Audio books

Hello my long lost book friends. As some of you know I am competing in a triathlon next month. I've kind of hit a motivation brick wall and someone suggested listening to audio books while I train. We all know audio books came be hit or miss, so what are your favorites? Looking for something light and entertaining to take my mind off the running.
Thanks,
Dr. V

Good reads

Hi friends,
I'm assuming life is as busy for y'all as it is for me, since none of us has been posting. I haven't had much time to read, and less time to write about what I've read. And, let's face it, I would rather read than write any day. I do however want to share some fun reads. But, due to lack of time you don't even get a mini review. You get a list. These are the reads I've recently enjoyed. Have you read them? What did you think?

The Selection Series by Kiera Cass

Off The Page / Between The Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer

Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashtin, and Jodi Meadows

Long Time, No See! (Mini reviews, Part 2)

Hey Guys!

Sorry it has been so long... Lots going on. We moved temporarily, we've been house hunting, and I have been lazy. BUT, I have been reading a lot! So I have several more short reviews for you. If any of you have read any of these, feel free to comment and let me know what you think, because I love hearing from you guys!

So, without further ado, here we go (I am starting with the ones I liked less)!!

The City of Bones - Cassandra Clare

This series has been vastly popular. From the back cover:

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. And she’s more than a little startled when the body disappears into thin air. Soon Clary is introduced to the world of the Shadowhunters, a secret cadre of warriors dedicated to driving demons out of our world and back to their own. And Clary is introduced with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a grotesque monster. How could a mere human survive such an attack and kill a demon? The Shadowhunters would like to know…

To be honest, I did not really like this book. I thought that the main character, Clary, was super annoying and oblivious. I didn't think the plot was very exciting, either. Maybe the series improves in the later books? I am not really interested in finding out. Sorry, guys, I don't have much to say about it.

Dorothy Must Die - Danielle Page

I liked the idea of this series. The idea of this series is that another girl from Kansas is taken to Oz in a tornado. But when she gets there, she finds that Oz is different than she expected. It turns out, that after Dorothy returned to Kansas, life was a little more boring than she expected. So she returned to Oz, and got a bit power hungry. Now, life in Oz is not going well, and even Dorothy's faithful companions, the scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion, have all warped their gifts from the wizard, and are crazy. So, there is one thing to be done: Dorothy must die.

I like retellings, but I had a hard time with this one. Mostly because it was a lot more graphic than I was expecting, and there were a lot of violent deaths. Anyway, I am still debating whether to continue the series.




Red Rising - Pierce Brown

This book came highly recommended, but I found it to be a weird mix between the Hunger Games series and Gladiator or something like that. this is the blurb:

Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations.

Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.

But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.

Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity's overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society's ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies... even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.

So the first third of this book takes place deep underground in Mars, which simply feels like a mining camp. The second was a huge makeover, and the third was a hunger games type battle in an arena. I didn't love the book, because I felt like it was a long-winded attempt to get anywhere, but I wish it would have been a bit more exciting.

I did listen to this one, so I have to add the caveat that it COULD have been the narrator that made this book such a downer for me.

Off to Be the Wizard - Scott Meyer

I actually didn't hate this one--the series filled many long hours at work, so I was grateful for that. It just wasn't my favorite read recently, so I figured it belonged on this list.

The summary of this story is that hacker Martin finds out that reality is actually an advanced computer program, into which you can change any circumstance of your life. Martin adds a lot of money to his bank account, and gets in trouble with the authorities, so he travels back in time to Medieval England, and decides to become a wizard.

This book was funny! It had a lot of funny nerd references, and some great moments overall. There are three books in the series, and it tends to follow the usual story arc. The first book was good, the second was okay, but was pretty slow, and the third was quite fun as well. I loved the idea behind this one, so it was an entertaining read.

I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith

I actually didn't hate this one either, I didn't like the ending, which is why it ended up in this list. This book is a journal-style novel about the main character, Cassandra, and her family's life living inside an old castle. It was reminiscent of Jane Austen's writing, and had a really fun story, but the ending was a bit sad, so it was a more somber read than I was looking for at the time.












Now for the better news! These are the books I have been reading/listening to that I have really enjoyed!

Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

I wanted to read this one for a long time, and then there was a sale on Audible, so I had a good chance to listen to it at work. I THINK this book is based off of true experiences, but I am really not sure. I can't seem to find any information on that.

I loved the glimpse into this life you never hear about. The descriptions were vivid, without being too graphic. Shocking in parts, yes, but it was really interesting. I really don't want to say too much without giving too much away.

Random fact, I learned that in Mulan, when Mulan goes to the matchmaker, she is painted and dressed up in the style of a geisha. Not because of anything mentioned specifically in the books, but because of the description of the nightly costume of the geisha.


 
Grave Mercy - Robin LaFevers

This is a teen book (I think?) in which the main character escapes a terrible marriage and runs away to a convent worshiping the god of death. The nuns there are trained in the special skill of...well...death. The nuns of the convent are trained as assassins. The main character of the novel (whose name escapes me at the moment) can see death's mark on a person, so she is well qualified for the job.

The message of this novel was really good. The main character has to decide if the marks she sees on people qualify them for an instant death, or if her god is willing to give his victims a chance at redemption.

I really enjoyed this book, and I also enjoyed that even though this book is a trilogy, the first book ended really well, so I don't have to continue the series if I don't want to. :)

The Time in Between - Maria Duenas

This book was so pretty!! It was originally translated from Spanish, but I thought that it worked really well, since the translator was masterful, and the overall result wasn't hard to read.

This follows a young girl who was raised by a single mother as a seamstress, and lives a normal, predictable, childhood, meets a nice man who is normal, predictable, and safe, and gets engaged. Not long before the wedding, she meets a dashing salesman, Ramiro, and falls head-over-heels in love. She breaks off her engagement, and runs away with Ramiro. This is about the time of the outbreak of a war in Madrid. They move to Morocco, where Ramiro becomes increasingly distant, until one day Sira (the main character) finds herself alone, heartbroken, and penniless.

The rest of the story follows Sira's journey to rebuild herself, and the importance of friends and family to help her do so. She becomes a seamstress again, and eventually gets involved in espionage with the British government.

This book seriously had it all, and I was so happy after I finished! The ending was satisfying, and I loved the description of the different areas of the world. And, since Sira is a seamstress, the fashion was really interesting to read about.

I highly recommend this one--as soon as I finished, I shoved this into my mom's hands, and now my aunt is reading it. It is also a TV series that I have started, but not gotten very far in--it is Spanish with subtitles, so be warned that unless you understand Spanish, you need to devote your full attention to the show while watching.


Wow! I didn't realize there were so many here. Okay, my fingers are tired, so this is it for now. I have a bunch more mini reviews I will send out before too long, and these are more books that I really enjoyed, so I am excited to tell you about them!!!
 

1 year

Can ya'll believe it has been a year since we started our happy little reading blog? I've got to say that it has been fun, and thanks to you, I've found several new great reads. Looking forward to many more. Happy reading!

The Midnight Queen

The Midnight Queen by Sylvia Izzo Hunter


This post is going to to be short and snappy because I am writing it on my phone. (The laptop died :(  )

This is one of those books that I found during one of the rare occasions that I was able to wander thr library browsing shelves. The book art is cute and caught my eye. I was delighted to find that I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me vaguely of the King Killer books. In part because they are both set at magic school in an era long ago.

What I appreciated most about this book is how the main male and female character are well balanced. What I mean by that: so often in stories either the male or female lead swoops in to "save" the other.  I appreciated that these characters had very different strengths and weaknesses, but worked together to complement and strengthen one another.

One more thing: I didn't realize until now, as I looked up the author name, that this is a series. So I am off to read Lady of Magick.

Books That Have Encouraged Me to Learn Something New

So I haven't posted on here before, but I've been thinking of a lot of different things I've read lately and how they have influenced me. I thought it might be worth sharing. Before I get into that I just want to add that I have been following and have really enjoyed what others have said. Many books talked about are books now on my list to read or books I have read and enjoyed. So thanks.

The older I get the more I have learned that I am actually not that picky of a reader. It is rare that I find I book I truly cannot get through. I am just too much of a sucker for stories. That being said I recognize that some books I read are far better than others. Some books are great for a one time read, some are books that I finished mostly just to see if the end was okay, and some books are fun when I really just need something simple and easy to enjoy. But every so often I run across a gem of a book that really gets to me. It either makes me think about life and the world and my view of it, or it makes me want to run straight to my library's non-fiction section and start studying something new. Today I am focusing on the ones that make me want to learn something new.

1) Miss Burton Unmasks a Prince by Jennifer Moore
This is a regency romance novel that takes place during the Napoleonic Wars. Our main character is Miss Margaret (Meg) Burton who hails from the Carolinas but is sent to London to try to marry a rich man to save her family from financial disaster. Meg truly is a character. She is all spunk and is not your typical timid regency woman. She is very opinionated which often times lands her in some trouble. She also had unique talents and hobbies. She loves to ride and not ride sidesaddle either. She is absolutely fascinated with gothic novels and poetry of all sorts. She loves giving recitations and is not musically inclined in the slightest. She is a girl who just wants to find an adventure or mystery. I loved her. And I loved this book, but what I really wanted to do after I finished it was go find myself a book of classical poetry. I loved the bits of poetry in this book and I loved Megs knowledge and love for it which you could just feel seeping into you was well. So I guess a few poetry books need to go on my reading list. It can't hurt right?

2) The Paper Magician Trilogy by Charlie N Holmberg
So Darcy just did a mini review on this one and while I do agree with what she said I have to disagree with only liking the book. I fell in love with the series. I found myself pulled in by the world and characters. And yes, halfway through the book I would pause and say to myself "What has really happened so far? Not much? Oh... well okay." However because I was so lost in those chapters I didn't mind. I agree too with Darcy that paper magic is awesome! And now I just really want to learn how to do origami and paper crafting. I know my creations won't spring to life or anything but I think it is a beautiful art form that I just might be able to figure out.

3) Okay so number 3 isn't specific to one book but I have read several different books lately that have characters who are bilingual or of different nationalities and cultures. These books manage to use just a few words and phrases from those languages that just make me want to learn as many languages as I can. And I also think I want to be an anthropologist now. I just want to learn about people and cultures across the world and across time. I find them fascinating.

I am a learner. I absolutely love learning so if I find a book that makes me want to do just that I consider it a great read. Let's talk. What books have inspired you to learn something new?

The Martian--Andy Weir

I hope I am not the only one who thought of this:

(aliens from outer space) instead of this:

(humans on Mars) when reading the title of this book. Honestly, I thought the book was literally about aliens, and I did not want to read about that.

This was a mistake. I started reading some really great reviews, and eventually I read an article on a blog that I get updates from (Modern Mrs. Darcy. And in answer to your question... Maybe. Maybe I started following this blog originally because of my name, and maybe not. Who can really say?) that basically said this book was completely unexpected, and really good.

So I put this one on my list of "books to potentially read but most likely won't get to list," and pretty much forgot about it.

Then, one fateful day at the movie theater, Jeremy and I were watching the previews for some show and the trailer for The Martian came on, starring Matt Damon, whom I love. And... I was hooked. The trailer was really intriguing, and The Martian shot up to the top of my reading list; I picked it up the next time we were at Barnes and Noble.

I am so glad I did, because this is my absolute favorite book that I have read in 2015 (Let me check... I have started keeping track of the books I read... yep. Definitely #1) so far. I won't be surprised if this keeps its position because, well, it is October, and also I have been trying to clear off my kindle of old books that I bought on a whim (or got for free. Both are nice, but bog down my reading list).

Anyway!! Enough about the story behind how I got this book and actually read it... Let's talk about The Martian itself!!

This book is set in the not-so-distant future, where the third mission to Mars is taking place. The crew lands on Mars just fine, and as they are going about their work, an unexpected storm arises, and they are told to abort their mission. As they are making their way back to the ship, one of the crew members, Mark Watney, is lost and presumed dead. The rest of the crew takes off without him, assuming he is long gone.

Well... he isn't.

Watney survived the accident, and has to continue to find ways to survive. I don't want to give away too much plot, but here's a hint: Watney is on MARS. No food, no water, and no equipment--except those things left by his crew. And, at his BEST guess, Watney figures it will be about four years until the next manned mission can make it to Mars. The story is told by Watney, who records his experiences dutifully in the mission log, so if he perishes and NASA eventually makes it back to the landing site, they will know what happened to him.

Weir did a lot of research on this novel, and you can tell when you are reading it. And Weir has an awesome writing style that discusses difficult concepts and science simply, without it feeling like he is "dumbing it down" for us normal folk.

The main character, Watney, is hilarious! Despite being left alone on Mars, he finds humor in every situation and since conveniently he is a Botanist and an Engineer, he is able to come up with a lot of logical solutions. In the reader's discussion questions in the back of the book (yes, I read them. I am a nerd), one of the questions asks what your favorite "Waney-ism" is. There are a lot to choose from.

This story is amazing, and part of what makes it so amazing is how real it feels! In fact,when Jeremy and I were talking about it the other day (P.S. we now have two copies and have proceeded to push this book into anyone's hands who will read it) I told him that although I know that Watney is a fictional character, I have to keep reminding myself that this didn't actually happen. Part of the reason this book feels so real is that it does encompass the vision of NASA. In fact, when the movie was being created, NASA supported the filming, and actually took Andy Weir and the producer of the movie on tour to show them plans for NASA. So a lot of this stuff is where NASA sees their program in a few years (minus, you know, the losing a crew member and leaving him to die on a lifeless planet).

This book just grabs your attention and just keeps you hooked until the very end. In fact, true story: I was on the last few chapters of The Martian and was planning on finishing it before bed one night. Jeremy had some funny videos he was looking at on his phone, and couldn't stop laughing. I had to get up, and go lock myself in the bathroom until I finished. It was that good.

I really cannot recommend this book highly enough! READ THIS. Or, if you are still hesitant, go watch the movie (I have yet to see it), and THEN read it! Then tell me your thoughts, because this was so great!!!