Book Review — NOS4A2

Title:  NOS4A2

Author:  Joe Hill
Genre:  Horror
Pages:  Hardback, 692
Publisher:  HarperCollins, April 30, 2013
ISBN:  978-0-06-220057-0
Opening Lines:  "Nurse Thornton dropped into the long-term-care ward a little before eight with a hot bag of blood for Charlie Manx."

Rating

"Victoria McQueen has an uncanny knack for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. When she rides her bicycle over the rickety old covered bridge in the woods near her house, she always emerges in the places she needs to be. Vic doesn't tell anyone about her unusual ability, because she knows no one will believe her. She has trouble understanding it herself.

"Charles Talent Manx has a gift of his own. He likes to take children for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with the vanity plate NOS4A2. In the everyday world and onto hidden roads that lead to an astonishing playground of amusements he calls Christmasland. Mile by mile, the journey across the highway of Charles's twisted imagination transforms his precious passengers, leaving them as terrifying and unstoppable as their benefactor.

"And then comes the day when Vic goes looking for trouble . . . and finds her way, inevitably, to Charlie.

"That was a lifetime ago. Now, the only kid to ever escape Charlie's unmitigated evil is all grown up and desperate to forget.

"But Charlie Manx hasn't stopped thinking about the exceptional Victoria McQueen. On the road again, he won't slow down until he's taken his revenge. He's after something very special—something Vic can never replace.

"As a life-and-death battle of wills builds—hern magic pitted against his—Vic McQueen prepares to destroy Charlie once and for all . . . or die trying . . ."

~ Jacket copy

Because it's JOE HILL!  If there was a chance that I might pass up a Joe Hill book, please alert people that the apocalypse has come.  Okay, okay, that might be a little excessive, but I've loved this author since I first picked up Locke & Key.  And I LOVED Heart-Shaped Box so much, I bought my dad and brother both a copy.

Since it has been a little quiet on this blog and I've only been rereading books, when I saw this available at our local library, it was inevitable that I would pick it up.  I like Mercy Thompson, but she was getting a little tired and worn out.  I needed new blood ^_~

Hmm, wow, I'm not even sure how to describe this one.  Honestly, the jacket copy does better than I could ever imagine.  Simply put, this book is a story within a story.  It is about the childhood and adulthood of Vic McQueen clashing with the life of Charlie Manx.  It is also about the differences between being a child and being an adult.
 

Quite simply, this book is about slippage and where the "inscapes" and this world collide.  It reminds me a great deal of Talisman, The Black House, and It by Hill's father.  In some ways, it could be argued that this book kind of pays homage to the Master who came before him and lead him into this craft.  And it could also be a form of It for this generation.  While Hill is definitely his own writer, it feel many loud elements of his father in his work.  It's almost as though he is taking on his personage.

In many respects, Manx is almost a re-imagining of Pennywise the Clown.  He does something to the children in order to stay young, he makes them promises about living in a better place (Christmasland or an eternal circus), and they mention that the children "float" in this new, happy place.  Further, meeting Vic McQueen as a child and then seeing her battle Charlie as an adult had serious echoes of the children in It.  In some ways, both Maggie and Vic reminded me of Stuttering Bill.  The reader will also see the pseudo fragmentation of the mind between the beliefs of children and trying to make sense of that as an adult.  Also, using Wayne really helped to hammer that down.  In addition, Hill also plays a little more with the concept of mental illness and the fragmentation of the mind in trying to make sense of all weird shit from childhood.

"The difference between childhood and adulthood . . . was the difference between imagination and resignation." (533)

I loved the casual mention of Craddock and his suit, the tip of the hat to his father's books on the map of the "inscapes", and the use of pop-culture and media.  For me, Hill has always been able to draw me in with the pop-culture and media.  What drew me to Heart-Shaped Box was just that.  Also, the fact that Lou was a super nerd, read comic books, and went to conventions made me feel a little warm and fuzzy inside.  And this is not to mention the name of Vic's son!

It was s struggle to read this book.  Knowing that my alarm clock would ring at 5:30 am, it was a fight to put this book down at night.  However, everyday, it would be nestled into my purse and wait until I had a van run or a break.  Everywhere I went, it came along.  It got into my head like a damn drug.

This book was beautifully written!  It took something beautiful and full of magic (Christmas) and turned it on it's head.  Honestly, after reading this book, I'm not sure I will ever think about Christmas the same way.  And I'm not looking forward to my head boss wandering around singing Christmas music . . .

Current Pages: ???
Current Progress:

42/50 books

Book Review — Moon Called

Title:  Moon Called
Author:  Patricia Briggs
Genre:  Urban fantasy
Pages:  Paperback, 288
Publisher:  Ace, January 31, 2006
ISBN:  0-441-01381-3
Opening Lines:  "I didn't realize he was a werewolf at first."

Rating

"Mercy Thompson's sexy next-door neighbor is a werewolf.

"She's tinkering with a VW bus at her mechanic shop that happens to belong to a vampire.

"But then, Mercy Thompson is not exactly normal herself . . . and her connection to the world of things that go bump in the night is about to get her into a whole lot of trouble."

~ Jacket copy

My SIL gave me this book as a Christmas present, and I've been hooked since that point.  My work schedule is rather crazy, so it is rather hard to find time to just sit and relax with a book.  Wanting to finally catch up with the series, I decided to pick this book up again.  I loved it the first time and thought it would be nice to rediscover it.

After receiving a degree in History, Mercy Thompson finds herself owning her own garage and working as a mechanic.  It really was not what her mother had planned, but it pays the bills and keeps Mercy happy.  However, trouble is brewing on the horizon and shows up on her doorstep in the form of Mac, a lost werewolf.  Growing up with a Montana werewolf pack, Mercy is fully aware of the ramifications of taking Mac under her wing, but she cannot turn him down.  Unfortunately, when he is discovered, she is forced to bring Adam, the local Alpha, into the mix.  What Mercy doesn't realize is that she just stepped into large political upheaval spurned by the struggle between wolf and man.

I loved this book the first time I read it, and it still held the same appeal.  To me, it is an interesting story to have a walker raised by werewolves and completely caught up in the life and political matters of the pack while still managing to be outside of it.  It is obvious that the author has put a lot of thought into this series, as well as research.  Honestly, it's pretty nifty seeing a woman as a mechanic :)

Even though I love this book, there are points that kind of drag, and it feels a little rushed at the end.  Seeing the Marrock and pack in Montana allowed the audience to see a piece of Mercy's past and introduced them to Samuel; however, it felt as though the author could have spent less time there.  The ending, while it made sense, felt way too rushed, and I wished the author gave the audience a little more time to adjust to it.

Adam's friend will be an interesting addition, especially considering his role in revealing the werewolves to the public.  However, after being a lone wolf for so long, it seemed rather strange that he so easily accepted a pack.

There are some questions I have while re-reading it, but it was still a good read.  And, considering the fact that I don't really have time to focus fully on a book, it was wonderful to just kind of zone out into it.

I'm curious to see if the other books are just as enjoyable as the first time :)

Current Pages: 10144
Current Progress:

35/50 books

Theme Song Saturday

Welcome to Theme Song Saturdays, a new weekly meme, hosted by yours truly, in which we share our love of music and books! Since I love books and music, this meme is for fun to try to incorporate those two loves! Whenever I read a book, a certain song -- kind of like a soundtrack or theme song -- plays through my head.

Want to know how to play? Head over to the Theme Song Saturday introduction post to read the rules and get the code.

Here's my pick this week:

Hungry Like a Wolf by Duran Duran brings to mind the conflict between Adam and Samuel.  Even though Mercy isn't necessarily part of either pack, both alpha males are trying to claim her was their mate.  To a lesser extent, the song also reminds me of Mercy's desire to find Jesse, answers, and justice for Mac.  

What's yours?  Leave a link in the comments to your post ^_^

Book Review — Succubus on Top

Title: Succubus On Top
Author:  Richelle Mead
Genre:  Urban Fantasy
Pages:  Oversize paperback, 326
Publisher:  Kensington Publishing Corp
ISBN:  978-0-7582-1642-7
Opening Lines:  "Demons are scary."

Rating

"Love hurts, and no one knows it better than Georgina Kincaid. If she so much as kisses Seth Mortensen, the shy, sexy writer she's been dating, she'll drain his life force. Admittedly, the shape shifting and immortality perks of a succubus are terrific, but it's completely unfair that a she-demon whose purpose is seduction can't get down with the one mortal who accepts her for who she is. . .

"It's not just her personal life that's in chaos. Doug, Georgina's co-worker at a local bookstore, has been exhibiting bizarre behavior, and Georgina suspects something far more demonic than double espressos. She could use an assist from Bastien, an irresistibly charming incubus and her best immortal friend, but he's giving Georgina some highly distracting come-hither vibes. Georgina is going to have to work solo on this one--and fast, because soon, Doug's life won't be the only one on the line."

~ Jacket Copy

Well, since I liked the first one, this seemed like a logical choice :)

Georgina has finally decided to pursue a relationship with her favorite author, Seth.  However, they cannot have a physical relationship without her sucking his life force.  So, while struggling with that, Doug starts acting weird, she's sensing a weird immortal signature on him, and her old friend, Bastien, comes into town and needs help wooing a political figure.  Could things get any worse for Georgie?

Okay, to be honest, it was brain candy, but I enjoyed it.  I wouldn't say it was up to par with the previous book, but it was definitely enjoyably and a distraction.

It was interesting to see an incubus, and the relationship he had previously had with Georgina.  And I loved the history flashbacks that gave little tidbits and insight into her past.

The whole thing surrounding Doug, the band, Alec, and the drug ended way too easily.  It makes me wonder whether it's going to come back into play.  Also, Georgie giving the drug to someone at the end kind of upset me, because it completely went against what she was trying to do in the rest of the book.

Bastien, while interesting, seem was though it was just try to give something besides her non-physical relationship with Seth.  And it was rather obvious what was going on with Dana from the start.  Not sure why neither Georgie nor Bastien were able to pick up on that.  However, the stuff surrounding Jody seemed a tad bit unbelievable and just thrown in for extra juice.

It will be interesting to see where this thing with Seth goes.  Honestly, I'm not sure how long the author can continue drawing this one out before they either say "screw it" and get physical or it ends.  As it stands, they are rather boring.  And most of the stuff dealing with their relationship seems dull.

All in all, it was a mind numbing read and exactly what I needed.  And, of course, I cannot wait to get my hands on the other books to see how everything turns out :)

Current Pages: 9856
Current Progress:

34/50 books

Late Night Book Reviews — Undeniable

Theme Song Saturday

Welcome to Theme Song Saturdays, a new weekly meme, hosted by yours truly, in which we share our love of music and books! Since I love books and music, this meme is for fun to try to incorporate those two loves! Whenever I read a book, a certain song -- kind of like a soundtrack or theme song -- plays through my head.

Want to know how to play? Head over to the Theme Song Saturday introduction post to read the rules and get the code.

Here's my pick this week:

Dizzy by Goo Goo Dolls reminds me of Georgina's relationship with Seth.  Even though she cannot change what she is, everything about her entrances and enraptures him.  And, in so many ways, she is a mess, but he still finds her beautiful.  

What's yours?  Leave a link in the comments to your post ^_^

Le Sigh

In case you're wondering, I am alive . . . Barely. 

This past week, I just started a new job.  The hours are killer, and it's pretty demanding.  Even though reading is a top priority, by the time I get home at night, I'm too exhausted to spend much time doing it.  Also, the job doesn't allow me anytime to just kick my feet up and crack a good book open.  Needless to say, not much reading is getting done, and I haven't had a chance to even begin contemplating Theme Song Saturday this week.  It has been an Epic-Failure type of blogging week/month/year . . . *sigh*  I hope, once I finally get into the swing of this new job and my schedule, posting will resume with some regularity.  Until then, I'm sorry for being a flake and absent.  Thanks for sticking with me!

Thank God for audio books and car radio!

*hugs*

Book Review — Succubus Blues

Title:  Succubus Blues
Author:  Richelle Mead
Genre:  Urban fantasy
Pages:  Paperback, 360
Publisher:  Zebra (reprint edition), August 2010
ISBN:  978-0-8217-8077-0
Opening Lines:  "Statistics show that most mortals will sell their souls for five reasons: sex, money, power, revenge, and love.  In that order."

Rating

"When it comes to jobs in hell, being a succubus seems pretty glamorous. A girl can be anything she wants, the wardrobe is killer, and mortal men will do anything just for a touch. Granted, they often pay with their souls, but why get technical?

"But Seattle succubus Georgina Kincaid's life is far less exotic. At least there's her day job at a local bookstore—free books; all the white chocolate mochas she can drink; and easy access to bestselling, sexy writer, Seth Mortensen, aka He Whom She Would Give Anything to Touch but Can't.

"But dreaming about Seth will have to wait. Something wicked is at work in Seattle's demon underground. And for once, all of her hot charms and drop-dead one-liners won't help because Georgina's about to discover there are some creatures out there that both heaven and hell want to deny . . ."

~ Jacket copy

This has been on my to-read list for quite awhile.  However, I never remember to pick it up when I'm shopping for books, and it has never crossed my mind to track it down at the library.  Despite the fact that I adore our library, it would be a miracle if they had it.  While I was at our local used bookstore with my mom, I discovered the vast majority of this series on the shelves and decided to finally take the plunge.  Plus, $3.50 was not that bad of a price.
 

Georgina has been in a slump lately.  She is only willing to feed on the less than savory characters when she needs a fix.  And even that is rather grudgingly.  Unfortunately, because of her nature as a succubus, she refuses to date, get close to men, and tries to keep her male interactions to the local immortal population: demons, vampires, angels, etc.  However, she doesn't expect to fall for her favorite author or get swept off of her feet by a dashing linguistics professor.  Of course, since even kissing someone means sucking their life force, this really spells trouble for Georgie.  And, if that isn't enough, some of the local immortals are being killed and beat up by some unknown assailant.

With all of this on her plate—and working at a local bookstore with tons of wonderful books to read—what is a girl to do?
  

I'm not really sure what I expected when I started this book.  To be honest, it wasn't necessarily what I got.  The author put an interesting spin on the succubi and their possible dilemmas.  In a lot of ways, it reminded me of Highlander and asking whether immortality was truly worth it.

It was rather interesting that the book wasn't full of torrid sex scenes.  The title and main character would suggest otherwise.  That being said, however, there were a few steamy scenes later in the book.  To me, it seemed as though the author wanted to make the less a part of Georgina's story.  Further, she really focused on character development and didn't race through the plot.  It was a neat turn.  

The little snippets of Georgina's past were really neat, and it was able to give a lot of depth to the character.  I found myself desperately wanting to know more of what happened; however, it might completely ruin the story.  The other characters were mostly sideliners and didn't have a large role.  They might end up playing bigger parts later in the book.

The relationship between Jerome and Carter reminded me an awful lot of Crowley and Aziraphale.  Granted, it was less comedic and reminded me of a longstanding bond/brotherhood, but the similarities were there nonetheless.  It makes me wonder how the author is going to play with that one.

My biggest beef with this book was the killer's true identity.  For me, when the audience first meets them, it was obvious to me.  At some level, I'm not really sure why Georgina didn't figure it out before.  However, the twist involving the killer was a bit too farfetched for me, so that one kind of blindsided me.

All in all, this was an enjoyable read.  If you're looking for a good, light urban fantasy, this one should definitely be on the list!

Current Pages: 9196
Current Progress:

32/50 books

Theme Song Saturday

Welcome to Theme Song Saturdays, a new weekly meme, hosted by yours truly, in which we share our love of music and books! Since I love books and music, this meme is for fun to try to incorporate those two loves! Whenever I read a book, a certain song -- kind of like a soundtrack or theme song -- plays through my head.

Want to know how to play? Head over to the Theme Song Saturday introduction post to read the rules and get the code.

Here's my pick this week:

Succubus by Five Finger Death Punch makes me think of all Georgina's victims, at to a lesser extent, the succubus herself.  Even though she made the choice, she still suffers with her inability to get close to a living person for fear of sucking their life.     

What's yours?  Leave a link in the comments to your post ^_^

Ravenhurst Promo Blitz!

Book Info

Ravenhurst by Lorraine Beaumont
Publication Date: June 17, 2013
(Special Key Edition New Adult time travel romance not recommended for readers under the age of 17.)

Katherine Nicole Jamison never imagined when she took a job at a prestigious auction house for the summer, that one moment of impulsiveness could change her life forever. When she "borrows" an ancient amulet she inadvertently sets in motion a series of events which results in her waking up in 18th century England, betrothed to an arrogant, self-centered Earl.

Sebastian de Winter ~ The Earl of Ravenhurst, is a renowned womanizer who always prided himself as being a ladies man, until he is left standing at the altar. His betrothed vanishes into thin air and as if by magic reappears months later. But is she his betrothed?

Ravenhurst ~ a once forgotten legend, locked somewhere within the gloomy confines of this ancient edifice is the key that will unlock the door of time itself. This book contains the first and second book in the series

________________________________

Ravenhurst - is a spellbinding time-travel romance with unexpected twists and turns. Funny characters, dysfunctional hotties, and heroine's who aren't normal, trying to cope in a time that is not their own.

A once forgotten legend, locked somewhere within the gloomy confines of this ancient edifice is the key that will unlock the door of time itself.

Author Bio:

I am the author of the Ravenhurst Series -a time-travel paranormal romance, written with an ensemble cast of characters -Forgotten Time, Shadows of Yesterday, Time to Remember are all available now and the fourth installment Dreams of Tomorrow will be coming this year 2013.

I also write YA/contemporary urban fantasy with a kick-The Gathering Series about Gargoyles. Elyograg, Gargoyle and The Gathering Series Vol. 1 are now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Author Links:

blog: http://www.lbeaumont.blogspot.com
twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LBeaumont_
goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5819259.Lorraine_Beaumont
pinterest: http://pinterest.com/lbeaumontbooks/
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lorraine.beaumont.14

Book Review — The Cold Dish

Title:  The Cold Dish
Author:  Craig Johnson
Genre:   Western mystery/contemporary fiction
Pages:  Oversize paperback, 354
Publisher:  Penguin, December 2004
ISBN:  978-0-14-303642-5
Opening Lines:  "'Bob Barnes says they got a dead body out on BLM land.  He's on line one.'"

Rating

"After twenty-four years as sheriff of Wyoming's Absaroka County, Walt Longmire's hopes of finishing out his tenure in peace are dashed when Cody Pritchard is found dead near the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. Two years earlier, Cody had been one of four high school boys given suspended sentences for raping a local Cheyenne girl. Somebody, it would seem, is seeking vengeance, and Longmire might be the only thing standing between the three remaining boys and a Sharps .45-70 buffalo rifle.

"With lifelong friend Henry Standing Bear, Deputy Victoria Moretti, and a cast of characters both tragic and humorous enough to fill the vast emptiness of the high plains, Walt Longmire attempts to see that revenge, a dish best served cold, is never served at all."

~ Jacket copy

After seeing the ads all over the place and realizing it took place in Wyoming, I did a marathon session of Longmire season one in hopes of catching season two at the get-go.  And imagine my surprise when I discovered it was a series written by an author in Ucross, Wyo.!  Of course, I wanted to read the books; however, buying more novels was really not in my budget.  Unfortunately, Craig Johnson came to our local bookstore for a Q&A session and a book signing.  Since my parents were back in Wyo. visiting and I had gotten them addicted to Longmire, we all went down to the bookstore, bought the first book, and had them signed.  It was a blast!  And Craig is so funny and very personable!  

Three years after his wife's death, Walt Longmire is look forward to possible retirement.  However, if you ask Vik, his transplant from Philly, he really hasn't been present the last three years.  Whether for good or ill, that all changes when the body of Cody Pritchard is found on BLM land by sheep herders.  After the body had been munched by the animals, shit and pissed on by the sheep, and exposed to the elements, it seemed rather hard to rule it as anything but a hunting accident.  However, after close inspection, they discover Cody was shot with a Sharps Buffalo Rifle, which is a collectible antique.  In addition, an eagle feather was left on the body.  Since Cody was part of a group of boys that raped a Cheyenne girl, Walt wonders whether this murder traces back to the reservation and the girl's relatives.

Walt is in a race against time to find the perp and save the remaining boys from the same fate.  However, even though he is a good sheriff, he struggles with the fact that the boys got off with hardly a slap on the wrist.  And there isn't a person in town, including his best friend, who wouldn't have wanted the boys dead.

This was a very interesting start to the series.  I wasn't expecting it the tackle such a huge issue as the rape of a girl with fetal alcohol syndrome.  Further, the hatred of the boys in the town and on the Rez was another big issue to deal with.  Honestly, the author did a good job in handling it.

Walt is a really good, down-to-earth character.  For me, he really seemed like an "every man" in a lot of ways.  He has been the sheriff of a small town for a long time, dealing with the death of his wife, and his daughter lives across the country.  Even though he went to school in California and served in Vietnam, he is still a small town man.  And, to be honest, that is what I like about him.  The author did a wonderful job of capturing the Wyoming native/cowboy.  It was obvious he knew his stuff and was very familiar with the lifestyle out here.

Aside from Walt, Henry practically made the book.  Their relationship, friendly bantering, and Henry's diction had me continue reading.  He is marvelously hilarious!  Plus, it takes a saint to be able to put up with Walt the way he does.  I cannot wait to see more of this character.

The storyline was definitely engaging, and it took me by surprise when we finally find out the identity of the perp.  That being said, I felt it was too loose a fit for who it turns out to be.  Without giving anything away, it is really hard to discuss.  Also, even though the spiritual elements were interesting in relation to the Sharps Buffalo Rifle, it seemed to come out of the blue and rather extraneous while Walt is trying to save George and Henry.  I found myself skipping large sections of text because it just drug on.  Plus, it felt as though Walt was tripping on some heavy narcotics.  And, because it's my biggest pet peeve, there were editing issues.  It didn't distract from the book, but another round of editing would have helped.

After listening to Craig Johnson speak and watching Longmire, I am very curious to see how the series progresses.  It is wonderful to read a book about the state I grew up in and will always love as my home!  He is able to really capture the beauty, magic, and lifestyle of Wyo., and that is refreshing.  

Current Pages: 8836
Current Progress:

31/50 books