Doctor Who: Bloodtide

by Jonathan Morris

Summary from GoodReads

The prehistoric Earth is dying. Thunderclouds roll across the skies, cloaking the land in darkness. The seas crash and boil as the rain turns to acid. The remnants of the Silurian race place themselves in suspended animation, deep below the surface.

One day they will awaken and reclaim their world…

The TARDIS has landed on the Galapagos Islands, a desolate outcrop of rocks shrouded in mist and fear. In the settlement of Baquerizo Moreno, there are rumours that prisoners have been mysteriously disappearing from the gaolhouse. A fisherman has been driven insane by something he saw in the caves. And the Doctor and Evelyn are not the only new arrivals; there is also a young natural philosopher by the name of Charles Darwin…

Chronological Placement
This story takes place between the television adventures, The Trial of a Time Lord and Time and the Rani. 

Thoughts on the Book

I'm a huge Doctor Who fan, I grew up with my dad loving Tom Baker, and I really got into the 2005 reboot.  I've since gone back and hunted through the interwebs to find classic who episodes, I'm currently almost done with the first Doctor.  So when I saw an audio book (for lack of a better term, it's more of a radio serial type story) staring Colin Baker I jumped all over it, a Doctor Who story read by the 6th Doctor? Hells yes.

My Review

The Doctor brings his companion, Evelyn, to the Galapagos when the HMS Beagle is in port as a surprise for her.  They meet Darwin right away but the Doctor quickly discovers something is amiss with the prison on the island.  

I really really enjoyed listening to this.  Each leg of my commute I was able to listen to one installment of it.  I must have looked like an idiot to anyone driving past me, I had a goofy grin the whole time because it was so funny.  The Doctor's horrible puns were just amazing.  I also enjoy when the Doctor has smart companions and Evelyn was definitely one of those, not once did she scream "DOCTOR!!!!!!!!!!!" like so many of the others do when they get into trouble.  She was independent and the Doctor trusted her to do what needed to be done while he was busy with something else.  Even when she ran off with Darwin the Doctor wasn't overly concerned, it was more like "well, I suppose I should go fetch her now".  It was refreshing to have a companion like that, they're few and far between.

The story was fun too, although I need to watch more Classic Who because the Silurians weren't anything like those from the new series.  Anatomically I mean, these had a third eye and had telepathic powers.  The derogatory terms and hostility towards humans definitely remained in the new series, except for that one annoying one Moffet seems to love to include for no reason.

But I digress.  The story was great and it was a really fun listen.  I give this a 9/10.  

Waiting on Wednesday [18]

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking The Spine allows bloggers to share which books we are most anticipating.

This week I am waiting on Our Lady of Ice by Cassandra Rose Clarke (October 27, 2015)

Summary from GoodReads

Hope City, Antarctica. The southernmost city in the world, with only a glass dome and a faltering infrastructure to protect its citizens from the freezing, ceaseless winds of the Antarctic wilderness. Within this bell jar four people–some human, some not–will shape the future of the city forever:

Eliana Gomez, a female PI looking for a way to the mainland.

Diego Amitrano, the right-hand man to the gangster who controls the city’s food come winter.

Marianella Luna, an aristocrat with a dangerous secret.

Sofia, an android who has begun to evolve.

But the city is evolving too, and in the heart of the perilous Antarctic winter, factions will clash, dreams will shatter, and that frozen metropolis just might boil over…

Why I'm Waiting

This just sounds so cool.  How many books are set in Antartica?  How about ones that involve androids?  I'm really excited for this one.  I have high hopes that it will be utterly amazing.

Top Ten Tuesday [15]

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish that allows bloggers to share their top ten lists for that week’s topics

Top Ten Finished Series I Have YET to Finish

1 - Legend - Marie Lu

I have only read the first book, but I loved it and need to get the next two to finish out the series.

2 - Dark Swan - Richelle Mead

I have read a little bit of the first book, and it is very high up on my TBR list.

3 - Jackelian - Stephen Hunt

I have read about three quarters of the second book, which I loved, but got distracted from.

4 - Woodcutter Sisters - Alethea Kontis

I've only read the first one, but I'm hoping to read the rest soon.

5 - Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey

I've read the original trilogy (the first three books) and really need to get a hold of the rest...

6 - Firelight - Sophie Jordan

I read the first two, but the third wasn't out yet, then never picked it up once it did come out.

7 - The Magicians - Lev Grossman

I read the first and half of the second.  I hate this series, but I can't leave things unfinished.  I'll pick it up at some point to force myself to get to the end.

8 - Twin Souls - Delsheree Gladden

I've read the first book and would like to finish the series

9 - Ripple - Cindy Swansom

I've read the first book and really want to read the rest

10 - Book of Ember - Jeanne DuPrau

I probably won't finish this series, I've read two and a half and kind of lost interest.

So Yesterday

by Scott Westerfeld
narrated by Scott Brick

Summary from GoodReads

Ever wonder who was the first kid to keep a wallet on a big chunky chain, or wear way-too-big pants on purpose? What about the mythical first guy who wore his baseball cap backwards? These are the Innovators, the people on the very cusp of cool. Seventeen-year-old Hunter Braque's job is finding them for the retail market.But when a big-money client disappears, Hunter must use all his cool-hunting talents to find her. Along the way he's drawn into a web of brand-name intrigue-a missing cargo of the coolest shoes he's ever seen, ads for products that don't exist, and a shadowy group dedicated to the downfall of consumerism as we know it. 

Thoughts on the Book

I'm a big Scott Westerfeld fan, and this has been on my TBR list for a long time now.  I was super excited to find it at my library in audio book form.  It was perfect for my road trip!

My Review

This book is about a 'cool hunter', Hunter, who works mainly with shoes.  He meets a girl, Jen, who has awesome shoe laces and convinces her to join him in a commercial screening for 'the client'.  The next day the go to meet Hunter's boss who goes missing, which leads them to find the shoes which sets us up for the rest of the book.

I was a bit let down by this book.  I was expecting some awesome Westerfeld story, but instead I got a book about the perfect pair of shoes that are reminiscent of the original Michael Jordan line of Nike's.  Sorry, totally brand dropped there.  At first I was amused by the 'no brand names' stance, but it quickly got annoying, it pulled focus from the story.  Instead of just naming things Hunter would explain the brand instead of naming it, like his phone "from a certain company in Finland", or the aforementioned brand "A certain basketball player (whose name basically became a brand)".  I get the stance on not name dropping, but couldn't he just have said "I was sent a phone to try out" or describe the shoes as from the 80s?  By talking around the name the reader is paying more attention to the brand than they would be if he had said 'a pair of  Air-Jordan's'.  

The story also was exclusively about finding the Nike knock-offs and his relationship with Jen.  Which from beginning to end was only 3 days.  You'd think it was more than that with all the emotional ups and downs of it.

There were parts of the story that had nothing to do with the main plot line, like the purple dye bit?  Totally unnecessary, and really really pointless.  It didn't progress the plot at all and it seemed at odds with what the Jammers were trying to accomplish.  Oh and there was the bit with the reason for all of this is because some girl was pissed that people were switching to in-line skates?  Seriously?  She also pretty much exclusively work the old style 2x2 skates.  How stupid is that?

As for the narrator, Scott Brick was good.  He was nothing special though, but I didn't hate listening to him, it wasn't boring.  But I also did say "wow, now that's an awesome narrator"

I give this book a 7/10.  It held my interest throughout, mostly waiting for something interesting to happen.  It was a big let down though. 

Book Rating: 7/10
Narration Rating: 7/10

The Name of the Star

by Maureen Johnson
narrated by Nicola Barber

Summary from GoodReads

The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago. 

Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

Thoughts on the Book

This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for a long time (like years).  I love love love Jack the Ripper.  I find him completely fascinating, the mystery of it, the brutality of it - how could someone do that to another person????, the media frenzy around it.  What's not to love?  I'm also a big fan of Maureen Johnson.  So why did it take me so long to read?  I met Maureen and she signed my copy.  With my love of Jack and my love of her I really really didn't want to damage my copy.  My boyfriend and I went to the library before our big road trip and I saw this sitting nicely on the audio-book shelf and I super excitedly grabbed it, while he groaned and commented that we had more than enough books to get us to Canada and back.  I don't think he regretted me grabbing this one though :)

My Review

This book is about Rory, a southern belle from Louisiana who goes to boarding school in London's East End to spend some time away from Louisiana to be more cultured.  She becomes great friends with her roommate and her roommate's friends and struggles with the culture shock of British school versus American school.  The day Rory arrives in London the first of "Jack's" victim's was found, August 31st.  The murders are more of a background thing at first, but after the double murder on September 30th the murders and the search for the culprit come more to the forefront of the story.

I loved this book.  I loved every second of this book.  I'll start with Nicola Barber.  Best voice actress ever!  Her accents were unbelievable - so damn good, no one can be that awesome.  I love how no one sounded the same, even the regular narration voice was totally different from the characters.  Rory's slight southern accent, Jazza's posh English accent,  Boo's more urban London accent, Callum's Irish accent.  Everything was so good!  I don't think I can read the rest of this series, I just have to listen to Nicola read it to me.

Now for the nitty gritty of the book.  I loved how Jerome was so into the murders, I would have acted the exact same way (did I mention that I absolutely love Jack the Ripper?).  He was the most relatable character to me.  The other character besides Jerome I could identify the most with was Jazza.  She's so serious and down to earth about stuff.  

Rory was a great protagonist, while not the best I've ever read, she was definitely up there close to the best.  She was very realistic, she had a good balance of things that needed to be done and enjoying herself.  I especially enjoyed how her romantic relationship was told.  It just happened in the background, it wasn't all encompassing, and it wasn't over the top like so many other YA romances are.

As for the Shades, Stephen was interesting.  I like him, and I can't wait to learn more about it, his past was tragic and he's very closed off to everyone, but I have a feeling he's going to start opening up a bit more, at least to Rory.  Callum I loved, he's such a fun character.  There's so much going on with him, his past was awful as well, but it made him angry where it made Stephen withdrawn.  Boo was also a great character, but she was probably my least favorite, at least of the main characters.  She actually reminded me a lot of Jess's older sister Pinky from Bend it Like Beckham.

Pinky from Bend it Like Beckham

The pacing of the book was great too.  It didn't jump over things, time marched on at a steady pace throughout.  Things didn't happen super fast (I'm getting sick of characters falling madly in love in 3 days, or becoming the best of friends in a day. Really people?  This doesn't happen.) and when they did happen it felt like the natural progression of things.  I also loved that Rory still kept in touch with her friends back home.  While her, Jazza, Jerome, and later Boo became close friends she still didn't ditch her friends.  Sure she didn't talk about them much, but she'd drop hints that she still kept in touch with them.  

I also loved the end of the story. It was so unpredictable, even thinking back over the events there was no foreshadowing of the conclusion, but it didn't feel like it came out of left field.  I completely agreed with Rory for why she was so creeped out everything that was going on.  The very end was awesome as well, I can't wait to read the next in the series!

Overall I give this a 10/10.  Great characters, great story, great pacing, and the best narration I've heard.

Book Rating: 10/10

Narration Rating: 11/10

Waiting on Wednesday [17]

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking The Spine allows bloggers to share which books we are most anticipating.

This week I am waiting on A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis (October 6, 2015)

Summary From GoodReads

She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.

When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

In this beautifully twisted historical thriller, Mindy McGinnis, acclaimed author of Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust, explores the fine line between sanity and insanity, good and evil—and the madness that exists in all of us. 

Why I'm Waiting

This book sounds really cool.  I love historical settings.  And after reading We'll Never Be Apart I found that I enjoyed some psychology in books.  I'm really excited to read this one, I have high hopes for it, and based on the blurb alone I'm already rooting for Grace.

Top Ten Tuesday [14]

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish that allows bloggers to share their top ten lists for that week’s topics

Top Ten Characters I Just Didn't Click With

This topic was very very difficult for me, I usually like the main characters of books I read, so a few of these I truly did not like, but the majority are the ones I found the least interesting or relatable.

1 - Clare - Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between - Jennifer E. Smith

I found nothing likeable about Clare, she was too black and white, she didn't compromise, she was super opinionated, and she seemed very juvenile.

2 - Quentin - The Magicians - Lev Grossman

Sheer willpower and the faint hope that maybe, just maybe Quentin might have some redeeming qualities allowed me to finish this book.  There was absolutely nothing likable about Quentin, the main character.

3 - Harry - The Blue Sword - Robin McKinley

I didn't dislike Harry, but I didn't like her either.  She fell flat to me as a character.  Although it could have been because I was comparing her to Aerin from the Hero and the Crown the whole time and Aerin is one of my all time favorite protagonists.

4 - Kel - Protector of the Small - Tamora Pierce

Kel pretty much made me loose interest in Tortall, she started off with so much potential then just became lame.  I couldn't relate to any aspect of her except for her love of birds.

5 - Nate, Kelsie, and Ethan - Zeroes - Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, Deborah Biancotti

These three characters just didn't sit right with me, I mostly sped read through their parts to get to characters I actually liked.  I also wasn't rooting for any of them throughout the book.  Which was a problem since it was essentially about Ethan and Kelsie.

6 - Adam - The Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater

Adam falls flat compared to all the other characters in the series.  I actually almost chose Ronan, but the more I've learned about him the more I like him.  The more I learn about Adam the less I care what happens to him.  If he dies instead of Gansey I'd be happy.

7 - Darcy - Afterworlds - Scott Westerfeld

I didn't like Darcy at all.  She was so stupid.  I couldn't relate at all and everything she did made me want to smack her upside the head.  At least the story she wrote was awesome...

8 - Sadie, Darcy, Rosanna - City Love - Susane Colasanti

There was nothing to like about any of these characters.  They were all shallow and delusional.  And if I write any more I'll start on a rant about them, if you're interested in why I dislike them so much check out my review.  Or read the book yourself, which I don't recommend doing.

9 - Lola - Lola and the Boy Next Door - Stephanie Perkins

It hurts to put Lola on this list, but I don't get this girl.  I can't relate to her at all.  That doesn't stop me from loving her story. While I can't understand her at all I still rooted for her the whole time.  

10 - Ron - Harry Potter Series - J.K. Rowling

Yes, you read that right, Ron, Ron Weasley.  I'm going to get a lot of hate for this, I'm sure.  One of my best friends is probably freaking out that I would ever think this of her precious Ron.  But Ron - specifically the character from the books NOT from the movie (they totally changed his and Hermione's personalities in the movies) is awful.  He's always jealous of Harry, he doesn't care about other's feelings.  His whole existence is 'woe is me, my family is poor I'm the youngest son, boo hoo'.  Ron in the movies however was funny and a great friend to Harry and Hermione.