Abominable Science! The Origins of the Yeti, Nessie, and other famous Cryptids

Today’s nonfiction post is on Abominable Science! The Origins of the Yeti, Nessie, and other famous Cryptids by Daniel Loxton and Donald R. Prothero. It is 411 pages long including notes and an index. The cover has a yeti on it looking very fierce. The intended reader is someone who wants to know more about cryptids or about cryptozoology. There is no language, no sex, and no violence in this book. The information about the cryptids is given in interviews and papers by both believers and skeptics. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Throughout our history, humans have been captivated by mythic beasts and legendary creatures. Tales of Bigfoot, the Yeti, and the Loch Ness monster are part of our collective experience. Now comes a book from two dedicated investigators that explores and elucidates the fascinating world of cryptozoology.
Daniel Loxton and Donald R. Prothero have written an entertaining, educational, and definitive text on cryptids, presenting the arguments both for and against their existence and systematically challenging the pseudoscience that perpetuates their myths. After examining the nature of science and pseudoscience and their relation to cryptozoology, Loxton and Prothero take on Bigfoot; the Yeti, or Abominable Snowman, and its cross-cultural incarnations; the Loch Ness monster and its highly publicized sightings; the evolution of the Great Sea Serpent; and Mokele Mbembe, or the Congo dinosaur. They conclude with an analysis of the psychology behind the persistent belief in paranormal phenomena, identifying the major players in cryptozoology, discussing the character of its subculture and considering the challenge it poses to clear and critical thinking in our increasingly complex world.

Review- If you are a skeptic but still like crytids and cryptozoology then you should read this. Loxton loves cryptozoology and started out as a believer who now is a skeptic. Prothero is a hard-core skeptic but he does not let that stop him from hearing people in cryptozoology culture. The book overall is about the most famous crytids. The book discusses the evidence from videos to pictures and makes them stand up to true scientific study. Now that I have this book I can watch some of the Bigfoot shows and I can see where the flaws are. The writing can get a little stale at time but considering that this is a hard core science book that is not surprising. If you are having trouble with it this is what I did- I would one section then do or read something else. However if you are a believer then read this book with knowledge that the authors are not. They take every piece of evidence of crytids and they work with it to the end of disproving the crytid.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

The 5th Wave

Today’s post is on The 5^th Wave by Rick Yancey. It is the first in a new series and is 457 pages long. It is published by Putnam. The cover has one of the main characters on the cover with golden light making the trees and her be in shadow. The intended reader is older young adult and adults and I think that is for the best. There is strong language, hinting at sex, and very graphic violence; so be warned. The story is told in both chapters and sections. Sections change the point of view from one of the four main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- After the 1^st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2^nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3^rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4^th Wave, just one rule applies: trust no one.
Now it’s the dawn of the 5^th Wace, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother- or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.
From award-winning author Rick Yancey comes a gripping epic of catastrophic loss, unthinkable odds, and unflinching courage.

Review- I am a pretty big Yancey fan and I do not think that he disappoints with this new series. The story is fast-paced and goes places that I was not expecting for a YA novel. There are some very strong language and child soldiers in this novel. The scenes are intense and very emotional because of what Yancey is talking about. I do not think that he is making a statement about the use of child soldiers but he does not color code it. He shows a very brutal world with little compassion and less trust. Cassie is tough and I liked her. I like how normal she is in spite of everything going on around her. One of the other main characters Ben I did not really care for. I cannot put my finger on why but I just did not connect with him and I really did not care that he survived the story. I look forward to seeing where Yancey is going with this series and I hope that his new publisher treats him and his series better than his old one did.

I give this book Four and half stars out of Five. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

The Hero of Ages

Today’s post is on The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson. It is the final volume in the Mistborn trilogy. It is 748 pages long including a list names and terms list at the end. It is published by TOR. The cover has Vin and Elend, two of the main characters, standing with a ruined city behind them. There is no language, no sex but a lot of violence in this novel but the violence is not very graphic and very fantasy-like. The story is told from varying points of view moving from one of the main characters to another as the story moves. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Killing the Lord Ruler to end the Final Empire was obviously the right thing to do, wasn’t it? With the return of the lethal form of the ubiquitous mists, increasingly heavy ashfalls, and ever more powerful earthquakes, Vin and Elend are no longer so sure. Long ago, Ruin- one of the primal beings who created the world- was promised the eventual right to destroy all things. Now that Vin has been tricked into releasing him from the Well of Ascension, Ruin apparently intends to collect.
The conclusion of the Mistborn trilogy fulfills all the promise of the first two books. Revelations abound, connections rooted in early chapters of the series click into place, and surprises, as satisfying as they are stunning, blossom like fireworks to dazzle and delight. It all leads up to a finale unmatched for originality and audacity that will you rubbing your eyes in wonder, as if awaking from an amazing dream.

Review- This has to be one of the best final novels and best trilogies that I have ever read. When I finished the book I had tears in my eyes because the ending was just so beautiful. Only once before has a finale moved me so much and that was for The Darkangel trilogy’s final volume. Sanderson does so much right in this novel and series that I hardly know where to begin. The screws of the plot just get tighter and tighter as the story goes on. When I would stop reading I would say that. I love Vin so much. She is a real person, Sanderson makes her so awesome and real. She has thoughts, hopes, and dreams. Vin is the heart of this story but she is not the Hero of Ages. When the Hero comes to realize who he is; that is one of the most beautiful moments in the story. The ending to this series is perfect. I cannot think of anything that I would change about it. Sanderson has made a lifelong fan out of me.

I give this book and series Five out of Five stars. I bought with my own money, I proudly own it, and I will recommend this series to anyone who like high fantasy.

Not A Drop To Drink

Today’s post is on Not A Drop To Drink by Mindy McGinnis. It is 309 pages long and is published by Katherine Tegen Books. The cover has a very desolate landscape with a pond and a house with a girl on the roof. The story is told from third person close of the main character Lynn. The intended reader is older young adult and adults and for good reason. There is some language, talk of rape, and a lot of violence so older young adult and up just for the best. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water.
Lynn knows every threat to her pond; drought, a snowless winter, and, most important, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty or doesn’t leave at all.
Confident in her own abilities, Lynn had no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftops, rifles in hand.
But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, the nighttime threats, and the gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it…
With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, debut author Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl’s journey in a barren world not so different from our own.

Review-This is a very dark book but it is very well written and I liked it. The main character grows so much over the course of the book. She starts out strong but over time she becomes compassionate which makes her stronger. In this world were water is controlled or tainted with disease Lynn makes hope. That does not happen until the end of the book but the ending is so different and good from the beginning. In the beginning Lynn and her Mother are alone and they want to stay that way. Trusting no one and needing no one else they kill to protect what little they have. At the end of the book Lynn has made a safe haven for other people to come and live. She has given others hope to survive and even comes to a place of forgiveness for herself and others. The last two lines of the book was very moving.

Lynn watched as he reached the pond, his long tongue hungrily happing at the life-giving water. “Leave him be,” she said. “He’s just trying to survive. Same as us all.”

The reason that is so moving is that is the coyote that killed her mother. Her character is so good at the end. There is a lot of darkness in this book with the world in the shape that it is in but if you are willing to brave it I think that you will like this piece.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I was given a copy of this book for free to review by the publisher.

The Osiris Curse

Today’s post is on The Osiris Curse by Paul Crilley. It is the second in his Tweed & Nightingale series. It is 286 pages long and is published by PYR. The cover has the two main characters looking cool and steampunky with flying machines, pyramids, and with an evil looking mummy in the background. The intended reader is young adult but again if you read the first one and liked it then you like this one. The story is told from third person close moving from Tweed to Nightingale from chapter to chapter. There is no sex, mild language, and mild violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- When Nikola Tesla is murdered and blue prints for his super weapons are stolen, Sebastian Tweed and Octavia Nightingale are drawn into a global cat and mouse chase with his killers. What’s more, it seems that the people who shot Tesla are the same people responsible for Octavia’s mother’s disappearance. As the two cases intertwine, Tweed and Nightingale’s investigations lead them to a murdered archeologist and a secret society called The Hermetic Order of Osiris. Fleeing the cult’s wrath, they go undercover on The Albion, a luxury airship setting out on her maiden voyage to Tutankhamen’s View, a five star hotel built in the hollowed out and refurbished Great Pyramid of Giza.
In Egypt, the duo begins to unravel the terrible truth behind Tesla’s death, a secret so earth shattering that is revealed it would mean rewriting the entire history of the world. But if the cult’s plans aren’t stopped, Britain may lose the future.

Review- I was very excited about this book and Crilley did not let me down. The plot picks up not long after the end of the first novel. With Tweed still dealing that he is Sherlock Holmes reborn and Nightingale still looking for her mother. The investigation starts with H. G. Wells’ stolen invisible device and ends up with a secret underworld of intelligent reptiles. I liked that we got to spend more time with Nightingale in this volume and I hope that continues in next book whenever that is going to be. The dialog between Tweed and Nightingale was still funny and good, the action scenes were bit more fun I think. I think that is because there was more time. In the first novel Tweed and Nightingale were moving against a clock that was winning but I did not feel that way in this one. I hope that Crilley is working on the third novel because I want to see where he is going. Tweed was finally starting to both deal with being Sherlock Holmes and accepting that he is himself and good enough. I look forward to more and hopefully soon.

I give this book a Five out Five Stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Priscilla: The Hidden Life of an Englishwoman in Wartime France

Today’s Nonfiction post is on Priscilla: The Hidden Life of an Englishwoman in Wartime France by Nicholas Shakespeare. It is 448 pages long and it is published by HarperCollins. The cover is a picture of Priscilla during the time of the Nazi occupation of France. The story is told from some first person accounts like interviews and journal entries and sometimes from Shakespeare’s first person as he searches for information about his aunt. There is strong language, talk of sex and abortion, and violence; so adults only for the best. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- When Nicholas Shakespeare stumbled across a trunkful of his late aunt’s personal belongings, he was unaware of where this discovery would take him and what he would learn about her hidden past. The glamorous, mysterious figure he remembered from his childhood was very different from the morally ambiguous young woman who emerged from the trove of love letters, journals, and photographs, surrounded by suitors and living the precarious existence of a British citizen in a country controlled by the enemy.
As a young boy, Shakespeare had always believed that his aunt was a member of the Resistance and had been tortured by the Germans. The truth turned out to be far more complicated.

Review- This is the first biography that I have read in about 20 years. I just do not really like them but I liked this book. It is very sad but Shakespeare loves his aunt. His compassion about her life, her dreams, and the things that she had to do in order to survive shines out. He lays out his aunt’s whole life from birth to her death of cancer. He interviews her friends that are still living, and if not he reads letters and personal journals about his aunt. This is a look at a woman who lived through a very dark time and parts of her never moved past it. Priscilla, like most people, was more than just one person. She was a daughter of failed parents, a sister unknown to most of her siblings, a wife to two husbands, and a survivor of one of the darkest times in modern history. This story is about more than just one woman. It is about all women who lived like her; on the edge of life and death. Priscilla is a call to give mercy to those who are just trying to survive in impossible times. I was very moved by this book.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I was given a copy of this book by HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.

The Monstrumologist: The Final Descent

Today’s post is on The Monstrumologist: The Final Descent by Rick Yancey. It is the last volume in the Monstromologist series and is 310 pages long. The cover has the night sky with a city on it and crows; the title is in white and the author’s name in gray. The intended reader is older young adult and adult like the others in the series. There is language, some talk of sex but nothing on the page but the violence can be very intense so beware of that. It is told from Will Henry’s first person perspective. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Will Henry has been through more than seems possible for a boy of fourteen. He’s been on the brink of death on more than one occasion, and has gazed into hell- and hell has stared back at him, and knows his face. But through it all Dr. Warthrop has been at side.
When Dr. Warthrop fears that Will’s loyalties may be shifting, he turns on Will with a fury, determined to reclaim his young apprentice’s devotion. And so Will must face one of the most horrific creatures of his monstrumology career- and he must face it alone.
Over the course of one day, Will’s life- and Pellinore Warthrop’s destiny- will lie in the balance. In the terrifying depths of the Monstrmatium, the young man will face a monster more terrible than any he could have imagined- and their fates will be decided.

Review- I have loved this series. I know that Yancey had hit big with his 5^th Wave book and that is in my library book pile but the Monstrumologist series has not gotten the love and fame it truly deserves. I was afraid because this volume is much thinner than the others in the series but Yancey does not fail. He gives a good conclusion to an intense series and he leaves himself some room to write more if he wants to. I hope he does. The thing that keeps this book going is not the weird monster or how Will Henry is going to save himself and Warthrop but what finally made Will Henry cut all ties with Warthrop. Yancey handles this very well especially with some of the fancy writing that is going on. There are time jumps going on but Yancey gives them to the reader excellently. I was never confused about what time I was in. Within one sentence I knew when I was and maybe because I read this book in about three days I was never lost. The darkness that Will Henry has to contend with the darkness in his heart. If you are looking for a happy ending this book and series is not for you. But if you want an insightful look into the inhuman and all too human heart then this will not disappoint.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.