Bout of Books - Goals

For the first time, I've decided to participate in the Bout of Books read-a-thon. I figured it would be good to have a read-a-thon during the August 2012 Review Copy Cleanup, since I have a whole lotta reading to do for that. Also, the closer we get to the next 24 Hour Read-a-Thon, the more read-a-thon withdrawal I feel!

So, here are my goals for the Aug. 13 - Aug. 19 Bout of Books read-a-thon:

• Read more than I usually do! I already read every day, so this just means spending more time in the evenings after work reading.
• Catch up on my Goodreads Reading Challenge. I'm currently 4 books behind. (43 out of 78)

Here are the next few books on my to-read list, from which I'll choose my reading for the week, mostly because they are my NetGalleys, and I'm currently doing the Review Copy Cleanup Challenge:

• Talisman of El by Alecia Stone (251 pages) (currently reading)
• The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle (432 pages)
• Quarantine by John Smolens (336 pages)
• The Blueprint: Avoiding Global Collapse by Daniel Rirdan (494 pages)
• The Enchanted Truth by Kym Petrie (40 pages)
• The Infects by Sean Beaudoin (384 pages)

A few of those are rather long, so obviously I won't be reading all of them in one week, but everything I read will be from this list (edit: I'm now also reading Lewis Carroll and listening to Memnoch the Devil), and I'll get through as many of them as I can. (In case you're curious [I was.], assuming I finish Talisman of El before the read-a-thon starts, I'd have to read an average of 240 pages a day to finish this list!)

During the read-a-thon, I'll post my updates below. They will probably be daily.

Day 1 - Monday
Read 36 pages of Talisman of El.
Read 50 pages of The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll.
Listened to about 45 minutes of Memnoch the Devil.

Total pages read so far: 86
Total audiobook listened to so far: 45 minutes

This is not really more than I would normally read. It was a busy day. And I'm not sure how I'm feeling about Talisman of El. Part of me wants to give up on it, but part of me wants to know what happens.

Day 2 - Tuesday
Read 7 more pages of Talisman of El, and then gave up on it.
Listened to about 30 minutes of Memnoch the Devil.
Read 22 pages of The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll.
Read The Enchanted Truth (40 pages).
Read 7 pages of Quarantine.

Total pages read so far: 162
Total audiobook listened to so far: 1 hour and 15 minutes

I'm feeling good about having a book completed! Even if it was only 40 pages long. :P I'm quite excited about Quarantine! In other news, in my ginormous Lewis Carroll book, I finished Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Day 3 - Wednesday
Read 24 pages of The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll.
Read 54 pages of Quarantine.

Total pages read so far: 240
Total audiobook listened to so far: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Day 4 - Thursday
Read 71 pages of Quarantine.
Listened to about 1 hour and 15 minutes of Memnoch the Devil.

Total pages read so far: 311
Total audiobook listened to so far: 2 hours and 30 minutes

Really enjoying Quarantine so far. Memnoch the Devil, not quite so much.

Day 5 - Friday
Read 61 pages of The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll.
Listened to about 1 hour and 15 minutes of Memnoch the Devil.
Read 43 pages of Quarantine.

Total pages read so far: 415
Total audiobook listened to so far: 3 hours and 45 minutes

Day 6 - Saturday
Read 27 pages of Quarantine.

Total pages read so far: 442
Total audiobook listened to so far: 3 hours and 45 minutes

I didn't get much reading done today, because I was too busy buying my wedding dress! Yay! So I was shopping for the late morning and early afternoon, and then I had dinner with my family for my grandparents' anniversary. My only reading time was at bed time.

Day 7 - Sunday
Read 52 pages of Quarantine.

Total pages read: 494
Total audiobook listened to: 3 hours and 45 minutes

The Wish List by Eoin Colfer

Title: The Wish List
Author: Eoin Colfer
Publication Date: 2002
Length: 256 pages

Right before she dies, Meg Finn manages to do a good deed that balances out all the bad deeds she's done in her short, unlucky life, so when she's flying down the big tunnel, she gets caught before the tunnel branches off to heaven and hell. She's balanced, so she gets to go back and try to shift the balance to good, to save her own soul. So the next thing she knows, she's in the home of an old man named Lowrie, who she was robbing the night she died, and he wants her help accomplishing all the things he regrets not doing.

This is a sweet and enjoyable read. Meg is rough around the edges, but as her back story is revealed, I couldn't help but empathise. And I love the relationship that develops between her and Lowrie. He's a little rough around the edges, too, and their experiences together definitely improve both of them as people.

There's also a side story between a demon named Beelzebub and an angel named Saint Peter. They have similar jobs, though on opposite sides, and sort of cooperate when cases like Meg come along. I loved their little conversations with each other. The recognise that they can help each other for both of their sakes, but they're also total opposites and pretty much hate each other, so it's a funny relationship they have.

Overall, it's a quick read, and a nice, feel good story, filled with Eoin Colfer's usual wit.

4 stars.

This book counts for the Mount TBR Reading Challenge.

Xoc by Matt Dembicki

Title: Xoc
Author: Matt Dembicki
Publication Date: July 25, 2012
Length: 120 pages

Xoc tells the story of a great white shark who is on a long journey. Along the way, the shark is joined by a turtle, whose fin has been damaged by a boat. As the two travel through the ocean, they encounter many dangers, from natural predators to floating garbage patches.

This book would be a good introduction for kids to the negative effects our pollution has on the oceans. Although, some explaining would be required, since I doubt most kids could recognise the oil barrels and other dangers, and they aren't really explained in the book, since everything is from the point of view of the shark, who doesn't know what these things are.

I liked the turtle, and I enjoyed the interaction between the two characters, but the story fell a bit flat for me. And the way the shark talked was too unnatural to be able to read smoothly. (I know, I know, what's unnatural speaking for a shark? But I found the ellipses tiresome. "How much farther... do you plan... on following me?" I didn't quite get what the author was going for with that.)

2 stars, which are entirely for the delightful turtle.

This book counts for the 2012 A-Z Book Challenge.

Full disclosure: Free e-book copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Title: The Mists of Avalon
Author: Marion Zimmer Bradley
Publication Date: 1984
Length: 876 pages

Warning: This book brings out the politics in me, so this review might offend you! Turn back now if you are easily offended by Pagans who are fed up with religious intolerance. :) (No offense is meant towards other religions.)

The Mists of Avalon is a retelling of the King Arthur story, told from the perspectives of the women involved. As a result, it's very different from any other Arthurian legend. There are pretty much no battle scenes, and Morgan is a wise high priestess, rather than an evil sorceress. Morgan's story ties the book together, as it follows many people's lives and stories, starting when Morgan is just 3 years old and covering most of her life. In this story, we see the events of many decades unfold through the eyes of many women, with wildly different motivations, resulting in an interesting mix of perspectives.

Right from the beginning, I found myself thinking, I had no idea this book was so Pagan! And so feminist! How have I not read this book before?! It's a real breath of fresh air for those of us who weren't particularly fond of the other versions of the Arthurian legend, in which the good guys are not the Pagans, and the women (at least those with power) are generally evil. Obviously, everyone has a bias when reading something with two opposing sides of this nature, and I don't know how this book would read for a Christian (certainly there are Christian women, particularly Gwenhwyfar, adding their perspective to the narrative), but when I was reading it, it was very clear that the Christians were in the wrong. The priests came to a land which had previously held people of various religions (who sometimes fought but did not try to destroy each other's religions), and insisted that their religion was the only true one, and everyone else was worshipping devils. The intolerance the Christian characters display throughout the story had me gritting my teeth. I guess it hit a little too close to home for comfort. For me, that made it a very powerful read.

One thing I did not expect in this story was how much I would hate Gwenhwyfar. In the beginning I didn't mind her, but as she grows older, she seems to become more and more foolish. There would be moments when she and Morgaine would be like friends, but Gwenhwyfar's piousness would always result in her condemning Morgaine, Merlin, and all of Avalon. She was positively infuriating. Someone would point out an obvious similarity between her religion and that of Avalon, and she's be like, that's completely different, because my God is actually REAL. *siiiiiiigh*

As you might expect from an Arthurian tale, the book does not wrap up with a nice, happy ending. I sort of understood that it couldn't, while remaining at all true to the story, but it was still painful. However, there was enough good in the final ending (seriously, this book has more "endings" than The Return of the King) that I still felt overwhelming positive about the book when I finished.

Hence, 5 stars.

This book counts towards the Read Your OWN Library! Challenge (hosted by The Beauty of Eclecticism) for July. For August, my book for the challenge will be The Encounter (Animorphs #3) by K.A. Applegate. This book also counts for the Mount TBR Reading Challenge.

The Marrying Kind by Ken O'Neill

Title: The Marrying Kind
Author: Ken O'Neill
Publication Date: June 19, 2012
Length: 264 pages

Steven Worth is a writer for The Gay New York Times, and his partner Adam More is a very successful wedding planner. As Adam sinks into depression as a result of planning other people's weddings when he himself cannot legally get married, Steven suffers a minor breakdown when he is named only as "and guest" on a wedding invitation. As a result, they (well, mostly Adam) decide to boycott weddings as a protest against inequality, and through Steven's column this boycott grows to include many of the gay florists, chefs, etc. But will their resolve remain when their own siblings decide to get married? (That's right, I just ended my summary with a question mark. Deal with it.)

Overall this was an enjoyable read. I liked Steven better than Adam. Adam is charming, but through most of the story I found him a bit heartless. He's so devoted to the cause, which is awesome, but I felt much more on the side of Steven, who was always torn, wanted to support his brother, and didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. Maybe that just means I'm not a very good activist.

Even though I found Adam a bit overwhelming, this was an inspiring story of two men who start a movement. Whether or not their efforts would actually lead to laws being changed, such activism gives hope to everyone involved. The Marrying Kind is a humourous look at a totally unfunny issue in the US today, and while progress has been made since the book was written, it still couldn't be more timely.

I'm so glad I live in Canada where I can attend weddings (and get married myself!) guilt-free, because everyone has that same privilege.

4 stars.

Full disclosure: Free e-book copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.

Review Copy Cleanup - Starting Line

The time has come! It's time to read nothing but review copies, and get through that pile once and for all!

I ended up reading two review copies in July, but getting five more, so I've got quite the pile going now. Here they are, in (roughly) the order in which I plan to read them:




Bandwidth by Angus Morrison

Publication date: December 2010 (so, don't ask me why it's on NetGalley, but oh well!)









What I Didn't Say by Keary Taylor

Publication date: May 7, 2012









A Tale of Two Mommies by Vanita Oelschlager

Publication date: September 1, 2011









A Tale of Two Daddies by Vanita Oelschlager

Publication date: April 1, 2010










The Blueprint: Averting Global Collapse by Daniel Rirdan

Publication date: June 22, 2012









The Infects by Sean Beaudoin

Publication date: September 25, 2012










Quarantine by John Smolens

Publication date: September 5, 2012







I'm hoping to get through at least the first five of my seven review copies. I would call that caught up! In addition to these, I'll be reading Animorphs #3: The Encounter by K.A. Applegate for the Read Your OWN Library! Challenge, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch #14: Spying Eyes by Nancy Holder for this month's Random Read.

August Random Reads selection

It's time to select my Random Read for August! Last month, my Random Read was The Wish List by Eoin Colfer.

So it's off to the random number generator. I have 711 books on my TBR shelf at the moment, so I enter 1 as the min and 711 as the max, and hit Generate.

Drum roll, please!

For August’s Random Read I'll be reading Sabrina the Teenage Witch #14: Spying Eyes. It's been on my TBR shelf since July 2009, which is in my first few months on Goodreads, meaning I've probably had it a lot longer than that. This one is in the middle of a series, which would normally mean I'd skip over it, but the Sabrina novels are pretty standalone I think, and I'm not collecting them all anyway (I collect enough things as it is!), so I'm not going to worry about the order. This one should be a nice, quick, pleasant read!