Teaser Tuesday - 4/6

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser this week comes from Incarceron by Catherine Fisher.

Here it is: "The metal cage hung high over the chamber and was barely big enough for both of them to squat in.  Books on chains dangled from it, surgical instruments, a swinging cascade of of tin boxes stuff with festering specimens.  It was padded with old mattresses from which wisps of straw fell like an irritating snow onto the cooking fires and stewpots far below." pg. 80

Review - Incarceron by Catherine Fisher (4/5 stars)

I have heard wonderful things about this book and couldn't resist the idea of a vast living labyrinth of a prison. There is a going to be a sequel to the book called "Sapphique" that will be released in December 2010 (it is already released in the UK). This was a very good book, that I kept feeling could have been even better if we had gotten greater depth on the prison itself.

Incarceron is a living prison. Originally designed to be self-sustaining and a paradise for those criminals sent there fore rehabilitation; things have gone wrong over the centuries. Incarceron is now a pit of despair, with inmates only hoping for one thing...escape to the Outside. Finn is a boy born in the cells of Incarceron, supposedly created by the prison itself. Finn, thinks that he can remember the Outside and will stop at nothing to try and find out who he really is. Claudia lives on the Outside and is the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron. She hopes to escape an arranged marriage. Two keys bring the characters together. Finn tries to outwit the prison itself, while Claudia struggles to make sense of layers of intrigue at court.

Fisher has created an incredibly interesting world. The concept of Incareron is interesting, it's been done before, but it is interesting to read about it in more depth. At times it reminded me of the movie The Cube or of The Red Queen in Resident Evil. Incarceron recycles everything and decides the fate of its denizens. I loved some of the scenes in Incarceron, but couldn't help wishing that more adventures had taken place in Incarceron. I felt like Incarceron has a lot of potential as an awesome setting for numerous adventures, but that we barely got to scratch the surface of it in this book.

The book itself switches between Finn and Claudia. I have to say I enjoyed Finn's story in Incarceron much more than Claudia's. Claudia's story takes place in the Outside in a world that still has the technology of the future available but is forbidden to use it because of the Protocol of the current rulers. Because of the Protocol, society is stuck in a medieval-like courtly state. Claudia's story deals mainly with intrigue and trying to outmaneuver both her father and the Queen.

The writing for the story is pretty good, it is easy to read and a good balance of description and action. The characters are okay but characterization wasn't the books strong point. I didn't care about any of the characters all that much. I do have to say that all of the characters were an interesting balance of good and bad, but this didn't make any of them particularly likable. The strong point of this book is really the creativity of the setting and the world.

I just couldn't help feeling like this could have been an absolutely amazing read if we had spent more time in Incarceron and less time with Claudia. I also felt like the book should have been longer and dealt with more things in detail; like how the Protocol was put into place and how the Masters got their standing. These things are discussed briefly but could be so much more interesting and add so much to the story. At times I also felt like this would have made a much better adult novel. There are many atrocities in Incarceron but in general they are dumbed down to make it safe for younger readers. I just think that this concept would have been wonderful in full detail as an adult novel...it was almost like too much had to be glossed over to make it PG.

Overall a great read and I will probably read the sequel. I just wish the idea had been filled out a bit more, because it is a fascinating idea and world. Maybe Fisher can write an adult series about Incarceron in the future.

This book went towards the following reading challenges:

- The Young Adult Reading Challenge

- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge
- Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge
- 1st in a Series Reading Challenge

Mailbox Monday - 4/5

 Mailbox Monday can be found at: The Printed Page

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. 

Again this week my vow to acquire less books went down the drain.  I feel like at paperbackswap.com I always get a whole bunch of wishes granted over a couple weeks and then nothing for a bit.

Anyway I got the following books through paperbackswap.com: "The Amaranth Enchantment" by Julie Berry, "Monster Hunter International" by Larry Correia, and "Midnight's Daughter" by Karen Chance.

Then I got two more books through the Amazon Vine program.  Those were: "Perchance to Dream" by Lisa Mantchev, and "The Boneshaker" by Kate Milford.

Then I got a couple of books from author Jim Bernheimer.  Those two were "Horror, Humor, and Heroes" and "Dead Eye: Pennies for the Ferryman".  I just finished "Horror, Humor, and Heroes" and really enjoyed it.  It was a fun and well-written collection of short-stories.  Thanks to Jim for sending these out.  I plan to do an interview and giveaway with his books as soon as I finish reading the second one.

Lastly I got two books from the Library: "Succubus Shadows" by Richelle Mead and Incarceron by Catherine Fisher.

Definitely a great bunch of books.   I look forward to reading them all :-)

I should also mention I finally purchased a Kindle.  Soooo....that will be an interesting shift for me.

Hope that you all got great books too and have a great week of reading!

The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry
  
First Sentence: "I sit on a velvet stool at Mama's feet, watching her brush her hair."
From Amazon.com:"When Lucinda Chapdelaine was a small child, her parents left for the royal ball and never returned. Ever since, Lucinda has been stuck in perpetual servitude at her evil aunt’s jewelry store. Then, on the very same day, a mysterious visitor and an even more bizarre piece of jewelry both enter the shop, setting in motion a string of twists and turns that will forever alter Lucinda’s path. In this magical story filled with delightful surprises, Lucinda will dance at the royal ball, fall under the Amaranth Witch’s spell, avenge her parents’ death, and maybe—just maybe—capture the heart of a prince."

Perchance to Dream (Theatre Illuminata, Book 2) by Lisa Mantchev
  
First Sentence: "It is a truth universally acknowledged," Mustardseed said, flying in lazy loops like an intoxicated bumblebee, "that a fairy in possession of a good appetite must be in want of pie."
From Amazon.com:"We are such stuff as dreams are made on.
Act Two, Scene One
Growing up in the enchanted Thèâtre Illuminata, Beatrice Shakespeare Smith learned everything about every play ever written. She knew the Players and their parts, but she didn’t know that she, too, had magic. Now, she is the Mistress of Revels, the Teller of Tales, and determined to follow her stars. She is ready for the outside world.
Enter BERTIE AND COMPANY
But the outside world soon proves more topsy-turvy than any stage production. Bertie can make things happen by writing them, but outside the protective walls of the Thèâtre, nothing goes as planned. And her magic cannot help her make a decision between—
 Nate: Her suave and swashbuckling pirate, now in mortal peril.
 Ariel: A brooding, yet seductive, air spirit whose true motives remain unclear.
When Nate is kidnapped and taken prisoner by the Sea Goddess, only Bertie can free him. She and her fairy sidekicks embark on a journey aboard the Thèâtre’s caravan, using Bertie’s word magic to guide them. Along the way, they collect a sneak-thief, who has in his possession something most valuable, and meet The Mysterious Stranger, Bertie’s father—and the creator of the scrimshaw medallion. Bertie’s dreams are haunted by Nate, whose love for Bertie is keeping him alive, but in the daytime, it’s Ariel who is tantalizingly close, and the one she is falling for. Who does Bertie love the most? And will her magic be powerful enough to save her once she enters the Sea Goddess’s lair?"

Horror, Humor, and Heroes by Jim Bernheimer
 
First Sentence: "Nal was a lean, fast, brown hunter."
From Amazon.com: "Horror, Humor, and Heroes is a collection of twelve short stories, one novella, and a preview for my next novel that should contain enough variety to entertain you readers. Sample some of my finest offerings, such as - a guardian wolf fearing the coming of man, a producer willing to do anything to bring the first pay per view live werewolf hunt to the world, a zombie running for congress, a vampire trying to get his life insurance company to pay up, a six year old girl, who makes a cookie people will do anything for, the story of the first child born on the Moon, or a draftee in a war against science gone awry. This collection includes the novella, Confessions of a D-List Supervillain. It is one of my favorite endeavors and anyone who has ever cracked open a comic book will appreciate this story about a down on his luck bad guy forced into the reluctant role of world savior. Also inside is a preview of my forthcoming series Battle Maidens."


Dead Eye: Pennies for the Ferryman by Jim Bernheimer
 
First Sentence: "I volunteered for Mr. Bush's war."
From Amazon.com:"My name is Mike Ross. I'm a Ferryman. I help people with ghost problems, or ghosts with people problems. Funny thing, no one ever helps me with my problems. Civil War ghosts bent on killing me, Skinwalkers who just want my body, and a vindictive spirit linked both to my bloodline and my destiny... It turns out the dead still hold a good deal of influence over the world, and they don't want to give it up. I'm in way over my head. Fortunately, I'm too stubborn to quit."

Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia
 
First Sentence: "On one otherwise normal Tuesday evening I had the chance to live the American dream.  I was able to throw my incopmetent jackass of a boss from a fourteenth-story window."
From Amazon.com: "Five days after Owen Zastava Pitt pushed his insufferable boss out of a fourteenth story window, he woke up in the hospital with a scarred face, an unbelievable memory, and a job offer.
            It turns out that monsters are real. All the things from myth, legend, and B-movies are out there, waiting in the shadows. Officially secret, some of them are evil, and some are just hungry. On the other side are the people who kill monsters for a living. Monster Hunter International is the premier eradication company in the business. And now Owen is their newest recruit.
            It’s actually a pretty sweet gig, except for one little problem. An ancient entity known as the Cursed One has returned to settle a centuries old vendetta. Should the Cursed One succeed, it means the end of the world, and MHI is the only thing standing in his way. With the clock ticking towards Armageddon, Owen finds himself trapped between legions of undead minions, belligerent federal agents, a cryptic ghost who has taken up residence inside his head, and the cursed family of the woman he loves.
            Business is good . . .
            Welcome to Monster Hunter International."


Midnight's Daughter (Dorina Basarab, Book 1) by Karen Chance
 
First Sentence: "My least favorite dead guy had his feet up on my desk."
From Amazon.com: "Dorina Basarab is a dhampir—half-human, half-vampire. Unlike most dhampirs, though, Dory has managed to maintain her sanity. Now Dory’s vampire father has come to her for help— again. Her Uncle Dracula (yes, the Dracula), cruelest among vampires, has escaped his prison. And her father wants Dory to work with gorgeous master vampire Louis-Cesare to put him back there.

Although Dory prefers to work alone, Dracula is the only thing that truly scares her—and when she has to face him, she’ll take all the help she can get…"


Boneshaker by Kate Milford

First Sentence: "Strange things can happen at crossroads."
From Amazon.com: "Thirteen-year-old Natalie Minks loves machines, particularly automata—self-operating mechanical devices, usually powered by clockwork. When Jake Limberleg and his traveling medicine show arrive in her small Missouri town with a mysterious vehicle under a tarp and an uncanny ability to make Natalie’s half-built automaton move, she feels in her gut that something about this caravan of healers is a bit off. Her uneasiness leads her to investigate the intricate maze of the medicine show, where she discovers a horrible truth and realizes that only she has the power to set things right.

Set in 1914, The Boneshaker is a gripping, richly textured novel about family, community, courage, and looking evil directly in the face in order to conquer it."

From Library:

Succubus Shadows (Geordina Kincaid, Book 5) by Richelle Mead

First Sentence: "I was drunk."
From Amazon.com: "Georgina Kincaid has formidable powers. Immortality, seduction, shape-shifting into any human form she desires, walking in heels that would cripple mere mortals--all child's play to a succubus like her.
Helping to plan her ex-boyfriend's wedding is a different story. Georgina isn't sure which is worse--that Seth is marrying another woman, or that Georgina has to run all over Seattle trying on bridesmaid dresses. Still, there are distractions. Georgina's roommate, Roman, is cluttering her apartment with sexual tension. Then there's Simone, the new succubus in town, who's intent on corrupting Seth.
But the real danger lies in the mysterious force that's visiting her thoughts, trying to draw her into a dark, otherworldly realm. Sooner or later, Georgina knows she'll be too weak to resist. And when that happens, she'll discover who she can trust, who she can't--and that Hell is far from the worst place to spend eternity."

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
 
First Sentence: "Finn had been flung on his face and chained to the stone slabs of the transitway."
From Amazon.com: "Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells, but also metal forests, dilapidated cities, and vast wilderness. Finn, a seventeen-year-old prisoner, has no memory of his childhood and is sure that he came from Outside Incarceron. Very few prisoners believe that there is an Outside, however, which makes escape seems impossible. And then Finn finds a crystal key that allows him to communicate with a girl named Claudia. She claims to live Outside- she is the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, and doomed to an arranged marriage. Finn is determined to escape the prison, and Claudia believes she can help him. But they don't realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye. Escape will take their greatest courage and cost more than they know."

Discussion - I going to do it...I am going to buy an e-reader

After over a year of agonizing over whether or not I should embrace the an e-reader I've decided to go for it.

What do you guys think?  Have you invested in an e-reader yet?  Will you?  If you have do you like your reader?

More and more publisher's are offering ARCs in ebook only formats.  It is much easier to get my hands on free ebooks than the paper versions. 

What were my main reasons for waiting?  Well there are about 170 of them sitting on my shelf in my bedroom.  I just have way too many paper books.  The other reason is I get a lot books from the library and the library doesn't rent out e-books yet.

What sold me on getting one?  Three things.  I got to play with one that a guy I work with bought.  I loved it.  The text to speech is quirky but cool for finishing up a book when you have to hop in the car.   Second thing it supports audible.  So I can put all my audio books on there.  Yeah, I have an ipod for that...but it would be handy to have them all in one place.  Third, it supports pdfs.  I have to do a ton of patent reading at work.  Often I go to meetings with a twelve inch tall stack of patents.  Then the group struggles through them as we try to find chemical cmpd names and references.  No more.  I will bring my patents on my Kindle, I will not have sore arms, and I will quickly search for terms I need to find.

It helps that more and more ebooks are available; often for free.  Netgalley.com has a wide range of ARCs available for Kindle.  Amazon Vine is starting to offer e-books, Librarything.com Early Reviewer program offers a ton of e-books, and when authors contact me they want to send me an e-book.  I have had to turn down a number of authors because I don't have an e-reader.

So I am going to do it.  Hopefully I enjoy it.  Another major perk it not having to drag along half a suitcase full of books when I go on long trips for work.  I think I am still trying to convince myself it is a good decision.

Needless to say I am getting a Kindle.  It just seems to be more compatible with other things. 

Review - Voice of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn (4/5 stars)

I have read all of Vaughn's adult Kitty Norville series, when I saw she has written a young adult novel I was excited to read it.  This is her debut young adult novel and it is a very good book.

During World War II the bombs that were dropped awoke the dragons and a great war ensued.  Finally a treaty was signed giving humans and dragons separate territories.  Kay lives in this world sixty years later; humans and dragons have had no contact and her home town is on the border of Dragon territory.  Then one day while out rock-climbing she falls and lands in a river and is washed up on the Dragon side.  There she meets a dragon, Artegal, who is as curious about her as she is about him.  They become friends.  But then things go wrong.  A human plane crashes in Dragon territory, and it may not have been an accident.   Are the humans trying to start a war with Dragonkind?  Can Kay and Artegal do anything to influence both races?

There are some really cool things about this book.  The characterization is excellent; the characters are likable and engaging.  Kay and Artegal are the highlight characters, but the side characters are all well done.  The history behind the Dragons is very well done, believable and creative.  Vaughn is an excellent writer, and as with her adult novels, the writing is easy to read, engaging, and personable.  There is a lot of action and a lot of thought that went into the story.  I also can't help but wonder if the story is a bit political given the whole war theme.

There are a couple things that bugged me.  First and foremost was the ending.  I guess it ended okay, but it took so much of the story to set up the relationship between Kay and Artegal that their journey felt rushed.  Then the ending leaves things wide open.  I wanted to know what Kay and Artgel did when they reached their destination.  On her blog Vaughn mentions that she has an idea for a sequel book, but that plans for the book are not in the near future.  So, for now, we will not get any further story about Kay and Artegel.

The other thing that bothered me was how much time was spent angsting over sex.  As an adult I thought it was silly how much time Kay spent debating whether or not she wanted to have sex with her boyfriend.  I also thought the pressure her girlfriend put on her to have sex was silly.  Then I tried to think back to high school/college and I realized that back then we did spend a lot of time talking about sex.  And, for me and others, whether or not to have sex was a huge decision.  I remember going through many of the thought processes that Kay went through.  So, in a way it is good that this was discussed throughout the book.  I liked that Kay had morals and was resistant to peer pressure in this area; it's a good example for young adults.  But, adults reading the book should be warned, quite a bit of the book is devoted to Kay's struggle about whether or not to have sex...as an adult I found these parts kind of boring.

Overall this was a great read, I loved the characters and the story.  I was disappointed that the set-up took so long and that the story ended abruptly.  I also rolled my eyes a few times over how much discussion was devoted to decisions around sex; but as a young adult I would've found this content interesting.  I am hoping that Vaughn writes a sequel to this because I really want to know more about what happens to Kay and Artegal.  Vaughn continues to be an excellent writer and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- The Debut Author Challenge
- The Young Adult Reading Challenge
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge
- Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge

 

Review - Goblin War (Jig the Goblin, Book 3) by Jim C. Hines (5/5 stars)

This was the third and final installment in the Jig the Goblin series by Jim C. Hines.  It was my favorite book of the series and just about as perfect as it could get.  I really loved it.

The books starts with Jig and company being attacked by a force (a couple) of humans while on patrol.  From there things degrade.  The humans show up and demand a company of goblin warriors come with them to work for them or they will slay all the goblins in the caves.  Grell, the current goblin chief, agrees.  Of course, Jig is included in the company of goblin warriors sent, despite his small stature.  From there Jig finds himself enslaved by humans to help fortify their city against a huge hoard of monsters that is threatening to take over the human city.  One thing leads to another and the result is a world-changing battle that will decide the future of the monster races; of course like normal Jig is forced into a major role despite his protests.

This was a wonderful book.  Each chapter starts with a small bit that is told from Shadowstar's point of view.  These bits give you background on the War of Shadows and how the God Autumnstar turned into Shadowstar.  The remainder of each chapter is told mainly from Jig's perspective.  Jig has unlikely companions in adventure with the very devout Relka and the brainless, but brawny, Trok.  Smudge, Jig's pet fire spider, helps save Jig a number of times.  We are joined by some of the characters in the first book, mainly the dwarf, who is still recovering from having been a bird for so long.

There are some especially hilarious additions to this books. The orcs incredible competitiveness lead to hilarious scenes.  The huge tree Oakbottom, who loves throwing around (literally) smaller races, is also a hoot.  There were many times when I was chuckling out loud and my husband was shooting me strange glances trying to figure out what was sooo funny.  Most of the humor is pretty witty and is delivered with a dry sense of humor; it is never so over the top that it is tasteless or detracts from the story.  Even with all the humor; there is some heartfelt seriousness in this book too.  Jig has some tough decisions to make.  The struggle of the goblin races to work as a group and not for their individual gain is dealt with in both serious and humorous ways.

The plot moved fast and the book was very engaging. Hines writing style is easy to read.  There are some inside jokes that those people who have never played Dungeons and Dragons might not get.  This is again a great adventure in the true style of Dungeons and Dragons.  I loved this book.  It ends perfect and is a wonderful and amusing journey.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge

 

March 2010 - In Review

This month I read 22 books.  It was a great month for reading.  A whole bunch of books came into the library that I had been on hold for; so a ton of these were library books.  There were also a couple audio books in there.

I caught up on the following series;
- The Hollows Book 8, "Black Magic Sanction" by Kim Harrision
- Remy Chandler series, Books 2 and 3 by Thomas E. Sniegoski
- Wicked Lovely Book 4, "Radiant Shadows" by Melissa Marr
- Quantum Gravity Book 4, "Chasing the Dragon" by Justina Robson
- October Daye Book 2, "A Local Habitation" by Seanan McGuire

I started the following series:
- Darkangel Trilogy by Meredith Ann Pierce
- Jig the Goblin by Jim C. Hines
- Greywalker by Kat Richardson

I fimished the following series:
- Wake series by Lisa McMann
- Darkangel Trilogy by Meredith Ann Pierce
- Goth series by Katie Maxwell
- Keys to the Kingdom by Garth Nix

My Favorite Books of the Month Were:
A Local Habitation (October Daye, Book 2) by Seanan McGuire (4.5/5 stars)
Lord Sunday (Keys to the Kingdom, Book 7) by Garth Nix (4.5/5 stars)

I didn't read any books this month that really left me disappointed so that is good!

Here are the stats on the reading challenges I am participating in:
- Thriller and Suspense Reading Challenge: 7/12 read
- Debut Author Reading Challenge: 5/12 read
- Young Adult Reading Challenge: 32/50 read
- Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge: 24/25 read
- GLBT Reading Challenge: 2/4 read
- 100+ Book Reading Challenge: 58/100 read
- 1st in a Series Challenge: 12/20 read

Below is the full list of books that I read this month :-)  Hope you all had a great month of reading too!
1. Black Magic Sanction (The Hollows, Book 8) by Kim Harrison (3.5/5 stars)
2. The Gates: A Novel by John Connolly (4/5 stars)
3. Dancing on the Head of a Pin (Remy Chandler, Book 2) by Thomas E. Sniegoski (4/5 stars)
4. Dawn of the Dreadfuls (Prequel to Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies) by Steve Hockensmith (4/5 stars)
5. Gone (Wake, Book 3) by Lisa McMann (3/5 stars)
6. Radiant Shadows (Wicked Lovely, Book 4) by Melissa Marr (3/5 stars)
7. The Darkangel (Darkangel Trilogy, Book 1) by Meredith Ann Pierce (4/5 stars)
8.  Circus of the Darned (Goth, Book 2) by Katie Maxwell (3/5 stars)
9. A Gathering of Gargoyles (Darkangel, Book 2) by Meredith Ann Pierce (4/5 stars)
10. The Pearl of the Soul of the World (Darkangel, Book 3) by Meredith Ann Pierce (3.5/5 stars)
11. Gobiln Quest (Jig the Goblin, Book 1) by Jim C. Hines (4/5 stars)
12. Goblin Hero (Jig the Goblin, Book 2) by Jim C. Hines (4/5 stars)
13. The Girl with Glass Feet by Ali Shaw (3/5 stars)
14. Where Angels Fear to Tread (Remy Chandler, Book 3) by Thomas E. Sniegoski (4/5 stars)
15. Lord Sunday (Keys to the Kingdom, Book 7) by Garth Nix (4.5/5 stars)
16. Chasing the Dragon (Quantum Gravity, Book 4) by Justina Robson (4/5 stars)
17. Greywalker (Greywalker, Book 1) by Kat Richardson (4/5 stars)
18. The Poison Eaters and Other Stories by Holly Black (4/5 stars)
19. Mercury by Hope Larson (4/5 stars)
20. A Local Habitation (October Daye, Book 2) by Seanan McGuire (4.5/5 stars)
21. Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog (3/5 stars)
22. Violet Wings by Victoria Hanley (4/5 stars)