My To Be Read List - February 2016 - Feeling Pretty

Welcome to my February 2016 edition of My To Be Read List, hosted by Michelle @ Because Reading. This is a monthly meme where we offer up 3 choices from our TBR pile for our readers to pick from to help us make the super hard decision of "what do I read next?" a little easier and to whittle away at the ever growing TBR Mountain! 

Theme: Feeling Pretty: these all have a dress on the cover, and I thought that was a good February theme.  Feel free to leave me a comment and tell me which you chose and why.

The poll will stay open through Friday 2/12 , and I'll update this post with the winning book on Saturday 2/13, then post a review on the 4th Saturday of the month, 2/27.

If you think this sounds fun and would like to join (the more the merrier, because we love voting!) please head on over to Because Reading where Michelle lays out the rules for us!

And the choices are...

From Goodreads: (Sophie Katz #5) Overjoyed at Maryanne's engagement, amateur sleuth Sophie Katz can't wait for the wedding vows and party toasts to begin. But then Dena—best friend, bridesmaid and all-around vixen—is mysteriously shot just after the announcement. Leave this to the authorities? No way. Dena may never walk again, and Sophie vows to marry her fists with the shooter's face. Problem is, the number of suspects is off the charts—from jaded lovers to anti-free-lovers to just plain old haters. Dena's made plenty of enemies thanks to her popular sex shop—and, yes, she's no saint—but really, who deserves to be shot? With an überlogical almost boyfriend condemning her vigilante quest, and a wedding planner going vicariously bridezilla over the dream princess wedding, Sophie's barely thinking straight. But if she can keep her cool (and avoid all errant taffeta), she just might nab her man and save the (wedding) day. Big if.

From Goodreads: Lara Lington has always had an overactive imagination, but suddenly that imagination seems to be in overdrive. Normal professional twenty-something young women don’t get visited by ghosts. Or do they? When the spirit of Lara’s great-aunt Sadie—a feisty, demanding girl with firm ideas about fashion, love, and the right way to dance—mysteriously appears, she has one request: Lara must find a missing necklace that had been in Sadie’s possession for more than seventy-five years, because Sadie cannot rest without it. Lara and Sadie make a hilarious sparring duo, and at first it seems as though they have nothing in common. But as the mission to find Sadie’s necklace leads to intrigue and a new romance for Lara, these very different “twenties” girls learn some surprising truths from and about each other. Written with all the irrepressible charm and humor that have made Sophie Kinsella’s books beloved by millions, Twenties Girl is also a deeply moving testament to the transcendent bonds of friendship and family.

From Goodreads: Heather Wells Rocks! Or, at least, she did. That was before she left the pop-idol life behind after she gained a dress size or two — and lost a boyfriend, a recording contract, and her life savings (when Mom took the money and ran off to Argentina). Now that the glamour and glory days of endless mall appearances are in the past, Heather's perfectly happy with her new size 12 shape (the average for the American woman!) and her new job as an assistant dorm director at one of New York's top colleges. That is, until the dead body of a female student from Heather's residence hall is discovered at the bottom of an elevator shaft. The cops and the college president are ready to chalk the death off as an accident, the result of reckless youthful mischief. But Heather knows teenage girls . . . and girls do not elevator surf. Yet no one wants to listen — not the police, her colleagues, or the P.I. who owns the brownstone where she lives — even when more students start turning up dead in equally ordinary and subtly sinister ways. So Heather makes the decision to take on yet another new career: as spunky girl detective! But her new job comes with few benefits, no cheering crowds, and lots of liabilities, some of them potentially fatal. And nothing ticks off a killer more than a portly ex-pop star who's sticking her nose where it doesn't belong . . .

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My To Be Read List - January 2016 - Classic Sci-Fi

And the Winner is.....

 I'll be honest, I wanted this one to win, though I am still interested in the others.  I have seen the movie, which I realize is probably a lot different than the book.  I was able to check out the audio from our library, which will help a lot because once again I've overestimated how fast I can read! lol!

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Welcome to my January 2016 edition of My To Be Read List, hosted by Michelle @ Because Reading. This is a monthly meme where we offer up 3 choices from our TBR pile for our readers to pick from to help us make the super hard decision of "what do I read next?" a little easier and to whittle away at the ever growing TBR Mountain! 

Theme: Classic Sci-Fi - My husband and I are both voracious readers, but sometimes have very different tastes.  I asked him to pick 3 books he'd like me to read.  Feel free to leave me a comment and tell me what you chose and why.

The poll will stay open through Friday 1/8 , and I'll update this post with the winning book on Saturday 1/9, then post a review on the last Saturday of the month, 1/30.

If you think this sounds fun and would like to join (the more the merrier, because we love voting!) please head on over to Because Reading where Michelle lays out the rules for us!

And the choices are...

From Goodreads: NAME: Valentine Michael Smith ANCESTRY: Human ORIGIN: Mars Valentine Michael Smith is a human being raised on Mars, newly returned to Earth. Among his people for the first time, he struggles to understand the social mores and prejudices of human nature that are so alien to him, while teaching them his own fundamental beliefs in grokking, watersharing, and love.

From Goodreads: The three laws of Robotics: 1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. 2) A robot must obey orders givein to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. With these three, simple directives, Isaac Asimov changed our perception of robots forever when he formulated the laws governing their behavior. In I, Robot, Asimov chronicles the development of the robot through a series of interlinked stories: from its primitive origins in the present to its ultimate perfection in the not-so-distant future--a future in which humanity itself may be rendered obsolete. Here are stories of robots gone mad, of mind-read robots, and robots with a sense of humor. Of robot politicians, and robots who secretly run the world--all told with the dramatic blend of science fact and science fiction that has become Asmiov's trademark.

From Goodreads: Simak's "City" is a series of connected stories, a series of legends, myths, and campfire stories told by Dogs about the end of human civilization, centering on the Webster family, who, among their other accomplishments, designed the ships that took Men to the stars and gave Dogs the gift of speech and robots to be their hands.

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Rest You Merry (Peter Shandy #1) by Charlotte MacLeod

From Goodreads: Professor Peter Shandy finally succumbs to Jemima Ames, Chairperson for Balaclava Agricultural College's major fundraiser, the Grand Illumination. He buries his small brick house under an avalanche of tawdry plastic and escapes on a sea cruise. But he returns to find Jemima dead on his living room floor and a murder to solve.

Poor Peter, he thought he'd pulled a fast one on the overbearing wife of his good friend when he finally caves to her demands of Christmas decorating, goes completely overboard, and then skips town for the holidays before he can be discovered. Only nothing works out as he planned, and his little joke ends up with him being responsible for solving her murder. I really enjoyed Peter's character, he's a smidge curmudgeon, but also unexpectedly mischevious. I kept imagining a middle aged aged Ian McKellan or Peter O'Toole, even though the character is not British, it was that twinkle they get when they're up to no good that made me smile in imagining.  There is also a dash of romance for our scholarly bachelor, if he can keep out of trouble long enough!

This is my first Charlotte MacLeod read and I give it a definite recommend for holiday reading and cozy mystery lovers.  I'm looking forward to seeing what trouble Peter gets into next!

Judging by the Cover #1 - Artist: Scott M. Fischer

Welcome to my new feature, Judging by the Cover, where I will showcase some of my favorite artists that I've discovered through book cover art.
 
For my very first edition, I'd like to introduce you to Scott M. Fischer.  I discovered a favorite new author thanks to his cover art drawing my eye. That book was Grimspace by Ann Aguirre and his portrayal of Sirantha Jax, wild hair, desparate, crazed, broken but still trying expression, became how I pictured her in my mind as I read. I love the color contrasts he chooses, and the circular elements in the background, it all fits together to make the piece seem in motion to me. Killbox was another great cover in that series, really I loved them all, but those two are the ones that depicted the Sirantha Jax that I saw as I read Ann's fantastic story.

Scott's also done some Middle Grade and Children's books, as well as working with some well known clients we all know and love!  You can follow him on Facebook where he's been sharing some of his recent work, comic book covers for Dark Horse's Angel and Faith series, and also some beautiful paintings on metal.  Check out his official website HERE.

Let me know what you think!  Do you have favorite artists? Have you discovered authors by the cover art for their novels? 

Soulless (Parasol Protectorate #1) by Gail Carriger

Soulless by Gail Carriger Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette. Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire--and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate. With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

This was delightful and I can see why so many of my friends have enjoyed it! Alexia reminds me of a young Amelia Peabody (from the Egyptian mystery series by Elizabeth Peters) if you put her into a supernatural setting, with her scientific interests and no nonsense attitude. I loved her curiosity of the biological processes during the romantic interludes. I loved Lord Akeldama, with his cultivated foppish personality and his entourage, embodying don't judge a book by it's cover. I can tell that Alexia and I will have a lot more fun together, in defense of the realm of course! Poor Lord Maccon!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Armada by Ernest Cline

From Goodreads: Zack Lightman has spent his life dreaming. Dreaming that the real world could be a little more like the countless science-fiction books, movies, and videogames he’s spent his life consuming. Dreaming that one day, some fantastic, world-altering event will shatter the monotony of his humdrum existence and whisk him off on some grand space-faring adventure. But hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little escapism, right? After all, Zack tells himself, he knows the difference between fantasy and reality. He knows that here in the real world, aimless teenage gamers with anger issues don’t get chosen to save the universe. And then he sees the flying saucer. Even stranger, the alien ship he’s staring at is straight out of the videogame he plays every night, a hugely popular online flight simulator called Armada—in which gamers just happen to be protecting the earth from alien invaders. No, Zack hasn’t lost his mind. As impossible as it seems, what he’s seeing is all too real. And his skills—as well as those of millions of gamers across the world—are going to be needed to save the earth from what’s about to befall it. It’s Zack’s chance, at last, to play the hero. But even through the terror and exhilaration, he can’t help thinking back to all those science-fiction stories he grew up with, and wondering: Doesn’t something about this scenario seem a little…familiar?

I adored Ready Player One. It wow-ed me in a way no other book had, I identified with nearly all the references and just loved everything about it. I wanted to be just as wow-ed by Armada. I pre-ordered the audio just as soon as I knew Wil Wheaton was narrating it, and I was excited to get into it. I did enjoy it. But I wasn't wow-ed. I was prepared for this, I had seen many reviews that weren't so high, and so I was ready to just enjoy it for what it was.  Ready Player One was a tough act to follow.  I don't want to call it a one trick pony, because I don't think that at all, and I'm still completely interested in whatever else Ernest Cline writes.  I love the culture references in both books, and the video game incorporation, but by the time we get to Armada, that aspect wasn't new any more (although used differently than in RPO, it still isn't a new concept, a la Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card) and I think that's part of the problem.  I think Armada is being judged by it's super student older sibling and that sibling's also amazing older friends and it wouldn't matter what it did, it couldn't measure up, if you know what I mean. 

I felt like we didn't have as much character development here, although I did like the characters it seemed like some of the more interesting ones we didn't get to know very well.  The ending message didn't pack quite as much of a punch as in RPO and it was just suspicious and abrupt. Armada is just a lighter book all the way around, but for all that, still enjoyable.  I'm looking forward to seeing what Ernest has up his sleeve next!

Wishlist Wednesday #5: The Raven King (Raven Cycle #4) by Maggie Stiefvater

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that we can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves. It is hosted by Pen to Paper, just click on the button to the left if you'd like to join us!

From Goodreads: The fourth and final installment in the spellbinding series from the irrepressible, #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater. All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love's death. She doesn't believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem, but as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore. In a starred review for Blue Lily, Lily Blue, Kirkus Reviews declared: "Expect this truly one-of-a-kind series to come to a thundering close."

I have really enjoyed The Raven Cycle so far, so The Raven King, is high up on my wishlist! It is due out February 23rd, 2016. I want to listen to the audio as I've really enjoyed the reader for the last three books.

What books are on your wishlist?  

The Princes of Ireland (Dublin Saga #1) by Edward Rutherfurd

The Princes of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Edward Rutherfurd has an interesting and different way of telling a story. He takes an area, and instead of making the historical figures the focal point of the stories, he puts them on the periphery so that their influence is felt, but the true story of the land and it's people is told using mostly fictitious people living and interacting in that time period. He encompasses vast amounts of time by telling multiple stories that take place over the course of generations, in the same location, where traits of ancestors are passed on, hair color, eye color, mannerisms, and the stories of those ancestors evolve over time, just as their descendants do. I recommend his books to lovers of the historical epic, who enjoy getting the feel of an area and it's culture. There are always interesting and surprising historical tidbits that arise during the telling.

The Princes of Ireland begins around 430 AD when the Druids are still the ruling religious leaders and ends around 1534 AD during the reign of King Henry VIII. Rutherfurd makes history accessible and shows events from the people's point of view. I always end up going to look up events or people while reading his books, learning even more!

The story continues in The Rebels of Ireland.
 

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