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Book Review: The Sixth Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko

Anton returns in another installment of the Watch Series. Anton, having spent the last decade teaching light magicians instead of fighting dark magicians, is pulled back into the field to hunt a vampire who has been sending a message to him. 

While Anton is hunting down information to find the vampire, the world's prophets all receive the same prophecy at the same time. The message is cryptic but foretells the end of all Others, and then end of people. 

Sixth Watch digs deeper into the Others that haven't received a lot of attention in the series. We get an inside look at the dark magicians, witches, shape shifters, etc. 

I actually, just now, while writing this review realized that this is the last book in the series, which is depressing, I've been reading these books for years and rejoice at the announcement of a new installment. There are some bits that are very Russian, and maybe I don't get all the references because of that, but this is a fantastic series. Its a great urban fantasy that isn't a YA urban fantasy. The vampires do not sparkle. 

I highly suggest this series and must say that I will miss it dearly. 

 

Book Review Quickie: Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi

Boy, Snow, Bird came out a couple years ago, and the book world went NUTS for it. I tend to like things to cool off a bit before I indulge. 

We start the novel meeting Boy Novak, who is running away from an abusive father. Boy randomly selects a small town in Massachusetts as her new home. She slowly makes friends, slowly falls in love, then quickly starts her family. 

Her husband's first wife died shortly after childbirth. Snow, the first born, was immediately loved by the family. She was adorned, almost worshipped. When Boy gave birth to her daughter, she immediately turns on Snow. 

The novel switches from Boy to the daughter to Boy again. I thought the book was incredibly engaging, it felt like the author gave up on the ending. There is a very abrupt stop, with a dozen open storylines. I was completely shocked when I finished the book.

So, if you can easily let go of open storylines and just enjoy the ride, then this book is for you. 

 

Book Review: The Fireman by Joe Hill

This was an amazing read. At the beginning of the book we see an outbreak of an illness referred to as "Dragonscale". This is a disease which causes black and gold marks on the infected person and spontaneous combustion, which is clearly the most terrifying things ever. SERIOUSLY Google it.

Harper is a nurse with a heart of gold. She, of course, devotes her time to help the people infected by the Dragonscale, to the dismay of her husband. Its at the hospital that Harper first met the Fireman, he carried in a sick child who many refused to touch due to the infection. Harper jumped in saving the child's life.

One day a spontaneous combustion set off a domino effect and the hospital Harper worked at was shut down. As she walked away from the scene of the fire she spotted the Fireman again.

Of course Harper becomes infected, her husband freaks out and moves into a coworkers apartment. Harper sees the Fireman from time to time. He seems to be her guardian angel. Watching to ensure that she was safe.

The Fireman is an amazing book. You become completely absorbed in this apocalyptic novel with dashes of group hysteria and Joe Hill wit.

This is an absolute MUST READ. I refuse to give further detail. Get ready because this book will consume you.

Book Review: Fight Club 2 by Chuck Palahniuk

I have mixed feelings on Fight Club 2. What I loved was Palahniuk’s insertion of himself into the graphic novel… that’s great and it was funny. I loved that he had a bunch of fan’s show up to his graphic novel house and he asks if they’re looking for Neil Gaiman. What I hated … was everything else.

Palahniuk created this wonderful thing that my generation adopted and adored to the point of idol worship. I’ve read Fight Club multiple times, I’ve seen Fight Club more times than I can count. My website is named after Fight Club.

It’s not even that he fucked with Jack/Sebastian. It’s not that he fucked with the idea of Tyler. It’s that he put Marla Singer in a fucking pantsuit with a suburban life and a child. I’m sure dudes hold Jack in higher esteem, being upset that he became a cube-dweller, but I don’t find that shocking. It’s possible to me that Jack had this crazy experience and then went back to sleep. However, it’s out of my realm of understanding to accept that Marla Fucking Singer has a perfect house, with a son, and a babysitter, and a cell phone??

 

No, nope. I’m going to pretend this was a fever dream and that Fight Club 2 never happened. 

Book Review and Giveaway: The Widow by Fiona Barton

Jeanie Taylor is a recent widow of a man accused with a horrible crime. The narrative switches between several main characters. As the story unfolds, you begin to wonder what exactly Jeanie knew about her husbands alleged crime. 

I devoured the book. I was completely hooked by page three with Jeanie's internal monologue "...I couldn't tell them I was glad he was gone. No more of his nonsense."

This was such a fun read, I highly suggest picking this book up. So much so, that I'm offering my copy as a giveaway. The first comment below gets my copy. I'll put an end date of 4/31/16 on this offer. 

Book Review: What Remains of Me by Alison Gaylin

When Kelly Lund was 17 she committed murder, she became America’s Sociopath with her “Mona Lisa Smile” the day of the conviction. Kelly spend 25 years in prison, quietly accepting her punishment. She never provided a reasons for killing famous director John McFadden.

Upon completion of her 25 year sentence, Kelly left the prison with her husband Shane Marshall. Shane was the younger brother of Kelly’s dearest friend Bellamy, both Shane and Bellamy were Hollywood Royalty. Kelly has acclimated, somewhat, to post-prison life until her father-in-law is killed in the same manner as John McFadden.

What Remains of Me switches back and forth from current day to the time of the original murder. Kelly gives no hint to her innocence or guilt, the reader just comes along for the ride.  

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Book Review: Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes

Once again we follow the journey of the lovable serial killer Joe Goldberg. Joe has moved on from Beck, knowing now that Beck was NOT the girl for him. The girl for him is Amy Adam.

We met Amy briefly in You, she was the gal who came in with a stolen credit card. Joe is completely in love with Amy and Amy is completely fucking over Joe.

Joe’s intense rage regarding the betrayal of Amy Adam takes him across the country to Los Angeles, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake.

You was such an amazing read, even though Hidden Bodies is good, its no You. Worth the read but doesn’t have to be on top of the to-read pile.

Hidden Bodies is available for sale on February 23rd. 

Book Review: The Beautiful Bureaucrat by Helen Phillips

Josephine and her husband, Joseph, have recently moved into a metropolitan area. Joseph has been working for about a month now, but Josephine hasn’t had much luck.

As we meet her, she’s interviewing for a low level position in a large organization. Her interviewer asks her strange and personal questions about her life. She cannot tell what her interviewer looks like, cannot even tell if they are a man or a woman. All Josephine sees is a large pair of glasses; the smell on the other hand, gives this character the moniker of Person with Bad Breath. Her awkward interview turns into an awkward offer and she rushes home to tell Joseph the good news.

She didn’t have to make it all the way home before she saw Joseph… on the futon… on the sidewalk…along with all of their possessions. Joseph and Josephine spend the rest of the book hopping from sublet to sublet. Josephine starts her new job, shortly after Joseph becomes more distant…

Ok, I’m doing an awful job explaining this book. Yes, the plot is simple, but it’s the writing that’s amazing. Phillip's writing is what would you expect of George Orwell. It was near-impossible to put down this book, I devoured it in two days. The author does such an amazing job of explain the soul-sucking business world that we deal with, that it’s haunting and uncomfortable.

This is a must-read.

Favorite Quote:

“A toast. To bureaucrats with boring office jobs. May we never discuss them at home.”

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Book Review: Fables Vol. 22: Farewell by Bill Willingham

When I first started my love affair with graphic novels, I went for the safe picks, like Sandman by Neil Gaiman and anything by Alan Moore. I already knew that I loved Gaiman, so therefore Sandman, Sandman created an intense passion for graphic novels, I wanted more. Gaiman loves Alan Moore so therefore Watchmen, V for Vendetta, From Hell, etc. Then one day at the library, I came across Fables Vol 1, and decided to give it a shot. As I developed my tastes in comics, there was always Fables. I wasn’t an early follower of the series, I started reading in about 2010 but a six year relationship with this characters is nothing to scoff at. So being given the opportunity to review the final Fables graphic novel is an honor and sadness wrapped up in one.

WAIT… if you haven’t read Fables, go to your library now, pick up the first few trade paperbacks and enjoy.

Ok, I’ll assume at this point that the folks reading are up to date in the story. When we last left the Fables universe, Rose Red and Snow White were preparing for a war against each other. Neither seemed to actually want the war, it was being imposed upon them, by a force revealed in Vol. 22. Bigby is back from being shattered into a million pieces from Snow’s first husband, however, there is a missing piece through which he is being controlled. He’s roaming around the streets of New York as a feral, deadly killer. In addition to being a danger to the mundies physically, his presence is creating holes in the protective spells that allow Fabletown to be invisible. Finally, the mundies are aware of the presence that has lived among them for generations.

As we pick back up, there is a hodge-podge of activity in the book. Bigby returns to Wolf Manner to kill the cubs. Snow White and Rose Red are on the eve of war with each other. Rose Red learns of the family curse that requires only one sister to live. The action of this book clears up in the first half, then we are told various endings of other fables. This allows the reader to have as much closure as possible. I really enjoyed the ending to this series, it wasn’t all happiness or all sadness, it felt true to the saga.

Fables Vol. 22: Farewell is on sale today. 

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