Review: Nimona

4 Comments

NimonaNoelle Stevenson, Nimona

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren’t the heroes everyone thinks they are.

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona’s powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit. (Summary from Amazon.com.)

I don’t read a lot of graphic novels but had heard great things about Nimona, so I decided to give it a try. Overall, I really enjoyed it! The artwork is very appealing, and because Nimona is a shapeshifter, it makes sense that the story would be told in this format. I also personally loved the character of Ballister Blackheart, supposed supervillain, who actually has a conscience and some well-founded suspicions about the Institution. The turns of the plot are rather predictable, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially with this type of story. I also found Nimona to be an interesting and complex character; she does some truly awful things in the course of the story, but she’s given enough depth and humanity that she remains sympathetic. Overall, I would definitely recommend this for graphic novel fans or for people who are interested in exploring the genre.

Review: Neanderthal Seeks Human

2 Comments

Neanderthal Seeks HumanPenny Reid, Neanderthal Seeks Human

There are three things you need to know about Janie Morris: 1) She is incapable of engaging in a conversation without volunteering TMTI (Too Much Trivial Information), especially when she is unnerved, 2) No one unnerves her more than Quinn Sullivan, and 3) She doesn’t know how to knit.

After losing her boyfriend, apartment, and job in the same day, Janie Morris can’t help wondering what new torment fate has in store. To her utter mortification, Quinn Sullivan- aka Sir McHotpants- witnesses it all then keeps turning up like a pair of shoes you lust after but can’t afford. The last thing she expects is for Quinn- the focus of her slightly, albeit harmless, stalkerish tendencies- to make her an offer she can’t refuse. (Summary from Amazon.com.)

I downloaded this e-book for free, and honestly, that’s the only good thing I can say about it. I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a heroine whom I’ve despised more than Janie Morris. The novel would have you believe that Janie is very book-smart, although her nerves get the best of her in social situations. In fact, however, there is absolutely no evidence of her alleged intelligence, and her “nervousness” is so over-the-top as to be completely ridiculous. She literally cannot form complete sentences when speaking to a man she finds attractive. She also somehow fails to notice that her crush Quinn, whom she believes is a lowly security guard, is actually the owner of the company where she works. The reader, of course, has noticed it by approximately chapter two. The book’s writing style is fairly awful as well, complete with one of the most cringe-inducing sex scenes I’ve ever encountered. I can’t even remember the main conflict of the book, to be honest…all my attention was given to my utter hatred of Janie. Like I said, the book was free, but I still wish I could get those hours of my life back.

Bout of Books 15 Progress

2 Comments
Bout of Books

I’m so excited to be participating in another round of Bout of Books! Throughout the week, I’ll be updating this post with my progress and with my entries for the various mini-challenges. As I mentioned in my sign-up post, my overall goal is to read 1,000 pages during the read-a-thon.

Day 1: Monday 1/4

Pages read: 19 — not the world’s greatest start, but it’s better than nothing!
Books read from: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Challenge: Introduce Yourself in Six Words, hosted by Bout of Books. My six words are: Catholic, introvert, Janeite, musician, cheerful, procrastinator.

Day 2: Tuesday 1/5

Pages read: 36 — that’s progress, I guess! 🙂
Books read from: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy; The Seamstress by Frances de Pontes Peebles
Challenge: Would You Rather, hosted by Writing My Own Fairytale. She asks, would you rather…

  • Lend books to someone who dog-ears pages or to someone who reads with cheesy Cheetos fingers? I’m going with dog-ears, because you can more easily unfold a dog-ear than remove a Cheetos stain! (Says the girl who regularly eats cheese-flavored snacks while reading!)
  • Be able to meet one character of your choice or meet one author of your choice? Hmm, I think author. Tempting as it would be to meet Mr. Darcy, I’d rather meet Jane Austen! It’s her brain that created him, after all.
  • Never be allowed in a book store again or never be allowed in a library again? Hmm…I feel like I should say bookstore, because then I could still go to the library and buy all my books from Amazon. But the truth is, I can’t even imagine never going into a bookstore again! So I’m saying library.
  • Have to choose one of your favorite characters to die in their book or have to pick one of your favorite couples to break up in their book? Ugh, neither! But I suppose if I have to choose, I’d say break up. They can always get back together in the sequel…while there’s life, there’s hope!
  • Be required to read Twilight once a year for the rest of your life or The Scarlet Letter once a year for the rest of your life? The Scarlet Letter. It’s not my favorite classic, but it’s really not so bad! And, bonus — it’s shorter than Twilight!

Day 3: Wednesday 1/6

Pages read: 44 — bringing me to a grand total of 99 pages, or 9.9% of my overall goal. What can I say? I haven’t had much reading time this week, and while both of my books are good, neither one is totally grabbing me right now.
Books read from: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy; The Seamstress by Frances de Pontes Peebles
Challenge: Bookish Rainbow, hosted by Ranty Runt of a Reader. My official challenge entry is on Twitter, but I couldn’t resist sharing my rainbow here as well!

book rainbow

Day 4: Thursday 1/7

Pages read: 54, bringing me to 153 pages total. Still plugging away!
Books read from: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy; The Seamstress by Frances de Pontes Peebles
Challenge: Villain Mashup, hosted by Bingeing On Books. Hear me out, but I’d like to see a battle of wits between Don John from Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and Acheron Hades from Jasper Fforde’s The Eyre Affair. Both of these characters appear to be villainous for no particular reason; they just both really like evil for its own sake. But Don John is very logical and methodical in plotting to screw over his brother, whereas Acheron Hades is more chaotic (i.e., he basically just runs around kidnapping and murdering people). I’d be interested to see these two villains match wits, and I’m honestly not sure who would win!

Day 5: Friday 1/8

Pages read: 0
Books read from: N/A
Challenge: N/A

So, life happened and I actually didn’t read anything today! But I’m definitely planning on some quality reading time this weekend…although I think it’s obvious at this point that I won’t hit my 1,000-page goal! *blush*

Day 6: Saturday 1/9

Pages read: 73
Books read from: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy; The Seamstress by Frances de Pontes Peebles
Challenge: Comfy Reading Spot, hosted by Once Upon a Chapter. My spot is pretty boring…it’s just my couch. Sometimes there’s a blanket. I usually have a glass of water on the neighboring bookshelf, so it’s within easy reach. Super exciting, right? 🙂

comfy reading spot

Day 7: Sunday 1/10

Pages read: 0
Books read from: N/A
Challenge: none

Review: Coventry

Leave a comment

CoventryHelen Humphreys, Coventry

On the evening of November 14, 1940, Harriet Marsh stands on the roof of the historic Coventry cathedral and marvels at the frost glittering beneath a full moon. But it is a bomber’s moon, and the Luftwaffe is coming to unleash destruction on the city. For Harriet; for the young fire watcher, Jeremy, standing beside her; and for his artist mother, Maeve, hiding in a cellar, this single night of horror will resonate for the rest of their lives. Coventry is a testament to the power of the human spirit, an honest and ultimately uplifting account of heartache transformed into compassion and love. (Summary from Amazon.com.)

Many World War II novels are sprawling epics that reflect the enormity of the tragedy, death, and suffering caused by the war. By contrast, this is a lovely little book that focuses on one specific event, the bombing of Coventry in 1940, and on three people whom the bombing affects in various ways. Harriet is the most fleshed-out (and therefore most sympathetic) character, but I was interested in all three stories and how they intersect. The novel is very understated in its description of the fear and pain the characters experience, which makes these emotions seem all the more vivid and raw. I was reminded of a quote by a musician I like: “Sometimes a sketch says more than a mural” (Grant-Lee Phillips on his album Ladies’ Love Oracle). This book is a sketch, but an effective one. I’d definitely recommend it to fans of World War II novels or historical fiction in general.

Review: First Impressions

Leave a comment

First ImpressionsCharlie Lovett, First Impressions

Book lover and Austen enthusiast Sophie Collingwood has recently taken a job at an antiquarian bookshop in London when two different customers request a copy of the same obscure book: the second edition of A Little Book of Allegories by Richard Mansfield. Their queries draw Sophie into a mystery that will cast doubt on the true authorship of Pride and Prejudice—and ultimately threaten Sophie’s life.

In a dual narrative that alternates between Sophie’s quest to uncover the truth—while choosing between two suitors—and a young Jane Austen’s touching friendship with the aging cleric Richard Mansfield, Lovett weaves a romantic, suspenseful, and utterly compelling novel about love in all its forms and the joys of a life lived in books. (Summary from Amazon.com.)

I should have known better than to pick this one up. My love of Jane Austen means that I’ve read a lot of the retellings, re-imaginings, and spinoffs of her novels, and most of them have ranged from “meh” to truly awful. So I should have known that I’d dislike this book, and indeed, the writing style had turned me off by the end of the first chapter. The author unwisely makes Jane Austen a character and tries to imitate her voice, with disastrous results.

Further, the entire “past” storyline had essentially no stakes, being nothing more than an account of the friendship between Austen and an elderly clergyman. In the “present” storyline, book lover Sophie Collingwood comes across said clergyman’s name in connection with Austen and investigates a possible plagiarism scandal. Because of course Austen lovers want to read books suggesting that she didn’t actually create her own work!

Anyway, Sophie is an utter ninny caught between a Darcy and a Wickham, although they’re pretty equally insufferable! The Wickham (whose name I can’t actually remember) is supposed to be skeevy, of course, but the Darcy also exhibits some major stalker vibes. Therefore, I didn’t buy the love triangle or enjoy the romance. So for me, the book failed on basically every front. Maybe I’m being too harsh; I’d read some positive reviews of the novel, and possibly my expectations were too high. But unfortunately, this book is in my “bottom 10” for the year.

Review: Sorcerer to the Crown

9 Comments

Sorcerer to the CrownZen Cho, Sorcerer to the Crown

The Royal Society of Unnatural Philosophers, one of the most respected organizations throughout all of England, has long been tasked with maintaining magic within His Majesty’s lands. But lately, the once proper institute has fallen into disgrace, naming an altogether unsuitable gentleman—a freed slave who doesn’t even have a familiar—as their Sorcerer Royal, and allowing England’s once profuse stores of magic to slowly bleed dry. At least they haven’t stooped so low as to allow women to practice what is obviously a man’s profession…

At his wit’s end, Zacharias Wythe, Sorcerer Royal of the Unnatural Philosophers and eminently proficient magician, ventures to the border of Fairyland to discover why England’s magical stocks are drying up. But when his adventure brings him in contact with a most unusual comrade, a woman with immense power and an unfathomable gift, he sets on a path which will alter the nature of sorcery in all of Britain—and the world at large… (Summary from Amazon.com.)

This book ticks so many of my boxes — Regency England! Magic! Georgette Heyer comparisons! — that I knew it would be right up my alley. And my high expectations were completely justified: this is definitely one of my favorite books of the year! Zacharias is an immediately sympathetic character, his African descent automatically making him an outsider despite his theoretical position of authority. The other protagonist, Prunella, is equally appealing. She is headstrong and warmhearted, while Zacharias can be cold and reserved, so they make an excellent team. My gold standard for historical fantasy novels is Sorcery and Cecelia by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer, and Sorcerer to the Crown is very much in that tradition. I must say that the marketing for this book is terrible; the cover design implies a very different sort of novel, and the quote comparing it to “a cross between Georgette Heyer and Susanna Clarke” is completely inaccurate. It’s much more Heyer than Clarke, so if you’re expecting something similar to Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, you’ll be disappointed. But I loved the book and am thrilled that there will be at least one sequel!

Review: The Gabriel Hounds

2 Comments

Gabriel Hounds, TheMary Stewart, The Gabriel Hounds

It’s all a grand adventure when Christy Mansel unexpectedly runs into her cousin Charles in Damascus. And being young, rich, impetuous, and used to doing whatever they please, they decide to barge in uninvited on their eccentric Great-Aunt Harriet—despite a long-standing family rule strictly forbidding unannounced visits. A strange new world awaits Charles and Christy beyond the gates of Dar Ibrahim—”Lady Harriet’s” ancient, crumbling palace in High Lebanon—where a physician is always in residence and a handful of Arab servants attends to the odd old woman’s every need.

But there is a very good—very sinister—reason why guests are not welcome at Dar Ibrahim. And the young cousins are about to discover that, as difficult as it is to break into the dark, imposing edifice, it may prove even harder still to escape… (Summary from Amazon.com.)

I always enjoy Mary Stewart’s novels of romantic suspense, and The Gabriel Hounds is no exception. I liked Christy’s lively and slightly self-absorbed nature; she seemed real and relatable, if not always admirable. But the Amazon summary makes her sound a lot more irritating and privileged than she is! And the novel is great at creating a subtly sinister atmosphere once Christy enters Dar Ibrahim. The place seems to be nothing more than an old, run-down estate, and its inhabitants all treat Christy kindly, at least at first. Yet the book manages to convey an escalating sense of menace until Christy, with Charles’ help, must flee for her life. The novel’s central mystery, which involves drug trafficking, is both amusingly dated and surprisingly relevant today. I enjoyed the romance and the exotic setting as well, both hallmarks of Mary Stewart’s writing style. This book doesn’t rank among my favorites by Stewart, but it’s still a very solid read if you like the author or old-fashioned novels of romantic suspense.

Vintage Mystery Bingo Wrap-up

2 Comments

Vintage Challenge 2015Since 2015 is now behind us, it’s time to say goodbye to the 2015 Vintage Mystery Bingo challenge at My Reader’s Block. I completed my goal of one straight-line Bingo by filling in the L column with the following books:

  1. Book set in the entertainment world -> FREE SPACE -> Book set in England/U.S.: Dorothy L. Sayers, The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (set in London)
  2. Book made into a movie/TV show: John Buchan, The Thirty-Nine Steps (most famously adapted by Alfred Hitchcock in 1935)
  3. Book with an amateur detective: Dorothy L. Sayers, Unnatural Death (featuring aristocratic sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey)
  4. Man in the title: E.C. Bentley, Trent’s Last Case (protagonist is Philip Trent)
  5. Academic mystery: T.H. White, Darkness at Pemberley (first section of the book involves a locked-room murder at Cambridge)
  6. Involves a mode of transportation: Mavis Doriel Hay, Murder Underground (victim is strangled in a London Underground station)

And for a little bonus, I also read Cyril Hare’s An English Murder, which fits nicely in the “country house mystery” square.

Vintage Golden Card 2015

As always, this was a really fun challenge for me. I think the Sayers books and Trent’s Last Case were my favorite reads, but I didn’t really have any clunkers. If you participated in this challenge, did you read any of the same books? What were your favorite reads of the challenge?

Review: Six of Crows

7 Comments

Six of CrowsLeigh Bardugo, Six of Crows

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price–and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone…

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction―if they don’t kill each other first. (Summary from Amazon.com.)

I wasn’t totally enamored with Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha trilogy when I read it earlier this year, but I liked the writing style and world-building enough to try Six of Crows, which is set in the same world as the Grisha books but in a new country and with new characters. And I’m very glad I gave it a chance, because I found this book to be a vast improvement on the Grisha trilogy! First of all, I really liked the multiple POVs; each of the six members of Kaz’s crew is given a chance to tell his or her own story, which means I legitimately cared about all of them. I don’t even know that I could pick a favorite, since all six are so fleshed-out and have such compelling backstories. The heist plot was a lot of fun and had appropriately high stakes — not to mention the requisite detours and double-crosses along the way! And of course, there are multiple romances to root for…I can’t decide whether I’m more invested in Matthias and Nina or Kaz and Inej. 🙂 Overall, I’d definitely recommend this book if you like dark fantasy and/or a good heist story.

Review: A Proper Companion

Leave a comment

Proper Companion, ACandice Hern, A Proper Companion

Robert, Lord Bradleigh, is a rakish earl with a recently arranged betrothal to a lovely young girl he barely knows. Emily Townsend is an impoverished spinster employed as a companion to his grandmother, the formidable dowager countess. Robert agrees to help his grandmother find a husband for the beautiful Emily. But once he comes to know the charms of his grandmother’s companion, he begins to regret his hasty engagement.

This sparkling tale will take you from the Pump Room at Bath to the ballrooms of London as the unexpected and undeniable attraction between Robert and Emily blossoms into something more … something that could put one of them in danger. (Summary from Amazon.com.)

I’m going to be honest: I read this book about two months ago, and I truly don’t remember a thing about the plot. I think maybe Emily had another suitor who turned out to be evil in some way, but I’m not sure. And maybe Robert’s fiancĂ©e ended up falling in love with someone else? Like I said, the details have completely gone out of my head. So, obviously, this was not a particularly great read for me…but it wasn’t particularly awful either, or I would have remembered it! From what little I recall, the writing style was fine but not great; but after all, only a few authors can flawlessly imitate that Regency voice. I’m sure I did enjoy the book while I was reading it, because I remember looking up the sequels on Amazon (although I didn’t actually purchase them). I suppose lovers of non-bodice-ripping Regency romances would enjoy this book, but I can’t really recommend something that I can’t remember!