jaymi elford
Disclaimer: I received a copy via netgalley.com for review.
This anthology was on my to get list before I received a copy via netgalley. With an all-star line up of authors, and the carnivale as a setting, it had me hooked at the name. If you were expecting something darker, however... look elsewhere. This anthology is made of mostly urban fantasy stories. There is bits of horror here and there but... it's more urban fantasy. I'd even go as far as to say that I'm not sure why they included the “punk” in the title. Sure, some of the stories do have a punkish attitude but more often than not, they just feel more urban and fantastic than what I've come to expect from anything with a -punk subheading. The stories revolve around main characters we know and love from pre-existing series. However, there are many stories that seem to fit into worlds of their own.
Some of the stories that I enjoyed the most included:
Delilah S. Dawson's “The Three Lives of Lydia” told the tale of a tattooed lady, stuck in a world not of her own making.
Mark Henry's “The Sweeter the Juice”: which features transgendered ladies for protagonists and a horde of zombies. Totally laugh out loud-able.
Rachel Caine's “The Cold Girl”: which portrays victims in a whole new light, as well as just how far love can go to prove itself.
Allison Pang's “A Duet with Darkness” is probably my favorite in this volume. This story reminds me of Charles de Lint's work in that the carnivale is not just the setting but does have a bite to it, and interacts in a huge way with her characters. The end of this story left me wondering if Pang has written more about this world and the characters in it (which she does and I will now investigate).
Overall, if you're like me and have an attraction to the mystique of a carnival, then you'll like this anthology of stories. All the attractions are in it, fun houses, ferris wheels, and fortune tellers... just waiting for you to pick it up and give it a read.
I love books that attempt to try something new. This is one of those books. Rosenthal writes snippets of her life that are categorized around entries that could be found straight from Britannica. Some entries detail list-like favorites of her past, while others are more serious and detail particular moments of her life. She claims that she lived an ordinary life and had nothing special happen to her. She was not a drug addict, her parents never divorced and she never got into any major wrecks. And yet, in this book... we see just how extraordinary a life can be when one decides to capture the small, insignificant moments of their life. This book is playful and a wonderful way to categorize one's life. This fits into my summer reading goals by removing yet another book off the stack of books on the table next to me. It also was a book that I purchased a while ago and had not read yet.
My favorite genre is magic realism. I love reading and writing about how life would be if our world got blended with fantastical things. This story, reads very much like a diary from the blender. It is the story of Tori and what happens when her mother leaves her a voodoun legacy, debt and how she deals with bringing her life together. She must reconcile her love/hate relationship with the magicks, god and adapt to her own abilities while being pregnant. As a first novel, and written from a female perspective from a male author, Stewart does a good job of painting scenes and throwing the reader into his world where magic and reality collide. I was impressed with his ability to pull off writing from the point of view of a pregnant 30-something woman who's terrified and exicted to lead a life without her mother or the dark legacy that she left her. This novel has tight writing and some witty dialog (not to mention some interesting situations) and is a quick and fun read. It fits into my goals by being, yet another fiction book.
(Adapted from www.diyplanner.com)
Last month, I was reading an article about Daniel Pink and how he went to Japan to study the art and culture surrounding Japanese comics, otherwise known as manga. He was interested in the format's popularity; this was a book format that people of all ages enjoyed reading. He studied the culture and the form to see how it could be applied to other disciplines successfully. The Adventures of Johnny Bunko is the result of that study. This introductory guide on life design and career planning in today's modern workplace uses the manga format to weave a story about a man who learns more about life and work in six easy lessons. It's a fast read, filled with entertaining scenarios, and some short but powerful ideas on how to get ahead in your career.
The book tells the story of Johnny Bunko, “who is a lot like you and me.” He's gone to school, graduated, and has a job in a company and department that he's not sure whether or not he wants anymore. While getting food for another late night of work, he has a run-in with a “fairy god-friend”, named Diana. His world and workplace are never the same after meeting her. She's a whiz at helping people find their truth and teaches them what it means to live the life they want to have. Through the use of magical chopsticks and some helpful wisdom, Johnny Bunko learns how to transform his life and pursue the career he dreamt of having.
Pink distills Diana's wisdom down into six statements. These statements hold basic truths that anyone who works these days can tap into and relate to:
1. There is no plan.
2. Think strengths, not weaknesses.
3. It's not about you.
4. Persistence trumps talent.
5. Make excellent mistakes.
6. Leave an imprint.
While none of these lessons are mind shattering, (many are spoken time and time again by “the productivity gurus”, like Covey and Allen), what makes these principles stick is in the presentation– story and artwork. Pink's creative plot and Rob Ten Pas's manga artwork work together to illustrate (literally) how individuals can apply each statement into various working aspects of their lives. This format easily allows anyone at a modest reading level to read and understand what each statement means and how they can apply it to their working life. Johnny Bunko fumbles his way through each lesson to learn exactly what he needs to do to get his career to align with his dreams. This book gives readers permission to play the “what-if” game and think about how they can get from where they are to where they want to be in life.
I'm not an expert on critiquing manga art. But I will say that I enjoyed Rob Ten Pas's black-and-white pen line art. The lines are crisp and clean and the comic book format was not hard to follow at all. Each pane flows into one another smoothly. This marriage between written storytelling and comic/movie story-boarding works in the book's favor. In a world where the written word is becoming the “last minute pastime”, the manga format helps to draw people back to books. When you read a manga, it's more like you are reading a movie. Many people are visual learners and I think that if more books were written in this style, it would help break down and drive complex ideas (such as life design and career planning) into visual ways that people can just see how to apply these concepts to their own situations.
The Adventures of Johnny Bunko is a great graduation gift for those entering the job force soon. It offers any graduate, from high school to college, the chance to read through, learn, and see how these statements actually do and can apply to their own lives. The first non-fiction book to be written in a comic format, I sure hope it's not the last. Johnny Bunko is highly entertaining and the artwork aids in retaining the information inside the book. While it's not really “the last career guide you will ever need” per se, it IS a good book to keep around and read over and over again when you want to remind yourself of: where you are in life and whether or not your work, values and hobbies align with your ultimate vision of who and what you want to be doing in this world. Visit the book's website to learn more about it and to see an excerpt.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review from netgalley.com.
I grabbed this book to read based off the cover and title alone. I love dystopian books and this one gave me the impression that it was about a girl and her dog traveling a world after some sort of virus had destroyed the population. I was wrong, happily. Well, there is a girl, and a dog, and there was a virus but there are no zombies (yet) and a bit of mystery and some time travel tossed in. Viral Nation is about Clover, an autistic teenager who is tossed into the action of her society. Clover, her brother, and some other teens gang up to take on the company that has been hailed as the saviors of humanity.
I liked Viral Nation as a setting. The world seems believable and when we're introduced to it everything flows rather well. Everyone has a job and everyone has bought the stories and kool-aid of those who control them. Clover, as the protagonist, works. She questions things but also has her melt-downs and is vulnerable but smart.
The plot, was fast paced and felt a bit too tight for my liking. I could guess a few things: like when Clover first looks at the wall surrounding her city, I knew that we were going to head out. I also felt that some of the time-travelling was just tossed in and I hope that further portions of the series does a more convincing job of its importance than to just “future scope out murderers.”
Over all this series has promise and I look forward to reading more and seeing where it and the altered timelines take our characters.
The second of Galenorn's Otherworld series, this one focuses the tale around Delilah, a half-weretabby cat. The tale picks up a few months after Witchling and continues the tale of the three sisters. While the voice of Camille seemed a bit stronger from the last book, Delilah seems to be a bit more grounded in reality. Her part of the tale (tailored a bit too much for her being, I think) revolves around how she (and by extension, her sisters) are enlisted to help a local pack of werepumas in the area. It's a good story and I wonder how deep this story will go and how far the round table of voices will go before getting to the conclusion.
Disclamer: I received a review copy through netgalley.com.
I first stumbled on Anne McCaffery's Pern series in the 8th grade. I had fallen in love with dragons and vowed to read anything that contained dragons between the covers. Enter the Dragon Riders of Pern. I loved the series, the way the dragons bonded with their riders and fought against a common goal. I loved the fire lizards with their antics. And I loved the world McCaffery wrote.
A few months ago, while at Baycon, I met Todd McCaffery and he told me about this anthology. He loved his mother and wanted to share his memories of his mother with the world. So what better way to do it with an anthology. This anthology is not like anything you've ever read. It's not filled with short stories that thank the Dragonlady and the worlds she created. No it's a posthumous toast to the woman, the mother, and the writer that we all loved.
McCaffery starts each essay with a poignant memory of his mother and the people she called friend. This is then followed by an essay from writers, editors, or artists that bonded with Anne. It's a genuine heartfelt outpouring of love for the woman who wrote about dragons in a science fiction setting.
Other reviews have said that the essays sort of blend into one another after awhile. I have to agree with this, for there's only so much toasting one can take in a single setting. However, this book is great for those who want to know the author as a person better. It's inherent that Anne McCaffery loved people as much as her craft and her beloved Ireland. The only thing I'm disappointed is that I never got the opportunity to meet this author.
Disclaimer: I received an eARC from netgalley.com.
Dirty Magic by Jaye Wells kept me up all night long. This is the story of Katie Prospero (more commonly referred by her last name) and her attempt to prove her worth. The story opens up with her walking a night beat in Babylon City when she comes into contact with a murder involving the latest designer “drug”. In Babylon, potions and magic are the drug of choice and it seems that everyone wants some.
I loved the magical system Wells created. Technically this book can be classified as an alternative history where magic comes out in the world and asserts it's worth as a technology. There are two classifications of magic, clean and dirty and the dirty magic is the stuff junkies are hooked on. Magic has a physical bond in this story, where the more you use it or imbibe, the more it changes you.
The world feels alive because of this history, sprinkled in amongst the main story line. Wells brings Prospero's world alive with real-life dialog and action and police knowledge.
Bottom line: If you like your urban fantasy a little bit dark and dirty with an edge of realism then you'd love this book. I'm already looking forward to where this series goes.
Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from netgalley.com.
Carl Jung defines archetype as an ancient, or archaic image, which derives from the collected unconscious. Archetypes help us identify themes and learn ways to connect to the world around. I'm a tarot reader, and in tarot, archetypes are important. Which is why I was curious to read Archetypes by Caroline Myss. This book introduces the reader to archetypes “and how they affect every aspect of our life.” Myss describes 10 core families of archetypes and asks the reader to figure out whether or not they self identify with any of these. Rather basic stuff, if you ask me.
The core audience for this book are women, as women are the ones who tend to delve deeply into these aspects. However, each archetype has a specific section catering to our male counterparts. I think this does the archetypes a dis-service because they are truly universal and know no gender typing.
I also found a few other things Myss says in this book disturbing. In her introduction, she describes a situation where a client was divorced and had cancer. She tries to say that perhaps the disease was not the thing killing her, but her disconnection from her archetype (or mythic influence). Later on, in the section on describing The Visionary archetype, she writes about how she cautions people from receiving personal readings from psychics. That they give “bogus information” and “drain your bank account.” This is hypocritical coming from someone who is at the same time teaching women how to use their archetypes to get in touch with their intuitive side.
The biggest thing about Archetypes is that the book feels rushed and unfinished. It only introduces the 10 families of archetypes, giving small lists of how to recognize their power and integrate it into our lives. The book mentions being a guide for a business called archetype.me. I dug a bit deeper and found out that this website/company never fully off the ground and is defunct. It doesn't lessen the material in the book but it does make me wonder about the validity of the information. Is this book really useful or just a infomercial to hook women into buying scents or clothing?
Disclaimer: I received an eARC from netgalley.com in exchange for my review.
I've read a few Amanda Hocking books. Each one has a compelling world. Her new “Valkyrie” series is no different. Imagine a world where the supernatural, global god pantheons (in this book, it heavily relies on the Norse pantheon), and technology come alive, peacefully coexisting with their own rules and regulations. This is the world Hocking drops us into. I'm such a geek for magic and technology; Shadowrun the RPG being one of my all-time favorite game settings. So, I was pleasantly squeeing when I dove into this book.
In Between the Blade and the Heart, we're introduced to Malin, a Valkyrie-in-training. She's just come back from her latest assignment to find an intruder in her apartment. And thus, starts the quest that leads us through the rest of the story, that takes her through her city, pushing her past what she thought was the truth about her vocation, and deep into Mexico.
Hocking does a great job of building her books. The world feels real, her characters are wonderfully flawed, and they feel real wandering around their setting. This new series is fast paced, contains a great bi-love triangle (about time!), and leaves us with a cliff-hanger that I didn't see coming (too much). It also contains the cutest little pet critter I've ever read in a book (Malin, if you read this... I'd be more than happy to take care of Bowie any time).
If you like your urban fantasy with a mythical twist, some cool technology, and a bunch of kick-ass heroines, then give Between the Blade and the Heart a read. Eagerly awaiting book two!
I remember picking this book up on a lark. It was the name and the cover that caught my eye. We were just about to leave the store when I saw it and knew I had to have it. I'm glad I got it. Imagine Neil Gaiman meets HP Lovecraft and this is one possible reality. Dragonfly is the story of a 10 year old girl, who foolishly adventures down into a horrible realm (much like Lovecraft's Dreamlands). Dragonfly, follows a strange “exterminator” down into her basement that has been strangely changed into a horrifying world. She then discouvers a horrible plot by the ringleader, Sam Hain (get it? get it? giggles), who steals children from our world and forces them into slavery. No matter where she goes, trouble follows; even if all she wants to do is go home. Dragonfly finds that no matter where she goes, trouble follows. People she loves die or get caught and all she wants is to go home. Finally, after a weird and bizarre battle that is both fitting to the story and not quite fitting, she does go home... only to forge a bond with many of the characters that leaves the book open for future sequels. I enjoyed this book, but found it a bit hard to digest. Durbin's prose is thick and dense and filled with puns. The print was small and I found my self constantly re-reading passages that my eye may have skipped over. In the end I added another fiction book to my reading list and cleared one more book off the table. Yay! 7 more to go.
Disclaimer: I received an copy of this book through netgalley.
I've read a few of Saintcrow's books and I must say that she's a very versatile writer. In this third volume of her Bannon and Clare series, we return to a victorian London that never was. Meshing the true language of the times with tales that speak to the urban fantasy, steampunk, and alternate history crowds, this book is interesting. The plot takes place several years after the events in the first book. A strange plague has befallen Londimum. Sorceress Bannon and mentath Clare set out to unravel the plot behind it and save Britiannica.
I liked the world that this book is set in. It's very much a recreation and re-envisioning of our world. There are glaslamps and clockwork beasts, and magick of all flavors. It's fun to watch Bannon and Clare's relationship develop as one is steeped in magic and the other in pure logic that has a hint of sherlockian appeal. The plot contained many twists and it kept me guessing until the end.
The story is told in alternating chapters from both characters. This I had no issues with. On the other hand, the writing is very different than what passes for normal. But, Saintcrow has a love of language and period stories and it shows in how she chose to stay as close to being period in her Bannon and Clare books. They aren't 100% easy reads. Even one schooled in English, you have to look up words or infer meanings from words selected as staples in this world. The first book was hard to digest in this fashion but it's easier in this second.
Bottom Line: Readers with a love of Holmes, steampunk and magic would enjoy this series.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC PDF of this book from netgalley.com. It's something I've been wanting to read and I'm so glad I got the chance to write this review.
Wow... just wow. London Falling is Paul Cornell's first novel and it's described as “urban fantasy.” However, it's more than just this. Parts urban fantasy, horror, and police procedure, this book is vastly unique and different than anything else in the genre today. It's the story of a British police unit trying to track down a “serial killer,” who just happens to be a paranormal entity. Our team is sharp, using police logic and good knowledge to active their goals, rather than turning to magic or unknown fantasy means. I loved how well this worked and am very amazed that it was pulled off so well in writing. I'm sure that if this becomes a series we'll see a bit more of fantasy but this is a great way to push the reader into the world that Cornell is slowly building around us.
This book kept me guessing the entire way through. Cornell is an amazing author and I'm surprised at the intricate book he's written for all of us. As I live on “the other side of the pond,” some of the slang was hard to digest but thankfully there's a glossary included for some of the more obscure stuff. Everything about this book was tight. The story flowed, the action was fun, and the characters flawed but with good purpose. The ending, left wide open, begs for more books to come. I know I'm hoping that we'll get more about this new perspective on urban fantasy.
Bottom Line: This is a genre changer for urban fantasy. I'm sure not everyone will like it but I think everyone should read it. It's that impressive.
This book gives suggestions and exercises for women who want to dig deeper and uncover what their soul purpose is. For many of us, we lose our way and Anderson believes that it only takes one weekend to examine what is going on to change it and become something new. I loved reading the mini-retreat stories from others and what they uncovered about themselves in this book. It was also engaging enough to keep reading during my past weekend getaway camping with friends.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy from the author for a honest review. I have also purchased this book via amazon.
Magic is seeping back into our world, via a portal. Humans gifted with magical powers are rounded up and put into controlled areas. Seventeen year old Tania is among them. Along with her friend, Logan, a not-so-human companion, she learns to survive in this new world. She has prophetic dreams, of a white woman stealing children from her world. Thus begins the tale of Keys and Needles.
What I liked: Michelle has made an extensive world for her characters to play in. Her magic has sound principles and I love how they work. What felt like a created world of her own, turned into a blend of faerie tales and Nordic mysticism. Very intriguing and left me wanting to know more. The story has a nice resolution (with a good twist to bring us into book two.
What I didn't like: The first part of the book is set firmly in a human-centric world. We learn more about Tania's ability to survive with her mark and how she is treated by normal people. Once we go beyond the portal, into the faerie realm, things move very fast. I would have liked to spend more time in this realm, instead of the massive build up in the real world.
Bottom Line: if you like books with creative magical systems and an in-depth world to play in, then you'll love Keys and Needles.
I'm in a constant state of de-cluttering my home, it seems. I frequently check out various home simplification and de-cluttering books. This was one that amazon recommended to me and I borrowed it from the library. Instead of just going with the various de-cluttering tips and tricks and whatnot, this book describes how to scale things down and really have only the things you love with you. What I liked about this book were the stories they included about themselves or others who are on the path to decluttering. As a result of this book, I have finally shaped up my closet after a few years of getting rid of things. I'm also learning which knick-knacks I want to get rid of and what things I do want to keep in my house.
What a wonderful conclusion to the Inkworld series. Lots of twists and developments to keep my mind guessing. I can't wait to see what Funke does next.
I received a eARC through Netgalley.com, so this is my review:
Rachel Hawkins has done it again. Moving from the Hex Halls series, she's expanded the world of the Prodigium. In this case, we're introduced, one again, to Izzy Brannick. One of the last of a long line of “monster” hunters, Izzy is learning what it means to carry the title, who she can trust, and how to balance a normal life. This was a fun read. I liked that Hawkins expanded her Hex Hall world and has left the door open for more supernatural tales. The first of a new series sets the fast pace and tone of more fun, more supernatural, and some interesting surprises. I'm looking forward to seeing Izzy, Dex, and this series grow.
I'm not even done with this book but I'm enjoying it immensely. Zombies vs Unicorns is a fun literary romp that pits the eternal undead against the pristine unicorn. The stories in this collection are good (many better than those I've read in various other zombie anthologies) but the real fun is the commentary provided by the editors, Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier, who root for their respective teams and snark their way through determining which side is better. Their wit and friendly banter make this anthology one of the most fun I've read. Even the cover and interior art is laced with hilarity as zombies and unicorns fight one another, poised in the eternal struggle to answer the question who is better, zombies or unicorns?
Disclaimer: I received an eARC from netgalley in exchange for a review. This review is spoiler free.
Come one, come all, to Gideon's Traveling Sideshow, a roving carnival traveling to their latest destination where the payout proves to be grand. As long as they make it to the vernal equinox. However, this isn't your typical side show filled with cons and shenanigans. No, many of the members of the troupe have real supernatural powers– pyrokinesis, telekinsesis, speaking with the dead, are among the few gifts the novel mentions. No matter where Mara turns, everyone seems to have a special ability. Except for her. Even her fortune telling mother has secrets. Because of this, Mara dreams of having a normal life, free from the only show she's known. Their latest town may be more trouble than anyone bargained for.
Amanda Hocking has written a fun novel. Freeks is set in the late 80's and is filled with romance, mystery, and supernatural. I'm a big fan of Hocking's The Hallows and the Trylle series. As a tarot reader, I was insanely curious to read this book; I love books that include tarot in their plots. This book didn't disappoint. The sections are divided by hand-drawn tarot cards (psst, please make a deck.. i love the drawings and want a copy). The readings Mara's mother does in the book are spot on with modern meanings. She treats the Death card the same way I treat it in my own personal readings.
The story is cute and enjoyable. At it's heart it's a coming-of-age story for Mara, who wants love and a normal life. In this new town she meets a boy whom she thinks she can have a short relationship with before the Sideshow moves out. She learns to deal with relationships as a young adult and she talks through the difficulties of being a freak and wanting to be normal. The plot is steady. However, the main gist of the book doesn't happen till well after half-way through. Which meant, I wanted a longer book, to learn more about Mara's past and where she came from.
Bottom Line: This is an easy read. I stayed up all night long to finish it. There are many twists and turns, which is the mark of a good book for me. The world is fantastic and I found myself wishing I could hang with Mara, her mother, and others. Freeks reads as a stand alone book, but I'm hoping Hocking continues the adventures of Mara.
I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley. I have to be honest, this book was a bit of a let down. I read through it quickly and hoped that it was going to be filled with interesting twists and magical information but it wasn't. It's a rather straight forward book about Abby who has magical abilities, whose love interest is the top boy, but meets another magical boy. She then casts a love spell (without having hardcore consequences) to capture the heart of her long admired normal boy interest— all the while falling in love with the magical one. Things come to a head during prom, when some magical group (that's never really defined well) attempts to have our herione join them forever. Yeah. Things just felt flat in this book. It was an easy read but it just seemed to not be all there. I also think that this is a stand-alone book, not the first in any series.
Supposedly, Abby's maternal side of the family is connected to real witches and Salem. This is explored geneologically in the book, but the magic of the family isn't a driving force. Instead, it's Abby's obsession over the long crush and her real feelings for a new boy that seems genuinely interested in her.
The magic in this book also seems thin. Instead of something that can be taught, it comes from within. A spellbook filled with recipes falls into Abby's bag and she starts casting things willynilly, never really thinking how it works and what it's doing to her. Even in the end, the nemesis tells Abby that the spell book isn't real, that it's the magic inside her that really does the magic. The only magical knowledge that the book stands on are the four elements (earth, air, water, fire) which are a basis for the type of elemental magic that can work... it's glossed over and only somewhat explained in a brief scene when Abby's boss does a tarot reading for her and clues her into the elements.
Bottom line, if you want a fun story to hold you over until your favorite series releases new and exciting stories, then this is a good filler.