Mini-Review: Insurgent

Insurgent

  • Author: Veronica Roth
  • ISBN: 9780007442911
  • Genre: Sci-Fi/Dystopian
  • Pages: 525

 
 
Not long after I finished Divergent, I bought a copy of Insurgent.  I just had to get it.  I needed to know what would happen next.  I forced myself to wait and read something else so that I wouldn’t get burnt out on the story and end up having my opinion of the book suffer as a result.
I’m glad I didn’t wait too long, though.  I had already forgotten who was who amongst some of the smaller characters, but I was able to jog my memory and figure things out fairly quickly.  One thing that stood out to me while reading is that Roth’s writing improved.  No longer did I come across awkward turns of phrase and clunky dialogue.  However, some of the interactions between Triss and Four didn’t make much sense to me, even though I can’t put my finger on exactly why.  Despite that, I couldn’t wait to continue reading anytime I had to put the book down.  I look forward to picking up the final book, Allegiant.
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Review: Primary Inversion

Primary

  • Author: Catherine Asaro
  • ISBN: 9780812550238
  • Genre: Science Fiction
  • Pages: 384

The Skolian Empire rules a third of the civilized galaxy through its mastery of faster-than-light communication. But war with the rival empire of the Traders seems imminent, a war that can only lead to slavery for the Skolians or the destruction of both sides. Destructive skirmishes have already occurred. A desperate attempt must be made to avert total disaster. – Goodreads synopsis

I discovered Primary Inversion a couple years ago when I picked it as my “Blind Date with a Book.”  From the synopsis above, I didn’t think this would be a story told from a First Person POV.  I was expecting something more along the lines of “Battlestar Galactica.”  Instead, everything is seen from Soz’s perspective.  Soz is a woman, and a soldier, and that made Primary Inversion another difficult book for me.
I was reading Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins at the same time, and due to how much both books hit home for me, I ended up having to take a break from them to read something a bit more light-hearted.  Primary Inversion is an excellent example of the kind of mental breakdown many soldiers, including myself, have gone through.  While Soz’s mental health isn’t the only thing in the story, it stood out for me because Catherine Asaro wrote Primary Inversion nearly a decade before the subjects of PTSD and suicide rates increasing amongst Veterans began to make headlines as they came home from lengthy deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.
As hard as it was for me to face myself in a Sci-Fi novel, I wish there were more books like Primary Inversion and “The Hunger Games” trilogy.  Reading about Soz and Katniss was like looking in a mirror, and that’s still a rare event for a woman who has been to war.
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Monday's Minutes

“Monday’s Minutes” is a weekly post in which I track my bookish life.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

Currently Reading:

  • Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs – for Castle Macabre’s Gothic September read-along.
  • The Hostile Hospital by Lemony Snicket
  • Sentenced to Death by Lorna Barrett

Peculiar hospital sentenced
Finished: 

  • The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
  • A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Martian Chronicles Great and Terrible

Challenges:

Total pages read: 708

Total # of books for the year: 61.  I’ve completed the Time Lord level of my Sci-Fi Summer reading challenge with a week and a half to spare!  Now I just need to get the rest of my reviews written.  My reading might slow down a little bit for the next couple of weeks while I catch up on them.

What are you reading this week?

#FitReaders Check-In

FitReaders2016
  • This check-in is for September 2nd – 8th.
  • I’ve been sick since my last check-in, and though I’m over the worst of it, I’m still hacking up my lungs and sniffling, so getting 8K steps a day didn’t even make the priority list.
  • I have my first meeting with my new “coach” this evening, so I won’t have a new plan of action to share with all of you until next check-in.
  • If you’d like to add me as a friend on FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Steps: 20,376/49,000
  • Miles: 8.36/17.5
  • Flights of stairs: 78/70
  • Active Minutes: 31/175
  • Monthly 5K Races Completed: 3/10
  • Monthly 1 Mile Fun “Runs” Completed: 2/10
  • Total Money Donated: $21.93/$25.00

Review: Feed

Feed

  • Author: Mira Grant
  • ISBN: 9780316122467
  • Genre: Science Fiction
  • Pages: 571

The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beat the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED.
Now, twenty years after the Rising, Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives-the dark conspiracy behind the infected. The truth will out, even if it kills them.

Feed was recommended to me by a Librarian who also happens to be a fellow member of Geek Girls Brunch.  It sat on my wishlist for awhile, until I got my share of the settlement money from an anti-trust lawsuit involving Apple.  While I didn’t get nearly as much credit from Barnes and Noble as some people did, I did get enough to buy Feed and a few other books that I didn’t mind having as ebooks.
This is the non-cliff hanger first book of Mira Grant’s “Newsflesh” series.  While the story and the writing are certainly good enough to continue the series, I know I probably won’t.  Feed is told almost entirely from Georgia Mason’s POV, while the second book is supposedly told from Shaun’s.  As much as I like Shaun, Georgia’s personality and way of thinking were one of the best parts of this book, and I’m not all that interested in Shaun’s “Irwin” style of doing things.  I would definitely be a “Newsie” like Georgia.
Again, that’s just my personal preference.  For those that want to start and finish a zombie series, I don’t doubt that the remaining books hold up to the first.  However, those of you who just want a great stand-alone zombie story that’s considerably different from any other you’ve read, you won’t be disappointed in Feed.
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Mini-Review: Mockingjay

MJ_Movie_CVR.indd

  • Author: Suzanne Collins
  • ISBN: 9780545788298
  • Genre: Sci-Fi/Dystopian
  • Pages: 400

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived. But her home has been destroyed. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding… – Goodreads synopsis

I’ve had Mockingjay on my shelves for awhile and forgot that I had yet to read it until after I started the first book of another popular Dystopian trilogy, Divergent, by Veronica Roth.  I figured it was about time I wrap up “The Hunger Games” trilogy once and for all.
Mockingjay was difficult for me to get through.  There were parts of it that were just too real for me, having served in the military.  At one point, I had to take a break to read something fun and easy.  I ended up re-reading The Princess Bride by William Goldman.  All in all, though, I needed Mockingjay.  Katniss helped me heal, even if just a little bit.  Collins didn’t end the book with a sappy or sickly sweet happily ever after.  The book wouldn’t have helped me at all if she had.  Instead, she ended it with Katniss’ thoughts on how her past affects her life.  One sentence that had the greatest effect on me:

“I’ll tell them that on bad mornings, it feels impossible to take pleasure in anything because I’m afraid it could be taken away.”

Within the paragraph that one sentence is from, I have found someone who knows exactly what I feel on “bad mornings”, but I’ve also found someone who has done more than just survive.  Thank you, Katniss.
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Review: The Fangirl Life

Fangirl Life

  • Author: Kathleen Smith
  • ISBN: 9781101983690
  • Genre: Non-Fiction/Self-Help
  • Pages: 240

You’d probably know a “fangirl” when you see one, but the majority stay relatively closeted due to the stigma of being obsessed with fictional characters. However, these obsessions are sometimes the fangirl’s solutions for managing stress, anxiety, and even low self-esteem. Fangirling is often branded as behavior young women should outgrow and replace with more adult concerns. Written by a proud fangirl, The Fangirl Life is a witty testament to the belief that honoring your imagination can be congruous with good mental health, and it’s a guide to teach fangirls how to put their passion to use in their own lives.
By showing you how to translate obsession into personal accomplishment while affirming the quirky, endearing qualities of your fangirl nature, The Fangirl Life will help you become your own ultimate fangirl. – Goodreads synopsis

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The Fangirl Life was not written with my age group in mind.  It’s targeted for a considerably younger audience.  However, that doesn’t mean I didn’t get anything out of it.  In fact, it was one of the best books for me as I transitioned from college to working full-time and handling it more like the younger me who flailed through everything than the BAMF I had learned how to be as I settled into my 30’s.
Looking back to what happened when I transitioned from the Army to life in college, I wish I had had The Fangirl Life then, too, because somehow, I forgot everything I learned when I was going to therapy.  Smith reminded me of all those techniques I had learned to handle life as an adult, but she also taught me that my fangirling didn’t have to be separate from the rest of me or from those techniques.  Being a fangirl is who I am, and my life works best when I accept it, own it, and apply it to the areas of my life that I want to improve.
The best thing that The Fangirl Life gave me?  In an office full of people I didn’t think I had anything in common with, I found out that one of my coworkers has a major crush on Captain America.  While Bruce Banner is more my type, we’ve had several fun conversations about all things Avengers; something that wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t let my fangirl flag flutter in the breeze.
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Monday's Minutes

“Monday’s Minutes” is a weekly post in which I track my bookish life.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

Currently Reading:

  • The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
  • Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs – for Castle Macabre’s Gothic September read-along.
  • A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Martian Chronicles Peculiar Great and Terrible

DNF:

  • Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh

Downbelow
Finished: 

  • The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams
  • Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Tea-Time Insurgent

Challenges:

Total pages read: 1010

Total # of books for the year: 59.  I’m only one book away from completing the Time Lord level of my Sci-Fi Summer reading challenge.  Since that last book is the audiobook edition of The Martian Chronicles, and I’m well over halfway done with it, I’ve started on the giant stack of books I pulled from my shelves for R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril.  Even though the challenge level I’m participating in is only four books, I plan on getting through several more than that, especially since Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon is in October, and this is the time of year when I prefer to stick to the Gothic and Horror genres.

I was going to slow down my reading to catch up on writing reviews, but I came down with a head cold that was made more horrible by Cedar Fever.  The Boyfriend said it’s a little early in the year for that, but we’ve had a lot of rain over the past couple weeks.  I never had allergies prior to moving to Texas, and every time my eyes get itchy and my sinuses give me migraine-level headaches, I want to move anywhere without cedar trees.  I read whenever I wasn’t sleeping since I didn’t have much energy to do anything else.  Now I have two more books to review, and possibly a third before the end of the day (A Great and Terrible Beauty is SO good!).

What are you reading this week?

Review: Furiously Happy

Furiously

  • Author: Jenny Lawson
  • ISBN: 9781447238355
  • Genre: Non-Fiction/Memoir
  • Pages: 276

I used one of my Audible credits to get this book after listening to Let’s Pretend This Never Happened.

In her new book, FURIOUSLY HAPPY, Jenny explores her lifelong battle with mental illness. A hysterical, ridiculous book about crippling depression and anxiety? That sounds like a terrible idea. And terrible ideas are what Jenny does best.
According to Jenny: “Some people might think that being ‘furiously happy’ is just an excuse to be stupid and irresponsible and invite a herd of kangaroos over to your house without telling your husband first because you suspect he would say no since he’s never particularly liked kangaroos. And that would be ridiculous because no one would invite a herd of kangaroos into their house. Two is the limit. I speak from personal experience. My husband says that none is the new limit. I say he should have been clearer about that before I rented all those kangaroos.”
FURIOUSLY HAPPY is a book about mental illness, but under the surface it’s about embracing joy in fantastic and outrageous ways-and who doesn’t need a bit more of that? – Goodreads synopsis

I enjoyed Furiously Happy even more than her first book.  I didn’t think that was possible, but apparently it is.  This book also solidified me as a fan of Jenny Lawson.  I’m a religious reader of her blog and follower of her Twitter and Instagram accounts.  I got ridiculously excited when I found out she’s coming out with a new book, which just happens to be a coloring book.  I pre-ordered it as soon as pay day, and I was actually anxious about not having the money to pre-order as soon as it was available.  As if, somehow, it would disappear before I could claim my future copy of it?
For the first time, I’ve read of someone else who got so angry about her brain chemistry messing up or getting in the way of her living her life the way she wants to that she decided to give it the finger.  As she says in the first chapter, being “furiously happy” isn’t a cure, it’s a weapon.  It’s also the realization that being “crazy” is ok.  If there is such a thing as the perfect book for just about anyone suffering from Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, chronic medical conditions, phobias, etc., this is the book.  It’s an amazing and wonderful reminder that humor and accepting yourself as you are is the best way to get through the craziness of life.
One day I will own Furiously Happy in paperback so I can re-read with highlighter and pen in hand and also read out loud all the passages that I want the Boyfriend to hear.  Until then, I’ll just re-listen to bits and pieces of the audiobook whenever I need a reminder to be furiously happy.
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#FitReaders Check-In

FitReaders2016
  • This check-in is for August 26th – September 1st.
  • My goal for this week was 8K steps per day.  That didn’t happen, but I did have my appointment on Monday to get started with the health and fitness program.
  • I have my first meeting with my new “coach” next Friday, so I haven’t officially started the program quite yet.  However, I did find out that I meet with my “coach” once a week, and the program is 52 weeks long.  My goal is to lose 50 lbs. by the end of the program, and I was told that that is a reasonable and healthy goal.
  • Since this is a long weekend, I’m going to try for 8K steps per day again, but I woke up this morning with a very sore throat and might be getting sick, so I don’t know if that will happen.
  • If you’d like to add me as a friend on FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Steps: 28,478/49,000
  • Miles: 11.69/17.5
  • Flights of stairs: 99/70
  • Active Minutes: 85/175
  • Monthly 5K Races Completed: 3/10
  • Monthly 1 Mile Fun “Runs” Completed: 2/10
  • Total Money Donated: $21.78/$25.00