CACTUS EATERS by Dan White

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Cactus Eaters - How I Lost My Mind and Almost Found Myself - On the Pacific Crest Trail

By Dan White

I was looking for some travel books at my local library when I came across this book. The spine had many indentations on it, and how could I resist a title like Cactus Eaters? My husband and his family eat cactus, but in the form of nopales - sliced into thin strips, cooked and inserted into tacos as a filling. I pulled the book out from the shelf and gave it a good flip before slipping it into my canvas tote bag. 

Cactus Eaters is a memoir by Dan White about his experience of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail with his then-girlfriend, Allison. This isn't just a hiking story. This is also a story of a struggling relationship between two people at pivotal points in their lives, from the perspective of a man whose life is changing and he is unsure of what he wants. Dan wonders whether their struggling relationship can survive outside of the Pacific Crest Trail. 

Before reading this book, I never realized that the PCT hiking community was so small. People recognize each other from the signature books that hikers sign at various points along the trail. Cactus Eaters introduces us to the lightweight hikers who follow the teachings of Ray Jardine, the snobbery and competitiveness that one can encounter occasionally, as well as other intriguing individuals that one can meet on the trail. At some points I found his assessment of certain individuals a bit too judgmental, but for the most part, I enjoyed reading his portraits of different people they met along the trail. 

Dan speculates on the type of person who would be drawn to the Pacific Crest Trail. Many embark on the trail to work through some type of emotional pain. Having grown up somewhat sheltered and privileged, he feels like he is unproven, like a sword not yet used in battle. The full title of this book is Cactus Eaters - How I lost my Mind and Almost Found Myself on the Pacific Crest Trail. *Almost* is right. During the last third of the book, Dan falls into a spiral of aimlessness and prioritizes himself and his PCT goal over Allison and their relationship. The memoir doesn't end with a neat, climactic moment of self-realization, but with his relationship with Allison unraveling into a distant friendship, and the two of them drifting off into their respective lives. As satisfying as it would have been to have a snappy Hollywood ending, I accepted the realism. 

Cactus Eaters breaks away from cliches ending in the protagonist/speaker "finding" himself. Contrary to expectations and hopes that he may have had going into the PCT, he fails to find himself, but instead, gets lost along the way and struggles to find direction after PCT. Eventually he moves on with his life, but those events occur far after the PCT experience. However, I was glad to know that he turned out okay. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and White's narrative style. Dan White intermingled his and Allison's experiences in the PCT with the historical background of the PCT and wandering thoughts.

THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL by Soman Chainani

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The School for Good and Evil

by Soman Chainani

(Book 1)

Retellings of classic fairy tales have a history as long as gossip itself, and continue to be popular in pop culture. Among retellings is Soman Chainani's debut novel, The School for Good and Evil, which debuted on the New York Times bestseller list. In this hilarious novel, Chainani takes the generic, quasi-medieval setting of fairy tales and reinvents it to subvert countless fairy tale tropes while telling a story about friendship between two girls. 

Sophie and Agatha live in the village of Gavaldon, a generic fairy tale-esque village in the middle of some woods. Every year, on the eleventh night of the eleventh month, two children disappear. The legends say that a School Master kidnaps the children and takes them into a school where one of them learns Good and the other learns Evil. The children would eventually graduate into fairy tales as a hero and a villain. 

Sophie, the most beautiful girl in the village, has spent most of her life doing "good" deeds and primping herself to prepare to be kidnapped into the School for Good. Agatha, on the other hand, lives by a graveyard, wears black frocks, has a pet cat - looks as if she's perfect for the School for Evil.

However, when the kidnapping happens, the girls find that their purported paths have been switched - Agatha is a student of the School for Good while Sophie is thrown into the School for Evil. 

The School for Good and Evil challenges a lot of tropes introduced by fairy tales that a lot of us grow up accepting, such as that attributes such as ugliness, the color black, and dirtiness = evil, while attractiveness, the color white (and other pastels), and purity (pristine surroundings, pure intentions) = good. 

Chainani also questions the ideology of "goodness" and also our subjective connotations of what it means to "hurt" or "help" someone, and whether it's really so good to "give" something. The five rules that separate Good from Evil are:

1. The Evil attack. The Good defend. 
2. The Evil punish. The Good forgive. 
3. The Evil hurt. The Good help. 
4. The Evil take. The Good give. 
5. The Evil hate. The Good love. (page 157)

Take Rule 4 and apply it to the fate of Good animals who "help" Princesses:

"Animals love to help princesses for so many reasons!" said Princess Uma, stopping at the water's edge. "Because we sing pretty songs, because we give them shelter in the scary Woods, because they only wish they could be as beautiful and beloved as--"

"Wait."

Uma and the girls turned. Agatha held up the storybook's last page--a painting of the stag ripped to pieces by monsters as the princess escaped.

"How is that a happy ending?"

"If you aren't good enough to be a princess, then you're honored to die for one, of course," Uma smiled, as if she would learn this lesson soon enough. (page 130)

A lot of distinguishing between good and evil starts with the appearance, but the book also addresses deception (when a Good or Evil person is disguised as the other). Agatha struggles between the School's institutionally-enforced dichotomy between Good and Evil because she was placed in the School of Good, but her appearance and reclusive outward demeanor makes her appear as if she belongs with the School of Evil: 

"What if my face is Evil?"

Her teacher flinched at her tone.

"I'm far from home, I I've lost my only friend, everyone here hates me, and all I want is a way to find some kind of happy ending," Agatha said, red-hot. "But you can't even tell me the truth. My ending is not about what Good I do or what's inside me. It's about how I look." Spit flew out of her mouth.

"I never even had a chance." (page 372)

Despite this book being full of hilarious moments (mostly in which Sophie attempts to do Good deeds at school), it also contains some sincere moments of growth for Agatha's character, in which she emerges from beneath Sophie's flamboyant shadow and paves her own destiny. As her confidence increases, Agatha transforms from the reluctant sidekick to her own heroine, and also realizes that there are things in-between Good and Evil (page 423). 

Overall, this book helped me develop an appreciation for fairy tale villains for their flair and passion. With their contrasting personalities, Sophie and Agatha complement each other well as friends (and maybe frenemies). I absolutely loved the clever reinvention and subversion of fairy tale tropes in The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani. 

I look forward to reading the second book, A World Without Princes, which actually came out this April. The third book, The Last Ever After, will be released on July 21, 2015. 

Find out more about The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani:

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NORA AND KETTLE by Lauren Nicolle Taylor

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Nora and Kettle
by Lauren Nicolle Taylor
Expected Publication: February 29, 2016

If you haven’t read anything by Lauren Nicolle Taylor, you’re in for a real treat: Nora and Kettle is an upcoming novel by Lauren Nicolle Taylor, international bestselling author of The Woodlands. Set in the years after World War II, Nora and Kettle features a story about friendship and love between the daughter of a civil rights lawyer and a mixed-race Japanese-American orphan. 

The first few pages of Nora and Kettle whisked me away into the sheltered but troubled life of Nora, daughter of a prestigious civil rights attorney. Living in a large home with her affluent family, Nora has learned to hide her bruises and stay quiet, mostly for the sake of keeping her little sister safe from their violent father. 

The story soon shifts to the perspective of Kettle, a young man who goes out of his way to make life livable for his family, a group of Nisei orphans (“Lost Children”) who were taken from orphanages and placed into internment camps. 

What do Nora and Kettle have in common? They are protective of those they love, and would sacrifice much to make sure that their loved ones are safe. Nora bravely endures her father’s beatings to make sure her sister is safe, while Kettle fights to work risky jobs in the mines in order to feed his family of fellow homeless children. On the surface, they live very different lives, but they also have a lot in common. 

The story flows seamlessly between the perspectives of Nora and Kettle. I found myself attempting to piece together different facts and details to get a hold of the big picture or the “real deal” of a character.The revelations are satisfying and add layers of complexity to characters and their motivations. Hints introduced throughout the book come together to reveal important discoveries later on in the story--wish I could say but it’d be too spoilery. Take my word on this!

A sketch of Nora and Kettle, by Lauren Nicolle Taylor

Nora and Kettle left me reeling with emotions--happy ones, angry ones, and also sad ones. I dreamed along with Nora, simmered with anger at her father’s violence and hypocrisy, and cheered for both Nora and Kettle. I found myself identifying with both characters’ struggles, dreams, and fears. 

The emotional impact of this novel also stems from Lauren Nicolle Taylor’s signature style of poetic prose. Her vivid writing sweeps me away into the secret realms of her characters’ minds and hearts, where they are free to express how they truly feel. This is especially true for Nora, whose innerworld is dreamy and mobile compared to her oppressive situation at home, where she has to hide her true thoughts from her overbearing father. 

"A Frankie and Kettle Moment" by Lauren Nicolle Taylor

Overall, this is a poetically written novel about two strong-willed characters who will do whatever they can to ensure the safety of the people they love. The post-World War II setting and Kettle’s background illuminates a segment of history that is often overlooked: the removal of children from orphanages and their subsequent placement into internment camps for having any sort of Japanese ancestry. Nora and Kettle are likable characters who drive the plot forward and I find myself investing deeply in their struggles. Nora and Kettle is an exhilarating read and I highly recommend it.

Expected Publication Date for Nora and Kettle: February 26, 2016

Find out more about Nora and Kettle by Lauren Nicolle Taylor:

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DIARY OF A JOB SEARCH: One Man's Journey from Unemployment to a New Career by Tim Johnston

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Diary of a Job Search: One Man's Journey from Unemployment to a New Career

by Tim Johnston

Ever read an old manual? My dad owned a lot of old textbooks from the 1970s and 1980s, and as a kid, I'd flip through them whenever I was bored. One of the books was a guide on how to save money on your car, and the author spoke about driving beneath the speed limit, 55 mph. "Wow, cars were slow back then," the ten-year-old me would remark.

The technology of job hunting, while it is a constant phenomenon and necessity, is constantly changing, especially in the Internet Age. This book, like so many others, was a product of its time, and it reveals a lot of insight into the anxious mindset of the post-9/11 American job hunter.

Perhaps the economic chaos after 9/11 was the beginning of the end to the idea of one stable, lifelong career, the expectation that the same company will take care of its employees for life. The beginning of job hunting and company-hopping as employees realized that they were on their own in terms of securing their financial future. Along with new circumstances comes a new "game", new rules, and new tools to use in the job hunt. It's the reason Richard Bolle comes out with a new edition of What Color Is Your Parachute? every year (A thorough book of advice on the job hunting process. I recommend it).

Diary of a Job Search by Tim Johnston goes back to the pre-LinkedIn days of 2003. Tim the Job Hunter's journey is fun (and occasionally hilarious) to read.

I'd like to compare the experience of reading this to staring into a time capsule of what it was like to search for jobs around the time the Internet was starting to take off in popularity. Lots of references were made to the 9/11 attacks and their catastrophic effects on the job market. Tim regarded the use of the pre-LinkedIn Internet for job hunting with skepticism, and partly because job sites were already being spammed with resumes and sketchy sales opportunities.

Some lessons Tim learned along the way remain relevant in 2015: "feeding and watering" your network, interviews, negotiating one's salary, being likable/showing value in an interview, and being persistent in the job search despite the challenges of morale and unemployment.

I hope Tim is doing well today. He was a likable job hunting protagonist in this book, and even though our life circumstances are completely different, it was easy to identify with him and his concerns and aspirations.

My rating: 5/5 stars by 2003 standards

Thanks for reading! Find out more about Diary of a Job Search by Tim Johnston:

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YES PLEASE by Amy Poehler

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Yes Please is Amy Poehler's book of all-things-Poehler: memoirs, opinion essays, thoughts, ideas, lists, and the occasional haiku poem. Amy Poehler's voice strikes me as sincere, intelligent, witty, and engaging. She is self-conscious of her role as an entertainer who is creating a book about herself, and also as a white woman who grew up in a working class.

Poehler's career has survived at least two wars and the 9/11 attacks. Amy Poehler stated that after the September 11, 2001 attacks, "It felt like America might not ever smile, never mind laugh, again" (135). But it did. I remember Amy Poehler's hilarious skits with Tina Fey from around 2008 during the presidential campaign.

If Yes Please reflects Amy Poehler as a person and comedian, then the book has given me a lot of respect for her because she shares the guilt she felt over the way she'd indignantly handled the negative reaction over a skit making fun of a girl with cerebral palsy. She lived with this guilt for years until she finally gathered the courage to apologize. I thought it was brave of her to come out and admit the crummy way in which she'd reacted to the backlash.

In addition to stories about her way to becoming the SNL star that she is now, Amy Poehler shares moments from her childhood. One of my favorite parts is the section about her "plain" looks:

"I had already made a decision early on that I would be a plain girl with tons of personality, and accepting it made everything a lot easier. If you are lucky, there is a moment in your life when you have some say as to what your currency is going to be. I decided early on it was not going to be my looks" (20).

Amy Poehler also points out the double standards that mothers and teenagers are held up to. With mothers, stay-at-home-moms and working mothers are made to feel bad for either not working or for not spending enough time with their children. For teenagers, girls straddle the line between "virgin" and "slut", a game that no one can ever truly win. Amy points out all of these frustrating standards with a light and humorous tone, without sounding preachy or angry.

Her life motto: "Good for you, not for me."

The layout of Yes Please by Amy Poehler is beautiful, consisting of splash pages between each chapter with short and snappy lines, such as "Do whatever you like," and "Short people do not like to be picked up". I also enjoyed looking at photos of her past, which are sprinkled throughout the book but do not dominate the discourse.

My rating: 5/5

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Audiobook: The Spine of the World by R.A. Salvatore (Drizzt #12)

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The Spine of the World

by R.A. Salvatore

(Paths of Darkness #2; Legend of Drizzt #12)

Before I read this book, I thought Wulfgar was a boring side character, maybe a copy of Conan the Barbarian, or the third corner to the love triangle between himself, Catti-Brie, and Drizzt. The Spine of the World changed my mind about Wulfgar - this book is about his path to redemption after being torn up by Errtu in more ways than one. The Spine of the World by R.A. Salvatore has become one of my favorite books in the Legend of Drizzt series.

The New Wulfgar: Dealing with Trauma

Wulfgar has returned from the clutches of Errtu, but he experiences a cognitive dissonance: his loved ones (Drizzt, Catti-Brie, Bruenor, and others) see him as the way he was, before being taken by Errtu and tortured for years. They expect him to be the same old Wulfgar that they once knew. That he once knew. However, Wulfgar can't identify with the man he once was, so he sets off on his own and gets a dead-end job as a bouncer in a bar. He drowns his fears, anxieties, and sorrows in alcohol funded by his new career as a bar bouncer.  He also makes friends with a rogue named Morik. 

There's a difference between understanding his angst on a distant, rational level, and experiencing the same angst in the form of surprise-PTSD-like flashbacks. Finally, I was able to connect to Wulfgar in a way that I hadn't been able to throughout the series - not only through his trauma, but in his redemption. Knowing that deep down, beneath the fear, was a person with good intentions. 

Meralda: Stuck in a Nasty Love Triangle

My initial reaction to the parallel story line about Meralda was one of perplexity. "Who the heck are these people?" I wondered. "Why should I care about them, and how will their paths intersect with that of Wulfgar's?" Meralda is a beautiful young peasant who is forced, by circumstances, to humor and marry a local lord for the sake of her mother, who is dying from what seems to be cancer. She loves another - Jaka, a handsome, local boy with a head of beautiful curls. 

I thought I knew where this was going. Lord Faringal came across as repulsive and moronic, with his odes of love to Meralda when he hadn't even spoken to her. "Oh," I figured. "Lord Faringal is the gross nobleman and Jaka is the poor lover." I rooted for the poor guy until I realized Jaka was a jackass. Meralda is trapped between two men, who are competing for different reasons: love (Faringal) and ego (Jaka). Ultimately, this parallel story turned out to be really good--I wanted it to be its own separate novel with Meralda as its heroine! 

Conclusion

The Spine of the World by R.A. Salvatore is about Wulfgar not being able to reconcile his old self (with Drizzt and friends) with his new self (post-Errtu), and fighting against traumas of the past. He tries to run from the past, but ultimately realizes that there is no way to deal with his emotions but to confront them. Meralda's parallel story was really cool too - I would love for her character to show up in more Forgotten Realms books.

My rating:

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The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

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Love makes us such fools. 

--The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender

I have been reading this book on and off for a few months. I finally sat down to read it on my day off, and it makes me regret not getting into it sooner, especially at the height of the hype for this book.

Some of the things I heard about it:

• family drama
• magical realism
• pretty language

I'll just go ahead and say it: THE WRITING IS SO BEAUTIFUL IN THIS BOOK. If writing were like dancing, Leslye Walton would be a ballerina pirouetting on the pointy tip of the Burj Khalifa with ease. 

Yes. The Burj Khalifa. 

Take me here one day, but don't throw me off it.

All of the things I heard about this novel were true. The strange and beautiful sorrows of Ava Lavender begin not within her own life but further back in her family's past: her itty-bitty, quiet, great-grandmother in France. Then the narrator eventually moves on to the lives of Ava's grandmother after the family's move to Manhattan, then Vivienne (Ava's mother), then finally Ava, a girl born with angel-like wings. The story pays particular attention to their love lives--how they acquire and then lose their first loves. 

Ultimately, the story is a matriarchal family saga that comes across to me as the love child of Laura Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate and Mario Puzo's The Godfather. I'd say that it looks more like its mother than its father. 

Even though the title mentions Ava, the true main characters are Emilienne and Vivienne. Ava doesn't show up until around half point of the story, and even then, she's unconscious for a larger part of the story (and still operating as an omniscient narrator). 

A large theme in this novel involves the characters dealing with different possibilities of love: the beautiful, the ugly, the messy, the delusional, the sweet... "Love" may have become a cheesy concept, but the emotions in this novel are very real. We all hear about girls who get pregnant, sisters who fight over the same guy, people who delude themselves into thinking their romance is something it's not, and people who move on after trying to cling onto the possibility of a relationship for the longest time. 

Like real life, there are no clean and conclusive Hollywood endings to any of these stories, but the characters do search for closure, and what they do find is satisfying for me as a reader. The novel reads fast. After starting over from the beginning, I finished it within two days. If you have better concentration than I do, you can finish it in one.

As for the magical realism, I wasn't thinking about it when I picked this book up again. I was admiring all the beautiful metaphorical language until I had trouble picturing a character glue yellow feathers all over herself and chirp...Wait. She turned into a bird. Not figuratively...but literally. As with characters in most magical realistic stories, the family sees her transformation as a tragic inconvenience but copes with it. 

Love it. 

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

Sound of Sirens by Jen Minkman (Tales of Skylge #1)

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Sound of Sirens

by Jen Minkman

(Tales of Skylge #1)

After reading Jen Minkman's The Island series, I was stunned by how different this novel is in comparison to the ones in her former series, possibly because in this novel, possibly because Minkman draws inspiration from the history of her home country, the Netherlands. Sound of Sirens is well written, and while it took a while to set up, I loved the characters and the cultural and geographical details incorporated throughout the book.  

Sound of Sirens takes place in an island in which two groups of people live: the Currents and the Skylgers. The Currents are the rich ruling class who came from across the sea, while Skylgers are natives to the island. Electricity exists, but the Currents hoard it. The island is surrounded by mysterious merfolk whose siren calls lead hypnotized island folk to their watery doom. It seems that neither Currents nor Skylgers are immune to the call of the Siren. 

Enna, the Skygler main character, is the daughter of a woman who died after heeding the Siren's call. After her brother who returned from a long voyage gives her an LP that can only be played by electric devices, she befriends a Current guy named Royce. Who's hot. And popular with the girls. And somehow indifferent to all except Enna.

Thus begins a taboo Skygler-Current relationship, meanwhile Enna learns more about the monopoly that the Currents hold over electricity, and that there is more to the history of the island of Skylge than what was taught in history class.

Sometimes Enna comes close to falling into what I consider the "Bella Complex" in which she considers herself plain compared to Royce, and Royce is such a girl magnet that it's a wonder he doesn't sparkle in the sunlight.

However, she is not a Bella, because she's curious and passionate about the larger politics of the island. She doesn't want to hide or even defend herself from the scary politics; she wants to change the bigger picture--proactively. She wants to learn more about the history. She is proud of her Skylger culture and language, which is slowly disappearing beneath the Current rule.

The language in this book is simplistic and minimalist, and compared to her other series, Minkman writes with more familiarity about the details of Skylge because she is drawing ideas from her home country this time. It took some time to set up the world and its conflicts, but not too long. Once the island of Skylge was established, I wanted to find out how far Enna would go to discover the truths of the island, and how far the Currents would go to protect the status quo.

I can't wait to read the sequel!

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars

Tales of Skylge:

1. Sound of Sirens (this)

2. Light of Lorelei 

Review: THE WANTED by Lauren Nicolle Taylor (The Woodlands #4)

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The Wanted

by Lauren Nicolle Taylor

(The Woodlands #4)

Here are some facts about this book:

• The fourth and last novel in the series, The Woodlands 
• Will release on October 31, 2014
• A post-apocalyptic dystopian novel
• Responsible for at least two late nights beneath the blanket 
• Probably contains nicotine somewhere in there

Out of all the books in The Woodlands series, this one is my favorite because of the dual narrative and beautiful language that weaves together the sensory details with Rosa's inner thoughts. Rosa may think that she's horrible with metaphors, but her narrative voice is actually filled with vivid figurative language. 

The story is divided between the perspectives of Rosa and Joseph. Given the movement that Rosa and Joseph take part in against the oppressive regime of the Superiors, I had an idea of what would happen, but I had no idea how. The episodes between Rosa and Joseph are brief but important -- each scene moves the story forward and keeps me intrigued on what would happen next. 

Sometimes the perspective would switch and I'd whine, "No, but I wanted to find out what happened to Rosa." But soon enough, I'd be entranced with Joseph's side of the line. 

So what's going on in The Wanted?

Rosa is a prisoner of the Superiors and faces interrogations in multiple forms. They want information about her friends, the Survivors, and Joseph. She has to stay strong and defiant and not let them break her. 

I had no idea how Rosa was going to get out of that captivity. I was thinking that maybe Joseph could smash his way in to save her, but then that'd be really cliched and predictable. The story went nowhere in that direction. It was filled with plot twists that boggled my mind and kept me chasing down the rest of the story to find out what would happen. 

In the beginning of the series, I wasn't able to identify strongly with Rosa (even though I liked her a lot as a character), but in The Wanted, I cheered for her the whole way. I think it's partly because she has matured over the past few books, especially after the death of Apella, a girl who ultimately proved Rosa's judgmental views wrong with her sacrifice. And while Rosa does "size up" people when observing them, she's a lot less judgmental than before because she tries to see things from their side of the fence.

Joseph was forced to leave her and escape. He struggles with feelings of guilt over the violence he used in order to flee. In the meantime, he is helping with the Survivors' rebellion against the iron grip of the Superiors. With many readers, there was an issue of Joseph being too perfect. To me, he just came across as an optimistic sort of guy who knows what he wants. In this book, however, his optimism and values go under trials of loneliness, grief, guilt, and uncertainty. It was good to explore some inner turmoil and weakness within him because his negative reaction to certain actions shows us where his values are as a person. Even if he is an overall hero, he can still be prone to moments of weakness. 

Like with Rosa, some of the people in the Survivors have mellowed out a bit after their initial hostility towards each other, such as Deshi. I've gotten really fond of him and Rash as minor characters. I was even hoping for Deshi to hook up with another guy that comes into the picture in this novel, but *ahem* that did not happen, probably for the best. 

I'm going to miss Rosa, Deshi, Rash, and Joseph. They had a wonderfully cranky but loving dynamic. When I saw the novella The Willful, I was actually hoping that this series had been extended into a quintet. Overall, I enjoyed this wonderful ending to The Woodlands series. The main loop is concluded, but as with life, there is a lot of uncertainty in the details in the aftermath. Will Deshi and Hessa become close again? Will Rosa and Joseph move past this moment of disloyalty? Will they all be a family in five years, after things have settled down somewhat? I think so.

My rating:

Find out more about The Wanted by Lauren Nicolle Taylor on:

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Check out my reviews on the other The Woodlands novels:

The Woodlands (#1)

The Wall (#2)

The Wounded (#3)

Review: Bentwhistle the Dragon: A Threat from the Past by Paul Cude

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A few months ago, the author Paul Cude contacted me to review his two books: Bentwhistle the Dragon in A Threat from the Past (Book 1) and Bentwhistle the Dragon in A Chilling Revelation (Book 2). I took a look at the book blurb that he included and was super excited about the idea of an underground dragon society co-existing with modern human life on the surface. 

Book blurb for Bentwhistle the Dragon in a Threat from the Past: 

Bentwhistle the Dragon in A Threat from the Past is an adventure story children and adults alike will love, about the present day world in which dragons disguised as humans have infiltrated the human race at almost every level, to guide and protect them. Three young dragons in their human guises become caught up in an evil plot to steal a precious commodity, vital to the dragon community. How will the reluctant hero and his friends fare against an enemy of his race from far in the past? 

Fascinating insights into the dragon world are interspersed throughout the book. Ever wondered how dragons travel below ground at almost the speed of sound? Or how they use magical mantras to transform their giant bodies into convincing human shapes? 

In an action packed adventure that features both human and dragon team sports, you’ll get a dragon-like perspective on human social issues and insight into what to do if you meet a giant spider grinning at you when you’re wearing nothing but your smile! You’d be flamin’ mad to miss it.

The narration reveals a lot of insight into the daily life of dragons living on the surface. Many concepts introduced in this novel are unique in terms of the general portrayal of our favorite mythical lizards. Here, dragons can shift forms between human and dragons. Younger dragons grow up in nurseries in which they learn to shift between their forms. They have communal telepathic abilities that allow them to retrieve and read a daily newspaper in their minds, similar to the way we use Wi-Fi. I like the idea of a technologically advanced dragon society, and of course, there are older dragons who are more uncomfortable with surface life and think that humans still drive wagons and carriages. They even have their own sports culture, which is fascinating and the dynamics reminds me of Quidditch. 

I love how well-developed and original the world is, but all the emphasis on world-building ultimately takes away from the plot and character development. The main thrust of the plot is the mystery of Mr. Mason's malicious presence in Peter Bentwhistle's workplace. Following a sudden death of a dragon (which is extremely rare in dragon society), Peter begins to notice a lot of strange things happening in his workplace, along with the introduction of Mason, a mysterious figure who seems to have a strong influence over Peter's normally-benign boss, Mr. Garrett. As a result of escalating suspicions about Mr. Mason's motives, Peter begins to investigate what Mason really wants...

Pacing is a big issue in this novel, mostly because there is so much world building that it slows down the plot, even though the mystery is quite intriguing. The world is clearly huge and complex, but I think it would be a lot better to condense the story so that it's driven more by plot or Peter's mission. There are many chapters about Peter's daily life before or after work, as well as several long anecdotes about Peter's past that, at most, have only tenuous connections to the main plot. About 40% into the book, the plot lost its momentum as it began to meander into daily life, games, and routines, and this continued until I was 80% finished with the novel. I found myself losing interest with the characters and the plot for the middle part of the story. 

Ultimately, the story sacrifices plot, pacing, and character development in favor of world building. I love the world of dragons and their super-fast subways, but the characters don't grab my interest enough for me to continue reading in this series. The sense of urgency regarding Mason disappears in the middle (besides his odd appearances and insulting behavior towards Peter) and doesn't come back until towards the end, and so I had to struggle to finish the novel. 

My rating: 

Find out more about Bentwhistle the Dragon: A Threat from the Past by Paul Cude:

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ROAD OF THE PATRIARCH by R.A. Salvatore

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Road of the Patriarch 

(Sellswords Trilogy #3)

by R.A. Salvatore

Pairing an intense, usually objective-driven character with a flamboyant, slightly reckless character leads to a lot of adventures that wouldn't otherwise happen, especially on the part of Artemis Entreri. I was intrigued by his character when he appeared in the Drizzt series as the noble dark elf's relentless adversary. What else was there to his character, I wondered. I was curious about the sort of past that would create a lone individual who prefers to identify himself with his weapon skills than other attributes. 

I'm not the only Artemis fangirl.
Credit: Yoski

Among the books in The Sellswords trilogy, this one is the juiciest in terms of getting to know Entreri's past. The novel begins with a teaser into his childhood but it doesn't resurface until the latter half of the novel. The first half focuses more on Jarlaxle's imperialistic antics, which drive the story forward but feel a bit pointless and cumbersome in Road of the Patriarch. Despite all the action scenes during Gareth's invasion of Entreri's "castle", I was actually pretty bored with this part and didn't really see how it was necessary, aside from Jarlaxle's pet project getting them kicked out of the land. However, it was cool to see Entreri face off against the well-intentioned King Gareth in a philosophical debate about righteous claims to kinghood. 

Entreri's decision to pursue his "ghosts" is an impulsive decision, influenced by the magical flute that Jarlaxle encourages him to play. My issue with the magical flute is that it's an obvious plot device to inject character development into a character that's tough as a rock. It felt a bit too artificial and easy, and I felt that since the catalyst for Entreri's emotional growth was a physical objected, the effects would only last so long before it was either taken away from him or smashed. 

I can understand the benefits of having a static character, and it looks like Salvatore wanted to keep Entreri from becoming a completely different person. A lot of readers like the character for the way he is--ruthless, smart, and with a potential for tenderness buried somewhere within. And granted, he's in his forties--by now, his personality and life views are set firmly as opposed to the way it'd be for a youth unsure of his role in the world. 

Vaasa, by MaverikElf

In the latter half of the novel, we get to see a closeup of Memnon, the town that Artemis grew up in. The descriptions of the unchanging state of poverty and ignorance in the town created a vivid image in my mind, as well as a sense of indignation at the religious cleric who exploited these qualities of the poor to take their gold in return for "prayers". The closure that Entreri pursued in his hometown ended in a satisfactory way for me. 

Betray, by Yoski

Ultimately, I thought this was a great conclusion to the trilogy. The imperialistic ventures into Gareth's realm weren't the most interesting to me because none of the minor characters were that eye catching besides Gareth and his moral dilemma. Jarlaxle's manipulative schemes make things a lot more interesting (and occasionally infuriatingly complicated) than they would be with Entreri's tendency to pursue objectives directly. I loved the exploration of Entreri's past and getting to know what he hides from. Jarlaxle and Entreri cross roads (separately) in R.A. Salvatore's newer series, the Neverwinter Saga. 

My rating:

Road of the Patriarch 

(Sellswords Trilogy #3)

by R.A. Salvatore

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Review: THE DEEP by Jen Minkman (The Island #3)

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The Deep by Jen Minkman

Note: I received a copy of this novella from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third installment in Jen Minkman's The Island novella series, which takes place in a post-apocalyptic world in which the inhabitants of an island are descendants of children who were spared from the plague. The first two novellas in the series were The Island and The Waves. 

Review: WORLD OF WARCRAFT: WAR CRIMES by Christie Golden

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I meant to read this slowly, I really did. I had a final exam the next day, and like it happens every quarter, I always crack up a "fun book" right before an exam. Not that it hurt me so much in the end--this brief vacation into Azeroth may have preserved my sanity for the following day. I savored it the night before the exam in between reviewing flashcards, and then right after I finished the exam early, I went to the college cafe and read through the novel. IT FELT SO GOOD.

Anyway, my procrastination aside, War Crimes is the thirteenth book in the World of Warcraft novel franchise, transitioning us from the Mists of Pandaria expansion to Warlords of Draenor. Lore-wise, this takes place after the the Siege of Orgrimmar, after the Alliance, Horde, and Pandaren have united to defeat Garrosh after he has poisoned the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, a place that was not even open to the world until recently. 

Before and After: Vale of Eternal Blossoms
(Credit: Tenton Hammer)

...And this is why the Horde can't have nice things.

Book Review: THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD by David Daglish (The Half-Orcs #1)

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The Weight of Blood
by David Daglish
(The Half-Orcs #1)
Published: 2010
Genre: Dark Fantasy

What first drew me to this book was the intriguing cover with the two half-orc brothers lurking along the edge of a camp. The second attraction was the fact that this series is about half-orcs, not something I think about too often - most of the cute YA fantasy novels I've been reading tend to feature half-human, half-fae or half-elven main characters. The third thing was that the ebook is free on Amazon (also free on Nook, if that's how you roll) and has decent reviews. Being the cheapster that I am, the freebie status cemented my interest.

Book Review: THE SUMMER I FOUND YOU by Jolene Perry

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The Summer I Found You
by Jolene Perry
Published: March 1, 2014
Genres: YA / Contemporary / Romance

A romance between a 19-year-old Afghanistan veteran Aidan and a 17-year-old high school student named Kate sprouts soon after Kate is dumped by her boyfriend. Both Aidan and Kate suffer from bodily otherness: Aidan lost his arm in Afganistan, and Kate has Type 1 diabetes, and this is what ultimately brings them together, despite their shame and self consciousness of their otherness. 

This is a beautiful premise, but what I end up seeing is a shallow relationship propelled by raging hormones in which Aidan and Kate use each other as a "distraction" from their problems:

Book Review: THE WISDOM OF THE SHIRE by Noble Smith

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The Wisdom of the Shire

by Noble Smith

Published: October 29, 2013
Genres: Nonfiction / Philosophy / Self Help / Secondary Source

A self help book based on Tolkien's philosophies in his works on Middle-earth, Wisdom of the Shire is a wonderful guide on living the simple and fulfilling lives of Hobbits. It's a short work - you can finish it in a day if you like, but I chose to read it slowly over the course of a month to make it last. 

Book Review: WORLD OF WARCRAFT: ASHBRINGER by Micky Neilson, Tony Washington, and Ludo Lullabi

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World of Warcraft: Ashbringer

by Micky Neilson (author), Tony Washington (illustrator), and Ludo Lullabi (illustrator)

Published: June 9, 2009

Genres: Comics / Fantasy / World of Warcraft

Read this one on my tablet - the colors are gorgeous!

Interview with Angela Misri: JEWEL OF THE THAMES

Angela Misri, author of Jewel of the Thames

Jewel of the Thames has made me quite smitten with all things related to the Sherlockverse...and tea. Following the death of her mother, Portia Adams is uprooted from her rundown Toronto apartment to London - into the same exact apartment where Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson used to hang out and solve mysteries. This transition is facilitated by Mrs. Jones, Portia's mysterious and wealthy guardian. As Portia attends college and gets to know the other friendly tenants in the building, she finds herself swept into into three mystery cases. As she applies her curiosity and logical reasoning to the mysteries, she also learns more about the secrets of her family.

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1. Portia Adams has a unique family history, as the granddaughter of Watson. How did you get the idea for Portia Adams as a character?

I've been toying with the idea of a young female detective for a long time - since university really, but originally, I had imagined Portia just renting the Baker Street townhouse and finding herself attracted to detective work just by a kind of osmosis. What sparked the idea for the family connection was a short story I read by Stephen King called 'The Doctor's Case.' It opened the door for me to think of ways to make Holmes and Watson my own, while still very much respecting Conan-Doyle's original writings - which King did very well in his short story.

2. The setting for most of the novel is London in the 1930s. The writing and descriptions of clothes, trains, and the socio-economic class structure in Britain created an impression of what the era was like. How did you do your research on 1930s London?

Extensively. I watched movies made in the ten-year span, read books published at the time, read political speeches written in London at the time (later made into packaged anthologies) and read as many history books on It as I could get my hands on.

3. The characters drink much tea, and there is a scene on a train in which Portia and some companions drink several pots of tea as they work out a mystery. What's your favorite tea?

Ha! I like Earl Grey and Jasmine teas myself ; )

4. Have you been to London before? And if so, have you visited 221B Baker Street?

Yes, I was born in London (a little burrough called Croydon) and lived there till I was six. I have been back many time as my brother still lives there. Yes, I have visited 221 Baker Street and the museum many times.

5. Which is your favorite Sherlock mystery by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and why?

'A Scandal in Bohemia' because Adler is an absolute favorite character of mine.

6. What is your favorite Sherlock adaption (play, film, TV series)?

The one you list below in question 7. is my favourite, though I also like the Robert Downey Jr. movies.

7. The BBC Sherlock series has become quite popular worldwide. Have you seen it, and how do you feel about the modern adaptation of Sherlock as a high-functioning sociopath?

I love it! My senior thesis in my English degree was a paper in which I postulated that Sherlock Holmes was bipolar, so as an avid reader of the original canon, I could not agree more we the BBC interpretation.

8. I'm so excited to read more! Are you working on the second installment of the Portia Adams Adventures? How's it going? :)

I've actually finished my first draft of books 2 & 3 at this point (and am halfway through 4) so I'd say it's going rather well ; ) Portia is one of those characters who is both loud and busy, so she's constantly in my ear whispering ideas.

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Find out more about

Jewel of the Thames by Angela Misri

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