Life and Books... Wait! Aren't they the same thing?

So I'm just posting an update because I haven't posted in a while.  I am currently reading The Diviners by Libba Bray. It's so good! unfortunately life and this whole "adulating" thing has made it really hard to get any reading time in.

I did go to The Goo Goo Dolls concert last week and that was a blast.  I met them and even had my picture taken with them! They sang almost all my favorites.  They even had a couple songs off of Superstar Car Wash, which is older than me. Lol.  The amount of energy Robbie has on stage astounds me! He never stops moving!


I've also been working more with my horses.  Apollo should be ready for his first ride within the next few days, although he did forget what "whoa" meant at one point.  Barbie and I went for a 6 mile ride last night. It was absolutely gorgeous last night. They definitely keep me busy!

Question for discussion: Do you prefer ebooks or physical books?

For me, it depends on my mood.  I have a lot of books that I have copies in both formats.  I love the convenience of my Nook.  I can go on a trip and have all the books I could ever want at my finger tips, and it doesn't weigh more than a pound. 

Some days, however, I find know greater comfort than curling up with a blanket and a physical book.  Books just have a certain smell that a Nook just doesn't.  I actually came across an article that said the smell of old books actually does have an effect on people.  Apparently, they contain mold spores that act as a hallucinogen.  This explains so much!

So my answer for the question is BOTH!  It all depends on how I'm feeling that day!  I'd love to hear what you have to say.  Leave your answer in the comments below!

Southern Dust by Caspar Vega

Title: Southern Dust
Author: Caspar Vega
Genre: Pulp/Fantasy/Sci-Fi

I was provided with a digital copy of this work from the author for my honest and unbiased review.

Goodreads Description:

Gretchen Walker: A Southern belle living an idyllic life in the newly independent Alabama; worrying about the upcoming cotillion, and hoping more than anything to find a dapper young suitor from a good family. Might she end up getting more than she bargained for?

The Governor: The enigmatic leader responsible for achieving the aforementioned independence.

Roger Conaway: An enforcer trying to make a clean break. When his boss tells him a friend's daughter has gone missing, can Roger find the girl and get out of the game while he still has a shard of innocence left?

Dominic White: An obsessive Hornbuster overcome with grief; recovering from a nervous breakdown, and actively seeking revenge for his murdered sister.


Discover their interconnected stories in this diesel-fueled, black magic powered, vampire-creating extravaganza! 

Here's What I Thought:

The book was set up as a series of four separate, but intertwined vignettes.  The first vignette told the story of Gretchen and wasn't made up of more than a few pages.  It basically consisted of how she met the Governor.  Part 2 was the Governor's story.  This was a substantial portion of the book and told of his rise and fall. In part 3, Roger Conaway takes center stage with his story of how he went from an enforcer for a mobster to a super-soldier.  The fourth and final part tells the struggle of Dominic White after his sister's murder.

What I liked:

I initially wasn't a fan of the vignette style, but, upon further reflection of it, I actually really liked the approach. I was able to see each character's story from beginning to end without interruption.  This was a breath of fresh air as there are not a lot of authors who take this approach.

As bizarre as the premise of the book is, which the Federal Government falling apart shortly after Trump's highly successful Presidency and the individual states declaring their independence, I actually thought it was very intriguing.  What would happen if one of the states decided to declare independence in the 21st Century?

What I didn't like:

I really didn't care for the choppiness of the timelines for the characters.  The narration would suddenly drop off and then pick back up again and I wasn't always sure how much, if any, time had passed. It also made it difficult to connect with the characters on any personal level, as well as much of the detail seemed to be left out.

Also, there was mention of an incestuous relationship between Dominic and his sister. WHY? It doesn't add to the story.  It doesn't seem to serve a purpose, other than an "Oh, by the way..."  I would suggest just leaving that part out entirely.

The biggest thing that I did not like was that it seemed like Vega couldn't choose a genre, so he wrote them all in.  It starts off as a sort of political fiction book turned murder mystery with the assassination of the Governor.  Before too long, I'm reading a science fiction book by throwing the concept of a super soldier into the mix.  At that point, I was scratching my head going, "Ok..."  Finally, fantasy was brought into as well by introducing black magic.  Now I was thinking, "Seriously?"  Mr. Vega, if you are reading this, I would suggest just sticking to one genre or another.  By mashing these genres together, it appeared to be over-written.

Conclusion:

It was an interesting book, to say the least.  It is a very quick read.  If you are looking for an off-the-wall book to occupy the afternoon, this is the book for you.

Any Thoughts?

If you have any additional thoughts about the book, be sure to leave a comment or send me an email.

About The Author:

From supernatural pulp to hard-boiled noir to musings on politics and pop culture, Caspar Vega surprises, disgusts and entertains across many genres.

Links:

http://princeofpulp.com/

The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins

Title:  The Library at Mount Char
Author: Scott Hawkins
Genre: Fantasy/Horror/Sci-Fi

I purchased this book and chose to do an honest and unbiased review.  Scott Hawkins and Crown Publishers neither requested nor are associated with this review.

Goodreads Description:
A missing God.
A library with the secrets to the universe.
A woman too busy to notice her heart slipping away.

Carolyn's not so different from the other people around her. She likes guacamole and cigarettes and steak. She knows how to use a phone. Clothes are a bit tricky, but everyone says nice things about her outfit with the Christmas sweater over the gold bicycle shorts. 

After all, she was a normal American herself once.  

That was a long time ago, of course. Before her parents died. Before she and the others were taken in by the man they called Father.

In the years since then, Carolyn hasn't had a chance to get out much. Instead, she and her adopted siblings have been raised according to Father's ancient customs. They've studied the books in his Library and learned some of the secrets of his power. And sometimes, they've wondered if their cruel tutor might secretly be God. 

Now, Father is missing—perhaps even dead—and the Library that holds his secrets stands unguarded. And with it, control over all of creation.

As Carolyn gathers the tools she needs for the battle to come, fierce competitors for this prize align against her, all of them with powers that far exceed her own.

But Carolyn has accounted for this.

And Carolyn has a plan.

The only trouble is that in the war to make a new God, she's forgotten to protect the things that make her human.


Here's What I Thought:
To start off with, I thought that this book was confusing and hard to follow.  It jumped right into the action, which I loved, but characters were introduced in a rapid fire succession that made it difficult to identify with the characters in the beginning. Within the first couple chapters, over a dozen characters are introduced with a very small explanation of each person's role.  This makes it difficult to identify these characters later on.

The other thing that made the storyline hard to follow is that the POV kept shifting to new and, (at the time) seemingly random characters as well as between the past and present.  It begins with Carolyn going to meet her brothers and sisters and then shifts to Steve, a burglar-turned-plumber, and then shifts to Erwin, a soldier-turned-teacher-turned-agent, and then shifts to a rapper with two pet lions.  Other then Carolyn at one point either showing up or vaguely being mentioned, there is no connection between the characters.

You are left with, what seems to be, an impossible puzzle centering around Carolyn.  About midway through the book however, the pieces slowing start to fit together, starting with a dog attack and ending with a new sun. The interludes provide the reader with the key events that brought the characters to where they stand now.  The characters are complex and, at times, larger than life. Yet, they remain relatable throughout their journey.

Hawkins raises some interesting thoughts.  Not that this is a religious book, but, if God is real, where did he get his start? Did the universe exist before him? If he were to raise children, what kind of father would he be? Is he truly cold and cruel, or is he doing what is necessary?  And finally, if you were to gain the power of God, what impact would that have on you as a person, a human.

This book contains many graphic scenes and I would not recommend it for someone looking for something light.  Hawkins does a fantastic job of putting the reader in the heat of the battle, sparing nothing of the gore and the carnage left in the wake of David's destruction. There are many moral issues that are approached as well, including rape, torture, and revenge.

There were a few points that I wish had a little more explanation, just like any good book. However, Father's explanation of regression completeness is fitting for my wishing for more, and hopefully a second book:

"It's the idea that however deeply you understand the universe, however many mysteries you solve, there will always be another, deeper mystery behind it."

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a rollercoaster of an adventure and have something to think about after its finished.

Any Thoughts?
I could talk about this book all day long! If you have any additional thoughts or want to talk more about the book, be sure to leave a comment or send me an email!

About The Author:

I'm forty-five and I live in the Atlanta suburbs with my wife and a whole bunch of dogs.










Links:
http://www.shawkins.net/
@scottrhawkins

(Don't You) Forget About Me by Kate Karyus Quinn

Title: (Don't You) Forget About Me
Author: Kate Karyus Quinn
Genre: YA/Fantasy

Goodreads Description:
Welcome to Gardnerville.

A place where no one gets sick. And no one ever dies.

Except...
There’s a price to pay for paradise. Every fourth year, the strange power that fuels the town exacts its payment by infecting teens with deadly urges. In a normal year in Gardnerville, teens might stop talking to their best friends. In a fourth year, they’d kill them.

Four years ago, Skylar’s sister, Piper, was locked away after leading sixteen of her classmates to a watery grave. Since then, Skylar has lived in a numb haze, struggling to forget her past and dull the pain of losing her sister. But the secrets and memories Piper left behind keep taunting Skylar—whispering that the only way to get her sister back is to stop Gardnerville’s murderous cycle once and for all.  

Here's What I Thought:
I'll start by talking about what drew me to the book.  As a huge fan of the 80's movie, The Breakfast Club, naturally, I loved the song Don't You (Forget About Me), and therefore, the book caught my interest.  Upon looking at the table of contents, I saw that every other chapter was the title of a major 80's song. This just seemed really cool and intriguing, especially since I love 80's music.

Now for the actual book.  I felt that Quinn grabs your attention right away by starting with Piper's May Day Parade.  There wasn't any intro before the action started.  In the fantasy genre, I find this important because authors can draw out an intro to long at times and take too long to get to the action.  On the other hand, with very little intro to the world of Gardnerville, I found myself asking too many questions with no answers to be found and, at times, was just plain confused.

The confusion, in part, I attribute to the set up of the book.  The numbered chapters are what is currently happening and the titled chapters are flashbacks.  These flashbacks are not in chronological order and jump between 4 years ago to 8 years ago.  That combined with Skylar seeking a drug induced amnesia makes the story very hard to follow at times.

The other thing that caused confusion was that the laws of magic are never really clearly defined.  Okay, Skylar's and Piper's powers came from the Reformatory (the prison for teenagers).  But why? How? Why does no one except the Gardners have powers with the exception of during the Fourth Year? These is never fully explained.

Despite these things, I found the book truly enjoyable.  It was a fast read and the action was fairly consistent throughout the book.  Quinn's dystopian world is unique and creative.  I liked the idea of having different super-charged pills for forgetting, running, stopping aggression, etc.  She also does an excellent job of describing Skylar's world under the influence of the Forget-Me-Nots. 

When the questions I had throughout the book were finally getting answered, I can honestly say I would not have guessed most of revelations. There was one that I was not completely shocked by, although the possibility hadn't occurred to me until after I read it.  I do find it important to note where the parentheses are in the book title as compared to the song title.  This emphasis does actually have a lot of importance.  I don't want to spoil it though, so you'll have to read the book and see for yourself!

Any Thoughts?
Have you read (Don't You) Forget About Me?  Do you agree? Disagree?  Maybe you just want to talk about it a bit more.  I would love to hear from you!


About the Author:
Kate Karyus Quinn is an avid reader and menthol chapstick addict. She has lived in California and Tennessee, but recently made the move back to her hometown of Buffalo, New York, with her husband and two children in tow. She promised them wonderful people, amazing food, and weather that would... build character. Another Little Piece is her first novel.

Links:
http://www.katekaryusquinn.com/
@KateKaryusQuinn