Lord of Misrule by Rachel Caine

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I beginning to be thankful that I'm borrowing these from the library and not getting them from the bookstore. With each book in the series it seems like these would be better as shorter chapters in one large book. '



Again we mainly follow as she makes choices in the world around her. Half the time I'm shaking my head at her decisions and the rest of the time I'm intrigued with those choices.



I had a hard time getting into this book in the series, due to the slowly moving plot line. They spent the majority of time running between portals but not really achieving anything. It did however start picking up towards the end with the last few pages being very well written. Where was that that excitement earlier in the book?



However the ending is the only reason I feel this book even warrants getting a 3rd star from me.









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Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I started reading this series due to my library not carrying the Weather Warden series by the same author. They are all quick reads but this one seemed faster than the rest of them have so far.

Up until now Claire just seems to be going along with whatever Amelie wants her to do. I like that she starts to show some backbone in this one. She stands up to the vamps and her parents all in the same book. However this seems to be all the book really was about. I hit the last page and it seemed like there should have been a few more.

For a YA book it was still enjoyable, no matter how short it felt. I will say that I'm curious to see where Shane and her's relationship goes in the next few books.



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Altar of Eden by James Rollins

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I'm on the fence with this book. I really enjoy reading Rollins books, but I can't decide if I liked this one or not.

In some ways it was highly enjoyable. As his previous books, the science part of it completely intrigued me. It kept the plot moving and I stayed interested trying to piece together where he was going with the genetic aspect of the animals. In fact the animals outcomes where what kept me reading to the end. But for a lot of readers this part of the books isn't going to be enough to keep them entertained.

I really struggled with the characters. They all seem a little one dimensional and very predictable. The heroine whose plays tough but really is insecure. The hero who helps the heroine find out who she really is. The villain, whose really good at heart, the true villain who gets his in the end. Even the sidekicks were for the most part boring.

I would recommend this book to other Rollins fans, due to the parts that I love about his other works are great in this one. However for someone new to this author I wouldn't recommend starting with this one.




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Book Review

Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


When this first came out I was excited to read it, but never got around to it until now. After reading it, I feel that I didn't miss out on much by putting it off. I wasn't nearly as impressed with this book as I was its prequel, Wicked.

At times I felt that I could turn ahead a couple of pages and not really miss any of the general story. It seemed that the editors wanted this book to be longer and Maguire obliged them with filler. That filler was mostly descriptions of Liir walking to and from places in Oz. I get that this was a part of the story but he could have fleshed out some of the other areas with more information rather than another paragraph of "Liir walked and it was tiresome."

Only one real question I had got answered by the end of the book. I'm still filled with lots more, and I hope that the third book in the series does a better job of answering those questions.

I would have a had time recommending this book, even to fans of Maguire's writing.



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Nerdhuffers Unite!

The other day I was talking with a good friend of mine and of course the conversation veered off into the literary realm. A lot of the conversations I have with people are based in this realm.  The name of this blog is from one of those conversations.  I love to read.  It doesn't matter if its hard copy or electronic.  Books, magazines, newspapers, blogs, I have a love of the written word.

This past year I was given a Nook, and my love of reading has reached new found heights.  It allows me to read and sample such a huge variety of books.  I found my self going from finishing 1-2 books a week to 5-10 books in a week.  I now have an easy way to carry hundreds of choices with me everyday.

Before I used to read a few books simultaneously, one in the bedroom, one in the car, another at my desk.  I always had reading material with me.  Now that I have the Nook, I'm finding myself being able to read a single book at a time since it is so portable.  I find that I'm reading faster since I no longer have to jog my memory on the story lines.  When I first started reading on it,  I didn't realize how hooked on my little friend I would become!

Now I'm curious on how many books I will go through in the coming year.  This blog is going to be my way of keeping track.  Instead of tying up my  regular blog with book reviews I felt they needed their own special home.

And while my format has evolved from cloth covers and yellowed pages to plastic and metal I still get the same euphoric feeling opening a book for the first time. Every turn of a page brings the same sense of excitement, of wanting to read that perfect combination of words that authors strive for and readers want.  That sense where you feel like you are in the book and become one with the characters.  You laugh, cry, hope, hate, and fall in love along with them.  You can see the dust of the dirt road they are running down, hear the sounds of the river they float along,  taste the sweetness of their lovers lips,  feel the fear of an unknown threat.

A great book gives you that rush of new love, the sweetness of a loving partnership, and the sadness of death at the end of a life.  A great book is one that even though you know that the lover dies or that the brother is the murder or that everyone lives happily ever after, you read it again and again.  First or 100th time you still get that same euphoric sense, that reader's high. As a reader this is what I want, that high you get from a great story.

My name is Amanda and I'm an addict.  My drug of choice is books and I'm proud to be a Nerdhuffer.