How do you know you have been reading too many Weather Warden books lately? Why, when you are driving home from a relative's Christmas party in the middle of a big thunderstorm and you think "wow - there must be major conflict between the Wardens or the Djinn...", of course. Ok, not really. But I did just drive through a storm and the thought "Weather/Earth/Fire Wardens and Djinn - what an excellent premise for a series!" did go through my head. Windfall is the fourth installment in the Weather Wardens series. I'm not going to rehash the plotline because, frankly, this is one of those series that you pretty muchhave to read in order. And, really, the whole series so far has been pretty formulaic - there's trouble, Joanne (main character) is caught up in it and looks to her lover Djinn, David, to save the day...something probably happens to prevent/limit David's power and Joanne is forced to take the lead and something really bad happens to Joanne in the process and/or she loses David or David's bottle...but, she manages to pull through and then the book ends with something big problem looming on the horizon that is just big enough to make you want to go pull the next book in the series to find out how Joanne will beat the odds yet again. Sounds tiring, doesn't it? But, surprisingly, it isn't tiring or redundant. Each of the four books I have read so far have been enjoyable, quick reads. The fashion sense and some of the other things are starting to show their age (I think Windfall is turning 9 years old this year?), but other than that, I have found the series to be a fun read. Plus, there are NO vampires. NO werewolves. NO other overused fae/paranormal/fantastical creature. No, this book has Djinn. And that's a win in my book. The only negative that dropped this one down to 4 stars for me was that there seemed to be a lot of filler and set up interspersed with random bursts of rapid-fire plotline. I would have preferred something a little more balanced to make the in-between parts less draggy. And the villains were projected from the beginning...Joanne kept stumbling through the story clueless about who the bad guy(s) were which I found implausible considering they pretty much had flashing neon signs with arrows pointing to them as "VILLAIN!!". Ah well. Still really enjoyed this one...still really enjoy the series. Like the cover blurb says - you'll never look at the Weather Channel the same again! Rating:
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The Warded Man by Peter V. BrettThis was a good read. Plain and simple. I was wanting to read a solid fantasy novel and this really fit the bill. The Warded Man has all the makings of great fantasy: - Does the story have a group of average people who overcome insurmountable odds to become epic heroes? Yep. Two average Joes and one average Jane evolve into pretty memorable characters who can only get better as the series progresses. - What about horrible villain(s) threatening all of life as we know it? You betcha! Scores of evil demons (aka Corelings) rise from the Core each nightfall to kill as many humans as possible before sunrise. - How about a cool world? Yep indeedy. Brett creates a rich world of which we only seem to scratch the surface in The Warded Man. Fragile, hand-drawn wards protect humans at night from the corelings, yet there are whispers of a time when the wards were used to attack and kill the corelings. Lacking the knowledge about the offensive wards, humans have been at the mercy of the corelings for centuries, praying for a time when the Deliverer would return and rescue them from the demons' claws. Suffice to say, I really enjoyed this book. I tend to like my fantasy chock full of dragons, elves, dwarves and the like - this book has none of those. And that's ok. Brett creates a rich and vivid story with characters you want to see evolve and grow. Looking forward to The Desert Spear! Rating:Dragon Bound by Thea HarrisonFINALLY. That was my reaction about a third of the way into the book --> Finally, it looks as though I have found a series that a) branches away from the typical vampire/werewolf plot line that permeates the genre and b) is written in a style that doesn't irritate the crap out of me. I have a few dragon/shifter books on my to-read list...but this was the first one of the field that I have read. And I loved it! It's steamy and seems to be the start of a really interesting world. It's not just dragons that shift in this series -- it's all the fae creatures you could ever imagine...from gargoyles to gryphons to whatever. And to top it all off, there are Elves! I love me some elves. Not like Santa's Elves...think more like Tolkien, Forgotten Realms, or Dragonlance elves. Dragon Bound starts the Elder Races series which, you guessed it, encompasses all the fantasy races. There's definitely plenty of material here - Thea Harrison could keep writing this series for quite a while and she has enough variety within the fantasy races alone to keep things fresh and interesting. The plot of Dragon Bound was interesting...the romance steamy (but pretty typical if I'm being honest). Was it predictable? Maybe a little...I should have figured out what Pia shifted into before it happened. In fact, the page before Pia shifted I guessed what she was. I predicted the end of the book as well...BUT the other factors of the story/characters/plot made it compulsively readable so I didn't really care that it echoed of other stories I may have read. Thea Harrison has a very readable style to her writing. The story flows smoothly and it's not filled with annoying sayings or choppy plot like other well-known authors/books in the field. Dragon Bound definitely caters to the Alpha Male storyline too. There's a positive review from J.R. Ward on the cover recommending it to fans of the Black Dagger Brotherhood - she's right. There's definitely a similar vibe both in character style and series set up (if that makes sense?. Wrath is to the BDB as Dragos is to the Elder Races. All in all --> 4.5 gnomes...rounded up to 5 because I am excited to read where this series will go! [Read Dec. 2013] Rating:Atlantis Rising by Alyssa DayUm. I wanted to like it. I really did It has good reviews on Goodreads and the premise seemed interesting. I just couldn't stand the writing style. This may be one I come back to later, though. The premise seems too good to let go so easily... So, until we meet again, Atlantis Rising, until we meet again. [Read Dec. 2013] Rating:The Bone Season by Samantha ShannonI started this book without hearing any of the hype pre-publishing. I think that was a good thing...seems like the more hype you heard, the less you liked the book. In The Bone Season, Paige Mahoney spends her days working in a crime syndicate. She is a dreamwalker - a rare type of clairvoyant. While her gift is rare, the English government has outlawed all types of clairvoyance and if knowledge of her gift was ever made public, she could be executed for high treason. On her way home one day she is kidnapped and transported to Sheol I - a penal colony for clairvoyants. Once there she discovers a mysterious race of creatures called the Rephaim who enslave clairvoyants and put them to use fighting another mysterious race of monsters called the Emim. Paige refuses to be enslaved and fights back against her captors - including her mysterious keeper, the Warden. Without any preconceptions - I really enjoyed this book! I wouldn't say that it was anything groundbreaking, but the story was interesting and the world-building has potential to be really engrossing. I felt that Paige was decently developed as a character. I wish we had gotten more in-depth development on the Warden's character, though. He was aloof and mysterious for a portion of the story and then it was like a light switched and all of a sudden he was talkative and emotive. It was a jarring switch...didn't seem believable. Only a few things kind of annoyed me while reading this story: The romance wasn't that believable...and I think it's because of the Warden's light-switch flip from aloof to caring. And, to be honest, I think this is a challenging book to read via e-reader. The author uses a lot of jargon and the reader would benefit from easily switching back to the glossary to get a handle on the slang. I didn't use the glossary and it took me about half the book to really start feeling comfortable with the terms. All in all, I thought this was an enjoyable read. Knowing that this is the first installment of a pretty lengthy series made the slow world-building okay. I think book two will (hopefully) take off pretty quickly and further develop the world/universe and answer any remaining questions. I give this one 4.5 gnomes...but I'll round it up to 5 because I think this series has major potential. [Read Dec. 2013] Rating;Where has half of November gone already? Life has been busy, but I've managed to squeeze a couple books in...not many more than that, though. Seems like each day something gets added to December's plate, so hopefully I can still manage to fit some reading time into things! The Broken Kingdoms by N.K. JemisinI think I may have found a new favorite author! The Broken Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin was excellent. The second installment of the Inheritance Trilogy, The Broken Kingdoms follows a blind artist, Oree Shoth, in the years following the conclusion of the first book - The One Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. Oree is in the middle of an on and off again romance with a godling when a dangerous new cult catches a whiff of her magical abilities. To add to the troubles, godlings are murdered across the city and it's up to Oree and her mysterious new friend "Shiny" to not only escape the cult's clutches but to put a stop to whoever is murdering the godlings. To be honest, I was slightly concerned about Jemisin following another heroine in book number two. I was unsure if I would find the new heroine as engaging as Yeine. While she still makes appearances in The Broken Kingdoms, Yeine is not really integral to the plot line. This is definitely Oree Shoth's book. Once I got used to that fact, the book really took off for me. I found the story engaging and the writing style very similar to the style of the first. The world building subtly evolved and grew. I did find that I didn't get as wrapped up in this installment as I did in the One Hundred Thousand Kingdoms...which is why this one got four gnomes as opposed to the full five. I think the reason for that was I just found Yeine's storyline more engrossing. Oree still had her fascinating points, however, and she was definitely a great subject. I am looking forward to wrapping up the trilogy...hopefully it reaches a satisfying conclusion. [Read Nov. 2013] Rating:The Poison Princess by Kresley ColeI really enjoyed this one! I think it's safe to say that it's my favorite "dystopian" genre book at the moment. In a humongoid nutshell, Evie is a tormented teen who discovers that she is part of a group of young adults who embody the various Tarot cards. It's up to Evie and the other young adults to either destroy the world or save it. This book was immensely readable and hard to put down. I'm still on the fence about Cole's Immortals After Dark series...but I wanted to give the YA book a try. I'm glad I did. This book definitely has a different flavor than the IAD series. The only things that kept me from ranking it a full five gnomes were the male lead and the annoying way Cole phonetically wrote out words in a Cajun accent. Jack Deveraux? Yeah, he's a douchebag. I may be showing my age here, but to watch him think with his "other" head for just about the whole book and then see Evie justify it away time after time after time...yeah, no. That just doesn't fly. Hopefully he redeems himself in the next book...otherwise, I am going to root for the other dude in the inevitable love triangle that is to come. Evie was on track to be annoying, but like I figured - she came into her own by the end of the book. Hopefully she doesn't backtrack in book number two just to win JD back...'cause, girlfriend - he ain't worth it! [Read Nov. 2013] Rating:Assassins In Love by Kris DeLakeSo...I read this. This book is an example of why an author should always choose their book's title with care. When this was picked for a book club selection, I almost didn't touch it with a nine-foot pole. Assassins in Love? Seriously? Plus the guy on the cover with his shirt off while posing with his gun ('cause shirtless gun handling is useful?) was like cheesewhiz icing on an already cheesy cake. Then I looked at the author and discovered Kris DeLake is actually a pen name for Kristine Kathryn Rusch who happens to be a Hugo award winning author. The longer I stared at the book, the more I decided "Assassins in Love" wasn't cheesy...it was clever/funny/whatever. So, I bought it. And you know what? It wasn't that bad. It was actually pretty good. And I knew exactly what I was going to get with the book -- what's the plot synopsis, you ask? Well, let me tell you. There are two assassins. And they fall in love. Ok, you good? Well, there may be a few more twists and turns to the story than just boy meets girl, but the title is pretty straightforward. DeLake's writing style is very engaging and makes for a quick read. Lots of sexy bits as well...(what did I expect? They're Assassins...and they're In Love...). So, what did I learn from my Assassins in Love foray? Don't judge a book by its title. [Read Oct. 2013] Rating:The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. JemisinYou know that moment when you're reading a book and you can feel it sink its claws into you to the point where you are just compelled to read it? Yeah...totally had that moment with this book. And what's sad is I could have read it last year...but instead it just sat on my shelf waiting for me to pick it up. It's time finally came, however, and now I wish I had picked it up back when I initially bought it. What a wonderful read! The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is labeled "fantasy", but I might argue it's actually more of a mythology. The story follows Yeine Darr who, after living among her father's people for her whole life, is forced to travel to her mother's homeland to take her place in the succession of the nation's crown. Yeine travels reluctantly as there is no love lost between her and her Grandfather, the ruler of the Arameri nation. Once within the Arameri palace, Sky, Yeine meets Lord Nahadoth (the Dark Lord) and several of his godling children who are all enslaved as weapons to be used by the full-blooded Arameri. As Yeine cultivates complicated relationships with the personified deities and muddles through her newfound world of politics, she discovers that the path to her inheritance is much more complicated than she ever would have thought. I found the story to be utterly absorbing. Could it have been more complex and intricate? Definitely. But, for the amount of plot within the story, I thought the amount of politics to be in good proportion. It seems that several fantasy authors tend to put TOO much politics into their writing in an attempt to further develop the world. I'm not saying that approach is bad...I'm just saying that I don't prefer a lot of politics - it can bog the story down. The world building was a little weak as well and I want to know so much more about this world. I wish there was a map in the front of the book... I take comfort in the fact that this is the first in a trilogy and based on the description of the next installment, I think the world building will be expanded upon. I loved this book. [Read Oct. 2013] Rating:Have you ever read a book that you enjoyed so much you didn't want it to end? Or how about reading a book that was so big and in-depth that you weren't sure what to do when it was over? That's kind of how I feel post-Styxx. Incredible book...incredible story...so where do I go from here? Styxx by Sherrilyn KenyonAbout a third of the way through this beast of a book an earworm of a song just started playing over and over in my head. Ever heard Don Henley's song "Dirty Laundry"? The chorus goes like this: "Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em all around" So yeah - that's what this book was. Kick Styxx while he's up...kick Styxx while he's down...kick Styxx all around. For about 800 of the 836 pages that's pretty much the gist of it. I was so excited to see this book because a) whenever Kenyon writes a huge novel like this I know I'm probably going to like it because she can take her time developing the characters and plot and b) she finally went back to the "normal" Dark Hunter world (ie. Acheron/New Orleans/ect...) and I was craving that after the last few novels being set in Las Vegas/the West with a different pantheon of gods. And a word of warning right here --> there's a lot (and I mean a LOT) of rape in this book. It's brutal. I was prepared for Styxx to go through crap because all Kenyon's male characters go through crap...but Styxx goes through a whole new level of crap that I wasn't prepared for the brutality of it all. Just a warning. Also - I would not read this book out of order...at the very least read Acheron's book first. If you read some of the other DH books about "big" characters (ie. Katra/Sin, Talon, etc...) I think it will help in understanding the over-arching picture. Sherrilyn Kenyon and I have a hit or miss relationship - I enjoy the Dark Hunter world and I want to enjoy *all* of her books. The problem is that some of the books just seem like something she fired off to her publisher with nary a second thought. The writing can be spotty and the characters a little "meh". Kenyon's writing style isn't my favorite either as some of her word/phrase choices often throw me out of the story. Then came the book about Acheron which I just really loved. I loved Acheron - it was an in-depth book about a complex character and Kenyon really spelled out his entire story and didn't skimp on the details. Acheron was a good mix of romance and plot - I loved it. She has done the same thing with Acheron's brother, Styxx. When you read Acheron's book, you leave with a hatred of Styxx. When you read Styxx's story you realize just how wrong about everything you really were. You thought Acheron had it bad? Honey, you ain't heard nothin' yet. Kenyon takes the time to make sure you know each and every injustice that Styxx suffered through. And when you thought you heard it all...he went through more crap. I mean, it never ended. I had to take a break midway through just because the story was so heavy...and yet I felt compelled to return to the story quickly. I had to know what happened with Styxx and if the brothers would reconcile (and how they ever could reconcile). The only thing that knocked it down from 5 to 4 gnomes was that some of the story seemed a bit repetitive. Styxx goes through crap...then he goes through more...then some more...then some more...oh wait - there's more crap to wade through...then more...aaannndd we have more crap. This seriously goes on for 800 pages. While all the crap was crucial to the plot, it almost (and I emphasis the word "almost") became a slog. I don't know how Kenyon could have reduced the amount of crap and still made the points she needed to make with Styxx...but the almost-slog through all the crap knocked it down a gnome in my book. But now...some 830 pages later...I am glad I know Styxx's story. I'm more curious than ever as to how the DH series will conclude (I feel like we are reaching the end-ish of the story arc? I may be wrong...) and I definitely have a renewed interest in the DH lore. I'm sure I don't have to tell you -- but, fans of Kenyon: read this book! [finished Oct. 2013] Rating:Amaryllis by Jayne CastleUm. Yeah... Maybe it was the "InstaLove"? Maybe it was the crappy world building? Maybe it was the utter predictability of the story line? Maybe it was the copious amounts of jelly-ice? Whatever it was - I. Could. Not. Stand. This. Book. I only finished it because I was stuck in the car for 6+ hours and had packed my alternate books. Wow, this was not a winner for me. Amaryllis takes place on a remote planet, St. Helen, that is closed off from earth. Forced to adapt to the planet that's remarkably like earth (except for the extremely handy plot twist that all advanced earth technology doesn't work and disintegrates on St. Helen), the human residents find themselves developing supernatural-like talents. These talents work in tandem with prisms (which also develop in certain people) that focus the talents to accomplish a specific goal. Amaryllis Lark, a professional prism contracts a job with sexy CEO Lucas Trent - who happens to be a talent with off the chart power. They quickly find themselves mixing business with pleasure as they embark on a steamy (jelly-ice filled?) love affair. Throw in a potential murder and Amaryllis and Lucas are in for a wild and bumpy ride full of jelly-ice and arranged marriage agencies. Ok, so here are my issues with this book: a) There was no character development. Telling me that Amaryllis is a stuffy, prim-and-proper Prism isn't developing her character. It's just giving me a description. I need more - SHOW me that Amaryllis is prim and proper. 'Cause seeing her rip off her shirt for Lucas in, like, chapter two isn't indicative of a prim and proper character... b) Attack of the InstaLove! Ugh. I hate InstaLove. I don't know why authors think that you can introduce two characters, not develop them any, and then think it's ok to have them suddenly in love. In the second chapter. Nope...doesn't work for me. I don't buy it. c) Jelly Ice. What a horrible name for anything. All I can picture is a jello jiggler shaking it's jelly ice bottom at me. Ick. d) World building - or lack thereof in this case. I'm sorry, but you can't explain it as "it's a new world...but the same as earth...except that it's not because all convenient technology disintegrates". That's not world building...that's making it easier for you to include crappy substitutes like "jelly ice" and not develop it any further. I think if Castle could have spent a little bit longer fleshing things out, she could have created a really fun world. Instead it's two-dimensional and seems to be a lazy way out of thinking through the world building process. e) Foreshadowing, anyone? It was super easy to peg whodunit and why WAY early on in the story. Maybe some non-essential characters would have helped add mystery to the story? I don't know... So why, if I hated it so much, did I give it two gnomes? Well...I only did that because I have read some of Jane Ann Krentz's other stuff under various other pseudonyms (she has so many!) and enjoyed it just fine AND I am remotely curious about the other two heroes that were briefly mentioned in Amaryllis...so two gnomes because I have a small inclination to read at least one more...jelly ice and all. [Read Sept. 2013] Rating:Lover Awakened by J.R. WardI liked but most definitely did not love the first two books in the Black Dagger Brotherhood...but Holy Zsadist, I loved Lover Awakened! Ok, but before I go into all that - let me just say that adding the extra letters [like the "Z" in Zsadist...or the "H" in "ahvenge"...so on and so forth] DRIVES ME CRAZY. Also, the copious mentions of "shit-kickers", "leathers", and 50 Cent/G-Unit are just plain ridiculous. Ok, so these guys are bad asses. Got it. Can we just say..."Hey, the BDB are badasses...just wanted to let you know" and be done with it? I also can't stand the "what's doing, my brother?" or the other fake-jock-fratboy speak that Ward throws into the dialogue. What Ward is doing with all of this just seems like a cheap way to add pseudo-depth to the characters and cheap way to manufacture cohesiveness among the BDB. It doesn't work for me...rather than provide depth, I just laugh out loud and get thrown out of the story. And I shudder to think that it will be like this for the whole multi-book series. That's a lot of shit kickers, leathers and out of date rap music...you feel me, my brother? Sigh... So, despite the shit kickers and leathers - I loved Zsadist as a character and I loved the story between him and Bella. I also enjoyed the background stories that are building up as well - I think there may be some good books coming up in my BDB future. Unfortunately, I had had some spoilerage happen regarding Wellsie and John so I wasn't too surprised by those developments [and I shan't say anymore about those plot points lest I spoil it for somebody else]. I think if I hadn't been aware of what was going to happen on those fronts I would have loved this book even more. I am slightly worried about the future books I have yet to read...I was most interested in Zsadist and now I've read his book so...am I going to be as invested in the other BDBrothers? I don't know...I've looked ahead and see the next one is about Butch which is the character I (as of right now) care the least about so...we'll see. I am curious as to John's story and Phury's story...so hopefully those are in my future as well. Looks like there will be more BDB in my future - here's to hoping they are all on Zsadist's level or higher. [Read Sept. 2013] Rating:Blood Bound by Patricia BriggsI know I'm kind of late to the game with this series - but I really enjoyed Blood Bound! Such a fun read! In Blood Bound, Stefan the vampire calls in the favor Mercy owes him and the two of them go off after a serial-killing vampire who seems more ruthless than usual for a vampire. Shifted as a coyote, Mercy discovers that the evil vampire they are tracking is actual a demon-possessed-sorcerer-vampire which spells trouble for the whole community - for regular humans and supernaturals alike. Briggs definitely sets up a bit of a love...triangle?...quadrangle?...well, whatever it is, it's shaping up to be a hot mess. I usually am rooting for a specific party to win the romance war, yet with this series I am as of yet undetermined. I would be ok with any of the guys winning Mercy's affection...and I would NOT be ok with any of the guys being left out...so it's shaping up to be an interesting read as the series progresses. The Mercy Thompson has some flavors of the Sookie Stackhouse novels (I'm not sure which series came first?)in that there are vampires, werewolves, and shifters (oh my!)...yet the characters are SO. MUCH. BETTER. I just can't stand Sookie or Harris' writing (hence why I gave up mid-series on that one)...but I really enjoy Mercy Thompson and crew. Mercy isn't your average female lead and it's nice to have a lead character who doesn't quite fit the average heroine mold. I like the world Briggs has constructed as well - she tries to make her world blend seamlessly into the world as we know it and I think she does a pretty good job with it. Definitely a great read in a great series that will scratch that paranormal fantasy itch you have. [Read Sept. 2013] Rating:Native Star by M.K. HobsonI was pleasantly surprised by The Native Star - it was not really what I was expecting. I don't know if I would classify this book as straight fantasy or straight steampunk or straight western or what. It's a fantasy, steampunk, western book with elements of romance and (of course) zombies. Ok, so the zombies are only in the novel for a hot second but I felt they warranted a mention. In The Native Star, Emily Edwards is a Witch for a small community on the Western frontier. Times are tough for her and her adopted father and in a desperate bid to increase their station in life, Emily casts a love spell on the local, rich lumberman, Dag. The resident pompous Warlock, Dreadnought Stanton, is quick to haughtily point out that her love spell is way too strong. Through a series of events, Emily and Dreadnought find themselves in a mine full of zombies where a glowing crystal stone embeds itself in Emily's hand. Understandably, Emily is upset of the geological implant and she and Dreadnought embark on a mission across the West to learn more about the stone and try and remove it from her hand. Along the way a band of evil Warlocks catch the scent of the magical stone and try any means necessary to recover the stone. Emily and Dreadnought struggle to evade the evil ones while discovering their feelings for each other may run deeper than they had originally thought. This was such a well thought out book. The magic system and world building are probably the best elements - they are very indepth and rich. Hobson creates a mid 1800s world where magic and steampunk seem not only normal, but also necessary for the function of society and life. I found myself wanting to learn more about the world, the magic, and the stone in Emily's hand. I found the characters to be done well, too. They weren't your average fantasy characters which was refreshing. This novel definitely focused more on the magic and the plot rather than the romance which was a nice change. I think there could have been more romance in the story, but at the same time, it's nice to read a book that focuses on plot rather than on just the steamy scenes. The only thing that bumped this from a four-gnome to a three-gnome for me was that the book was slow to read. It wasn't "slow so I'm going to put it down"...it was "I've been reading for how long and I only got through 20 pages?!"...I'm used to breezing through books much more quickly. I think the world building and magic system required me to slow down so I could digest the content and, while that is not a bad thing at all, I didn't like having to do that for this book. [read Sept. 2013] Rating:Warlord by Angela KnightI don't know what I think about this one... On one hand, it was a pretty interesting story - I mean, where else do you meet a time-traveling, genetically altered warrior with his talking timberwolf companion? And where else do you follow said warrior and wolf as they protect a journalist from the most famous serial killer of all time (who, come to find out, is also a time-traveling, genetically altered being which is why he was never killed at the time of his infamous murders...I can buy that *cough*)? On the other hand, parts of it were your typical paranormal/urban fantasy romance. Well, erotica would probably be more appropriate... It seemed a little "Insta-Love" to me - I mean, if above-mentioned warrior broke into my house and started going through my bedroom things, I probably would not have jumped in bed with him THAT SAME DAY like our heroine here. (Well, and since I am already married, my husband would probably frown on my jumping into bed with the warrior at any time...but that's beside the point...) All in all, I enjoyed the book...but not enough to read the novella and short story that followed it. I thought it had the potential for uniqueness...but then slid into the realm of the cliche. Still - like urban fantasy (or in this case, more sci-fi)? Then give Warlord a whirl. [read September 2013] Rating:Facing the Music and Living to Talk About It by Nick CarterLet me preface this review by saying: I have been a fan of the Backstreet Boys since they released their very first single "We've Got It Goin' On" on cassette tape back in the day. I must have worn that cassette tape out waiting for them to come back to the states and make/release their full album. I still treasure my signed group picture. And while my taste in music has grown over the years, BSB still holds a special nostalgic place in my heart. That said... This was a horrible book. Keep reading, please --> it is NOT horrible because of what Nick has been through. I commend him for overcoming his trials and having the courage to discuss them publicly. And I am NOT passing judgement on him or what he has done over the years in any way. Got that? Not judging Nick. Not judging his experience or his rehabilitation. No, this was a horrible book for a couple of reasons: 1. This book didn't know what it wanted to be -- a self-help book or an auto-biography. It kept jumping around...one paragraph would be Nick discussing his childhood and then it would awkwardly morph into how you can lift yourself out of a downward spiral/drug abuse. I felt this book would have been better served if it had EITHER been an auto-biography with a chapter on self-help OR a self-help book with a few auto-biographical anecdotes thrown in the mix. As it stands, the book seems jumbled. 2. It's apparent that Nick is a musician and not a natural writer. The book doesn't read well and random slang thrown into the text gives it a jarring feel (to use slang myself - this book was a hot mess). There is a lot of repetition in the book as well which makes it rather tedious. 3. Most of the sources he used were websites...not to go all academic snob or anything, but (as a history grad student) if I were to turn a paper in to my professor and I used mostly websites and maybe two physical books...well, the results would NOT be pretty. I'm not saying he has to use primary sources or anything...but go to the library...request a book...utilize a better source than the Huffington Post. 3. He's still untested as far as his rehabilitation goes so it seems premature of him to give self-help advice. Again, please keep reading --> I'm not saying that his rehabilitation is false or temporary or, again, that what he has accomplished in kicking drugs and alcohol is trivial. It's not. Anyone who can overcome those trials is amazing and deserves to be commended. It's just that with so recent a recovery, it's hard not to be cautious with viewing his rehabilitation. At the end of the book he talks of his and his fiancee's devotion to exercise and health - almost obsessively so. It comes across as though he is replacing his previous drug and alcohol addictions with an obsessive addiction to exercise which makes one think he hasn't truly conquered the fundamentals of addiction. To replace one addiction with another does not mean one is rehabilitated (even if the new addiction is healthy) because you are still dealing with the same issues, just using a different medium to cope. All that to say - it seems awfully soon to write a self-help book. So, I give this book two gnomes--> one for nostalgia and one because of what he has overcome. No stars for the actual book itself because it just doesn't "Have It Goin' On". [read September 2013] [I received an ARC of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.] Rating: |
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