Update

I guess you may or may not have been wondering where I've been? Well, if you haven't been wondering, I won't bother to tell you that I haven't been doing much reading, because you've probably already gathered that by my lack of progress here. Well, to answer the where've been, I'll have to point you to my other blog www.amberinglass.blogspot.com where you can read all about starting with the post If Adam Were A Serpent.

Status Report

Hey everyone, first off I wanted to say hello to the new followers. Thanks for coming by and leaving your comments, I have read them all and always appreciate it. I know it's been awhile since I've updated, but I wanted to reassure everyone I'm still here. Life has been busy, but I'm still finding time to read. It just so happens that the few books I'm reading right now are all quite a bore and I haven't been able to finish anything for several weeks. They might even be getting shelved soon unfinished if something good catches my eye soon. Any suggestions for what I should read or what you'd like me to review?

Reading: The Child Thief

BOOK, by, AUTHOR
Brom

Classification: horror/fantasy

First Impression: Brom has taken the classic tale of Peter Pan and shredded it, deciding to stitch it back together from the inside out so that what was once a children's story is now wicked and macabre.

UPDATE 11/8 Brom's sensory details are amazing. His background as an illustrator really shines and makes the reader visualize every little detail of his characters and settings as solidly as looking at any picture. However, I'm only halfway through and the amazing visuals don't really make up for a dull and unexciting plot. The story just reads like a bad horror flick, where one bad things just happen one right after another just because they can. I can stomach the gross, but what I can't stomach is the lack of substance behind the horror. I'm not sure I'll be finishing this one.

Final Verdict:

Extended version:

What's new

I finished The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss and updated that review. I'm still working on Generation Me and I'm starting The Child Thief by Brom. So expect to see that one up soon.

Reading: Generation Me

Generation Me, by, Jean M. Twenge Ph.D

Classification: non-fiction and essays

First Impression: An insightful look on "why today's young Americans are more confident, assertive, entitled--and more miserable than ever before" by a young American Ph.D. that knows a lot more on the subject than I do. And yes, I know I stole that right from the cover, but after reading a bit into the book, it seems to sum it up pretty well.

Final Verdict:

Extended version:

Finished: The Name of the Wind

The Name of the Wind, by, Patrick Rothfuss


Classification: fantasy

First Impression: It has a map in the first pages. Maps are always nice. The book has a very interesting, and I must say, unique set-up. It is obvious that Rothfuss really thought a lot about his story. On the fifty-third page in I actually got goosebumps, and then the story began for real. That is about the highest praise I can ever give something, it only occurs when I am stimulated by something utterly mind blowing. I think I am going to enjoy this book, but we shall see.

Final Verdict: As I suspected. I very thoroughly enjoyed this book. In fact, I had to stop reading everything else, because The Name of the Wind was just that absorbing. As mentioned above, Rothfuss provides one of the most unique and engaging hooks I've ever read in a fantasy book. Beyond that his story is very well thought out and very excellently written. The characters from the significant to the trivial all come alive in the descriptions, no matter how few sentences are given to them.

Extended version: Not a lot more to be said here that I haven't already at least that I can think of right now. I'll probably have to read this book again later down the road, before I can hope to be objective.

FYI

I seem to be unable to get the search feature I just added to the blog to work properly. Hopefully I'll be able to get it set up so that you can search for reviews by the book and/or the author's name.

Also I've already started reading the Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss and Generation Me by Jean M. Twenge, so I'll put those two up later. I also wanted to do the two books I read prior to Narcissus in Chains and Perfect Match, but I won't promise anything except a "we'll see".