A Door in the Woods by James Dashner is the first in a series of four young adult books. I’ll be honest, if I didn’t know James personally I probably would not have finished this book. It is written in the first person and contains many of the problems that irritate me about works written in first person. However as the series progresses, James’ work improves dramatically. By the end I’d stopped mentally editing and just enjoyed the story. It is definitely juvenile wish-fulfillment fiction, so I am not the target audience. Kiki is the target audience and she loved the whole series without reservation. She loved them so much that she checked them out of her school library even though we already had copies from the public library. She didn’t want to have to share copies with me. Getting to meet the author was icing on the cake for her. If you have a child aged 9-14 who enjoys fantasy, this is a series I definitely recommend.
On the Devil’s Payroll by David Fuller is a courtroom mystery/drama. Again it is a first work and it suffers from some editing issues and quirks. The characters seem to spend a lot of time drinking coffee which as a non coffee drinker has me wondering whether people really drink that much coffee or if the main character is caffeine addicted. The minor editing issues did not prevent me from enjoying the story or the characters. David Fuller was the first self published author I ever knew and his courage to follow his dream gave me an entirely new look at self publishing. Watching David’s journey through self publishing is part of what helped me to consider self publishing Schlock Mercenary. Go check out his book and if you’re interested, buy it from him directly. You save money and he gets more for his efforts.
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson is a fantasy that blew me away. I cannot believe that this book is Brandon’s first novel. It fully deserves the publishing contract and accolades that it has recieved. I picked it up because Howard sat next to Brandon at a book signing. He seemed like a nice person and the book intrigued me, so I got a copy from my local library. It was worth the two month wait to get my hands on it. I’m afraid this book was so enthralling that my children were mildly neglected until I finished reading it. I’m seriously considering re-reading it before returning it to the library and I’ve added it to my books-I-want-to-own list. You should go buy this book so that Brandon can continue to write full time and make more wonderful books for me to read.
Have I pushed Diana Wynne Jones onto you yet? She has written numerous children’s to teen fantasy, and it’s absolutely fantastic. Howl’s Moving Castle, Archer’s Goon, and Charmed Life are great books to start with, if you get the chance.
Have I pushed Diana Wynne Jones onto you yet? She has written numerous children’s to teen fantasy, and it’s absolutely fantastic. Howl’s Moving Castle, Archer’s Goon, and Charmed Life are great books to start with, if you get the chance.
As a pre-law student slash former law clerk, I can tell you that if you don’t see a lawyer with a cup of coffee in his hand, it is because he has to sign something and needs both hands free.
Okay, that’s maybe a little hyperbolic, but seriously: if there are worse caffeine addicts in the world (and I am in the military) I haven’t found them outside of a courtroom or law office.
As a pre-law student slash former law clerk, I can tell you that if you don’t see a lawyer with a cup of coffee in his hand, it is because he has to sign something and needs both hands free.
Okay, that’s maybe a little hyperbolic, but seriously: if there are worse caffeine addicts in the world (and I am in the military) I haven’t found them outside of a courtroom or law office.
Want a copy of Sanderson’s Mistborn? I’ve got an ARC sitting around that I’m never gonna read.
Want a copy of Sanderson’s Mistborn? I’ve got an ARC sitting around that I’m never gonna read.
Heck, want a copy of Elantris as long as I’m possibly mailing you stuff?
Heck, want a copy of Elantris as long as I’m possibly mailing you stuff?
I concur. I found some on a cousin’s bookshelf and have read through four of the five he has in the last couple of weeks.
I concur. I found some on a cousin’s bookshelf and have read through four of the five he has in the last couple of weeks.
Is that the same Howl’s Moving Castle that was made into an Anime by Miyazaki?
That’s an awesome story about believing in yourself.
Is that the same Howl’s Moving Castle that was made into an Anime by Miyazaki?
That’s an awesome story about believing in yourself.
I’m lucky to have a mom who, drops at least $100. on books at Barnes & Noble everytime she visits up here. She often looks through the young adult fiction right along with the regular sci-fi/fantasy section.
SO, everytime we go down to St. George to visit, we go through her already read box and always come back with a grocery bag full of books to read. Plus, I’ve got an impossibly triple stacked bookshelf downstairs, and a full bookshelf upstairs begging for my attention too…
(My mom keeps begging Barnes & Noble to build a store down in St. George but, has been told that people haven’t spent a million dollars on books in St. George so they don’t want to build one there. She keeps trying to explain that that is because everyone goes to Las Vegas or Salt Lake (or online) to buy their books. Come on Barnes & Noble, build a store in St. George!)
Thanks for the reviews. Ross is always looking for books to read. And I have toooooo many books I WANT to read.
I’m lucky to have a mom who, drops at least $100. on books at Barnes & Noble everytime she visits up here. She often looks through the young adult fiction right along with the regular sci-fi/fantasy section.
SO, everytime we go down to St. George to visit, we go through her already read box and always come back with a grocery bag full of books to read. Plus, I’ve got an impossibly triple stacked bookshelf downstairs, and a full bookshelf upstairs begging for my attention too…
(My mom keeps begging Barnes & Noble to build a store down in St. George but, has been told that people haven’t spent a million dollars on books in St. George so they don’t want to build one there. She keeps trying to explain that that is because everyone goes to Las Vegas or Salt Lake (or online) to buy their books. Come on Barnes & Noble, build a store in St. George!)
Thanks for the reviews. Ross is always looking for books to read. And I have toooooo many books I WANT to read.
Yes I’ve read many of Ms. Jones works. They’re all refreshingly different from each other. Some of them I loved, some I didn’t much care for. Howl’s Moving Castle I loved.
Yes I’ve read many of Ms. Jones works. They’re all refreshingly different from each other. Some of them I loved, some I didn’t much care for. Howl’s Moving Castle I loved.
Yes please! Email me at livejournal.com and I tell you address information.
Out of curiosity, how did you end up with an ARC copy?
Yes please! Email me at livejournal.com and I tell you address information.
Out of curiosity, how did you end up with an ARC copy?
Yes to this one too! 🙂
Yes to this one too! 🙂
Advertising agencies.
Advertising agencies.
The book differs quite a lot from the movie, but I enjoyed both very much.
The book differs quite a lot from the movie, but I enjoyed both very much.
I work in the business, and am also fairly good friends with my local VHPS sales rep.
I work in the business, and am also fairly good friends with my local VHPS sales rep.
You should really convince your mother to patronize a small, local mom and pop.
You should really convince your mother to patronize a small, local mom and pop.
Yay! Publicity!
Thanks, Sandra — I really appreciate both your honesty and your support!
And yeah, there are editing issues, which I will point out at every opportunity, SHOULD NOT REFLECT ON MY EDITOR, who is a genius, but on me, who foolishly retyped the whole dang thing in a moment (read: week) of neurotic paranoia.
Yay! Publicity!
Thanks, Sandra — I really appreciate both your honesty and your support!
And yeah, there are editing issues, which I will point out at every opportunity, SHOULD NOT REFLECT ON MY EDITOR, who is a genius, but on me, who foolishly retyped the whole dang thing in a moment (read: week) of neurotic paranoia.
I can see that, but I’ve never worked at one of those, so my basis for comparison is nonexistent.
I can see that, but I’ve never worked at one of those, so my basis for comparison is nonexistent.
You’re welcome. Maybe you’ll get that 100th sale you’re hoping for.
You’re welcome. Maybe you’ll get that 100th sale you’re hoping for.
>I cannot believe that this book is Brandon’s first novel.
My penchant for nit-pickiness requires me to point out that it’s not the first novel Brandon wrote, it’s the first novel he sold. And it is, indeed, a fantastic novel.
>I cannot believe that this book is Brandon’s first novel.
My penchant for nit-pickiness requires me to point out that it’s not the first novel Brandon wrote, it’s the first novel he sold. And it is, indeed, a fantastic novel.
I’ll go one farther and say that the book is way better than the movie. I enjoyed the movie, too — but I thought the film’s plot was unfortunately incoherent.
I’ll go one farther and say that the book is way better than the movie. I enjoyed the movie, too — but I thought the film’s plot was unfortunately incoherent.