Tahleen reviews audibook: "Career of Evil" by Robert Galbraith

Title: Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike #3)
Author: Robert Galbraith
Publisher: Hachette Audio, 2015
Narrator: Robert Glenister

Rating: 4.5 stars

This is the third book in Galbraith's (aka J.K. Rowling) Cormoran Strike series, and here, we have an extremely personal case for Strike and Robin.

The book starts off with the very disturbing delivery of a most unwanted package to Robin Ellacott, Strike's resourceful and determined secretary-turned-partner: the severed leg of a woman. What follows is a race against time to find this killer before he finds them, and Strike has not one, but three men in mind who have a grudge against him might have done this.

This book is just as complex and riveting as the first two in the series, but the notable thing about Career of Evil is how much more disturbing it is than the first two, which is saying something. Here, we are taken into the mind of a serial killer, and witness his sadistic and sociopathic need to kill and mutilate, all while Glenister dispassionately relates it all in his expert narration. Glenister is truly the perfect narrator; the amount of dialects and accents he uses in this book alone is worth listening to the whole thing, even if the book wasn't so darn good in the first place.

One other thing I loved about this book was how we learn more about Robin and her past. In addition, the relationship/friendship between Robin and Strike develops further, and I really enjoyed watching it progress.

I will warn you, this is not for the faint of heart; if you get squeamish easily you might want to skip this series. If not, you are definitely missing out on some top-notch mysteries and fabulous narration. If you're an audiobook listener, put these on your list.

Disclaimer: I got this audiobook from my local library, wahoo!

January Faves & February TBR List

January Faves

Jamie's Pick

The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner -- I had a GREAT reading month so it was hard to only mention one of the great books I read, but this one was definitely my favorite! It's incredible. I can't even describe it. You can check out my attempt to here.

Lauren's Pick

This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner -- I really enjoy the first book in this series and so I picked this one up to read. I only have one thing to say... this was the second book in a series, but it could also be read as a standalone novel. CAN I GET A HELL YEAH?!?!

Jana's Pick

Winter by Marissa Meyer -- What a wonderful ending to my favorite series! This book was everything I could have hoped for and more.

Tahleen's Pick

 Uprooted by Naomi Novik -- It has been a very, very long time since I've read a book that I feel excited to get back to, that I can't wait to pick back up, but that I never want to end. I loved everything about this book. It was surprising, and exciting, and romantic, and just wonderful. I actually want to buy this one and always have it on hand if I feel like rereading. I do not do this. So. This will be a go-to recommendation for me.


Julia's Pick

Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare -- Since Jana picked Winter (which I loved, too), I'll pick Romancing the Duke. I went on a cross country flight and read this in a day. It was sweet and unique and I fell in love with the leads.

Bridget's Pick

The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey -- This is definitely not your average post-pandemic science fiction story. It will definitely tug at your heart, and it will also surprise you in a few different ways. It's hard to explain without giving things away, but rest assured that the ending will make you rethink everything you knew about post-apocalyptic scenarios.

February TBR

 Jamie's Pick

The Love That Split The World by Emily Henry -- I can't get enough of time travel lately and this one was pitched as The Time Traveler's Wife meets Friday Night Lights --- which are two of my all time fave things.

Lauren's Pick

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys -- Everyone pretty much knows of my affection for historical fiction, so this one doesn't really need an explanation. Except I did read the author's other novel, Between Shades of Gray, and it is now on my favorites list. 

Jana's Pick

The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson -- I'm so excited! I loved The Kiss of Deception, and can't wait to continue.

Julia's Pick

 Uprooted by Naomi Novik -- I am so excited to read this one, and seeing that Tahleen picked it as her best of for January makes me so excited!  I found it recently and checked it out as a book to read during my beach vacation next week. I am so excited to pick something up that is unique and different!

Bridget's Pick

Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography by Laura Ingalls Wilder and Pamela Smith Hill (Editor) -- I'm actually about halfway through this already and have been reading it on and off since before Christmas, but I want to get it done this month! It's very interesting, but it's also exhausting to flip back and forth between the footnotes and the story. For those who don't know, Pioneer Girl is what eventually became the seven Little House on the Prairie books, but it was originally written as an adult memoir, not as a children's series. It's been really fun to see where things were fictionalized or moved around to fit the narrative that Laura Ingalls Wilder wanted for her children's series!

A (Long Overdue) Cocktail & Conversation With TB&TB Crew

Every other Thursday here at the Broke & The Bookish is  A Cocktail Conversation time. One of the TB&TB members will pose a question to 2-3 of the other members of TB&TB crew about books, life, music, etc and then they'll answer and we can converse about it. So grab a cocktail & cozy up for some conversation. It's 5 o'clock somewhere, friends.

It's been a while since we've sat down for some cocktails and convo with y'all on a Thursday! Our apologies.

Here's this week's topic: 

 What is one book you recommend pretty much across the board -- regardless of genre or what the person normally reads?

 Julia Says...

One book that I usually recommend to people is The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. It's a drama, I would say, but also includes hints of science fiction and romance. I adore this book and read it every few years. I'm actually do for a reread now. I love the questions that this book poses on the ramifications of time travel on not just the person time traveling but the people around them. The movie version of this was a disappointment, so if you didnt really like the movie, give this book a chance.

Tahleen Says... 

I recommend Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple to anyone at the library who is "looking for a good book" and gives me little to no extra information. It's funny, got a mystery, has broad appeal, plus it's written in emails and documents, as well as being narrated by Bernadette's 14-year-old daughter. Pretty much everyone who has read it that I've talked to has loved it. Bonus: If they liked Where'd You Go, Bernadette and are looking for something else to read, I'll recommend Bellweather Rhapsody by Kate Racculia — this one is also a quirky mystery, but set in an old hotel during a major snowstorm that traps the high school chorus and orchestra all-stars (and their teachers/chaperones) who are performing there that weekend.

 

Bridget Says...

There are a few books like this, but recently it's been Celeste Ng's Everything I Never Told You. I feel hypocritical because I always say "this book will make you ugly cry... in a GOOD way" but if someone told me that about a book I probably wouldn't read it, because I generally avoid books that make me cry. But this one was SO WORTH IT and you should read it.

Lauren Says...

I recommend Ready Player One by Ernest Cline for several reasons. It has that dystopian feel to it that most people are intrigued by these days, but it also tugs at those science fiction heart strings that you didn't even realize you had. The true front-runners of the science fiction genre have set the tone for our future. Just turn on the History Channel or TLC and you come across a documentary about today's society/culture and I can guarantee you someone at one time has written a science fiction novel about that very same topic. Take Arthur C. Clarke for example. He is best known for writing the screenplay for one of the most influential films of all time... 2001: A Space Odyssey. When Clarke was introduced to one of the first computers (which consisted of many gigantic electrical boxes that filled an entire room), Clarke legit predicts the internet and how one day everyone will own a computer that will be drastically smaller where they can look at their bank statements or work from home. SERIOUSLY? Yes, seriously. Look it up. Ernest Cline did not disappoint with this novel as he introduced a new possible future that truly meets the trends our society seems to be following. So just go pick it up. You won't be disappointed. 

Tell us, dear book pushers! Which books are ones that you will pretty much recommend universally?

Tahleen reviews: "Winter" by Marissa Meyer

Title: Winter
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Macmillan Young Listeners, 2015 (print available from Feiwel & Friends)
Narrator: Rebecca Soler

Rating: 4.5 stars

**Possible spoilers for Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress!!**

At long last, we have the final installment in Marissa Meyer's excellent Lunar Chronicles quartet. This tome delves deeper into the story of Princess Winter, the stepdaughter of the terrifying Queen Levana of Luna. Winter refuses to use her Lunar gift, and as a result she struggles with Lunar Sickness, a mental illness that causes vivid hallucinations and confusion in those who suffer from it. Winter also has the misfortune of being extremely beautiful and very well loved by the people of Luna, earning her the jealousy and hatred of Levana. And so, this Snow White tale follows the bones of the original: the queen orders her beautiful stepdaughter killed, only to have the one ordered to do the killing unable to go through with it and create a ruse to save her.

Of course, Winter is also the conclusion to the other three stories that began in the previous entries in the series. Cinder is still at large, accompanied by Cress, Thorne, Kai, Iko, and Wolf. Scarlet is still imprisoned in the royal menagerie as Winter's pet. And Levana is after total control.

This was an intensely satisfying ending to what I think is a fantastic series. Meyer expertly retells the original folktales, cleverly bringing them into the sci-fi world she has created. All of the characters are extremely well rounded, including the villains, and the action and battles get super intense. I also loved how the relationships keep maturing and growing throughout. My favorite has to be Thorne and Cress, though Scarlet and Wolf are just lovely too. And I still love Iko.

The narration by Rebecca Soler is great. She has distinct voices for every character, and I could easily pick out who was talking. She has great pacing and an attractive voice. I went after the audio editions of each of the books in this series because I enjoyed listening to her interpretations so much. The only thing I thought was kind of weird was her decision to give Kinney, a guard on Luna, an Irish accent. Why? Aren't they all from Luna? Why would he have an accent from Ireland in that case? Minor quibble, especially since I can't complain really about listening to a well-done Irish accent, but it threw me off a bit.

I was very pleased with how things turned out in the end. I am very much looking forward to the collection of short stories that will be released in February, titled Stars Above.

Disclaimer: I got this CD audiobook from my local library.

Tahleen reviews: Audiobook of "Armada" by Ernest Cline

Title: Armada
Author: Ernest Cline
Publisher: Random House Audio
Narrator: Wil Wheaton 

Rating: 3.5 stars 

When I found out that Ernest Cline was coming out with another book, and it was also going to be narrated by Wil Wheaton (like his first book, Ready Player One, was), I was super excited. So of course I put that on my TBR immediately. And I finally had the chance to listen to the sci-fi book a few weeks ago.

The basic plot is this: Zach Lightman, a typical 18-year-old, sees something out the window of his classroom that can't possibly be real: a fighter ship from the alien videogame he plays every night, Armada. Soon he finds out that this craft is all too real, and because he is one of the top-ranked players in the world, he is recruited into the Earth Defense Alliance as a pilot. What follows is your basic hostile alien story.

I was kind of disappointed in the book itself. It wasn't terribly original, and I thought characters could have been better developed, especially secondary characters. The ending was kind if interesting, and it makes me wonder if Cline has a sequel in the works. Cline really likes the deus ex machina in his stuff; everything isn't happy by a long shot, but there were a lot of convenient things that happen. It was still fun though. I enjoyed all of the references to different pop culture alien stories, and Cline writes with a lot of humor, which Wheaton delivers extremely well.

As always, Wheaton's narration is on point. I loved listening to him tell me this story, even if the actual story wasn't my favorite. Plus he does voices, like Yoda, so bonus.

Disclaimer: I got this audiobook using my free trail for Audible.com.

Tahleen reviews: Ana of California by Andi Teran

Title: Ana of California
Author: Andi Teran
Publisher: Penguin Books

Rating: 5+ stars

Ana has been through the foster care system in Los Angeles, getting kicked out of one home after another for being a "problem" or "not what they were expecting." As a last effort, she has accepted a position as a farmhand over the summer at a farm in northern California. If things go well, she might be able to stay through the first semester of the school year. She just has to make sure she doesn't screw it all up again; trouble seems to follow her like a curse.

Abbie and Emmett Garber, a brother-sister duo, are struggling to keep their farm up and running as work increases as well as costs. Abbie has the idea to become a temporary guardian to a foster child in exchange for having her help around the farm. Emmett reluctantly agrees, expecting a boy, but is surprised to discover a girl by the name of Cortez waiting for him at the airport.

Can Ana overcome her self-doubt and Emmett's reluctance, as well as prove herself, to finally find a place where she belongs?

I love this book. So much. I was excited to hear about it in the first place: a retelling of Anne of Green Gables set on a farm in northern California? Sign me up. Ana of California exceeded my expectations and has earned a permanent spot on my bookshelf.

Andi Teran did an excellent job of bringing the original story into present day. Ana, a gifted artist, is so sweet and caring, and has a poetic way with words as the original Anne does. There are all these little details throughout the book that are a nod to the source material, incidents (like the hair dye disaster) that are retold, and characters reimagined. Really, I loved every single scene in this book, just like I loved every single scene in Anne of Green Gables. If you have any fondness at all for Anne Shirley, you'll love reading about Ana Cortez. Please do yourself a favor and go out and get this book right now. Library, bookstore, friend who owns it, whatever. You'll be happy you did.

Disclosure: I won a copy of this book through another blogger, Cassi Steenblok at My Thoughts Literally, who hosted a giveaway through Penguin. Thanks Cassi, I loved it!

Tahleen reviews: Audiobook "Ghosts of Tupelo Landing" by Sheila Turnage

Title: Ghosts of Tupelo Landing
Author: Sheila Turnage
Publisher: Listening Library, 2014 (print available from Puffin Books)
Narrator: Lauren Fortgang

Rating: 4 stars

Mo and Dale, along with all of our other favorite characters from Three Times Lucky, Newbery Honor winner in 2014, are back with another mystery to solve. A decidedly ghostlike mystery. Miss Lana, along with Grandmother Miss Lacy Thornton, find themselves the new owners of an old inn and, as it turns out, a ghost that was in the fine print. Determined to get the inn back up and running in order to sell it to someone nice (gotta have nice neighbors, after all), Miss Lana and the gang sets to work—only to find out that ghost might not just be a footnote after all. Mo, along with a reluctant Dale, seize upon the opportunity to interview said ghost for their history assignment. But can they 1) get her to talk to them, 2) figure out what old Red Baker is doing and why he's sneaking around everywhere, and 3) possibly figure out what happened to their ghost all those years ago? Mo is no coward, and along with Dale and new friend Harm Crenshaw, set out to do it all.

I really, really love this series. And I'm so glad it's a series. I was very impressed with Three Times Lucky, as some of you might remember, and this is a great continuation. Turnage still deals with the tough realities of life in a gentle subtle way, without sugarcoating anything. There is an illegal moonshine still, poverty, bullying, and hints of past abuse and neglect, yet it's all very age-appropriate and well done. And Turnage adds in a hefty dose of humor. Mo is never fazed and generally seems to be a fantastic human being, though she does of course make mistakes and poor judgment calls now and then. It is nearly impossible to ruffle the girl, even when arch-nemesis Anna Celeste (aka Attila) continually brings up Mo's unknown origins to be spiteful (Mo was adopted by Miss Lana and the Colonel when she was washed downstream during a storm).

**Possible spoilers for book 1 follow**

Dale's father is now in jail, and Mo is pretty vocal about her opinion of him. She can't understand the complicated feelings Dale and his mother Miss Rose have about him; because at the end of the day, he's still Dale's father, and as Dale says, "you only get one Daddy." It is very clear that the whole situation is very hard for Miss Rose, who is trying to get on with her life despite not having much experience in not being in an abusive relationship. The whole situation was portrayed very well, and I thought Mo's child's understanding of it added much. Lots of showing instead of telling.

I did think it was slightly strange that this volume went into the paranormal realm, but I like a ghost story now and then. This one was good; just surprised it veered into this genre after the first book was strictly realistic fiction/mystery.


As for the narration, Lauren Fortgang was great. I was sad that Michal Freidman passed away shortly after narrating the first, but Fortgang was a worthy choice. Her matter-of-fact tone brought out the humor of Mo's inner dialogue and conversations with others, not to mention the vocal differences between characters was very well done.

Anyway, would I recommend this book? You bet I would. It's a great middle-grade mystery series with a quirky cast of characters in a small-town setting.

Disclosure: I got a copy of this audiobook from OverDrive through my local library.

Ten Characters You Just Didn't Click With

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly link-up in the community where we provide a prompt and other lovers of list-making join in on it with their own top ten list. Feel free to have less than 10 or more if you need to at times and put a spin on the topic if you need to! Just please link back to us if you are participating! :)

For future Top Ten Tuesday topics & info on how to participate, click here!

Daisy's Picks

1. Jordan from Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally: I'm such a bah-bah black sheep in my opinion of this book, but I was just not feeling and really not connecting with Jordan at all. I'm still really sad about this.

2. Quentin from The Magicians by Lev Grossman: Quentin and I did not get along. Like there was serious dislike going around. I felt that he was arrogant, whiny, lazy... Just not qualities I like in a character. 

Julia's Picks

3. Honor from The Trouble with Honor by Julia London: Never in my romance novel life have I ever felt so much disconnect with the heroine that I stopped reading until this book. She was so frustratingly annoying that I knew if I ever met her in real life we would not mesh well. I just couldnt muster the strength to care about her happily ever after.

4. Cole from the Everneath Series by Brodi Ashton: Oh Cole. He is really a character I love to hate. Like I can't stand him as he interacts with the other characters, but I give a lot of respect to Brodi Ashton for writing a character so well that I can loath him so much. I didn't understand the love this guy got as an antihero either. He was just a jerk, doing jerk things and always surprising me with new levels for me to loathe him. 

Tahleen's Picks

5. Elizabeth from Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando: Elizabeth was fine for most of the book, but MAN, she got on my nerves toward the end! I didn't really click with her for any of the book, but some parts I wish someone had sat her down and given her a good talking-to.

6. Lola from Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins: I loved Anna and the French Kiss, so I expected to love this one just as much. I liked it okay. I did not jive with Lola and her kookiness, or her stubbornness in being with the older boyfriend whose name I've already forgotten. I remember the boy next door was Cricket. I know I am in the minority. #sorrynotsorry

**Sorry for not coming up with ten picks for our list this week. It was harder than we expected!**

Tahleen reviews: "William Shakespeare's Star Wars Collection" by Ian Doescher

Title: William Shakespeare's Star Wars Collection
Author: Ian Doescher
Publisher: Random House Audio, and Books on Tape, 2014
Narrator: Full Cast

Rating: 5 stars. No question.

Do you like Shakespeare? What about Star Wars? Would you ever think to combine the two? Ian Doescher did, and he is a genius. What a brilliant production this was! If you have any inclination to listen to an audiobook at all, this should be next on your list.

We start with Verily, a New Hope. Of course, most of us already know the story of young Luke Skywalker, strong with the force but naive, thrust into a rebellion he had not initially intended on joining. Doescher has thought out every detail in how to translate George Lucas's creation into Shakespearean drama and language, not to mention form. Blank verse, prose, iambic pentameter; all are in here, and all work exceedingly well. Nice afterwords describe why Doescher chose to write certain things in certain ways.

As for the actual production? Absolutely fantastic. We have a full cast, complete with actors I assume were chosen because they sound so much like the movie actors (I mean, Han Solo might as well as been voiced by Harrison Ford; it's so good. With the exception that he can't seem to pronounce Millenium Falcon?). In addition, there are sound effects, MUSIC FROM THE MOVIES, alien languages, AND some of the characters get their own SONGS. That they actually SING. It's amazing.

If you haven't experienced the beauty of this audiobook trilogy, get thee to a library and partake! I promise you won't regret it.

Disclosure: After a long awaited release for an audio CD, I was finally able to check these out from my local library.

Tahleen reviews about 3/4 of The Martian by Andy Weir

Title: The Martian
Author: Andy Weir
Publisher: Brilliance Audio, 2014 (print edition available from Crown)
Narrator: R.C. Bray

How can you not want to keep reading a book with this as a first line: "So I'm pretty much f***ed."

This is the story of Mark Watney, one of the astronauts on the Ares 3 mission on Mars. Through a series of very unfortunate events, Mark ends up left alone on Mars, stranded, with the entire world thinking he's dead. He must depend on his wits, engineering skills, and botanist background to keep himself alive.

I am enjoying this book VERY much. It's a great audiobook; R.C. Bray is a great reader. But what I'm really enjoying is how funny it is. I never expected to laugh so much while listening to a book about the dire situation of a guy stranded on Mars. But it is extremely entertaining.

There is a lot of technical stuff going on, but I think that's part of the reason why I like it so much too. I'm not a technically minded person; I don't know much about engineering or space exploration or Mars. But Weir does a great job explaining it, especially to lay readers. I think it's because I can actually believe this stuff could happen. I don't really have to suspend my disbelief much. And from other reviews I've read, it sounds like most of the science is pretty solid.

I also like the writing technique of using log entries. It makes sense, considering he is utterly alone and there would be no conversation, so his goofy personality comes out and it's great. But even though it is very funny, it's also a thriller. So far Mark has almost died a BUNCH of times. So sometimes I'm in my car laughing, or sometimes I'm white-knuckled, gripping my steering wheel.

Bonus: This is going to be a movie soon starring Matt Damon. So there's that. This book would definitely translate well to film. Not to mention it won an Alex Award, which are given to adult books with teen appeal.

I don't yet know how the story of Mark Watney ends, but I'm definitely looking forward to finding out! I highly recommend this audiobook, for science buffs, nerds, or anyone who enjoys a great story.

Disclosure: I got a copy of this audiobook from my local library.

Ten Recently Acquired Books

 

For future Top Ten Tuesday topics & info on how to participate, click here!

 

tahleen's picks 

1. Ana of California by Andi Tehran. Some of you might remember this was one of my top summer books on my TBR list. I'm so excited, because I just found out this morning that I won a copy from another blogger, Cassi from My Thoughts Literally! I can't wait to get this one in the mail.

 2.  Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaver. I found this one at a book store in Burlington, VT on a weekend trip a couple of months ago. The particular store I was in had a table full of ARCs that they were giving away for free, because, well, they can't sell them. I was pretty stoked to have snagged this one, because I knew it was shortlisted for the Edgar Award in the category of best debut. I'm hoping to get to it soon.

3. Fat Boy vs the Cheerleaders by Geoff Herbach. I got this one from the library. It's next up, because I'm feeling like it's time for a funny and possibly raucous YA book narrated by Nick Podehl.

Bridget's picks 

4. Early One Morning – Virginia Baily. As Chiara Ravello is about to flee occupied Rome during WWII, she locks eyes with a woman who, with her family, is being herded onto a truck—and without thinking, she claims the woman’s son as her own. How intriguing does that sound??

5. Everything She Forgot – Lisa Ballentyne. The “dark memories coming back” theme is really having a moment in lit these past couple years! This one sounds awesome.

6. In A Dark, Dark Wood – Ruth Ware. I’ve actually already read this one and it was so good! I started it while I was in line for something or other at BEA (because really, the majority of what I did there was stand in lines, for serious) and finished it the next day and WOW, so good. But I’m still excited about it despite having read it already, so I’m counting it!

Julia's Pick

7. Watchman by Alan Moore - My friend from work lent this too me recently and I still haven't read it. So I should totally get on that.

Jamie's Picks

8. Yes Please by Amy Poehler: Just picked this up at the library from the interloan library program! YAY!

9. The Witches by Stacy Schiff: This just came in for review which is kind of surprising because mostly YA is what I get in the mail so it's always like WOAH when an adult novel shows up and even more WOAH when it's non-fiction. I'm so down. SALEM!

10. Don't Ever Change by Beth M. Bloom: This one came as a hardcover from Harper in the mail. The cover is beauteous!

Tahleen's thoughts on the last Three Pines mystery

So, over the past year, I've been working on finishing the Three Pines series by Louise Penny. I mentioned this before. But I didn't mention why I was working through them--it was sort of a mission of mine. You see, my library's director was the person who got me started on the series, as she was a big fan. Then she read the tenth book, The Long Way Home, and told me she was completely turned off by the entire series because she was bothered so much by this book's ending. But she wouldn't tell me why, since it would reveal a major plot point, so of course I had to read all of them to figure it out. And I finally did.

Heads up, small spoilers for those of you who haven't read the series through book 9.

In this latest book, Clara asks Gamache for help in a personal matter. Her husband, Peter, and she separated and agreed to get together exactly one year later to discuss their marriage. The only problem is, Peter never showed up. Clara is worried, and after some hemming and hawing, asks for some help from the professionals. And so the search for Peter begins.

I won't reveal too much about this final book, as I don't want to give anything too big away, but I wanted to see what others who've read it thought. I wasn't as big a fan of it as the other books, as I felt actions for many characters were out of... well, character. Especially Gamache and Clara. Things just didn't feel the same as in the previous book, and though I read it quickly, I didn't really enjoy it as much as the others. I was annoyed that Gamache allowed Clara so much control of the entire search, and I am still annoyed by the ending. Not upset, just... annoyed. The whole thing felt like a cop out and too quickly wrapped up. (My director felt more strongly than I did; she really didn't like it.)

That said, I still do like the books, and I am anticipating the eleventh book this August. I'm very curious to see where Penny plans on going with everyone's stories, since the major plot lines have all been resolved. But it looks like poor Gamache will never get to enjoy his retirement, in any case.

Have you read this series? What did you think of the last book?

Cocktail and Conversation--Reader Quirks

Every other Thursday here at the Broke & The Bookish is  A Cocktail Conversation time. One of the TB&TB members will pose a question to 2-3 of the other members of TB&TB crew about books, life, music, etc and then they'll answer and we can converse about it. So grab a cocktail & cozy up for some conversation. It's 5 o'clock somewhere, friends. 

THE QUESTION: 

What is one of your reader quirks?

Lauren says:  

My reader quirk is almost more of an annoyance than a quirk. Because I read so much and many of my FB and IRL friends don't, as soon as a bestseller or popular book comes out, they all automatically assume I've read it or am going to read it. Just because a book is on the NYT Bestsellers List does not mean I want to read it or that I should read it. When 50 Shades of Grey became popular, my friends were literally BAFFLED that I hadn't read it. I'd explain the normal reason why: it's Twilight fan fiction, it was first published with unspeakable grammatical errors, that I really don't care, etc.... but people that don't read as much as us still don't get it. So basically I tell all my non-frequent reader friends that I read what I want, when I want. BOOM.

Julia says:  

I have to read series books in order. It is really hard for me to jump around or start in the middle, even if people tell me "The first two are crap, just read the third." It pains me. I am getting a little better with this lately when it comes to romance novels where I don't want to get sucked into another mega-book series, or another regency sibling set of stories. But I just like to read things the way they were written. I like knowing all the jokes because I too was there for them instead of scratching my head in wonder. This is doubly true for me when it comes to TV series. I haven't gotten better with those :)

Jana says:  

Good quirk, Julia! I have the same one! I can't figure one out for myself... I'm quirky, but I think I've mentioned many of them on the blog already!

Tahleen says:  

My quirk is I've often got at least four books going: two audios (one for running, one for the car), one in print, and one on my nook. Not to mention the kids' books I read for book club at the library!

Lori says:  

I think I've got a lot of reader quirks, but they just seem normal to me, so I don't notice them.  However, my mom routinely comments on this one, so it must be a quirk.  I have two copies of my favorite books.  One is my nice, pristine, sits on my shelf of favorites copy and the other one is marked all over--notes in the margins, dog-eared pages, highlighter marks, scraps of paper sticking out at off angles.

What are some of your reader quirks?

Tahleen gives two mini reviews

Tahleen here!

So I'm the worst and am only now getting my post up for today, and for that I'm sorry. I'm going to do a quick little review of the last few books I read, just enough to whet your appetites for some nice YA books.

The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim by E.K. Johnston

This one is a Morris Honor book for this year (for those of you who don't know, the Morris Award is given to the most outstanding YA debut of the year). Dragon slayer, you think; must be a high fantasy of some sort. Well, kinda. Not really.  It's more like urban (rural?) fantasy, set in a small town in Canada outside of Toronto. Just, dragons are normal here. And Owen is the nephew of the most famous Canadian dragon slayer since St. George, and the son of two more dragon slayers. He doesn't tell his own story though; that is Siobhan's job, a girl who turns out to be his bard.

What I liked about this book was Owen was just kind of this scrawny kid, who happened to be super famous by association with his Aunt Lottie, and because he was also training to be a dragon slayer (as is custom; the job is hereditary). It's a school story, but with dragons. And maybe a little outside investigation of possibly true nutso theories about the surge in the dragon population. The world Johnston has created here is very clever, so kudos!

That said, this one wasn't my very favorite book ever, and it took me a loooooong time to get through it. Speaking of the end, though, it was pretty abrupt and part of me is wondering if another one is in the works. It could go either way the way this one ended, to be honest. I was also annoyed to see some typos in there, but what can you do.

Mortal Heart (His Fair Assassins, Book 3) by Robin LaFevers

Yay, it's Annith's turn to get a story! Quick catch-up: This trilogy is about assassin nuns of the convent of St. Mortain, god of death, in 15th-century Brittany. These ladies are pretty intense.

 Annith, to escape the Abbess's plot to make her the next Seeress of the convent of St. Mortain, has escaped to the wider world and quickly gets caught up in a band of Hellequin, dead men who serve the god of death in order to atone for sins they committed in life. She falls for Balthazar, their broody dark leader, but worries they are indeed hunting her because of her choice to abandon the convent. So once again she escapes, and finds her way to her sisters Ismae and Sybella who are serving the Duchess of Brittany in their attempt to keep their country free and safe.

We get some doozy revelations here, so I won't say a whole lot, but I thought this was a fitting end to a well-written trilogy. This one did start to feel a little long toward the end, but everything wrapped up well, so I can't complain too much. I especially liked the author's note at the end, providing readers with fact vs. fiction has far as history is concerned. Gold star for that.

Quick note on the audio version of this: I didn't think it was particularly good, but not awful. It wasn't as good as the second book's narration (excellently done), and it was not as bad as the first. So, whatever. It got the job done and I'm happy.

Did you read either of these? What did you think?

Disclaimer: I got these books from my local library (and you should too!)

Top Ten Tuesday -- Books On Our Spring TBR List!

For future Top Ten Tuesday topics & info on how to participate, click here!

Daisy's Picks

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas: I know so many people have already read this, but I'm not one of them and I cannot wait for my copy to get here to so I can meet all of these characters that everyone keeps raving about!

The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West: Give me a fake relationship any day and I'll be a happy reader. Especially if it's written by Kasie West, cause she's awesome.

The Novice by Taran Matharu: this sounds like the start of an epic fantasy series and OMG that cover is just GORGEOUS!

The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen: I need this in my life after loving The Queen of the Tearling last year!

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir: it's a Rome-like world combined with fantasy goodness, OF COURSE I'M IN!

Tahleen's Picks

The Shadow Cabinet by Maureen Johnson: I've been waiting for this one to come out since I read the last book in the series, The Madness Underneath. I was super disappointed in the ending of that one, but I was told by a very reliable source that this one was better. Here's hoping!

Jackaby by William Ritter: I started this one a couple of months ago and enjoyed it, but things happened and I put it down for a bit. Then I saw it was going to be a Forever Young Adult book club pick in a few months, so I figured I'd wait to read it until then. It's sort of like Sherlock Holmes, but with paranormal stuff, a female Watson, and in late 19th-century America.

Jana's Picks

The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski: I LOVED The Winner's Curse, and can't wait for the next one! I've had it for ages, I've just been so busy with school. Next week is Spring Break for me, and I plan to enjoy it!

The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson: Pretty much ditto to my reasoning above. The Kiss of Deception is one of my favorite books ever, and I'm planning to read this one as soon as I'm done with my current read!

The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows: I've been hearing that this book might ruin me, but I love Jodi so much that I don't even care!

The Hub Reading Challenge, and mini reviews from Tahleen

You might remember from my last post how excited I get by the Youth Media Award winner announcements. Well, now that they have been revealed for over a month, the YALSA Hub Reading Challenge of 2015 is here!

What is the Hub Challenge, you ask? Basically, the objective is to read 25 books published for young adults that were awarded something or other by YALSA. You can read all about how to participate and which books are included here. They also have a handy dandy checklist you can print out and use to keep track of your reading and listening!

Of course, every year I try to participate, though often I don't come anywhere close to completing the challenge. This year I feel like I'm doing an okay job, though! I've already listened to (almost) two audiobooks, and have finished reading one book that was given an Alex Award. Here are my brief thoughts on them:

Bellweather Rhapsody by Kate Racculia

Lots of stuff goes down on the weekend of the Statewide high school concerts in the Bellweather Hotel. All hell breaks loose when a young flautist prodigy disappears suddenly, and her roommate claims to have seen her hanging from a pipe in their room--and that she was murdered. All while a major snowstorm descends upon them. I loved this book. Full of quirky and sometimes downright awful characters and a rather large (and perplexing) mystery, this book will keep you turning the pages pretty much until the end.

Skink: No Surrender by Carl Hiaasen, narrated by Kirby Heyborne

If you've read anything by Carl Hiaasen before, you know how awesome and off the wall his novels can be. If you've read any of the books that contain Skink, you especially know. Skink is a one-of-a-kind ex-governer of Florida who takes justice into his own hands, sometimes (most times) not always legally. In this installment, Skink meets Richard, our narrator, whose cousin Malley runs away with her online boyfriend--but it soon becomes clear she is in over her head. So Skink and Richard set off to find and rescue her. Heyborne, as always, does a fantastic job with the narration, and this is a fun and wild ride.

 

The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry

I am not quite finished with this one yet, but I am thoroughly enjoying it. It's kind of a like a mix between a Victorian comedy of errors akin to The Importance of Being Earnest, and Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead. There's a lot of humor in this novel about seven girls at a boarding school for young ladies in the English countryside who try to cover up their headmistress's and her brother's mysterious deaths--by poison, as they come to figure out. There is also a nice little twist in the rising action that I SO wanted to talk to someone about, but no one I know is reading it! As always, Jayne Entwhistle's narration is just delightful. (You might recognize her as the narrator of the Flavia de Luce mysteries, which I also highly recommend.) Well deserving of its Odyssey Honor.

That's it for me so far! I'm going to work on getting some of those Printz winners read soon, and the Morris Award winner and honor books. Have you read anything on the list?

Disclaimer: I got all of these books from my local library, whether they were physical copies or digital.

Top Ten Books We Read In 2014

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Kimberly's Picks

1. Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch- Wow! This is one heck of a debut novel. I loved the world she created, it was rich and vibrant. The characters are fantastic, none of them are cookie cutter stock characters, they're all detailed and layered and endlessly interesting.

2. Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund- A retelling of one of my all time favorite stories, the Scarlet Pimpernel? Yes please! The first book in the series, or it's companion, was excellent. This one was even better! Awesome characters, fantastic world building,

Tahleen's Picks

3. Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger, narrated by Moira Quirk. I loved this steampunk ladies' spy school story. Gail Carriger is a wonderful author with a creative and absorbing world she's used now in two series, and Sophronia is a character to be reckoned with. The sequel, Curtsies & Conspiracies, was just as delightful, and I can't wait to listen (because the audiobooks are spectacular) to the third in the series, Waistcoats & Weaponry.

4. A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty, narrated by Fiona Hardingham, Andrew Eiden, Kate Reinders, and Peter McGowan. When I first heard the premise of this book, I was skeptical. A girl in Cambridge, England somehow starts communicating with a boy in an alternate world called Cello? But, to my happy surprise, it works beautifully. I loved the two stories in tandem, and seeing how the two characters and their worlds converge. I was even happier with Cracks in the Kingdom, the sequel. I am waiting for book 3!

5. The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It's the kind of fantasy with no magic, set in another world that resembles ancient Greece. Forbidden romance, politics, war, intrigue. This is such a complex story and world, and I enjoyed reading this one very much.

Julia's Picks

6. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith. I was nervous about picking up this book for book club, knowing that it was J.K. Rowling and that I would have high expectations. Everyone had such mixed reviews on her last non-HP book... would I like her writing mystery? The answer is a resounding yes! This book was great! I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel. 

7. The Bridge by Rebecca Rogers Maher. I bought this book early in the year on a whim when I found it linked on Dear Author in a comment to a post about ... something. The premise is that these two people independently want to commit suicide by jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge, unfortunately (fortunately?) for them, they run into each other and each can't go through with it knowing the other would die... so they spend the next 24 hours together each trying to convince the other to live. It's a shorter book but I devoured it. What a unique story that I thought was executed really well. 

Daisy's Picks

8. Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo: it's not secret I LOVE this series and this final book just slayed me. I'm still not ok and OMG I just need more ok? Like I said in my review, Ruin and Rising was everything I never even knew I wanted it to be. And basically you should all read this series. Cause it's awesome. (Jana is seconding this choice!)

9. Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas: cue all my fangirly flailing. THIS BOOK you guys!! I just cannot. It's been a little over 3 months and I still cannot handle my feels over this book. After I finished it I just wanted to wallow in my feelings and just had the biggest book hangover. In case it wasn't clear yet from the raving that's been going on around the blogosphere about Sarah J. Maas and her Throne of Glass series, I'm saying it again: GO FORTH AND READ THIS SERIES.

10. The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley: I really feel like The Emperor's Blades hasn't gotten enough buzz, which is a shame, as it's one of the best adult fantasy novels I've read this year. It's got intrigue and amazing warriors and just weird stuff going on and it truly made my heart happy.

Bridget's Picks

11. The Magicians by Lev Grossman. I think I've mentioned it before, but The Magicians is like Harry Potter, THE COLLEGE YEARS plus Narnia plus lots of awesome other stuff. So good. It's the first in a trilogy, and I'm hoping for the other two for Christmas, as you'll see on my Top Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Bringing Me post on 12/23 :)

12. Above by Isla Morley. Got this one through NetGalley and it was amazing. Definitely a little disturbing—think The Lovely Bones—but very well-written and quite a ride.

13. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. This book was incredible. It was funny, sad, magical, and just lovely all around. It's very short, but really perfect in its length. Everything about this book was unutterably gorgeous. I read it right at the beginning of 2014 and have spent the last year singing its praises to everyone I know. READ THIS BOOK.

Jana's Picks

14. Boomerang by Noelle August. My favorite new adult EVER. It's such a sweet and funny story, with a pretty swoony romance that begins in the funniest, most awkward way possible. 

15. Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae. This book took me right back to Italy, and I never wanted it to end!! It's pretty much perfect. 

16. The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson. Holy CRAP. This book is amazing and has an epic twist you'll never see coming.

Jamie's Picks

17. Station Eleven by Emily St. Mandel: OH MY GOSH YOU GUYS. This book really surprised me. It made me think so much, too! And the writing <3

18. I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson: THIS BOOK IS AN ALL TIME FAVORITE. Gorgeous and heartwrenching and JUST THE BEST.

Tell us your favorite books you read this year!!!