The Magician by Michael Scott

Least fave of the three Nicholas Flamel books I have read.  I'm behind on writing these reviews because I didn't decide to keep this blog until I had already read six books out of my goal of 48. This was the fourth.  Anyway, this series is blurring together.  I can't separate what happened in book two from what happened in book three.  I just remember some of the different adventures Sophie and Josh went on and prevailed. Same old same old.  Trouble finds them, they use their magical powers and something AMAAAAAZING happens and they're safe. Blah blah blah. They also introduce more historical characters which makes me laugh, really, Machiavelli? Joan of Arc? Psh. And they introduce new, interesting and disturbing ancient creatures ooooooooo! So yeah, I am not so keen on this book. But, I will continue to read the series until it is complete.  I'm committed now! 

I don't know if I'd recommend this book and I'd only give it a 2/5 starts.  Sorry Michael Scott! I'm not in your target audience though! I'm sure those kids love the book!

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

Love, love, love, love, love, love, looooooooooooooove.  I've never read a book like this before! Kate writes SO beautifully! She sucks you in! It's wonderful!  

I've never ever read a book with this whole 1900s Affluent Family Secret theme and I never thought I would because I mean that just seems silly.  But, this book was one I grabbed on the same shopping trip where I picked up The Alchemyst.  I was searching for something new, genres and authors I had never read before. And of course, appealing cover artwork! Who would have thought I would get so lucky and love this book? I could see how the genre could get tiring but this being my first experience with it I was thrilled! 

The story starts out similar to Titanic in my opinion.  Old woman relfecting on a secret from her past that she never shared. She is dying and decides to share her story via tape recorder and leave them for her grandson.  From there the plot just grows and grows and so many different stories are woven in and so much depth is created.   She is a servant girl who witnessed something terrible in her youth. A secret that she kept her whole life. And at the end, when you find out, its incredible.  I was shocked, haunted, shaken, distressed, alarmed, gosh I can't even find the right word!  Even after I put the book down I was in a mood from the book. What the character went through, how devastating, how horrible, how sad and terrible.  It really made you feel.  

I would definitely, definitely recommend this book AND I would give it a 5/5 stars.  Great, great book. Different, exciting, sad, memorable and really moving.  I cannot WAIT to read more Kate Morton. 

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

I DO NOT READ TEEN FANTASY FICTION NOVELS, EVER! 

Well... until now, but it was a TOTAL accident!!!!!

It was a Friday evening and I was browsing the shelves of Barnes & Noble determined to find something different to read.  I had grown tired of the same old murder mysteries I had been reading as well as the historical nonfiction novels.  In hindsight, I realize I should have asked for recommendations based on the type of writers I like and their writing style but instead I did what any girl would do when faced with a question in which no logical answer was easily inferred.  I picked out three books based on how pretty their covers were... 

And so, I ended up with The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel.  

I want to defend myself further with how I ended up with this book.  Not only did I not chose this book based on its eye-catching cover but I also bought it not knowing it belonged in the Teen Fantasy Fiction section.  I actually didn't find this out until after I had finished the novel (**it did seem quite childishly written but I didn't know why until I went back to purchase the next book in the series and discovered, to my horror, what section I was directed too.  How embarrassing.  I'm a 26 yr old... not 16... oops!) 

Anyway, it was displayed at the END of an aisle on a table where all five or six books in the series we presented when I purchased it.  They were colorful and shiny and most definitely not labeled Teen Fantasy Fiction.  My logic also deduced that since A) the series was six books long and B) they were given such a prominent display, that they must be worth reading.  I picked it up, browsed the summary on the back and put it in my 'to purchase' pile.

Now on to the review...

I actually wrote a mini review on Goodreads right after I read the book when I removed it from my 'currently reading' folder to my 'read' folder.  I wrote this review before I knew it would be public, I thought it was just for my personal reference, and admit I might have been a bit harsh... since this review my opinions have changed slightly... here is the initial review I gave of The Alchemyst immediately after finishing the book, I am pasting it from Goodreads...

"Eh, cheesy & predictable. Very easy read. Errors in story- (on one page they say two characters have met before, on the very next page they say they have never met!- DUMB). Book used simple words and descriptions, not very impressive or elegant writing. I will probably read the rest of the series though just because I'm like that..."

I clearly realize now why the book "used simple words and descriptions" and did not contain "very impressive or elegant writing". It's written for teenagers! And maybe it is because I am used to Agatha Christie but I did find it very predictable and extremely cheesy. Like, so cheesy you get second hand embarrassment from just reading about it. The story was full of the same thing over and over again. The main characters meet an obstacle, then they overcome it, then they meet another obstacle, and guess what? they overcome it. But I mean, most stories/movies/books aren't like that. I guess my point is, now that I have just finished book three, I just wanna know what happens in the end. I am assuming they accomplish their goal and defeat the evil elders from the other worlds or whatever but I just have to see how Michael Scott ends the plight of Sophie and Josh Newman. 

The books are a very easy read.  They can be humorous and exhausting at the same time but they are, overall, entertaining and that's the point isn't it? There are a few moments where you will step outside of the book and say to yourself "Really? You have got to be kidding me.." and slap yourself in the forehead for reading such a dumb book but you won't quit. At least I didn't.  The book satisfied my craving for something new and different that I hadn't read before and I did love reading the Harry Potter series and I am a big fan of The Hobbit and the LOTR series so i'm not totally put off by fantasy novels.  These aren't as well written as The Hobbit and they are much sillier but they were good.  Not great. But good. 

I would give The Alchemyst 3/5 stars and recommend it to other readers.

If you've read The Alchemyst I'd love to know your thoughts, or your thoughts on my thoughts!

Book One: The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie

I have been reading Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot novels for quite a long time now but it wasn't until the Goodreads website that I uncovered their order.  Dumb I know.  I mean, I obviously knew they were written in some sort of sequence but the stories do not build on each other, only the characters ages increase and they sometimes reference older stories.  You can really grab any one of the shelf and not be lost.  

I love these books.  I love the main character Poirot. I just think he's great.  And I also love how I can never figure these books out.  For some reason, I never know who the murderer is until the very end.  That Agatha, never predictable! 

With that being said, this book did drag on just a tiny bit.  I only say that because they are such short novels, this one was just over 200 pages, and usually they go so quickly.  I loved the book and the story, I love the way she writes, I love the suspense and the description of the scenery. She writes just enough to paint the walls and leaves you to fill in the room.  I love the way I picture Poirot's Study and she doesn't ever try to take that from me.  

In this book the plot can be easily derived from the title but it has a GREAT twist! There is a murderer on the loose who is killing people in alphabetical order, first initials A.A. then B.B. and so on. Poirot is involved via a letter from the murderer identifying him as the adversary and challenging Poirot to catch him and stop him from continuing to kill. 

The story is great.  

What I also love about these books is the description, or lack there of, of the crime.  Agatha doesn't go into gory gruesome details, which I appreciate. If you are looking for something disturbing crime wise, read Patricia Cornwell, those are rough!  Granted, I may be more sensitive to that stuff or more inclined to empathize or identify with the victim and their family than most but I just hate suffering so those graphic details deter me from that type of novel.  Thank you, Agatha for good old fashioned crime stories without all of the misery and suffering!

In conclusion, its a great book. Not my favorite Agatha but definitely glad I read it.  I would give it 4/5 stars and recommend it! 

If you read it, let me know what you thought!

A Bibliophile's Book Journal: The Origin

January is a time for resolutions, change and commitments.  Working out, eating healthy, learning more, and being nicer.

I used to love reading.

Then I started college.

Then I hated reading.

Plus, I was embarrassed that I liked fiction and stories about murder and secrets.  Dumb.

I tried to read historical nonfiction.  Some of it is good, but it is exhausting for me to keep reading biographies on Abe Lincoln and Ernest Hemingway.  I learned some interesting facts but reading those books was still somewhat like a chore to me.  Nothing like when I pick up a story by Agatha Christie or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle only to come out of a daze hours later realizing its 2am and I should be sleeping not lost in a story.  I love that feeling; you don’t even notice the time pass because you weren't in your living room. You were in London, on a foggy evening, hurrying down a damp cobblestone street, listening to Sherlock ramble on to Watson as shadowy horse drawn carriages passed by.  It’s magical.  I’m addicted to it.

So I started reading again, I’m not sure why or how.  It happened over winter break. I broke out an old Poirot novel I had purchased at Half Price Books.  I got lost in it and I remembered what I loved.

Then I stumbled upon some webpage I must have signed up for ages ago.  The website is called Goodreads and they were holding a 2013 Reading Challenge.  You signed up, chose a book goal for the year and tracked the novels you read via their page. The brilliant part was, the more you read, the more they knew what you liked and suggested other books to read.  They have a Read, Currently Reading and To Read list where you can set up a queue and track your progress. It’s fantastic. And they have an iPhone app!

So I set a goal.  4 books a month.  48 books a year.  Which  comes out to roughly one book a week.

Now, I must say, I am in grad school.  I’m also training for a half marathon.  And I have a full time job, a live in boyfriend and a love of travel.  I’m not making excuses! I just needed to lay it out there, I am busy and I don’t have a lot of free time to read but it is important to me.  This reminds me of one of my favorite quotes … 

“If it’s important to you, you’ll find a way. 

                                          If not, you’ll find an excuse.” 

Strangely applicable.

I started reading in January… and I am already on book 6/48. Pretty good eh!?  I track them on Goodreads like I said earlier and there is a place to review each novel on the website but I wanted to review them differently.  On my own page.  Track my own progress. Have something to review at the end of the year. See my goal met and tracked ... so, I made this web.log!

I will be posting the books I read on here, writing about them and rating them.  And I will go back and add the ones I have read so far this year too.  The first 5 and the current one and then I will update as I read.

Without further ado, here we go!