Tag Archives: science fiction

Review- Trigger Warning

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Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman

225228084/5 stars

This is a collection of Gaiman’s recent short stories, which he calls “short fictions and disturbances”. This epithet matches well with the content of some of these stories. Trigger Warning contains over 20 short pieces of writing, ranging from poems to short fairy tales.

There are simply too many pieces to write a synopsis of each one. In addition, the stories are not related in any way (character wise or even genre wise). Each of these stories is it’s own world, a unique way of putting together a collection of fictions. Before this, I had never read a book of short stories that didn’t have anything in common. That being said, most of the stories were a bit disturbing. I would even categorize a few of them as “horror”; but most of them fall into the category of “fantasy” or “science fiction”.  For Doctor Who fans– Gaiman even includes a short story about the Doctor with a bow tie and Amy Pond.

Neil Gaiman certainly has a way of imagining other worlds and dimensions filled with made-up creatures and complex characters. Admittedly, I did get bored with a few of his stories, but most of them kept my attention and were easy to follow. I’m very proud to be the owner of a signed first edition of this book. I went to my local bookstore on it’s release date last month and was one of the first to get a copy!

Review- The Book of Strange New Things

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The Book of Strange New Things by Michael Faber

Rating: 4.5/5

20697435“Never forget the Book. Never, never. The Book our rock, our hope, our redeemer.”

Peter, after intense examination and a series of personality tests, is selected to go on a mission in space. He is chosen to serve as a catholic priest for a colony of humans living on an extraterrestrial planet. He has no idea what, or who, to expect on this mission, but he knows that spreading the word of God is one of the most important jobs of every Christian. With that in mind, he is not afraid to preach the verses of the Bible to whoever is willing to listen on this new planet.

Yeah, that was a pretty broad synopsis…but I have to be really careful with my words or I might spoil something big. So, please, allow that fragment of a plot summary to suffice for this review.

This book started out extremely slowly. I almost put it down about 50 pages in. I’m glad I kept going because it starts to get interesting and creepy around page 100. The books starts flying after that and it’s really hard to put down. Peter is really annoying at first, which is why it’s hard to get past the first hundred pages, but I came to like him.

I was initially interested in this book because people seemed to have such a hard time placing it into one specific genre. I’d say that this is definitely science fiction, with a touch of horror and thriller. Those three make for a great and captivating read!

I was really, really disappointed with the ending. It felt extremely unsatisfying and a bit confusing, even after re-reading the last chapter a few times. There are so many things/lessons that Faber could have finished with, but he just hastily wrapped it up without giving the reader a good sense of conclusion.

Still, this was a great read and I’m happy it was at the top of my 2015 TBR. A good way to start off the year!

Review- A Time to Reap

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A Time to Reap by Jonas Lee

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

22819890“There is going to come a day when the things you say are going to return to you faster than you send them. A wise person would make certain their words aren’t so sharp.”

At the age of 12, Carter found himself developing a strange power called “leaping”. He can essentially jump to different places along earth’s space-time continuum, mostly leaving him confused and lacking clothes. He attends a school for “special” kids like him, sharing a variety of powers, called Pemberton Academy. There, he befriends (and crushes on) a girl named Mo. Mo doesn’t share the exact same powers as Carter, but they are certainly strong. Together, this duo is called to action by some of the most powerful people to ever exist and change the world.

Wow, I’m really glad I read this book! I usually find myself bored halfway through most YA books, but this was an exception. I was drawn in by the 2nd chapter and found myself laughing out loud at the narration–the voice of Carter, a sarcastic, teenage boy. The POV was a very good choice on Jonas Lee’s part.

Carter’s character was extremely well-developed. I feel like I’ve known him for years! I wish that we got to see more of Mo’s personality shine through Carter’s narration. I still feel like I don’t fully understand her and what she was thinking throughout the novel. She was my favorite character and I’m dying to know more about her!

To me, the ending was a bit unsatisfying. But, then again, I think Mr. Lee is setting this up for a sequel? If that’s the case, then it’s the perfect ending and I really really look forward to reading the next book. I can’t wait to get my hands on a paperback copy of this book ASAP!

My 2015 top TBR

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It’s the beginning of a new year, and I already have a long list of books I definitely want to tackle soon. I thought I’d share the top 5 books off of that list and link each book to Goodreads. It’s a mix of different genres!

1. Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger – (Fiction) The Catcher in the Rye is my all time favorite novel. I’ve enjoyed every Salinger book I’ve read…which I think is every book except for Nine Stories.

2. Adulthood Rites by Octavia Butler‘- (Science Fiction) This is the second book of the Xenogenesis trilogy. I read the first book last month and I’m, unfortunately, still waiting for the second and third books to arrive (hurry up Amazon)!

3. At Swim, Two Boys by Jamie O’Niell – (LGBT Historical Fiction)- I try to read a variety of LGBT books every year. This book has been on my list for a while. It’s a coming of age story featuring two boys who develop feelings for each other. I know I’m going to love it, so I’m excited to finally pick it up.

4. My Sister’s Grave by Robert Dugoni– (Myster/Thriller) I haven’t read a good thriller in a while, so I’m hoping this will do the trick. I’m glad no one has added this to a YA shelf, because I honestly can’t stand YA thrillers. Anyway, I have high hopes for this one as well.

5. The Book of Strange New Things by Michael Faber– (Science Fiction/Fantasy??) This book has been placed in so many different genres, which is what interests me so much. It has mixed reviews, but the confusion over genre intrigues me. I’m really not sure what to expect.

The Best Books of 2014 (IMO)

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I’ve read quite a few books this year! It feels good to scroll through Goodreads and see my year in books. I thought I’d highlight 8 books that really grabbed me this year. In no particular order, of course.

Dawn by Octavia Butler— Butler was one of the first female African American science fiction writers. Dawn is the first book in the Xenogenesis trilogy and the other two books are currently on their way to my house. Dawn was a mix of sci-fi, thriller, and horror…a great combination, if you ask me.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman— This was the first book I’ve read by Gaiman and I ended up purchasing two more of his books for Christmas. This book really stuck with me; I find myself randomly thinking about it throughout the day. Gaiman is absolutely brilliant.

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult— I’m a sucker for Picoult. I’ve loved her books since I was in middle school. She’s the reason I became such an avid reader. I think Sing You Home is extremely underrated. Perhaps this is because it touches on a bunch of controversial issues. Regardless of your stances on gay marriage, artificial insemination, and abortion, this is a fantastic story.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman— Unwind was one of the only YA novels I read this year. It’s part of a trilogy, although I think I’m going to stop at the first book. It was captivating and a very fast read. Despite this, the concept of unwinding is very interesting to both YA and adults. I got this book for my younger brother for Christmas this year!

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel— What a fantastic graphic novel! Well, I guess it’s technically an autobiography told in graphic novel format. Bechdel tells of her life growing up in Vermont, the suicide of her dad, and her eventual coming out as a lesbian. Bechdel lives around my university, so sometimes she’s spotted at the local bookstore. She seems really cool.

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman— I’ve just learned that this book is going to become a movie in 2015. I rarely read historical fiction, but this book was a great exception. The plot was very interesting, and I’m so excited to see what they do with the film!

Ubik by Philip K. Dick— Philip K. Dick is one of my all-time favorite writers. His books are weird, I mean, I found myself looking up from this book thinking “what was this guy on when he wrote this?!”. He’s written so many books and I’m glad I randomly picked this one up. It’s about sci-fi, time travel, and drugs. Awesome.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield— If you scroll down two posts, you’ll see an in-depth review of this book. I loved it. It was great. Read the review!