Stalking the Dragon

Today’s post is on Stalking the Dragon by Mike Resnick. It is the third in John Justin Mallory series. It is 296 pages long including six appendixes and a very detailed author’s information pages. It is published by Pyr. The cover has John Justin standing in the middle of a group of fantastic creatures. The intended reader is someone who is a fan of the first two novels, humor, and urban fantasy. There is no sex but talk of it, there is some language but nothing too foul, and there is only humorous violence. Anyone over the age of 13 should be just fine. It is told from third person close focused on John Justin. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- It’s Valentine’s Day and private detective John Justin Mallory is planning on closing up the office early and taking his partner, Col. Winnifred Carruthers, out to dinner since he’s sure that no one else will do so. But before he can turn off the lights and lock the door, he is visited by a panic-stricken Buffalo Bill Brody. It seems that the Eastminster pet show is being held the next day, and his dragon, Fluffy, the heavy favorite, has been kidnapped.
Mallory’s nocturnal hunt for the tiny dragon takes him to some of the stranger sections of this Manhattan- the Frump Tower; Horrid Hubert’s; Greenwitch Village (which is right around the corner from Greenwich Village but is far more dangerous); a wax museum where figures of Humphrey Bogart, Sydney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre come alive; and more- and as he follows the leads and hunts for clues he comes up against one dead end after another.
Along the way he meets a few old friends and enemies, a host of strange new inhabitants of this otherworldly Manhattan, and the most unique cell phone in all of fantastic literature. Aided by Felina (the office cat-person), a Samurai goblin, and a zombie name Dead End Dugan, Mallory and his unlikely crew have only one night to find a tiny dragon that’s hidden somewhere in a city of seven million.

Review- I really love the John Justin Mallory adventures for many reasons. They are funny, the plots are fun, and Resnick is a wonderful writer. His sense of dialogue is unmatched by anyone. He parodies the tropes of all genre books. I just love this series. It is fun, funny, and just everything for someone who loves humor well done. Terry Pratchett is king of high fantasy humor but Resnick is of urban fantasy with John Justin. As this one is the third book about John Justin you really need to have read the first two to really get all of the jokes. Resnick still does some world building in this book but that Manhattan is so like our Manhattan that he just fills in the details so you can see the differences between the worlds. There are jokes from the other books like John Justin still betting on Flyaway and losing more money on that horse. So expect more humor and more wonderful writing from the master Mike Resnick.

I give this book Five stars out of Five. I get nothing for my review and I brought this book with my own money.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Writers

Today’s nonfiction post is on Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Writers and is edited by Jack Canfield et al. It is 405 pages long including information about writers and the book series. It is published by Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing. The cover is white with title and information in blue and a woman’s hand writing. The intended reader is someone who is looking reasons to keep trying in the writing field. There is no language, no sex, and no violence in this book. Any age can read this. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- 101 Motivational Stories for Writer, from bloggers to bestsellers. From budding bloggers to bestselling novelists, your fellow writers share their best advice, writing tips, time management strategies, and personal ups and downs in the business of writing. These stories will motivate you, entertain you , and keep those words flowing!
Bestselling novelist J.A. Jance explains how her next book rights a wrong done to a friend killed in Vietnam. Award-winning Young Adult novelist Sarah Darer Littman talks about her “second book blues”. Read how bestselling author Hank Phillippi Ryan was mentored in the writing world by someone she had mentored in the TV world, and how Jenna Glatzer overcame her agoraphobia to ghostwrite Celine Dion’s biography. Marc Tyler Nobleman explains how he unmasked the true creator of Batman series.
With chapters on overcoming your fears, beating writer’s block, accepting rejection, and making time to write, you’ll feel like you’re at a first-class writers’ conference. Additional chapters cover how to use writer’s groups and mentors effectively, tried and true methods to find new inspiration, and how writing can change your own life and others.

Review- I had never read a Chicken Soup book before. Just never crossed my mind or my desk before. But when I was processing this book I read one of the chapters. After that I had to read more and I am going to be getting more in the Chicken Soup series. All writers have similar problems. We get busy, the story is too hard, and the rejections just keep coming. But in this book no matter what you are facing as a writer there is someone who understands. From the guy with over 200 rejections to the mom trying to handle the pain of a child with cancer there is someone who will get you. Be prepared to cry but I think that is normal for this series. If you are looking for a way to connect with other writers who are not that different from yourself and have the same problems then give this book a try.

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

Across the Universe

Today’s post is on Across the Universe by Beth Revis. It is the first in a trilogy of the same name. It is 398 pages long and it is published by Razorbill. The cover has a beautiful picture of the stars with two faces in profile; they are the main characters Amy and Elder. The intended reader is young adult but an adult who like space drama should enjoy this book. There is some sex both in talk and in action including a rape attempt, some language, and violence so older YA and adult is best. It is told from first person switching from Amy to Elder per chapter. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the spaceship Godspeed. She has left her boyfriend, friends- and planet- behind to join her parents as a member of Project Ark Ship.
Amy and her parents believe they will wake on a new planet, Centauri-Earth, three hundred years in the future. But fifty years before landing, cryo chamber 42 is mysteriously unplugged and Amy is violently woken from her frozen slumber.
Someone tried to murder her.
Now, Amy is caught inside a tiny world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed’s 2,312 passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader. And Elder, Eldest’s rebellious teenage heir, is both fascinated with Amy and eager to discover whether he has what it takes to lead.
Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she put her faith in a boy who has never seen life outside the ship’s cold metal walls? All Amy knows is that she and Elder must race to unlock Godspeed’s hidden secrets before whoever wants her dead tries to kill again.

Review- I have some problems with this book but really they did not stop me from enjoying this book. I just did not really connect with Amy or Elder or with their emotions but I still like both characters. The plot itself is nothing new but some of the threads with the history of the ship and how it could get to this point is very interesting and unique. This is the first book I have read by Revis but I will be reading the other books in this trilogy. I am interested in where the story is going. There are some good questions that are left unanswered at the end of book. But I see this as a good starting point for the second book. Where I did not connect with Amy or Elder I did not have that problem with the side characters. The background characters are really good and interesting. They are the ones who are making things move in the story. It is a good strong sci-fi YA and that is something that you just do not see too much of.

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

Treasure at the Heart of the Tanglewood

Today’s post is on Treasure at the Heart of the Tanglewood by Meredith Ann Pierce. It is a stand-alone novel and is 241 pages long. It is published by Viking. The intended reader is young adult but anyone who has read Pierce’s other works will enjoy this one and if you have never read her before this is a good starting place. The cover has a curtain that is the night sky pulled to the side with a young girl looking at the reader and flowers are growing out of her hair. There is no language, no sex and only talk of some violence in this book. It is told from third person close with the focus on Hannah. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- First, she is Brown Hannah- a healer who lives in the Tanglewood, a drab girl who, for reason unknown to her, unnerves the villagers who come to her to get salves and charms. But when she challenges the magician who has held her captive for longer than she can remember, she becomes Green Hannah. Then she is Golden Hannah, traveling through the land, her talking animals and birds (and one silent fox) by her side. And, finally Russet Hannah, when she finishes the long journey back to where she first grew, and learns the story of who she is, and why her long flaxen hair is interwoven with deep-rooted flowers, plants, berries and wheat. A world that utterly involves the reader, bone-deep imagery, a journey that strides through the heart- this eagerly anticipated novel, Meredith Ann Pierce’s first in five years, is well worth the wait.

Review- I love Pierce. She is one of my favorite authors and I have missed her because she has not published anything in a long time. The story is a beautiful journey of a young girl who does not know who or what she is. Hannah is brave, loving, and curious about herself and the world. The villain is very evil and she shines so well against his evil. The dialogue is not bad but it is not why you read this book. It is the descriptions of the world and of Hannah as she changes. Pierce knows how to world build. In her most wonderful trilogy The Darkangel Trilogy shows this well and she does not disappoint here either. I enjoy journey books and this is a good one. Hannah is a little slow about herself just to warn you and that is only problem that I have with the novel. Hannah is too innocent for my tastes but just roll with it and you will enjoy this story totally.

I give this one Four and half stars out of Five. I get nothing for my review and I bought my copy with my own money.

No Kidding: Woman Writers on Bypassing Parenthood

Today’s Nonfiction post is No Kidding: Women Writers on Bypassing Parenthood edited by Henriette Mantel. It is 233 pages long, including notes and more information about the writers and is published by Seal Press. The cover just the title and editor information on it in red and white. The intended reader is adult with and without children. There is language, sex, but no violence in this book. The essays are written from first person, with one exception. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Writer and director Henriette Mantel brings together a star-studded group of humorous, talented women, including foreword writer Jennifer Coolridge, Margaret Cho, Wendy Liebman, Laurie Graff, and Nora Dunn, among many others, to write about opting out of motherhood. Compelling, inspiring, and often hilarious, No Kidding reveals another side of the story and celebrates an entire population of woman who bypassed parenthood.

Review- If you are childfree then read this book. It is funny but honest about the experiences that those who are childfree have. The only problem I have with the book is that it only uses the word childless when most of the women in this book are childfree. The difference is important. Childless people are the ones who want to have child and cannot. The childfree are the ones who do not want to have children at all. The essays range from dealing with family about being childfree to the heartbreak of being childless. I really enjoyed these essays. They were all very well written and touching. The one that is not written in person first is The Pathology of Motherhood by Valri Bromfield. It is a user manual for mothers who do not want to be mothers and is very funny. If you are childfree then give this book a look; I am sure that you will enjoy it.

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

Ill Wind

Today’s post is on Ill Wind by Rachel Caine. It is the first in her weather warden series and is 337 pages long. It is published by ROC fantasy. The cover has a beautiful car with a woman standing next to it facing away from the reader looking at a coming storm. There is sex, language, and violence in this book so 16 and older. It is told from first person point of view of the main character Joanne. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Rider on the storm. The Wardens Association has been around pretty much forever. Some Wardens control fire, others control earth, water or wind- and the most powerful can control more than one element. Without Wardens, Mother Nature would wipe humanity off the face of the earth…
Joanne Baldwin is a Weather Warden. Usually, all it takes is a wave of her hand to tame the most violent weather. But now Joanne is trying to outrun another kind of storm: accusations of corruption and murder. So she’s resorting to the very human tactic of running for her life…
Her only hope is Lewis, the most powerful Warden. Unfortunately, he’s also on the run from the World Council. It seems he’s stolen not one but three bottles of Djinn- making him the most wanted man on earth. And without Lewis, Joanne’s chances of surviving are as good as a snowball in- well, a place she may be headed. So she and her classic Mustang are racing hard to find him because there’s some bad weather closing in fast…

Review- This was a great book with only one problem. There are only five chapters. Yes you read that right; only five chapters and the book is 337 pages long. I say that this is a problem because while there are break inside each chapter sometimes they come quickly and sometimes in more than 20 pages of text. Knowing that I would have still read the book but I would have changed how I read it. I was reading it on my lunch break but that did not work out. So I finished reading it at home and enjoyed much more. Caine is a great writer, this is the first time I have read her, and this book is a work of art. Joanne is likable, relatable, and you want her to win. Caine builds the world slowly giving the reader time to process all the details and rules because this world is full of them. There are only a few side characters with the biggest being David; Joanne’s love interest but all the characters are interesting. For a book with all the violence in it there is a surprisingly small death toll in fact only three deaths that I can think of. The magic is fun, the Djinn are Djinn, and I am excited about reading more in this world. While not all of the characters get as fleshed out as Joanne, I felt that I understood the motives of the side characters.

I give this book Four and a half stars out of Five. I get nothing for my review and I bought this book with my own money.

Lethal Believers: The Innocents

Today’s post is on Lethal Believers: The Innocents by G.M. Baker. It is 215 pages long and is published by MasterKoda Publishing. The cover has the title and author name in white against a gray background with smoke and some kind of cross on it. The intended reader is someone who likes thrillers I think but I will get into that in my review. There is language, sex, talk of rape and child molestation, and violence in this book so beware. It is told from varying view point but I will get into that in my review as well. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From Goodreads- Malachi Danta-Mercadel, retired INTERPOL/Secret Service rails against the Mantid Tranquil organization bent on vesting a form of paranormal revenge, given Danta’s handiwork for exposing Mantid’s illicit operations. However, a certain intervention, with an intricate agenda, leaves both Danta and Mantid Tranquil not only at decisive odds, but also at the distinct disadvantage of an unsettled Myth.

Review- I feel bad about the review I am about to give. I was given an ecopy of this book to review for free and I am not going to give this book a good review. I cannot recommend this book. The plot makes no sense. I had and have no idea what was going on in the book. I do not know who the real killer was and what makes this worse is that I do not care. I do not care about any one of the characters. I did not feel that the characters were real. The dialogue was forced, confusing, and in some places just down right bizarre. There are time jumps that are unexplained and just serve to confuse the reader even more. Danta is, I think, supposed to be interesting and very smart but he was fake and boring. I was bored for some of this novel because it was un-understandable. I think that this was to be a thriller but it was too all over the place to be anything. At the end of the novel when the person convicted of the killings is hanged there is a weird paranormal something that I am not sure why it was in the novel. About the point of view; Baker goes from third person close to third person omniscient back to third person close again all within the same sentence. The other main character goes from being teacher to victim to killer all without the reader getting any hint as to why. I could go on but I am going to stop now. Maybe I am just not the intended reader for this book but I do not recommend this book.

I give this book One out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I was given this book in exchange for my honest review and this gives me no pleasure.