River Marked - Patricia Briggs

I enjoyed this one far more than the last Mercy Thompson book.  Briggs did an amazing job fleshing out Mercy and Adam as characters and giving a nice depth to their relationship beyond what they've previously had in the rest of the series.  I like the fact that there isn't a dive into adding more of a bodice ripper type facet into the series--I didn't like it when the Rachel Morgan series veered that way.  The dynamic between Mercy and Adam is great--he's this old fashioned gentleman type who's been modernized and faced with a boat load of change.  I mean, you have to give the guy his due--gets changed into a werewolf during a war where there were lots of veterans with psychological problems afterwards, then turns out to be superhuman and has to face changing eras, technologies, and hem lengths.  He's perfect--I know, I know, I'm doing that thing I do where I fall for fictional characters.  I've got a list of them going.

The fae mythology aspect is super appealing, and the addition of the Native American mythology is great--Briggs does such an amazing job meshing it all together without getting overly specific or delving too deeply into which myth is right or wrong.  I enjoyed Coyote immensely--his humor, irreverence and sarcasm tickled me.

All in all, another good read.  I'm now looking forward to the next book in the series!

2013 Reading

I've been thinking hard about how I'm going to challenge myself in the reading department over the next year.  I've always wanted to be that girl who is well read.  Not really an important quality, and doesn't really get me much, but I like my books.  I like my words.  And reading makes me happy. 

Now, I'd been thinking I'd do the Rory Gilmore reading list (I've been watching Gilmore Girls a lot lately), and it is a long and difficult list.  I've previously read something around fifty of the titles on the list of two hundred plus.  But, I'm thinking of modifying it to something else--I'd actually like to spend my reading time over the next year hitting all those must read books I've missed.  It is a bit strange to me that I missed reading The Giver until I was twenty eight years old.  And I've never read Catch-22 or Catcher in the Rye.  I've never read anything by Vonnegut.  So, over this last part of 2012, I'm putting together a list of books I hope to read during next year...  And yes, I am hopeless--said list will include hitting Pride & Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Persuasion and Picture of Dorian Gray for yet another re-read.  I just cannot help myself.



I've never known any trouble that an hour's reading didn't assuage. -Charles de Secondat

Dearly Devoted Dexter

Okay, reading a series after watching the TV version...  Never, ever a good idea.  I think the TV version of book two in the Dexter version was cleaned up in such a way that it really came across as more logical and made Dexter much more likable.  Sadly, I didn't like him as much this time around as I did during the first book.

I'm hoping the rest of the series doesn't disappoint, as the Showtimes version of Dexter is completely awesome.  I know it veers away from the books a bit, but I didn't realize how much until I dived into book two.  We'll see how it shapes up.

Rant - Chuck Palahniuk (DNF)

Sadly, I didn't finish this one.  I tried, I really did.  But, the style threw me off and just didn't grab my attention at all.  It's written in the form of an oral biography, and it..  I just couldn't get sucked into it, hard as I tried.

Which makes me sad, as I love Palahniuk's writing.

Silver Borne

Some miserable buggers from work were coughing and sneezing all over everyone Saturday.  So, yours truly has spent most of the day in bed napping and reading.  I finished Silver Borne in record time--but I think it was also short.  Hard to tell on a Kindle.  Of course, I do read rather quickly.  Silver Borne had a rushed feel to it...  It wasn't as difficult to put down, though it was still relatively good.  I certainly liked the first three or four books better.

I love a good series, really.  It is great to continue a story, and I'm always feeling a little drained after a really good single book.  But, when the story feels rushed or trite, it kind of gets me down.  I just get the vibe that maybe Briggs is more intent on capitalizing on the success of the Mercy Thompson books, rather than telling a genuinely good story.  I started River Crossed earlier, but was a little tired from reading so much in one sitting earlier.  I hope it is just that, and not an urge to give up the series.  Ever since I read Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series, I've always had a hard time with keeping interested in a series--which is another reason why I can't go for very long without completing a series of books.  Goodkind started out really strongly with the characters, the plot line, the tension...  And once he wrapped all the initial plot lines up, he kept going.  And the series just sucked from there.  I felt the same way about the Dante Valentine series--Saintcrow just kept going and I no longer felt vested in the characters.  The only series where I still feel vested in the characters is Wheel of Time.  I'm still willing to finish, even after nine books (out of a total of fourteen), though it was getting tedious.  I really hate leaving a good story unfinished, as if maybe, it isn't done with me yet, instead of the other way around.

That is what a good story does to you.  It takes you in and doesn't spit you back out until it is thoroughly finished with you.  And, maybe not even then, if it's truly good...  When it is truly good, I always end up returning.

Book Haul (5)

Yes, I went to the library.  Again.  But, see, thing is they'll be closed for renovations until the end of January.  And...  That's just dismal.  Great for them, sucktastic for me.  So, I have twenty-six library books.  Plus, I am waiting for a hold on an e-book, since I found out I am missing a Mercy Thompson book.

So, from the library yesterday:





1. Boy's Life, Robert R. McCammon: My brother reminded me that there were several of McCammon's books I hadn't ever touched, so I might as well start going down the list.  He's my favorite horror writer, though that's not saying much, considering I've only read Koontz and King besides him.

2. Symphony of Ages, Elizabeth Haydon - These would be the six books on top of Boy's Life.  I started this series ages and ages ago, when it was just a trilogy.  It grew into a huge cycle of books, with three or four trilogies within it.  I absolutely loved the first three and never got around to finishing the others, as college interfered with reading for pleasure.

3. Chocolat, Joanne Harris - I can't recall if I've read this or not, but I read Five Quarters of the Orange and loved it.  I'm actually pretty certain I've read it, but I can always go back and get a different one later.  I do know that I've never seen the movie <gasp>.

4. Dexter, Jeff Lindsay - I read the first book shortly before the series started on Showtimes and thought it was freaking phenomenal.  The books and the series veer away from each other a bit, though I can't recall exactly where.  Plus, I stopped watching around season three or four and can't remember much of them.  So, I got all of them to finish.  Hopefully they don't keep me up at night like the first season did. 

5. Cider House Rules, John Irving - Okay, so I vowed to never read another John Irving book, but here we are.  I thoroughly hated Hotel New Hampshire.  It was just strange, to say the least.  And it's my understanding that According to Garp is also a bit strange, but I could just be thinking of Hotel New Hampshire.  I HAVE seen this movie, and recall liking it quite a bit, so here's to hoping I like this one.  Someone suggested I read A Cutting For Stone, but, alas I could not find a copy.

6. No Country For Old Men, Cormac McCorthy - Okay, so another author I attempted to read and couldn't do it.  I tried The Road, but his writing style for that one really distracted me, so I never got very far.  I cracked this one open in a few different places to make sure I wouldn't have the same issue, but there is punctuation, thankfully.  Again, I've seen the movie and had no clue until after I'd seen it that it was a book!

7. Dead Beat, Jim Butcher - Ah, another of my fictional loves.  Harry Dresden, if you could be real, that would be super.  Because, I would totally jump your bones.  This is the seventh book in the series.  I would have gotten the rest, but the book after this one was missing.

So, between ebooks from the library and these, I ought to be set for the next two months.  Maybe.  Possibly not, since I foresee finishing the Dexter books in under a week...

Book Haul (4)

Hit up B&N yesterday.  One of my favorite places.  However, I must say that the selection from the poetry section was seriously, seriously lacking.  I'll be hitting up Amazon to reacquire copies of things I got rid of during my many moves or have misplaced.

1. E.E. Cummings, Erotic Poems - I've really missed digging into Cummings.  His style is inspiring, and I've tried to emulate it several times.  I think he is just truly amazing, though I will say this isn't the book to be reading in public, as there are some of his erotic drawings included as well.  An excerpt from a favorite of mine that isn't anywhere near erotic, in my opinion:

(So,when kiss Spring comes
we'll kiss each kiss other on kiss the kiss
lips because tic clocks toc don't make
a toctic difference
to kisskiss you and to
kiss me)

2. Jack Kerouac, On the Road - Holy crap, I have no clue how I've missed reading this, but I did.  I'm pretty excited.

The Golden Key

I couldn't.  I just...  Couldn't.  The Italian sprinkled through out, the crawling plot line. 

How sad.  I'm just going to have to say I pass on anymore Melanie Rawn.  Unless she finishes The Ruins of Ambrai.  Let's hope, but I'm not holding my breath.