January 2012
A new year, yo. So, it begins again. Since my New Year's resolution wasn't to update my blog on time, you can see I'm making it here late. Really late. I actually wrote those first three sentences a couple weeks ago and then completely fell down on the job. I wasn't even doing anything interesting. Whatever. I'm here now and book review for January is happening before February is over and really can you ask for more? No, you cannot.
Books Read: 14
Books Partially Read: 9
Books Bought: 7
Money Spent: $9
Books Borrowed: 12
Books Given: 1
Money made (from selling books): $17
Books on To-Be-Read Shelf: 62
Favorite Books this month: Demon's Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan, Brotherbands: Outcasts by John Flanagan, and The Thin Woman by Dorothy Cannell.
I cannot say enough about how much I have loved the Demon's Lexicon series by Sarah Rees Brennan. They are amazing, every single one of them. This might be my favorite...but I think that's just because it's the one I've read the most recently. Honestly, Demon's Lexicon (the first one) is probably still my actual favorite...Probably. I don't know! I really love Sin and Alan. I just got sucked into Amazon for a while there looking at upcoming Brennan novels. I did write about the first and second books in the series (briefly) in previous posts. I should have devoted more space and gushing to them. The first one is mostly about Nick and Alan (brothers tho one is also a demon), the second is about Mae and Jamie (siblings tho one is also a magician) (and also Nick and Alan) and the third is about Alan and Sin (romanticals!) (and also Nick, Mae, and Jamie). There's a lot about magic, demons, a magic/demon circus, family, loyalty, power, leadership, romance. And then also a lot of just super well-written and funny dialogue and incidents and great plot and overarching story-lines. I really really love these books. I now own the first one. I wish I owned the second and third ones. When I finished Demon's Surrender, I immediately wanted to go back and read all three of them over again. Four of my book quotes this month are from it and it would have been more if a pen had been more handy or if I hadn't been so enthralled with what was happening. They are fabulous. I love the characters, dialogue and the plots. You should all read them too. Especially Nuala--the one person I know who reads this blog and likes this kind of book.
Brotherbands: Outcasts is a new series by Flanagan set in the same world as the The Ranger's Apprentice series. Whereas RA was mostly, mm, kind of medieval knights/sneaky bow wielding spies, Brotherbands is set in the north and is very Viking influenced. At first I was kind of like, "MEH. A NEW series. Can it be as good as RA? Prob not. Should I even bother? Ehhhhh." But then I started reading and was pretty much immediately drawn into the story. I don't know how Flanagan does this. They're not amazing stories or fantastic writing! And yet I become completely engrossed within pages. Also they're very much targeted at boys. Yet, here we are. Loved it.
The Thin Woman has almost nothing in common with The Thin Man movies except for some pretense at witty dialogue, a mystery story, a fun pet, and a man/woman duo. But other than all that, they are nothing alike. I really enjoyed this one and I read the 2nd one and made it halfway through the 3rd. I have to say the first is really the best. And even it has moments of treacle writing that bogs down in its own attempts to be from a different time period. I mean, I guess the 1980s were a different time period but these are trying much too hard to be British, early 20th Century fare and they just feel off after a while. Still, I enjoyed this one and can def see the appeal if that's what you're into (and not, say, YA demon trilogies).
Least Favorite Books: There were 8 books I read 1-20 pages of and then discarded during the great clothing swap party. So those definitely. But I didn't really give most of them a fair chance. I read a lot more Grace Dent books (the Chav series and Poor Little, Rich Girl). None were as good as that first one I read over Christmas. The last one--Keeping it Real--I didn't even finish really. I skimmed through the ending. Mostly this was due to one character getting super ill and me panicking about sickness and hypochondria and having to stop reading hospital scenes. I realize I have issues, yes. My most difficult book this month was one by a person I sort of know so I shan't write about it here. I have complained enough in person.
Book Quotes:
Books Read: 14
Books Partially Read: 9
Books Bought: 7
Money Spent: $9
Books Borrowed: 12
Books Given: 1
Money made (from selling books): $17
Books on To-Be-Read Shelf: 62
Favorite Books this month: Demon's Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan, Brotherbands: Outcasts by John Flanagan, and The Thin Woman by Dorothy Cannell.
I cannot say enough about how much I have loved the Demon's Lexicon series by Sarah Rees Brennan. They are amazing, every single one of them. This might be my favorite...but I think that's just because it's the one I've read the most recently. Honestly, Demon's Lexicon (the first one) is probably still my actual favorite...Probably. I don't know! I really love Sin and Alan. I just got sucked into Amazon for a while there looking at upcoming Brennan novels. I did write about the first and second books in the series (briefly) in previous posts. I should have devoted more space and gushing to them. The first one is mostly about Nick and Alan (brothers tho one is also a demon), the second is about Mae and Jamie (siblings tho one is also a magician) (and also Nick and Alan) and the third is about Alan and Sin (romanticals!) (and also Nick, Mae, and Jamie). There's a lot about magic, demons, a magic/demon circus, family, loyalty, power, leadership, romance. And then also a lot of just super well-written and funny dialogue and incidents and great plot and overarching story-lines. I really really love these books. I now own the first one. I wish I owned the second and third ones. When I finished Demon's Surrender, I immediately wanted to go back and read all three of them over again. Four of my book quotes this month are from it and it would have been more if a pen had been more handy or if I hadn't been so enthralled with what was happening. They are fabulous. I love the characters, dialogue and the plots. You should all read them too. Especially Nuala--the one person I know who reads this blog and likes this kind of book.
Brotherbands: Outcasts is a new series by Flanagan set in the same world as the The Ranger's Apprentice series. Whereas RA was mostly, mm, kind of medieval knights/sneaky bow wielding spies, Brotherbands is set in the north and is very Viking influenced. At first I was kind of like, "MEH. A NEW series. Can it be as good as RA? Prob not. Should I even bother? Ehhhhh." But then I started reading and was pretty much immediately drawn into the story. I don't know how Flanagan does this. They're not amazing stories or fantastic writing! And yet I become completely engrossed within pages. Also they're very much targeted at boys. Yet, here we are. Loved it.
The Thin Woman has almost nothing in common with The Thin Man movies except for some pretense at witty dialogue, a mystery story, a fun pet, and a man/woman duo. But other than all that, they are nothing alike. I really enjoyed this one and I read the 2nd one and made it halfway through the 3rd. I have to say the first is really the best. And even it has moments of treacle writing that bogs down in its own attempts to be from a different time period. I mean, I guess the 1980s were a different time period but these are trying much too hard to be British, early 20th Century fare and they just feel off after a while. Still, I enjoyed this one and can def see the appeal if that's what you're into (and not, say, YA demon trilogies).
Least Favorite Books: There were 8 books I read 1-20 pages of and then discarded during the great clothing swap party. So those definitely. But I didn't really give most of them a fair chance. I read a lot more Grace Dent books (the Chav series and Poor Little, Rich Girl). None were as good as that first one I read over Christmas. The last one--Keeping it Real--I didn't even finish really. I skimmed through the ending. Mostly this was due to one character getting super ill and me panicking about sickness and hypochondria and having to stop reading hospital scenes. I realize I have issues, yes. My most difficult book this month was one by a person I sort of know so I shan't write about it here. I have complained enough in person.
Book Quotes:
"His gun-calloused fingers lingered at the hollow above her hip, and Sin realized that Alan had definitely woken up with a girl in his bed before."
"'You're weird,' Jamie returned. 'As soon as this whole magical war is over, I'm going to make us some friendship bracelets, and we will wear them everywhere because we are best friends.'
He gave Nick a beaming smile.
'Drop dead,' said Nick, and Jamie looked serenely pleased."
--(both from) Demon's Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan
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