The City of Dreaming Books

The City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers was a random book store browsing find. I was at the airport and had time to kill. I couldn't leave without this book.

This book reads like the style of Harry Potter. Fast, fanciful, and fun. With fantastic illustrations throughout the book.

I adored this book.

If you want something fun, a fanciful adventure with marvelous characters this is the book for you!

The Man with the Golden Torc

The Man with the Golden Torc by Simon R. Green

This is the first book in Simon Green's newest series "Secret Histories". I love anything this man writes.

I have been saving this book for a special occasion. And I decided that my trip to Florida for Tink's wedding didn't get any more special.

Did I mention that I love this man's writing style?

Funny, easy to read, creative as hell. Mr. Green is king when it comes to fun Sci Fi reading.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

Oh, where to begin.

My buddy Mike told my dad to read this one. WAY before Oprah by the way.

I had seen this, heard about it, and wanted to read it until.............

It made that damn Oprah list.

And well, stubborn mule that I am, as soon as Oprah tells people to read it, I avoid it like the plague.

But, Dad kept nagging me. Read it, read it. Did you get it yet? You have to go get it. READ IT!

Alright, alright, so I ordered it. I had to hunt around to find a copy that wasn't tainted by the Oprah sticker.

Ok, well, what can I say. I described it to a friend as One of THE BEST books I have ever read and one of THE WORST books I have ever read.

Does that even remotely make sense?

Given the wild swing in reviews if you check out Barnes and Nobles site, I'm not surprised I feel the way I do. It gets 1 star or 5 from people. Loved it or hated it.

I can admit that I felt both.

I saw a lot of my own dogs in this story. Not the well trained and obedient part. But the companion part.

I have given to calling Sophie my Lil Almondine.

The story in and of itself was disturbing and infuriating. But very well told.

The sign of a good author and a well written book is one that can put your emotions all over the map. Laughter, tears, sadness, anger, etc. This story runs the full spectrum.

It is beautifully written. It really is. And it made me fall deeper in love with my dogs.

I think this is one of those books that you have to experience and decide for yourself.

I am glad I read it. And I marvel at the range of emotions this book provokes.

I think each reader will have their very own, very individual, experience. And you can't say that about many books.

The Little Book

The Little Book by Selden Edwards

Dad read this one and told me it was a must read.

And, as usual, he was right. This was a good one.

I think, in all honesty, he liked this more than I did. But, I really did enjoy it. And I'm glad I read it. No regrets.

He would put this on his top 5 list. I would put this in my top 50. Which, given how many books I have read is not a bad placing.............

Proven Guilty

Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher

#8 in the Harry Dresden series.

See what I mean? I can't stop....................

Another good one.

Ok, I have to admit, this one, I got a bit emotional. In fact, I actually got mad enough that the book almost went flying.

But we are ok now. I'm still in love.

The Lies of Locke Lamora

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

I picked this book up while wandering around Borders. They had a section in their SciFi shelves for "If you Liked this: You'll like these:"

And, this was one of them. I had actually flagged this as a possible series to read so I figured why not give it a try.

What a great story.

Rather than the usual hero adventure this is the story of a band of thieves.

It's fun, exciting, a page turner, and the characters are well developed.

And nothing expected happens. Who lives and dies keeps you guessing from start to finish.

And that makes for a fun read.

I look forward to continuing this series.

Dead Beat

Dead Beat by Jim Butcher is #7 in the Harry Dresden series.

All I can say is this series is brain candy for me. I love it.

I'm addicted.

I can't stop.

Blood Rites

Blood Rites by Jim Butcher is book 6 in the Dresden series.

I fell in love with the Sci fi series The Dresden Files. When I found out the show was based on the books I had to read them.

It's always interesting to watch an author grow into his style, his characters, and into his own voice. Blood Rites is certainly the book in which Mr. Butcher found his voice.

I loved all the stories. Basically even though the series is canceled I can still enjoy the characters and the wonderful adventures. And this book was his best and most eloquent. I'm not sure what it was about this story but I felt like we had taken a literary leap. A little bit more poetic. A little bit deeper.

I guess I have to confess. I'm in love with a wizard. He's tall, dark, and very very handsome.

And these books give me a little bit of romance every day.

Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grill

Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grill by Steven Brust is a wild ride. I wouldn't say this was a book for everyone. It has it's slow moments. But I love the author and had this one on my list to read.

Basically Cowboy Feng's bar can hop time and space. And it tends to do it at the very moment nuclear weapons go off.

It's not until the 4th occurrence though that the regulars in Feng's start to wonder why this happens.

Like I said, it's an interesting story. But it is true Brust. Reads almost like a comic book, light on the brain. And just basically beach blanket entertainment.

The Gargoyle

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson was an impulse buy after seeing So many reviews and write ups of it. Costco had it for a really good price and I was planning to spend the weekend up at the cabin relaxing and reading, so, it all seemed to come together perfectly.

First I want to say that the first 50 pages of this book are VERY hard to read. If anyone you have ever loved has ever been burned or in a bad accident I am not sure this is the book for you.

I was burned when I was young. I really struggled with the first part of the book. But at the same time it was a little bit healing and a lot bit educational for me. A lot of things I went through made more sense after I read this book. I can't even compare what happened to me with what the character in this book experienced. Not even close. But still.........

Anywhoodle. It's a beautiful story. Very well written. And when those last sentences passed by my eyes I was sad, lonely, and I suffered literary withdrawal.

That's the best kind of book.

It is also unique, creative, and imaginative.

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell was another book I picked up at the B&N clearance sale.

This one I grabbed because I am a fan of Maggie O'Farrell. I have read two other novels by her and I liked them both.

She writes about female characters that I can relate to in some way. They are more human, more real, and more tangible than a lot of female characters in "chick" literature. Usually the women are fat and or ugly but by some miracle they get skinny and beautiful, they get fabulous jobs, a ridiculous bank account, and they marry the latest Bill Gates. Please, that just isn't real life. Bless her heart, Maggie O'Farrell makes characters more like the rest of us. In the case of Vanishing Act I found myself relating to Esme. In a time when girls were raised to be proper wall flowers that married at 16 and spent their lives being Mrs. David Smith, Esme danced to her own drum. She was wild, different, and fearless. She couldn't stand the girliness of her class mates. There were moments the Esme described that I found myself instantly transported back in time. And contrary to Esme's world, I have to be thankful that I grew up in an age when women were encouraged to get an education, live your own life, experience the world before you worry so much about settling down. Esme was ahead of her time. She was me. Wild, independent, and free.

The first book I read by Ms. O'Farrell was After You'd Gone. I loved this story. So I followed it up with My Lover's Lover. Another good story.

The Devil You Know

The Devil You Know by Mike Carey was an impulse buy when I was shopping Barnes and Nobles 1.99 and up clearance sale.

It had an interesting plot. Ghosts on the loose and the main character helps send them on to the next place.

A fun and fast read. I found myself invested in the ghost he was hired to make go away. I wanted to know her story. And then there was the succubus. She also became a character I looked forward to seeing again. And those are all words I never thought I would write in a single paragraph. So there you have it. A good story with a few characters you really get to care about. Oh, and the landlord. LOVED HER! And I can't tell you why. I just did.

Leonardo's Swans

Leonardo's Swans by Karen Essex is a marvelous historical novel. I love books written about the Renaissance. And when the main characters include the artists of that time I love the book even more.

The characters in the story all lived. And from what I could see this story was researched to the finest details.

If you love art, the renaissance, and stories of court intrigue, you will love this book.

I am the Messenger

I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak -

Just read it!

That's all I have to say.

Ok, one more thing: I'm very happy that Mr. Zusak is a young guy. I can only hope that means many many more years of wonderful novels from him. He's simply amazing. He also wrote the heartwrenchingly beautiful novel "The Book Thief" which is on the short list of my favorite books of all time.

Soon I will be Invincible

Soon I will be Invincible by Austin Grossman has been on my reading list since it first came out.

It's one of those books I had a feeling I would enjoy so I saved it as one of those "Special treat" books.

This summer I decided it was the perfect time to read it.

And it was as enjoyable and entertaining as I hoped it would be.

Light, fun reading. It's a super hero/ super villain story that lets you escape from the world for a few hundred pages.

Twilight and New Moon

Twilight and New Moon by Stephenie Meyer are the first two books in her 4 book Twilight Saga.

For anyone that has read the Anita Blake series by Laurell K Hamilton, this is a must read.

It's an entertaining vampire/werewolves story without the constant porn.

Much more innocent. Much more focused on the story and the characters. This is young adult so the reading is fast and easy. But no so easy and young that any age can't enjoy them.

I look forward to the other two books.

The Portrait

The Portrait by Iain Pears was a very interesting tale.

It was unique in that the narration was entirely a one sided conversation between an artist and his subject.

A fast read.

An unforgettable ending.

Life of Pi

Life of Pi by Yann Martel has been on my list to read since it came out. It has been one of those literary marvels that everyone was talking about.

I had high expectations because of all the hype. And I gotta say, this is a good book.

It's not life changing.

It's just a good read.

Borderkind

Borderkind by Christopher Golden is book 2 in his Veil Series.

I loved the first one. Was enthralled by the second one. And look forward to number three.

Great characters, story, and scenery.

Simply put: I love this series.

Myth Hunters (take 2)

Myth Hunters by Christopher Golden was a re-read in order to be prepared to read the second book in the series, Borderkind.

Second time around I loved it just as much. This is a creative and fun story. And a pretty fast read.

Oliver Bascombe is sitting in his living room contemplating his pending wedding that is to take place the next morning. When a snow storm kicks up into high gear. And through a window comes an ice man in desperate need of help. So Oliver throws on a coat and helps Frost to the edge of the ocean cliffs. Much to Olivers surprise the ice man plunges over the cliff taking Oliver with him. And as Oliver prepares for his death he is shocked to find himself falling into a lake, the sky is blue, the trees are green, and Oliver isn't in Kansas anymore..................