I was on a roll yesterday and managed to knock out three books before bedtime. I am actually very impressed with myself. (Well, no, not really.)
Hotel Iris is my first Yoko Ogawa novel. I say first because it certainly is not going to be my last. (Is that too hammy?) Although Ogawa has been writing since 1988, only three of her works have been translated into English, the most recent being Hotel Iris.
The inside flap of the novel describes the book as being a twisted romance between a seventeen year old girl and a middle aged man, set in a seaside resort in Japan. Mari is a timid girl who hates herself; the translator is a repressed man who needs to control the world around him. Together they satisfy the dark and painful needs that each of them hide from the rest of the world.
Hotel Iris is not a happy novel. Mari and the translator are both broken in deeply disturbing ways and their union is not a healthy one. This is probably why I enjoyed it so much. Ogawa's writing is smooth and spare, leaving enough room for the reader to read between the lines and come to their own conclusions about the motivations of the characters as they move through the quiet drama of Mari's secret relationship with the translator. It is actually the scarcity of words used that make the novel so powerful - Ogawa does not feel the need to go into long descriptions about Mari and the translator's relationship to get across the fact that it's intense and dark.
After finishing up Hotel Iris, I picked up Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken. Completely different from Hotel Iris, Brightly Woven is a fantasy novel with magic, dragons and stopping a war. Sydelle is a weaver from a town on the outskirts of the country of Palmarta who is forced to become the assistant of North, a young wizard who came to her town to warn of coming enemy forces. They spend two months together traveling across the country trying to reach the wizard stronghold to warn of treachery.
During those two months, they somehow fall in love with each other. The only problem is that we miss out on a big chunk of those two months. Bracken just sort of skims over it and says "Ta-da! It's been a month and a half since they left Sydelle's town." Then you're left thinking "What happened during all that time?" I felt that this was a serious weakness in the story. I was left wondering if the story was an adventure story or a romance - or a nice blend of both. It felt like Bracken was trying to do both but fell short. She gave us a little bit of adventure, a little bit of romance, and we're left wanting because she only skimmed the possibilities. She doesn't delve deeply into either aspect and it's rather unsatisfying.
Otherwise, Brightly Woven was an interesting coming-of-age story as Sydelle is forced to grow up after leaving her small town to accompany a wizard to the other side of the world. I also like the glimpse of the world Bracken has built and if she decides to write another novel set in this world, I'll definitely buy a copy. I just hope she works on fleshing out her story and characters better.
The final book I read yesterday was Nightlife by Rob Thurman. Now, I've been working on this novel for the longest time. This is something like when I was struggling with the Cassandra Palmer series by Karen Chance: I pick it up, I put it down. Wander away. A few months pass. I pick it up again. But after finishing up the book, I find myself wanting more.
Nightlife is the first of the Cal Leandros series. Cal and his older brother Niko are on the run from Cal's father - they're half brothers - who is not human and bent on capturing Cal for some nefarious business. While Cal is only half human, Niko is all human - but you wouldn't be able to tell. Niko is scarily disciplined and has made it his life's mission to protect his little brother from all things that go bump in the night. This means Niko is a walking weapon despite the fact that he is very mortal. That is not to say Cal is defenseless. Both brothers can dish out a lot of pain to the supernatural creatures that pop up every once in a while. But Niko is just better at it than Cal.
I don't know why it was so difficult for me to get through Nightlife but I finally finished it after months and months of slowly going through it and I find myself actually enjoying the characters and the gritty world the story is set in. I can't wait to go to the bookstore and pick up the next copy. This might be because the boys are pretty and the action is good. The only problem I have with Thurman's voice is that, well, she's trying to channel a teenage boy and sometimes it feels rather over done. This might be why I had such a difficult time trying to finish it.
But now that I've been drawn into this world, I find myself unable to pull away. There are four - five? - other books in the series so I'll definitely have plenty of books to gush over Cal and Niko because they have definitely grown on me.
I have managed to finish three books out of my immense to-be-read (TBR) pile. And although I do feel sort of accomplished, when I look at my TBR pile all I can think is "Damn, barely made a dent."
So look forward to many more rambling reviews of books I have read as I continue this little mission of mine to read everything I can get my hands on.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Beastly the Movie: Trailer
I mentioned in my blog about Alex Flinn's Beastly that there was a movie coming out.
Well, here's the trailer!
Well, here's the trailer!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Alien Huntress Series by Gena Showalter
Gena Showalter's writing is hit or miss for me. Sometimes she gets it so right, other times I'm wondering why I just spent money on one of her books. You can say I have a rather difficult relationship with Ms. Showalter's writing.
The Alien Huntress series is where she gets it right. I'm not a big fan of sci-fi novels - romantic or otherwise - but I can't seem to stop myself from devouring this series. The writing is pretty smooth - sometimes Showalter can be rather obnoxious in her attempt to relate to the every day woman - and the characters are tons of fun. The interactions between alien and human, aggressive and passive, is fascinating and keeps you reading just to see what they're going to do to each other next. There's even a plot line that threads its way through the entire series, leading you to wonder what's going to happen next.
In the Alien Huntress series, aliens landed on Earth 80 years ago - give or take - which resulted in a war between humans and aliens. After the war was over, the two species formed a truce. But this does not mean aliens have the same rights as humans on Earth. For example, aliens do not have the right to a trial, so any hostile alien is immediately and permanently eliminated - for the safety of humans, of course. The ones who perform this rather grisly task is A.I.R. - a government agency devoted to containing any alien threats on Earth.
Set against this background is a cast of fascinating characters who struggle with the differences between human and alien while trying to save the world. This series just draws you and I highly recommend it for anyone who likes action and inter-species romance. After all, we've had vampires, werewolves, fairies, and demons already!
The Alien Huntress series is where she gets it right. I'm not a big fan of sci-fi novels - romantic or otherwise - but I can't seem to stop myself from devouring this series. The writing is pretty smooth - sometimes Showalter can be rather obnoxious in her attempt to relate to the every day woman - and the characters are tons of fun. The interactions between alien and human, aggressive and passive, is fascinating and keeps you reading just to see what they're going to do to each other next. There's even a plot line that threads its way through the entire series, leading you to wonder what's going to happen next.
In the Alien Huntress series, aliens landed on Earth 80 years ago - give or take - which resulted in a war between humans and aliens. After the war was over, the two species formed a truce. But this does not mean aliens have the same rights as humans on Earth. For example, aliens do not have the right to a trial, so any hostile alien is immediately and permanently eliminated - for the safety of humans, of course. The ones who perform this rather grisly task is A.I.R. - a government agency devoted to containing any alien threats on Earth.
Set against this background is a cast of fascinating characters who struggle with the differences between human and alien while trying to save the world. This series just draws you and I highly recommend it for anyone who likes action and inter-species romance. After all, we've had vampires, werewolves, fairies, and demons already!
Monday, April 19, 2010
So busy I could cry
I have not been able to get much reading done recently. School has really picked up and I find myself staying up late into the night preparing for this project, or writing a paper for that class. It's rather overwhelming and sadly has not left me much time to indulge in any sort of leisure reading.
For anyone who has ever considered going to law school, please be aware that it is an immensely time consuming, stressful, anxiety-ridden career choice that will leave you traumatized for life. There are so many attorneys out there with a drug or alcohol problem, very likely because of law school.
For anyone who has ever considered going to law school, please be aware that it is an immensely time consuming, stressful, anxiety-ridden career choice that will leave you traumatized for life. There are so many attorneys out there with a drug or alcohol problem, very likely because of law school.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Curse the Dawn by Karen Chance
Finished Curse the Dawn, the fourth book of the Cassandra Palmer series the other day and wow, I had so much fun reading that book. After the rocky beginning with this series, it has definitely grown on me and I can't wait for the next installment.
This is probably my favorite book of the series if only because of the body-swapping and the roller coaster ride through the ley lines in a classic race car.
Sounds absurd? Well, it's just another day in Cassie's life.
Also, more Pritkin time. In fact, Pritkin and Cassie are the stars of the entire novel and that just made me happy. And while I have nothing against Mircea, he's just not as adorable as Pritkin. But Mircea is also growing on me and now I'm confused because I don't know who Cassie should be with: Mircea or Pritkin. I'm sure many other fans also have this problem.
This is probably my favorite book of the series if only because of the body-swapping and the roller coaster ride through the ley lines in a classic race car.
Sounds absurd? Well, it's just another day in Cassie's life.
Also, more Pritkin time. In fact, Pritkin and Cassie are the stars of the entire novel and that just made me happy. And while I have nothing against Mircea, he's just not as adorable as Pritkin. But Mircea is also growing on me and now I'm confused because I don't know who Cassie should be with: Mircea or Pritkin. I'm sure many other fans also have this problem.
eBook Reader vs. A Book
Most of you know I own a nook courtesy of my wonderful little sister. After having used the nook for about a month, I can safely say I really like eBook readers. They're convenient, the books can be pretty cheap depending on what you're looking for, and you don't have to drive to the bookstore to get a book; just download it.
But despite all the convenience and fun of using an eBook reader, I have to say there are some things I don't like about it.
1. It takes too long to boot up. With a book, all I have to do is turn a page and viola! Text. But with the nook I have to turn it on and then WAIT for it to boot up before I can even get close to reading my book.
2. I can't skip to my favorite part. I know there are tools such as bookmark and all that cute stuff to mark places I like, but with a book all I have to do is flip through it and find my favorite passage. With the nook - or maybe any eBook reader but I only have the nook to compare - I can't do that.
And that's another thing...
3. I can't flip through the book. Sometimes I like to just skim through the book before doing a full read, kind of psyching myself up for the rest of the novel, but of course I can't do that with the nook. If I tried, I'd just spend tons of time waiting for the pages to load before I can move on to the next page.
So while it's fun to have an eBook reader, there are some limitations that take away from the experience of reading a book. This is why even though I have an eBook reader, I'm going to continue to buy real books. So far I haven't read about any eBook reader that has been able to replace the experience of reading an actual book.
But despite all the convenience and fun of using an eBook reader, I have to say there are some things I don't like about it.
1. It takes too long to boot up. With a book, all I have to do is turn a page and viola! Text. But with the nook I have to turn it on and then WAIT for it to boot up before I can even get close to reading my book.
2. I can't skip to my favorite part. I know there are tools such as bookmark and all that cute stuff to mark places I like, but with a book all I have to do is flip through it and find my favorite passage. With the nook - or maybe any eBook reader but I only have the nook to compare - I can't do that.
And that's another thing...
3. I can't flip through the book. Sometimes I like to just skim through the book before doing a full read, kind of psyching myself up for the rest of the novel, but of course I can't do that with the nook. If I tried, I'd just spend tons of time waiting for the pages to load before I can move on to the next page.
So while it's fun to have an eBook reader, there are some limitations that take away from the experience of reading a book. This is why even though I have an eBook reader, I'm going to continue to buy real books. So far I haven't read about any eBook reader that has been able to replace the experience of reading an actual book.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
A weekend to myself!
My roommate went to L.A. this weekend to spend it with her boyfriend - don't long distance relationships suck? - leaving the entire apartment to me!
I love having the apartment to myself because that means I can do anything I want without having to worry about disturbing my roommate. This includes playing my music, banging around in the kitchen and stuff like that. I can also walk around naked although I have not done that. It's still a little chilly in San Diego.
I have forgotten how nice it is to just be by myself. Ah, I'm going to be a little sad when my roommate comes home.
I love having the apartment to myself because that means I can do anything I want without having to worry about disturbing my roommate. This includes playing my music, banging around in the kitchen and stuff like that. I can also walk around naked although I have not done that. It's still a little chilly in San Diego.
I have forgotten how nice it is to just be by myself. Ah, I'm going to be a little sad when my roommate comes home.
A Bit of Rough by Laura Baumbach
I have been on a downloading spree for gay romances on my nook. It's so crazy! And so much fun. Before this I was totally ignorant of the indie publishing world, especially ebooks. But wow, it's such a huge and diverse business! (It's also filled with tons of bad covers and bad titles but hey, that seems to be rather prevalent in the publishing world of sex and romance.)
Anyway, on to the review!
After finishing Mexican Heat by Laura Baumbach and Josh Lanyon, I decided to hunt down more of Baumbach's works. The first book I read written solely by Baumbach was A Bit of Rough. Here's a summary, courtesy of Goodreads:
I have to admit: the fact that James was an architect was the big draw. I love geeky professions! Who doesn't? Anyway, this story totally delivered. Sweet, romantic and very sexy, a one nightstand - literally: they do it in an alley - that turns into something real.
The only part that threw me was just how fast Bram fell for James. The summary says that Bram is "strongly committed" but I think that is an understatement. And of course, because Bram is Mr. Alpha Male he's all "Rawr! My mate!" which is just a little disconcerting. I don't know how comfortable I would be if someone suddenly declared they were in love with me and made me the center of their world. It can be rather frightening.It's nice how well James takes it!
The only real conflict in the story is James' reluctance to be "out." While he is definitely honest with himself about being gay, he's not very comfortable with having the rest of the world know. This is contrasted with Bram who introduces James to everyone in his life just a few days after their first night together.
Overall, A Bit of Rough is a really sweet story. If you can just suspend your disbelief about how quickly the characters fall in love with each other - a rather common thing in gay romances - then you will definitely enjoy this book.
Oh, and there's a sequel: Roughhousing.
Anyway, on to the review!
After finishing Mexican Heat by Laura Baumbach and Josh Lanyon, I decided to hunt down more of Baumbach's works. The first book I read written solely by Baumbach was A Bit of Rough. Here's a summary, courtesy of Goodreads:
Architect James Justin impulsively lets himself be picked up in a biker bar by seductive hunk Bram Lord for a one nightstand that turns into something bigger. The physically impressive, forceful stranger meets, matches and exceeds James' sexual fantasies, but can shy, uncertain James be everything the strongly committed Bram wants?
I have to admit: the fact that James was an architect was the big draw. I love geeky professions! Who doesn't? Anyway, this story totally delivered. Sweet, romantic and very sexy, a one nightstand - literally: they do it in an alley - that turns into something real.
The only part that threw me was just how fast Bram fell for James. The summary says that Bram is "strongly committed" but I think that is an understatement. And of course, because Bram is Mr. Alpha Male he's all "Rawr! My mate!" which is just a little disconcerting. I don't know how comfortable I would be if someone suddenly declared they were in love with me and made me the center of their world. It can be rather frightening.It's nice how well James takes it!
The only real conflict in the story is James' reluctance to be "out." While he is definitely honest with himself about being gay, he's not very comfortable with having the rest of the world know. This is contrasted with Bram who introduces James to everyone in his life just a few days after their first night together.
Overall, A Bit of Rough is a really sweet story. If you can just suspend your disbelief about how quickly the characters fall in love with each other - a rather common thing in gay romances - then you will definitely enjoy this book.
Oh, and there's a sequel: Roughhousing.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Mexican Heat by Laura Baumbach and Josh Lanyon
Another gay romance winner! Laura Baumbach and Josh Lanyon write a perfectly sexy, romantic story about two men from different drug cartels who fall in love with as they work with each other while their respective groups come together in a partnership for a heroin deal.
Of course there's a twist: one is an undercover cop from the Italian group while the other is a lieutenant of the Mexican group.
So exciting!
I really enjoyed reading this novel. The pacing of the book was smooth, the writing was excellent and the dialogue hilarious and achingly sweet. Since Laura Baumbach is part of the manlove movement - where the focus is gay romance, not gay erotica - there were plenty of sweet and touching moments in this novel that just made me go to mush. But it was not so sweet and gushy that the men acted like women - quite the opposite.
If you want a good star-crossed lovers of romance with some drugs and guns thrown in, then this is definitely the book for you!
Of course there's a twist: one is an undercover cop from the Italian group while the other is a lieutenant of the Mexican group.
So exciting!
I really enjoyed reading this novel. The pacing of the book was smooth, the writing was excellent and the dialogue hilarious and achingly sweet. Since Laura Baumbach is part of the manlove movement - where the focus is gay romance, not gay erotica - there were plenty of sweet and touching moments in this novel that just made me go to mush. But it was not so sweet and gushy that the men acted like women - quite the opposite.
If you want a good star-crossed lovers of romance with some drugs and guns thrown in, then this is definitely the book for you!
Scarlet and the White Wolf Trilogy by Kirby Crow
I am sick. It came rather suddenly and my body is exhausted from battling whatever evil little virus that got a hold of me. Of course this did not stop me from reading. I downloaded the Scarlet and the White Wolf trilogy by Kirby Crow on to my nook and spent the past two days devouring this series while hopped up on medication.
After my last post about how terrible the writing is for independent gay romances, I finally lucked out with Kirby Crow.
Scarlet is a pedlar, someone who travels all over the region selling small necessities to isolated farming communities. Liall is a gypsy king guarding a pass that Scarlet needs to access to reach another part of the region to sell his wares. Their interactions are priceless and when they eventually fall in love, it's sweet and painful - mostly because they both have so many issues.
The writing is pretty good and the world building is adequate. Crow spins a rather interesting history for Scarlet and Liall's people but it could have been fleshed out even more. Most of the explanations happen at the end of the trilogy - this is due to the fact that Scarlet and Liall spend almost all three books keeping secrets from each other.
Amusing and romantic, I truly enjoyed this trilogy and was disappointed when it ended - if only because I wanted more. I definitely look forward to reading more from Crow.
After my last post about how terrible the writing is for independent gay romances, I finally lucked out with Kirby Crow.
Scarlet is a pedlar, someone who travels all over the region selling small necessities to isolated farming communities. Liall is a gypsy king guarding a pass that Scarlet needs to access to reach another part of the region to sell his wares. Their interactions are priceless and when they eventually fall in love, it's sweet and painful - mostly because they both have so many issues.
The writing is pretty good and the world building is adequate. Crow spins a rather interesting history for Scarlet and Liall's people but it could have been fleshed out even more. Most of the explanations happen at the end of the trilogy - this is due to the fact that Scarlet and Liall spend almost all three books keeping secrets from each other.
Amusing and romantic, I truly enjoyed this trilogy and was disappointed when it ended - if only because I wanted more. I definitely look forward to reading more from Crow.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Addicted to Amazon.com
I find myself visiting Amazon.com every time I come online. Why? Because I like to look at my Wishlist and see all the books that I want to buy and will eventually get around to it when I have the money.
It's terrible.
I have this itch to buy books ALL THE TIME. There's always a book out there that I want to buy or I look for a book to buy. It can be a bargain book found at Borders or it's a book that catches my eye on the shelves. It doesn't matter as long as it's a book.
I really think I am addicted to books and book buying. Going to the library and checking out books no longer satisfies my desire to get my hands on books. I have to own them. I really can't help but buy books. It's totally impulsive. I'll just be sitting at my desk, surfing the Web when I get slammed with an urge to buy books. The next thing I know I'm on Amazon.com adding books to my shopping cart.
How do I break this addiction??
...Do I want to break this addiction?
It's terrible.
I have this itch to buy books ALL THE TIME. There's always a book out there that I want to buy or I look for a book to buy. It can be a bargain book found at Borders or it's a book that catches my eye on the shelves. It doesn't matter as long as it's a book.
I really think I am addicted to books and book buying. Going to the library and checking out books no longer satisfies my desire to get my hands on books. I have to own them. I really can't help but buy books. It's totally impulsive. I'll just be sitting at my desk, surfing the Web when I get slammed with an urge to buy books. The next thing I know I'm on Amazon.com adding books to my shopping cart.
How do I break this addiction??
...Do I want to break this addiction?
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
New books
Borders had a coupon so of course I find myself driving to my local Borders instead of napping or something equally productive.
After browsing for almost two hours, I left Borders with four paperbacks and the intent to buy two more books online.
I usually purchase only mass market paperbacks at Borders because if I have a coupon, it's cheaper than Amazon, where they price their mass market paperbacks at retail value. For trade paperbacks and hardcovers, I go to Amazon. After all, the more money I save, the more books I can buy!
I picked up the Caitlin Kittredge's second book in her Black London series, Demon Bound, Neil Gaiman's Stardust, Sherwood Smith's Crown Duel and Kelly Meding's debut novel Three Days to Dead.
Obviously I spent most of my time in the sci-fi/fantasy section of the bookstore, although I did wander over to young adult and romance for a little while. Unfortunately I could not find anything in romance that I didn't already have or wanted. I am trying to find two books from Gena Showalter's Alien Huntress series but it's been near impossible to find in-stores.
Actually, it IS impossible because I haven't found it.
Anyway! I am definitely looking forward to reading these books rather than my Contracts or Torts assignments. Of course I really should read for school before I read for leisure...Or so I tell myself ALL THE TIME.
Reviews for these novels will come as I burn through them as quickly as possible to make time for all the other books I've told myself I would read but still Have. Not. Gotten. To.
After browsing for almost two hours, I left Borders with four paperbacks and the intent to buy two more books online.
I usually purchase only mass market paperbacks at Borders because if I have a coupon, it's cheaper than Amazon, where they price their mass market paperbacks at retail value. For trade paperbacks and hardcovers, I go to Amazon. After all, the more money I save, the more books I can buy!
I picked up the Caitlin Kittredge's second book in her Black London series, Demon Bound, Neil Gaiman's Stardust, Sherwood Smith's Crown Duel and Kelly Meding's debut novel Three Days to Dead.
Obviously I spent most of my time in the sci-fi/fantasy section of the bookstore, although I did wander over to young adult and romance for a little while. Unfortunately I could not find anything in romance that I didn't already have or wanted. I am trying to find two books from Gena Showalter's Alien Huntress series but it's been near impossible to find in-stores.
Actually, it IS impossible because I haven't found it.
Anyway! I am definitely looking forward to reading these books rather than my Contracts or Torts assignments. Of course I really should read for school before I read for leisure...Or so I tell myself ALL THE TIME.
Reviews for these novels will come as I burn through them as quickly as possible to make time for all the other books I've told myself I would read but still Have. Not. Gotten. To.
Cassandra Palmer Series by Karen Chance
It took a while for me to really get into this series but I was determined to finish as much of it as possible before admitting defeat. Why?
Because I fell in love with one of the characters.
John Pritkin.
War mage. Possibly criminally insane. Completely adorable.
He became the only reason why I was still reading the Cassandra Palmer series after the first book, Touch the Dark. The book is narrated by the series' namesake, who sort of reminds me of Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan: new to her powers, something of a klutz and deals with vampires in her personal life while trying to make sure the rest of the world didn't blow up on her shift. This is actually why I picked up the first book in the Cassandra Palmer series because I love Harrison's The Hollows series and the similarities were a big sell.
But what kept me reading after Touch the Dark was Pritkin. He is a crazy war mage who defects from his Circle and becomes Cassandra's bodyguard because she really needs one in order to stay alive long enough to make sure the world did not explode into chaos. But just because he voluntarily defected and became her bodyguard does not mean he's very nice to her and in fact, he's incredibly prickly and trigger-happy - which is something of an understatement - and does not see anything wrong with tossing Cassandra around to make sure she stays alive.
He's amazing.
He also has a rather interesting family background that would shock the readers because wow, you totally would not have expected that considering how grumpy he is. But then again, this family secret is probably why he's so grumpy.
Now that I'm done gushing about Pritkin, I can go on to say that after struggling through books 1-3, I am now happily reading book four because it's finally gotten interesting.
And Cassandra's grown on me.
Oh, and okay, Pritkin is getting more scene time.
While I was iffy about this series in the beginning, I can happily say that I really do like the books now and am anxiously waiting for the next one - which won't come out till summer 2011.
Because I fell in love with one of the characters.
John Pritkin.
War mage. Possibly criminally insane. Completely adorable.
He became the only reason why I was still reading the Cassandra Palmer series after the first book, Touch the Dark. The book is narrated by the series' namesake, who sort of reminds me of Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan: new to her powers, something of a klutz and deals with vampires in her personal life while trying to make sure the rest of the world didn't blow up on her shift. This is actually why I picked up the first book in the Cassandra Palmer series because I love Harrison's The Hollows series and the similarities were a big sell.
But what kept me reading after Touch the Dark was Pritkin. He is a crazy war mage who defects from his Circle and becomes Cassandra's bodyguard because she really needs one in order to stay alive long enough to make sure the world did not explode into chaos. But just because he voluntarily defected and became her bodyguard does not mean he's very nice to her and in fact, he's incredibly prickly and trigger-happy - which is something of an understatement - and does not see anything wrong with tossing Cassandra around to make sure she stays alive.
He's amazing.
He also has a rather interesting family background that would shock the readers because wow, you totally would not have expected that considering how grumpy he is. But then again, this family secret is probably why he's so grumpy.
Now that I'm done gushing about Pritkin, I can go on to say that after struggling through books 1-3, I am now happily reading book four because it's finally gotten interesting.
And Cassandra's grown on me.
Oh, and okay, Pritkin is getting more scene time.
While I was iffy about this series in the beginning, I can happily say that I really do like the books now and am anxiously waiting for the next one - which won't come out till summer 2011.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Unpaid Internships Illegal?
The number of unpaid internships has climbed in recent years, leading officials to worry that employers are illegally using interns for free labor.
This is an interesting article about unpaid internship and how some poor students are being exploited. While students apply for a scholarship hoping to gain some real professional work experience, they end up just learning how to make the perfect cup of coffee for Supervisor A.
As a student who definitely takes advantage of the opportunities offered by internships, this is something to worry about. After all, if I wanted to be making someone's coffee every day I might as well apply for Coffee Bean - at least I'll get paid!
Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh
The second book in Nalini Singh's very popular Psy-Changelings series, Visions of Heat was very difficult to get through. I have hopped around in the series and enjoyed the other books following Visions of Heat, which was why it was so disappointing to read one of the first books and find it coming up short of the other novels. But then again, this is probably a good thing because it means her writing got better as she continued to work on this series.
Why didn't I like Visions of Heat? My biggest problem was with Faith, the female lead. She's boring. Rather bland and difficult to empathize with. Of course, she's Psy, a member of an emotionless psychic race in this world, so naturally she's difficult to relate to; she doesn't feel anything. But maybe it's because she's too good of a Psy - compared to the other Psy heroes and heroines in this series - that makes her so difficult to relate to. I love Sascha from the first novel - but she's an empathic Psy so of course she feels things despite initially trying not to.
Also, I was rather unimpressed with Vaughn. Too much "Rawr, I am Animal and Confused!" to be a really great hero. Although, yes, while it is rather sexy when heroes walk a fine line of control, Vaughn is...not so much. He's rather crippled by the fact that Faith is a Psy and therefore unfamiliar with his needs and desires. He treats her like glass one moment and then decides that it's time she submit to his desires the next. It's rather disconcerting. He can't make up his mind. Which is probably the point of the story but it was not very endearing.
So although I did not like Visions of Heat, I do like the rest of Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling universe. I definitely plan to continue reading; I just didn't like this particular novel in the series.
Why didn't I like Visions of Heat? My biggest problem was with Faith, the female lead. She's boring. Rather bland and difficult to empathize with. Of course, she's Psy, a member of an emotionless psychic race in this world, so naturally she's difficult to relate to; she doesn't feel anything. But maybe it's because she's too good of a Psy - compared to the other Psy heroes and heroines in this series - that makes her so difficult to relate to. I love Sascha from the first novel - but she's an empathic Psy so of course she feels things despite initially trying not to.
Also, I was rather unimpressed with Vaughn. Too much "Rawr, I am Animal and Confused!" to be a really great hero. Although, yes, while it is rather sexy when heroes walk a fine line of control, Vaughn is...not so much. He's rather crippled by the fact that Faith is a Psy and therefore unfamiliar with his needs and desires. He treats her like glass one moment and then decides that it's time she submit to his desires the next. It's rather disconcerting. He can't make up his mind. Which is probably the point of the story but it was not very endearing.
So although I did not like Visions of Heat, I do like the rest of Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling universe. I definitely plan to continue reading; I just didn't like this particular novel in the series.
Street Magic by Caitlin Kittredge
I love a good gritty urban fantasy novel and Caitlin Kittredge's Street Magic definitely fills the order. The first novel in what is called the Black London series, Street Magic is fun, fast and very engaging. I could not put it down.
Pete, a female London detective, and Jack, a heroin addict and powerful mage, are fun, flawed and endearing. It's incredibly touching how much Pete cares about Jack, a childhood friend, despite the fact that Jack is a pain in the ass responsible for one of the most traumatic events in her life.
The story moves very quickly and major events unfold at a pretty good pace, thus making it difficult to put down because you always want to know what's going to happen next. The interactions and dialogue between Pete and Jack are also priceless. The world that Kittredge builds is scary and dangerous yet fascinating. There are so many questions about the Black - a world that mirrors our own but populated with creatures that live only in our nightmares - that keep the reader hooked.
I really enjoyed this novel and definitely cannot wait to nip over to the bookstore to pick up the next one in this series. Unfortunately she has only released two books for Black London so far so I might find myself picking up a book from her other series, Nocturne City, to tide me over.
Pete, a female London detective, and Jack, a heroin addict and powerful mage, are fun, flawed and endearing. It's incredibly touching how much Pete cares about Jack, a childhood friend, despite the fact that Jack is a pain in the ass responsible for one of the most traumatic events in her life.
The story moves very quickly and major events unfold at a pretty good pace, thus making it difficult to put down because you always want to know what's going to happen next. The interactions and dialogue between Pete and Jack are also priceless. The world that Kittredge builds is scary and dangerous yet fascinating. There are so many questions about the Black - a world that mirrors our own but populated with creatures that live only in our nightmares - that keep the reader hooked.
I really enjoyed this novel and definitely cannot wait to nip over to the bookstore to pick up the next one in this series. Unfortunately she has only released two books for Black London so far so I might find myself picking up a book from her other series, Nocturne City, to tide me over.
Beastly by Alex Flinn
Beastly by Alex Flinn is a modern re-telling of the Beauty and the Beast - I'm sure the title sort of gave it away. It is also one of the best Beauty and the Beast re-telling I've read since Robin McKinley's Beauty and Rose Daughter.
The beast in this re-telling is a spoiled rich son of a famous TV anchor and the beauty is an intelligent poor girl from a rough neighborhood. For anyone who watches Korean dramas, this is a rather typical set up for a fairy-tale story of romance and love conquering all. But Flinn's writing takes this cliched story to another level which makes Beastly a stand-out novel from all of the other fairy tales being revamped out there. Also, this time the story is from the Beast's point of view and not Beauty's, which is a nice twist.
The best thing about Beastly is that the Beast's change from a spoiled, rich boy to a humble and thoughtful human being is natural and believable. The reader is absolutely convinced that the Beast is a better person by the end of the novel. This was done rather well for a short, young adult novel, which is why I was so impressed with it. It did not take the Beast 500 pages to become a better person but it did not feel rushed either.
The one complaint I have about Beastly is how two-dimensional Beauty was. Yes, the book is about the Beast - he's the narrator - but at the same time it was disappointing how bland Beauty was. She's neither spunky nor fun or amusing. Instead, she's boring and something of a crybaby. While I wasn't expecting her to be amazing, she wasn't very impressive.
Otherwise, Beastly is a touching and romantic book - or at least the Beast is romantic - to read that tugged at the heartstrings. There's also a movie based on this book being released in July of this year, so that's something to look forward to while reading this novel.
The beast in this re-telling is a spoiled rich son of a famous TV anchor and the beauty is an intelligent poor girl from a rough neighborhood. For anyone who watches Korean dramas, this is a rather typical set up for a fairy-tale story of romance and love conquering all. But Flinn's writing takes this cliched story to another level which makes Beastly a stand-out novel from all of the other fairy tales being revamped out there. Also, this time the story is from the Beast's point of view and not Beauty's, which is a nice twist.
The best thing about Beastly is that the Beast's change from a spoiled, rich boy to a humble and thoughtful human being is natural and believable. The reader is absolutely convinced that the Beast is a better person by the end of the novel. This was done rather well for a short, young adult novel, which is why I was so impressed with it. It did not take the Beast 500 pages to become a better person but it did not feel rushed either.
The one complaint I have about Beastly is how two-dimensional Beauty was. Yes, the book is about the Beast - he's the narrator - but at the same time it was disappointing how bland Beauty was. She's neither spunky nor fun or amusing. Instead, she's boring and something of a crybaby. While I wasn't expecting her to be amazing, she wasn't very impressive.
Otherwise, Beastly is a touching and romantic book - or at least the Beast is romantic - to read that tugged at the heartstrings. There's also a movie based on this book being released in July of this year, so that's something to look forward to while reading this novel.
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