Bedtime Stories for Cats by Amy Neftzger

I received this book in ebook format from the Author, through LibraryThing Member Giveaway

Bedtime Stories for Cats

Bedtime Stories for Cats is a book of short stories and fables designed specifically for cat lovers. The topics range from mythology to magic and horror stories (for cats) combined with a few essays written by a cat in order to help the rest of us understand their logic and reasoning. The book also includes a creative retelling of the Gingerbread Man from a cat’s perspective. You share so much with your cat, why not read together, also?

Bedtime Stories for Cats is a collection of short stories and essays, with cats as a central point. In fact, many of these tales (called Tails in the book), are written in the feline point of view – especially when it comes to baths. And feeding. And ruling the world. And being the centre of the Universe.

The stories were amusing, some playing with cats stereotypes, some going into mythology. And speaking of mythology, the first Tail is a kind of creationism myth, but I had a problem with it – you see, cat's here are portrayed as defenders of order (unlike those unruly dogs). But orderly is not the first adjective that comes to my mind when I think of cats. It's not even the 100^th - at least not with my cats.

Since I brought up my cats, I have to say I didn't try the stories on them. They have no trouble falling asleep (and there is not a proper bedtime for them - it's all hours of the day unless everyone else in the house wants to sleep), and unless the speech includes the words Ham, Chicken or Tuna, they really don't care what I say.


Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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The Trees: A Collection by Todd Brabander

The Trees: A Collection

I received this book in ebook format from the Author, through LibraryThing Member Giveaway

Monsters, legends, and things that we would rather not think about, this collection of three short stories and two pieces of flash fiction will treat readers to a strange and frightening world that lies in the shadows of the Pacific Northwest.

The Trees is a collection of short stories and flash fiction by Todd Brabander. All the stories share a certain surreality and horror, but they are different from each other

Laroche, the first one, is spooky. Something about the setting, and the description made my hair stand, as if something bad was going to happen. I was not wrong. A nice story that mixes myth and everyday life.

Happiness Is A Dead Ladybug is rather stranger and rather sweet at the same time. Very short, a dialogue between owner and robot, that could have easily been between mother and a 4-year old.

I liked Sheltered, although I kind of guessed the ending almost from the start. Still, it was a good story.

The tittle story, The Trees, was also a good story. This had a feel of a folktale, of tricksters and and riddles. It even had a bit of humour. And a gruesome ending, but that made the story.

And the last story, The First Date, was the WTF? moment of the book. Really, did the author forget to finish this? It didn't feel like a story at all.

I enjoyed this book, but it was just a taste of Todd Brabander's writing. I liked the longer stories more than the flash fiction. I will be on the look out for more of his work, hopefully longer stories than the ones in The Trees.


Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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The book thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief

The setting is Germany 1939, and the narrator is Death. That was the reason I didn't read the book sooner. Didn't matter the many reviews singing its praises and telling there was humour in it. So, why did I read it? A read-along with Jen from Cuidado com o Dálmata and p7 from Bookeater/Booklover.

And yes, it's set during World War II, and in no way the author sugar-coated any of it. There is Death and deaths aplenty, like expected. And like all the reviews seemed to point to, it was a really good book.

The voice in which Death (and here I was expecting Terry Pratchett's DEATH) tells the story is rather unique. A mixture of satirical and resigned acceptance of the human nature. I really loved the way Death described the colour of the sky, how it changes – I think I'll never look at the sky quite in the same way.

Death also loves spoilers, and starts this book by telling the three moments she meets with Liesel, the star of this story. The first time, and this is when the story-proper begins, Liesel is 9, and she just lost her brother when they were on their way to Molching to be adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Hubermann. Liesel has her first encounter with Death, but also her first moment of thievery, for she is The Book Thief.

And so begin the adventures of Liesel in Himmel Street. Her new Mama, Rosa, is a source of new vocabulary, specially in terms of insults. Papa Hans is a wonderful man that eases this little girl into her new life, with his accordion, and late night vigils. And then there is Rudy, who dreams he is Jesse Owens and tries time and time again to win a kiss from Liesel. But there are more characters, of course. Late additions include the mayor's wife, who helps the Book Thief have access to books, in more ways than one; and Max, the Jewish fist-fighter, who comes collecting an old promise, and brightens Liesel's life. The characters are amazing, but I have a special fondness for Rudy, Hans and Max. They help Liesel, each in their own way, and each of them has their own strengths.

But let's not forget this is set in World War II. I'm not fond of that period of history, and I usually don't like literature about it. There are exceptions, of course (Everything is Illuminated is one of them, but probably because it focuses so little on WWII), and this book just joined the club. I really liked that we had a view of German families, not Jewish, and not exactly wealthy. And how some, fitting the superior race profile, didn't really care for Nazi politics.

The writing style was another thing that I also liked. It was concise (some would say choppy), but in a few words the author managed to write beautiful and so truthful sentences. I also loved the little asides, that presented the facts, or definitions, needed to continue with the story, without really breaking its flow.

I enjoyed the book a lot, a good book, I kept thinking throughout the first 9 parts of it. But it was the 10^th that did it. It's tragic and sad, and for once I was glad of Death's spoilers, I could ease my heart a bit, getting ready for what was to come. Yet it caught me by surprise, and oh, how my heart ached with Liesel's. Fear not, there is a bit of an happy ending. And speaking of endings, this is a book that ends beautifully – with Death saying: “I am haunted by humans.”

Jen's Review

p7's Review

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Other Reviews: Estante de Livros | The Broke and Bookish

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Shatter by Elizabeth C. Mock

Shatter

Growing up during the chaos of the Nabosian War, Faela Durante and her entire generation never knew what it meant to live in a time of peace. Though the war ended years ago, the devastation has not. Every decision, no matter how seemingly insignificant, has a consequence and some consequences can never be predicted. But some are foretold.

Less than a year ago, Faela, the first Tereskan mind healer in generations, disappeared from her family home in Finalaran scared and pregnant. Hunted and living as an outcast, Faela searches for a legend that might be her only hope of gaining atonement and returning to her son. When her journey collides with two strangers and a prophecy, she must choose between trusting those around her or endangering her mission. With her past refusing to stay behind her, the consequences of Faela's choices will risk more than her own fate.

With such a synopsis, I would have expected this book to be pretty much about Faela. There was a lot that was about her in the story, but there were also a lot of others characters that interacted with Faela, and travelled with her, each with their own motivations.

Let's start with the two strangers mentioned on the back cover. One uses her as a human shield against the other, and being the good person she is, she decides to play judge and settle their differences. She ends up with a boy in her debt, Jair (the Destroyer), and this means trailing along with her through the forest to an uncertain destination.

What about the other stranger? He goes away for a bit (he is in need of some shopping) but he returns, intent on having his revenge on Jair, because he stole a bit more than just his boots. But on finding our party of two again, he ends up saving the day – for they are in trouble. But just barely, as he, Kade, comes very close to dying. And so Faela in now in debt to him (although not really, she managed to stop his certain death), and since they are all in pretty bad shape they have to rest until they can go on their way. But some bounty hunters appear! They are looking for Jair, and Kade is looking for them, and Faela is related to them. Isn't it a small world?

But these bounty hunters don't join the gang (of three, so far). Who joins is a couple that has been looking for Faela, Mireya a young girl that is something like an oracle and her husband Dathien who is her protector. Mireya had spoken a prophecy about Faela, and decided she needed to help her. And they are not the only ones who join up. The twins Eve and Sheridan come looking for Kade, as he is their prime suspect for a heinous crime, and Eve brings along a bard that hides who he is.

So, with our party of 8 (sometimes 10 for the brief periods the bounty hunters join in), we travelled through the kingdom of Nabos, trying to find the answers Faela is looking for. Why the others go with her? One, because she is kind of an anathema when it comes to magic. Two, because she is searching for something that is only a legend, and that no one believes is real. Well, no one apart from Mireya. And three, because there is like a web of people that want to get other people and have promised to care of other that makes disentangling the group kind of hard.

So, what did I think of it. The short version is I liked it. I did, there was a really nice set of magic, divided into colours, that made it easy to understand what everyone did. And the story of Faela is sad but I loved to find out about it. What I really did like was the banter between characters. Not all of them, but Sheridan and Jair were really funny (together or with anyone else). And the dynamic of Kade and Faela was also very good.

To tell the truth, I liked Faela. She wasn't a teenager bent on adventure and excitement. She was a grown woman, who had made something really bad, and was trying to fix it the best way she could, not for her, but for her son, who she had to leave behind, but was never far from her thoughts. She liked solitude and calm, and sometimes the big group got too much for her, and that is something I can relate to.

The ending was a cliffhanger, not a very mean one, but still, it was heart-wrenching because of the tragedy of it. And now I want to know what happens next.


Rating: 4 out of 5

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Finding Fiona by Emily Ann Ward

Finding Fiona
I received this book in ebook format from the Author, through LibraryThing Member Giveaway

The victim of a brutal attack, Fiona could remember little about her life until she meets someone who claims to be from her past. He tells her that her parents were killed for a human replication machine. He's shocked to discover she's still alive since her body was found in the wreckage of the fire. 

She soon travels to her old home in New York to figure out what happened to her and her family. She needs to find out who she is, but more importantly, confront the men who killed her parents.

The synopsis explains what goes on the book rather well. There is Fiona who suffers from amnesia, and is in search of who she is. There is a bit of science-y things that have to do with human replication (not to confuse with cloning, very different things). And there is crime and mystery as well.

It sounded promising, but this book just didn't work out for me. Not the writing, that seemed too fast and too dry, not the characters, with whom I couldn't connect with, and especially not the science. Because in science fiction, I have to believe the science works, no matter how strange it seems. In this case it just made my eyebrow go up while I questioned: “Seriously?”.

And as for the mystery, I didn't expect much surprises and on that account, I was not disappointed. It had a nice twist in the ending, that I have to admit didn't cross my mind, but apart from that it all fitted the characters' suspicions.

And speaking of characters, and since I said they didn't work out for me, let me elaborate. Fiona, the main character, was probably the one I had most trouble with. She was confusing, but not in the way of “I don't know who I am”, more like she couldn't make up her mind about things. I also found her lacking some depth, and I would have liked to have the amnesia part more explored, the sense of not knowing who she was. Apart from her relationship with Hannah, the woman who helps her when she is found after her attack, the interactions with the other characters felt a bit flat. And that includes her past boyfriend.

This is a rather short book, and maybe it's meant to be taken more lightly than I have. But for that I would have expected a lighter theme, or some humour in it, or maybe some actual romance. As it is, this book remains just an unsatisfying execution to a good idea.


Rating: 2 out of 5

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My Name is Mina by David Almond

My Name is Mina

"My name is Mina and I love the night. Anything seems possible at night when the rest of the world has gone to sleep. It’s dark and silent in the house, but if I listen close, I hear the beat beat beat of my heart. I hear the creak and crack of the house. I hear my mum breathing gently in her sleep in the room next door."

So starts this book. I vaguely remembered Mina from Skellig – she was this strange girl who quoted William Blake and was home schooled. The basic reason to getting this book was because it was pretty. Yeah, it's a kind of prequel to Skellig. But it's so pretty!

My version

And once I got it I realized it wasn't just the cover. My Name is Mina is something of a diary book, not the regular Dear Diary type, but one where Mina rambles about stuff she likes, and writes her bizarre thoughts. In her words, a diary of exciting things, and exciting things of course cannot be written in boring typeface – so the book is pretty cool inside too.

There is not really a plot as such, it's just Mina telling about herself, how she hated school and how she loves her tree and her cat and making up words. But Mina is lovely and I had great fun reading more about her and getting to know her. She is a strange kid, and I couldn't help but relate to her. She had weird ideas and thoughts, and she was usually up to no good (especially when she was in school – think Calvin, from Calvin and Hobbes). There were parts for laughs and smiles, and parts for really laughing at loud.

Yet another pretty cover

But underneath it all, we still had a little girl still trying to come to terms with the death of her father. There were parts that really warmed my heart, some that really made me wish for something good to happen to her, something exciting and magical (well, I guess it did, in Skellig).

I really enjoyed this book, a mixture of fun and aww moments. It's for younger audiences, but I think anyone can love it. I sure did. (Plus, pretty cover!)


Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Hobbit

It's been more than 10 years since I first read The Hobbit. I was young, amazed from just finishing The Lord of the Rings, and quite inexperienced when it came to reading in English. But read I did, because I needed more (MORE!!!!). And now, with the movie being shot somewhere in New Zealand (2012 why don't you come?), I decided it was time for a re-read.

So, there I was, back again in the hole where a hobbit lived, Mr. Bilbo Baggins. It was easy to immerse myself in the world of Middle Earth, my image of them now very much influenced by The Lord of the Rings movies.

But back to the story. Mr. Bilbo Baggins, a decent sort of hobbit, much fond of good food, and blowing smoke rings on his pipe, and not at all prone to adventure, finds himself in just that: an adventure. To blame is Gandalf, who brought to his step 13 dwarves: Thorin, Balin, Kili and Fili, Dori, Nori and Ori, Oin and Gloin, Dwalin, Bifur, Bofur and Bombur (yes, I had to look them up, I could only remember 11). The dwarves are in need of a burglar for their expedition, and Gandalf thinks Bilbo is just the man for the job (although he has never done any burglary before). The Dwarves are going to the Lonely Mountain to reclaim their rightful treasure from Smaug, the dragon (and get rid of him, but it's mostly the treasure part). And Bilbo finds himself agreeing to this. And off they go to have adventures, with trolls and elves and goblins and wargs and all kinds of magical creatures (and all the while Bilbo wishes he had never left his cosy hobbit hole).

The Hobbit is great fun – there is a tone to the entire things that just makes you smile and chuckle. Also, there is something in the writing that just makes you leave the pages and go to Middle Earth. I knew I loved this book, I had the first time, and I was sure I would love it now as well.

There were, of course some differences, I found it easier to read now, and was a bit shocked at the amount of death in the book – a book I regard as young adult and/or children's literature. But I think I ended up loving it more (I wasn't sure it was possible). I think I was reminded that I not only loved the story, but also the way it was told, its puns and twists of language, the songs (The songs! The part that I least liked in Lord of the Rings but that I loved in The Hobbit!), and the complaining and bickering of dwarves and hobbit.

The parts that I recalled with fondness were still there, and I found myself loving them more still. The riddles in the dark, the entrance of Beorn's House, the escape from the Elf King... I looked forward to those scenes and they didn't disappoint.

I can't wait to see the adaptation in the big screen, The Hobbit is a favourite of mine. Worth reading, even if the world of Lord of the Rings seems too daunting. And totally worth re-reading it!


Rating: 5 out of 5

Other Reviews: Libri Touches

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North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

North and South

When her father leaves the Church, Margaret Hale is uprooted from her comfortable home in Hampshire to move with her family to the North of England. Initially repulsed by the ugliness of her new surroundings in the industrial town of Milton, Margaret becomes aware of the poverty and suffering of local mill workers and develops a passionate sense of social justice. In "North and South", Gaskell skillfully fused individual feeling with social concern and in Margaret Hale created one of the most original heroines of Victorian literature.

After having watched and re-watched (and re-watched and re-watched and...) the BBC adaptation of North and South, it was only right that I should read the novel. Mind you, it was something I meant to do since the first time I saw it, oh so many years ago. And after a North and South marathon with a friend (until the wee hours of the morning), the book reading was my next step.

So, it was with a solid knowledge of the story and clear favourites among the characters (Oh, Mr. Thornton...) that I started. One of the things that I first noticed was the language and the portrayal of Margaret, the main character of this book. I quite liked Margaret in the series, but on my first acquaintance with her in book form I found her a bit petty and snobbish. I knew she would change, but it did shock me. But petty and snobbish as she was, and much due to the amazing writing of Elizabeth Gaskell, I didn't see her as a thing of the past, she was not simply a character of a book, and outdated at that. In a few pages Margaret was a real person, and wouldn't be at all out of place in our days. And the same could be said about the writing. Not old fashioned at all, and together with the characterization of Margaret, I could forget this was set in the 19^th century.

Enter Mr. Thornton, who in the series is beautifully portrayed by Richard Armitage and I thought couldn't get any better. Well, I was wrong. For, something that is less common in the books that are written nowadays, in North and South we can see both actions and feelings (and thoughts) of all the characters, not just the central one. John Thornton, who to Margaret is a stiff, unfeeling master of the North (and in trade *shock, gasp*), when shown to us in the company of his family and friends proves to be an intelligent, honest and fair man, even if he is set in his ways. Really, the man has his faults, like everyone else, but all in all, he a fine man.

Amidst the struggle of a factoring town, of poor conditions to workers, whom Margaret befriends and helps, and the heavy hand (and sometimes sneaky) of the masters, of talks of strikes and a lot of death (seriously, Mrs. Gaskell, was there need for so many?) there is a love story between these two. Not without its bumps (it couldn't be that simple, now, could it?), but it was fun to follow it, even if at times it broke my heart (poor, poor, Mr. Thornton).

But back to the struggles of the poor. Even if in the case of the Higgins, Margaret's working friends, I prefer their TV counterparts (especially Bessie, who isn't so fervours in her religion on screen), I liked that part of the story. It was a look into the past, of the hardships of those who had to work in conditions that would undoubtedly kill them, and how the priorities of life were different from those of Margaret, for instance.

There are, of course, a couple things on this book that I wish that would be different. First, towards the end, when Margaret leaves Milton, much of what happens there stops being told, and I kept wishing to know how those left behind fared. And second, the ending. Oh, it is a very good ending, that made me laugh. But could I please have another chapter? Just a tiny little one? Please? Because I want more!

Summarizing (or not really): a very good book, a classic no doubt. I loved the writing (so much that I could only follow this book with another one of Mrs. Gaskell), and the story. Read this book, and watch the series. Both totally worth it.


Rating: 5 out of 5

Other Reviews: A Few More Pages | Cuidado com o Dálmata | Estante de Livros |

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A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

A Clash of Kings

A Clash of Kings, the sequel to A Game of Thrones, starts with many kings. Following the death of Robert Baratheon and the accusations that Prince Joffrey is not the rightful heir, there were claims to the Iron Throne by both Robert's brothers, and Robb Stark is proclaimed King of the North. And, as with its predecessor, A Clash of Kings follows far more than just one character (or these kings). There is Jon Snow (and gang) who venture beyond the wall, trying to find his uncle Benjen and some answers; Arya who managed to escape King's Landing with the help of the Night Watch, as a boy; Bran who must rule Winterfell in stead of Robb; Daenerys and her dragons (and her khal) who try to find a way to reach Westeros; and Tyrion who has been tasked by his father to serve as Hand to King Joffrey (and make sure he does not make more mistakes).

With so many storylines, it's easier to pick them apart and comment on each one. To start, Daenerys part was one that I least liked. There was not much going on, and what did happen did not strike me as very important (but I guess that's because she is so far away from the main action). But on the plus side, there were dragons. Not that they did much either.

Another storyline that I couldn't care much about (at least at first) was Theon's. I never liked him much, and he came across as spoiled and petty. But after seeing what his family was like, I couldn't help but pity him (and I did end up to respect him a bit later on, just because he stuck with his choices, no matter how wrong and stupid they were).

And now that the most disliked parts are done with, let's get on with the good stuff. Last book, I ended with a few favourite characters among the multitude that we have in A Song of Ice and Fire: Jon Snow, Bran and Arya Stark, and Tyrion Lanister. And in this book they did not disappoint (much). In the case of the Stark family (Jon included), I felt there were points the story dragged a bit, but in the end I ended up loving it anyway. That is not what happened with Tyrion's story. Most of the time, I was reading the other chapters as fast as I could just to get to a part where Tyrion made an appearance. I loved his plots and his backhanded way of doing things, and if there were more Lanisters like him, I could end up loving that House (as it is, I'll point his family as his biggest fault).

There were also a few surprises regarding some characters. First, the urge to slap Sansa Stark disappeared, I started to like her. It help that she lost her admiration for Joffrey and the Queen, and that she started to think a bit for herself (of course it helps to be reminded that she is only 12, still pretty much a child, but one can't help but compare her to Arya, who his 10 and kicks butt). Seeing Queen Cersei as a mother (who actually cares for her kids, not simply likes to use them as pawns) was also quite nice, and even if that does not help to clear her image, still gives her a bit of extra dimension. (Of course now I'm left pondering what kind of father Robert was, and if Joffrey could have turned out a bit better if there was a bit more love on his father's side).

And what of all these kings? For most part, I could care less who was going to sit on the throne (as long as it's not Joffrey), and there was a general feeling of waiting throughout the book (sure there were a few battles, a few key-deaths here and there, but still...). Between Stannis and Renly, the only thing that tipped the scales was one using the Red Lady as ally, and the other not caring much about religion (old, new or newer). As for Robb, I never really connected with his character and as his appearances grew farther and farther apart, I stop caring altogether about him.

But since the matter of the throne is far from resolved I can't help but read the next one the series.


Rating: 4 out of 5

Other Reviews: Fyrefly's Book Blog | Her Book Self | Stuff

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Stories edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio

Stories

Stories, an anthology edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio, takes as starting point their love for good stories and good writing, and 4 words: ...and then what happened? I had my eyes on this book ever since it came out – short stories, some great authors (even if the combination of some seemed strange at first), and a cute cover.

Stories starts with Blood by Roddy Doyle, that is quite upbeat and funny, even if slightly disturbing – I enjoyed it but the ending didn't quite work for me. But the second story, Fossil-Figures by Joyce Carol Oates, more than made up for it. Fossil-Figures is a story of twins, different from what usually is done, poignant and dark – but what really captivated me was the writing, that conveyed the feelings of both the characters so well. I admit never having heard of Joyce Carol Oates, but it won't be the last I'll read something of this author.

The next three stories (Joanne Harris's Wildfire in Manhattan, Neil Gaiman's The truth is a cave in the Black Mountains and Michael Marshall Smith's Unbelief) could have been part of American Gods, and if that is forgiveable in the case of Neil Gaiman, with the other two not so much. Joanne Harris story was still enjoyable for the movie(or TV-series)-like quality of it, fun, with action and a hint of romance. Neil Gaiman's didn't really convince me more because of the writing than the story itself. Unbelief is a cutesy story, with a twist towards the end that made me smile a bit, but not much more than that.

The stars are falling by Joe R. Lansdale is a strange case, because although I can't say I specially liked it, it was memorable enough to still have me thinking about it (more than a month after reading it). It's dark and sad, like many of the stories in this book, but strangely uplifting in the end, despite the grimness of it.

Walter Mosley's Juvenal Nyx starts really slow and boring, and once it starts to be interesting to me, it pick ups the pace and finishes in a flash. As a vampire story it is different from usual, and had it been more like the ending part, it could have been phenomenal.

After Richard Adams's story The Knife I think I am ready to give up on this author, neither writing nor story were to my liking, and the only plus side was that it was extremely short.

I was surprised to see Jodi Picoult in the list of the authors, the few names that I was acquainted with screamed Fantasy and Science Fiction to me, Jodi's didn't. But I'm glad she was included, her story Weights and measures was extremely sad, but extremely well written. About the death of child and the grief of parents, I didn't expect to enjoy it, and certainly not as much as I have.

Michael Swanwick's The Goblin Lake was fairy tale like at first, jumping into metafiction later on. But it never really convinced me, and to tell the truth, the new-comer Kat Howard manages much better the metaficiton in her story A Life in Fictions, which was really good.

Mallon the guru by Peter Straub was another story that didn't work out for me, the same with Stewart O'Nan's Land of the Lost, Carolyn Parkhurst's Unwell and Tim Powers's Parallel Lines (these last two with some similarities, as well as with Fossil-Figures that had already stole my heart).

Lawrence Block's Catch and Release and Jeffery Deaver's The Therapist were both rather good, both showing the darker side of human nature. In the first we share the thoughts of a serial killer that has somehow changed his modus operandi, never giving up the chase of prey. In the second story it takes awhile to realize how dark it is, and since there is an element of fantasy there, the reader is doesn't quite know what to believe.

Jeffrey Ford's Polka Dots and Moonbeams, Chuck Palahniuk's Loser and Jonathan Carroll's Let the Past Begin were nice stories, with some degree of craziness and surrealism, which is always a bonus for me, but not exactly memorable.

Samantha's Diary by Diana Wynne Jones was my favourite story in the book – a retelling of the popular 12 Days of Christmas, set in a futuristic world were such song is almost forgotten. This one made me laugh out loud (I swear, true story). I wish there was a bit more to its ending, but anyway, it is a brilliant story.

Leif in the wind by Gene Wolfe was another poignant story, a science fiction one, and I enjoyed it immensely.

Al Sarrantonio's The Cult of the Nose is another slightly surreal one, that had the power to actually make me believe in the conspiracies and secret society that the main character was involved on. The ending was also quite twisty, leaving it open to the reader to believe in either side of the story.

Human intelligence by Kurt Andersen was another science fiction one, and with quite a big twist in the end that left me with a smile in my face (a much bigger one than in Unbelief). I rather liked it.

Stories by Michael Moorcock was tremendously strange to me, because it didn't feel like a story to me – just the author talking about the past and people that I always felt I was supposed to know who they were but I had no idea who they could be. For the most part it made me feel stupid, because surely these should be really famous authors and magazines and what-not. But slowly I became somewhat invested in the characters, especially the one we know from the beginning what will happen – I guess I want to know how he got there.

Elizabeth Hand's The Maiden Flight of McCauley's Bellerophon was a nice one as well, rather long, which made me feel it could have been a novel. I wish there was a better explanation to some of the events, but overall it was good.

The Devil on the Staircase by Joe Hill is the closing story of this book, with a different kind of layout. As the main character goes up and down the many stairs of his village, so does the text resemble them. It made it a bit hard to follow the story, but it was nice all the same.

My overall opinion of Stories was that it was somewhat of a disappointment: even if there were stories that I loved, they were few and the ones that didn't interest me one bit far too many. Regarding the central point of ...and then what happened? of all the stories, I felt the great majority of cases that I was asking that because the story had an unfinished feel to it, not because I really wanted to know more about it.


Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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Sketch Monsters - Book 1 by Joshua Williamson and Vincente Navarrete

Sketch Monsters - Book 1: Escape of the Scribbles

I got this book in ebook format from Oni Press, through Netgalley

Eight-year-old Mandy isn't what you'd call an emotional child. Whether at her own surprise birthday party, scoring the winning goal, or being stung by a bee, Mandy doesn't show her feelings.

Instead she draws them as MONSTERS in her sketchbook! But one day her emotions run wild and those monsters escape! Mandy's only help catching them is an eccentric monster named Happster, who causes more problems than he solves.

Can Mandy catch all the sketch monsters and return them to her sketchbook before they destroy her town?




This is a very cutesy book, with a pretty straightforward story. Mandy shows no emotions whatsoever, not when she's happy nor when she is sad. Poker face at its best. But when the monsters she draws escape the sketchbook she has to catch them in a very special way – she has to show the emotion they portray.

The art is quite fun in this book, very bright, and the monsters very childlike, and very cute (and for the most part, not very frightening).

And since this a really small book, it can be read in a flash. The story, not being very surprising or in any way complex, is still nice to read. I'm not sure I would go out of my way to read any new issue of this comic, thought.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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Orcs: Forged for War by Stan Nicholls and Joe Flood

Orcs: Forged for War

I got this book in ebook format from First Second Books, through Netgalley

Orcs: Forged for War is the first graphic novel in Stan Nicholls’ beloved Orcs universe. The fantasy landscape in this world is brutal and unforgiving, and populated by a race of unlikely protagonists: the powerful and violent warriors, orcs. Orcs: Forged for War is an original story—a new entry in this series, not an adaptation of old material. It follows a ruthless and deadly cohort of warrior orcs as they fight their way free of the dominion of an evil human enchantress. Sitting on an exhilarating peak with high fantasy on one side and the thrilling, gruesome battlefields of graphic novel classics like Frank Miller’s 300 on the other, Orcs presents the world of its ogre-like protagonists with technicolor violence and moments of unexpected sympathy.


Orcs: Forged for War gives a taste into the Orcs universe, one which I didn't know. But the prologue explained not only the reason for this graphic novel but some insight into the world – not that it would be much needed. Forged for War stands well on its own.

The universe of Orcs seems like a nice one to explore – unlike pretty much all fantasy, here this race is not evil, war-driven for sure, but their actions are not malicious. There was a lot that was backstory (that I got to know in the prologue and throughout the graphic novel) and that interested me. Well, to tell the truth, the backstory interested me more than the actual story.

Not that it was bad. It was rather straightforward, with a lot of fighting, and somewhat predictable. And more fighting. In the end, it was not really my cup of tea – I would have preferred something with more plot. The artwork was nice (after, the cover did catch my attention), but still not enough for this book to cause any kind of impact. I might give the novels a try, though.


Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

The Body Finder

I was in need of something light and fluffy so I picked this book – a YA romance with serial killers and deaths of teenagers. Makes sense, right?

The Body Finder is the story of Violet Ambrose, a 16-year old that would have been normal if not for the little detail that she can feel the bodies of recently murdered beings – be it the small animals her cat kills, or a teenage girl when she was eight. But that is not all, it's not just the feeling of dead bodies, she also can sense the killer, who has an imprint for each kill (making the cohabitation with her cat a bit strained), of which each body has an echo (this is what she senses, the echoes). But when girls start disappearing (and she starts finding bodies), Violet decides that she will do everything to help catch the bad guy.

Of course she is not alone, she has her best and childhood friend Jay, who knows of her strange powers. And because the book wouldn't be complete without some romance, at 16 Violet realizes the changes Jay has suffered during the summer, and has trouble sorting out her feelings.

What the book promised, it delivered – it was light and fluffy, with serial killers and a lot of death. On one hand we have the story of Violet and Jay, that is pretty much straightforward and very sweet. And then we have the disappearances and the body dumps. It was ingenious to have, in the middle of Violet's story, some chapters from the point of view of the bad guy, of how he loved the hunting game of finding a suitable young girl. In a way, this book is like combining Criminal Minds (which I love), with Veronica Mars (which is entertaining) and a show like Ghost Whisperer or Medium (I never really watched much any of those, but I'm going for the paranormal/death thing, and those where the ones I could remember).

The mystery of the murders kept me reading page after page, especially towards the end that I kept thinking that Violet was going to get in BIG trouble (going Oh! No! in my head). And in the end it was rather intelligently done, not too obvious (especially since we actually I have the POV of the bad guy). And I liked that the kids went to the grown ups when things got dangerous, nothing of evil-fighting all alone (sensible kids, I like that).

As for the romance and more normal aspects of the story, Violet and Jay make a nice pairing, first as friends, then as girl/boyfriend. I think one of the reasons they work is because they are friends, and even if puberty and hormones play a important part, they stay with each other because they actually feel good with each other (not because the other is hot). But in its essence it is young love, with all its overwhelming emotions of "I can't live without you" and "I will love you forever". (Ah... love at 16, isn't it sweet?)

And since this book is set during school time, there are mean cheerleaders, idiot jocks, and a dance (not prom, but homecoming). But it was never intrusive on the story – it didn't stop the plot just so these teenagers could go dance – and I actually ended up liking Violet's friends, who helped me believe that for all her spooky powers, she is actually just a normal kid. (Although I do have one complaint about the character – about her complaints, to tell the truth: Girl, you're 16, if you can drive, you can cook as well – so stop moaning about your mum's frozen lasagna being the only warm meal of the week and go learn how to use the oven. Jeez.)

Well, minor complaints apart, it was a nice book, light like I needed, despite its theme – but that doesn't mean the matter of the dead girls was dealt frivolously. All in all, it's a good story, that kept me entertained and turning the pages one after another.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Other Reviews: 25 Hour Books | Bookeater/Booklover | Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing | Candace's Book Blog | Cuidado com o Dálmata | Escape In A Book | Good Books And Good Wine | The Bibliophilic Book Blog

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