Book Review: Shift by Tim Kring, Dale Peck

Title: Shift (Book 1 of the Gate of Orpheus Trilogy)
Authors: Tim Kring, Dale Peck
Publisher: Crown
Release Date: 08/10/2010
ISBN: 0307453456




If you are a Heroes fan, you are sure to recognize Tim Kring as the creator of the series. For some readers this knowledge will either hurt or help your perception of the book. As for me, I've never watched the show, so I went into this book without any preconceptions about Kring or Dale.

Shift begins in the year 2012. A fiery figure appears in the sky before several witnesses. Many say that the figure seemed to be searching for someone but couldn't find them. The book then jumps to the 1960s when Kennedy was President. Chandler Forrestal is a rather average young man whose interests only involve such tame things as becoming a professional student. He meets the sultry Naz in a bar & from there Chandler is thrown into a top secret project involving LSD- a project only known as Project Orpheus. When he escapes, Chandler is followed by a homicidal rogue agent known only as Melchior, a man who is willing to do anything to get what he wants. Anything. But why are they doing this? And how does this tie into the assassination of President Kennedy?

Drawing on the fascinating mystery behind the Kennedy assassination as well as actual government experiments on LSD, Kring comes up with a story premise that is truly intriguing. In addition to the cool premise of LSD superheroes & JFK, Kring also gives us several fantastic characters, including the beautiful Naz. Despite her somewhat negative (but understandably so) outlook on life, her pure charisma managed to shine throughout her brief but important interactions in the book. And the LSD trips? Those are the moments when the book really shines & takes off. You can't help but be interested in what is seen & done.

Where the book veers off course is through the all too frequent character shifts. While each shift has something interesting to add, at times it just interrupted the flow of the book. Occasionally I would find myself getting into the actions of a specific character (Naz & Melchior being my personal favorites), only to find myself getting thrown off when the action would jump to Chandler or one of the other characters in the book.

This didn’t make the book bad, just a little harder to read at times & I can’t help but think that a reader looking for more casual fare would be turned off by this book. This is no leisurely beach read- this is a book that has a lot going on & expects the reader to read & interact with it. But for those willing to put a little effort into this read, it is sure to be rewarding.

(ARC provided by NetGalley)

Book Review: Russell Wiley is Out to Lunch by Richard Hine

Title: Russell Wiley is Out to Lunch
Author: Richard Hine
Publisher: AmazonEncore
Release Date: 10/12/2010
ISBN: 1935597140





I'm going to lay it straight- this isn't really all that similar to Sophie Kinsella like the book blurb claims. That is both good & bad. That's bad because many might pick this up expecting a Kinsella-esque read, then get disappointed when the book doesn't fulfill that promise. It's good because a Kinsella-esque story wouldn't work as well with a male lead character.

RWIOTL surrounds the character of Russell Wiley, a man who is just trying to survive in the middle of a floundering marriage & a job that is on the verge of extinction. Despite his subtle attempts to influence his newspaper bosses, they always seem to go for the bad idea & back the useless employees. When his bosses not only hire a consultant to work a new angle (an angle that Russell himself knows is foolish), but expect Russell to babysit him, he has to figure out a way to keep his sanity as well as convince his wife to get intimate with him.

Well... I'm kind of torn about this book. On one hand it is very good for a new author- Hine, relax. You did good poopie. On the other hand there's a lot of flaws here- don't get too relaxed, I think you need more fiber. While the idea of the book is a good one & I like that the main character is a bit on the jerky side, I really felt that the pacing needed a lot of work. (You can tell that he's just as much to blame for his bad marriage & job situation as anyone else is.)There isn't a lot that happens in the first half of the book & much of it is Hine repeating the notion that Wiley's marriage is doomed & his job isn't very satisfying. At some point I couldn't help but get irritated- I *got* it. I know that he's not happy with his life.

The last half to third of the book just felt very compressed. Minor characters that weren't really fleshed out in the beginning & when they come into play later in the book I couldn't help but wish that Hine had done some foreshadowing earlier in the book. A prime example is Angela & her specific problem. (Which I won't list here because it is a spoiler.) Hine could have had little things show up earlier in the book so that when her big reveal comes about, it builds up anticipation. Another thing that I felt needed more work was the resolution. Everything happened too fast & I really felt that it needed more work. Again I bring up Angela. When her issue was aired, it was quickly dropped for the most part & suddenly at the end her life is fine again. Because everything was so squished into the end & the pacing was sort of off, the big surprises, hurrahs, & endings just seemed to fizzle a little instead of pop.

This isn't a bad book though- Hine does show skill at writing & the plot kept me involved. It's just that I got the impression he could do far better than this. This book would be good for an airport or beach read, but ultimately it'll leave the reader hungry for meatier fare. Still, Hine's an author worth watching. I have faith that he'll eventually work out the kinks in his work & will be an author to contend with.


(ARC provided by Amazon Vine Voice)

Book Review: Koko Be Good by Jen Wang

Title: Koko Be Good
Author: Jen Wang
Publisher: First Second
Release Date: 09/14/2010
ISBN: 1596435550






Graphic novels have always had a good fanbase, but now that they’re gaining more publicity there’s been an influx of books (both series & standalones) flooding the market. While that’s great in so many different ways, it also means that it is that much easier to get lost in the crowd. Unfortunately Koko might be one of those books that some might overlook, which would be a shame.

The book follows three characters- the titular Koko (an energetic girl who seems to want more), Jon (a 20 something who just wants to move to Peru to be with his girl), & Faron (Koko’s sidekick). When Jon meets Koko & Faron at a party, he can’t help but become captivated by her, only to then see her vanish into the night after an ugly scene. Jon later discovers Faron at work in a local diner & convinces him to introduce the two of them. What follows is a voyage of self discovery as Jon tries to figure out what he really wants, Koko tries to gain more meaning into her life, & Faron just tries to get by.

The artwork really is the best part of this book. Wang’s artwork manages to capture both the various emotions of the cast as well as Koko’s almost inexhaustible energy. She doesn’t skimp on the backgrounds either with just about every scene getting lovingly captured in water colors. Wang seems to play around with color, using it in various formats to enhance the scene. One scene that sticks out in my head is one later in the book of Koko’s room where it lacks a great deal of color- enhancing the empty feeling of the scene & the characters’ emotions.

Unfortunately where the book lacks is in the storytelling department. The artwork manages to smooth over the rough spots, but not to the point where you don’t notice that it needed more finesse. It takes a while to get into the story & to figure out what is going on. Wang might have intended for the reader to fill in the blanks with their own interpretations, but it would have been nice for a little more story & character definition. Not a whole lot more, but just a little more backstory on some of the characters would be nice. (I’d like to see more of Koko’s history as a Candy Girl.) It just lacks a little coherence at times.

This is a good story with awesome artwork, but it’s just not quite a 5 star type read for me. I can’t help but think it just needed to simmer for a little while longer. This is definitely a great graphic novel & Wang’s going on my list of “to watch” indie artists, but it just needed a little more work on the storyline.


(ARC provided by Amazon Vine Voice)

Book Review: Spy Glass by Maria V. Snyder

Title: Spy Glass (Glass book #3)
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Publisher: Mira
Release Date: 09/01/2010
ISBN: 0778328473






If you're familiar with Snyder's Study series, you'll be aware that some readers have remarked on how perfect her female characters are portrayed. I'm glad to say that in Spy Glass Snyder seems to have toned down these aspects for the third & final book in the Glass trilogy. (Although fans will be interested to know that there will be another book set in this universe & from the title of Ice Study, it appears that it will be another Yelena novel.)

Opal has lost her magic. Out of a sense of preservation for herself & all around her, she voluntarily siphoned her own magic into the form of diamonds in order to keep it out of dangerous hands. The experience has left her a wealthy woman (she got to keep the diamonds) but also a shell of her former self. Then Opal discovers that when her previous captors had been taking more blood from her than was needed for their rituals, which means that there is still some of her blood out there. Which means that she can use it to get her powers back. In order to discover the whereabouts of her blood Opal travels to where Devlen & the others are held prisoner. She assumes that with some effort she'll be able to reach them. However, Opal never expected that it would be so impossible for her to get into the prison... or that she'd find herself so drawn to Devlen. With other people searching for her blood with sinister intentions, Opal may find that the old gypsy saying is true: "Be careful what you wish for- you just might get it."

If the Study series was focused more about magic & action, the Glass series is focused more about romantic entanglements & tenacity.While Opal did spend a good chunk of Sea Glass feeling sorry for herself, Spy Glass finds her attempting to find a cure for her magic-less condition. There's also a strong focus on the love triangle between Devlen, Opal, & Kade in this book, which would have been a little more interesting if Kade had been more prevalent in the book.

Overall, the number one thing about Snyder is that she always seems to have a way of making her books into addicting reads. Even though Spy Glass might not be my favorite of her books (Poison Study will always take that spot), I couldn't help but keep turning back to the book in order to find out what happened next. Other readers will find themselves equally as hypnotised by this book, unable to turn away until they reach that final page. A warning though- keep an open mind during this book. I'd thought that I'd had everything figured out in the middle of the book, only to discover that my assumptions were wrong about almost everything. Let's just say that some people might get a little surprised about the villain's identity & who Opal's knight in shining armor will be.

The final verdict? Long time fans of the series will like this book while those who weren't Opal fans might find themselves yearning for more of Yelena. Rest assurred though, there's enough to like in this read & I'm curious to discover what will happen next in Snyder's world. As always, Snyder writes an addicting read.

(ARC provided by Netgalley)

Book Review: Rooms by James L. Rubart

Title: Rooms
Author: James L. Rubart
Publisher: B&H Books
Release Date: 04/01/2010
ISBN: 0805448888





Some reviewers have been comparing this to The Shack, a book that is also religiously oriented & set around a mysterious domicile. Since I've not yet read The Shack, I can't really say whether or not the two are similar. However, the descriptions seem to be different enough that people should go into this read with an open mind.

Micah seems to have it all: a successful business, a beautiful girlfriend/business partner, & a keen mind. When he learns that he's inherited a beach house from an eccentric uncle he barely knew, Micah's first instinct is to sell the beach house & move on with his life. After all, he never really knew his uncle & his memories of that beach are all terrible. All of those plans seem to fade away when Micah sets his eyes on the beautiful beach house despite all of the strange things that seem to be happening to him. Rooms that weren't there before suddenly appear. Business contacts claim to never have spoke to him even though Micah knows the talk took place. As the days pass, Micah finds himself becoming more & more involved with this mysterious house & more intrigued by the intriguing inhabitants of the surrounding town. But can Micah figure out what is going on? Is it possible for eternal salvation to be found through a beach house?

There are two warnings people should heed about this book, one of which would seem to be obvious. The first is that this book is very slow to start. The second is that this book is very heavy on the religious themes. While some might read the synopsis on the book jacket & know that it is religious in tone, some have been surprised at how much of the book is religious. Pretty much everything that happens in the book has a religious sense to it. This might alienate some readers who like their religious reads a little lighter.

Rooms does start off incredibly slowly, to the point where some might lose heart within the first 100 pages or so. Those readers should keep reading because even though the book does start off incredibly slow, eventually the pace does pick up & becomes an interesting enough read. The writing is a little green, but overall it is a fine first novel. The character of Micah is a suitable enough "Everyman", but the book truly shines when the secondary characters (mechanic Rick & uncle Archie) come into play. These characters are intriguing to read about & the reader might find themselves wishing for a book about these two characters & their interactions with each other.

Overall this book was an entertaining read, although it might find itself in stiff competition with some of the other religious themed books on the market. There's enough in Rooms to like though & there seems to be an fanbase growing for this book, so hopefully Rubart will be recognized in the future.

(ARC provided by Netgalley)

Book Review: The Happy Baker by Erin Bolger

Title: The Happy Baker
Author: Erin Bolger
Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: 10/01/2010
ISBN: 9780373892419

Dating rule #2: Do not show me the engine of your car, no matter how cool you think it is. Unless you are storing a box of chocolates under the hood, I just don't care.

If you have ever dated, you've had a broken heart or two. If you haven't then you'll still laugh at what is quite possibly the most unique cookbook I've ever read. The dating life is never easy & just about everyone's had that one horrible breakup that caused them to blow that diet or buy so many cookies that they could own stock in Nabisco.

One part diary & one part cookbook, Bolger isn't afraid to air all of the skeletons in her dating closet, regaling us with dating flubs such as "Green Eyes" & near misses such as "The Big One". Each chapter is filled to the brim not only with dating stories that just about all of us can relate to, but hand-drawn pictures as well as an endless display of mouth wateringly delicious looking recipes.

Each recipe is accompanied with a cute title such as 'My Mother Didn't Like You Anyway' cupcakes as well as a beautifully shot photography. Also included in the book are several wonderful pictures that while not displaying a yummy treat listed in the book, are absolutely gorgeous to behold. (My personal favorite was a elaborately laid out cracked chocolate heart surrounded with various colored sugars.)

And for those of us who aren't so talented in the kitchen, no worries. This cookbook is incredibly friendly to us kitchen klutzes, most having very simplistic instructions & easy to find ingredients. No blankly staring at the cookbook wondering where the chef expects us to find ingredients for this reviewer!

The cookbook ends on a hopeful note with Bolger wrapping up with an upbeat vacation romance story & several equally upbeat & delicious recipes. Girls, guys, whomever... this cookbook is a "must have" for anyone who loves baking delicious treats for happy or not so happy occasions!

(ARC provided by NetGalley)

Book Review: The Immortals by J.T. Ellison

Title: The Immortals (A Taylor Jackson Novel)
Author: J.T. Ellison
Publishing House: Mira
ISBN: 0778327639
Release Date: 10/1/2010






July seems to be a month of discovery for me. Not only have I discovered the wonderful murder mystery styles of Kyra Davis (another Mira author), but now I've discovered the wonderful J.T. Ellison. My book buying budget will never be the same. I'll warn people- this book is #5 in the Taylor Jackson series so there will be some things that you might not catch or entirely understand if you are a newbie to the series like myself. No worries though- this book was very capable of standing alone.

Taylor Jackson wasn't even reinstated long enough to celebrate before she's called to a horrific murder scene. Once there she discovers that the victim was a teenage boy... and that he's not the only victim. Before the night is over seven more victims are found, each with a pentacle carved onto their bodies by someone who is taking the magic of Samhain (Halloween) all too seriously. With the knowledge that one or more killers are running around her city, Taylor knows that she has to solve this one & fast. Meanwhile her fiancee Baldwin is facing troubles of his own when he's called to D.C. for a hearing concerning not only a serial killer from years ago but also a co-worker he'd gotten far too close to...

With a storyline that is new reader friendly & a wonderfully macabre murder investigation, this book kept me reading at such a fast pace that I finished it within a day. Ellison does a wonderful job of not only making Taylor tough, but feminine at the same time. There are far too many "I'm too gritty to be feminine" characters out there, so it is refreshing to see someone create a character that isn't a "gritty female cop" cliche.

The occult based plot was also interesting, with Ellison obviously having done some research not only into the goth & witchcraft scenes, but also into those who misinterpret & abuse them. While at times the Samhain murders seemed to drag a little, Baldwin's 2004 serial murder crime investigations did a fine job of keeping the momentum going. I'm honestly curious to see where this series goes next.

It really is a joy to discover an author that is capable of making her series books into mostly standalone novels. With the current series trends running to multiple ongoing plot arc stretching over multiple books, there are far too many series out there where the reader will more than likely feel hopelessly lost picking up a book too far into the series. Never fear- the Taylor Jackson series is more akin to an episode of Law & Order (in its standalone capabilities) than the stretched out plot arcs of some of the other series out there.

Overall this should make for a great read when it releases in October- the perfect month for a series of occult themed murders. Old & new fans should be able to pick up this read & revel in the intriguing investigations into a spooky crime, although some might get a wee bit frustrated that the book isn't as action laden as others out there.

(ARC provided by Netgalley)