First Chapter Tuesday is hosted every Tuesday by Diane over at Bibiophile by the Sea. Join the fun by making your own post and linking up over at Diane's blog, or simple check it out to find more new books to read!
Alright, so I was already working on my Top Ten Tuesday blog post (hosted by The Broke and Bookish), when I realized that I was just way too excited about my current read to not do a First Chapter Tuesday post and share it. You may be seeing this book everywhere lately, but that is only because it just as amazing as everyone says! So without further ado, my First Chapter Tuesday is...
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
Chapter 1
"Retvenko leaned against the bar and tucked his nose into his dirty shot glass. The whiskey had failed to warm him. Nothing could get you warm in this Saintsforsaken city. And there was no escaping the smell, the throat-choking stew of bilge, clams, and wet stone that seemed to have seeped into his pores as if he’d been steeping in the city’s essence like the world’s worst cup of tea."
(and a bonus intro excerpt from the second chapter because we love Wylan):
Chapter 2
"'What am I doing here?'"
That thought had run through Wylan’s head at least six times a day since he’d met Kaz Brekker. But on a night like this, a night when they were “working,” it rose and fell in his head like a nervous tenor practicing his scales: WhatamIdoingherewhatamIdoingherewhatamIdoinghere." Find an excerpt of the first four chapters here.
What do you think? Would you keep reading?(And feel free to join in and make your own post!)
If you're enticed by this chapter, be sure to check out the full synopsis on Goodreads!
*When the Sea Turned to Silver was released Tuesday, October 4th and is now available!*
When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2016. Paperback. 384 pages.
*I received a physical ARC of When the Sea Turned to Silver courtesy of Little, Brown in exchange for an honest review.*
When the Sea Turned to Silver is a beautiful, magical story filled with adventure and a wonderful fairy tale-like storytelling atmosphere. It was only after reading this that I discovered that it is in fact a companion novel to Lin's When the Mountain Meets the Moon, but fortunately this has no bearing on following or understanding this book.
Lin's story starts with Pinmei, granddaughter of her small village's beloved storyteller. The peace that currently inhabits her village is destroyed, however, when her grandmother is taken by the Emperor's soldiers and Pinmei takes it upon herself to embark upon a journey to save her. Pinmei herself is an extremely endearing and relatable character, and her friend Yishan brings even more color and excitement to the story.
Along the journey, the author has both Pinmei and her grandmother intersperse the story with many short tales about much of the myths and lore of their culture. I loved these stories, and they blended in well with the current action of the plot, as well as truly brought the culture of the setting alive.
I found Pinmei to be a wonderfully complex and intriguing character. She not only discovers her own gifts and strengths, but she also makes deep, lasting relationships with many of the other characters. I actually felt as though all of the characters in this book were complex and underwent a variety of dynamic changes, whether big or small.
Lin writes with a poetic, almost lyrical prose that makes it just about impossible to not to keep turning pages. When the Sea Turned to Silver is a truly a magical story, and I don't know how else to describe it. It is exciting and filled with delightful characters.
Overall, I am giving When the Sea Turned to Silver four stars!
For readers of Victoria Aveyard and George RR Martin comes a darkly fantastical debut set in a modern England where magically gifted aristocrats rule and commoners are doomed to serve.
NOT ALL ARE FREE. NOT ALL ARE EQUAL. NOT ALL WILL BE SAVED.
Our world belongs to the Equals aristocrats with magical gifts and all commoners must serve them for ten years. But behind the gates of England's grandest estate lies a power that could break the world. A girl thirsts for love and knowledge.
Abi is a servant to England's most powerful family, but her spirit is free. So when she falls for one of their noble-born sons, Abi faces a terrible choice. Uncovering the family s secrets might win her liberty but will her heart pay the price?
A boy dreams of revolution.
Abi's brother, Luke, is enslaved in a brutal factory town. Far from his family and cruelly oppressed, he makes friends whose ideals could cost him everything. Now Luke has discovered there may be a power even greater than magic: revolution.
And an aristocrat will remake the world with his dark gifts.
He is a shadow in the glittering world of the Equals, with mysterious powers no one else understands. But will he liberate or destroy?
I'm normally one to shy away from modern settings if given the option, but Gilded Cage just sounds too interesting to pass by! This entire concept seems somewhat familiar, but also entirely unique at the same time, and I am excited to see how James develops the story. I also believe this is Vic James' debut novel, so it's always fun (and sometimes daunting) to find new author talent!
What do you think about this upcoming release? What are your anticipated upcoming releases?
About two weeks ago I posted about a few of my favorite local indie bookstores and subsequently asked you all to send me some of your favorite local (or not so local) indie bookstores as well. I was originally planning to then pick just a few of these at random to spotlight, but every single store submitted was amazing and I realized that I had to post them all. So what I've decided to do is indeed post them all, but in various parts. I'm going to make this a mini ongoing series until I reach the end; I'll be posting about four bookstores each week. I think indie bookstores are so vital and important to our communities, and they provide an incredible way to foster a love of books and local experiences, so I really love this idea of sharing some great bookstores from all over that you have all personally recommended. So without further ado, here are the first four bookstores!
The Book Cafe is just what it sounds like - a bookstore and a cafe! What two things on earth are better than books and food? Nothing, in my opinion, which makes this place seem like heaven. This particular bookstore is located in Ireland, so if you're in the US it is a bit of a distance, but quite frankly it seems like it'd be worth it. I've been reading some pretty great things about this store, but I think zero-redeeming-qualities described their experience best: "Many a dark and cold afternoon was spent there with a hot chocolate or mocha, a warm bread and butter pudding, and some little gem of a book I'd find tucked away in some nook of the shelves down the back."
I actually found a great Youtube video created by Aaron Broughall about the store/cafe, which I have embedded below!
Two people submitted this bookstore within minutes of each other, which I thought was incredibly awesome and coincidental - it must be a good bookstore, right?
Lights!
easttennmtngrl informed me that this store actually used to be known as Storytellers Bookstore, but that they changed the name since new owners took over a year ago. She also said that she loves it not only for the books, but also because the owners seem to actually care about their customer's lives, rather than just the business end of it, and I really think that's what sets bookstores apart.
Anyway, Page 158 appears to be a lovely store with tons of books and even some local art! (Always a bonus.) They also seem to have events nearly every week (or more), which I think is one of the best things about bookstores, since they do such a great job of bringing together book lovers and the community.
It also appears that they have a membership club for $10 a year and you can receive discounts on books and have access to various sales/flash sales. 3. The Book Barn - Niantic, Connecticut, USA, submitted by imthatmusicnerd.
This one sounds amazing. If you want bookstores with personality, then this is your place. I don't even know where to begin describing it. If you want to see more of this bookstore, check out their Yelp page, which seems to have some of the best pictures and descriptions from people that have visited.
Just look at how amazing that is; this location is called 'Hades.'
Yes, that is indeed a Haunted Book Shop.
One of the best parts of this bookstore - you know, besides the awesome books, layout, and owners - is the animals. There appears to be cats all over the bookstore, as well as some goats and dogs and such outside. We had a bookstore with books and food earlier, and now we have books and animals. These bookstores are all truly hitting the best combinations possible.
All images are courtesy of The Book Barn's Facebook page, which I highly, highly recommend you take a peak at to see how incredible this place is. Look out Connecticut, I'm coming for you. (Your bookstore, that is.)
The first thing I noticed about White Pine Used Books when looking was that this bookstore is huge. Their Facebookpage boasts 6,300 sq. ft. of books. That's a lot of books. They also have book clubs (and a needle work club!) and a huge array of events, so this store is a definite winner.
Just look at them all...
I'm extremely impressed with this bookstore, and from looking at their website and Facebook page, I really get a sense that these people (obviously) are passionate about books and sharing books with others.
If you have kids or loves children's books, they have a huge selection of those as well!
Well, that's a wrap for part one! I'm going to leave you all with these four to begin with, and I'll be posting another four more or so next week. Thank you so very much to everyone who submitted a bookstore, and I look forward to sharing more!
**I received a free copy of "Krim Du Shaw" in exchange for an honest review**
Have you ever pondered the myths and stories of unicorns? Did you believe they existed when you were a kid? Talia Haven tackles this particular issue in a lovely little short story about unicorns themselves. Most people tend to treat unicorns as a bit of a joke, which has caused my interest in them to wane a bit over the years, but I have always been interested in mythical and magical creatures, and this story has really sparked my interest of unicorns.
"Krim Du Shaw" is a wonderful, fable/folktale-like short story concerning the existence and disappearance of unicorns from the earth. For something so short, this story holds mass of emotion and compelling storytelling. Haven's prose is truly beautiful and gives her story a truly magical quality that I feel fit the subject matter perfectly.
This story contains strong themes of purity, a desire for connection with others, and even death that all have an equally touching impact. The lesson that it contains within these themes is one that I think someone of any age can relate to and understand: man's greed is the downfall of many good and beautiful things in this world.
Overall, I'm giving "Krim Du Shaw" four stars for its beautiful, touching, haunting storytelling. If you just need a little quick something to read, then I highly recommend this story. It's not purely aimed for middle aged readers, but rather I find it be one of those books that transcends age and is a good match for just about anyone.
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami, translated by Alfred Birnbaum. 1993, Vintage Press. Paperback/Softcover. 400 pages.
When it comes to Murakami, I am never entirely sure where to begin my review. There is so much to say, yet also so little that can capture the quality and content of his writing. But alas, I shall do my best.
The world created by Murakami in Hard-Boiled Wonderland the End of the World is both familiar and unfamiliar. I always look forward to reading Murakami. His books aren't just ones that I pick up on the fly and read here and there; I almost always wait until I'm not overly busy to read his books, because they have this wonderfully cozy, calm effect that is perfect for those lazy days or breaks from the monotonous events of life. I always feel wonderfully refreshed after finishing one of his books, and Hard-Boiled Wonderland was no exception.
Hard-Boiled Wonderland is divided into two narratives. The first of these follows an unnamed man who works as a 'Calcutec' in a somewhat realistic, yet still entirely surreal, world setting. The other is set in a much more surreal, otherworldly setting called The End of the World, where a young man is separated from his shadow upon entering. I'm choosing to not divulge anything further, as you really need to explore it firsthand, plus it would be rather difficult to attempt to explain.
This book deals heavily with the ideas of reality, and what one's reality is, whether they are aware of it, and how it influences or doesn't influence their own reality. The two realities introduced above exist simultaneously, and Murakami sort of leaves it up to the reader to determine what similarities or connection may exist between the two. This is a very mind-bending book that plays with the idea of the conscious and subconscious, and the characters within take great interest in playing with the brain and how it works.
There are an abundance of heavy and somewhat complicated topics in this book, and the amount of discussions and explanations did actually get a bit exhausting at various points. It wasn't an exhaustion that was a result of boredom of lack of interest, but rather one where I just found myself becoming overwhelmed and I needed to put the book down for a while so that I could clear my head and refresh. Otherwise, the topic became too much for my brain to continue to comprehend - but hey, that could just be me.
Murakami's prose was, as usual, wonderfully crafted and calming. Even in moments of what would be perceived as 'high stress,' I can't help but feel calm and relaxed while reading it. He includes countless details that are both important and seemingly unimportant, but they never begin to feel like a drag, and I remained engaged. I actually love the little details of Murakami's writing: his vast music collections and mentions, the in-depth descriptions of food and food preparation, and the quirky and clever actions and words of each character.
I would also like to tip my hat to the wonderful translator Alfred Birnbaum who, although I have not read the original, does a wonderful job translating Murakami.
Overall, I am giving Hard-Boiled Wonderland four-and-a-half stars for its unique and thoughtful themes and story. I can't say that this has been my favorite Murakami, but it is still a great book that I would certainly recommend.
Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit. Knopf Books, 2016. 240 pages. Paperback/Softcover.
**I received an ARC of Anna and the Swallow Man courtesy of Knopf Books. Huge thanks!**
Anna and the Swallow Man was entirely unexpected and I had absolutely no idea what to really expect from this book apart from the description on the back, and it was simply breathtaking. I had never heard of or seen this book in many places prior to my receiving it in the mail, but since I have read it I've started to notice it on some upcoming YA 2016 release lists, and I was actually a bit surprised. The protagonist is indeed a young girl, but I definitely didn't feel that this is something I would find in the typical YA section. I would say that Anna and the Swallow Man is the type of book that crosses all genres and would be a wonderful read for almost any age, and certainly adults as well. Now, on to the review!
Anna and the Swallow Man left me with a feeling of what I can only describe as emptiness - though not necessarily a bad sort of emptiness. A liberating emptiness, a clean slate. It fresh and bright, yet dark and melancholyat the same time.It's lyrically written and flows effortlessly. Savit has a true gift for writing and portraying a narrative that has an incredibly unique style, both strong and soft at the same time. He weaves together his characters and the settings in an effortless motion. His voice is lyrical and heartbreaking; every sentence uttered is full of emotion and meaning, and I found myself underlining countless phrases throughout.
This novel is definitely more character-driven than plot-driven, and it's not very full of action. The description of this book gave me the impression that this book would be a more-fun-than-serious story of a young girl traipsing around war-torn Europewith a man she meets who protects her and is intriguingly mysterious. The mysterious man part is true, but the rest... not so much. It was a hundred times better than that. It was the story of young girl who becomes lost and alone, and through this she finds an odd man who decides to take her in and accompany him as he travels across foreign land for an unknown period of time with an unknown destination. This is all occurring during the heat of World War II, and it is during this journey with the Swallow Man that Anna begins to learn about life, loss, and sorrow. It is a dismal, cruel time, and Anna and her friends discover this and learn to live with this during their travels.
I was constantly asking questions and found myself enraptured in Anna and her Swallow Man; they are both incredibly fascinating characters and I absolutely loved Anna's bold and exceptionally intelligent character. I don't necessarily mean intelligent in an academic manner - though I'm sure she is - but rather intelligent in how she sees the world and acts around people. She is an incredibly bright, fresh young girl, and I would sincerely love to add some quotes to exemplify her nature, but since my copy is an ARC, I will have to refrain from doing so until the book itself is published. Suffice it to say, she has a very unique perspective on life and events that are a result of her naive nature and her own extraordinaryoutlook.
The Swallow Man is incredible. He instills such mixed feeling of awe, fear, --, and even a little discomfort; I cannot get enough of him. I could ponder over his character for hours and still never feel that I truly understand him. He is entirely enigmatic and odd, a mixture of brilliance and pure endurance. It is the Swallow Man that introduces Anna to what he calls 'Road' speak, and I found it just as enticing and compelling as the Swallow Man itself. Anna already knows countless languages as a result of her upbringing, as her father made sure she was educated in many, and this new 'language' she learns just really seems to add a new element and depth of layer to the entire notion of languages and communication. This 'language,' however, isn't a true language - it is more of one of survival. It is how they speak in order to continue their travels and stay safe.
Almost every sentence struck a deep chord within me, and I believe that this would be a wonderful novel for almost anyone simply because it truly has a little something in it for everyone to take away. The exact situation may not be exactly applicable to everyone (I mean, who here is currently living in the cold winter snow of Poland during World War II? If you are, you reserve the right to berate me), but there are so many things said that could benefit everyone and make everyone think a little bit more about various ideas and common notions.
Overall, I am giving Anna and the Swallow Man five stars for its lyrics, gorgeous prose, and meaningful story. I highly, highly recommend this to anyone; this is a novel that I think is perfect for a much-neededbreak from everything. It's calm and different from everything else in our lives, and I think it is needed.
The Tragedy of Fidel Castro by João Cerqueira. River Grove Books, 2012. 188 pages. Ebook.
**I received a copy of this book from the author, João Cercqueira, in exchange for an honest review.** This was a hefty read. Not in length, as it comes in at a slight 188 pages, but rather in content, for this book is overflowing with political and religious satire and complex writing. You are warned that this is a fictional book from the very start of the novel, and that fact should definitely not be forgotten. This is a very hard book to summarize, so I will provide a link to Goodreads for those who wish to read a quick summary of the book before continuing this review. If not, let's dive in! The main characters of this book are JFK, Fidel Castro, God, and Jesus - but none of them are the real people they're modeled after since this book is extremely satirical, and I certainly found myself laughing along the way at their antics. Just the thought of Fidel Castro and JFK in a heated out-gifting war is hilarious. Our immediate introduction to this book is a bit daunting and some disorienting as we try to figure out exactly what Jesus and God are doing and talking about, but eventually, as Fidel and JFK are introduced, we are slowly introduced to the main story and themes themselves. This is not a light, easy read - this is a book where every single sentence is important and holds important meanings, and some of these sentences are long. These sentences became a bit hard to follow at times and I often found myself rereading sentences or paragraphs to make sure I understood what was being said. I've read a fair share of satirical books and publications, but never anything quite like The Tragedy of Fidel Castro. Cerqueira is an obviously talented writer who knows exactly what he wants to say and wastes no words in saying it. Cerqueira is fair in his satire, for he takes aim at the capitalism of America, the communism in Cuba, people in general, and a fair amount of different religions. Everything was equally up for the mocking, and I loved it. He incorporates striking elements of magical realism that truly lights up the novel and brings life to it.
This isn't exactly a book that I would pick up for pleasure, however. This book is definitely not for anyone, but if you're feeling snarky and mocking and want some good satire, this is a great book to pick up. Overall, I am giving The Tragedy of Fidel Castro four stars, for although is wasn't exactly my cup of tea, I still greatly appreciated the strong themes and writing, as well as the intricate characters Cerqueira has created.
**I received a copy of Warren the 13th and the All-Seeing Eye courtesy of NetGalley and Quirk Books**
Throughout my yearly readings, I like to try to incorporate some fresh and interesting middle-grade books into the mix, and I always end up having such a blast diving into each imaginative new story. Warren the 13th and the All-Seeing Eye was a perfect addition to this category, and a wonderfully crafted middle-grade book!
Warren is an orphan living at the Warren House, a once bustling and popular hotel that has since fallen into disrepair after his lazy Uncle Rupert and villainous Aunt Anaconda take over control. His Aunt Anaconda, however, believes that a mysterious item known as the all-seeing eye is located somewhere on the property and will stop at nothing to find it - even if hundreds of unexpected and strange guests begin pouring into the hotel in order to find it as well. It becomes a race between all of these characters to discover the all-seeing eye, though Warren is the only one that means to do so in order to protect his family's legacy.
Warren the 13th is overflowing with vibrant, unique, and exciting characters - I can easily promise that you will never be bored. The illustrations are wonderfully whimsy and quirky, and there is no shortage of crazy and unnatural creatures.
Warren himself is a hardworking young boy who wants nothing more than to reinstate the beauty and splendor of this once-great Victorian hotel. He is the hero of the story, though he doesn't act like any typical heroic trope; instead, he simply acts like a responsible young boy attempting to do his best to help out at the hotel where no one else works, all without many close companions to keep him company.
Aunt Anaconda is the perfect villain in any middle-grade story, and kids of any age will have a fantastic time hating her and rooting for Warren. She's spiteful and full of disdain, which makes for an exciting time. The rest of the cast of characters are equally intriguing, and I particularly enjoyed Warren's interactions with each one, whether brief of extended. For me, these interactions allowed Warren to meet new people, form some new bonds, and also truly allow the reader to get a sense for who Warren really is and why he wants to keep his hotel together - he wants to bring back all of the unique guests that brought the hotel to life.
The illustrations were an amazing addition to the storytelling; they were interwoven in such a unique and quirky way that truly fit the overall atmosphere of the book. Though I was still able to enjoy the illustrations perfectly fine in ebook format, I can only imagine how lovely the physical book will be!
Overall, I am giving Warren the 13th and the All-Seeing Eye four stars for its quirky charm and delightful storytelling! The storytelling is perfect, the illustrations and text arrangements are engaging, and the characters are all exceptionally charming and inventive. This would be a great book to read with or to kids, or even on their own (don't worry, I don't see anything wrong with adults reading books for younger audiences)!
This was one of the most clever books I have read in quite a while. I lost count of the number of chuckles and laughs that escaped me while reading this book, all due to the charm and clever wit of Fforde's writing and imagination.
The Eyre Affair takes place in the 1980s, but in an alternate world from our own - a place where time travel is considered normal. In this world lives Thursday Next, a Special Operative, LiteraTec who regularly investigates issues revolving around stolen manuscripts and other literary dilemmas and crimes. One day, however, a legendary criminal by the name of Acheron steals Jane Eyre herself from Jane Eyre, and Thursday must find her and save her in order to save the original manuscript and story - which she does by entering into the novel itself.
The Eyre Affair is the exact definition of an unpredictable novel. We're thrust into this alternate 1980s world that is entirely the same, yet entirely different from our regular world. The best part: it's completely centered around literature. I love the added touches that litter the normal and create such an imaginative world. For example, there are 'Baconians' who go around like religious followers and try to convince people that it was actually Sir France Bacon who penned all of William Shakespeare's works, not Shakespeare himself. I also absolutely loved how dodos have been cloned, brought back from extinction, and are now some of the most popular pets - they seem so adorable. I loved these little details, as they really brought the entire world to life in a very whimsy and exciting way.
On the negative side, sometimes it seemed like there was just too much going on, and I felt a bit... confused. Now, confusion was a rather common feeling for me in this book, as it was a smidge hard to pick up the lingo and figure out who was who and what meant what, but most of the time it went fairly smoothly. It was just too convoluted overall - the Acheron Hades storyline (the main one, which eventually includes the whole Jane Eyre manuscript debacle), her romance (?) with Landen and (kinda?) Bowden, her aunt and uncle's kidnapping (related to Hades, but still different), her father, her career, etc. etc. I just felt lost in this wide world of wit and imagination; all I needed was a nice little guidebook, and it would have been perfect.
Thursday Next is someone who on the surface seems very organized and thoughtful, but she's actually rather impulsive, and also very quick-witted. She's sly, clever, and knows her literature (I mean, she is a LiteraTec, after all). I enjoyed following her on her adventures and learning more about her career, family life, and her overall interact with this crazy world. The Eyre Affair is littered with a large supporting cast that add so much excitement to this book; even the names of these characters was enough to make me happy - Victor Analogy, Braxton Hicks, Jack Schitt. I don't want to go into too many details about these characters or any other elements of the story, however, because while they may not be direct spoilers, I feel like a big part of the enjoyment of The Eyre Affair is in the sheer unpredictability and discovery of everything.
However, while I enjoyed Thursday Next as a character, I never felt like I really got to know her and who she really is as a person. There seemed to be this thin wall placed between the reader and Thursday, which hid some of her personality and prevented me from really connecting with her or understanding her emotions. In fact, she was almost somewhat bland. She had good humor and made quirky jokes with her companions, but there wasn't much other depth. Her backstory had depth, such as her time spent in Crimea and her history with LiteraTec and, but her character lacked depth.
Overall, The Eyre Affair is receiving a nice four stars, because despite it's incredibly fascinating world and enjoyable read, there were issues that could have used improvement, such as with the characters and mash-up of plotlines. I would definitely recommend to any who loves wit, charm, literature and literary-inspired things, or simply anyone who wants an enjoyable read!
