First Look- Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

An impromptu reading. Because the last book sucked.

I love Maria V Snyder. I read her Glass Trilogy, a sister trilogy that follows the Study Trilogy. (They can be read without the other.)

From the first page, Ms. Snyder creates a wonderfully gritty and magical world ready to explore. And from the very get go, Yelena, our M.C., invites us to follow her, get to know her, and by the end of chapter 3, want more.

I look forward to finishing this book and the next two. As always with good food, it leaves you craving more.

Attn all: First Ever Requested Review

That's right. I'm so ungodly popular someone asked me to read a book for him and tell him what they should think. (I can talk this way because it's my little brother. And because I am so ungodly popular.)

The book in question is Big Bad Wolf by James Patterson. I realize that some of you have been living under a rock for the past 20 years Geico caveman-style and might not know anything about Alex Cross. That's why I will be starting at the beginning of the almost 20 books long series with Along Came A Spider. I'll pick it up Monday morning and have a first look up Tuesday night. Until then, happy reading!

First Look- The Dress Lodger

Now, I picked this book up because of the cover. As you will learn, I almost always judge my book by its cover. Let's just say I shouldn't have.

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you'll already know why. I hate this book. Somebody didn't tell Sheri Holman about the "show don't tell" policy. This would be a good book, if it was written in 3rd person. Possibly even 1st person. But THIS BOOK IS WRITTEN IN 2nd PERSON. It's like watching a movie where only the main character is aware of the camera. And it's all, "you are seeing this," and, "now you should be feeling that." No thanks. I read because I like to create my own world. If I just wanted to be told everything, I'd watch the movie.

As much as 2nd person irks me, I'd probably try to muscle past it, because there are some interesting characters introduced in the first chapter. (That's right. I didn't make it past the second page of chapter two.) However, since Ms. Holman missed her calling as a high school script written, everything is spelled out and the book is very dense. And the language is too rigid. It shows nothing.

In short, reading The Dress Lodger is akin to reading a text book. Boring and frustrating.

The Fifth Mountain- Paulo Coelho

When I started reading The Fifth Mountain, I expected a religious undertone. I expected a novel similar, but inferior, to The Alchemist. I expected an entertaining tale. What I got was an experience.

On the surface, Coelho constructs a story of inner struggle in the story of the Prophet Elijah. But boiling underneath is a profound, heartfelt lamentation of man. A tear jerker to its core, The Fifth Mountain instills a sense of meaning in one's life. Through the loss of his home, his name, his freedom, and the one he loves, Elijah teaches us several lessons to be lived.

The first one being; there are only two things: the temporary and the lasting. The temporary is the unavoidable. The lasting is in the lessons we learn from the unavoidable.

The second is about tragedy. He teaches us that tragedy is not a punishment for the lives we had lived, but a challenge to change them into what we have desired them to be. Tragedy exists to teach us to go onward, however difficult it may appear.

The last lesson we learn from Elijah is that sometimes it is necessary to struggle with God. Man must choose, not accept, his fate. And that God is blinded to those who do not choose. If you simply trust in God because you have been told to, do you truly trust in God? No, the choice must be yours. Only then will you know yourself and can then rename yourself.

Elijah fought God because he did not want to be Chosen. He renamed himself Liberation, meaning he chose his path. And it led him to God.

First Look- The Fifth Mountain by Paulo Coelho

As promised, here's a first look at The Fifth Mountain.
I picked this book up a few years ago from a library book sale because of how my I loved The Alchemist by Coelho. Like a dope I let it sit on my bookshelf collecting dust. (Except for the laminated library cover of course.) And since this is a New Age/Religious book, I found it fitting, seeing as how the world's gonna end in a few days.

Paulo Coelho never ceases to amaze me. If I could have his love child I would. Or at least kidnap him so he would write me stories.

The Fifth Mountain seems to be a man's struggle with his destiny: Being the "Exalted Voice of God" and His avenger.

What more could you want from a story. And that's just the first 3 chapters! (Or at least the prologue.)

Total Facepalm

Just call me stupid. Go ahead. Say it. I promise it won't hurt my feelings. If anyone should be upset, it's you. Because I suck. And I somehow lost my copy of The Painted Kiss.
I promise to start a new book and have a First Look up tonight.
Again, I suck.

First Look: The Painted Kiss

Sorry it's been so long. I've been busy lately. I've just started on the early stages of making my own comic book. So I've been busy, busy, busy like a really big bee. (Points if you get the reference.)
I am now on the first page of the 4th chapter of The Painted Kiss. That's right! First Look time!
The Painted Kiss is very wordy. An excellent example of purple prose. But in this case, it's perfectly at home as the book is a historical fiction taking place at the turn of the century. Everyone was wordy back then, so it fits. From the first page, I was "drawn" right into the pages as our heroine flees the pressing War. However, I will say hide yo kids from this book. Even the first chapter made me blush like a nun at an orgy.

Gone by Michael Grant

What can I say other than: Oh my freaking god! Gone was amazing. A wonderfully gritty story, truly a monomyth worthy of Campbell himself, Gone takes place in a not quite post apocalyptic world where barely-teenage bullies reign supreme. We follow young Sam through much of the story as he comes to grips with the lies his mother told him and his rapidly changing body (some things weirder than puberty, as he would say). His story is the epitome of "the reluctant warrior is often the bravest" saying.

For all of you saying, "But it's just a kid's book. It can't be that good." You better check yourselves. It's because the character list is made up of children that makes this book. If it featured adults, it'd suck. Just saying.

It's a fast read, but a good read. I wanted to savor it, to roll it on my tongue as I devoured it. Yeah. It was that good.

If you don't mind shopping in the young adult section, I highly recommend it. And if you do mind, man up already! Didn't you see me write that Gone is a must read?

First Look- Gone

I'm 3 chapters into Gone by Michael Grant and that means it's First Look time.
First off, Gone is the first novel in a YA series. There are currently 3 books out. And I believe that 3 chapters is plenty to base a first impression on. Let me tell ya, Gone will either be great, or be gone from my bookshelf. I have some high hopes for it. The set up has been pretty cool, reminding me of an episode of Stargate: Atlantis. I'll delve into that later. But for now, I'm Gone! (Ok, enough with the bad puns.)

Books I'm Reading

Here is a list of books I'm reading. Some are old, some new, and one is even blue. But I digress.

Gone- Michael Grant
The Painted Kiss- Elizabeth Hickey
The Dress Lodger- Sheri Holman
The Thirteenth Tale- Diane Setterfield
The Lake of Dreams- Kim Edwards

I promised to post the minute one is finished. And, as always, if you have certain books or series you would like me to read before you, don't be shy. Leave a comment and I'll go get the book. And if you're an author/publisher and you'd like me to do a review for you, feel free to email me.
P.S. I always enjoy ARCs!