February Reflections

February is overflowing with Agatha Christie, for fourteen of the twenty-two adult novels I read were Christie mysteries! You can see my obsession with a new-to-me genre didn't lessen! (Other mysteries included Carrie Bebris' The Intrigue at Highbury and Helen Grant's The Vanishing of Katharina Linden.)  However, I still managed to read fourteen new authors this month: Keith McGowan, Ellen Booraem, Veronica Roth, Beth Revis, Helen Grant, Benedict and Nancy Freedman, DC Pierson, Kevin David Anderson and Sam Stall, Lloyd C. Douglas, Kimberly L. Smith, Laurie Alice Eakes, and Kimberly Stuart.

This month I read 53 books! My longest book was Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens. My shortest book was The More We Get Together by Caroline Jayne Church. 

As far as challenges go, I was able to read at least one book for each of these challenges: New Author Challenge, 2011 TBR Challenge, TBR Pile Challenge, Chunkster Challenge, 42 Challenge,  Historical Fiction, Victorian Literature Challenge, Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge, Cruisin' Thru the Cozies.

Board Books: 5; Picture Books: 5; Children's Books: 2; Middle Grade: 2; Young Adult: 3; Adult: 22; Christian Fiction: 8; Christian Nonfiction: 3; Poetry: 3.

Review Copies: 27; Library Books: 24; Bought-Books: 2.

My favorite first lines of February 2011: 

There is one mirror in my house. 

I love children. Eating them, that is. I've eaten quite a few children over the centuries. You may wonder where I get them all. The answer is: I get them the traditional way. From parents, of course. 


My life might have been so different, had I not been known as the girl whose grandmother exploded.
 
"You do see, don't you, that she's got to be killed?" The question floated out into the still night air, seemed to hang there a moment and then drift away down into the darkness towards the Dead Sea. 
 
Daddy said, "Let mom go first." 

My top five:

Our Mutual Friend. Charles Dickens.
The Moving Finger. Agatha Christie.
The Intrigue at Highbury: Or, Emma's Match. Carrie Bebris.
Divergent. Veronica Roth.
North and South. Elizabeth Gaskell. 

Reviews at Becky's Book Reviews

A Murder is Announced. Agatha Christie. 1950/2006. Black Dog & Leventhal. 288 pages.
4:50 From Paddington. Agatha Christie. 1957/2007. Black Dog & Leventhal. 288 pages.
The Intrigue at Highbury: Or, Emma's Match. Carrie Bebris. 2010. Tor. 317 pages.
The Vanishing of Katharina Linden. Helen Grant. 2010. Random House. 304 pages.
Mrs. Mike: "The Heartwarming Classic Story of the Boston Girl Who Married A Rugged Canadian Mountie." by Benedict & Nancy Freedman. 1947. 284 pages.Cards on the Table. Agatha Christie. 1937. Penguin. 224 pages.
Cards on the Table. Agatha Christie. 1937. Penguin. 224 pages. 
The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To. DC Pierson. 2010. Random House. 240 pages.
Appointment with Death. Agatha Christie. 1937/2007. Black Dog & Leventhal. 256 pages.
At Bertram's Hotel. Agatha Christie. 1965/2007. Black Dog & Leventhal. 272 pages.
Cat Among the Pigeons. Agatha Christie. 1959/2007. Black Dog & Leventhal. 272 pages.
Sad Cypress. Agatha Christie. 1939/2007. Black Dog & Leventhal. 256 pages.
And Then There Were None. Agatha Christie. 1939/2000. Buccaneer Books. 192 pages. 
The Moving Finger. Agatha Christie. 1942/2007. Black Dog & Leventhal. 208 pages.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Agatha Christie. 1926/2006. Black Dog & Leventhal. 288 pages.
A Caribbean Mystery. Agatha Christie. 1964/2007. Black Dog & Leventhal. 256 pages.
The Big Four. Agatha Christie. 1927/2001. Penguin. 208 pages.
Our Mutual Friend. Charles Dickens. 1864/1865. 880 pages.
Wyrd Sisters. Terry Pratchett. 1980/2001. HarperCollins. 288 pages.
Night of the Living Trekkies. Kevin David Anderson & Sam Stall. 2010. July 2010. Quirk Publishing. 256 pages.
Evil Under the Sun. Agatha Christie. 1940/2006. Black Dog & Leventhal. 224 pages.
Taken at the Flood. Agatha Christie. 1948/1984. Penguin. 256 pages.
North and South. Elizabeth Gaskell. 1854-1855. 452 pages.
My Forever Friends (Friends for Keeps #4) Julie Bowe. 2011. July 2011. Penguin. 224 pages.
The Witches Guide to Cooking With Children. Keith McGowan. 2009. Henry Holt. 192 pages.
Small Persons with Wings. Ellen Booraem. 2011. Penguin. 304 pages.
Divergent. Veronica Roth. 2011. May 2011. HarperCollins. 496 pages.
Delirium. Lauren Oliver. 2011. February 2011. HarperCollins.  441 pages.
Across the Universe. Beth Revis. 2011. January 2011. Penguin. 416 pages.

Reviews at Young Readers

All Kinds of Kisses. Linda Cress Dowdy. Illustrated by Priscilla Lamont. 2010. Scholastic. 24 pages.
Tucker's Valentine. Leslie McGuirk. 2010. Candlewick Press. 28 pages.
I Love You Always and Forever. Jonathan Emmett. Illustrated by Daniel Howarth. 2010. Scholastic. 24 pages.
The More We Get Together. Caroline Jayne Church. 2011. Scholastic. 12 pages. 
You Are My Sunshine. Caroline Jayne Church. 2011. Scholastic. 12 pages.
Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit. A Book of Changing Seasons. Il Sung Na. 2011. Random House. 24 pages.
Quick, Slow, Mango! by Anik McGory. 2011. January 2011. Bloomsbury USA. 32 pages.
Have You Seen Duck? Janet A. Holmes. Illustrated by Jonathan Bentley. 2011. Scholastic. 24 pages.
Scaredy Squirrel Has a Birthday Party. Melanie Watt. 2011. Kids Can Press. 32 pages.
Without You. Genevieve Cote. 2011. Kids Can Press. 32 pages.
I Broke My Trunk! (Elephant and Piggie) Mo Willems. 2011. Hyperion. 64 pages.
Cousins of Clouds. Tracie Vaughn Zimmer. Illustrated by Megan Halsey and Sean Addy. 2011. [February 2011] Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 32 pages.
Emma Dilemma: Big Sister Poems. Kristine O'Connell George. Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. 2011. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 47 pages.
Twosomes: Love Poems From the Animal Kingdom. Marilyn Singer. Illustrated by Lee Wildish. 2011. Random House. 24 pages.

Reviews at Operation Actually Read Bible

The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas. Introduction by Andrew M. Greeley. 1942/1999. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 528 pages.
Bible Stories for Girls. American Bible Society. Scholastic. 2011. January 2011. 18 pages.
Bible Stories for Boys. American Bible Society. Scholastic. 2011. January 2011. 18 pages.
Passport Through Darkness: A True Story of Danger and Second Chances. Kimberly L. Smith. 2011. David C. Cook. 256 pages.
When Calls the Heart. Janette Oke. 1983/2005. Bethany House. 224 pages.
Lady in the Mist. Laurie Alice Eakes. 2011. Revell. 402 pages.
The Legacy of the King James Bible: Celebrating 400 Years of the Most Influential English Translation. Leland Ryken. 2011. Crossway. 272 pages.
The Imagination Station: Voyage with the Vikings. Marianne Hering. Paul McCusker. Adventures in Odyssey. 2011. Tyndale. 128 pages.
The Imagination Station: Attack at the Arena. Marianne Hering. Paul McCusker. Adventures in Odyssey. 2011. Tyndale. 128 pages.
Operation Bonnet. Kimberly Stuart. 2011. David C. Cook. 272 pages.
Don't Call It A Comeback: the Old Faith For a New Day. Edited by Kevin DeYoung. Foreword by D.A. Carson. 2011. Crossway Books. 256 pages.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 Reflections

Listless Monday, Offering Edition

Listless Monday was inspired by both Amanda at A Bookshelf Monstrosity's feature Books by Theme and Court at Once Upon a Bookshelf's Listed feature.  Be sure to check out their lists!

I was trying to figure out how I could tie these covers to the season or some nearby holiday. But, I decided not to waste any more time trying to think of a reason and just post the list already. So, here's what I like to call the "offering" books - these hands just look like they're giving you something.

Offering Edition

And I'm quite sure there are more (this totally seems to be a trend).  

Any suggestions?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

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Posted in listless monday , lists , not a review

Sunday Salon: Week In Review #9

What I Reviewed At Becky's Book Reviews

Wyrd Sisters. Terry Pratchett. 1980/2001. HarperCollins. 288 pages.
Night of the Living Trekkies. Kevin David Anderson & Sam Stall. 2010. July 2010. Quirk Publishing. 256 pages.
Evil Under the Sun. Agatha Christie. 1940/2006. Black Dog & Leventhal. 224 pages.
Taken at the Flood. Agatha Christie. 1948/1984. Penguin. 256 pages.
North and South. Elizabeth Gaskell. 1854-1855. 452 pages.
Small Persons with Wings. Ellen Booraem. 2011. Penguin. 304 pages. 

What I Reviewed At Young Readers

I Broke My Trunk! (Elephant and Piggie) Mo Willems. 2011. Hyperion. 64 pages.
Scaredy Squirrel Has a Birthday Party. Melanie Watt. 2011. Kids Can Press. 32 pages.
Without You. Genevieve Cote. 2011. Kids Can Press. 32 pages.

What I Reviewed At Operation Actually Read Bible

Operation Bonnet. Kimberly Stuart. 2011. David C. Cook. 272 pages.
Don't Call It A Comeback: the Old Faith For a New Day. Edited by Kevin DeYoung. Foreword by D.A. Carson. 2011. Crossway Books. 256 pages.


© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 Sunday Salons

Small Persons With Wings (MG)

Small Persons with Wings. Ellen Booraem. 2011. Penguin. 304 pages.


Last June, my parents jumped off a roof because of a pinky ring.

Small Persons With Wings is an interesting fantasy novel. It stars a young girl, Mellie Turpin, who is tired of being teased. Her nickname? Fairy Fat. It came about like this. In kindergarten, she told one of her classmates that she had a fairy living in her house. His name? Fidius. Those that didn't laugh, believed her. Until she didn't make good on her promise--to bring him for show and tell the next week. Months later, still "troubled" by the aftereffects of this social mess, the school counselor has a conference with her parents to talk about imaginary friends. Mellie never doubted that he was real until her parents called Fidius imaginary. She's been a skeptic ever since.

This overweight teen is still struggling with body issues, with social issues many years later. But. These problems are about to become trivial when her family moves to her grandfather's inn. For there Mellie discovers the truth. Fairies do exist. Fidius was real. And their new home doesn't just have a few fairies--it has a whole colony of fairies living in the basement. It seems her family has quite the legacy. Generations of secrets for one girl to uncover and explore. Mellie's "new" reality has dangers of its own. (Mellie may just end up a frog?!) But with it comes a chance for redemption...

I liked Small Persons With Wings. The story isn't flawless. It was a complex story, and it didn't always flow perfectly. The pacing was a little uneven at times. But it was enjoyable.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , J Fantasy , J Fiction , Penguin USA , review copy

Library Loot: Fifth Trip in February

New Loot:

Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski
Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue by Julius Lester
Cupid: A Tale of Love and Desire by Julius Lester
Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Battle of the Sun by Jeanette Winterson
Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV 2083 by Andrea White
Beatle Meets Destiny by Gabrielle Williams
The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
The Sky Inside by Clare B. Dunkle
Hit the Road by Caroline B. Cooney
Frog and Toad All Year by Arnold Lobel
Days with Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel
Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel
Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel

Leftover Loot:

A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley
Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Turnabout by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer
Best Foot Forward by Joan Bauer
The dead and the gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer
This world we live in by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens
Martin Chuzzlewit by Charels Dickens
Shirley by Charlotte Bronte
Vilette by Charlotte Bronte
Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen


Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.      

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 Library Loot

North and South (Revisited)

North and South. Elizabeth Gaskell. 1854-1855. 452 pages.

'Edith!' said Margaret, gently, 'Edith!'
But, as Margaret half suspected, Edith had fallen asleep.

Last spring I discovered North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. It was a story that I couldn't forget. I read the book. I listened to the audio book. I watched the movie. (I watched the movie twice.) When I wrote in my review that I loved it--I meant it. No question about that. But at the same time, I questioned the intensity of that love. Would it prove a lasting love? Would North and South prove to be a true favorite? Yes, the characters, the stories made an impression on me. But would it make a lasting impression? I knew that sooner or later I would have to reread this one.

So what do I think after rereading this one? I love it even more than I did before! And I didn't think that was quite possible! Because I was very enthusiastic the first time around.

There were things that I noticed for the first time. There were things that I was only able to appreciate the second time through. Little details that may not seem like much, but taken together add to the beauty and complexity of the whole.

I was able to focus on the relationships more, I think.  John's relationship with his mother and sister. And the relationship between Margaret and her mother and father and brother. And, of course, I was paying attention to every sign of affection between John and Margaret! Knowing the characters--knowing their strengths and weaknesses--it affected how I read the novel.
 
This was such a satisfying, comfort read.

North and South is bittersweet. I think the contrast between life's joys and sorrows is one reason why I love this one so very much. Because of everything that Margaret endures, her happily ever after means just that much more to me. I think I love John and Margaret more because of all the obstacles along the way.


Some of my favorite lines:

As she realized what might have been, she grew to be thankful for what was. (68)

'Take care you don't get caught by a penniless girl, John'
'I am not easily caught, mother, as I think you know. But I must not have Miss Hale spoken of in that way, which, you know is offensive to me. I never was aware of any young lady trying to catch me yet, nor do I believe that any one has ever given themselves that useless trouble. (78)

'Papa, I do think Mr. Thornton a very remarkable man; but personally I don't like him at all.' (88)

'Bessy, don't be impatient with your life, whatever it is--or may have been. Remember who gave it you, and made it what it is!' (91)

'Loyalty and obedience to wisdom and justice are fine; but it is still finer to defy arbitrary power, unjustly and cruelly used -- not on behalf of ourselves, but on behalf of others more helpless.' (109)

'I cannot forgive her pride,' said his mother; 'I will befriend her, if there is need, for your asking, John. I would befriend Jezebel herself if you asked me. But this girl, who turns up her nose at us all--who turns up her nose at you--'
'Nay, mother; I have never yet put myself, and I mean never to put myself, within reach of her contempt.'
'Contempt, indeed! Don't go speaking of Miss Hale, John, if I've to be kind to her. When I'm with her, I don't know if I like or dislike her most; but when I think of her, and hear you talk of her, I hate her.' (143)

'Don't dwell so much on the prophecies, but read the clearer parts of the Bible.'
'I dare say it would be wiser; but where would I hear such grand words of promise--hear tell o' anything so far different fro' this dreary world, and this town above as in Revelations? Many's the time I've repeated the verses in the seventh chapter to myself, just for the sound. It's as good as an organ, and as different from every day, too. No, I cannot give up Revelations. It gives me more comfort than any other book i' the Bible.' (137)

'I suspect my "gentleman" includes your "true man."'
'And a great deal more, you would imply. I differ from you. A man is to me a higher and completer being than a gentleman.'
'What do you mean?' asked Margaret. 'We must understand the words differently.'
'I take it that "gentleman" is a term that only describes a person in his relation to others; but when we speak of him as "a man," we consider him not merely with regard to his fellow-men, but in relation to himself, - to life - to time - to eternity. A cast-away lonely as Robinson Crusoe - a prisoner immured in a dungeon for life - nay, even a saint in Patmos, has his endurance, his strength, his faith, best described as being spoken of as "a man." I am rather weary of this word "gentlemanly," which seems to me to be often inappropriately used, and often, too, with such exaggerated distortion of meaning, while the full simplicity of the noun "man," and the adjective "manly" are unacknowledged - that I am induced to class it with the cant of the day.' (163)

'He is the first specimen of a manufacturer - of a person engaged in trade - that I had ever the opportunity of studying, papa. He is my first olive, let me make a face while I swallow it. I know he is good of his kind, and by and by I shall like the kind. I rather think I am already beginning to do so. (165)

'Speak to your workmen as if they were human beings. Speak to them kindly. Don't let the soldiers come in and cut down poor creatures who are driven mad. I see one there who is. If you have any courage or noble quality in you, go out and speak to them, man to man.' (175)

'I hardly know if it is pain or pleasure, to think that I owe it to one - nay, you must, you shall hear - to one whom I love, as I do not believe man ever loved woman before.' (192)

'One word more. You look as if you thought it tainted you to be loved by me. You cannot avoid it. Nay, I, if I would, cannot cleanse you from it. But I would not, if I could. I have never loved any woman before: my life has been too busy, my thoughts too much absorbed with other things. Now I love, and will love. But do  not be afraid of too much expression on my part. (194)

'I see a great deal of difference between Miss Hale and Fanny. I can imagine that the one may have weighty reasons, which may and ought to make her overlook any seeming impropriety in her conduct. I never knew Fanny have weighty reasons for anything. Other people must guard her. I believe Miss Hale is guardian to herself.' (305)

'The exact truth! Very few people do speak the exact truth. I have given up hoping for it.' (320)

'He may care for her, though she really has been almost rude to him at times. But she! - why, Margaret would never think of him, I'm sure! Such a thing has never entered her head.'
'Entering her heart would do. But I merely threw out a suggestion of what might be.' (329)

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 1800-1900 , 1854 , 1855 , adult fiction , classics

Library Loot: Fourth Trip in February

New Loot:

Come Juneteenth by Ann Rinaldi
I Broke My Trunk by Mo Willems
A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley
Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Turnabout by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer
Best Foot Forward by Joan Bauer
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
The dead and the gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer
This world we live in by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens
Martin Chuzzlewit by Charels Dickens
Shirley by Charlotte Bronte

Leftover Loot:


The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks
Vilette by Charlotte Bronte
Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Jane Goes Batty by Michael Thomas Ford
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries     

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 Library Loot

Operation Bonnet

Operation Bonnet. Kimberly Stuart. 2011. David C. Cook. 272 pages.

I didn't set out to be the town luminary. True, there wasn't exactly a lot of competition in Casper. 

Set in Casper, Ohio, Nellie Monroe, an amateur private-detective, stars in Kimberly Stuart's Operation Bonnet. Her first client, Amos Shetler, is still getting adjusted to his new life. He left the Amish community because he felt he just didn't belong, but the truth is, he hasn't found exactly how to belong in the "English" community either. (Watching Gidget marathons probably isn't helping!) He is still in love with an Amish girl, Katie, but he fears that he'll never see her again. And even if she still loves him, how would their relationship ever be able to work? He's heard that Katie is being courted by John Yoder. And he's very jealous. He wants Nellie to learn if Katie is indeed going to marry this other guy. Nellie thrilled to have her very first case isn't quite sure how to go about it. But. Surely the first step is to try to find a way into the Amish community? But Nellie doesn't exactly "blend" well no matter her location. So expect a very messy comedy of misunderstandings...

The novel also spends a little time on Nellie's personal life. Primarily her loving relationship with her grandmother and her relationship with her best friend, Matt. As soon as Matt's name is mentioned, readers almost know with certainty, that he must surely be in love with her--that he has been in love with her for many, many years. And that Nellie is indeed truly clueless about love. But while there are certainly predictable elements within Operation Bonnet, this novel is so quirky that it almost works.

Operation Bonnet reminded me of Jane Austen's Emma. There is just something so clueless about Nellie. While many readers may enjoy Nellie's adventures (and misadventures), I found them slightly irritating. It wasn't so much that I disliked the book--its story, or its characters--I just felt a slight disconnect.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , adult fiction , CFBA Blog Tour , David C. Cook , review copy , romance

Book Review: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Retro Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Angie of Angieville and "focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc." 

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Publisher: Um...lots (for this new cover, CreateSpace)
Publication date: 1811 (way retro)
ISBN: 9781451539400 (for this edition)
Source: Library (book club set)

Elinor and Marianne Dashwood have been cruelly sent away from their childhood home by an unfeeling older half-brother who inherited all their father had.  When they are forced to move to a much smaller cottage, Elinor leaves behind her heart with Edward Ferrars, a young man who never quite manages to declare his own love for her.  Marianne is swept off her feet by the dashing Willoughby who bears a mysterious past and an inability to come out and declare his intentions.  When the two sisters face similar tragic circumstances, they must both find a way to deal with grief - two very different ways.

Things I Liked:
Elinor is far and away my favorite character.  A selfless, kind, and caring person who always manages to think of others.  Yes, she suffers and she recognizes it, but she doesn't dwell on it completely.  She has her flaws as well, seeming to ignore those feelings sometimes, but that just adds to her attractions.  I found Marianne and several other similar characters to be fools all around.  It was interesting to see how Austen would poke fun at them with her sly word choices.  I also liked how it was also a sisters novel and not just a romantic story.  I caught more of the humor and wit in the story this time around.  Austen continues to be one of my favorite authors, especially for the subtle humor and the spanking good stories she turned out.

Things I Didn't Like:
I didn't like how there were so many reprehensible characters throughout.  I would have liked to have more characters I could admire.  And the ending for Marianne was actually kind of sad.  The movies I've seen definitely don't include the part where she kind of gives in to everyone else's wishes.  Pretty sad if you think about it, but probably not that uncommon at the time.

Read-alikes:
So many knock-offs and sequels, it would be impossible to enumerate them all!
And, of course, other Austen novels

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: none

Overall rating: ****

Are you an Austen purist (no knock-offs or sequels), an anything Austen related (all knock-offs and sequels) or a non-Austen reader?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

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Posted in 4 stars , adult , book group , classics , retro friday

The Crippled God

It's hard to know where to begin with this review. We've been reading Steven Erikson's The Malazan Book of the Fallen for six years. It's what got us re-interested in fantasy after years toiling under the belief that fantasy was imprisoned in the land of elves and dwarves. Six years.

And suddenly here we are at the end.

THE CRIPPLED GOD (TCG). The tenth and final novel in The Malazan Book of the Fallen. We'd be lying if we said we never had a moment of worry going into this novel. Up until this point, Erikson's series has been one of the standards to which we compare all modern fantasy. Many authors have enough trouble simply writing the ending to one novel, never mind the final book of a ten novel series. The short version is that TCG blew us completely away.

We recently read a review of TCG by Bill Capossere over at Tor.com. It is a fantastic review that you all should read. It also was nearly identical to a review we were excited to post. So yeah, this is attempt number two. Bill totally preempted us (we still think he's awesome)...but you know the saying about great minds and all that. One thing we haven't adjusted from the draft of the review is a quote from TCG that essentially diagrams what the book is about. Names of the characters speaking were omitted to prevent insane spoilers:

"There are too many rogue players in this game. Icarium. Draconus. The First Sword of the T’lan Imass. Olar Ethil. Silchas Ruin, Tulas Shorn, Kilava—even Gruntle, the Mortal Sword of Treach. And now the Elient, and how many dragons have come or are coming through the gate? A hundred? A thousand? Oh, and the Elder Gods: Errastas, the past Master of the Tiles, and Kilmandaros and her son...“

“They—they’re all here?”

“Nobody said it’d be easy...what do you have to offer me?”

“Why, more good news...Let’s just add the K’Chain Che’Malle and the Jaghut, and oh...who knows how many slavering fanatics of the Wolves of Winter! And what about the Crippled God himself?”

“All right, it’s rather more complicated than I had imagined.”

Yeah. And that only touches the surface.

This novel is FULL. Essentially every conceivable character is in this novel in one form or another. Everything is coming to one last convergence of powers. Main characters die, though you should have gotten used to that after reading books 2 & 3. We'll just say that it was...brutal.

TCG picks up immediately after DUST OF DREAMS. This shouldn't be news since TCG is just the second half of a huge novel. We mention it because every other novel in Erikson's series has a solid beginning and a solid end. It may seem pointless to bring up, but under no circumstances should you read this book without having read the full series--and even more specific, we recommend you re-read book 9 (or at least have read it recently) before tackling this amazing close to the series.

TCG is not a surprising novel. There won't be a huge massive twist at the end that makes you say, "Ah ha!" What makes TCG so incredible is how everything is pulled together. Most of those crazy plot threads get pulled together here. The subtlety of it. This includes things you probably forgot about back in books 3, 6 or even from GARDENS OF THE MOON. It was in seeing how much was actually planned and hinted at from the very beginning that had us marveling. Just the effort involved in simply tracking everything must have been a monumental task for Erikson.

You may have noticed a key word back in that last paragraph. "Most" (maybe) of the plot threads were wrapped up. Not everything. Depending on the reader you are, this may bother you. Us? Not at all. Somethings are better left in question, not to mention Erikson has a slew of other novel planned that may touch on these dangling threads. We just felt we should tell you straight up that not everything is resolved.

But what is resolved...good grief. Remember the ending to MEMORIES OF ICE? You know, the one that made you cry? It's OK, we cried right along with you. It was (and still is) one of the most tear-jerking, awesome endings we have ever read. The ending of THE CRIPPLED GOD trumps that. Twice. We aren't too proud to admit to getting teary-eyed. Not just when characters die (which, unsurprisingly, happens frequently), but more in the simple things. A handshake. Laughter. A speech. A character giving comfort to a stranger. It is incredibly hard not to quote a few of the scenes near the end of the novel, but we're sticking by our non-spoilerness. No lie, Erikson has written some of the most emotionally powerful scenes we've ever read in TCG.

As we read through this novel, a realization came to us. By treating the readers as adults by not beating us over the head with stuff we should already know, Erikson actually allows the reader to feel like a kid and just enjoy TCG for what it is: fantasy at its best. Though we don't think the series is the best thing since sliced bread, we realized that this must be how all those Wheel of Time are hoping to feel when A MEMORY OF LIGHT comes out. Trust us, if AMoL is even a fraction as amazing as TCG was, you will all think you were in heaven.

Before yo know it, TCG is winding down, and you flip the page to discover two epilogues. This was when it really was hammered home that The Malazan Book of the Fallen was ending in just a few pages. A very small part of us wanted to leave the last few pages unread so that it didn't end. It would be so easy for Erikson's critics to say how depressing and hopeless this whole series has been. They obviously didn't read it the same way we did. On the contrary, it isn't often that we read a series that has AS MUCH hope and love in it as The Malazan Book of the Fallen. Though some of our favorite characters met their ends in this concluding novel, it never brought us down. It just blew us away.

As a Malazan fan, there isn't much else you can ask for here, though there are the usual problems. It could have done with some trimming. After a certain point, all the small pieces in each of the soldier's heads began to run together. We'll admit that the Shake story-line hasn't been our favorite during the series, though it acquits itself nicely in TCG--this is more of a personal thing, no doubt many of you readers LOVE that thread. And we still aren't fond of Erikson's seeming insistence at not telling us who the PoV is at the beginning of new segments--it doesn't always need to be a mystery. You can find this kinds of issues with every author, but you always overlook them with your favorites.

THE CRIPPLED GOD is an amazing novel. Epic in every possible way. It's hard to imagine a more perfect end to this series. In an age where it seems like more and more authors leave their work unfinished with broken promises, Erikson has fulfilled his promises to the readers. Thank you, Steven Erikson, for giving us one of the best fantasy novels in one of the best series out there.

We could go on forever, but we'll leave you to enjoy the novel yourself. We leave you with a small end-piece that closes THE CRIPPLED GOD:

And now the page before us blurs.
An age is done. The book must close.
We are abandoned to history.
Raise high one more time the tattered standard
of the Fallen. See through the drifting smoke
to the dark stains upon the fabric.
This is the blood of our lives, this is the
payment of our deeds, all soon to be
forgotten.
We were never what people could be.
We were only what we were.
The distance grows vast.

Remember us


Recommended Age: 16+
Language: Yep. A tad more than usual.
Violence: All sorts, and it is perfect.
Sex: Talked about, but nothing graphic.

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Posted in Books We Love , Fantasy , Steven Erikson

Book Review: Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink

Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date: August 2010
ISBN: 9780316034470
Source: Library

Lia has been working on how to stop Samael from entering this world and destroying everything ever since she left her home in New York.  With the companionship of Sonia, she's been searching for the other two keys that will help her stop Samael forever.  She learns that not only is her sister Alice getting much more powerful, she is also trying to steal James, the man Lia had to leave behind.  Lia must do everything she can to get the final pages of the prophecy that will tell her how to stop Samael before she and everyone she cares about gets killed.

Things I Liked:
I love the spooky and Gothic feel of the story.  There seems to be so much of a mythical background and history to the prophecy, Grigori, and Sisterhood that I can't get enough of it from one book.  I love that while it may not be about true historical facts, it reads like a historical fiction book with some fantasy elements.  The story was intriguing and I am dying to find out what is in store for Lia and Alice, not to mention the rest of the people I've come to care about.  A mysterious and dark book with enough excitement and surprise to keep you reading.  I'm excited for the next book!

Things I Didn't Like:
I was really annoyed with Lia for most of this book.  She was so, so naive throughout.  She just kept doing stupid things, sometimes even knowing they were stupid, and then needing to be saved by someone else.  I was so happy in the end when she finally figured out that she had to save herself.  In that sense, it showed her progression from annoying to less annoying.  

Read-alikes:
Dreamhunter duet by Elizabeth Knox

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
maybe one or two

mrg-factor: X
some mild parts and references

v-factor: ->
a few fight scenes, not too much

Overall rating: **** 

I like a good plain historical fiction, but I just love historical fantasy! Do you prefer it plain or with a little embellishment?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

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Posted in 4 stars , Fantasy , historical fantasy , paranormal