CJ the Book Peddler

CJ the Book Peddler

I'm a book whore; I open my wallet at the mere promise of a good word.

 

I'm a reader. An unpublished writer. And I hate 'rithmetic.

 

Review
5 Stars
My favorite book ever
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen, Anna Quindlen

Ever.

 

I named my daughter after Elizabeth Bennet.

 

'Nuff Said.

Slowly but surely

moving my stuff over here.

 

Granted GR has a better database and wins in the user-friendly department but I feel a but freer here. That's worth a lot.

 

As of now, I'm still on GR. I still do some reviews but I think that the more in-depth stuff will be here.

 

Review
4 Stars
Hey There, Delilah
Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant - Tony  Cliff

Really nice art, very intriguing and fast paced story, and excellent chemistry between Delilah and Selim; great dialogue.

It's told from Selim's POV, so while I would've loved to be in Delilah's head, it all worked out.

Essential PainKiller Jane
Essential Painkiller Jane - Joe Quesada, Jimmy Palmiotti, Rick Leonardi

Pretty non-essential.

Review
4 Stars
Fighting Evil By Moonlight, Winning Love By Daylight
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Vol. 1  - Naoko Takeuchi, William Flanagan

Never running from a real fight, she is the one named Sailor Moon!

 

sailor moon gif photo: Sailor Moon moon.gif

This book reminded me of running home from picking up my sister from the babysitter so that I could come home and watch this on Toonami on Cartoon Network.

 

Yeah. It was like 94/95.

 

:D

Celtic Moon --- Nope
Celtic Moon - Jan DeLima

photo judith_zps08c6acc8.gif

 

Nope. Just couldn't do it. Couldn't stand Dylan or Sophie but especially Sophie. Why she would go back to the controlling arrogant bastard that pretty much abused her is beyond me. Maybe I'm being too sensitive about it but I couldn't make it past page 79.

 

I hope it got better and things were explained but Dylan's attitude, the formal dialogue, and the stiff incorporation of the Werewolf myth had me gagging for something else.

Review
4.5 Stars
Omens - A Cainesville Novel - or when the black crow caws at your window
Omens - Kelley Armstrong

Review to be posted

Review
4 Stars
Chimes at Midnight - Seanan McGuire
4.8

Toby has grown up. She hasn't quite come into her own but she's getting there. She's got a loyal band of followers, a loyal and hot boyfriend and the experience and confidence to avoid being TSTL.

What blindness she suffered in the first few books is not really evident in this book. She is being proactive in this book as opposed to merely reactive. What I love about this series, and about the character, is that while she isn't meant to be the smartest, or most intuitive, detective in the world, she is a hero who is very clever and very loyal.

However, in this book, everything gets turned upside down. The happiness and relative calm that Toby has found is put into jeopardy when a reluctant Queen, a pretend Queen, and a pie get introduced to her life.

Nothing is ever easy for Toby. Ever. But we do get to see her rely on her friends and family which in turn allows her to be a better hero and a better developed character. It's these interactions that allow us to see Toby as the person and, oft mentioned by the Luidaeg, "one" that she is destined to be.

I won't talk to much about the plot but I will tell you that I sort of missed any real alone time with Toby and Tybalt. I mean, HELLO, they are finally together and while I appreciate the words and the kisses, I would have enjoyed reading about them in a more intimate setting. Granted, there really wasn't a right time but I'm sure they could've squeezed in a nap or something right before they went to Sylvester. .

In the vein of Toby Daye novels, the real crime is not the main plot but, IMHO, what happens to Toby herself. And the vehicle is both absurd and somehow fitting for someone who constantly finds herself in situations out of her control.

I enjoyed the hell out of this book. I enjoyed every scene and every interaction. I loved Quentin's reveal and I enjoyed Toby's reaction. I thought the new characters were interesting. Almost every action taken by the characters was in line with their personalities and was enjoyable.

If you're a fan of this series, you'll like this one. I promise.

Review
2 Stars
Blackbird Lake (A Lonesome Way Novel) - Jill Gregory
Meh
Review
2 Stars
Cable and X-Force, Vol. 1: Wanted - Dennis Hopeless, Gabriel Hernandez Walta, Salvador Larroca
Nothing to really write home about. It was ok storywise and the art fluctuated between awesome and meh.

Also, I have only read Hope's story from when Cable rescued her as an infant and then protected her. So, I was hopelessly confused as to why she was a teenager. I was also confused about half the stuff going on in the character's lives.

Point?

Don't go into this one cold. Read the AvX, Messiah War and anything that comes before.
Review
3 Stars
The Thing About Weres - Leigh Evans
3.5

rtbp
Review
3 Stars
The Trouble With Fate - Leigh Evans
Solid 3

Rtbp

Check out my updates for now
Review
3 Stars
Home Improvement: Undead Edition - Simon R. Green, Heather Graham, James Grady, Charlaine Harris, S.J. Rozan, Rochelle Krich, Toni L.P. Kelner, E.E. Knight, Victor Gischler, Stacia Kane, Melissa Marr, Suzanne McLeod, Seanan McGuire, Patricia Briggs
I tried to read the Briggs and Harris story and couldn't get into it (and I LOVE the Mercy series) but I did read the Seanan McGuire story "Through This House".

It was a short filler piece for the series and it is an absolute must that you read the book that takes place before this or you will be lost. I read it a long time ago and I was a little lost. Thank you exposition.
Review
4 Stars
Biting Bad - Chloe Neill
3.8

Ethan has changed and I like it and as usual I love Merit and Ethan!

But in terms of plot, something felt ...lacking.

Rtbp
Review
4 Stars
Thor, Vol. 1 - J. Michael Straczynski, Olivier Coipel
I was a tiny bit confused as this is the first Thor I've ever picked up and I only know about him tangentially.

However, the art is great and the variant covers in the back are a treat (Michael Turner has a variant!).

The writing, while good, was jumpy and there weren't a lot of segues between the editions.

However, it was intriguing.
Review
4 Stars
Gambit Classic - Volume 1 - Howard Mackie, Chris Claremont, Mike Collins, Jim Lee, Whilce Portacio, Lee Weeks, Bill Jaaska, Jason Gorder
I read these as individual comics and I own the first Gambit series. This omnibus of the first half of Gambit's adventures combines all of these together.

I need to buy this so that I can have it on hand (easier than going through the individuals) and this is truly a must have for Gambit fans.