Review - First Among Sequels (Thursday Next, Book 5) by Jasper Fforde (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Speculative Fiction
Size: 384 pages
Publisher: Viking Adult
Release Date: July 24, 2007
ISBN-13: 978-0143113560
Stand Alone or Series: 5th book in Thursday Next series
Source: Audio book from Audible.com
Rating: 4/5 stars


This is the fifth book in the Thursday Next series.  The sixth book, One of Our Thursdays is Missing, is scheduled for release in March of 2011.  This was a great installment in this series.  It started out a bit slower than previous books, but ended up being very engaging.  It does end on a cliffhanger though, which previous books haven't done.  I listened to this on audio book and the audio book was extremely well done.  I have really been enjoying listening to this series even more than reading it.

This book starts 14 years after the events that take place in Something Rotten.  Thursday and Landon have been happily married and have three children; Tuesday, Friday, and Jenny.  Thursday is still doing Spec Ops work but works a carpeting job as cover.  She is also still doing Jurisfiction work but using Spec Ops as a cover for that.  The nation has a huge stupidity surplus because of good government that's been in place too long and someone keeps trying to kill Thursday...again.  On top of all  of this Thursday's son, Friday, has not developed into the time traveling genius he should have and as a result time travel may not have ever been invented causing the unraveling of time as we know it. 

As usual with these books the plot is a complex jumble of seemingly random occurrences that all tie nicely together.  I had been hoping to learn more about Thursday's time traveling son Friday, and was happy to be able to do that in this book.  This book is just as witty, crazy, and well tied together as the previous ones.  And although Thursday is much older, she is just as much fun to be around.  It was nice to see how she juggled having teenagers with all her other craziness.

Thursday's children are all a delight to finally meet.  Tuesday is a mathematical genius and Friday is a lazy guitar planning stereotype.  Her husband Landon is as wonderful as ever.

All the above being said while I really liked this book, there were a couple things that made me like it a bit less than the previous ones.  It starts out kind of slow.  At the beginning I was worried, it seemed like maybe with age Thursday had lost some speed and the plot slowed with her.  This was a temporary problem and as the book continued it picked up.  I also did not like all the lying.  Throughout the book Thursday is constantly lying to Landon and that drove me crazy!  How could they have a workable relationship with all of this lying?  It was all resolved well in the end though.

Speaking of the end...this book ends on a total cliffhanger and very abruptly.  Basically in the last few pages of the book Fforde starts a completely new story line and then stops in the middle of it, so that was a bit of a bother too.

Overall a great installment in the Thursday Next series.  Starts a bit slow and all the lying Thursday does to Landon drove me crazy.  But the writing was creative, crazy, and witty like normal and things picked up in the end.  This book does end on a cliffhanger though, so I am dying to see what happens in One of Our Thursdays is Missing.

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

Anthology Review - Horror, Humor, and Heroes: Volume II Edited by Jim Bernheimer

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Fantasy/Urban Fantasy
Size: 274 pages
Publisher: CreateaSpace
Release Date: December 4, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-1456435783
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: eBook from Author
Rating: 5/5 stars

I got a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.  For the most part I enjoyed the book.  It is a solid collection of stories with a good mix between classic fantasy and urban fantasy.

My favorites of this bunch were Boomerang by Matthew Schocke (a story about a mage that takes on an evil lab) this story had wonderful action scenes and a great array of characters.  I also really enjoyed Fate's Apprentice by Brian James, a story about some apprentice mages competing.  The Wild Field by Susan Nance Carhart was a wonderful story that blends fantasy with Russian folklore.  My Mace Craves Blood by Jim Berheimer was a classic fantasy

story about a mace with a mind of its own which was very engaging and enjoyable.  The last story that really caught my eye was Hell's Recruiter by Heather Sinclair; this was a fun story about a Hellish recruiter who takes on more than she can handle.

That being said there are a lot of well-written and creative stories in this set.   It was fun to read stories written by a whole bunch of unknown writers and have so many of them be so entertaining.  There are a few in here that I wasn't super impressed with, but there aren't really any bad stories.

If you are a fan of fantasy and urban fantasy you should find a lot here to interest you.  Who knows you may even be reading a story by the next big fantasy/urban fantasy writer :-)

Overall it is a solid and entertaining collection with a good variety.  The majority of stories incorporate some irony or humor, so you way find yourself chuckling out loud at points.  See below for brief synopsis and comment on each of the stories.

- Pest Control by J.B. Ward (4/5)

Humorous story about a young man who ends up as a trainee for a pest exterminating job.  He finds the pests he's eliminating are more monstrous then originally thought.  With witty dialogue this was a amusing story feature vampires, zombies, and the poor schmuks that get saddled with hunting them.

- Maiden Quest by Clell Harmon (3/5)

A Dungeons and Dragons type story told from the dragons point of view.  The dragon is with your classic contingent of fantasy characters (paladin, elf, sorceress, dwarf) on a quest to destroy an evil mage.  Time is taken to go back and give brief histories for the characters  It was written well enough, but a bit rambling and the action scenes could've used some polishing up.  An okay read.

- Forever young by Keith McComb (3/5)

A one sided interview with a woman who has lived over a hundred thousand years. This was okay but a bit rambling and sometimes the lack of the question side of the interview made things a bit confusing.  Overall it was interesting to hear the supposed perspective of someone who has lived that long.  The story also had a nice ironic twist at the end.

- Boomerang by Matthew Schocke (5/5)

An excellent urban fantasy story about a mage and crew who go up against an evil lab.  Tons of action, well written, and great characterization.  Has a bit of a Dresden Files feel to it.

- Fate's Apprentice by Brian James (5/5)

An exceedingly well written and well woven story. This is a fantasy story about a competition between mage apprentices.  It is incredibly ironic, has a cleverly woven plot, and a touch of humor.  The best story in this anthology so far.

- The Quantum Garage Mechanic by Ted Vinzani (3.5/5)

Story about a quantum garage mechanic who uses his practical knowledge of quantum mechanics to save the world.  It was amusing and decently written.  All the years and times that are thrown around are a bit hard to follow though, I felt like I should write out a timeline to keep track of everything.

- Upon Crystal Shores by Joe Ducie (4/5)

A man and his friend enter the subway to take revenge on an evil killer for the death of his brother.  Only he finds himself suddenly embroiled with a fight not only to destroy a demon but to save mankind itself.  This was well-written with excellent action scenes; a great urban fantasy.  Looks to be the prelude to other urban fantasy stories.

- The Wild Field by Susan Nance Carhart (5/5)

A very well written story about a woman warrior and a Prince who have to deal with something evil in a bog.  This story has a classic fantasy tone to it and pulls in things from Russian folklore.  I really enjoyed it.

- Scarecrow by Anne B. Walsh and Britnee Bloschichak (4/5)

This story was well written, but it was almost identical to the episode in the first season of Supernatural called by a similar name.  I was kind of expecting to find out that may that TV episode was written off of this story or visa versa.  That being said I enjoyed the characters.  Probably the creepiest story of the bunch.

- Dryad by Tom P. Arachtingi (3/5)

This is the story of what happens when you sleep with a Dryad.  It was okay, decently written but fairly predictable.

- Incarnations of Empathy by P.R.S. (4/5)

About an a guy who investigates supernatural activity and banishes it...kind of.  It was well written and humorous.  I would enjoy reading more stories about these characters in the future.

- My Mace Craves Blood by Jim Bernheimer (4/5)

Well written classic fantasy story about a Mace that forces its wielder to go berserk.  The reader only gets the beginning of the story; I really wanted to know what happened next and can see the main character embarking many more fantastic adventures.

- Hell's Recruiter by Heather Sinclair (4/5)

A cute and funny story about what happens when a recruiter for Hell has the tables turned on her by a sneaky force of good.  I really enjoyed this and thought it was a fun read.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:

 - Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 100+ Reading Challenge
- E-book Reading Challenge
- Zombies! Reading Challenge

Graphic Novel Review - The Dragonslayer (Bone, Book 4) by Jeff Smith (5/5 stars)

Reading level: Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy
Size: 176 pages
Publisher: GRAPHIX
Release Date: November 18, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0439706377
Stand Alone or Series: 4th book in the Bone series
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 5/5 stars

This is the 4th book in the nine book Bone graphic novel series by Jeff Smith.  It was a spectacular addition to the series and probably the darkest book yet.  The story really deepens and the danger for our beloved characters really takes on an urgency.

Smiley Bone and Phoney Bone are competing in sales at the inn to see if they can pay of their debt; Phoney Bone has everyone convinced he is a dragon slayer which is causing problems.  Meanwhile Granny, Thorne, and Fone Phone have started a journey to leave the valley and get Thorne to safety.  When they are attacked by the rat creatures on their journey things take a turn for the worse.  Ends up Thorne has more truth to learn about her identity and the valley has worse enemies than rat creatures to worry about.

Thorne goes through some rough times in this book.  It is a dark book for her.  This is the first book where there is more violence, blood, and despair present throughout the story.  That is not to say everything is bleak; there are some pretty funny scenes with Phoney Bone, Smiley Bone, and the Dragon.  Still it is becoming clear that the residents of the valley are facing a peril worse than they ever could have imagined.

As with previous books the plot is well developed and the story continues to deepen.  There is humor throughout and the drawing continues to be wonderful.  This book was a bit scarier than some of the previous ones so take caution if reading this with young children.

Overall a great addition to the series.  Darker than previous books, but still some humor throughout.  The story expands and is wonderfully told.  I can't wait to read book 5, Rock Jaw, Master of the Eastern Border.  I am absolutely loving this series.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 100+ Reading Challenge
- Fantasy Reading Challenge
- Graphic Novels Challenge List

 

2011 - Graphic Novels Challenge

The last challenge I plan on signing up for right now is the Graphic Novel Challenge.  This will be great because it will give me an excuse to read more Graphic Novels which I have been starting to read more of.  I am going for the intermediate level (3-10 graphic novels).  You can sign up for this challenge by clicking the picture below or read more about it below.

1. The challenge starts January 1, 2011 and ends December 31, 2011. You can start anytime you want to especially if you want to start early.
2. The level of participation: Beginner (3 comics or graphic novels), Intermediate (3-10 books), or Expert (10+)
3. Overlaps with other challenges is definitely okay
4. Re-reads count
5. Feel free to post your list at any time

I will list my graphic novels below as I read them.
1.    The Dragonslayer (Bone, Book 4) by Jeff Smith
2.    Rock Jaw, Master of the Eastern Border (Bone, Book 5) by Jeff Smith
3.    Old Man's Cave (Bone, Book 6) by Jeff Smith
4.    Ghost Circles (Bone, Book 7) by Jeff Smith
5.    Treasure Hunters (Bone, Book 8) by Jeff Smith
6.    Crown of Horns (Bone, Book 9) by Jeff Smith
7.    Legends: The Enchanted by Nick Percival
8.    The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean
9.    The Kindly Ones (Sandman, Book 9) by Neil Gaiman
10.  Rose (Bone Prequel) by Jeff Smith and Charles Vess
11.  Lost and Found by Shaun Tan
12.  The Wake (Sandman, Book 10) by Neil Gaiman
13.  The Dark (The Stuff of Legend, Book 1) by Mike Raicht
14.  Head Games (Locke and Key, Book 2) by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
15.  Hellsing, Vol. 10 by Kohta Hirano
16.  Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan
17.  Fables: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham
18.  The Last Unicorn Graphic Novel by Peter S. Beagle, Peter Gillis, Renae DeLiz, Ray Dillon
19.  The Crown of Shadows (Locke and Key, Book 3) by Joe Hill
20.  Baltimore: The Plague Ships by various authors
21.  The Last Dragon by Jane Yolen and Rebecca Guay
22.  Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson: Moon Called Volume 1 by Patricia Briggs , David Lawrence, Amelia Woo
23.  Dracula: The Company of Monsters (Vol 1) by Kurt Busiek, Daryl Gregory, Scott Godlewski
24.  Metalocalypse: Dethklok by Brendon Small, Jon Schnepp, Jeremy Barlow, Eric Powell, Lucas Marangon (3/5 stars)
25.  Gimoles: Secrets of the Seasons by Mike Bullock, Theo Bain, Michael Metcalf, Bob Pedroza
26.  Creepy Presents: Berni Wrightson by Bruce Jones, Nicola Cuti, Bernie Wrightson, Howard Chaykin (5/5 stars)
27.  Secrets, Monsters, and Magic Mirrors by Stephanie True Peters
28.  Keys to the Kingdom (Locke and Key, Book 4) by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
29.  Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Sun - Ianto's Tomb by Alexander Irvine and Peter Burgting
30.  Animal Farm (Fables, Book 2) by Bill Willingham
31.  Storybook Love (Fables, Book 3) by Bill Willingham
32.  The Last Council (Amulet #4) by Kazu Kibuishi
33.  Tall Tales (Bone Prequel) by Jeff Smith and Thomas Sniegoski
34.  The Way Home and the Bittersweet Summer (Owly, Vol 1) by Andy Runton
35.  Arkham Asylum by Grant Morrison and Dave McKean
36.  Nursery Rhyme Comics edited by Chris Duffy
37.  Sidekicks by Dan Santat
38.  Ghostopolis by Doug Tennapel
39.  Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things (Courtney Crumrin, Book 1) by Ted Naifeh
40.  The Girl Who Owned a City by OT Nelson, Dan Jolley, and Joelle Jones
41.  Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

2011 - Audio Book Challenge

I listen to a lot of audio books especially while I am doing my long commute to work or doing boring work in the lab. So the Audio Book Challenge hosted by Teresa's Reading Corner will be a great challenge for me!

The level I am going for is Addicted (12 audio books).  You can find out more info about the challenge by clicking the button below or reading the instructions below.

Welcome to the 2011 Audio Book Challenge.  The 2010 edition was hosted by Alaine of Queen of Happy Endings.  When Alaine was looking for someone to take over for her, I happily volunteered.  The 2011 Audio Book Challenge will run from January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011. 

I'm going to go ahead and continue with the same levels that were previously established:

Curious:       3 Audio Books

Fascinated:  6 Audio Books

Addicted:  12 Audio Books

Obsessed: 20 Audio Books

I will list my audio books as I listen to them.

1.   First Among Sequels (Thursday Next, Book 5) by Jasper Forde

2.   Lover Eternal (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 2) by J.R. Ward

3.   The Way of Shadows (Night Angel, Book 1) by Brent Weeks

4.   If I Stay by Gayle Forman

5.   Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 3) by J.R. Ward

6.   Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

7.   Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

8.   Lover Revealed (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 4) by J.R. Ward

9.   The Devil You Know (Felix Castor, Book 1) by Mike Carey

10. WWW: Wonder by Robert Sawyer

11. The Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger's Apprentice, Book 1) by John Flanagan

12. Shadow's Edge (Night Angel, Book 2) by Brent Weeks

13. Vicious Circle (Felix Castor, Book 2) by Mike Carey

14. Lover Unbound (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 5) by J.R. Ward

15. Beyond the Shadows (Night Angel, Book 3) by Brent Weeks

16. Everfound (The Skinjacker Trilogy, Book 3) by Neal Shusterman

17. Hounded (The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 1) by Kevin Hearne 

18. Lover Enshrined (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 6) by J.R. Ward

19. Hexed (The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 2) by Kevin Hearne

20. Hammered (The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 3) by Kevin Hearne 

21. Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 1) by Jeaniene Frost

22. Supernaturally (Paranormalcy, Book 2) by Kiersten White

23. One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 2) by Jeaniene Frost

24. At Grave's End (Night Huntress, Book 3) by Jeaniene Frost

25. Destined for an Early Grave (Night Huntress, Book 4) by Jeaniene Frost

26. The Fairy Tale Detectives (The Sisters Grimm, Book 1) by Michael Buckley

27. Downpour (Greywalker, Book 6) by Kat Richardson

28. This Side of the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 5) by Jeaniene Frost

29. The Unusual Suspects (The Sisters Grimm, Book 2) by Micheal Buckley

30. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

31. The Problem Child (Sisters Grimm, Book 3) by Michael Buckley

32. First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World, Book 1) by Jeaniene Frost

33. Monster Hunter Vendetta (MHI, Book 2) by Larry Correia

34. Alloy of Law (Mistborn, Book 4) by Brandon Sanderson

35. Glow (Sky Chasers, Book 1) by Amy Kathleen Ryan

36.  Magic on the Line (Allie Beckstrom, Book 7) by Devon Monk

37.  Eternal Kiss of Darkness (Night Huntress World, Book 2) by Jeaniene Frost

2011 - Young Adult Reading Challenge

I read a lot of YA, so it makes sense to sign up for the YA reading challenge again happening over at Home Girl's Book Blog .

You can read below or click on the below picture for info on this challenge.  I am going for the Super Size ME level which is 75+ YA books.



1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.
--Non-Bloggers: Post your list of books in the comment section of the wrap-up post. To learn how to sign up without having a blog, click here.
2. There are four levels:
--The Mini YA Reading Challenge – Read 12 Young Adult novels.
--Just My Size YA Reading Challenge – Read 25 Young Adult novels.
--Stepping It Up YA Reading Challenge – Read 50 Young Adult novels.
--Super Size Me YA Reading Challenge – Read 75 Young Adult novels.
3. Audio, eBooks, re-reads all count.
4. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.
5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010.
6. When you sign up under Mr. Linky, put the direct link to your post where your Young Adult novels will be listed. Include the URL so that other viewers can find this fun challenge. If you’d prefer to put your list in the sidebar of your blog, please leave your viewers the link to the sign up page. Again, so viewers can join the challenge too.

I will add the books below as I read them.
1.   Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause
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Review - Double Cross (The Disillusionists, Book 2) by Carolyn Crane (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 336 pages
Publisher: Spectra
Release Date: September 28, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0553592627
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in Disillusionists Trilogy
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars

This was the second book in the Disillusionists trilogy.  I really enjoyed the first book, Mind Games, because of how creative it was.  This second book was also very enjoyable but it ends on a horrible negative cliffhanger that will have the most forgiving reader angrily pulling out their hair and cursing this book.

This book starts out basically where the last one left off.  Justine is dating Otto, Otto is mayor of the city, and Packard is running the Disillusionists to help Otto enforce order in the city.  Unfortunately another killer (or killers) are loose in Midcity; this time the group of killers (called the Dorks) are targeting highcaps.  Justine (as a non-highcap) is drawn into the investigation to track down the Dorks identity and find out how they are able to combat and weed-out the highcaps.  Justine is also using her power to work over a dream controlling highcap and, after a mistake, her and Packard are linked via their dreams.  So in midst of everything going on Justine is slowly finding out more about the history between Otto and Packard.

Unlike the first book this book focuses mainly on Justine, Otto, and Packard. It was great to finally learn about the history between Otto and Packard.  There are a lot of plot threads in this book and they come together nicely.  The pacing of the book is great, making it a hard book to put down and a fast read.  The writing is well done and easy to read.  This is more of a drama type urban fantasy (kind of like Kitty Norville series) and there isn't much action.

Again I liked the creative ideas behind this book (characters using their psychosis to fight crime) and enjoyed how the complicated plot was woven together so well.  I thought characterization was a bit inconsistent though.  Packard is a great character and his growth throughout the novel is wonderful, I wish he had been in the story even more than he was.  Otto as a character remains kind of stagnant throughout, he is predictable and doesn't change his view much.  Justine's character is kind of all over the place.  The other characters talk about how giving she is, yet she makes a lot of selfish decisions.  Then at one point she suddenly becomes all mature and realizes a bunch of things; which realistically should have been a more gradual and consistent process.

Despite enjoying the book overall I had a couple other quibbles.  The first is that this book is full of evilness, none of these characters are good.  They are all manipulative, confused, and only venture from the blackness to shades of grey...there really aren't any moments of real happiness in this book.  The whole thing is kind of bleak and depressing. 

My other big quibble is the predictability and the ending.  Half way through the book I figured out what was probably going to happen, but I really didn't want it to happen.  Guess what it happened.  The fact that I was able to predict this sad and disturbing ending just made me sadder.  The end of the book left me feeling angry, disturbed, and just let down.  I understand that Crane wants to keep her readers engaged, but this wasn't the way to do it.  If the book had ended two chapters earlier then the next book could have started off with this huge horrible twist.  As a reader I would have been left with a marginally upbeat and happy ending.  The twist would have surprised me in the beginning of the next book and then I would have had a chance to read its conclusion and not been left so...sad.

Overall this was a good installment in this series.   Some of the characterization is a bit inconsistent, but the plot is well done and it is very creative.  This is a bleak book and there is nothing here that leaves the reader feeling good.  My recommendation would be to hold off on reading this book until the third one is released; otherwise at the end of this book you will just be left feeling angry, depressed and downtrodden.  Fans of urban fantasy should enjoy this creative take on super heroes.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:

- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 100+ Reading Challenge