Recent reads: September 2013


Let's skip right to the chase and hit the highlights, shall we?  Because all this reading is going to go to waste if I don't at least share the really good and surprising ones that I stumbled upon this September.

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson's Vin would give Katniss Everdeen a run for her money.  She's an orphan beggar/thief (what hero in the world of fantasy literature isn't these days?) who discovers she has magical powers and can kick some major butt.  But can she kill the god-king enslaving all her people?  It's up to you, dear reader, to find out.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie is part graphic novel, part coming of age story but I really hate to paint it as a coming of age story because I'm continually disappointed in the over dramatic, emotion-crazed coming of age stories that are so popular.  This one isn't like that and there's more than a dash of reality.  This is probably one of my favourite coming of age novels because the underdog is so easy to cheer for and also so incredibly human.  The story is loosely based around the life of the author and your heart will hurt for the boy who has tremendous real life obstacles to overcome.

For some odd, inexplicable reason, I really wanted to dislike The Map of Time by Felix Palma but the interwoven stories about time travel set in Victorian England, with H.G. Wells as the main character and hero, splattered with steampunk elements grabbed me by the very end.  I have the sequel on my bookshelf ready to read - this is a fun and entertaining take on an adventure novel and would be a good vacation read.

Emperor Mollusk and the Sinister Brain by A. Lee Martinez is like shaken, mixed up version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and MegaMind.  Sometimes, a bad guy is so bad that he's good and Emperor Mollusk, who is quite literally a brilliant mollusk from the planet Neptune in a robot body, is that guy.  The Sinister Brain is after destruction of him and his pet planet Earth and only has the wits and the intellectual capacity to puzzle out who he is and why.  After reading this, I can totally tell why Roxanne Ritchi fell in love with MegaMind's big, blue, bulbous head.

The Blue Blazes by Chuck Wendig was another unexpected goodie that I didn't expect to enjoy.  As far as concepts, we've all read plenty of stories about the mole people who live in the subway systems under the city, a la Neverwhere, but what if there were monsters who ventured out of the deep from below the subways under Manhattan and were hiding among us in plain sight?  I really don't want to give away any more of it so that you can be pleasantly surprised for yourself.  It's gory, gritty and gross - just right for Halloween.

There are plenty others, like The Absent One and The Passage, that were good but I expect them to be good because the first in the series set the bar high.  What about you, what have you been reading this fall that's been a delightful surprise?


Comments

  1. I love mistborn. and Brandon Sanderson in general. I'm in love with his stormlight archive and can't wait for the 2nd one to come out. looks like you had a good reading month!!

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  2. Cal and I had a long talk last night during our nighttime snuggle about how we both need to read more. He used to get Free Read Friday in English at school, but his teacher this year is pregnant, so she's been driving them HARD. She's very apologetic about it (FRF is mandatory throughout the English Dept., no homework on Thursdays and all the kids - and teachers - read for pleasure in class on Fridays), but it's clear she's anxious to get some stuff covered before maternity leave.

    So, the fact that he's not getting time in school and I'm not getting much at home, means we need to carve more out. Priorities. Speaking of which. How's Ike?

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  3. Which would you say was your absolute favorite or the most engrossing? I'm looking for a good read at the moment. I just finished The Road and in need of something a little less traumatic (lol). Great book though!

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  4. Glad you liked The Absent One! And thanks for the recommendations! I want to start reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie!

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  5. I am definitely putting The Map of Time on my list! I do love a good fantasy/adventure story in the autumn.

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  6. I'm definitely adding Mistborn to my TBR. And have never read any Chuck Wendig books...might give this one a go.

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  7. How in the world did you have time to read all of those books??? Wow! Was any of it light trading?

    How is Shadowfax...I mean Ike? :)

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  8. for a split second the description of mistborn reminded me of the thief lord. i'm intrigued!

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  9. God damn, how do you read that many books in one month? I can get through two, and I have a half hour commute each way daily! What is your secret?? Are you reading at work?? My aversion to e-books makes that kind of tricky to pull off, haha. xo

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  10. Hahaha ditto what Erin said. Mistborn sounds intriguing!

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  11. Oh my gosh, I'm so jealous that you read so much. I really ought to, haha. Well, now I have a few more additions to my "must read ASAP" list!

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  12. yesterday i texted fisher and asked if he wanted me to pick him up from school and he replied: no i think i'd rather take the bus and read my book. of course this made me super happy. i have been reading 'mink river' for about the last month, taking it slow, which turned out to be exactly how i needed to read it (i'll tell you more about that later - there's a story attached ;))

    oh! the absolutely true story of a part-time indian, one of my favorites, ever. so, so, so beautifully written.

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  13. I'm rereading one of my favourite books to IC right now. Maiden Voyage by Tania Aebi. It's not in print anymore I don't think, but there are used copies on amazon. It's an AMAZING true story of an 18 year girl who sails solo around the world. Seriously spectacular.

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  14. I just did a book review yesterday for a book I really enjoyed! I feel like you read far more than I do.

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  15. I am intrigued by The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, I want to read it so bad. I just can't find time~ haha!

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