Book Review -- Death Masks

Title: Death Masks
Author: Jim Butcher
Genre: Urban fantasy
Pages: Paperback, 374
Published: 2003
Opening Lines: "Some things are just not meant to go together. Things like oil and water. Orange juice and toothpaste."

"Harry Dresden, Chicago's only practicing professional wizard, should be happy that business is pretty good for a change. But now he's getting more than be bargained for.

"A duel with the Red Court of Vampires' champion, who must kill Harry to end the war between vampires and wizards.

"Professional hit men using Harry for target practice . . .

"The missing Shroud of Turin . . .

"A handless and headless corpse the Chicago police need identified . . .

"Not to mention the return of Harry's girlfriend Susan, who is still struggling with her semivampiric nature. And who seems to have a new man in her life.

"Some days, it just doesn't pay to get out of bed. No matter how much you're changing."

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts: It seems that the Dresden Files keep progressively getting better or stay on the same level with previous books -- minus the first. After the fight with the Fae queens, I was wondering what else Harry could bring down on his head. However, starting with his performance of the Larry Fowler Show, things start going down hill fast. In an attempt to stop the impending war between the White Council and the Red Court, Harry willing to enters into a duel with Ortega, who he cannot possibly defeat. At the same time, a strange body shows up. With the nature of the wounds, missing limbs, and sans head, Murphy calls Harry in for his professional thoughts. And, if this isn't enough, a priest from the Vatican approaches him about returning the stolen Shroud of Turin. If you're a reader of the Dresden Files, you know that all of these things work together to form the plot of the book.

When I first started the book, I thought the battle with Ortega would take up more of the book. However, with the outcome, Butcher has promised that we will not see the last of the Red Court. The book's primary concern is the Shroud of Turin, the mysterious body, and other nefarious characters.

I really like the concept of the Denarians. They were freaky, but extremely well thought out. I appreciated that Butcher took the time to give each Fallen a different aspect, nature, and personality. Granted, only a few showed up in the novel. He also sparked my interest in Nicodemus. I'm really hoping he will show up in later books. After the episode in the train, I'm sure he has a vendetta to pick with Harry.

While I missed Susan, it seemed cruel to Harry to bring her back. However, Butcher was able to give them a better closing/parting than in the previous books.

My biggest issue with the book was the constant inconsistency in the spelling of blond. On one page, it would be spelled with an 'e' and the next page not. However you choose to spell it, keep it consistent. Further, I wish the main part of the action didn't take place a few pages from the end. Also, it seems kind of strange that a vampire can get drunk . . . *shrug*

All in all, I enjoyed the book. I like how the ending pulled the audience back to the beginning. And I cannot help but wonder what it means for Harry with the sword.

Rating:
Currently: The Vampire of New York by Lee Hunt
Current Pages: 24512
Current Progress:

68/50 books

Book Review -- Viper Moon

Title: Viper Moon
Author: Lee Roland
Genre: Urban fantasy
Pages: Paperback, 332
Published: 2011
Opening Lines: "Mama wanted me to be a veterinarian. She'd probably have settled for a nurse, teacher, or a grocery story clerk."

In the small town of Duivel, Missouri, Darkness awaits . . .

"Cassandra Archer is the Huntress. She has faithfully served the Earth Mother for years, rescuing kidnapped children from monsters -- both human and supernatural -- dwelling in the abandoned ruins of the Barrows district of Duivel, Missouri.

"When Detective Flynn's twelve-year-old sister goes missing, he suspects her was taken to the Barrows, and he goes to Cass for help. The two clash, but Cass still finds herself irresistibly drawn to the tough, no-nonsense cop.

"After another child goes missing, all clues point to a cataclysmic event during the next dark moon. Cass and Flynn must race against the clock to save the children and prevent a sacrifice that could destroy the entire town . . ."

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts: One thing that will turn me off of a book is bad editing. The inconsistencies were so glaring in this book, I am surprised it even made it past the first round of editing! That is my biggest beef with this book. To start with, the main character makes it clear that her friend Abby is not a psychic; however, no more than five pages later, she is going on and on about Abby's wonderful ability to tell the future. Then, about 100 pages from the end of the book, she is again saying that Abby is a psychic. In another instances, she makes it clear that a low-life, scumbag took Maxie with aspirations of making a quick buck with a badly put together kiddie porn. However, later in the book, it comes out that Maxie was not kidnapped by this low-life, but was taken by the biggest dude int he kiddie porn business. What? Did I miss something?

Even though later it turns out to be rather justified, I couldn't understand Cass's belligerent attitude towards the Earth Mother. If you are called into her service, act has her Huntress, and have her as a pseudo-deity, I don't understand getting in her face and calling her a bitch or a whore.

Another thing, read history and mythology before you slap names onto deified characters. The Darkness is named Aiakos, which is the name a king in Greek mythology. This king was renowned in all of Greece for his justice and piety. Explain that to me in relation to the Darkness!

Aside from the glaring issues, this book wasn't terrible. It provided a little bit of entertainment, but it was a meh read for me. It didn't have a wow-factor, or anything that really stuck out to me. If you're looking for an extremely mindless read with some good action, steamy sex scenes, and a lot of guns and ammo, then pick this one up.

For explanation purposes, I am giving this two stars because I cannot get over the poor editing and the inability of the author to even crack a history book and do a little research. Others, however, might really enjoy this mind-numbing read.

Rating: ☆ ☆
Currently: Dead on the Delta by Stacey Jay
Current Pages: 18364
Current Progress:

51/50 books

Book Review -- Mockingjay

Title: Mockingjay
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: YA
Pages: Hardback, 380
Published: 2010
Opening Lines: "I stare down at my shoes, watching as a fine layer of ash settles on the worn leather. This is where the bed I shared with my sister, Prim, stood. Over there was the kitchen table."

"Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

"It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans -- except Katniss.

"The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay -- no matter what the personal cost."

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts: With Katniss' rescue from the Quarter Quell and the uprising of the Districts, I really wondered how Collins was going to wrap this series up. The book starts sometime after Katniss is brought to District 13. She has been there long enough to get the lay of the land, find her hiding spots, etc. After being rescued, left out of the scheme, and leaving Peeta behind, she is completely broken and fractured; a mirror of her former self.

President Coin, the leader of District 13, and several other key members want Katniss to finally take up the role as Mockingjay and spearhead the rebellion. However, this doesn't mean being on front lines and fighting with the people. No, she has to become a TV star. Wearing Cinna's final costume, she must strut around with amazing engineered weapons and pretend.

Most of the book is spent following Katniss wander around District 13, struggle with her role of the Mockingjay, dealing wit her feelings towards Peeta, and just trying to hold it together. Unlike the other books, this is not a Katniss we are familiar with. In a lot of ways, her despondence feels very put on a self-involved. In Catching Fire, she kind of struggles with the idea of starting this revolution; however, she seems to run from it in the final installment.

I'm not sure what to say about this book. By far, it was not my favorite in the series. I felt how they handled Finnick's character was completely foreign to what we were shown in Catching Fire. I couldn't understand the willingness to follow President Coin when she seemed as corrupt as Snow. However, when faced with this rebellion, I feel that Collins is trying to broach the issue of war and what lengths people will go to. I find her commentary the strongest in the treatment of Katniss' prep team and the traps Beetee and Gale are creating. In an effort to overthrow the corruption of President Snow, the rebellion is no better. It is a slippery slope.

All in all, I did enjoy the book. Wanting to know exactly how it ended, I was driven through it. My problems reside with the treatment of some of the characters, Katniss' despondence, and the treatment of District 13. In addition, while it does wrap up the story, I felt as though something was missing. I felt that Collins could have dug into things a little more deeply. But, as it sits now, I feel that she barely scratched the surface.

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Currently: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Pages: 8578
Current Progress:

25/50 books

Book Review -- Catching Fire

Title: Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: YA
Pages: Hardback, 391
Published: 2009
Opening Lines: "I clasp my flask between my hands even though the warmth from the tea has long since leached into the frozen air. My muscles are clenched tight against the cold."

"Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Game. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mallark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol -- a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

"Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying."

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts: After The Hunger Games, I wasn't sure how Collins would be able to follow it up. The book was so intense and jammed packed with action, excitement, heartache, and political commentary that I wasn't sure how Catching Fire would compare. After finishing it, I'm speechless. Everything in this book is more.

Once again, I am struck by how Collins is able to pull the audience into the story with Katniss. While the story does not have the same action level as the first book, the political intrigue is greater and Collins sets you up to pull the audience deeper into the story.

It is really hard to talk about this book and dissect it. It is as the name suggests, a catching fire. Katniss learns more about herself, the depth of the corruption in the Capitol, the oppression of all the Districts around her, etc. Because of the lessons learned and the development in the characters, this book was much, much deeper and had more impact to me.

Needless to say, once I finished this book, there was no way I could wait for the library! My hubby and I went on a quest to find Mockingjay at Wal*Mart, K-Mart, and finally gave up and bought it at Hastings! Collins and her cliffhangers are something else entirely!


Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Currently: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Pages: 8188
Current Progress:

24/50 books

Book Review & Reading Challenge

Title: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: YA
Pages: Hardback, 374
Published: 2008
Opening Lines: "When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold. My fingers stretch out, seeking Prim's warmth but finding only the rough canvas cover of the mattress."

"In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on life TV.

"Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to death before -- and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love."

~Jacket copy

Thoughts: Simply put, wow. I had an idea what this book was when I picked it up. A friend of mine suggested it to me, and I admit to being extremely curious about it. But, wow, knowing doesn't really prepare you for the book. I have a lot of thoughts about this book, but I'm honestly not sure if I could express them.

The story was amazing and the plot was very well played. While I felt that Collins didn't hold back, it was easy to believe that the audience was following a 16 year-old girl. I enjoyed the narrative style she used and the POV. Using the first person present tense really put the reader into Katniss' head, as well as placing them in the thick of the action. Because of this, Katniss' internal struggle with the Games and her feelings towards Peeta felt like my own.

It was hard to read about children being put in this God-awful situations and forced to become little more than animals for entertainment. Granted, I understand some of the motivation behind the Capitol's power play, but that doesn't make it any better or any easier. The horror of this misuse of children is then increased by adding all of the Gamekeepers' actions to increase viewership and sponsor interest. It really makes you take a closer look at our capitalistic society.

The end of the book was no less then heart rending! Once the Games have finally ended, you hope for some small sliver of hope, but you are denied it. Once I finished it, I quickly put the next book on hold at the library! Sadly, it is checked out This book definitely goes on my list of "The Best Books of All Time."

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Currently: Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Pages: 6943
Horror/Urban Fantasy Challenge: 14/24
Current Progress:

21/50 books

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Welcome to the 50 Books in 2011 Challenge! Every year, I try to read at least 50 books. It keeps me reading and helps me keep track of what I've read. This year I thought I would extend the challenge to anyone willing to take it on!

To sign up you MUST make a post on your blog about participating in the challenge -- you then use the URL of the post to sign up to the challenge by adding it to Mr. Linky below.

You must add the button to your sidebar -- make sure that it links back to this post so others can join the challenge if they wish. Easiest way to do this is to copy and paste the code displayed!

Challenge Details

• Timeline: 01 Jan 2011 - 31 Dec 2011

• Rules: To read FIFTY (50) novels in 2011 (50 is the minimum, but you can read more if you wish!)

• You don't have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront you can change them, nothing is set in stone! The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.

• You can join anytime.