Tag Archives: book review

Dec 20 2013
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Chronicles of an Obsessive Bookblogger: Reading Challenges

chronicles of an obsessive bookblogger

Reading Challenges

This is the first year that I’ve taken part in the Goodreads Reading Challenge, and I don’t know about you, but when I signed up I thought, “this could be a very bad idea.” You see, adding a reading challenge of any sort has the potential to suck some of the fun and spontaneity out of reading. I was worried that the end of the year would come around and I would be really disappointed if I didn’t hit my goal of 100 books.

Sure enough, around August I started paying attention to the little widget tracker as it helpfully informed me I was 8% behind schedule. Then October hit and I knew I was in trouble: I was a whopping 12% (thanks to easy math, exactly 12 books) behind my goal.

That meant I would have had to read 3.5 books per week to reach my goal by the end of the year (I average 1.75). Rationally, I knew it wasn’t going to happen – between family, work, blogging, and everything else that keeps my life so busy there was no way I was going to finish that many books a week. But, like any stubborn reader would, I tried…

I even came up with a game plan – I would read as many YA as I could because, let’s face it, they are the easiest to get through. Almost all of the adult speculative fiction on my shelves are well over 500 pages which take me at least a week to read. As you can imagine, it wasn’t long before I started to get really tired of reading all YA (I was focusing mostly on dystopian because I was doing a challenge for that as well). It felt like I was reading because I had to, and not because I wanted to. That’s NEVER good.

A few weeks ago, I finally threw in the towel. I was so tired of reading books that I knew would help me towards my goal that I randomly snatched an 800 page book off my shelf to reread and concentrated on that for a solid two weeks… it was bliss.

So what have I learned? It’s no fun to read things because you feel like you have to (even if they are really good books) and reading challenges can be stressful if you don’t pick goals that are consistent with your current reading habits.

In 2014, I’m going to start with 80 books as my Goodreads challenge goal and if I read more I’ll just bump it up accordingly at the end of the year. I’m still going to continue with the Dystopian Challenge (hosted by Blog of Erised), although I don’t think I will come anywhere near that 24+ books I read for it this year. Finally, I’m doing a Series Challenge (hosted by Read. Sleep. Repeat.) with the hopes that I can finish out a few of the dozens of unfinished series still hanging over my head. I’m worried about the last one mostly because I don’t want to feel obligated next year and I kind of already do when it comes to finishing what I start.

What about you? How many challenges do you have for yourself in 2014? Does participating stress you out like it does me?

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 19 2013
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Book Review: Rhapsody by Elizabeth Haydon

RhapsodyTitle: Rhapsody

Author: Elizabeth Haydon

Series: Symphony of Ages #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: Rhapsody is a woman, a Singer of some talent, who is swept up into events of world-shattering import. On the run from an old romantic interest who won’t take no for an answer, Rhapsody literally bumps into a couple of shady characters: half-breeds who come to her rescue in the nick of time. Only the rescue turns into an abduction, and Rhapsody soon finds herself dragged along on an epic voyage, one that spans centuries and ranges across a wonder-filled fantasy world– a world so real you can hear the sweet music of Rhapsody’s aubade and smell the smoldering forges deep within the Cauldron.

Rhapsody 2

The Review:

Finishing Rhapsody was my first step towards rereading this epic series by Elizabeth Haydon. The fact that I’m doing a reread at all should say something about how much I liked this series, espeically considering how many unread ones I still have on my shelves (I don’t usually pick up books I’ve already read more than once or twice a year… unless it’s an audio). I had three motivations behind the reread: I really enjoyed it the first time around (about ten years ago), I caught wind that the author is finally back to writing the series and wanted to get ready for the next release, and I felt compelled to figure out why I seldom recommended it even though I really liked it.

And what’s not to like? This book is the gateway into an epic world filled with unique cultures and histories unlike anything I’ve ever read before. It lets us explore the world through the eyes of several brilliant, vibrant characters who are incredibly likable and memorable despite their flaws. My favorite character, Achmed isn’t even human, but it’s his personality and interactions with the main heroine, Rhapsody, makes him the most entertaining and endearing in my eyes (he doesn’t even like her much, haha). Achmed, along with most of the characters, are so rounded that you don’t even scratch the surface of the mysteries surrounding them in this first book. Learning more about them was my main motivation to keep reading this series, and I have to say it didn’t disappoint!

So, why don’t I recommend this book even though I’ve just sung its praises? Because the first hundred pages (excluding the prologue) are among the most confusing and boring-assed of any that I’ve ever read. If not for a single thread of hope and interests in what was to come, I’m not sure I would’ve made it through the first time (much less the second). I just can’t bring myself to suggest it’s to people because a 100 page courtesy is too much to ask of a reader trying to find their next engaging book. It’s a shame too, because this really is one of the most memorable, unique fantasies I’ve ever read and would love to share the story as a whole with more people.

Overall, if you have the motivation (and time) to suffer a long winded book (and series) for an epic payoff, then you could possibly get the same enjoyment out of it as I have. Otherwise, perhaps stick to the great fantasy novels that provide a more, shall we say immediate gratification.

Recommended Reading: For brave fantasy readers who aren’t scared of long-winded authors. Also for those who don’t mind sex, violence, and language, as there’s a fair bit of all three.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 17 2013
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Coming Soon: The Widow’s House by Daniel Abraham

The widow's houseTitle: The Widow’s House

Author: by Daniel Abraham

Series: The Dagger and the Coin #4

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: August 5, 2014

The Overview: Lord Regent Geder Palliako’s war has led his nation and the priests of the spider goddess to victory after victory. No power has withstood him, except for the heart of the one woman he desires. As the violence builds and the cracks in his rule begin to show, he will risk everything to gain her love or else her destruction. Clara Kalliam, the loyal traitor, is torn between the woman she once was and the woman she has become. With her sons on all sides of the conflict, her house cannot stand, but there is a power in choosing when and how to fall. And in Porte Oliva, banker Cithrin bel Sarcour and Captain Marcus Wester learn the terrible truth that links this war to the fall of the dragons millennia before, and that to save the world, Cithrin must conquer it.

The widow's house 2

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

I am a huge, huge fan of this author! I consider his Long Price Quartet to be one of the best new generation fantasies on the market and was also blown away by his science fiction Leviathan Wakes (cowritten under the name James S. A. Corey). The Dagger and the Coin series is the last unexplored territory and I admit I’ve been kind of saving them for a rainy day – I just know they’re going to be amazing! Any of you out there who love authors like Goodkind, Hobb, and Feist, make room on your shelves for Daniel Abraham – he’s a keeper!

 What book are you waiting on?

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 16 2013
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Top Ten “New to Me” Authors I Read in 2013!

Top ten Tuesday pink

 Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten “New to Me” Authors I Read in 2013!

This year, I made a concerted effort to finish out all the books I had not yet read from my favorite adult authors. Because of this, I read practically no “new to me” fantasy authors… At least not any that I liked better than all of the great young adult books on my list. Next year, however, I feel is going to be a year of high fantasy – I just finished organizing my library yesterday and rediscovered dozens of awesome looking titles that are still begging for attention on my shelves.

What authors made your list this year?

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 14 2013
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Book Review: Enclave by Ann Aguirre

enclaveTitle: Enclave

Author: Ann Aguirre

Series: Enclave #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups–Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember. As a Huntress, her purpose is clear—to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning.

enclave

The Review:

Several months ago, I made the decision to read everything Ann Aguirre had on the market because I loved her Sirantha Jax series so much (so for all of you who visit The Obsessive Bookseller regularly, I’m sorry for being so repetitive, haha). I was particularly excited to pick up this series because I’d had it on my reading list even before I became fond of the author. I am glad to report that Enclave was every bit as enjoyable as her other books.

The characters were realistic and relatable (as usual) and the world building was totally immersive. I can say with confidence that I’ve never read anything quite like this book… It completely takes you into a new world filled with horrifying situations that would have me crying in a corner. What I liked about the protagonist, Deuce, is that she was every bit as frightened as I was but managed to draw on her inner strength to face it anyway. I appreciated her ability to adapt to each new situation and think for herself in a society that encourages the opposite.

Overall, the book was fast-paced, creepy as hell, and retained everything I’ve come to love and appreciate about this author. I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes next!

Recommended Reading: this book is perfect for fans of the post-apocalyptic genre – especially those who love zombie stories (for the record, I think good for a couple years in all things zombie). This book is also one that I would feel confident recommending to both men and women, which is a rare find in the heavily “romanced” teen section these days.

 Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 12 2013
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Book Review: Pawn by Aimee Carter

pawnTitle: Pawn

Author: Aimee Carter

Series: Blackcoat Rebellion #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: YOU CAN BE A VII. IF YOU GIVE UP EVERYTHING. For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country. If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister’s niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter. There’s only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that’s not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she’s only beginning to understand.

pawn

The Review:

I’ve noticed lately that it is more difficult for me to compose a review for a book that I really liked than one that I didn’t. In a 2 star review, all I have to do is focus on the facts and make it an impartial assessment of what did and didn’t work for me; but when I prepare a 4+ review, emotion enters the equation and I have to really push myself to keep it from being one long fangirl geekout. The thing is, I really want to do the book justice, describing exactly what I liked it so much, so I procrastinate… which is why you are getting this review now despite the fact that I finished Pawn ages ago.

Because I’ve taken so long to let this review percolate in my brain, I’ve been beaten to the punch by at least half a dozen other book bloggers (one’s that I’m following, obviously, because I’m sure countless others reviewed it before me, too). Eager to see what they thought, I was surprised to discover that most of them didn’t like Pawn nearly as much as I did. Many shared the objections that the characters were weak, the plot was thin, and the world needed more developing. What’s weird is that I can totally see why they felt that way about the book… but I still really liked it, anyway.

You see, despite the flaws, I truly loved the concept (a cool mesh of dystopian and a game of chess) for this story and thought the author told it with a great voice. It was one of those books that grabbed me right from the beginning and didn’t let up until the end. Carter introduced many difficult situations right off the bat in a way that showed the horrendous nature of this girl’s journey, but did so in a way that kept it light and age-appropriate (which I’ve come to understand is not nearly as important as it used to be). Anyway, all I have to say is, I dropped everything else I was reading to finish it, so that should speak for itself.

I do agree with my fellow bloggers in the sense that the characterization could’ve been a bit stronger. There were several events that I think affected me more profoundly than they did Kitty (the protagonist), which eventually made me resent her for not having more fight. To my eyes, she either had phenomenal survival sense… or was just plain callous. The side characters, on the other hand, had great motives (especially the villains) and I am eager to learn more about them because, as of yet, I feel we’ve only just scratched the surface.

If you think about the parameters of the world for too long, you will definitely notice some problems with it. However, because I liked the idea behind it so much, I was willing to overlook those issues in favor of just enjoying the story. It started out with this great momentum that you knew was building towards something epic. The trouble is, what I thought would’ve been turning point (and my favorite part of the book) was kind of skimmed over… leaving me feeling like if the author had taken a couple of days and really poured herself into the scene she would have had something truly special. It spoke to me of laziness (whether it actually was or not) and was really the only thing that knocked the book off its pedestal.

Overall, despite some issues, Pawn was still one of my favorite reads of the year. I even bought it in hardcover the day it came out.

Recommended Reading: I would recommend Pawn to people who like dystopians and don’t mind a slightly “fluffier” take on the genre.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes