Book Review: Vows, Vendettas and a Little Black Dress

Title: Vows, Vendettas and a Little Black Dress
Publishing Company: Mira
Release Date: 06/01/2010
ISBN: 0778327892






Kyra Davis, I blame you... for getting me so into another series that I feel that I have to rush out & boy every single book. When I got this book from the vine program, I wasn't aware that it was the fifth in a series. I wouldn't have immediately guessed it from the writing- it was smoothly written enough to where even a new reader like myself could get drawn into it. Now I just have to read everything else so I can get the whole story.

Sophie Katz isn't your typical San Francisco native. Not only is she a well published author, but she also has a penchant for getting herself into trouble. On the night she discovers that one of her best friends is getting married to the man of her dreams, her friend Dena is shot in the back. Despite a long list of lusty encounters, everyone initially seems to be at a loss as to who would do such a thing. Well, until they discover that one of the wives of Dena's ex flings (who didn't tell her he was engaged) has a vendetta against Dena & her shop!

I loved this book. Seriously. It's fantastic & if not for that pesky interruption I call work, I'd have kept at this book & read it in one go. I loved that I was able to pick up the fifth volume in a series & be able to keep up with everything that's gone on so far. Sure, I did occasionally feel like I'd missed out on some obvious references to past books, but overall the book was fantastic.

I loved the characters, loved the storyline, loved the writing... EVERYTHING! I also loved that the character of Sophie was half black & Jewish, but didn't make a huge deal out of it. It was great. The book might be a little fluffy for some mystery readers, but it still doesn't detract from how much I enjoyed this book.

So yeah... the storytelling styles of Kyra Davis is going to be putting a huge dent in my wallet. I simply *have* to have the previous four books in this series!

(Book provided by the Amazon Vine Voice program)

Book Review: The Best American Comics 2010

Title: The Best American Comics 2010
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date: 10/05/2010
ISBN: 9780547241777




One thing is absolutely certain. Comics are more than just ink & paper, a source of superheroes & villains, or a way to amuse children. Comics can appeal to all audiences & contain all sorts of plotlines, from funny to sad to the strange. In the 2010 collection of the Best American Comics anthology, we get to see 25 comics (some of which come from larger works) that run almost the full gamut of reader emotions.

The comics collected in this volume range from the truly bizarre The Night of Your life to the Hurricane Katrina comic A.D.: New Orleans after the Deluge. Along with these comics there are also ones that have gained quite a bit of widespread media attention, such as the excerpts from Crumb’s The Book of Genesis & O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim vs. The Universe. There is truly something here for just about every audience.

Rather than list each comic, I’m going to highlight a few of the ones that I personally liked the most. All of the comics were incredibly well done & Gaiman (the celebrity editor for the book) did a fine job of collecting & organizing the set- it is just that listing them all would take up too much space.

My two favorites of the book had to be Asterios Polyp & The Night of Your Life, with A.D. coming up as a close third. The Asterios Polyp excerpt had such a wonderfully fun art style that allowed artist Mazzucchelli to shift from humorous to lighthearted to sadder scenes. He isn’t nailed down to any one specific style- I was pleased to see that just as each character had their own personality, the art styles also differed.

The Night of Your Life was another of my favorites. In it the artist Reklaw illustrates various different dreams, each with their own surreal stories. The artwork was wonderful, but I especially loved how Reklaw was able to bring each dream to life without making the dream dull or too strange to relate to or understand in some format. That’s a feat that is no doubt incredibly difficult, yet Reklaw manages to make it look easy.

I also enjoyed A.D. as well as the 9-11 based story The Alcoholic, both managing to entertain as well as pull at our emotions. With A.D. I was able to feel worried for the two men trapped in the flood, refusing to leave everything they own behind & it made me wonder what I would have done, if I were in their shoes. I also enjoyed having my heart broken by The Alcoholic, an excerpt set during 9-11, with the main character having to not only figure out how to cope with such a traumatic event but to also help another deal with the loss of her husband.

Not all of the stories were my cup of tea, but I could really feel the emotions behind each one. I loved how the artwork & storytelling styles changed with each tale. This is not only a book to collect but something that you lend out to friends so they can learn to appreciate how varied the world of comics really is.

(ARC provided by NetGalley)

Book Review: The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

Title: The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Release Date: 06/05/2010
ISBN: 031612558X

I'll admit that while I didn't really like Twilight all that much, I was vaguely curious about this book. After all, it was the one thing my older sister really wanted as a late birthday present. (I've yet to hear her reaction to the book.) Since it was so short (only about 180 pages) I ended up reading it during my register shift at the bookstore. I ended up getting more drawn into it than I did Twilight, but somehow the book just seemed to be lacking in some areas.

TSLoBT follows the titular character as she struggles to survive in a flock of ruthless fledgling vampires that were turned by a creator they've never really met for a purpose none of them are even aware of. Bree knows that there's something not quite right about the entire situation, but she's determined to make the best of it. She manages to escape most of the in-group fighting by hiding behind Freaky Fred, then hunting with her friend Diego. It's during one of their nightly hunts that she & Diego have a close run-in with the sun (they've been told to expect to burn up if the sun hits them), only to discover that almost everything they've been told is a lie.

I'm not that overly familiar with the series, but I am aware of the storylines for the books. With that in mind, I have to say that I didn't really feel like I missed much as far as the Twilight story stuff goes. It's just that there's so many things earlier on in the book that were glossed over, stuff that I wish I had been able to read about. We're given only passing reasons for why Bree left home & while I can understand why the book focuses more on the current situation at hand, I really feel like it would have benefited the story if the characters had been more expanded on. I got the impression that Bree had been turned relatively soon before the story had started (about a few weeks beforehand), so I wish that the story had started with her being turned- it'd have build a little more suspense that way.

As it was, some of the more serious stuff felt sort of flat & while I did enjoy it enough to give it a B- (hey, it was short & to the point), this book feels like it will really only be truly enjoyed by die-hard Meyers fans. On a positive note, you don't have to have read the Twilight series multiple times in order to follow along with the story, but I get the impression that it helps. What I can say about this book is that it is making me think that I need to take another look at the series to see if my appreciation for this book can translate into my liking the Twilight series more.

Grade: B-

Book Review: Hollow by Jena Morrow

Title: Hollow: An Unpolished Tale
Author: Jena Morrow
Publication Date: 05/01/2010
ISBN: 9780802448712







It isn't common for me to cry upon reading a book, but it does happen. It is incredibly rare for me to start crying within the first 15 pages. This book made me cry huge open tears of sorrow that someone had to live like this. As I continued to read on, I was struck by Jena's strength & faith in God. It is inspiring to see someone in such a dire situation attempt to overcome such a horrible situation.

Ever since she was 3 years old, Jena has believed that she was fat. Not slightly chubby. Not pleasingly plump, but fat. From that moment on she's struck by the desire to watch every piece of food she eats... if she eats at all. Meals are a battle for her. Jena cannot even eat a piece of cake with her friends without her inner voice chastening her for it. Her anorexia follows her for several years into college despite her friends & professors attempting to help her. Eventually she is pressured by her family to seek professional help. At this point Jena is nineteen years old and weighs ninety-one pounds.

I want to put a copy of this book in the hands of every single teenager in North America, if not beyond. It doesn't matter what their gender, age, or religion is. This book is quite possibly one of the most moving biographies I've read in years. I have never felt the pressure of anorexia or bulemia- I'll admit that my disorder seemed to run in the opposite direction. Yet this book managed to make me feel every pain, every emotion that Jena felt. Not only did this book make me cry in the first 15 pages, but it made me cry several more times during my read.

This book was so gripping that I found myself unable to tear myself away from it. Rather than go to bed at my usual bedtime, I found myself reading the pages of this book with a vengeance. I couldn't stop reading. Jena's road to recovery isn't a pretty one. There's no waking up one day & suddenly finding that she can eat a full meal without agonizing over it. Her road to recovery is long & painful. This book was inspiring & I believe it will be for many readers. You don't have to be a Christian to appreciate the message in this book (although it helps).

Now for my only critique. I would have liked a little bit more detail during the book, especially towards the end. Jena's message came through loud & clear, but I would have liked for a little more detail here & there. Other than that I have to say that I have no real complaints. The sheer emotion packed into this slender novel overrode any other critiques I might have found otherwise.

Whenever I feel in a rough spot or need to rejuvinate myself, I'll try to stop & remember this book. I can honestly say that I do plan on not only recommending this book to several of my coworkers at both jobs (hospital & bookstore), but to also recommend it to friends & family. Even if they don't have any eating disorders or any problems, they more than likely know someone who does- this book will help them understand that person.

Jena, I want another book out of you. This one was fantastic.

Grade: A

(ARC provided by NetGalley)

Harvey by Phil Rossi

If there's one thing I like, it is free books. I think that's what makes the books on Podiobooks so much more awesome. Not only do authors get the chance to put out their books via an audio format, but us the readers (or in this case, listeners) get to pick them up for free. I won't lie- sometimes there are some pretty rough books out there that can use a bit more work, but sometimes you get some pretty awesome authors such as Scott Sigler. (If you haven't read or listened to any of his works, you are in for a huge treat.) Donations are optional, but encouraged on Podiobooks, as the author gets a good chunk of what you donate.

The book I'm reviewing in this post has yet to be published in paper format by the author, Phil Rossi, although one of his other books (Crescent) has. This book is called Harvey, and follows the supernatural events that are happening in the small town of Harvey.

Calvin Hubbard used to be famous for his voice, singing in an ultra famous singing competition reminiscent of American Idol. Used to be is the key word, as now everyone refers to him as "that guy who screwed one of the judges". Desperate for a nice quiet hideaway to produce his new album, Calvin stumbles upon the tiny town of Harvey, Virginia. At first the town seems perfect and he even stumbles into a relationship with one of the town beauties. Unfortunately for him, he had no way of knowing that dark things lurk in the forests- things with teeth, things that want to devour each inhabitant of Harvey, body and soul!

I feel a little unfair, critiquing some parts of this podiobook. The book is read by the author on his own equipment, if I'm not mistaken. I always feel guilty when ever I think something critical about the audio quality or vocal talents under these conditions- they're just starting out and don't have professionals who can read for them. Rossi does an excellent job of reading his book and the audio quality is very, very good for a podcast novel- I've listened to many where you can pick out a lot of background or white noise. It's just that I have to warn the average listener- Rossi has a bit of a nasally voice that tended to be a little annoying when I first started listening to the book. Again, this is a bit of a petty complaint- he can't help the way he sounds any more than I can help the way you or I do. Rest assured- he does a great job at reading and eventually I ignored all of the little details as I was quickly sucked into the book.

One thing I can definitely wonder about this book is this: WHY ISN'T THIS GUY MORE PUBLISHED? I won't lie, there's a little bit of work to be done. But that's an emphasis on "little". This guy is fantastic, his writing style reminding me a little of Stephen King's early work. This is like listening to one of those classic cult horror movies- a little on the cheesy side, but incredibly entertaining. He's not going to topple Scott Sigler as my absolute favorite podcast author, but let's be honest- Sigler's a hard man to beat.

Hmm... criticisms... I do have to say that while I can appreciate the mystery of the supernatural elements of the book, I do wish that there'd been a little more explanation about them. There was enough explanation to where I wasn't lost, but I couldn't help but want to know more. I also felt like some of the secondary and more minor characters could have had a little more description- especially the fabulous Meeks, easily my favorite character of the book. There's some that are barely mentioned in the beginning, so when they're mentioned later I had to pause the book in order to remember who they were. I also wish that I'd gotten a little more romantic development between Calvin and Megan- it just felt a little rushed.

Overall though, this is an extremely well polished novel and it is a very entertaining listen. I thought that the tension was nicely developed and I found myself really getting immersed in the book. The descriptions of the book really helped the book come alive for me, especially in the final scenes of the book. I also have to give props to Rossi's choice of opening and closing soundtrack, as well as choosing to close his book with that same artist. (There's also a brief bit of piano music that was used, which I could swear I've heard before and loved.)

If you love horror, you'll probably like this book. It makes for a good book to listen to while you are driving or unable to read a physical book. I'm looking forward to getting into Rossi's other novel (Crescent) , which is viewed by many of his fans as a superior read.

Grade: B

"They Never Die Quietly"

I'd heard about this book through different sources and through the reviews on Amazon. I'd really like to say that I liked this book. I really would. After all, it has this wonderful Cinderella story behind it, where the book had been published, dropped out of notice and then got picked up by the Amazon Encore program to publish more books. It's just unfortunate that I've yet to read a book from the Encore program that wasn't mediocre for the most part.

"They Never Die Quietly" is the literary baby of author D.M. Annechino, and looks to be his first foray into publishing. The book is set in San Diego, where a cruel serial killer has been targeting a certain type of victim. He only chooses mothers and their children, stalking them to learn their daily habits, then kidnapping them and subjecting them to days of mental torture as they await their fate. Only the children survive, having been spared by the murderer in order to inform the police about their mothers' gruesome fate: death by crucifixion.

Detective Sami Rizzo is in charge of the investigation, but she also has her own problems to deal with. Her ex-husband is attempting to manipulate her out of more money. She doesn't spend nearly enough time with her daughter or her mother. And she's running out of time to catch this killer before she is forcibly taken off of the case.

I've yet to really decide whether I liked this book or not. I finished it yesterday and I'm still waffling over my decision. For a first attempt, this is a decent one. It's just that the book just seems to be sort of well, mediocre in several ways.

Annechino makes the bold choice of revealing his serial killer from the very start of the book as Simon, the physical therapist hiding in plain sight. I can applaud this to a certain degree, as this isn't entirely the norm for thriller books, as they so often choose to hide the killer's identity so they can draw out the "is he or isn't he" suspense. This works to a degree, since we know who the killer is and we can watch his interactions with Sami with a bit of sadistic glee.

Where the book falls short is that there's too many lagging scenes in this book. I didn't really enjoy the scenes between Sami and her husband, as I didn't feel like they really brought anything to the novel. It did serve a purpose of adding extra stress to Sami's life as well as explaining the motive behind some of her actions, but the scenes just felt drawn out and a little dull. I also felt like the cat and mouse between Sami and Simon could have used a little more work. She seems to suspect Simon without any real reason to believe that he's the killer. The deduction just felt a little forced and unrealistic, as did some of their interactions.

Another thing I couldn't really believe was how idiotic Sami was at times. She suspects Simon as the killer, yet she's willing to go off alone with him... without telling anyone where she is going or leaving any clues as to what she suspects. I'm willing to believe that part of it is stress and the semi-dated idea that as a woman she has to prove herself to her male co-workers, but part of me can't help but think that she should have known better. There just wasn't enough buildup to make me believe that she was stressed out enough & prideful enough to make such a foolhardy choice.

Most of the issues that I personally had with the book just seemed to be more caused by pacing than anything else. I can't help but feel that if there'd been a bit more time spent on developing the characters more and if the part with the ex-husband had been saved for the sequel (too much in too short of a time), then perhaps the book could have been a little better for me.

Now I don't want people to think that I hated this book. Not so. I did enjoy this enough to where I'll be looking for the sequel's release as well as any other books Annechino might write. He has a lot of promise as an author- right now he's just green. I have faith that as he continues to write and get published, he'll work out the kinks in his writing style. Even some of the more established writers made goofs with their first novels.

Annechino has a lot of promise as an author, but I hope he won't get offended when I say that I hope he doesn't try to make this into a long series. I know that there is a sequel planned and I do look forward to reading it, but I don't know that I'm really all that interested in reading more about Sami. She just doesn't have the charm needed for one of the longer series.

Grade: C

About Me

Hi!

I'm a long time reader that's been reviewing for about 4-5 years now under the amazon name "ChibiNeko". Reviewing books has always been sort of a hobby of mine, even before I officially got started on the internet- I've always been the "go to" person for my family.

My ultimate goal is to become a librarian, either for a public library or for a medical college. (Two very different types of libriarianship, I know.)

I hope to post lots of different interesting things, some about books & some that won't be. Hopefully you'll stick around for the fun! I plan to do giveaways each month, so keep checking back to see what is up for grabs!