$6, 2.5 bags, 43 books

Posted on April 17, 2012 by

This weekend, one of the local library systems had a really big book sale. For someone who loves books as much as I do, I realized I haven’t ever been to a book sale before.

I have just finished the first draft of my thesis so the really hard work is done and I have time to read for fun again. I need some books

Sunday, the last day of the sale, featured the $3 bag sale: All the books you could fit into a grocery store paper bag. Plus, they were giving out a bonus smaller plastic bag. Apparently, the library needed to get rid of the books!

While books were loosely separated into categories, there was no real order (certainly not by author). At first, I wasn’t sure how I would find anything I wanted to read. I drifted to the mystery section and began scanning. Noting was familiar to me. Then I had an epiphany. I spent $3 on the bag. If it filled it, even if all of the books were terrible I only spent $3 on the entire bag. This is the time to try something I wouldn’t normally gravitate to.

So how did I pick my collection? Well, I am a graphic designer. Did the title and spine design grab my attention? Okay, how’s the cover? Nice. Well, let’s skim the synopsis (and I mean skim). Sounds not too bad or too cliché. In the BAG!

All total I spent $6 on 43 books. That is 14 cents a book. Nice!

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Linking to Goodreads now

Posted on January 29, 2012 by

You might have noticed that I changed the “Find this book” link from Amazon to Goodreads. I like to link to the book so you can easily find it, but I’ve always been hesitant linking to Amazon. I do shop at Amazon—who doesn’t—but I prefer to shop at other stores/sites. I also think you probably shop somewhere else as well.

I personally own a Nook and any ebooks I buy are usually from Barnes & Noble. Why would I want to keep sending you to the competition? :)  Also, Amazon has recently decided to be a big jerk about allowing Goodreads to link to their book information (publisher, page, etc). Now Goodreads isn’t able to link to that information any more. Why? Is Goodreads stealing their business? Oh, wait, they don’t sell books, just link you to books.

I like linking to Goodreads. It’s a great site and doesn’t push purchasing from any one vendor while still giving you the info you need about a book or author. If you don’t already have an account there and you like to read, I would suggest it.

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‘Explosive Eighteen’

Posted on January 26, 2012 by

By: Janet Evanovich
Year: 2011
Genre: Mystery

Find this book on Goodreads

Ah, Stephanie Plum is back. I’ve read all 18 books so far. My last review wasn’t so great (somehow I didn’t bother to review books 16 and 17. Don’t worry, you didn’t miss much). After book 17, I was sure that Stephanie was finally going to pick Morelli or Ranger. It seemed within reach. Things were going to get resolved. The major story would move forward.

Yeah, not so much.

I truly believe Evanovich is becoming tired of writing the Stephanie Plum books. Her checklist? Still here. This book is very rote: Stephanie gets caught up in some weird situation involving a photograph where people are trying to kill her to get it (she threw it away). She tries to capture bail jumpers with limited success (though more confidence and ability than she has shown in the past). Lula is sassy in too tight clothes and is always eating. Ranger and Morelli are sexy. Stephanie looses a car. Grandma Mazure pulls a gun. They’re at a funeral… blah blah blah.

Same plot.

But there is a crack to the veneer in this book.

Several times Stephanie’s inner monologue asks why she is doing the same thing over and over again when it has never worked (kicking in a door). I get the sense that she is tired of the same-old same-old. She finally admits that she isn’t the best at her job, but she is starting to show some skill. She carries her gun in her purse and utilizes the people and things she has at her disposal. She admits things need to change between her and Ranger and Morelli. Stephanie needs to make a life change.

I’ve read some reviews by people upset at the unchangingness of the series who have put forth the idea that maybe Evanovich is going to end at book 20 and just has to eek through, that Stephanie’s story is almost done. I hope so. These books are such a waste of Evanovich’s talent. Her new series “The Unmentionables” was everything I love about Evanovich. It’s sharp, fast-moving and, most of all, fresh. I think Stephanie has hit the end of her rope. Her story has been told. It’s sad to give up a comfortable character, but Stephanie Plum is way past her expiration date. I think even Stephanie knows that.

My rating: 3 out of 5

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‘Maze Runner’

Posted on January 10, 2012 by

By: James Dashner
Year: 2009
Genre: Young Adult, Sci Fi

Find this book at Goodreads

I really think I’m going to be banned from my book club. When other members rave about books, I find I don’t usually like them. This was one of those books.

This was a terrible book. I consider myself well-versed in young adult, science fiction, post-apocalyptic, dystopian writing. Sometimes it’s very good (“Hunger Games”) and sometimes it’s not (“Forest of Hands and Teeth“). This was, in my opinion, not.

A boy shows up in a village of all boys. He knows his name. Dashner constantly reminds us that Thomas knows stuff but doesn’t remember a thing. The boys in the village have to run a maze. But they don’t know why. At night, there are creatures in the maze that will kill them. If they boys don’t follow the rules, they will be sent into the maze at night and die. Over the two years they can remember being stuck in the maze, not one of these kids figured anything out. Ah, but our hero “feels” stuff and seems to be singularly prepared to solve what no one else can. And I won’t give anything away, but I think the end was a cheat.

Why didn’t I like this book?

The story is not well written. The writing was terrible. When I am constantly pulled out of the story to acknowledge how bad the writing is, the editor didn’t do his or her job.

The story is not original. OK, I’ll give you that a lot of science fiction is based on other science fiction. But this was such a poor copy of books like “Lord of the Flies” and movies like “The Matrix” that I couldn’t get past how unoriginal it was. It’s like the author had a check list and just filled in the blanks. Every single cliché you can think of for young adult (aimed at boys) books are here. Angsty hero who magically has all the answers AND skills needed to save the world? Check. Turncoat? Check. Some great mystery that only our hero can solve because everyone else is too stupid? Check. Hero has an unfair advantage because he already “knows” something? Check. Looking for a powerful, well-written dystopian young adult book? Read “Hunger Games.”

The characters aren’t compelling. I just didn’t care. These kids didn’t know who they were. Boo hoo. I didn’t like any of them. I didn’t find any characters with redeeming qualities. The main character was probably written to be a strong hero for young, male readers to look up to. I thought he was self-centered. He was inserted into the story as a catalyst. He was the only one who could save the day.

There are two more books in this series. Not sure I will ever read them.

My rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

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‘Heat Rises”

Posted on January 3, 2012 by

By: Richard Castle
Year: 2011
Genre: Mystery

Find this book at Goodreads

Ah. How does one describe something as silly and wonderful as a Richard Castle book? Because, you see, Richard Castle doesn’t exist. It’s not a nom de plume for a famous author. Richard Castle is a character on a TV show who is a writer. The actor’s image is used for that of the author. The characters from the TV show are thanked in the acknowledgements. And it’s so silly and fun I can’t put them down!

The plot is fairly simple: Nikki Heat is lead detective on a murder where she finds herself blocked at every step…by her mentor and captain. Soon, she is stripped of her badge and she and journalist/lover Jamison Rook have to solve the murder on their own. Because, of course, the only person who can really solve the case is Heat. The entire NYPD does not have a single cop able to solve this case. She is that good.

Maybe it sounds like I am putting this book down. I promise, I’m not.

As far as mysteries go, this is a very standard book. All of the Nikki Heat books have been. I bet right now, without even trying, you are mapping out the plot “twists and turns” in your head. And I bet that you are almost 100 percent correct (so, what, 97 percent?).

As far as writing, this book is pretty boilerplate. The writing isn’t exceptional. It isn’t terrible. I didn’t get hung up on weird language or sentence structure or strange plot twists. It was an easy read. Something that you would take on the beach with you (except, well, it’s the middle of winter).

This is just a fun book. Even more fun, I think, if you’re a fan of the television show (and if you’re a fan of actor Nathan Fillion, who plays Castle on the show, you’re in for a nice in-joke call out. Of which I took a picture of. And then somehow deleted. *sigh*).

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

(Higher than the first book because I really needed a pick-me-up when I got this from the library. The happiness factor knocked it up a notch!)

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Spam-a-lot

Posted on December 5, 2011 by

So I’ve had to lock down commenting on the blog. You now have to be logged in to comment. I know it’s a pain to do that, but I have been getting inundated with spam (and not very creative spam), especially today. Right now, I just don’t have time to keep working through the spam. I will look for other options (something in the middle) soon… but right now I have to get through finals and Christmas. Please bear with me.

Book review coming soon (Teaser: Castle!).

Happy holidays!

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Books on film

Posted on November 20, 2011 by

So I’ve been in a book slump lately. My lovely Nook is sitting on the table unread. A stack of books I picked up from the Border’s bookstore closing is sitting, collecting dust. It’s not that I haven’t been reading. I just haven’t been reading anything I’m passionate about. For school, I’ve been reading a Christian history book. As far as readable history books go, it’s okay. But it is in dire need of a good editor and an even better layout artist (as a graphic designer, I am a total snob about that kind of thing).

I’ve also joined a book club. It’s been a lot of fun, but the book we’re reading for this meeting isn’t my cup of tea. It’s historical fiction, a genre I just really don’t enjoy. The book itself, “Loving Frank” is very well written and the author is a very good story teller. When I eventually do finish the book, I will rate it high at GoodReads. But I’m just not excited about it. I don’t find myself excited to pick it up and I don’t really care about what happens to anyone in the book.

With this general book malaise going on, it was with cheerful glee that I recently found movie trailers for two books that I love.

Hunger Games.

I haven’t reviewed this on the site but this is the best book (and series) I have found in a long time. I was wary about the movie (not loving many of the casting choices). So far, this trailer has made me very happy. March can’t come soon enough!

One for the Money.

As of late, the Stephanie Plum books have been a huge disappointment. But the first books in the series were awesome. Not high literature by any means, but fun, silly reads. When I hear they were making a movie of the first book and it was featuring Katherine Heigl… I had mixed feelings. This movie trailer gives me high hopes. And the casting of Debbie Reynolds as Grandma Mazure? Better than anything I had envisioned myself.

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Everyone’s a critic

Posted on September 28, 2011 by

I have a dark and dirty secret: I hate Jane Austen.

I’ve tried several times to read “Pride and Prejudice” but the people in that book simply drive me crazy. I wanted to slap them every time I tried to read the book. So I thought I would try “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” (since I love zombies!) to see if I could see a little of what my friends loved about the book. Instead, I found myself skipping the “Pride and Prejudice” parts to find the “and Zombies” parts (and desperately hoping the zombies would eat everyone…they didn’t).

It was with great joy that I read this quote today,

Every time I read ‘Pride and Prejudice,’ I want to dig her up and hit her over the skull with her own shin-bone.

And who was this man-after-my-own-heart critic? Why, Mark Twain. I think I love him even more.

Apparently, writers can be pretty nasty critics.

What did Noel Coward think of Oliver Wilde?

Am reading more of Oscar Wilde. What a tiresome, affected sod

Certainly “Paradise Lost” must be beloved, right? Wrong.

‘Paradise Lost’ is one of the books which the reader admires and lays down, and forgets to take up again. None ever wished it longer than it is.

Find more of these Author vs. author quips at “The 50 best author vs. author put-downs of all time”  at examiner.com and “Worst Book Reviews” at Barnes & Noble’s site.

Do you have any literary dirty secrets of your own?

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Welcome to the new digs!

Posted on September 22, 2011 by

Welcome to the new blog. We’re adding the finishing touches to our new home so feel free to take a look at old posts while we finish up.

I’m also excited to add a new blogger. Kelsey will be blogging soon. She is a great writer, funny person and she loves reading and TV almost as much as I do. Her posts might not come right away as she is currently waiting for the birth of her first little one. We wish her well and can’t wait for her voice on the site.

Most of the posts and comments from the old place have been moved here, so enjoy!

—Jenni

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Why the Jedi library is the worst in the galaxy

Posted on January 5, 2011 by

I love it when two things I love—in this case librarians and Star Wars—collide in a totally unexpected manner. A librarian with a blog took it upon himself to do a little research into the Jedi library (“Jedi Archives on Coruscant”) and was critical of what he found. The Jedi library is not user-friendly and the librarian is considered “the worst librarian in the galaxy.” No wonder Anakin eventually kills her in one of the video games!

Learn a more about why the Jedi Archives on Coruscant are probably empty with this blog post at Libreaction.

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