What I’m Reading Now: Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
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Review: Riders by Veronica Rossi
This is what I know about the Book of Revelations. At one point Jesus will come back to usher those of us worthy enough to get into heaven, leaving the rest of us behind to deal with the Apocalypse which I think will have the 666 Beast and the Four Horsemen. So basically I don’t know much but it is intriguing how the End of Time will play out? Riders is not about the world ending but it does bring together War, Famine, Death and Conquest together to fight against evil. Is that what the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse supposed to do? Gideon wants to be an Army Ranger when he dies in a training accident but instead of moving on he comes back as War. With the help of the Seeker, Daryn, Gideon must find the other three riders to stop the Kindred from finding the key that will open different realms and enslaving mankind in their new kingdom. If that isn’t hard enough, he has to convince the U.S. Government that he’s not crazy and the biggest threat to national security is a gang of demons.
I really liked this book. I liked the set up. Gideon is being held by the Government in a secret bunker, trying to explain why he was where he was and convince them that he is not the enemy but it’s still out there. He’s been drugged so the narrative is almost this stream of conscious. Anything and everything in his head is just coming out but he’s a soldier so he’s still sizing up his situation. He’s a likable, funny and smart. He knows the situation he is in not good and the only way to get out is to tell his story, size up his surroundings and use his military training to help him out. We begin from the day he died and goes through discovery who he is now, finding the other horsemen, falling in love with Daryn and getting over the death of his father the year before. Because it’s from his point of view, Gideon is the most drawn out character but Daryn is a fully fleshed out girl, who may not a trained fighter but can hold her own. As for the other horsemen, I would love to know more about them. Bas aka Famine we get to know a little bit more. We meet him second so we have more time but we don’t really have that luxury with Marcus (Death) and Jode (Conquest) which is a shame. All for of them are damaged in one way or another and no more then Marcus. He’s defensive from the beginning and considering how Gideon basically jumps him as a welcome it’s understandable but there is clearly more to his backstory that Rossi hints at but doesn’t really get into. I can only hope we learn more in the sequel. Gideon himself is not perfect, he clearly has anger issues. Daryn I want to learn more about. She’s brave, smart and clever. As a seeker, her life is not her own. She goes to where she is needed meaning that she avoids attachments which leads to a lonely existence. That is why I was happy to find out that the sequel, Seeker, is going to be from her point of view. Speaking of the sequel, I can’t wait for it to come out because there was one pretty big cliffhanger for one the characters that needs to be answered. Not to repeat myself but I really liked this book. It was different and kinda strange but completely enjoyable.
What I’m Reading Now: Half Lost by Sally Green
I was able to get a ARC of this baby. Sh*t is about to get real, y’all!
Review: Gage by Tess Oliver
I had thought that I bought this book because my Mom recommended it but when I was reading it I told her thank you and she didn’t think it sounded familiar.
And, now I don’t know if I want her to read it because there was a lot more sex in it than the ones she usually recommends and I’ve had some weird conversations about the contents of romance novels with my Mom.
But, if you’re into romance novels, oh my, do I ever recommend this one. Gage is a lumberjack. He’s thinking about getting out of the dangerous rough and tumble lumberjacking world and has the perfect opportunity when the owner of his favorite bar dies. (Total bummer. Everyone was very sad.) He’ll buy the bar, he’ll retire from lumberjacking in Montana, he’ll have a quiet, peaceful life. That is, until Summer, the bar-inheritor, decides that she would prefer to be a bar-owner herself.
Just knowing that, you know where the rest of the story is going. Will they get together? Will Summer’s asshole mother upset the apple cart because her father didn’t leave her anything? Will Gage go back to lumberjacking and meet his maker on the mountain? Who knows?!
I really enjoyed this novel. I liked the characterizations of the folks and there was just enough tension between the characters and outside life pressures that it wasn’t boring. I would totally read another book in this series. A+, good job!
What do you do about alleged Plagiarism?
This Tuesday Cassandra Clare is set to release the next book in her Shadowhunters Novels. Her series is highly popular and is now on it’s third series inside this world. The previous The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices were highly successful. The former has already inspired a movie (a really bad one) and a TV show (from what I’m told is actually not bad and is doing well in the ratings but I personally couldn’t get past the first 2 episodes). Unfortunately the release of Lady Midnight, the first book in The Dark Artifices series is under a little bit of a cloud. Sherrilyn Kenyon, the author of the Dark-Hunters series, is suing Clare for copying her ideas. Kenyon’s series was first published in 1998 and Clare’s in 2007. They both center around an elite set of supernatural warriors that defend the world against demons and other supernatural beings. Clare has of course denied it by saying she wasn’t influenced by Kenyon’s work. I have read all of Clare’s books but I haven’t read any of Kenyon’s Dark-Hunters books. I’ve read the Chronicles of Nick, which I love. Seriously, I can’t recommend it enough. The series is a YA spin-off of the Dark-Hunters series and has overlaps with her original series, with characters appearing in both. Are there similarities? Sure? Probably? I don’t think the idea of elite warriors who fight demons is new or original. So I’m not sure what the outcome is going to be but does it matter? Should I be concerned that Clare might have taken some ideas from Kenyon? It hasn’t changed my opinions of her books. They may have similarities but they are both very different in tone and style that they don’t feel the same. Actually, until this lawsuit I didn’t even occur to me that they were similar. Not the same way that drew comparisons between Julie Kagawa’s Talon series to Sophie Jordan’s Firelight series. I wouldn’t say that one copied another but they definitely pulled from the same ideas. I think this gets a little murkier is the fact that Clare has been accused for plagiarism before. During her fan fiction days, she was accused of adding quotes from TV shows and whole passages from an out-of-print book. There are whole debates about the ethics of fan-fiction. Some would argue that fan-fiction itself is a form of plagiarism. Needless to say this doesn’t help Clare’s cause but I don’t think it necessarily proves anything either because again, I think there is some ethical murkiness when it comes to fan-fiction. From what I’ve read, Fifty Shades of Grey is far closer to Twilight then Clare’s The Draco Trilogy was to Harry Potter but I can’t say for certain. So where does this leave me? I had already bought my copy of Lady Midnight before this came out so I will read it but my excitement towards it has lessened. As readers do we have a responsibility here or not? If so, what exactly is it? I’m kinda I’m curious to hear what others have think about this.
Review: Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard
Back in the complicated world of Mare Barrow. **Spoilers** She’s been betrayed by Maven. Her dead brother isn’t dead and also has a super cool power. Cal and Kilorn, two completely different boys who are totally in love with her are now in the same space. Oh, and Mare now has to deal with the grief of killing people while pushing a revolution into high gear. Yep, Mare has some things going on in her life. I’m going to do something different then just a straight review. I’m going to talk about how I felt reading this book. If you’ve read any of my previous posts about the first book, Red Queen. Then you know how excited I was. (Also how disappointed that Barnes and Noble didn’t deliver it on timed) I could go on and on about how much I enjoyed reading it and how it’s just as fast paced as the first. Less then a chapter in and we are already into our first battle. The emotional roller coaster I went through with Mare, Cal, Kilorn, Farley and Shade. One of which I was pretty sure wasn’t going to make it to the end of the book. (I won’t see who and sadly I was right). I could give you a synopsis of what happen but really, I’m probably spoiled enough of it already. Just go read it!
As I was getting more and more into the story, I started to notice some disturbing signs. I was pretty sure that I was not going to like how it ends I was starting to see the end game and like I alluded to before, someone was going to die. Someone was going to have face off with someone unpleasant and someone or someones were going to be heartbroken. So I started to stall. I figured I would just delay the inevitable. I distracted myself with other things. Since I was on vacation last week it was pretty easy to do. I told my mom what I was doing and her response. “This is why I read the ending first”. BTW, she totally does and it’s adorable but I can’t do that. That takes away the surprise! The suspense! So I read a little bit a time until it was time for me to go home and when you are on a small commuter plane, there really is nothing else to do but read. I had it finished before I got to Detroit. It was painful as I thought it would be. It didn’t play out exactly as I thought it would but yes the character I suspected was going to die, did. The confrontation I thought was going to happen, did happen but not at all how I thought it did and it lead to one crazy cliffhanger. And the heartbreaks were all around, myself included. Readers, why do we do this to ourselves? Why? The good news I have time to process everything that happened and get my emotions back in check before the next book comes out. The bad news (and also good news) is that there are two books to go. But really, is there anything better the agony and the ecstasy of a good book? Yeah, I didn’t think so.
Review: Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier: The Man on the Wall vol. 1
I may have fallen into a stack of comic books the last couple of months and I’m only now resurfacing. I would apologize but Beth would just roll her eyes at me certain in her knowledge that in a few weeks I’ll become obsessed with something else and disappear down that rabbit hole.
Over Christmas, I read a number of Captain America titles and then decided to read some Winter Soldier titles as well. While I am a huge fan of Captain America everywhere (and a fan of Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan) I’m not really all that into the MCU’s Bucky Barnes. He just seems like a skirt-chasing dick who occasionally turns up and helps Steve Rogers end a fight. (Or, he starts the fight. Whatever, fights occur as a function of his existence.) So, I decided that I needed to give print Bucky a go and see if he and I clicked.
He and I click. (Well, I like him. He’s fictional and thus has no opinion on me.)
This Bucky spends a lot of time in space fighting aliens (and stealing baby aliens and then trying to hide the fact that he’s stolen a baby alien. “Pay no attention to the small creature I’m feeding under the table!”). This is a Bucky that turns up on a planet, gets caught by the planetary guards and when he is asked what he wants says, “A date?” (Based on his results I’d say this is a solid strategy.) This Bucky cracks me the fuck up. This Bucky I could have a cup of coffee with. (I don’t know why that’s important to me, but apparently it is.) Also, this Bucky wouldn’t talk to you before having said cup of coffee. This is also important since I pretty much run on coffee and spite.
There’s mayhem in the multiverse, and aliens, and gun play and Tremors (who you might now know from watching Agents of Shield!). So, I’m pretty into this and have already started volume 2.
Review: Captain Marvel Vol. 1 by Kelly Sue DeConnick
I didn’t know much about Captain Marvel besides she is soon to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. OK, maybe not that soon since she has yet to be cast and her movie keeps getting pushed back. (Thanks a lot Spider-Man!) So, I thought I would give her a shot. If I’m going to start reading comics, I figured I might as well start with a character that I don’t already have a history with and start fresh. Not to mention I wanted to read a story with a female lead.
At first I felt I was a little bit behind. In the early chapters (or is it issues?) there were references of things that happened before the action of the story began. A previous Avengers mission, for one, Captain Marvel’s ex and why she wasn’t ready to move forward with her relationship with Rhodey, aka Iron Patriot from the Iron Man movies. So, I feel like someone needs to recommend me comics to read that might explain what happened before. We open on Captain Marvel and Iron Patriot retrieving an unknown vessel that is hurtling towards New York. Inside is an alien from a planet that has been destroyed. Later that night, Iron Man finds Captain Marvel, or Carol Danvers, at home. Which is the Statue Liberty. That’s right, she lives in the Statue of Liberty. As someone who lives in New York and knows how much rent is, I can’t even imagine what rent would be to live in the crown of the Statue of Liberty! There has to be a story about how she got such a prime spot. Just another perk of being an Avenger? Anyway, Tony Stark has decided that they need an Avenger in space and Carol immediately volunteers. So, she and her cat go into space in take back the Alien, Tic, to her people. The problem is that Tic’s people are refugees from a destroyed planet. They were resettled on to an uninhabited planet but now they are getting sick so are being forced to leave and without their sick. This doesn’t sit well with them. They have lost most of the their loved ones, they were not going to leave behind more. While in Space, Carol meets up with the Guardians of the Galaxy. You know, Peter Quill, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Groot. This leads to one of the funniest moments between Rocket and Carol’s cat. It also leads to the real problem of the story which surrounds Peter Quill’s father, who is not a good man.
Carol Danvers is a great character. She’s smart, brave and little head strong (but who isn’t). She believes in the missions of the Avengers and will go to great lengths to accomplish those goals, even putting her self on the line. She’s also pretty funny. I like that. This was a very fun book. I’m looking forward to read more about her. I’m also happy because this helps my Diverse Stacks, Diverse Lives reading challenge. I’ll admit, I’m a little behind.
Currently Reading: Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater
Everyone! It’s happening! The new book is coming out! Who is ready? Who else is excited! AHHHH!
This Month in Reality: Tidying Up
When I get home tonight I’m going to take off my shoes and thank them (they are super cute and have done the hard work of keeping my feet out of the mud today). My wallet, essential oils bag (yes, I’m that kind of dirty hippie that brings her own aroma therapy with her everywhere she goes), my planner and the notebook I always carry with me will be taken out of my purse and I will thank them and put them in their new spots. I will hang my purse up and thank it. Then, I will feed my hungry, hungry monsters. Finally, I’ll try not to feel silly for expressing gratitude to inanimate objects. Hey, you know how I said I was done reading self-help books? Well, I lied to both of us. I read The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. All of this thanking is Kondo’s idea. I’m down with expressing gratitude as a regular practice. It’s allegedly good for you. Thanking things isn’t a problem. (It feels weird, but I do all kinds of weird things so what is one more?)
So, I read this book and now I feel like I need to divest myself of half of my possessions. Which, on the whole, is probably not a bad thing. I am kind of a pack rat so I hang onto things longer than I need to. (And, I’m on the job market expecting that a move is in my future if I want to stay in my field, so having fewer things to move would be pretty awesome.)
The Konmari method seems to work as follows: Go through all your possessions one category at a time and get rid of anything you don’t need. Don’t move it to your Mom’s. Don’t put it in storage. Straight up give it away or sell it or throw it away. No longer have it within your reach. Keep the stuff that makes you happy. Not the stuff you feel like you should keep, not the stuff that you have “just in case”. Just the stuff that makes you happy. If you use your stuff as a barrier between you and the world to keep you safe, this is going to be an awful process. However, she gives you something to deal with the anxiety-inducing trash-fest. She wants you to start by thinking about what you want from life. How do you want to be seen? How do you see yourself? What are trying to radiate? How does your space reflect that? So, the life-changing art of tidying up is not just about divesting yourself of possessions. It is also about divesting yourself of ideas, thoughts, and patterns that no longer serve you.
In short, this is going to be a rough ride.
I think this is a great way to approach tidying up your space and your life. But, I also think that confronting your feelings and thought patterns is rough work and that it might be easier when you have Kondo there in the room with you. So, I recommend this book. It was an interesting read. But, if you’re going to use the Konmari method to get rid of stuff in your life you may also want to be in therapy or keep a journal of the process so you can work out your feelings as you throw out your stuff.
This book counts as my book by an Asian author in the Diverse Stacks, Diverse Lives Reading Challenge.
2 Women, So Many Books 