Prophecy - Elizabeth Haydon

Finally finished this one.  I've been incredibly distracted lately, so makes for a very unfocused book-whore.  But, I seem to be back on track, as I picked up Ender's Game yesterday and am already halfway through.  So, it was a good choice.






Nothing much to report about Prophecy other than that it was quite good.  I could rave about the same things I raved about for Rhapsody, but that would be plain silly of me.  I'm excited to continue the series.

Running hasn't been going too well.  I'm running inside (which I detest) and I don't dare touch the heater because my brother is a bit picky over it.  In other news, I've found an apartment I like and will be going to see it when I start the new job in March. 

Rhapsody

I read Rhapsody many years ago.  It's the first in what began as a trilogy, which turned into a six part saga--one that I never finished.  So, the goal was to have this stack of library books read before they are due at the end of the month.  I don't see that happening...  I'll just have to renew some.  Well, most.

So, the book.  I love Haydon's writing style.  She is descriptive without being overly wordy.  Her dialogue flows well and is realistic.  If I am not mistaken, Rhapsody is her first novel--and I think it's quite an impressive novel.  It's certainly stuck with me since I read it way back when it was first published.  I was roughly fifteen or sixteen when I read it, and I've always loved the character Rhapsody.  She is one of my favourite heroines. 

Easily sidetracked...  I was on the dialogue.  The characters exchange banter, making them more realistic, instead of the atypical lofty language that tends to be present in fantasy novels.  I also like the characters' flaws, both physical and psychological.  Again, serving to make them more realistic and giving the reader the ability to actually relate, instead of having this beautiful, perfect damsel--you've got Rhapsody.  She's is beautiful, but she has no idea, and seems to think she is quite the opposite.  Definitely a trait a large amount of women are guilty of (raises hand).  She is class conscious, though she believes in equality.  I just find it so refreshing, even on the second read through, that Haydon gives Rhapsody such real perspective and personality.  I have never been fond of the larger than life heroes and heroines--I've been reading science fiction, fantasy and horror novels since I was a little girl.  The books I love the most are the ones with characters who are faulty, realistic and have a firm grasp on the fact that they are not entitled or guaranteed to win just because they are "good."

Hopefully, I'll finish the next book in the series this weekend and work out another post.

2012 Books

1. Robert Jordan - A Crown of Swords
2. Tina Fey - Bossypants
3. Elizabeth C. Mock - Shatter
4. Elizabeth C. Mock - Render
5. Kim Harrison - A Pure Blood
6. Jim Butcher - Fool Moon
7. Jim Butcher - Grave Peril
8. Jim Butcher - Summer Knight
9. Jim Butcher - Death Masks
10. Jim Butcher - Blood Rites
11. Stephen King - Thinner
12. Jason Tesar - The Awakened, Book 1
13. Robert Jordan - The Path of Daggers
14. Jason Tesar - The Awakened, Book 2
15. Jason Tesar - The Awakened - Book 3
16. Robert Jordan - Winter's Heart
17. Suzanne Collins - Hunger Games
18. Suzanne Collins - Catching Fire
19. Suzanne Collins - Mockingjay
20. Lois Lowry - The Giver -
21. Lois Lowry - Gathering Blue
22. Lois Lowry - Messenger
23. Gena Showalter - The Darkest Whisper
24. Margaret Atwood - The Handmaid's Tale
25. Kazuo Ishiguro - Never Let Me Go
26. E.L. James - 50 Shades of Grey
27. E.L. James - 50 Shades Darker
28. E.L. James - 50 Shades Freed
29. Charlotte Bronte - Jane Eyre
30. Robin McKinley - The Hero and the Crown
31. Amy Tan - The Bonesetter's Daughter
32. Rick Riordan - The Lightning Thief
33. R.A. Salvatore - The Crystal Shard
34. R.A. Salvatore - Streams of Silver
35. Madeleine L'Engle - A Wrinkle In Time
36. J.V. Jones - A Cavern of Black Ice
37. Ian McEwan - Amsterdam
38. Patricia Briggs - Moon Called
39. Eckhart Tolle - A New Earth
40. Patricia Briggs - Blood Bound 
41. Patricia Briggs - Iron Kissed 
42. Patricia Briggs - Bone Crossed 
43. Patricia Briggs - Silver Borne
44. Jeff Lindsay - Darkly Dreaming Dexter
45. Jeff Lindsay - Dearly Devoted Dexter 
46. Patricia Briggs - River Marked 
47. R.A. Salvatore - The Halfling's Gem 
48. R.A. Salvatore - The Legacy
49. Elizabeth Haydon - Rhapsody

Sadly, I didn't make it to fifty.  But, since the world didn't end, I shall use the opportunity of another year to read my way through my gigantic list of books (and quite a pile that has amassed in my bedroom).

The Halfling's Gem/The Legacy - R.A. Salvatore

I'm so very angry!!  Damn you, R.A. Salvatore!!  I'm not going to say why I'm angry, due to spoiling an ending, but seriously man? 

Also, I'm a little angry because I'd like to get the next book, which I have no access to.  Well, I could buy it at work.  But, that sort of defeats the purpose of having a job.  Working in a bookstore is so dangerous for me, but I love it.

So, the books!  My word, I am liking the way the story is going (for the most part).  I can never get enough of the fight scenes in Salvatore's books.  They are amazing and masterful, and I only hope that one day I can paint such an amazing scene with words.  He does such a great job of spinning out the action and communicating the movement of every character during a battle.  You never have to sit and think, "wait, wait, what just happened?"  I love that about Salvatore.  I cannot stand reading a book and wondering what the hell is going on during a large amount of action.  Gah!  I don't know what else to say without giving anything away.

Read them. 

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.