Ready Player One by Ernest Cline [Joint Review]

2.5 of 5 Robots!

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Genre: Fiction
Release: August 16, 2011
Hardcover: 374 Pages
Publisher: Random House
My Copy: Purchased
Reviewer: Julia and Shannon

Book Summary:

In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the  OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.

(Courtesy of the Publisher)

Julia and Shannon's Thoughts:

1. What were your initial thoughts upon finishing?

Julia: When I finished Ready Player One, I was really relieved it was over. The ending is satisfying, but the book really dragged on. 
Shannon:  Yeah, wow, this was a slog for me too.  I had such high hopes because everyone and their dog and their grandmother seems to live this book.  I feel like a total black sheep because I didn't really enjoy it that much.

2. What worked for you?  What didn't?

Julia: The information dumping did not work for me, and I LOVE the 80's and videogames. The plot underneath and the idea of the Oasis, all of that worked for me. Peel away the info dump and you've got some great stuff going on. 
Shannon: I liked the general idea of it.  The plot itself seems like a sci-fi plot from an 80s movie, like WarGames.  I liked Wade and his interactions with his friends. But yeah, wow, the info dumping was hard for me too.  It really took me out of the story.

3. This book features a lot of 80's nostalgia.  Could you relate to any of it?

Julia: Yes, I loved all the name dropping of video games and movies and music.... butttt there was a little too much explaining of all that stuff.
Shannon: I was born in 1981 and grew up on the divide between the late 80s and the early 90s, so I enjoyed a lot of it.  It was fun to recognize a lot of the movies, music, games, etc that I grew up up with! 

4. What did you think of the ending?

Julia: Satisfying. Cute. Not anything that pulled at my heart strings, but fun.

Shannon:  The ending was the best part.  There was some major plot convenience happening, but it was fun.  I was happy the book ending on a high note. 

5. What would you rate this book?  Would you recommend this?

Julia: 2 stars! It could have been so much more... I'm not recommending this to anyone. For someone as into gaming and the 80s as I am, this should have been a home run.
Shannon:  Gah, I guess like 2.5?  I am a total black sheep on this book.  Everyone seems to love it, but it was not the "fun and complusive" read that I was expecting.  But I think if you want to read this book, you should.  Because you will probably love it and not be a book pariah like me.

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey [Review]

4.5 out of 5 Robots!

   

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

Genre: Fiction

Release: February 1, 2012

Hardcover: 389 Pages

Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books

My Copy: Purchased

Reviewer: Shannon

Buy the Book: Amazon

Book Summary:
Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead, and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart--he breaking under the weight of the work of the farm; she crumbling from loneliness and despair. In a moment of levity during the season's first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone--but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees. This little girl, who calls herself Faina, seems to be a child of the woods. She hunts with a red fox at her side, skims lightly across the snow, and somehow survives alone in the Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel struggle to understand this child who could have stepped from the pages of a fairy tale, they come to love her as their own daughter. But in this beautiful, violent place things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about Faina will transform all of them. (Courtesy of the Publisher)

 
Shannon's Thoughts:

Jack and Mabel, having lost a child long ago, are an older couple trying to make a life in Alaska. They struggle to adapt and find themselves a bit lost.  One day a young girl appears to them just like in the snow child fairytale Mabel remembers from her youth.  Mabel and Jack find their lives changed by Faina and gives them a new purpose in life.  Mabel especially comes into her own and begins to carve out a life in the desolate landscape.

The Snow Child is a lot like its Alaskan landscape: lonely, melancholy, and uncertain.  There is a feeling of being at the mercy of the elements and of forces that can’t be controlled.  It is a gorgeous book with beautiful haunting imagery that reads like a fairytale itself.  The story is subtle and slow, but it isn’t boring.  Jack and Mabel’s relationship is one of the stand out parts for me.  Even after all their struggles and hardships, they remain dedicated to one another.  You can feel their love and devotion towards the other.  Its a quiet love, but a strong and enduring one.  We need more relationships like that. 

Once Upon a River by Bonnie Jo Campbell [Review]

3.5 out of 5 Robots!

  

Once Upon a River by Bonnie Jo Campbell

Genre: Adult Fiction

Release: July 5, 2011

Hardcover: 348 Pages

Publisher: W.W. Norton and Co.

My Copy: Purchased

Reviewer: Shannon

Buy the Book: Amazon

Book Summary:
Bonnie Jo Campbell has created an unforgettable heroine in sixteen-year-old Margo Crane, a beauty whose unflinching gaze and uncanny ability with a rifle have not made her life any easier. After the violent death of her father, in which she is complicit, Margo takes to the Stark River in her boat, with only a few supplies and a biography of Annie Oakley, in search of her vanished mother. But the river, Margo's childhood paradise, is a dangerous place for a young woman traveling alone, and she must be strong to survive, using her knowledge of the natural world and her ability to look unsparingly into the hearts of those around her. Her river odyssey through rural Michigan becomes a defining journey, one that leads her beyond self-preservation and to the decision of what price she is willing to pay for her choices. (Courtesy of the Publisher)

 
Shannon's Thoughts:

There is no doubt this is a extremely well written book.  But I can’t say I loved it.  I found Margo to be so frustrating.  She is so disconnected and remote.  Even though the book is told from her perspective, I still have no idea who she is.  At times she is so slow to react to things and then other times she is impulsive.  One minute she is letting herself be taken advantage of by men and the next minute she is killing every stag that comes her way.  But the writing is so good that it helps to make up for Margo.  At times I was breathless reading to see what happens, but other times it felt a little slow and murky.  I know this book is getting tons of media buzz, but its just so hard for me to enjoy a book when I feel nothing for the main character.  By the end, I didn’t really care what happened to her.  Which is good because there isn’t much resolution.  

I will say this as a caveat though. My opinion of this book is completely a matter of personal taste.  If you are a person who enjoys excellent writing, then you should read this book.  I am more of a character driven reader, so when I come across books like this I judge it on how connected I am to the characters and their lives and world.  If I can’t connect, then I tend to be disappointed in the book. But some people can enjoy a beautifully written book without being bogged down by whether they like the characters or not.  If you like books like Swamplandia! then you will probably enjoy this one too.

Tigers in Red Weather by Liza Klaussman [Review]

4.5 out of 5 Robots!

   

Tigers in Red Weather by Liza Klaussmann

Genre: Adult Fiction

Release: July 17, 2012

Hardcover: 353 Pages

Publisher: Little, Brown, and Company

My Copy: Purchased

Reviewer: Shannon

Buy the Book: Amazon

Book Summary:
Nick and her cousin, Helena, have grown up sharing sultry summer heat, sunbleached boat docks, and midnight gin parties on Martha's Vineyard in a glorious old family estate known as Tiger House. In the days following the end of the Second World War, the world seems to offer itself up, and the two women are on the cusp of their 'real lives': Helena is off to Hollywood and a new marriage, while Nick is heading for a reunion with her own young husband, Hughes, about to return from the war.

Soon the gilt begins to crack. Helena's husband is not the man he seemed to be, and Hughes has returned from the war distant, his inner light curtained over. On the brink of the 1960s, back at Tiger House, Nick and Helena--with their children, Daisy and Ed--try to recapture that sense of possibility. But when Daisy and Ed discover the victim of a brutal murder, the intrusion of violence causes everything to unravel. The members of the family spin out of their prescribed orbits, secrets come to light, and nothing about their lives will ever be the same.

Brilliantly told from five points of view, with a magical elegance and suspenseful dark longing, Tigers in Red Weather is an unforgettable debut novel from a writer of extraordinary insight and accomplishment. (Courtesy of the Publisher)

 
Shannon's Thoughts:

I went into this book thinking it was about a multi-generational family in the 1950s.  I was expecting some family drama, some misunderstandings, etc.  But there is a whole element to this book that is not really discussed in the publisher’s blurb.  There is still plenty of family drama and misunderstandings, but there is a sense of something sinister hiding in the background too.  It gave an intriguing twist to the story.  I also liked learning about each character as the narration moved between family members.  Each section gives greater and greater insight into the family.  I especially liked how the story ended with creepy Ed.  It is hard to pin down exactly what this book is - mystery? family drama?  Whatever you take away from this book, it was never boring.  And the books ends on a delicious creepy, unsettling note.   If you like Gone Girl, you will probably also enjoy Tigers in Red Weather.

The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey [Review]

3 out of 5 Robots!

  

The Flight of Gemma Hardy
By Margot Livesey

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Release: January 24, 2012

Hardcover: 447 Pages

Publisher: HarperCollins

My Copy: Purchased

Reviewer: Shannon

Buy the Book: Amazon

Book Summary:
Acclaimed, award-winning author Margot Livesey delivers her breakout novel: a captivating tale, set in Scotland in the early 1960s, that is both a homage and a modern variation on the enduring classic, Jane Eyre.

Fate has not been kind to Gemma Hardy. Orphaned by the age of ten, neglected by a bitter and cruel aunt, sent to a boarding school where she is both servant and student, young Gemma seems destined for a life of hardship and loneliness. Yet her bright spirit burns strong. Fiercely intelligent, singularly determined, Gemma overcomes each challenge and setback, growing stronger and more certain of her path. Now an independent young woman with dreams of the future, she accepts a position as an au pair on the remote and beautiful Orkney Islands.

But Gemma's biggest trial is about to begin . . . a journey of passion and betrayal, secrets and lies, redemption and discovery that will lead her to a life she's never dreamed.

Shannon's Thoughts:

I haven't read Jane Eyre in a long time, so I can't speak to how good of an homage/re-imagining The Flight of Gemma Hardy. I do know that some major plot points were changed, probably to soften the story for a YA audience.  Perhaps if I knew my Jane Eyre better, I would have caught all the references and been entertained by that.

As it was, this book just falls a little flat for me.  I wasn't very engaged.  I really only perked up when Gemma was living in the Orkney Islands, but lost interest again when she left.  I attribute this mostly to not being able to connect to the characters.  Even though this story is told in first person, I didn't feel like I ever got to know Gemma.  I couldn't understand her decisions or her thought process.  I found her a little hypocritical and immature.  I also feel the story is overly long.  It seems to go on and on in some places.  I kept waiting for some kind of climax or progression and it never really got there.

I don't think The Flight of Gemma Hardy is badly written, per se.  I just think it isn't my type of book.  Maybe if I knew Jane Eyre better I could have a deeper understanding of what the author is trying to accomplish.  So, if this book sounds interesting, you should give it a try.  I just wasn't captivated by it.

The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman [Review]

4 out of 5 Robots!

   

The Red Garden By Alice Hoffman

Genre: Fiction

Release: January 25, 2011

Hardcover: 270 Pages

Publisher: Shaye Areheart Books

My Copy: Purchased

Reviewer: Shannon

Buy the Book: Amazon

Book Summary:
The Red Garden introduces us to the luminous and haunting world of Blackwell, Massachusetts, capturing the unexpected turns in its history and in our own lives.

In exquisite prose, Hoffman offers a transforming glimpse of small-town America, presenting us with some three hundred years of passion, dark secrets, loyalty, and redemption in a web of tales where characters' lives are intertwined by fate and by their own action. 

From the town's founder, a brave young woman from England who has no fear of blizzards or bears, to the young man who runs away to New York City with only his dog for company, the characters in The Red Garden are extraordinary and vivid: a young wounded Civil War soldier who is saved by a passionate neighbor, a woman who meets a fiercely human historical character, a poet who falls in love with a blind man, a mysterious traveler who comes to town in the year when summer never arrives.

At the center of everyone’s life is a mysterious garden where only red plants can grow, and where the truth can be found by those who dare to look.

Shannon's Thoughts:

The Red Garden is really a collection of short stories threaded together by a common town and families.  The stories take place chronologically, with each successive generation.  Key characters and events in the town make appearance throughout the stories.  There is a mystical element to the stories, especially as the events become immortalized within the town history.

Alice Hoffman is a beautiful writer.  She writes in pictures, not just words.  And her stories invokes deep human emotions.  This book is a quiet one.  It does not have a plot or a climax.  Instead it is about loss, redemption, suffering, and love. But ultimately the stories are engaging and engrossing.

The one thing I wish I did was start a family tree.  Since the characters are mostly all related to the original founders, it was sometimes hard to remember how they were all related to each other. 

Nightwoods by Charles Frazier [Review]

4 out of 5 Robots!

   

Nightwoods by Charles Frazier

Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Release: September 27, 2011
Hardcover: 272 Pages
Publisher: Random House
My Copy: Personal Copy
Reviewer: Shannon
Buy the Book: Amazon

Shannon's Thoughts:

Nightwoods takes place in rural North Carolina in the early 1960s.  Luce is a solitary young woman who becomes the guardian of her sister's young twin children after her sister is brutally murdered by her husband, Bud.  Bud is inexplicably found not guilty of the murder and goes in search of the children.  Luce will do anything she can to keep the children safe.

The author has a great way with words.  The words are parse and each sentence is crafted for maximum impact. There are no extraneous words here. The story unfolds languidly as the author is in no rush to reach the end.  This makes it sound like the book is boring, but it isn't that way at all.  I felt it fell more on old storytelling tradition, where the journey is just as important as the climax.

The characters are very complex. Each  has a long history and is suffering from their own pasts.  The children in particular are very interesting.  They were very traumatized by their stepfather's abuse and mother's murder.  They show up at Luce's place mute, disconnected and almost feral, with a penchant for starting fires.  Luce is also a great character.  She is fiercely independent, having to rely on herself from a young age.  She prefers to keep to herself and live a solitary life.  It isn't until the children arrive that she begins to open up her life to them and to others.

The Samaritan by Fred Venturini [Review]

Title: The Samaritan
Author: Fred Venturini
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Release: February 6, 2011
Publisher: Blank Slate Press 

Sold by: Amazon Digital

ASIN: B004MME1O8

My Copy: Publisher
Reviewer: Billie

4 out of 5 Robots!

 

 

 

 

 

Bille's Review:

The Samaritan drew me in right from the jacket description. At first, I thought it would be a superhero type book, with science fiction as its main theme, but I was completely and pleasantly surprised. The story is about Dale Sampson and his search for himself.

The book begins with Dale in grade school and this is where the book reaches out and hooks you deep down in a place you only remember if you intentionally think about it. The girls that push their boundaries, bullying other girls and tormenting the young men. Dale just wants to be seen. He allows those girls to play their games and meets a lifelong friend, Mack, in the process. Mack is "that" guy. All the girls want to be with him and all the guys want to be him. Dale and Mack form an unlikely friendship that survives just about everything that school and life in a small town can throw at you. The way the author weaves the story makes your stomach hurt and your heart ache and it's impossible to keep yourself from remembering exactly how you felt when you were younger and the boy or girl you liked laughed at you or the cool kids teased you.

Dale has eyes for only one girl, Regina. Unfortunately, he's lower on the food chain than she'd like and she is always just out of his grasp. Through a series of events, Regina is lost to Dale permanently, Mack loses out on his dream of baseball, and Dale learns he can regenerate his body parts.

Fast forward through the years, Dale experiments with regenerating while Mack is off living his womanizing life. Through chance, Dale runs into Regina's twin sister Rae and his life takes a turn down a road to which there is no coming back. He decides he needs to save her from her husband, her life. He makes it his mission to free her the way he missed with Regina.

That is how The Samaritan is born. It is a reality based tv show in which Dale donates his organs to those in need. His organs are regenerated one by one. His ultimate goal is always Rae. The show is both a blessing and his demise as he works toward his goal with Mack, a doctor with personal gains in mind, and an agent by his side.

The Samaritan was excellently written. Fred Venturini has a way with words that draw you in and you can easily relate to the human emotions and situations. I found myself wondering what I would do given the ability to regenerate. To me that was the best part of the book, it made me think. I rooted for Dale, for him to find some shred of happiness.

Review: Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing

Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing

Author: Kathy Cano-Murillo
Series: Crafty Chica, #2
Genre: Chick-Lit
Release: March 8, 2011
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ISBN-10: 044650923X
ISBN-13: 978-0446509237
My Copy: Publisher
Reviewer: Rex

3.5 out of 5 Robots!

 

About the Book:

Sometimes to find your life's true path, you have to stray outside the lines . . .

Scarlet Santana is never happier than when creating fabulous fashions for women of all shapes and sizes. Now, after years of hard work, she finally has the chance to live her dream and study under the hottest designer in New York. To raise money for her move, Scarlet opens an after-hours sewing school in a local record shop, teaching a type-A working mom whose rigid parenting style is causing her family to unravel and an enigmatic seamstress with a mysterious past.

But as stitches give way to secrets and classmates become friends, the women realize an important truth: There is no single pattern for a good life. Happiness is always a custom fit.

Quickie Review:

Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing by Kathy Cano-Murillo is incredibly endearing with a wonderful cast of characters. I without a doubt fell in love with the charismatic, witty Miss Scarlet Santana and you will too. This isn't my usual genre and maybe that is why it didn't land in my pile of favorite books, but anyone who loves chick lit and/or crafts, will be totally enthralled with this book. Anyone love sewing out there? You must read this one!

Though this is the second installment in the Crafty Chica series, it can be read as a stand alone novel. The plot and writing had a magnificent flow and the story was easy to follow. I will definitely be looking for more of Kathy's books... and maybe pick up sewing too. ;)

Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing Giveaway!

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The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson by Jerome Charyn [Review]

Title: The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson
Author: Jerome Charyn
Genre: Historical Fiction
Genre: Feb. 14, 2011
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Co
ISBN-10: 0393339173
ISBN-13: 978-0393339178
My Copy: Publisher
Reviewer: Rex

3 out of 5 Robots!

 

Summary: 

Jerome Charyn, continuing his exploration of American history through fiction, has written a startling novel about Emily Dickinson in her own voice, with all its characteristic modulations that he learned from her letters and poems. The poet dons a hundred veils, alternately playing wounded lover, penitent, and female devil. 

We meet the significant characters of Emily's life, including her tempestuous sister-in-law, Susan Gilbert; her brooding father, Edward; and the Reverend Charles Wadsworth, who may have inspired some of her greatest letters and poems. Charyn has also invented characters, including an impoverished fellow student at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, who will betray her; and a handyman named Tom, who will obsess Emily throughout her life. Charyn has written an extraordinary adventure that will disturb and delight.

My Review:

First and foremost- I'm not an Emily Dickinson buff, so I opened this book with a totally unbiased point of view. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The writing was beautiful and evolved with the story. It was a splendid breath of fresh air - must have needed a break from my typical genres more than I thought. The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson is vividly written and I can't compliment the author enough for the sweet-sound of the writing. It was my favorite part of the book. 

So, the book is a bit slow at parts, but it was easy to get through and kept me interested enough that the slow bits didn't bother me. It starts off in 1848, as Emily is studying at Mount Holyoke and then follows her life after. There are both fictional and true characters throughout the story, the fictional characters adding a bit more drama to the plot. It was fun seeing the Emily Dickinson that Charyn envisions come to life, especially because she was such a recluse.  

This was a gorgeously written historical novel with some facts intertwined with fiction. I would definitely recommend it to those that want to see something different regarding Emily Dickinson or those that just like a good historical fiction novel.

Bad Boy by Peter Robinson [Review]

 2.5 out of 5 Robots!

 

Bad Boy

Author: Peter Robinson

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Release Date: August 24, 2010

Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: William Morrow
ISBN-10: 0061362956
ISBN-13: 978-0061362958

My Copy: Publisher

Reviewer: Dewey 

Review: When a gun is found in the house of Juliet Doyle, the mere possession of the weapon being a very serious offense, she seeks help and guidance from her long-time friend and former neighbor DCI Alan Banks. Unfortunately for her, he is on a much-needed holiday in America. DI Annie Cabbot steps in to help Banks’ friend and is left with little choice but to follow necessary police procedures to retrieve the weapon safely.  When a simple mission turns to disaster it starts a horrible chain of events that ultimately puts his own daughter's life in danger.

DCI Banks finds himself thrown from a relaxing vacation into a desperate search to find not only his daughter but the men responsible for the crimes that have collectively brought about the wild turn of events. Though he is relentless in his pursuit of the answers, he can’t help wondering how his daughter even became involved with these “bad-boy” characters and how much affect his strained relationship with her may be at fault for it.

I feel that it may have been to my disadvantage that I have not read the prior books in this series. There was a disconnect I felt with both the story and the characters. The story did not draw me in and it felt slow moving even though the events unfolded quickly enough. I found myself becoming somewhat attracted to the story at the most climatic parts, but then as it drifted between the various stories, it lost its luster.  Based on other reviews of past novels in this series I can only assume that I have missed out on something that other readers have found drawing in this series.

I don't recommend this as a stand alone novel, but if you're interested- make sure you read all the other books in this series first. This would be a great novel for those that are Robinson fans and look for suspense more than depth in their mystery/thrillers.

Purchase your copy at Amazon!