Archive for ‘reading’

November 5th, 2012

Book Recommendation – Throne of Glass

by Holly Dodson

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)Throne of Glass

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her… but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead… quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

 

You may remember that not long ago I read and recommended three novellas written by Sarah Maas.  Well THRONE OF GLASS is what happens after the novellas, continuing with Celaena’s story.  Which is awesome, right?  Because getting more of a character/world you’ve fallen in love with is always a good thing.  ;)

Really guys, once you pick up one book by Sarah Maas, you’ll realize how awesome they all are.  Her writing is very detailed and warm.  It pulls you in with voice and holds you tight with a fast-paced story that will completely gut you.  It’s awesome.  I have loved every single one of Sarah’s books, and this was no exception.

I would recommend you start with the novellas, but you don’t really *have* to to understand the story.  It just makes it richer in my eyes.  I was glad I already knew why Celaena acted the way she did in some scenes — and in depth — because then I was right there with her.

Argh, it’s hard to review this without spoilers everywhere!  Hehe.  Because I have very spoilerish things I’d like to shout at the world about this book (good things, of course), but I’m going to hold that in and just say: read it.  Escape our world in favor of one full of mystery, intrigue, magic, and love.  You won’t regret it.

Have any of you read TOG yet?  What’d you think?

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October 23rd, 2012

Book Recommendation – Across the Universe

by Holly Dodson

Across the Universe (Across the Universe, #1)Across the Universe

 
A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn’t do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed’s hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there’s only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

 
I know I’m late on this bandwagon, but still…what a great book!  What I liked most was the balance between plot and character development.  There always seemed to be just enough of each, never allowing the story to get too slow OR too fast.
 
I also very much enjoyed the dual POV in this book — getting to jump between Elder’s and Amy’s heads gave a depth to the story that it couldn’t have had if it were told from a single POV.  Which made it feel *necessary* that there were these dualing chapters between the characters, instead of it being a devise.  Which, you know, sometimes that happens.  But not here.
 
The story is super compelling, and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time…squirming, if I’m honest.  ;)
 
It’s a great story, and I highly reccomend it.  Though be careful of handing it to younger YA readers – read it yourself first.
 
Have you guys read it yet?  What’d you think?

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October 3rd, 2012

Book Recommendation: The Writer’s Tale

by Holly Dodson
Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale: The Final Chapter

Doctor Who: The Writer’s Tale: The Final Chapter

A fascinating look at the creative life of the hit BBC series, Doctor Who: The Writer’s Tale is executive producer Russell T. Davies’ personal tour of the Doctor’s universe. A unique collection of correspondence between Russell and writer Benjamin Cook, the book explores in detail Russell’s work on Doctor Who Series 4, revealing how he plans the series and works with the show’s writers. Fully illustrated with script pages, personal notes, and never-before-seen photos and artwork, The Writer’s Tale is a love letter to television, and a fitting tribute to one of the most popular family dramas of all time.
(That description is for the first book published, but The Final Chapter — as seen on the left — is the second installment.  It includes the whole first book plus 300 more pages of content as Russell wrote his final special episodes for Doctor Who.)

First of all, this is not a book about How To Write.  Russell even says so himself in the emails he has with Ben.  This is an open and honest glimpse inside the head of one of the greatest TV writers (in my opinion) of all time.

The very first thing that caught me about this book was how Russell’s voice jumps off the page.  He’s hilarious and insightful and I don’t care what he’s writing about, I could read it FOREVER and never lose interest.  His voice is just that strong.  And in nearly 700 pages of emails and text messages, NEVER ONCE did this book drag.

I found myself (more than once) literally laughing out loud, worried I’d wake Super Spawn because I couldn’t stop laughing at what was on the page. As a writer, there was so much of this book I could relate to — watching the in-the-moment feelings of writing something new of a writer of Russell’s caliber, and seeing the same fears and anxieties that I have is…well, enlightening to say the least.

And as a Doctor Who fan, it adds a whole new depth of understanding to the stories and the workings of the show itself.

I can honestly, and without hesitation, say that this is the best book I’ve ever read about writing.  Ever.  Bar none.  And it skyrocketed it’s way up there to be one of my Favorite Books Ever.  That’s pretty huge.

There isn’t a better word to describe this book than BRILLIANT. It’s hilarious and inspiring and heartfelt and so, so much more.

I really can’t recommend it enough.  Just ask Erinn, I’ve been gushing about it for a week as I was reading it.  ;)

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September 24th, 2012

Currently…

by Holly Dodson

Apparently this is a meme that has been filtering around a lot lately.  I’ve heard  Katy Upperman, Kate Hart and Jessica Love have all had a hand in this.  Saw my friend Ghenet joined in, and thought it looked pretty fun, so here we go:

 

Loving…

Superspawn.  (Is that a copout?)  He’s such an amazing, smart, funny little guy.  Sometimes I find myself wishing I could just sit and watch him all day long at whatever he’s doing so I won’t miss a single thing.  But naturally he’d never allow that.  If he catches me watching him too closely he asks, “Mom, why are you staring at me like that?  It’s kinda creepy.”  *sigh*

 

 

Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale: The Final Chapter

Reading…

The Writer’s Tale by Russell T. Davies and Benjamin Cook

I’ve kinda turned into an RTD fangirl, and I am LOVING this book.  Now, it’s about a million pages long, and may take me forever to finish, but I’m enthralled.  Can’t put it down.  The whole book is uncensored emails between RTD and Ben as the 4th series of Who is being written — all the stress, fear, and everything.

 

 

Watching…

 

Doctor Who, always.  Season 7 is up to the 4th episode.  I’ll admit I’m maybe the most excited about what’s to come in the Christmas episode though.  I just love this show — all of it.  Every episode has something wonderful in it.  Can’t get enough.  Even though the fall finale is next week, with a break until Christmas, I’ll still be watching (or rather, re-watching).  That’s the best part of Doctor Who — no matter how many times I watch the episodes I still laugh or cry or grin like an idiot.  They never get old.

 

 

Thinking About…

 

Oh goodness, everything.  Getting a new car, the trip to Disney we’re taking in November, work, a couple of stories on the brain…you name it, I’m probably thinking about it in some capacity.

 

 

Anticipating…

 

Life getting back to normal.  Once all this car business finally gets settled I’m really hopeful that life will regain some semblance of ease in our day-to-day routine.  One can hope.

 

 

Wishing…

 

That for just once something could turn out in my favor.  God, that sounds horribly glum, but it’s how I’m feeling in the moment.  My sister and I joke all the time about how I always wind up with the short end of the stick — but it’s not even a joke, because I really do.  No matter what.

 

 

Making Me Happy…

 

I got to talk to Super Spawn’s teacher the other day and learned that he’s doing outstandingly well academically.  He’s the youngest in his class, so still has some behavioral areas he’s behind in (naturally), but I’m incredibly happy to hear he’s ahead of the curve in academics.  If kids fall behind in kindergarten, it can really hurt their future success.  It’s something I’ve worked very hard for, to get him there, and I will continue to.  The behavioral stuff will come with time — he’s as much as a year younger than some of the kids in his class, and when you’re five, that’s a LOT.

  

 

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July 24th, 2012

Happy Book Birthday

by Holly Dodson

 

The day has finally come for SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY’s release into the world!!  So I’d like to wish a very happy book birthday to Susan.

I’m going to run out to the book store right now to spot it on the shelf!  (Yes, I pre-ordered it long ago, but I still want to see it in the actual store.)

 (((Edited to add pictures of the actual book in the actual store!!)))

 

 

SS&D among some AWESOME company!

On the BEST IN TEEN table! Woot!

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July 13th, 2012

Book of the Week: Something Strange and Deadly

by Holly Dodson
Something Strange and Deadly (Something Strange and Deadly #1)

Something Strange and Deadly

 
The year is 1876, and there’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…

Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—

The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.

And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.

Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.

 
I have been waiting a very long time to finally post my review of this book.  After all, it’s special to me.  Susan was my first serious critique partner (that it sounds like dating is fitting, as finding that first crit partner you know you can trust is a big thing), and watching this book go from those early drafts to what it is now has been…amazing.
 
Okay, I could gush about how awesome Sooz is all day, but lets get on with the show!
 
Eleanor is such a fun character to read.  She’s smart, opinionated, and willing to go after what she wants no matter the consequences.  Being the daughter of an overbearing mother doesn’t bring her down either.  If anything, it adds fuel to the fire for Eleanor to find her brother, whom she believes the dead have taken.
 
When the Spirit-Hunters step into the picture, things get really interesting.  First of all, Daniel will make you swoon!  Like, full on SWOON.  And Joseph — the leader of the Spirit-Hunters – is one of my favorite characters ever.  He’s a Creole gentleman who is doing his best to put the Dead back where they belong, battling evil spirits along the way.  The thing I love about his character is how much depth he has.  He’s caring, yet keeping secrets, and bold yet refined.  Pluse I love, love, love his Creole dialect.
 
Every ounce of this story is packed with mystery and action.  There are twists at every turn, and you won’t see them coming.  From tugging on your romantic side to shiver-inducing encounters with the Dead, there isn’t a page of this book that won’t keep you wrapped in its spell.
 
THE BEST PART is that it releases in ELEVEN days!!  July 24th, SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY will be available for everyone!  (Click through to visit the SS&D website to watch the book trailer!)  So go ahead and pre-order it or plan your trip to the bookstore, because I promise you don’t want to miss this one!

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July 6th, 2012

Book of the Week: Divergent by Veronica Roth

by Holly Dodson

Divergent (Divergent, #1)Divergent

by Veronica Roth

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she’s chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she’s kept hidden from everyone because she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her.

 

The one thing that struck me with this book was how incredibly real it all felt.  The world, the characters, everything about this society has a ring of truth as you read it.  Roth makes it easy to imagine that a society like this could exist in our future, and I think that’s because of her intricate attention to detail.  Really, not a single bit of information was missed in building this future world.

Tris is probably the best part of it all.  Her character is flawed and easy to like, she’s impulsive yet careful — she has all the contradictory, yet normal, thoughts and actions of any teenager.  That absolutely brings the story to life. 

Four is a huge part of the success of this story as well, in my opinion.  I won’t go into any detail, as I don’t want to spoil any plot points, but suffice it to say that he’ll keep you guessing.

It’s not often that a book sticks with me enough to take me there in my dreams, but this one did.  It crept into my thoughts for days after reading it, which tells you something right there.  If you haven’t read DIVERGENT yet (sometimes I think I was the last one on this boat), then you should.  It is fantastic.

Photobucket

Also, I’d like to direct you to another review from the SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY ARC Tour over at The Book Slayer, who says, “This book rated right up there with Divergent and Angefall.”

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May 25th, 2012

Books of the Week — three novellas by Sarah J. Maas

by Holly Dodson

 

These three novellas (and a fourth due out in July) by Sarah J. Maas are leading up to the beginning of her debut YA novel THRONE OF GLASS, which is coming out August 7, 2012 from Bloomsbury!

 

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord (Throne of Glass, #0.1)




The Assassin and the Desert (Throne of Glass, #0.2)

The Assassin and the Underworld (Throne of Glass, #0.3)

 

 

I’m not going to give you the blurb for all three because that would make this the most massive blog post ever, but each cover is linked to their goodreads page so you can click through and see what each novella is all about!

The first thing I have to say about these books is how much I LOVE Celaena, the main character.  She’s feisty (and not just a little bit kickass) and at the same time quite girlie…which is a lot of fun.  I think the best thing about Celaena is that even though she is this awe-inspiring assassin who can take down pretty much any adversary, she is still completely relatable.

Every character in Maas’s books is a complete 3D, fully fleshed out person.  Never once are you left feeling like you didn’t have a full grasp on what makes a character tick.

Also, let me just throw it out there that this lady knows how to write some action!  Swords and fists are flying through all three stories as Celaena is put in some seriously tough spots.

But do you want to hear the best part?  Do ya?  His name is Sam.  ;)   Oh. My. Gravy.  Maas can WRITE some romantic tension!  (The Assassin and the Underworld is FANTASTICALLY full of this.  Oh so yummy.  Well, they all are really, but this one is my favorite so far.  Ha!)

Okay, really, I could gush all day long over these books, but the bottom line is: READ THEM.  All three will keep you on the edge of your seat begging for more.  Promise.

Now I just wish it were July so I could have the next one…

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April 30th, 2012

The Towering TBR

by Holly Dodson

I don’t know about you guys, but my to-be-read (TBR) pile is about to topple over if I don’t pay it some serious attention soon.  So I thought it’d be fun to compare what we’ll be reading as we step into May.  (I cannot believe April is over!  Where the heck did it go?!)

On my Nook I’ve got three books waiting for me (the covers link to their Goodreads pages):

Spell Bound (Hex Hall, #3) The Dark Divine (The Dark Divine, #1)

The Lost Saint (The Dark Divine, #2)

One that I’ve preordered and will appear magically tomorrow:

The Assassin and the Underworld (Throne of Glass, #0.3)
And I’ve got two hard-copy books on my nightstand:
Divergent (Divergent, #1) The Vespertine (The Vespertine, #1)
I think I’m in for a pretty great month of reading!
What have you guys got on your TBR?  Have you read any of mine yet?

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April 13th, 2012

Book of the Week: Goddess Interrupted

by Holly Dodson

Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test, #2)Goddess Interrupted

Kate Winters has won immortality.

But if she wants a life in the Underworld with Henry, she’ll have to fight for it.

Becoming immortal wasn’t supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she’s as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he’s becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate’s coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.

As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.

Henry’s first wife, Persephone.

 

This is the second book in THE GODDESS TEST trilogy.  I very much enjoyed THE GODDESS TEST.  So the second installment was something I had been looking forward to ever since finishing.  Lucky me even wound up with an ARC thanks to NetGalley!

Now, first of all, this was a crazy intense ride through the underworld this time.  There’s heaps more romantic tension, loads of action and fighting, and then there’s Persephone.

Ah, Persephone adds a whole new layer of tension to the Henry/Kate story.

What I enjoyed most about this installment wasn’t necessarily the romance this time though, it was the action.  You’re never quite sure who could possibly get out of this alive or who was about to be lost forever.

It’s good, people.

Fair warning though, the ending is a cliffhanger that will make you want to scream.  :)   I think Carter has been taking notes from Rachel Hawkins on endings.

Have you read GODDESS INTERRUPTED?  What did you think?

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