(no subject)
I want to get back to book reviews, but I've fallen so far behind that it's become daunting. It seems absurd to go back to 2012, but there are three books I read toward the end of the year that I very much enjoyed and want to remember. So, really quickly:
Cinda Williams Chima's The Crimson Crown was a riveting and satisfying conclusion to the Seven Realms series, though I'm sad that it's over. I re-read the first three books before it was released, and it was so much fun to relive Raisa and Han's adventures. I just love this series and look forward to reading whatever she writes next.
When my book club chose Wild by Cheryl Strayed, I expected a West Coast version of A Walk in the Woods. While there are certainly elements common to stories of long trail hikes, Wild was unique and just as compelling. (It's not nearly as funny, though that's not surprising given the authors' very different situations and states of mind - and really, very few writers are remotely as funny as Bill Bryson!) While long-distance hiking isn't something I have the remotest desire to try, I almost felt as if I were on the Pacific Crest Trail with Cheryl Strayed, and it was a hell of an experience, even vicariously.
The Mark of Athena, the third book in Rick Riordan's Heroes of Olympus series, is just as much fun as the first two. It's hard to say much about the story without massively spoiling The Lost Hero and The Son of Neptune, but his fans have come to expect, the story is filled with action, adventure and novel twists of ancient myths. I finished The Mark of Athena of New Year's Eve, and it was a great way to wrap up a year of reading. Now I just have to be patient for another seven months or so till the next book comes out.
And now I can move on to 2013. I may not review every book - almost certainly not re-reads - but I like keeping a record and hopefully won't let myself get so far behind as to feel overwhelmed again.
Cinda Williams Chima's The Crimson Crown was a riveting and satisfying conclusion to the Seven Realms series, though I'm sad that it's over. I re-read the first three books before it was released, and it was so much fun to relive Raisa and Han's adventures. I just love this series and look forward to reading whatever she writes next.
When my book club chose Wild by Cheryl Strayed, I expected a West Coast version of A Walk in the Woods. While there are certainly elements common to stories of long trail hikes, Wild was unique and just as compelling. (It's not nearly as funny, though that's not surprising given the authors' very different situations and states of mind - and really, very few writers are remotely as funny as Bill Bryson!) While long-distance hiking isn't something I have the remotest desire to try, I almost felt as if I were on the Pacific Crest Trail with Cheryl Strayed, and it was a hell of an experience, even vicariously.
The Mark of Athena, the third book in Rick Riordan's Heroes of Olympus series, is just as much fun as the first two. It's hard to say much about the story without massively spoiling The Lost Hero and The Son of Neptune, but his fans have come to expect, the story is filled with action, adventure and novel twists of ancient myths. I finished The Mark of Athena of New Year's Eve, and it was a great way to wrap up a year of reading. Now I just have to be patient for another seven months or so till the next book comes out.
And now I can move on to 2013. I may not review every book - almost certainly not re-reads - but I like keeping a record and hopefully won't let myself get so far behind as to feel overwhelmed again.