Find me on Goodreads!

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5916147
Here is a link to my profile.


This site is quite similar to librarything, but more free, and for a little while, I was able to participate in an online book club through it. But alas the attempt at finishing War and Peace fell through. Well, I have read other books since my last post there, let me tell you about it!


The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
A gift from an internet friend with excellent taste. This was a riveting, psychological mystery/horror/drama written in pre-Victorian era, cataloging increasingly disturbing events through letters and diary entries, similar to Dracula (which I had also finished within the past year.) Of course it suffered slightly from overly Dickensian descriptions, but once I settled in that language, it was very unputdownable.


In the Night Garden by Catherynne Valente
A book I bought at a library sale, another serpendipitous purchase. This is set in the form of a Scheherazade like girl telling a series of almost interwoven fairytales to a captivated young prince. Gorgeous poetic language, enchanting characters and adventures, written with a sense of childlike wonder mixed with dark humor.


Dune by Frank Herbert
One of the sci-fi books on my to-read list. Incredible world-building, with a touch of grossness, quite everything I enjoy in a sci-fi novel. I found the ending rather anticlimactic though, but the environment and action more than made up for that. I will forgo reading the rest of the series though, I am told it gets much weirder.


The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
A charming children's novel, with adorable illustrations, sensible morals and charming descriptions.


Doctor Who: the Doctor Trap by Simon Messingham
The story was all right, but the execution was rather amateurish. I would have rather seen this as an episode with the 10th doctor.


Snuff by Terry Pratchett
It's a Discworld novel with Vimes, what more needs to be said?

A few more books that I've read!

Okie, I really haven't been able to read much due to pharmacy school, but I'm gonna go ahead and record what I've read here. I've of course read the next Tiffany Aching book by Terry Pratchett, I Shall Wear Midnight, wonderful as always. Other books I've read include more of A Song of Ice and Fire, more of the Wheel of Time, and also J.R.R. Tolkien's rendition of the Norse Edda, The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun. I've also started Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, as well as Shadows Over Baker Street, an Lovecraftian/Sherlock Holmes anthology, but I've been too lazy to finish.


Here is a completely fictional novel I managed to finish while working at the army hospital.


By the Mountain Bound by Elizabeth Bear takes place in a re-imagined world straight from Norse mythology, in which Nordic gods and creatures are reincarnated as angels and Valkryries living amongst humans. The switching perspectives between Fenrir, a valkyrie, and an angel tell a dramatic story as a strange woman is rescued from drowning, and consequently unleashes an internal struggle that ends in tragedy. There are also undertones of romance, male-male and male-female, tasteful, well-written, though I found it a bit humorous at times. The characters themselves are rather realistic, perhaps a little idealized at times , but endearing overall. I may even read the rest of the series, Norse mythology I enjoy but it's always so DRAMATIC and well, cold. /Texan

Whoa, it's been a while! Sorry about that.

Well, I haven't had as much time to read now that I am in pharmacy school and working all summer, but I have managed to finish a few new books, which I shall record for my memory's sake.

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, which I said I would never review, but I read it anyway. Vampire fiction is terribly cheesy at best. I admit there were a few good points with the novel, but the style of writing is still amateur, with a weird language quality I can't quite put my finger on.  The characters just barely tolerable, the plot as melodramatic and self-absorbed as a teen/young adult novel can be. Decent enough for the genre, but certainly not best-seller material. I shall never comprehend it.

Nation by Terry Pratchett, not part of the Discworld series and geared towards young adults, but still an exceptionally well-crafted exploration of what makes humanity and nations work.  A serious and brave young man, about to come of age when disaster strikes the world he knows.  A plucky young gel with a stubborn and clever mind.  Refugees coming together to rebuild their lives, only to face danger not from nature, but other humans.  Gripping adventure, sweet humor, and most of all, powerful metaphors that just make you think.  Loved it, of course.

I am starting on the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, a generous gift from a co-worker at CVS.  I am still continuing the Song of Ice and Fire series, as well as Discworld (with the latest being Unseen Academicals). I have finished The Naming by Alison Croggan, with a rather anticlimactic ending, and I have also read the third installment of the Doctrine of Labyrinth by Sarah Monette.

Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin

The Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin is an epic fantasy quartet by a master author. I haven't read the fourth book yet, so this review is incomplete and just a placeholder entry.

So far, I find it dramatic and terrifying, full of cruelties I wish I hadn't read and skulduggery I couldn't have imagined. The series seems to have found a surge of popularity amongst my other friends (in and out of college), even though it's kinda old. I hear a TV series might be made which sounds exciting, although it would have to be HBO because there is much mature content.

Various intelligent young heroines

Swan Maiden by Heather Tomlinson
This imaginative novel explores the life of sweet Doucette, who lives in the shadow of her cruel and glamorous older sisters, wishing that she too could practice sorcery in the care of their aunt. The heroine then finds her own swan skin and soon discovers that her desire to become a sorceress would conflict with love. How she resolves this and becomes a stronger and wiser young woman is both harrowing and uplifting. A sweet story that does not flinch from the cruelty of the real world, but shows how one girl learned from this sad fact.

House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones
A sequel to Howl's Moving Castle, although I thought Castle in the Air was a sequel, too. Like those charming novels, this book is too clever by half, full of wacky hijinx, magical mayhem, and foolish yet still cerebrally enhanced characters. Howl had me cracking up so bad, even though he was a bit character, what a devil! Anyways, good times, just like Castle in the Air and what not.

The Mistmantle Chronicles by M. I. McAllister

The Mistmantle Chronicles: Urchin of the Riding Stars by M. I. McAllister is a charming young adult novel about a brave young squirrel's meeting with destiny on an island kingdom. Obviously it is the first of many novels planned. You may find it quite similar to Brian Jacques' "Redwall" series, which I really liked up until the 9th or so book about pretty much the same thing.

Like Redwall, there are the typical British creatures such as hedgehogs, moles, squirrels and otters, who talk and wear clothes and do many human things. There is a lot of mythos very carefully described, although I don't believe the author intends any actual magic (other than animals talking). Unlike Redwall, the villains do happen to be squirrels, there being no vermin as of the first book. The characters are deceptively evil or cute and I adore the cute chapter illustrations. Nothing too amazing or unique, but still a wonderfully intense read.

music and magic - more teen novels

I haven't updated in many moons because I've been busy with school and just haven't had access to a good library. But now that it's summer, I'm making up for lost time with my good friend, the local public library. Here are some titles that I will review later - I just wanted to note them before I forgot the authors and all that.

The Naming by Alison Croggon, also The Riddle and The Crow
A series set in a fantasy land where bards are able to perform magic. A teenage girl discovers that she is the fated one who will defeat an evil wizard. With the help of trusted friends, including a mysterious older man as her mentor, she comes into her power, finds a long-lost brother and in a race against time, they try to solve the riddles of the tumultuous past. The first book describes a typically Tolkienesque medieval world, while the second book ventures into the wild wintry north, and the disappointing third novel takes place in a burning south tainted by evil. Now where do they go next?!!

The Singer of All Songs by Kate Constable, part of a trilogy
A series set in a fantasy land where chanters are able to perform magic. A teenage girl discovers she is the fated one who will defeat an evil wizard. With the help of trusted friends, including a mysterious older man as her mentor, she comes into her power... wait a minute!!! Hah hah, but seriously, both series are charming, with breathtaking adventures, adorably stupid characters and confident world building. They're just very similar to each other sometimes. This book was compared to a version of Earthsea, rich and complex with ancient mystery.

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
This is a remarkably interesting retelling of a fairy tale, set in the plains of Mongolia and told in the form of an illustrated diary. Two girls are trapped in a tower, with the princess courted by two different princes, one kind, the other evil. The clever servant-girl, who also has the ability to sing magically, struggles along with her mistress until they finally escape and end up rescuing a kingdom from a terrifying fate. I love how the author sensitively describes the thoughts of the servant girl, who narrates the story, and incorporates elements of a culture not many would know.

Standard Hero Behavior by John David Anderson
A cute, saucy parody of the average fantasy story. A young bard (hah hah, I have a theme going on) and his humorous sidekick unwittingly find themselves on a quest to save their hometown from an army of orcs and goblins. Little do they realize that they would help bring back the long-lost heroes of their father's time on their misadventures throughout the countryside. While definitely ironic, this author does not deal his sarcasm too heavily, and the moral was more sweet than cheesy. Recommended for a light-hearted read.

Poison Study and Magic Study by Maria Snyder

Poison Study and Magic Study by Maria Snyder is a thrilling and gutsy treatment of fantastic themes. An orphaned girl accused of murder is forced to become a poison taster and an assassin for the government. When she discovers she also has magic powers, she has to use every ounce of her intelligence and athleticism to save the people who make up her family, old and new. Chocolate plays an important role, hah hah.

Notable features are creative cultures and methodology of magic, with strong characters and a well-placed plot. I can't pinpoint what I don't like about this series, except that everything works out too neatly. It isn't bad by any means, but lacks that extra pizazz that marks the best of the best.

(briefly) series that I didn't like very much

The Sharing Knife (Beguilement) by Lois McMaster Bujold: a medieval fantasy novel that started off with a few interesting twists, but the needless character relationship development at the end was gross and wasn't even remotely interesting. I didn't finish this book and am not inspired to read the rest of the trilogy.

Strange Devices of the Sun and Moon by Lisa Goldstein: if you're into historical England, Shakespeare and Faerie, this book is for you. Eerie and poetic, a philosophical fantasy novel about a widowed bookseller fighting to save her son (and world) from Faerie.

Not Exactly the Three Musketeers by Joel Rosenburg: Typical epic fantasy quest with 3 men apparently from our world set into a magical medieval world. Wizards, sorceresses, dragons galore. Funny, action-packed, but definitely adult.

Crimson Shadow: the Sword of Bedwyr by R.A. Salvatore: This fellow was a NY Times best selling author, so I thought I'd check him out and see if he's all that good. Like most male authors, he deals with action and humor quite expertly, though I had trouble liking any of the characters in this trilogy much. The plot and dialogue, even in Luthien's Gamble, seem awfully shallow and Hollywood-esque in comparison to some of the deeper and admittedly more feminine series I prefer.

Prince of the Blood by Raymond Feist: This was another best-seller author that I decided to give a go. Not bad for a typical swords and sorcery novel. I liked the characters and detailed world building, the dialogue was humorous but not too full of itself, the plot sufficiently complicated. But I wasn't particularly interested in what happens in a massive fantasy epic and after reading Shadow of a Dark Queen, it confirmed my apathy towards future huge undertakings, with the exception of Pratchett of course.

Vellum by Hal Duncan: this urban sci-fi/fantasy novel looked very hip and edgy and Neil-Gaiman-esque, but it was a chore to keep up with the changing perspectives and overall felt extremely unpleasant. Deals with an amazing revelation of biblical and spiritual mysteries and gutsy young heroes who must fight the forces of good and evil, all at the same time. I am not the intended demographic, I think.

The Legend of Nightfall by Mickey Zucker Reichert

The Legend of Nightfall and the Return of Nighfall by Mickey Zucker Reichert: An occasionally bromantic adventure fantasy novel about an assassin given a second chance (I sure like those kinds of stories) by protecting a foolish young prince. Nightfall must not only keep Edward from harm, but also deal with sorcerors who kill magically talented people for their powers. The sequel falters a bit when Nightfall returns to needless emo introspection as he attempts to track down a missing king, but the hilarious hijinx continues, ever so suavely. I also like how friendships are explored, I think honest and non-gay relationships between men or between women is so rarely done well.

What I like about this author's style is her sense of realism and morality in a medieval fantasy setting, and how she describes things thoroughly but succintly. Her dialogue is also quite snappy, but not idiotically so like Eddings or Lackey, ahem. I still wouldn't place her anywhere near Pratchett's level, but her books were quite enjoyable overall and if I cared enough, I'd read her other series.

the CrowThistle Chronicles by Cecilia Dart-Thornton

CrowThistle Chronicles: The Iron Tree by Cecilia Dart-Thornton: Includes the Well of Tears and Weatherwitch. While I admire her style of lush description, they occassionally go over-the-top and it is all I can do to not skip those paragraphs. I do like how she balances her books, with so much description and yet so much action going on, very skillfully paced. These books seem determined to outdo her first trilogy in sadness, despair and doom, but unlike Bitterbynde's vaguely European medieval setting, I find this book more unique and less dependent on familiar mythology. Critics compare her to Tolkien, and like Tolkien she occasionally inserts in lines that make me burst out laughing because they feek so out of place with her lyric style. Again, these books are very dreamy and romantic, with lots of folklore, unique legends and songs to add depth to an already dazzling imaginary world.

I think if you're willing to slog through 10,000 different ways to describe rose-fingered sunsets and verdant grasslands you might enjoy the actual story and characters.

(briefly) young adult series by various authors

You guessed it, more mini-reviews of young adult novels and series! Except for the last two reviews, I wasn't really impressed enough by any of these series to write a separate post.

Elske and Jackaroo by Cynthia Voigt: actually rather intriguing books on their own, but I would have to read a whole series about a fantastic medieval world to thoroughly understand the backstory, and well... I wasn't that interested. I remember the books being just barely on this side of boring and political.

Book of Dead Days by Marcus Sedgwick: a fairly interesting historical/macabre novel about an orphan and a London magician who makes a deal with the devil or something, but I wasn't tempted to read the rest of the series. It didn't really make any long-lasting impact in my mind.

Water Mirror by Kai Meyer: a captivating book about an orphan girl with a mirror who lives in a Venice-like world inhabited by stone lions and scary mermaids. A short novel that might require reading the rest of the series to find any real plot development.

Blue Girl by Charles de Lint: I didn't finish this book because man, it started off slow and I couldn't get past the second chapter. I like fantasy stories about high school kids, not high school stories about fantasy kids. This author is good, don't get me wrong, but his type of suburban fantasy isn't really my preference.

Levin Thumps and the Gateway to Foo by Obert Skye: It reads like a book written by a sophisticated young Swedish author who doesn't understand American humor but tries anyways. Parts of it are laugh-out-loud funny but most of it's just weird and you laugh because you don't really understand what's going on. The story is fairly typical - teen finds out about supernatural powers and saves the world from mystical evil with help of plucky gel and fantastic mascot sidekicks, but everything else is appreciably strange. Apparently there are more books involved.

Falconer's Knot by Mary Hoffman: This historical mystery novel is surprisingly witty, concise and dramatic, with cheesy teenage romance and artsy details. Because it takes place in Italy like her other books, it requires a love and knowledge of Italian culture and art to truly appreciate. The major complaint I have for this book is that it seems like an adult mystery hacked and censored for a pre-teen audience. Had it been developed for a more mature reader, it would have been quite entertaining, but I find it choppy and the mystery way too easily solved. I'm sure younger readers will still enjoy this book, though.

Cup of the World and the Widow and the King by John Dickinson: An epic fantasy novel and its sequel about a spirited girl who elopes with a mysterious man who communicates to her through magic. Turns out he wants to conquer the known kingdom and will stop at nothing to do so. Magic and mayhem ensue. The sequel deals with the widowed queen trying to save her young son from a malicious ghost and scheming, ensorceled lords. Lots of people die... I appreciated the sorrowful, legendary tone and its layers of meaning and allegory, but it's not a series I recommend for people who want to feel good after reading something.

the Melusine series by Sarah Monette

The Melusine Series by Sarah Monette is a horribly fascinating read of the fantasy genre, including Melusine, Virtu, Mirador and later, Summerdown. (Honestly have no idea what the series is titled.) The breathless plot is a bit haywire, the characters are especially off-kilter yet strangely lovable, the dialogue makes creative use of swear-words; thus, the whole combination is "unputdownable." I'm still not exactly sure to make of it, I guess the third book (which disgustingly comes out next/this year) will answer that. I'm surprised Texas public libraries stock so much gay, hah hah, but really, this bro-mance is... something else. It's different, refreshing and I can't help but want to discover how this trainwreck ends. Spectacularly, I'm sure. I expect nothing less!

Priest of Blood by Douglas Clegg

Priest of Blood by Douglass Clegg is actually not too bad for a horror novel, very neat and elegant and not as annoying as it could be. I appreciate how a male author writes in a tone that appeals to both genders This book is kinda homo-friendly, but mostly in the sense that vampires are made out to be at least bisexual for some reason. Even so, I only skimmed the second half except for the really gross parts. There presumably are more books in the series that I would pick up except the libraries around here don't carry them.

Horror is all around a cheesy genre, and only my stubborn love for gothicism makes me pick up the occasional horror novel. The thing about vampires is that they can only do so much before it all starts sounding the same. Seriously, I predicted everything that happened in the later half of the book, and I haven't even read that many vampire novels. However, the beginnings are always interesting, I like reading about their human lives and how they became vampires. But then it's an eternity of drinking blood and fighting vampire hunters and challenging the demon gods or their Supreme Vampire Lord and making out with anything that moves, ho hum.

The Sundering by Jacqueline Carey

The Sundering by Jacqueline Carey is a vast two-part fantasy epic starting with the Banewreaker and ending with the Godslayer. Imagine someone who read Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and has decided to write it from the bad guy's point of view, in this case a cursed warlord who no longer finds happiness among fellow humans and has allied himself with the god of darkness. Like the Lord of the Rings, we got Aragorn, Arwen, Gandalf, Frodo, Sam and Sauron characters, but it is so much sadder when you see things from the orcs and werewolves and dragons and god of darkness' side. The plot is elegantly executed, with good measures of action, drama, self-conflict, a tiny bit of romance (not pr0ny though), and a huge load of tragic mythology. I imagine there was some humor... probably.

About the only complaint I have is one I have with most female writers, and that is unnecessary repetition of the exact same detail over and over again. ("Doughty warrior" was a prime culprit.) Also, I have no idea if this is supposed to be a parody or not, because it clearly is copying Tolkien, although in a serious and tragic manner. This series may be fully appreciated by those familiar with Tolkien's works.

Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey

Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey is a romantic fantasy trilogy/series with a touch of history. The trilogy is definitely one of my guilty pleasures. Her style of writing is very lush and detailed, with a particular emphasis on politics and culture, which I always like. While the majority of the plot is based on an alternate Renaissance-era Europe, there are occasional forays into the supernatural and spiritual. There is a lot of hanky panky going on, sometimes it is sweet and sometimes it is outright silly, but it's there, so you know.

The first book is a great opener, the middle book, Kushiel's Chosen, lags a little bit in my opinion, but the third book, Kushiel's Avatar, is quite exotic and adventurous and handily wraps up most conflicts. Carey raises the bar for female-fronted adult fantasy novels, and for a romantic series, this is gold, though that isn't saying too much.

The series continues from a male perspective in the Imriel trilogy, dealing with even more politics. I read some of it and did not feel like it held a candle to the original trilogy, it was a bit callous and you know, masculine. But seeing as this series revolves around sadism and masochism, I guess that's to be expected, hah hah.

Stravaganza by Mary Hoffman

The Stravaganza series by Mary Hoffman is a fantasy young adult trilogy/series that unfortunately crashed and burned at the end. The first book, City of Masks, was a wonderful introduction to an alternate 16th century Italy, full of beauty and magic and culture. The characters were clever and adorable, the plot fascinating. I only read part of the third book, City of Flowers, but was disgusted enough by it to not even attempt the second book. As I remember, it was more of a contrived adolescent drama and the writing eventually overwhelmed the simple details that made the first book so amazing. I mean, who cares about teen romance when more awesome things could be happening?

Maybe I'm just prejudiced when things don't work out properly in the later books, but I feel absolutely betrayed when the author doesn't keep up the tone and the freshness of the first novel. City of Masks would have made an excellent stand-alone novel, is all I'm saying.

(briefly) Arthurian series by various authors

A brief review of various Arthurian series I read throughout highschool and college... To be added to when I remember those pesky other series.

the Pendragon Cycle by Stephen Lawhead, including Taliesin, Merlin, Arthur, Pendragon and Grail: I thought Taliesin was amazing, a legendary treatment of the bard combining the legends of Arthur and Atlantis, but by Pendragon, I was writhing in pain and thinking "Why am I reading such trash?" Couldn't finish it, no matter what critics might say.

the Merlin Trilogy by Mary Stewart, including Crystal Cave, Hollow Hills, Last Enchantment: a promising start, with a gritty and powerful retelling of Merlin's life as a youngster. Like most Arthurian trilogies, ended in tragedy, and I mean tragedy. The Wicked Day, a fourth book about Mordred's life, was actually rather interesting, but still unpleasant to finish.

Hawk of May by Gillian Bradshaw, also Kingdom of Summer, In Winter's Shadow: this one is a slightly more youth-friendly treatment of Arthurian legend, including views from Gwalchmai, his servant Rhys and Queen Gwynnhyfar. No mention of Merlin or Lancelot, this is a more historical and somewhat mystical retelling that ends tragically.

the Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay, including The Summer Tree, Wandering Fire, The Darkest Road: not exactly Arthurian, but drawing heavily on that legend. This is a daring and brilliantly composed fantasy series of the war between good and evil and the heavy price some heroic individuals must pay. It really affected me when I read it in high school, though that may just be me in high school. Very sad.

the Once and Future King by T.H. White: A very good series overall, but also swimming in tragedy by the end. I would definitely not recommend the last 3 parts for children, even though Sword in the Stone made for a funny movie.

the Samaria Series by Sharon Shinn

The Samaria series, including Archangel, Jovah's Angel, the Alleluia Files, Angelica and Angel-Seeker, by Sharon Shinn is a lovely combination of science fiction and romance and guess what? More Bible stuff! (I must seem like a total Christian freak, hah hah.)

I was browsing the fantasy/science fiction section in the bookstore when I came upon Archangel and was immediately captivated by the romantic prose and what I term "fantastic science": science that is so totally preposterous, it might as well be magic. The trilogy initially seemed to fall under the "trilogy trap," when the last books do not quite hold up the high standards of the first book, a common affliction nowadays, but the fifth book stepped up in quality and has met with my approval. Because you know, I am such a literary critic.

The focus of this series is romance between angel and human on a distant planet colonized and then left alone for millenia, but there are a lot of politics, history, philosophy and fake science going on as well. The theme of music's importance to God is also very beautifully explored. The books progress chronologically, so that Archangel takes place in an ancient biblical era, while Jovah's Angel takes place when technology has advanced quite a bit and so on. The last two books jump around and explore other aspects of the world set up in the first three. The books are perfectly readable without an encyclopedic knowledge of biblical names and places and angels, but the more you know, the more you'll get.

I thoroughly and unashamedly enjoyed this series. My favorite books are Archangel and Angel-Seeker, but they were all rather good. I rarely read science fiction because it is usually so depressing, but this series is refreshingly pleasant.

the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett

The Discworld novels are a brilliant and satiric parody of fantasy elements and humanity's foible foibles. If you are even slightly into humor, fantasy, mystery and action and comedic romance, you can't go wrong with Pratchett. Trust me. If for some reason, you did go wrong, then it is you who is wrong, and not Pratchett!

Several of his books can be read alone, although the full impact of characterization and plot can optimally be enjoyed if you read certain arcs in order, namely the Watch arc and perhaps the Witches arc. There are a few novels that I don't enjoy as much as the rest, but I enjoy them far far more than any other series ever written, so that's not saying much.

My personal favorites, which I would review if I could come up with something other than "THIS BOOK IS SO AWESOME!" to say. In no particular order...

1. Soul Music: About sex, drugs and rock and roll. Okay, just rock and roll.
2. The Truth: About Ankh Morpork's newspaper that tells the "truth."
3. Going Postal: About Ankh Morpork's revived postal service.
4. Science of Discworld: About the science of Earth, as explained by the magic of Discworld.
5. The Last Hero: About Cohen the Barbarian, the last hero of Discworld.
6. Men at Arms: About the City Watch's brush with the deadly gonne.
7. Hogfather: About the legendary holiday figure of goodwill and bloodshed.

My favorite characters...
1. Death
2. Librarian (duh)
3. Susan Sto Helit
4. Vetinari
5. Captain Vimes
6. Leonard Da Quirm
7. Moist von Lipwig

Links to visit:
L-space: has more information than you ever wanted to know about Terry Pratchett and Discworld.

Favorite quote of all time - oh wait, maybe not:
"One day I'll be dead and THEN you'll all be sorry."
-- (Terry Pratchett, alt.fan.pratchett)