The Shadow of the Wind

 
This book is the mother of beating around the bush. It really is. It's not enough that the main characters were sent on a wild goose chase, there's also a back story in every back story. They have to find out things about every person they come across with. Whether or not it's related to the story, you decide. Well, actually, most of it is but that's not the point. Lol. I now understand why Stephen King said on his review of The Shadow of the Wind that "even the subplots have subplots". It's a good thing the prose was beautiful because if it wasn't I'd be lost following the twist and turns of the story. And there's A LOT of twist and turns in this book.

Having said all that, no, I do not hate this book. I actually loved it. In another lifetime I might have found it dragging. But I don't. I think the formula of the book is pretty simple. Good prose, which I already mentioned, AND intrigue. Ripe, juicy, pure, unadulterated series of complications. People love hearing about other people's tragedies. We talk about it and it grows from that. Now this book is a combination of gossip and horror stories and superstitions that was all rolled into an elaborate story. We all love hearing how people died a horrific death in a house or how the last owner of an item suffered a tragic loss and cursed anyone who will own it to suffer the same fate as his. Heck, people even love rumors spreading around about their neighbor having an affair with the other neighbor's wife. A tragic story is a good story as long as it happens to someone else. I loved this book because it reminds me of that old movie Red Violin. It was so tragic but also intriguing you couldn't just let go.

But you know the best part of this is? It actually has a happy ending. Err, that was a spoiler right there. :p

Alex

 
I don't know how to put it. Saying this book was a pleasant surprise doesn't seem to fit. It's so dark and so negative that saying it's a good story makes me kinda feel awkward. But it IS actually pretty good. Especially since this is supposed to be the author's first book.

Some reviews pointed out how it was bad that 75% of the book only talked about the main character seeing his dead son over and over and over; and although that was apparent I didn't feel like it dragged too much. I actually read and was able to endure the supposedly "dragging" part. It was complicated and heavy (emotionally) but it was an easy read because of the words. The flow of the storytelling felt natural. I read it in less than 12 hours (with lots of breaks).

There is no explanation how the guy can be seeing his son, whether it's paranormal or a psychological thing I guess is up for us to decide. I wanted to know but not knowing doesn't really make it less of a good story. I liked the inner dialogue/argument he was having with himself. I guess the story is a blunt way of showing how parents grieve? I did cry in some parts when they describe how Alex was. That's a plus for my review.

I got this free from Amazon too so yay for me, eh? Lol.

Village of A Million Spirits: A Novel of the Treblinka Uprising

If you ever find yourself in a situation where you feel like you have to go on a diet but you can't stop eating ... read this book. It gets morbid by the page. I had to stop eating my chicken pie when I was going through the part when one of the characters had his pinky cut but not all way because when the torture was done it was left hanging by a skin (never mind that the chicken pie wasn't that good but that's a different story).

The prose was simple and direct. I think that was what made it all the more disturbing. You won't have a hard time wrapping your head around the words trying to figure out what the author meant because every description is literal and blunt. You might learn a person can cringe more ways than one.

What I didn't like about this book (other than reading about an officer grabbing an infant by the leg and bashing its head on a tree just because his mother wouldn't go into the pit) is that after about 80% of the story, the author decided to switch to first person narration. And not even all the way to the end. Just bits and pieces where one character is concerned. He wasn't even the main character until that chapter. That character was already introduced a few chapters back in third person but then all of a sudden MacMillan tells the story through this guy's point of view. It was disorienting to say the least.

All in all, I thought this was just another one of those historical fiction that only stood out because of its blunt approach.

Blood Eagle

Well that was a rough ending. I wasn't expecting a fairy tale one but that was cruel.

Now, I already knew that the main character has a series of books written about him but I didn't realize he was going to have some sort of ... an arch nemesis. Oh, was that a spoiler?

Anyhoo, three stars because I learned a bit of history and politics about Germany and although I probably won't be able to use that knowledge a little fact won't really hurt. Kee-hee.

Read: September 30 - October 4 of 2012

Bad Signs by R.J. Elory

 
The thing that I loved about this book is how the author carefully built each character and events so that they somehow cross paths along the way. Like how the problem was with the two brothers having the same eyes, for example. Overall, this is a brutal and violent book. A lot of swearing, which might actually be entertaining (not that I can ever even imagine myself, or anyone, swearing as much as these characters did) for the sarcastic minded but might be too much for the faint at heart.

The thing that I didn't like, however, are a couple of minor inconsistencies in the story. I wouldn't say I'm over analyzing since I found these instances very obvious.

One, Digger can drive. Somehow. I mean, yes, he's 18 (or almost) but there is no mention in the book that he ever held a car before especially in juvie and especially since a kid with his record would probably not be trusted with such a task as driving. I thought perhaps Earl Sheridan taught him how to, that was the closest explanation I could imagine. It's just odd.

Second was when Earl Sheridan mentioned Clay's real name (Clarence) which they never really used. He always called Digger, Digger. And Digger always called Clay, Clay. And if it was Digger who introduced them both then he would've said his name was Clay because he was the one who said Clarence is too feminine of a name. Or something like that.

Okay, maybe now I'm over analyzing.

Read: September 18-20 of 2012

The Interpretation of Murder (Freud #1)

This was "so-so" bordering on "meh". I got it on a second hand book shop and I don't even think my money was worth it. I thought it was dragging especially in the beginning. It took me forever to finish it and only picked up the pace after I got past chapter 3.

What I liked about it is the twist towards the end. Discovering who the killer is and the motive and how everything was done. Just because it was interesting. But really that's on the last 50-100 pages and this has what? 500? I also liked Detective Littlemore who is a minor character. I didn't even enjoy reading the parts about Freud and Young and they're given the limelight in the plot on the book cover. So that was kind of misleading. Some of the arguments on psycho analysis are okay too. I didn't agree with all of the arguments but that was fine.

So now I'm kinda wondering what "Best Read" meant for Richard and Judy's Book Club in the UK because it has that award according to the cover. 

 Read: October 22-November 02 of 2012

James Potter and the Vault of Destinies

I have this blind fanaticism and love towards anything Harry Potter related so I keep reading this series. In all fairness, G.Normal Lippert is good and I was amazed by his first James Potter book. However, I have a few issues about the third installment.

First, I find this third one dragging ... very much. I get that most books only get suspenseful towards the end but I think Vault of Destinies could've gone on fine without some of the dragging parts. As in I didn't think they were necessary.

***SPOILER ALERT***
Second, I don't get the need to kill one loveable character in every book. Dear G. Norman Lippert, how could you? Why would you come up with a character, make a reader fall in love with her, and kill her in the end? You are just one cruel person, are you? Yes she was your character and she was yours to kill (unlike in the second book) but that was a serious WTF moment! I'm so affected I actually cried, you must be one good writer. Lol.

Last, I think I might throw up the next time I read the word "inertia" in a James Potter series book.

But again, blind fanaticism and love ... 3 stars.

Angelfall by Susan Ee

 
Is it me or is this book screaming (a cross between) Hunger Games and Supernatural? You know? A girl with an estranged mother and a younger sister that means the world to her? The resistance? Angels who doesn't know why they're doing what they're doing? An agnostic archangel who has never talked to God because only one "messenger" (another angel) can do that? I could go on.

I picked up the book because I've seen good reviews of it. Four to five stars everywhere. Words like "incredible", "gushing", "amazing", and even more "gushing" comes to mind. It's part-romance novel, so I can understand all the gushing.

Do I like the book? Based on the stars (and my intro), you can say no but I should be more specific. I didn't like the first 75% of the book. It was a task to read this book and it's not even a complicated, philosophical one. Other than the Hunger Games type of characters I have to say I didn't like the dialogue. It's ... thin. Awkward. Maybe a bit trying hard on the sarcastic side. I understand where they're getting at but it doesn't work for me.

The last quarter of the book, however, is a different story. Cliche, I know, but "the plot thickens!" It becomes more interesting as the story unfolds. The romance becomes more bearable and the exchange of words seem to come out more ... natural. It was actually pretty good. This is supposed to be a trilogy (I think) so it leaves the reader wondering what will happen next but not in an annoying kind of way. It may be true that more questions arise and they will not get answered by the end of the book but that's what keeps the readers hanging on and waiting on the second one, I guess.

Now, this is me filling in the blanks but I kind of have a feeling Penryn is some sort of a descendant of an Angel ... or something like that. I guess we'll have to see in the next book. Am I going to read the second book given the stars and the initial dislike of dialogue? Yes, I think the plot is pretty good and could be developed into something awesome. I am hoping the next books will be good from beginning to end. :)

**SPOILER FROM HERE ON**
Oh yes, I'd root for Penryn being an angel. I mean, an affair between an angel and a Daughter of Man is forbidden (and any offspring they might have is bound to be a Nephilim) so how else could this work? Unless Raphael becomes human but HE'S AN ARCHANGEL (and a self-righteous one at that!) so I don't like that idea, heh. Also, she can wield an angel's sword. Granted, it gave her permission because she was going to help the owner but what about when she was able to wield it when Raphael couldn't anymore because of his new demon wings? That could mean the sword belongs to Penryn already ... but she's a Daughter of Man?! Oh and that's another thing I didn't like, the wings. Beliel, the demon angel wanting his wings for vanity purposes (yes demons can be vain but ... meh). I kind of like the idea that they did that as a smear campaign against Raphael. So they could've left it at that. Beliel's "I can't wait to show this off in hell cause no one has feathers in their wings down there" bit is kind of a mood killer.

Read: September 21-25, 2012.