The Roaming Reader

Book Review: Written in My Own Heart’s Blood (Outlander #8) – 5/5

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Ashley Lauren

Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon

This!

Love! Love love love love love!

Book > Expectations

Diana Gabaldon is is genius, Davina Porter has the voice of an angel, it all culminates into a beautiful mixture of bliss.

When the last line of the book came, I gasped – aloud, on the street. I kid you not. With audiobooks it’s hard to know when the end is near and I was blindsided. I so, so, so want more! It was perfect and horrible all at one time; mostly because I can’t stand the thought of not having any new Outlander to read. I had only just finished book 7 a few months before this one came out.

I don’t know what it means to not have more at my fingertips.

I cannot handle this.

Did I mention that I love this? If you’ve made it this far to the series, you’re not going to need to read the reviews. Just know that Gabaldon is a wizard. Or mayhaps a witch.

Don’t care, just love.

Categories: Pick Ups, Weekly Review | Tags: audiobook, book review, Davina Porter, Diana Gabaldon, five stars, MOBY, Outlander, pick ups, readwomen2014, reviews, weekly review | Leave a comment

YA Book Review: Daughter of Smoke & Bone – 5 of 5!

Posted on June 22, 2014 by Ashley Lauren

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

To those of you who pick up this book – I recommend you buy/borrow the other two from the trilogy at the same time. You’re going to want to read them all in quick succession.

I borrowed this book from the library and read it in a day. Within about three minutes of closing the book I was online, confirming the others were on the shelf, and walking back to the library to borrow the other two. It’s that good, folks!

I love this book’s imagination, the colors, the scenes. It’s all so beautiful. The setting is incredible – Prague, the art studio, Poison. Even better are the people! Humans, angels, and creatures – they are all fascinating. Taylor does such a great job of showing me everything without overloading me with exposition. I can see so much, and I don’t even think that’s because I’ve traveled to many of the places (Prague and Marrakesh being two main settings – gorgeous on paper and in real life!).

Then there’s a plot. It has the scary angels which fascinate me (quick plug for how awesome Angelfall is) along with just as fascinating underworld beings. I love the way you’re not sure who is good and who is bad. The action is intense on both a large and a small scale. Both the reader and the main character, Karou, spend the book trying to figure out who she is – and what connection she has to the (potentially) imminent end to the world. That’s a plot hook if I ever heard of one!

Okay, enough of this internet business – I need to crack open book #2!

Categories: Pick Ups, Weekly Review, Young Adult | Tags: amreading, book review, books, daughter of smoke and bone, fantasy, laini taylor, reviews, ya books, young adult | Leave a comment

YA Book Review: Instructions for a Broken Heart – 2 of 5

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Ashley Lauren

Instructions for a Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Sorry, folks, this is not good. I know some of you loved the book, but this was cringe-tastic. It’s like Culbertson took all the bad parts of a YA novel and shoved it all into a beautiful package.

This book has so much potential! A recent break-up, an Italian vacation, twenty dares from a best friend – I love the premise. The execution was total blerg.

Where do I begin? Let’s start with my biggest frustration – the trip. That was the most boring, god-awful travel log I have ever read. Seriously, how do you write a book about a trip to Italy and focus only on the bad parts? I’d done a trip like what Jessa experienced in this book and I know what Culbertson was getting at – school trips abroad are generally terrible ideas. You sit in a boring bus all day, you barely have any time at locations, etc. I don’t want to read about it. I don’t need to see all the nuances of why traveling in a group sucks.

This book, to me, is just littered with Culbertson’s life experiences. It’s so obvious to me that each experience Jessa has Culbertson likely had in life. I’m all for authors drawing on true experiences, but this is just too much. All the referrals to specific musicals and games and whatnot – it was all too exact. Television shows and movies were just too alienating; as a reader I didn’t know a lot of the pop culture that was mentioned. None of it had meaning to me and so I just felt like I was listening in on a young girl’s (boring) life.

And then, of course, my main issue. Every single character needed to just get over him or her self. I know people are self-absorbed at that age but I don’t want to read about it in the extreme. Jessa’s pity party went on for far too long – blah blah you loved him blah. Based on everything we learned from Carissa, he obviously sucked, so you shouldn’t have loved him. And this whole “being too busy” thing was just lame. And can I mention how apparently everyone in their brother was poet or a singer? I know they were drama kids, but still.

I don’t know, it seems like very little in this book rang true (what’s up with Jessa having like six incredibly close guy friends? And everyone on the trip hooking up? What was up with her telling a new story for her scar all the time?) or, when things did ring true, I didn’t want to know (I don’t need to know how bored you are on the bus. I really don’t,)

It’s not my intention to be completely mean. I did finish it, after all. The writing was decent and there were some really nice lines but I just couldn’t get lost in it. So not worth it.

Categories: Put Downs, Travel, Weekly Review, Young Adult | Tags: book review, culbertson, instructions for a broken heart, put down, Review, reviews, travel, weekly review, ya review, young adult | Leave a comment

Book Review: Outwitting the Gestapo by Lucie Aubrac – 3 of 5

Posted on June 15, 2014 by Ashley Lauren

Outwitting the Gestapo by Lucie Aubrac

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Lucie Aubrac was one kick-a, bad-a lady.

Germans on my doorstep? Whatever, I’ll just lie to their face.

Nazis capture my (Jewish) husband? NBD, I’ll just march up to Klaus Barbie and give him a piece of my mind.

Pregnant? Psh, I’ll go on raids and rescue missions until I start having labor pains.

Seriously, there’s a book (and I guess, a movie) about Lucie Aubrac (aka: Catherine, Lucie Bernard, Lucie Samuels, etc) for good reason. She did some incredible things as part of the Resistance in France in WWII. Add on top of it that this diary-style book captures the nine months of her pregnancy – when her husband is captured and she helps mastermind his rescue – and you have one hell of a story.

So why only three stars? Unfortunately, this book is a prime example of how poor writing can turn something as exciting as Lucie Aubrac’s life into a history book. I don’t know if Lucie’s writing style was a bit silted or (what I think is more likely) the translation was poor. Excitement comes across as corny and all of the events are discordant and often confusing. Everything felt like it was in fast forward. Before the emotions of fear or anxiety or hope could squeeze in the action had already changed. I ended up skimmed much of the end of the book.

I’m pretty die-hard when it comes to WWII memoirs – if you’re that way too, you may find this enjoyable. If not, I wouldn’t recommend picking it up. I think ti’s important to know who Lucie Aubrac is – do a little research – but, unfortunately, her memoir falls flat.

Categories: Weekly Review | Tags: book review, France, lucie aubrac, memoir, non fiction, outwitting the gestapo, resistance, reviews, wwii | Leave a comment

Book Review: The Pillars of the Earth – a (surprising!) 4 of 5

Posted on June 13, 2014 by Ashley Lauren

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 with a surprising round-up.

Really surprising. I’m not even sure I can leave it at a 4 star review. This book should not have been something I liked, I’m not a fan of religion, after all. If fact, for a lot of the book I didn’t like it that much… but somewhere in there I got won over.

Obviously, this book is long. That sucks about it. It really doesn’t need to be that long. There’s quite a bit of unnecessary rambling (yes, yes, buildings and architecture are complex, etc.) and Follett seems to assume that by the end of the book we’ve forgotten what happened in the beginning so he has to repeat it (which, I suppose is fair, due to the length). All of this makes it tedious – but not enough for me not to like it.

For the first fourth, maybe even half, of the book I was certain I would give it a solid three stars, maybe 2.5. Decent quality, just nothing too great. But somewhere from the middle to end I started to care more – I think I just really like Jack. The Pillars of the Earth has a bit of a George R.R. Martin feel; you’re never quite sure if good is going to win over evil or not. I started to care and I started to cheer for people. It was a great feeling.

What I love about this book is who the good and bad people are: they are everyone. The kings and earls, the clergy, the peasants, each group had their good and corrupt representation. I loved the women, especially Ellen. The book really flowed for its length. Some of it was fantastical and hard to swallow as believable but I liked it all the same.

I don’t know, I can’t explain it. This book just lives up to its reputation for me. It’s a story I’ll carry with me for a while. If you’re in the mood for a long book, this will be worth considering!

Categories: Weekly Review | Tags: amreading, big books, book review, books, pillars of the earth, tome, weekly review | Leave a comment

YA Book Review: Impluse – 3.5 of 5

Posted on June 8, 2014 by Ashley Lauren

Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I checked this book out from the library, I didn’t bother to crack the cover. I just went on my merry way. When I finally opened the book I almost snapped it right shut – I had no idea it was written entirely in verse (or close enough). I’ve only read one book in this style before, long ago, and it didn’t sit too well. I decided to keep an open mind, though, and jumped in. Overall, I’m glad I did. This book is a solid 3.5 with enough oomph to round up instead of down.

I could have done without that style of writing and just gone with the prose, but it worked. It focused more on the characters and their thoughts and required less regarding the setting and other goings-on (not that those were absent). I also enjoyed the way the three characters’ pages actually looked different. It was an easy way to tell apart the voices (which was needed, since otherwise everyone was similar in their manner of speaking).

This book is angsty to the extreme. It’s necessary, a book about three characters who failed at suicide is bound to be angsty, but it’s still good to know coming in. Despite all their problems, I found their ability to move through the Levels of their care too easy. This book is pro-medication as a fixer; I know meds help many people, so I’m not knocking it, the book just makes the opinion obvious. The workers at this group are strangely oblivious – maybe that’s another statement being made as well. I think by the end we as readers all knew something was going to happen (this type of book couldn’t be all happy-go-lucky, after all) but that unfortunately made the “happening” dulled.

Despite a few of my misgivings, I think this is a very solid YA book about many difficult subjects. My absolute favorite part of the book is how these three characters see each other. I love, love, love how Hopkins did this characterization. All three people, of course, hate themselves in some way (who doesn’t, especially as an adolescent?) but they all see each other as wonderful. They all see the others as strong and capable and beautiful. It’s a great message and woven in very subtly.

Overall – not bad and it’s worth it to try something new!

Categories: Pick Ups, Weekly Review, Young Adult | Tags: book review, impulse, pick ups, reviews, weekly review, ya, ya book, ya review, young adult | Leave a comment

Book Review: I Shall Be Near To You – 4.5 of 5

Posted on June 7, 2014 by Ashley Lauren

I Shall Be Near to You: A Novel by Erin Lindsay McCabe

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

This book is such a good example of why I love historical fiction. Historical fiction can take the liberties needed to craft a really excellent story, while still teaching me a little about the lives and actions of past history. For me, nothing makes things like love or loss ring more true than when I’m reading it in a historical context. McCabe does a truly wonderful job of making all that happen in this book.

I Shall Be Near to You is clearly well researched, but you’re not overwhelmed by facts. The book isn’t about the Civil War in of itself; it’s about Rosetta. She’s a feisty woman who wants nothing more than to run a farm with her husband, Jeremiah, a local boy she’s loved forever. Their lives promise to be happy, if it weren’t for the war.

Rosetta’s voice is incredible. McCabe does a wonderful job of using language of the time and of Rosetta’s upbringing (which would have consisted of only an average education). But her farm-like manner doesn’t hinder the reader from seeing how strong, resourceful, and passionate Rosetta is. And never, not for one moment, do we doubt her love for Jeremiah.

Romantic as it is, this isn’t a book for the weak of stomach or for someone who doesn’t have any tissues handy. About half of this book takes place marching or on the battlefield and McCabe provides us with a myriad of visions, sounds, and smells (especially smells!) of what is going on. It’s gut wrenching and I guarantee you heart is bound to break. In all honesty, I didn’t think what happened was going to happen and I was astounded when it did. I think it was best for the story, but I can tell you it was not what I wanted.

What can I say? This is a great story and adds just a little to what we know and think of when it comes to the Civil War. An excellent read.

Categories: Pick Ups, Weekly Review | Tags: book review, bookreview, good book, historical fiction, history, i shall be near to you, mccabe, reviews, weekly review, women writers | Leave a comment

YA Book Review: This is What Happy Looks Like – 3 of 5

Posted on June 1, 2014 by Ashley Lauren

This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

You know what this book needs? I little whoopie to go with all those whoopie pies. (Heeeey oh!) You can’t have a super dashing movie star and a cutesy red head and only have a couple of chaste kisses. Is that a spoiler? Apologies, friends.

It’s not that I didn’t like the book. I did. In fact, I power read the book in about 6 hours. Usually that means it’s a home run, but instead, as I closed the cover, I didn’t feel much of anything. Imagine a meal at your local supper club. (Aka: the Lobster Pot) You leave with that happy, full-stomach feeling, but it’s nothing to write home abut.

The whole book has an ongoing feel of anti-climax. All the characters think they are taking a giant leap of faith, but in truth it’s only a hop. The “mix-up” of people in the beginning is quickly resolved. Ellie’s mom issue is short lived, her father issue is almost confronted, but not really, and movie star’s parent issues aren’t really issues at all. Even the difficult personalities of Olivia and Quinn end up fizzling.

The problem with this book is it’s too damn realistic. Smith has taken a straight forward, real-world approach – where grudges aren’t really held, where big plans fall through, and where love doesn’t have to be a big deal. Love can flow into life and slowly grow. That’s a wonderful truth about life, but it’s not what we want to read in books. We want big bangs and daring leaps – especially when one of the main characters is a movie star. Instead we get sprinkles and taffy. It’s all lovely, but it’s not enough.

Also – how is it that we never got o meet Wilbur the pig? I was so looking forward to that!

Categories: Weekly Review, Young Adult | Tags: book review, jennifer e. smith, Review, this is what happy looks like, ya book, ya book review, young adult | Leave a comment