Author: Rachelle

Monday's Minutes

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“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.
  • Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
  • A Free Man of Color by Barbara Hambly
  • Plain Kate by Erin Bow
  • Slave of My Thirst by Tom Holland

Peculiar queen free
plain thirst
Finished: 

  • The Hostile Hospital by Lemony Snicket
  • Sentenced to Death by Lorna Barrett

hospital sentenced

Challenges:

Total pages read: 713

Total # of books for the year: 63.  I thought my reading would slow down once I focused on catching up on reviews and non-blogging stuff, but I’m reading just as much, if not more, than usual.  I spent most of the weekend reading Slave of My Thirst after picking it up from my stack of RIP XI books.  I thought I wasn’t going to like it and would quickly DNF it, but I was completely wrong.  So far, it’s one of the best vampire stories I’ve ever read and I didn’t want to put it down.  I managed to get the laundry and dishes done, but everything else fell by the wayside.

What are you reading this week?

Mini-Review: The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul

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Tea-Time

  • Author: Douglas Adams
  • ISBN: 9781476783000
  • Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Mystery
  • Pages: 256

 
I love anything by Douglas Adams, but I was particularly interested in reading The Long Dark Tea-Time of the of the Soul because of the title.  I thought there’s no way this book could be bad with a title like that.  In order to read it, however, I had to read Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency first.  That was amazing, so I was looking forward to this one even more.
The story was very different from the first book.  It was more of a Fantasy than a Sci-Fi story and involved Norse mythology.  However, think of a comical version of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, and you’ve got The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.  After I finished it, I even wondered if this book is where Gaiman got his idea for American Gods.  Regardless, I enjoyed The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul much more because, as with everything Adams wrote, it doesn’t take itself, or anything, too seriously.  If you’re looking for a book that shows just how absurd life really is, you can’t go wrong with this one.
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#FitReaders Check-In

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FitReaders2016
  • This check-in is for September 9th – 15th.
  • While I didn’t get anywhere near my step goal, I did get out every day during my morning break at work to walk.  The temperature is finally cool enough for the first half of the day that I can get a few steps in.  Hopefully, it will be cooler soon so I can go out during my lunch and afternoon break as well.
  • My first meeting with my new “coach” was mostly an introductory, getting to know you meeting.  However, I did set a daily calorie goal and did my first weigh-in.  I also committed to tracking all of my food.
  • I’m no longer going to be tracking how many flights of stairs I do each week.  I have no problem surpassing that goal since I have stairs at home and I always take the stairs, instead of the elevator, at work.
  • My work schedule may be changing next week, so my workout plans/goals will have to change too.  I’m still figuring it out, but I’m sure it won’t be a problem.
  • I got my medal for the 50-mile Road to Hogwarts virtual race I completed:

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I’m looking forward to doing more of these so I have an excuse to buy a rack to display this and any future medals I earn.

  • If you’d like to add me as a friend on FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Steps: 33,607/49,000
  • Miles: 13.81/17.5
  • Active Minutes: 160/175
  • Days I Tracked My Food: 7/7
  • Monthly 5K Races Completed: 3/10
  • Monthly 1 Mile Fun “Runs” Completed: 2/10
  • Total Money Donated: $22.13/$25.00

Review: The Communication Room

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Communication

  • Author: Adam Aresty
  • ISBN: 9780692664797
  • Genre: Science Fiction
  • Publisher: Vagabondage Press

Leonard Ackerman works at a remote army base trying to solve the greatest threat facing mankind. An alien invasion that has eroded our species down to very few numbers as far as Ackerman can tell. His base is compromised and Ackerman retreats to a laboratory he has never been inside, locking himself there with the enemy right outside his door. Inside the lab are thirteen telephones—from the American civil war through to Ackerman’s present day, about 100 years from now.
This laboratory seems to be some sort of closed experiment and Ackerman discovers that he cannot exit the lab until the experiment has run its course. The method and ultimate goal of the test is beyond his reach for now… but the first telephone rings and the only thing Ackerman can do is answer… – Goodreads synopsis

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
As soon as I start reading that an author is “award winning” in a pitch from a publisher, I tend to be suspicious about the book they’re trying to get me to read.  However, the idea of being locked in a laboratory full of phones from various points throughout time was too intriguing for me to pass up.
The only negative I have about The Communication Room is that it’s too short.  I think it would be an even better story if it were closer to novel length rather than only a novella.  Other than that, it’s a terrific example of the Science Fiction genre and would fit perfectly into an anthology, perhaps between two much shorter pieces.
For anyone interested in trying out some Sci-Fi, this would be an excellent choice.  It only takes an hour or so to read, so it’s not a huge investment.  Besides, I think this story just might get anyone new to Sci-Fi hooked and wanting more.  I’ll definitely be looking into reading more of Adam Aresty’s work and seeing what else Vagabondage Press has to offer.
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Mini-Review: Insurgent

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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

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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

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment

“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

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
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

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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

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  • 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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