OCD, Vampires, and Rants, oh my!

One Last Thing

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 09:27:10 GMT

Well, my friends, it's time to say goodbye. As announced two weeks ago, we're shutting down shop. It's been five years of wonderful books, wonderful people, and plenty of randomness, but it's time to move along and discover shiny new things. All posts here will stay as they are; I won't be deleting or erasing anything. I wish you all a lifetime of excellent books.

As promised, I'm leaving you a few resources before I disappear.

Where can I get my book geekiness fix now? There's a plethora of wonderful book blogs or book-related blogs out there! But sometimes it's hard to figure out which are good to follow, so allow me to share a few of my favourites. The Book Smugglers are full of great reviews and giveaways (mostly sf/f and YA), and I think I might be lynched if I didn't mention the fabulosity of Smart Bitches (primarily romance novels, but there is a reviewer who focuses on romantic sf/f and the book discussions are just amazing). I'm pretty sure everyone in the world should be following jimhines (not a book blog per se, but he does occasionally review, and a big portion of his posts are very book-centric, especially including his ingenious cover art recreations), and I always enjoy both janicu and calico_reaction, although both have been cutting back on the posting lately.

What's a good way to keep up with e-book deals? There are quite a few places you can look to find what's current for e-book deals. A lot of authors get excited when their books are discounted and will do what they can to let people know, so if your favourite authors have newsletters or twitter accounts, it's not a bad idea to follow them so you can be notified when they have something that goes for cheap. There are other blogs that highlight books on sale (Dear Author has a post almost daily), and being what it is, Amazon has quite a few places you can check for books on sale, the prices of which are often matched at other e-book retailers. There's The Big Deal (sortable by genre), Monthly Deals, and Daily Deals. There's also their Limited Time Offers, but I'm honestly not sure how often that gets updated.

Where else can you find me? Well, you can always follow me as _ocelott_, where I ramble about life and other geeky things. Updates in the past have been pretty sporadic, but without a full-time blog to maintain, it seems likely I'll pop over there a little more frequently. I also have a twitter account, and if you're keen on seeing what I'm reading, I'm on Goodreads. There won't be many full reviews like there have been in the past, but if you see I've read something you can always poke and ask what I thought of it.

And with that, I leave you with a short list of the best or most popular of Genre Reviews:

-Pirate by Fabio
-Strong Female Characters
-But nowhere yet such horsemen have I seen
-How to trick a blogger into thinking you believe they're a person
-Men's Versus Women's Poses
-Gender and Book Covers: the romance novel edition
-Off With Her Head!
-The evils of libraries

Job Interview of Gold

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 02:20:43 GMT

We've made it all the way to the weekend, and as a celebration, how 'bout we all sit and watch our weekly movie together?

This week's offering is a particularly silly one, featuring a man going on a job interview at a respected law firm while only giving the answers fed to him by a seven-year-old boy. I think my son and I should do this pretty well any time I step outside the house.

Thursday E-book Deals

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 23:07:51 GMT

It's Thursday, which means in just one more day we can do the weekend dance. Clearly this means it's time to celebrate with e-books on sale. Of course, I can't think of any occasion that doesn't require books on sale as part of the celebration, but that's neither here nor there.

Fine print applies. Links go to Amazon. While some offers may be available at other retailers, I make no guarantees. Those of us who live outside the US may or may not be allowed to buy the same things at the same prices. Prices were accurate when this post went up, but publishers are fickle and can change them at any time. And so on and so forth.

-Lancelot And The Wolf by Sarah Luddington, Arthurian fantasy, 0.98$
-The Second Ship by Richard Phillips, sci-fi, 0.99$
-The Hunter by Theresa Meyers, paranormal steampunk romance, 1.99$
-The Journals of Raymond Brooks by Amit Bobrov, fantasy, 1.99$
-The Timekeeper's Moon by Joni Sensel, YA fantasy, 1.99$
-Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore, humour, 2.22$
-The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy, YA fairy tale retelling, 2.22$
-Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta, YA mystery/thriller, 2.22$
-Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost, paranormal romance, 2.22$
-A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan, YA sci-fi retelling of Sleeping Beauty, 2.93$
-Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber, gothic historical fantasy, 2.94$
-American Diva by Julia London, contemporary romance, 2.97$

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 07:55:30 GMT

Series: Razorland
Publisher: Macmillan, 2011
Genre: Science Fiction
Sub-genre: Dystopian, YA
Rating: 3 1/2 pints of blood

I'm honestly not sure how I feel about the cover art. Certainly it's eye-catching, all shiny and embossed, and the cold and creepy feel of it evokes a mood. I can't quite decide whether the mood is one that fits the book or not. Then again, this is a story that makes some drastic changes near the halfway point, so it would be difficult to create a cover that would feel appropriate for the book as a whole.

Like the others that came before her, when Girl15 grows old enough, she is assigned a name and given a place to contribute to the society she lives in. She's trained all her life to be a Hunter, one of the fighters that protect the society from the ever-hungry Freaks, and is proud to join their ranks as Deuce. She's partnered with Fade, an outcast within the enclave who none of the others quite trusts, but who quickly proves himself valuable when it comes to fighting at least.

Once Deuce begins to take on duties as an adult and see things beyond the confines of the enclave, she starts to question the rules set in place by the Elders. She's always believed those rules keep them safe, but some of the things she's seen aren't adding up, and some of Fade's belligerance towards their leaders is starting to make a whole lot more sense. To make matters worse, the Freaks seem to be evolving into something stronger and smarter than they were before, making themselves more of a threat than they've ever been. The Elders don't want to listen to what Deuce and Fade have discovered, though, and soon Deuce finds herself at odds with the very people she's trying to protect.

Let's get one thing straight right off the bat: this is a grim, dark book, to the point where it could easily be a dealbreaker for some readers. In one of the societies presented, women exist to bear children, often by force, and one character survived being victimized this way repeatedly, although none of the other characters spare much sympathy for her. There's even a bit of victim blaming (ie: "she should have fought harder"), although this is still early in Deuce's character arc, an arc that clearly demonstrates her learning there are many different types of strength and that empathy isn't necessarily a weakness. Personally, the jury's still out for me as to how I feel about all this, and I'll have to see how it's handled in books two and three, but there will be readers for whom this will leave a bad enough taste to justify giving up, and it's hard to fault them for that.

The tribal society Deuce grew up in is a fascinating place, detailed and nuanced, and I was actually disappointed when the second half of the book draws away from that to explore other parts of the world. It's not that the other parts were disinteresting, but they didn't have the same vivid richness that went into the portrayal of the enclave.

Deuce herself is a wonderful character. She's flawed in many ways, but there's no fear of finding a passive heroine here. Not only is she an accomplished fighter who holds her own in several fight scenes with the odds stacked against her, but she's driven, determined, and willing to uphold her own sense of justice even when she knows the consequences will be dire. She's not fearless but is willing to push through her fear to do what needs to be done, and she's willing to accept when she's made a mistake. I very much appreciated that not only is she not a delicately wilting YA heroine, but she hasn't fallen into the "strong female character" trap, where an ability to fight is more important than any personality.

The book takes place after an unspecified world-ending apocalypse. There are implications that a disease wiped out most of the population, possibly one related to the Freaks (which are essentially zombies, although they don't seem to infect people, just kill them and eat them). Enough time has passed that nobody seems to know much about the time before or what caused the apocalypse, but there are enough clues to build up the mystery that I'm looking forward to discovering the answers in the next volume.

I'll wrap up this review with a warning: this is by no means a standalone novel. It's not a story in itself, but is very much the first part of a larger story. There is, in fact, no climax in Enclave, just a constant build of discovery, mystery, and character growth (at least for Deuce), and the book doesn't really end. It stops instead, giving the reader a chance to take a breath before moving on to the next book to figure out where the plot will take them next.

Enclave is available in trade paperback or as an e-book.

Anna's Blogging Tips

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 06:56:41 GMT

Yeah, ok, I might be shutting down this week, but that doesn't mean I've learned nothing in the past five years of blogging. There are quite a few things I wish I'd known before I started up, so a few of these are really more notes to my pre-blogging self than anything else, but if you happen to be here and have been considering getting into a bit of your own blogging, you might find a nugget or two in here, too.

So here are some of the more significant things I've learned (in no particular order):

-Blogging always takes up more time than you expect. It seems really easy, like you should be able to pump out content in about 20 minutes per evening, tops. But it's a dirty, dirty lie. Writing one review can take me hours, and that's when I already know in advance how I feel about the book in question. (Which is not always the case; sometimes the act of writing the review clarifies my thoughts a lot.) Regular posts can suck a surprising amount of time, too, and then there's all sorts of blog-related correspondence to keep up with. And, of course, most bloggers like to keep up to date with what's happening around them. If something big's happening in blogging or in publishing, it's helpful to be on top of all that, and when you add it all up, if you're blogging every day or close to it, you're coming close to working an unpaid full-time job on top of the rest of your life. It's a fun and rewarding job, and I loved it, but the reality is that not all of us can devote that kind of time and energy.

-Set yourself a schedule. If you plan on blogging very regularly, as in more than once or twice a week, you'll be amazed at how quickly you can burn through conversation topics, newsposts, and reviews. It helps to cut down on the number of times per week you find yourself staring at the blinking cursor on a blank page, thinking "I really need to get a post in tonight, but I used all my good material already this week..." if you work out some semblance of a schedule for yourself. I wound up with reviews on Monday or Tuesday (depending on how long it took me to write said review), book deals on Thursdays, and fun or interesting videos on Fridays. The other days were full of news or links or rants or discussions, and having some sort of focus for that day's post ahead of time can be a surprisingly big help.

-When you don't love it anymore, it's time to reassess. Of course if your blog has any longevity, you're going to go through dry spells, but when you find yourself struggling to come up with content on a daily basis, you need to ask yourself why. Do you need to change things up a bit? Would you be more comfortable blogging with a partner or a group? Have you had the bad luck of reading several terrible books in a row and need to step back to read a few fabulous comfort reads to remind yourself why you enjoy books in the first place? Do you need to take a quick hiatus? You can fiddle around, reinvent, add new features, lose some of the old ones, jiggle things around until you can find yourself enjoying it again.

-The blogger police won't come and haul you away if you miss a day. Or even a couple of days! Sometimes life happens, and you just don't have time to make your regular update one day. Or your cat dies. Or you give birth. Or you're so sick your eyes can't even focus on the computer, let alone make sense of letters on the screen. It's ok, take a day here and there, and don't feel guilty about it. You're allowed to be human, too!

-The buffer is your friend. If you can, work a few days ahead. Obviously this doesn't work for newsposts, but for rants, conversations, and reviews, it's helpful if you can have a few sitting around, waiting to be posted. Working in the future isn't always possible, and sometimes you have a bad week and find yourself using up your entire buffer. But that's ok, the lovely thing about a buffer is that you can always build it up again! It relieves some of the stress of constantly coming up with new content when you know you have a post ready to go that day, and if you wind up blocked on that thoughtful post you've been working on for the past two and a half hours, it's ok, you can finish it up tomorrow and let it be the one sitting in the buffer. Magic.

-Not everyone is going to love you or get what you're doing, and that's ok. Most of the people who find their way to your blog are going to be kindred spirits, which is one of the real wonders of the internet. Occasionally people will decide they really really don't like you or anything you've done and will feel the need to let you know this in no uncertain terms. (This is especially true if you're doing anything popular and/or controversial.) Screw those guys. The whole point of a blog is having space to share your thoughts and opinions, and letting someone stifle your voice, the very thing that drew all those far more awesome people to your little slice of the internet in the first place, defeats the purpose of being here in the first place. Let them have their rant and move on. They'd probably whine even if you gave them a box of kittens and a life supply of chocolate, because some people are just crazy like that. You're great just doing what it is you do.

-The only person putting pressure on you is you. If keeping up to date on all the publishing news, all the blog news, all the recent releases, trying to keep ahead of the growing pile of books and ARCs, and responding to every comment or e-mail the instant you receive it is too much for you, congratulations, that means you're human. Shift your priorities a bit or you'll burn out within about two weeks. Pick a focus, whatever makes you the most excited, and run with that. Because, and I know I'm repeating myself a bit here, but this needs to be fun for you, or what's the point?

Bloggers, man. Crazy folks, amirite?

Moms On The Net

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 22:24:08 GMT

You know what's amazing? The internet! It's a lovely thing we have here, and it's not just for technogeeks with spreadsheets, or so I hear. And hey, did you know that if you take an ordinary mom (complete with giant glasses and mom jeans), you can turn her into a Mom On The Net with just a few clicks of the mouse? It's like crazy awesome! Almost as crazy awesome as the cameo at the end of this week's Friday Night Movie.

This is the reason he's an actor-slash-model, and not the other way around.

Thursday E-book Deals

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 22:21:26 GMT

What's that? A shiny new bundle of e-book deals for you, just because it's Thursday? Why, yes!

A quick note: since I announced my impending retirement, there have been quite a few questions, the most common being if I'd be willing to reveal my super secret sources for the weekly e-book deals. And the answer is yes! My last post will be full of both recommendations and sources. Don't worry, guys, I won't be leaving you in the lurch.

The usual disclaimers apply: All links lead to Amazon. Some deals may be available at other e-book retailers, but no guarantees. Not all countries' currencies are created equal, apparently, and some deals may not apply to those of us outside the US. Yadda yadda, on with the deals.

-The Unseen by Alexandra Sokoloff, dark fantasy/occult mystery, 0$
-Sacred Bloodlines by Wendy Owens, YA paranormal, 0.98$
-The Scent of Shadows by Vicki Pettersson, 0.99$
-Eternity by Maggie Shayne, paranormal romance, 0.99$
-How Beauty Met the Beast by Jax Garren, paranormal steampunk, 1.98$
-The Importance of Being Wicked by Victoria Alexander, historical romance, 1.99$
-Journey of Awakening by Shawna Thomas, epic fantasy, 2.51$
-How to Lose a Demon in 10 Days by Saranna DeWylde, paranormal romance, 2.97$
-Vacant Graves by Christopher Beats, steampunk, 2.98$
-Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories, 3.96$
-The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E Pearson, YA dystopian, 4.65$

End of the Century by Chris Roberson

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 07:06:44 GMT

Series: Bonaventure-Carmody
Publisher: Pyr, 2009
Genre: Fantasy
Sub-genre: Alternate history/time travel
Rating: 3 pints of blood

This is yet another case where the cover art appealed to me enough to get me to pick the thing up. There's some fantastic use of colour, our female character is standing in a way easily replicated by someone with a human skeleton, and our premise is pretty clearly stated here. We have three very different young people from three very different time periods coming together in this book, and that has all kinds of potential. Therefore... it is mine!

In the 6th century, a young man named Galaad is having strange dreams, ones full of urgency that centre around a woman dressed in white. His dreams bring him before the legendary King Artor, who believes there's something significant to be found in them. Artor, Galaad, and several of Artor's loyal compatriots head out to figure out what these dreams mean, and come across unexpected and rather fantastical threats.

Just as Britain is about to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, some unusual killings start showing up in the streets of London. The police are puzzled, which means it's time for Sandford Blank to grab his assistant, the lovely Roxanne Bonaventure, and investigate. The information the two of them dig up lead them to believe the murderer isn't a returned Jack the Ripper, but someone entirely new, someone driven by a much more mystical motivation.

The late 1990s sees rebellious teen Alice leaving her home in the US to discover what her disturbing visions mean. She's convinced she'll find the answers in England, but discovers once she gets there that being alone in a strange city with limited funds doesn't immediately solve her problems, especially when some dangerous and unearthly creatures begin chasing her. She stumbles into a retired spy, who takes her under his wing, but the more Alice sees, the more she has to question her sanity.

This book took me forever to finish, which is not entirely the fault of the book. I kept misplacing it! For awhile it seemed like I couldn't read more than a couple of chapters at a time before discovering that once again, I had to go hunting for it. There were a few times I couldn't find it and started reading something else, which of course meant I'd find my copy of End of the Century again once I got halfway through the new book.

The other thing that slowed me down, though, was the format. There are three distinct stories in here, each trading off one chapter at a time. First there's a chapter of Galaad, then a bit of Sandford, then Alice, then we start over again. The stories have very different feels to them, not just because of the difference in narrator, but because the time periods and even the type of stories being told are so far removed from each other it was like hitting the reset button for every chapter. I'd just get into the swing of things when the chapter would end and I'd have to adjust for a new character telling a completely different story, and they don't start crossing over into each other until quite late in the book. The constant shifting between three stories means the "setting up" part of the book drags on for what seems like forever, since each world has to establish itself and its cast of characters individually, with constant interruptions from the other stories, so none of the plots really start moving until somewhere around the one-third mark.

Each of the stories here has its own charm, and the way the elements connecting them to each other start with subtlety and gradually grow in significance is really quite fun. Galaad's story is probably the strongest of the three, a more traditional swords-and-sorcery fantasy that steals characters from the Arthurian tales and putting just enough of a twist on them to keep them interesting. Sandford Blank's Sherlock impression is a bit more dry, and I enjoyed the "friendly professional" relationship between him and Roxanne, although I generally prefer a little less of the infodump in my murder mystery. I got the impression Roberson wasn't quite sure what to do with Alice, since she tends to spend more time reacting to what's going on around her than setting anything in motion. Once she arrives in London, which is where her story begins, she essentially lets the people around her push her into where she needs to be for the action to happen.

This is a book for someone who wants a leisurely stroll, who doesn't mind waiting for things to coalesce a bit before moving on. It's not going to appeal to someone looking for something with plenty of action. Even the fantasy elements build slowly; at first they're barely there, just a light touch, but as the story deepens, more and more of the fantastical is revealed.

End of the Century is available in trade paperback or as an e-book.

The Best of Bad Fiction

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 06:49:36 GMT

Some books are so amazing they blow your mind and stay with you forever. Others find a warm and comfy little spot in your heart to nestle, and hang out close to you on the shelf with all your comfort re-reads. Some you read and forget almost as soon as you move on to the next thing. And then there are those that stick in your memory for all the wrong reasons. They're either unintentionally hilarious, or so full of moments that make you go "wtf" that you just can't scrub it from your brain (and part of you doesn't want to, because telling people all about how unbelievable this book is is kind of fun). Let's face it, the very best of bad fiction is fun, even if that's not what the author wanted you to get out of it. My personal favourite, of course, was penned by Fabio (at least nominally). Pirate was unintentionally hilarious in the way of B movies, and I had so much fun with it I actually tried to read one or two of his other novels. Sadly, they didn't fare as well with the hilarity.

So... what's the best, most awful book you've read, and what particular part prompts you to tell other people about it to share the ~~horror~~ glory?

Announcement

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 06:55:04 GMT

I suspect this won't be one of my more popular posts, but I have some news I need to share with you all. I've done a lot of thinking on this subject, and in the end, there was really only one decision I could come to.

We're shutting down.

I'm sure some of you have seen this coming for a long time now. There are a number of reasons behind this decision. As of just a couple of weeks ago, Genre Reviews has been running for five years now, and a lot has changed in that time, both in the blogging world and in my personal life. It's a lot easier to find thoughtful reviews of genre fiction now than it used to be, and there are any number of places you can find fantastic discussions about the ins and outs of the books you're reading or even a more broad discussion about the types of books we've focused on over here. As for me, I have more children (and therefore less time) than I did when I started the blog, and those kids have gotten older and started, like, wanting hobbies and books of their own.

There's also a lot of potential pressure in maintaining a book blog. A review almost always takes me hours to write, and on occasion it's taken longer for me to figure out what I want to say in my review than it has to read the book in the first place. There's a lot more involved in blogging than I would ever have expected when I started things up, and while Genre Reviews has been a wonderful experience that allowed me to meet a plethora of amazing people and has led to some really engaging conversations, I'm tired. I've put perhaps more pressure on myself than was needed to keep up to date with publishing news, with new releases, with the trends, and to post as closely to every day as I could manage, and it turns out that after five years of that sort of self-induced pressure, you start to burn out. Who knew, right?

There will be updates through the next two weeks, as per usual, and after that point this will be an archived blog. I'll leave all the posts intact, there just won't be any more new updates after that point. And of course, I'll still be around in any of the other places you can find me here on the internets, if you feel like chumming around that way. So, you know, here's your fair warning, and I'll see you all here again tomorrow.

Fun With Props

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 04:05:32 GMT

Often with these Friday Night Movies, I share with you something that's silly or just plain random. Tonight, though, I feel like indulging in something worth a closer look, a mesmerizing act of human skill. Fair warning: This is one to sit back and watch when you have a few minutes, not something to click on for a quick couple of minutes when you're in the middle of doing something else. As an added bonus, you can watch the members of the audience holding their breath, watching him.

Thursday E-book Deals

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 19:54:46 GMT

Hey, it's Thursday! The perfect day to find a new and cheap e-book to fall in love with. Since it's Valentine's day, the deals are a little heavy on the romance side, but there's some fantasy, sci-fi, YA, and a touch of horror in here, too.

All standard disclaimers apply, blah blah blah. Retailers like to change their prices frequently and without warning, so if you see a deal you want to take advantage of, please do pounce. These links take you to Amazon, but some deals may be available at other e-book retailers. Sometimes the deals are good in countries outside the US; sometimes they're not. And I ferociously wish we could just work out these nonsensical territorial issues already. Bow ties are cool.

-Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey, contemporary romance, 0$
-A Hope Undaunted by Julie Lessman, 1920s-era historical romance, 0$
-Touched by AJ Aalto, urban fantasy, 0$
-Driven by Eve Silver, sci-fi romance, 0.99$
-Wait For Me by Elisabeth Naughton, romantic suspense, 0.99$
-Tall, Dark, and Deadly trilogy by Lisa Renee Jones, romantic suspense, 1.00$
-Wizard's Blood by Thomas Head, epic fantasy, 1.97$
-Blue Angel by Logan Belle, erotica, 2.01$
-Sanctum by Todd Grimson, YA dark fantasy/occult horror, 1.99$
-Fortune's Hero by Jenna Bennett, space opera, 2.97$
-Sins & Needles by Karina Halle, contemporary romance, 2.97$
-Be Mine by Jennifer Crusie, Victoria Dahl, & Shannon Stacey, contemporary romance anthology, 2.98$
-The Magic Knot by Helen Scott Taylor, paranormal romance, 2.98$
-The Legend of Eli Monpress 3-book bundle by Rachel Aaron, epic fantasy, 3.04$
-Lion of Ireland by Morgan Llywelyn, historical fiction, 3.50$
-Crewel by Gennifer Albin, YA paranormal, 3.50$
-The Duchess War by Courtney Milan, historical romance, 3.81$
-Silent Revenge by Laura Landon, 3.99$
-Sanctum by Sarah Fine, YA dystopian, 3.99$

Love Yourself Today

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 06:18:27 GMT

So it's Valentine's Day tomorrow (or today, depending on where you are), and I'm here hoping everyone has a good one. Whether your date this year is with someone new and exciting, someone you've loved for many years, or a most excellent book, have a fabulous day. And do something special for yourself. It doesn't have to be anything epic; just a little gesture will work. We spend an awful lot of time focusing on our own flaws, and the hype for Valentine's day tries to tell you your only validity is if someone wants to spend the evening canoodling with you. Which, of course, we know is absolutely not true, but it can be hard not to buy into the hype when it seems like it's being thrown at you from every direction.

But you know what's just as important as showing love and appreciation to the special people in your lives? Being able to love yourself! So I'm hoping each of you will take even just a few minutes of your February 14th plans to indulge yourself in one thing that just makes you happy. Seriously, love yourself this Valentine's day. Because you're awesome.

Monday Links, because I can

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 06:40:49 GMT

It's Monday, and I imagine most of us are a bit grumbly about that. So hey, let's use the internet for what it does best (no, not porn) and look at some interesting links!

-Baldur Bjarnason recently wrote an eloquent and thought-provoking post about e-books, more specifically on how publishers should respect their readers, including the ones who prefer e-books to print books. He suggests that e-books are more like a service than an object, and that their priority should be customer satisfaction.

-Hyperion and Marvel have teamed up to release a pair of "adventure romance" novels, one featuring She-Hulk and the other Rogue of the X-Men. This is apparently Marvel's way of making an attempt to stop alienating women, but well... neither of them sound like they're any good. That is, of course, a judgement based on very little information, and I'd be more than happy to be proven wrong. But Marvel? Where's my Black Widow movie?

-And for a bit of interesting but geeky reading, we've got a list of the 10 Most Common Grammatical Errors and How to Fix Them. It's targeted to writers, and some of them aren't so much grammatical errors as they are a word of advice in writing style, but there's some really good stuff in there to look over.

How to handle success with Daniel Radcliffe

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 06:22:37 GMT

For this week's Friday Night Movie, I'd like to share a little gem with you starring Daniel Radcliffe explaining to everyone the best ways to handle success. Ok, it might not be your standard how-to guide, but it's certainly worth watching.

Thursday E-book Deals

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 17:35:37 GMT

It's Thursday, and you know what that means: time to restock your digital bookshelf with all the good deals!

All standard disclaimers apply. All links lead to Amazon, although some e-book deals may be available at other e-book retailers. Some deals may not be available outside the US, and most are available for a limited time only. Being listed here is not necessarily a recommendation, just an acknowledgement of a really good price.

-Heir to the Underworld by ED Walker, YA paranormal, 0$
-Lady of Devices by Shelley Adina, steampunk, 0.99$
-Siren by John Everson, dark fantasy/horror, 0.99$
-Bombay Assassins Greatest Hits Box Set by Leslie Langtry, 5-book romantic suspense series, 1.95$
-Henry Franks by Peter Adam Salomon, dark fantasy, 1.99$
-The English Witch by Loretta Chase, historical romance, 2.98$
-Fly by Night by Ward Larsen, mystery/thriller, 2.99$
-Mister Monday by Garth Nix, YA contemporary fantasy, 2.99$
-Modern Sorcery by Gary Jonas, contemporary fantasy, 3.00$
-The Magic Knot by Helen Scott Taylor, paranormal romance, 3.00$
-Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C Wrede & Caroline Stevermer,
-The Big Exit by David Carnoy, technothriller, 3.52$
-Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon, YA paranormal, 3.52$

Book maze!

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 06:50:37 GMT

This is perhaps old news, but awesome nonetheless. And it makes me wish I'd been in London last August.

Two artists and their crew of volunteers created an enormous maze out of 250 000 books, which ended up being 5000 square feet with 13 foot walls. Literary quotes and images were projected in the hopes of inspiring people to see something new in the books, to "discover "new textures, images, and emotions" and be hypnotized "by words and thoughts, designs and patterns.""

And then when it was all over, the public was encouraged to take the books home. I can't think of a single part of this that isn't awesome.

The link above includes a time-lapse video of the construction of the book labyrinth, which is definitely worth a look. And I want to know why book mazes don't pop up around my city.

Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 08:27:26 GMT

Publisher: Margaret K McElderry Books, 2012
Genre: Fantasy
Sub-genre: Swords and sorcery
Rating: 3 1/2 pints of blood

Let's get one thing straight: the cover art is at least 75% responsible for me owning this book. Seriously, look at it. The gorgeous colours, the lighting, the sense of movement in the silk, the capable-looking woman of colour... it's like they designed this cover specifically to catch my attention.

And, y'know, the premise sounded pretty intriguing too, but really, it's the cover art that landed it near the top of my "I MUST HAVE THIS BOOK" list. I wound up getting it for Christmas, so all may rejoice.

For most of her life, Liyana has been prepared to give up her body so her goddess can inhabit it for the sake of her tribe. Once every hundred years, the gods of the desert tribes take their place in prepared vessels to live among the people, where they can touch the physical world and ensure there's enough water and food for the tribes to survive. Now, in the middle of a great drought, it's more important than ever that the gods can take their proper place in their vessels, and although it means her own death, Liyana is more than prepared to make this sacrifice for her people.

But although everything goes as planned at the ceremony that should have ended with the goddess Bayla taking over Liyana's body, Liyana finds herself exhausted and still very present. After long consideration, the tribe decides there's no choice but to leave the god-rejected vessel behind in the hopes that a new, more pleasing vessel can be prepared in time to prevent them all from dying.

Left alone in the desert, Liyana isn't sure how long she can survive, or why she's been so cruelly rejected by the goddess she's devoted her life to. Before things can get too desperate, though, the trickster god of another tribe (already set in his vessel) finds her and tells her that several of the desert gods, Bayla included, have been stolen. In order to save the tribes, Liyana and Korbyn the trickster god must round up the other vessels and take them to rescue the gods from whatever force is strong enough to have stolen them in the first place.

I'm always interested in fantasy that gets away from the standard Euro-centric setting, and Vessel does this with a rich and detailed world. The desert and the tribes that inhabit it are so real you can almost feel the sand around you, even if you're reading in the dead of winter (as I did), and Liyana's pride in her homeland is easy to understand. It's a sharp contrast from the Empire, which is vague enough there's no personality beneath the military force. No sense of culture or identity, nothing to ground them in the reality the book was otherwise so fantastic at establishing.

Even if you're not the kind of reader who's drawn in by worldbuilding, though, you can find a lot to love in this book. Liyana, Korbyn, and the other vessels are a collection of interesting characters, each very different from the others. I wished we'd gotten to know Raan a little better, since a vessel who resents being a vessel is something that stands out. Interestingly, though, it's probably Korbyn who grows and changes the most during the journey. As protagonist, Liyana picks up some new skills and tests herself in some rather drastic circumstances, but she was strong and resourceful from the beginning, so she didn't have far to go. The trickster god, however, finds himself facing the consequences of being the god nobody's sure they can trust.

I really enjoyed the legends the characters told each other, stories that often involved past adventures of the gods or other tales passed down through the tribes. The stories become a recurring theme throughout the book, something that helps to tie things all together and adds a certain degree of depth to the characters (especially the gods) and their world. The stories were short and always tied in to the situation at hand, so while they could have gotten distracting, they were well used and in fact became a strength of the novel.

By contrast, the romance included one of the most contrived triangles I've ever encountered. Liyana and Korbyn grow close enough through their adventures that Bayla becomes concerned, since Korbyn is meant to be her lover. She's aware he's not treating Liyana as the vessel she's meant to be, but is growing to appreciate her as a person on her own terms, and while Liyana keeps trying to remind herself this is the beloved of her goddess and that she herself is on borrowed time, she can't keep from growing feelings. For a good three quarters of the book, this is the romantic scenario, until a new character is introduced and instantaneously, there are meant to be feelings that rival the ones the reader has spent the entire book with. It's of course not a situation that would settle in a way to keep everyone satisfied, but more political motivations would have been easier to believe. Trying to add a fourth person into the romance aspect at the end of the book feels like enough of a deus ex machina it took away from the satisfaction I'd had reading the rest of the book. Which is a shame, because up until that point, I'd really been enjoying the story, the characters, and the fantastic world they lived in.

Vessel is available in hardcover or as an e-book.

Contest Results!

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 07:57:37 GMT

Welp, it's time for me to wrap up my contest of extreme laziness by announcing a winner! So congratulations to garnigal, who according to random.org is our winner, and who should therefore e-mail me at genrereviews (at) gmail (dot) com to claim her wonderous prize. Or lazy prize. One of those. (Both of those?)

Thanks to everyone for the well wishing! The husband caught my bug right after I did, but we're both back to normal now. Or as close to normal as either of us gets. It's all relative, really.

Super Kittens!

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 23:24:31 GMT

It's Friday and, at least where I am, it's very very cold outside, so I'm staying inside and thinking warm thoughts. Warm and fuzzy thoughts. Ok, I'm thinking about kittens, because who wouldn't?

If you're sitting there and thinking this week's Friday Night must be about kittens, it's not at all because I'm predictable, it's because we're kindred spirits and you've also got kittens on the brain. But I do happen to have some kitten video for you. And these aren't just any kittens: they're SUPER kittens. They fly! In slow motion! In capes! (I'm pretty sure the capes are what make flight possible, actually.)

Thursday E-book Deals

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:33:27 GMT

Well, being that this is the end of the month I recommend you pounce on anything you see here that looks particularly interesting, since odds are good these deals won't be long-lived ones. But hey, even fleeting deals are deals, so let's get to it!

Usual disclaimers apply. All links lead to Amazon, although some deals may be available at other e-book retailers. Some deals may not be available outside the US. Management not responsible in the event of injury or death, including (but not limited to) injury or death caused by knife fights.

-Beyond Shame by Kit Rocha, dystopian romance, 0.99$
-Painted Faces by LH Cosway, contemporary romance with a cross-dressing hero, 0.99$
-Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey, YA paranormal, 0.99$
-Caught on Camera by Kim Law, contemporary romance, 1.96$
-The Immortal Circus by AR Kahler, dark contemporary fantasy, 1.98$
-The Hollow House by Janis Patterson, mystery/thriller, 1.98$
-Already Gone by John Rector, mystery/thriller, 2.94$
-The Wretched of Muirwood by Jeff Wheeler, epic fantasy, 2.96$
-Red by Kait Nolan, YA paranormal, 2.98$
-Caressed by Moonlight by Amanda J Greene, historical paranormal romance, 2.99$
-The Mongoliad: Book One by Greg Bear, Neal Stephenson, Mark Teppo, Erik Bear, Joseph Brassey, Cooper Moo, and ED deBirmingham, epic fantasy, 2.99$
-Seed by Ania Ahlborn, dark fantasy, 3.03$
-Dead Spots by Melissa F Olson, urban fantasy, 3.95$

the laziest contest ever

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 05:55:29 GMT

I was going to have a review up for you guys tonight, but then the flu came along and said "OH, REALLY?" and I was forced to concede no, not really.

So instead of that, I put all the work to you, because I'm cruel like that. Each of you has been provided with a knife. I have here in my hands a 20$ gift card to the online bookseller of your choice, and it goes to the last man or woman standing. No setting foot outside the pit; that's automatic forfeit.

Or, y'know, you could just leave a comment below telling me why you should win the 20$ gift card and I'll randomly pick a winner when I'm done with the full body aches. And hey, I'll probably be back with a review then, too!

Edit: This contest has closed. Thanks to everyone who entered.

And now for something completely different

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 06:31:56 GMT

For a lot of us, we're getting into winter blues season. Holidays are over, we're back into the regular drudgery, but spring is nowhere in sight and it's still freaking cold out. It's ok, I've got you covered.

It'll also keep you nice and warm until things start to thaw.

You're welcome.

Fruit Ninja!

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 01:09:54 GMT

I'm going to take a wild guess and say that most of you have probably played fruit ninja or one of its many variation or have at least watched someone playing it. As always, the internet is fantastic at taking a bizarre idea and making it even more ludicrous, so for this evening's Friday Night Movie, please do have a live action version of Fruit Ninja!

Thursday E-book Deals

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 07:26:00 GMT

Alright, well, this post is going up a few hours later than usual for the Thursday Deals, but never fear, your free and discounted e-book list has arrived! Rejoice as your wallet weeps! (I haven't decided yet if it's a kindness or a cruelty for me to share all the deals with you. Perhaps a bit of both.)

Blah blah, standard disclaimers. If you've heard this song before, skip ahead to the book deals. All links lead to Amazon, although some deals may be available at other e-book retailers. Some of these deals have expiration dates, so hop on them when you can. Some deals may not be available to readers outside the US. Being listed here is not necessarily a book recommendation, but if you find something that looks interesting and is cheap, do you really need me to tell you if it's worth your time?

-A Hint of Frost by Hailey Edwards, fantasy romance, 0$
-Midnight Man by Lisa Marie Rice, erotic suspense, 0$
-Luxuria by Nicci Sefton, YA paranormal, 0.99$
-The Death Series, Books 1-3 by Tamara Rose Blodgett, YA sci-fi, 1.01$
-Merlin's Harp by Anne Eliot Crompton, YA Arthurian fantasy, 1.98$
-My Unfair Godmother by Janette Rallison, contemporary YA fantasy, 1.99$
-The Aviary Gate by Katie Hickman, historical fiction, 1.99$
-Silent Revenge by Laura London, historical romance, 1.99$
-A Quest of Heroes by Morgan Rice, epic fantasy, 2.53$
-Circle of Magic: Sandry's Book by Tamora Pierce, YA fantasy, 2.71$
-Damned in Paradise by Max Allan Collins, mystery/thriller, 2.97$
-Reckless by Cornelia Funke, YA fantasy, 3.08$
-A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, contemporary classic, 3.45$
-Promise of Gold by Kristen Kyle, historical romance, 3.48$
-The Woodcutter by Kate Danley, dark fantasy, 3.97$