that she did. 

I liked this book so much that I had to learn more about Queen Victoria so I rented the movie The Young Victoria.  It was a great film and agreed with the book on most points.  When multiple productions (books, movies, etc.) agree on the basic details it makes me more confident that the authors got things right, so I felt even better about the book after watching the movie. 

After the book and the movie I was STILL interested in learning more so went to the library and got a DVD called Queen Victoria's Empire.  This documentary showed what happened after Victoria became queen and provided a great follow-up to the book and movie.

So, when a book inspires me to learn more (and more) I feel quite good about that book.  I've already recommended it to a friend who teaches high school - I think her students would be attracted to the cover and would really enjoy the book as well.

Mockingjay (spoiler free)

Mockingjay

by Suzanne Collins

Book 3 of The Hunger Game Trilogy

audiobook: 11.75 hours

narrated by Carolyn McCormick

*** About the Book ***

Since this is a spoiler-free review I'll keep this short: Katniss continues her fight against the Capital. 'Nuff said.

(I also did a spoiler-filled review - click here to check it out.)


*** Why I Listened To It ***

I was convinced by several friends to give The Hunger Games a try even though I wasn't interested in the book at all.  Book 1 was just "meh" in my opinion, but I agreed to continue with the series.  Book 2 was much better and really got me interested.  And when it ended on an enormous cliffhanger I HAD to get to Book 3 right away.


*** My Thoughts ***

Again, since this is a spoiler free review, I'll keep this short: I LOVED this book.  I think it made complete sense based on the previous books in the series.  At the same time it had enough twists to make it interesting and definitely NOT predictable.

For those of you who have read this, stay tuned for another post later today which WILL include spoilers. I figure that's the best way to open up discussion and see whether we agree on this book or not.

As a side note, Carolyn McCormick did a great job narrating this series - I'll definitely look for her name on other audiobooks.


*** Your Thoughts ***

If you are into the Hunger Games books but haven't read this one yet, why not?  If you have read it, look for my 2nd post later today and share your thoughts on it there!

Catching Fire

Catching Fire

by Suzanne Collins

Book 2 of The Hunger Games trilogy

audiobook: 11.6 hours

narrated by Carolyn McCormick

*** About the Book ***

In this second book of The Hunger Games trilogy, Katniss is forced to continue her public relationship with Peeta as they tour the various Districts to celebrate their unprecedented dual victory. Back at home, her best friend Gale is being passed off as her cousin to keep the Katniss/Peeta story alive. Unbeknownst to Katniss, she has become a symbol of rebellion against the Capital and it is only when the President arrives at her home to threaten her family that she realizes how dangerous things have gotten.

There is MUCH more to this story but summarizing it would definitely be spoilerific so I’ll just stop here.


*** Why I Listened To It ***

Over the summer I listened to the first book in the series at the request of several friends. They were all convinced I’d love it, but I just found it to be okay. I didn’t want to give up on the series though, so I reserved a copy of the second book on audio through the library and waited (2 months) for it to come in.


*** My Thoughts ***

Ok, I have to admit it – I really liked this book! I was leery throughout the first several chapters because it seemed to be very much like the first book. Then Katniss finally confided in Peeta rather than keeping everything secret from him (something that drove me nuts the first time around), and things took off from there.

I listened to this book almost non-stop – in the car, getting dressing in the morning, making dinner, before bed … wherever and whenever I had a chance. I enjoyed it so much more than I expected to.

The relationships between Katniss and Peeta and Gale became completely believable for me once the truth about it came out. I can understand the bond between K & P, and also the bond between K & G, and even the combined hatred and respect between P & G.
I’m really excited to get on to the next book. I can’t wait another 2-3 months though, so I’m off to download the audio version from audible.com … hopefully it is not too expensive.


*** Your Thoughts: Team ___________? ***

Since I’m so late to this series I missed seeing everyone post about Team Peeta and Team Gale (and even Team Katniss), so I’d love for you to share in the comments who you are/were rooting for. Do you want Katniss to end up with Gale or with Peeta, or to be on her own? Why did you choose what you chose? PLEASE don’t spoil book 3 for me by telling me who she does/doesn’t end up with – just share who you were rooting for as you read.

Also, let me know if you were satisfied with the final book (again, please no spoilers!) – I’ve heard mixed reviews. I’m wondering if people who liked book 1 better than book 2 were happier with book 3, or if the opposite is true … (does that even make sense?!)

And for the record, TEAM GALE!!!!!!!!

Smile

Smile

by Raina Telgemeier

graphic novel/memoir

224 pages

I think I just found my favorite graphic memoir.

*** About the Book ***

When Raina was in the 6th grade she tripped and fell and knocked out her 2 front teeth.  Over the next 4 years she went though a whole slew of dental procedures to get her smile back.  After telling people her crazy story for years she decided to make it into a weekly web comic, which was later compiled into this book.  The story includes not only her dental issues but the typical issues of a tween/teen - boys, friends, acne, siblings, etc.


*** Why I Read It ***

This month my book club chose "graphic memoirs" as our theme.  Everyone chose a different book to read and at the meeting we shared our thoughts on the book and the genre.  One of the other gals read this book and said that it reminded her of growing up in the 1980s.  Since she and I are the same age I thought I'd give this one a try, so I took it home with me that night.


*** My Thoughts ***

Did you catch the first line of this review above?  I LOVED THIS BOOK! I started reading it when I got home from book club and devoured the entire thing before I fell asleep that night.

Let me remind you, dear readers, that until now I have not been all that impressed with the graphic book format. I've said before that although I did enjoy some of the ones I read, I wasn't really a convert to the genre.  After reading Smile, I just might have to revise that ...

My reasons for loving this are very personal.  Not in the "personal-meaning-private" way but in the "personal-meaning-individual-to-me" way.  I don't know if other readers would have the same experience I did so I'll share with you why I loved this book so much.

First, it's set in the late 1980s and/or early 1990s.  Raina reads The Baby Sitter Club books, plays Mario Brothers on the original Nintendo (and subscribes to Nintendo Power!), shops for lightning bolt earrings at Contempo, talks to her friends about New Kids on the Block, and so on.  These are all the things I did at her age! It was like revisiting my tween and teen years.

Second, when I was in the 3rd grade I was tripped in gym class and knocked out one of my brand new front teeth.  The part in the book where Raina is lying on the ground making sure she hasn't broken any bones? Been there, done that.  The part where she sits up and realizes there is blood dripping down her chin?  Been there, done that too.  And the part where she has her friends scavenging around in search of her tooth?  Oh yeah, I've done THAT too.  Thankfully the root of my tooth was intact and a sliver of it still protruded from the gum.  I had to have it bonded (another experience I share with Raina - she describes it very well) and for the most part it looked pretty normal.  It felt a bit thicker than my other front tooth but I got used to it.  It does have a tendency to yellow more than a real tooth though, so before I got married I had it rebonded.  It's been 12 years since then and it's definitely starting to show ... eventually I'll need a porcelain cap if I want it to match the rest of my teeth. ANYWAY, my point is that I really identified with Raina's experiences.

Third, Raina does a great job capturing the feeling of being a tween/teen.  She talks about her first crush, the way her "friends" tease her (they even pantsed her - another experience we share, except that when it happened to me it was done by a boy I had a crush on, and when my pants came down my underwear went with them - oh the horror!), the drama of acne, and so on.  It was so real for me.  I mean, of course it was REAL - this is Raina's real story after all - but it felt real as well.

And finally, I love the illustrations (which she did herself).  They have the feel of the Sunday comic section of the newspaper, if that makes sense.  The images move in standard comic strip logic, across the page from left to right and top to bottom.  That format works much better for me than the more creative layouts I've seen in other graphic novels/memoirs.

Oh, I just had to add that Kiddo started reading this one as well.  He saw it on the couch and read up to page 20 before he had to go to bed.  I think he wants to continue with it - what fun!


*** Your Thoughts ***

Ok, now that I've told you why I love this book so much (picture me actually hugging the book and you'll get the idea) it's your turn to chime in.  Have you read this one?  What did you think of it?  If you haven't read it, have you heard of it?  Are you interested in reading it?  Please share your thoughts.

Linger

Linger

by Maggie Stiefvater

368 pages

*** About the Book ***


This is the sequel to the paranormal YA novel SHIVER (reviewed here).  At the end of the the first book, werewolf Sam had been returned to a fully human state and was excited to spend the rest of his life with his girlfriend Grace.  Things don't go quite as planned in this book though.  Grace's parents finally begin to act like parents and forbid her from seeing Sam, and at the same time Grace begins to think that she might be becoming a werewolf herself.  In addition, there are several new members who voluntarily joined the werewolf pack and no one knows yet whether they can be trusted.


*** Why I Read It ***

I read SHIVER a while back just for a change of pace.  I've had the sequel, LINGER, on hold at the library since it came out a few months ago; it finally became available last week.


*** My Thoughts ***

Opinions on the story itself aside, I LOVE the cover art and stylistic choices made for this series.  In SHIVER the text inside the book matched the blue of the cover.  In LINGER the text throughout the book matches the gorgeous green of the cover.  I've never seen another book do that, and I love the effect. 

Now about the story ... again, it was just ok.  I still like the twist on werewolf mythology that the book is based on but I don't particularly love any of the characters.  Grace's life is a bit more believable in this book, meaning that her parents finally start paying attention to what's going on under their own roof.  And her reactions were pretty much what I'd expect from someone in her position.  Sam is sweet but a bit too passive for my tastes.  I did like the new dimension that Cole brought into the book, especially as the story played out.  Isabel is perhaps my favorite character, simply because she seems to be the most complex.

If there are more books in the series (does anyone know the author's plans on this?) I'll read them, but I won't be rushing to get them as soon as they're available.


*** Your Thoughts ***

For not really liking YA, I've been on a bit of a YA kick lately.  Here's what I've read relatively recently: the Twilight books, The Hunger Games (book 1), Shiver, and Linger.  I still want to check out GRACELING, but I think that's the last of this genre I'll be picking up for quite some time.  Of those books, which is your favorite?  Why?