The Looking Glass Wars

Author: Frank Beddor

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I really, really enjoyed this book. The first half dragged a bit and the second half seemed rushed, but I didn't have many problems overlooking those issues so I could enjoy the book. I enjoyed how the story was told like an old-fashioned fairy tale. The writing focuses a little more on the plot than on the characters, but I think it worked.

I love all of the extras connected with the book. Included inside the book is a collection of artwork--drawings of the characters which come together to make the outlandish things Beddor writes about a little more real. Also, if you go to the book's website there's some really amazing music inspired by the story and characters. I thought it was worth mentioning because I personally enjoy it when I can enter the world of a book I enjoy through different mediums than just text.

Overall: A great, well-written YA book that I would recommend to readers of all ages. Probably the most original book I've read all year.

Halfway To The Grave

Author: Jeaniene Frost

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01/04/09

I have to admit, this is a book that at first I didn't think I liked. The main characters are Cat (a half-vampire who hunts vampires) and Bones (the vampire who trains her). It took about half the novel before I could get past the similarities to the characters of Buffy and Spike from BtVS. (The Bones-Spike comparison was by far the worst since both are platinum-haired vampires from London.) The beginning of the book also felt rushed to me as though Frost was trying to do too much by setting up the relationship between Cat and Bones and also setting the stage for the eventual plot of the book.

Despite all of my initial problems with it, the book evened out about halfway through. The eventual plot was interesting, if not groundbreaking for the romantic/urban fantasy/vampire genre. The ending was obviously set up to continue on into a series and interested me enough to go out and buy the next book in the series.

Overall: I wouldn't put Frost up with my favorite urban fantasy authors (currently: Kelley Armstrong and Patricia Briggs), but I thought this book was significantly better than a lot of other genre-similar books that are currently being published, so that was a pleasant surprise.

How Starbucks Changed My Life

Author: Michael Gates Gill

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01/01/09

This book was okay, I guess. It was a little too schmaltzy and heavy what felt like Starbucks propaganda a lot of the time. The name-dropping from the author's pre-Starbucks life was annoying at times and some of the flashbacks seemed unnecessary. Also, there was a gross abuse of italics.

One thing that I did like though was how Gill portrayed the blue-collar job and the people he worked with. I picked up the book initially because I thought that the idea of a high-powered executive who found himself down on his luck and working at Starbucks was interesting. That aspect of the book was enough to keep me reading and enjoying the book, despite all of the other issues I had with it.

Overall: Not a book that's going to be added to my favorites list anytime soon, but it definitely wasn't as bad as it could have been.

2009 - How things are changing.

While last year was fun, what with the lofty goal of 150 books and several sub-goals beneath that, 2009 is going to be a bit more laid back in comparison. The only rule this year is that there are no rules. I'm still going to aim at reading at least 100 books, if only because I know now that it's not that difficult for me to hit 150 without trying too hard. I also want to continue to try to read books that are outside of my genre "comfort zone" so-to-speak, but I'm not going to set a minimum of how many of these I need to read like I did in 2008.

All that said, I do want to try to review more books this year than I did last year. (I think that my reviews last year came to a grand total of 4.) So, my new format for reviews will be this:

• Each book I review will be given it's own, entry tagged with it's specific author tag, a series tag if appropriate, the year(s) that I read it, and the word "review."
  
• When a book has been reviewed I will link to the review from the monthly "reads" list.
  
• Every time I re-read the book and want to add more thoughts or responses, I will simply go back and edit the original review post with a dated revision underneath the previous review(s)
• Initial reviews will also be added to my LibraryThing account.

Much like last year, I'm probably the only one who cares about any of this, but having it all in writing makes things easier for me.

December Reads

(Complete: December 31)

(%) = New
(#) = Literary-ish
(!) = Do Not Own

1. The Luckiest Girl In The World - by Steven Levenkron (%)
2. Twisted - by Laurie Halse Anderson (%)
3. The Invisible Ring - by Anne Bishop
4. Gold Unicorn - by Tanith Lee
5. Mystic and Rider - by Sharon Shinn
6. The Thirteenth House - by Sharon Shinn (%)
7. Dark Moon Defender - by Sharon Shinn (%)
8. Reader and Raelynx - by Sharon Shinn (%)
9. Cat's Cradle - by Kurt Vonnegut (%)(#)
10. Dreams Made Flesh - by Anne Bishop
11. Queen In Winter - by Sharon Shinn (%)
12. No Words Alone - by Autumn Dawn (%)
13. Primal Needs - by Susan Sizemore (%)
14. The Devil Inside - by Jenna Black (%)
15. The Devil You Know - by Jenna Black (%)
16. The Devil's Due - by Jenna Black (%)

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Month in Review:

1. Total: 16
   
2. New: 12
   
3. Literary-ish: 1
   

Year in Review:

1. Total: 152
   
2. New: 78
   
3. Literary-ish: 23

November Reads

(Complete: November 30)

(%) = New
(#) = Literary-ish
(!) = Do Not Own

1. Salvation In Death - by J.D. Robb (%)
2. Uglies - by Scott Westerfeld (%)
3. When It Happens - by Susane Colasanti (%)
4. Pretties - by Scott Westerfeld (%)
5. Specials - by Scott Westerfeld (%)
   
6. World War Z - by Max Brooks (%)
7. The Pagan Stone - by Nora Roberts (%)
   

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Month in Review:

1. Total: 7
   
2. New: 7
   
3. Literary-ish: 0
   

Year in Review:

1. Total: 136
   
2. New: 66
   
3. Literary-ish: 22

October Reads

(Complete: October 31)

(%) = New
(#) = Literary-ish
(!) = Do Not Own

1. The Outstreched Shadow - by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory
2. To Light A Candle - by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory
3. Let It Snow - by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle
4. When Darkness Falls - by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory (%)
5. Paper Towns - by John Green (%)
6. Personal Demon - by Kelley Armstrong (%)
7. Danger in the Shadows - by Dee Henderson
8. The Negotiator - by Dee Henderson
9. The Guardian - by Dee Henderson
10. Speak - by Laurie Halse Anderson (%)
11. The Truth Seeker - by Dee Henderson
12. The Protector - by Dee Henderson
    

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Month in Review:

1. Total: 12
   
2. New: 4
   
3. Literary-ish: 0
   

Year in Review:

1. Total: 129
   
2. New: 59
   
3. Literary-ish: 22

September Reads

(Complete: September 30)

(%) = New
(#) = Literary-ish
(!) = Do Not Own

1. The Lark and the Wren - by Mercedes Lackey
2. Prince of Ice - by Emma Holly (%)
   
3. Songbook - by Nick Hornby (%)(#)
4. Just Listen - by Sarah Dessen (%)
5. This Lullaby - by Sarah Dessen (%)
6. The Truth About Forever - by Sarah Dessen (%)
7. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist - by Rachel Cohn and Daniel Levithan (%)
8. Animal Farm - by George Orwell (%)(#)
   

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Month in Review:

1. Total: 8
   
2. New: 7
   
3. Literary-ish: 2
   

Year in Review:

1. Total: 117
   
2. New: 55
   
3. Literary-ish: 22