The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith

Goodreads Summary:

Private investigator Cormoran Strike returns in a new mystery from Robert Galbraith, author of the #1 international bestseller The Cuckoo's Calling.

When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, Mrs. Quine just thinks her husband has gone off by himself for a few days—as he has done before—and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home.

But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine's disappearance than his wife realizes. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were to be published, it would ruin lives—meaning that there are a lot of people who might want him silenced.

When Quine is found brutally murdered under bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer, a killer unlike any Strike has encountered before...

My Thoughts:

Often I am let down by the second book in a series. In this case I was definitely not let down much to my delight. I really enjoyed this read.  I am not generally a huge fan of mystery but in the case of Robert Galbraith I am becoming a real fan. This is independent of my love of JK Rowling, who is actually Robert. Do not read this hoping for wizards.

The Silkworm picks up shortly after the first book so this book didn't have the tedious introductions to characters as the last. However, this book did give us a better view of Strike and Robin, our two detectives. I like the balance between the current mystery and the lives of Strike and Robin. We get to know everyone without the feel of being rushed through a story.

I will say that I didn't see who the killer was until it was revealed in the book. I was pleased I had guessed incorrectly. This book definitely improves on the first book and leaves me wanting the third. I would (and recently have) recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good read. This holds true to even non fans of mystery.

While writing this review I was watching Castle. 

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

Goodreads Summary:
"A fresh present-day story infused with an original take on popular history. Forget broomsticks and pointy hats; here are witches that could well be walking among us today. This debut novel flows with poetic charm and eloquence that achieves high literary merit while concocting a gripping supernatural puzzler. Katherine Howe's talent is spellbinding." --Matthew Pearl, author of The Poe Shadow and The Dante Club A spellbinding, beautifully written novel that moves between contemporary times and one of the most fascinating and disturbing periods in American history-the Salem witch trials.

Harvard graduate student Connie Goodwin needs to spend her summer doing research for her doctoral dissertation. But when her mother asks her to handle the sale of Connie's grandmother's abandoned home near Salem, she can't refuse. As she is drawn deeper into the mysteries of the family house, Connie discovers an ancient key within a seventeenth-century Bible. The key contains a yellowing fragment of parchment with a name written upon it: Deliverance Dane. This discovery launches Connie on a quest--to find out who this woman was and to unearth a rare artifact of singular power: a physick book, its pages a secret repository for lost knowledge.

As the pieces of Deliverance's harrowing story begin to fall into place, Connie is haunted by visions of the long-ago witch trials, and she begins to fear that she is more tied to Salem's dark past then she could have ever imagined.

Written with astonishing conviction and grace, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane travels seamlessly between the witch trials of the 1690s and a modern woman's story of mystery, intrigue, and revelation.

My Thoughts:

I read this book as the September pick for my book club. I knew that it would be a rough read for me as I don't generally enjoy historical fiction but I thought that would be a side note, and I think perhaps that was the case for some readers. I was seriously annoyed by the tone and time shift in this book. I wanted to stop reading it several times. I didn't even finish it in time for the book club discussion. Part of that was because of my new 6 days a week work schedule and part of it was a admittedly a motivation issue.

This book read like a grad student's paper (yes I am aware the main character is a grad student) in that it was dry and hard to swallow from time to time while randomly being really good.

As you can tell I didn't love the book. I think if you enjoy historical fiction you might like this read. Also if you have a thing for the Salem Witches you would likely enjoy this read. Be warned though, if you are like me and have PTSD from college, reading way way way too many academic articles you may be annoyed by this book. Also if you don't love it when a book flip flops between time and story lines you might have the same frustrations with this book. 

While writing this review I was listening to absolutely nothing and it was awesome.

Considering Hate: Violence, Goodness, and Justice in American Culture and Politics by Kay Whitlock and Michael Bronski

Goodreads Summary:

Over the centuries American society has been plagued by brutality fueled by disregard for the humanity of others: systemic violence against slaves, Native peoples, and immigrants. More recent examples include the Steubenville rape case and the murders of Matthew Shepard, Jennifer Daugherty, Marcelo Lucero, and Trayvon Martin. Most Americans see such acts as driven by hate. But is this right? Longtime activists and political theorists Kay Whitlock and Michael Bronski boldly assert that American society's reliance on the framework of hate to explain these acts is wrongheaded, misleading, and ultimately harmful.

All too often Americans choose to believe that terrible cruelty is aberrant, caused primarily by “extremists” and misfits. The inevitable remedy of intensified government-based policing, increased surveillance, and harsher punishments has never worked and does not work now. Stand Your Ground laws, the US prison system; police harassment of people of color, women, and LGBT people; and the so-called War on Terror demonstrate that they themselves are forms of institutionalized violence.

Considering Hate challenges easy assumptions and failed solutions, arguing that “hate violence” reflects existing cultural norms. Drawing upon social science, philosophy, theology, film, and literature, the authors examine how hate and common, even ordinary, forms of individual and group violence are excused and normalized in popular culture and political discussion. This massive denial of brutal reality profoundly warps society's ideas about goodness and justice.

Considering Hate daringly invites readers to think differently—to redefine the meaning of justice within a new framework of transformative imagination, collective responsibility, and civic goodness.

My Thoughts:

I wish I had this book while I was still in college. I loved the challenges posed to every day thinking and the possibilities of changes presented in this book. I can easily see this book working in a wide variety of Social Science classes and I would highly recommend this for an upper division writing course. 

I read the book twice and found myself sharing quotes frequently. Considering Hate makes us all look at ourselves and our institutions with a new lens. While I am not saying you should buy into their ideas completely I do think that taking a different approach to how you look at the world around you is always a worthwhile exercise. The perpetuation of violence is an issue that needs to be tackled on both the large scale and the small. 

This book blew my mind and I am happier for it.

I would recommend this book to everyone, but particularly those looking for a read that is thought provoking, well written, and informative in a way that isn't textbook dry. I think the common person could easily read this book as it doesn't feel like it was written for academics. 

While writing this review I was listening to the calm sounds of the pond outside my door.

I should note that I did receive this book as an ARC but have since pre-ordered the book in hard copy to keep with my textbooks from school.

Horns by Joe Hill

Goodreads Summary:
Ignatius Perrish spent the night drunk and doing terrible things. He woke up the next morning with a thunderous hangover, a raging headache . . . and a pair of horns growing from his temples.

At first Ig thought the horns were a hallucination, the product of a mind damaged by rage and grief. He had spent the last year in a lonely, private purgatory, following the death of his beloved, Merrin Williams, who was raped and murdered under inexplicable circumstances. A mental breakdown would have been the most natural thing in the world. But there was nothing natural about the horns, which were all too real.

Once the righteous Ig had enjoyed the life of the blessed: born into privilege, the second son of a renowned musician and younger brother of a rising late-night TV star, he had security, wealth, and a place in his community. Ig had it all, and more—he had Merrin and a love founded on shared daydreams, mutual daring, and unlikely midsummer magic.

But Merrin's death damned all that. The only suspect in the crime, Ig was never charged or tried. And he was never cleared. In the court of public opinion in Gideon, New Hampshire, Ig is and always will be guilty because his rich and connected parents pulled strings to make the investigation go away. Nothing Ig can do, nothing he can say, matters. Everyone, it seems, including God, has abandoned him. Everyone, that is, but the devil inside. . . .

Now Ig is possessed of a terrible new power to go with his terrible new look—a macabre talent he intends to use to find the monster who killed Merrin and destroyed his life. Being good and praying for the best got him nowhere. It's time for a little revenge. . . . It's time the devil had his due. . .

My Thoughts:

I started this book after hearing about the movie with Daniel Radcliffe that is coming out, or is out. I admit I am not sure about that last bit. After reading the book I don't think that I will be seeing the movie.

I found the book interesting-ish at first, if not a little bit over the top with how depressing it was right from the beginning. The more I read the book the more I wished I hadn't started reading it to begin with. I found out about half way through the book that it was written by Stephen King's son. I suspect had I known that up front I would have looked into the story a bit more and likely would not have read the book. I am not at all a fan of Stephen King or similar writers. I just don't enjoy such heavy dark reads when there isn't something else to balance it out. This book is exactly that, too dark and nothing to balance it.

I disliked this book at best and totally hated it at worst. I was left with a grimy feeling in my head and I wish I could scrub it with a toothbrush. I had no reason to like Ig. Sure, the writer told me that Ig was a good guy, but I never really believed it. This book was just full of dark and twisty. Also, if I read the name Keith Richards one more time I was going to have to start a drinking game. The writing felt redundant and tired. It felt long and hard to finish. I never felt engrossed in the reading. It was never pleasurable. Mostly this book made me a bit sick.

So, to whom would I recommend this book? I guess to fans of Stephen King, though his fans on goodreads don't have nice things to say. If you like dark and twisty with no balance this is your book. I can't say I learned anything about myself or the world from this book and normally when I have finished a book I can at least say I got a new and interesting perspective on something. Sadly, I just felt tired and a little abused.

Really, I need to stop writing about this book. It has brought out the grumpy mean side of my reviewing and I don't really want to be a lame-o that way. So here is something nice about Horns. I think the idea was interesting and had a lot of potential. I think the writing, with more editing also shows potential for storytelling that can be engrossing. Also, good on you Joe Hill for being a writer, it is hard to finish a book, let alone more than one. Also this book is very successful at exploring a dark nature that all of us have.

While writing this review I was listening to the Once soundtrack.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Goodreads Summary:

In his first book for young adults, bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by acclaimed artist Ellen Forney, that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.


My Thoughts:
First I would like to say that the drawings for this story are awesome and really add to the story. It has been a long time since reading a book with any kind of illustration and this book has made me think I should read more. I know that the same artist drew all the illustrations but there is such a difference in the styles that it helps with moments in the story where you feel raw emotion and growing up moments. The art really added to the storytelling.


Recently, I took a class in college about inequality in a democracy specifically in terms of economic inequality. A fellow student wrote her 20 page research paper on reservation life here in Utah. I heard about her experiences of first feeling Native and secondarily feeling like an American. I found it interesting that Junior also had those feelings. He had to come to terms with life on the rez and what he experienced when he dared to go to a public school not on the rez. The extreme poverty was something I expected to hear about. But from the point of view of a child is vastly different than the scholarly views I am used to.


***SPOILER***
The second or maybe third story in the book is about Junior watching his Father kill his dog because they didn't have the money to take the dog to the veterinarian. I got choked up thinking about what an experience like that will do to an adult let alone a child.
It was sweet though the way that Junior found friends who accepted him for who he was and didn't hold his poverty against him. So often in high school I saw how the poor kids were treated, or anyone who was even slightly different was treated. That isn't to say that Junior was accepted right away, he wasn't, but eventually he won some people over. I never saw that for the kids I went to school with who were picked on.


Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a fast read, even with the heavy parts of the story you don't really need a break from the book. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a clear picture of Indian reservation life, but expect your heart to break a little. Additionally, I think anyone could benefit from reading this book.


While writing this review I was watching a rerun of Castle, the one where Alexis is kidnapped and taken to Paris.

Days of Blood and Starlight / Dreams of Gods and Monsters By Laini Taylor

Goodreads Summary:

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.

This is not that world.

Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.

While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. Forhope.

But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?

Goodreads Summary:


By way of a staggering deception, Karou has taken control of the chimaera rebellion and is intent on steering its course away from dead-end vengeance. The future rests on her, if there can even be a future for the chimaera in war-ravaged Eretz.

Common enemy, common cause.

When Jael's brutal seraph army trespasses into the human world, the unthinkable becomes essential, and Karou and Akiva must ally their enemy armies against the threat. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people.

And, perhaps, for themselves. Toward a new way of living, and maybe even love.

But there are bigger threats than Jael in the offing. A vicious queen is hunting Akiva, and, in the skies of Eretz ... something is happening. Massive stains are spreading like bruises from horizon to horizon; the great winged stormhunters are gathering as if summoned, ceaselessly circling, and a deep sense of wrong pervades the world.

What power can bruise the sky?

From the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond, humans, chimaera and seraphim will fight, strive, love, and die in an epic theater that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy.

At the very barriers of space and time, what do gods and monsters dream of? And does anything else matter?

My Thoughts:

I read the first in this series for the 9 3/4 Book Club. For some reason I can't start a series without finishing it. So I did.

...

And the thing is that I wanted to like these books. I didn't hate them, but they weren't great. They could have been good, the idea was solid. The execution was middle of the road with sudden swerves to extremely annoying. I don't have much to say about the second book but always whining is not hot. The third book however...

***SPOILER***

OK, seriously? Who introduces a crazy important character in the third book? Eliza the mostly human angel who happens to have the answers for everything ever? Oh yeah let's introduce her and make her the key and then barely explain all the huge crazy shit that has been going on with all the many worlds. What.The.Fuck.Ever.

I feel like the third book was a "just kidding on concluding all the shit I have been writing about for three books, I am really setting up my next series of books."

And really that is all I have to say about that. Sure, the writing was pretty in a lot of ways but I feel like the story was lacking (not Twilight lacking but pretty close).

I would not recommend these books. Sorry to the writer. I know you probably put a lot of work into these and writing is hard, but I just can't recommend these books even to fans of the genre.

While writing this review I was listening to a rerun of Castle.

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

Goodreads Summary:

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hairactually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

My Thoughts:

This was the first selection of The 9 3/4 Book Club, which was recently formed by myself and my bestie. We judge books by their covers. Which the cover of this book is pretty. I am such as sucker for blue with black and white.

This was a really fast read for me. I would say the average reader could finish it in a week or two. I finished it in a long weekend. This is not a book I would have selected on my own as I am not a huge fan of fantastical books. This book has a lot of fantasy creatures running around making a mess of things. That being said, over all I liked the book once I suspended my disbelief enough to enjoy it. 

I was creeped out by the whole teeth hunting thing and what the point of the teeth ended up being didn't help with the creep factor. This book was more imaginative than a lot of YA novels. I liked that it was primarily set in Prague, which isn't a city I get to read about very often but have always wanted to visit.

Karou is a better female lead than a lot of YA females. But she still has some of the same annoying qualities that I wish writers would give up on. Vulnerability doesn't always have to take the form of weakness, which is all I am going to say on that.

Akiva could use a little work, which may or may not be addressed in the next book. For a fierce fighting angel he has a lot of growing up to do. I didn't love the overly masculine and immature nature. Those two things don't really balance this character so mostly I wanted to punch him and say "dude, grow some balls." But the end of the story he is all sorts of mean and evil so I am not sure how I feel about that.

Overall, I would say this was a good read. I would recommend it to fantasy folks who love some teen drama but want something better than the Twilight series.

While writing this review I was listening to They by Jem.

HRC: State Secrets and the Rebirth of Hillary Clinton By Jonathan Allen

Goodreads Summary:

The mesmerizing story of Hillary Clinton's political rebirth, based on eyewitness accounts from deep inside her inner circle.

Hillary Clinton’s surprising defeat in the 2008 Democratic primary brought her to the nadir of her political career, vanquished by a much younger opponent whose message of change and cutting-edge tech team ran circles around her stodgy campaign. And yet, six years later, she has reemerged as an even more powerful and influential figure, a formidable stateswoman and the presumed front-runner for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, marking one of the great political comebacks in history.

The story of Hillary’s phoenixlike rise is at the heart of HRC, a riveting political biography that journeys into the heart of “Hillaryland” to discover a brilliant strategist at work. Masterfully unfolded by Politico’s Jonathan Allen and The Hill’s Amie Parnes from more than two hundred top-access interviews with Hillary’s intimates, colleagues, supporters, and enemies,HRC portrays a seasoned operator who negotiates political and diplomatic worlds with equal savvy. Loathed by the Obama team in the wake of the primary, Hillary worked to become the president’s greatest ally, their fates intertwined in the work of reestablishing America on the world stage. HRCputs readers in the room with Hillary during the most intense and pivotal moments of this era, as she mulls the president-elect’s offer to join the administration, pulls the strings to build a coalition for his war against Libya, and scrambles to deal with the fallout from the terrible events in Benghazi—all while keeping one eye focused on 2016.

HRC offers a rare look inside the merciless Clinton political machine, as Bill Clinton handled the messy business of avenging Hillary’s primary loss while she tried to remain above the partisan fray. Exploring her friendships and alliances with Robert Gates, David Petraeus, Leon Panetta, Joe Biden, and the president himself, Allen and Parnes show how Hillary fundamentally transformed the State Department through the force of her celebrity and her unparalleled knowledge of how power works in Washington. Filled with deep reporting and immersive storytelling, this remarkable portrait of the most important female politician in American history is an essential inside look at the woman who may be our next president.

My Thoughts:
I have always liked Hillary and Bill Clinton. I wondered what kind of strength it took to keep your identity when your husband is president. I have always admired the way that she handled the problems of life, as privately as possible with as much strength as possible. I mention this only as a way of knowing my upfront bias about Hilary Clinton. I won't pretend that I have no such bias.

This book gave us the clear image of a strong woman dealing with unique circumstances. Through the accounts of those closest to Hillary we start to understand the drive, ambition, and personal dedication of Hillary.

Hillary has shown us time and again that she can not be knocked down for long. She shows true integrity and intelligence by always learning from her mistakes. Failed Presidential campaigns have withered lesser people. Hillary has set the stage for her next campaign if she chooses to run. This book shows us her education on how to improve and win next time.

Above all, I think this book humanizes Hillary in a way that not many other books have. Meaning, this book shows that Hillary is a fighter, and sometimes you have to fight hard and dirty. This is human nature, often it is something that is looked down on but honestly I don't think that it should be. Play the game but don't get lost in it is the lens of this book.

I would recommend this book to fans of Hillary and those who don't know much about her. I don't think overly conservative people would love this book, but independent voters could at least get a better picture of Hillary.

While writing this review I was listening to this song.

The Execution By Dick Wolf

Goodreads Summary:

NYPD Detective Jeremy Fisk must make an uneasy ally - the disturbingly beautiful and assertive Mexican Intelligence Agency Detective Cecilia Garza. She recognizes the signature of assassin Chuparosa - a hummingbird carved on a corpse. After years of pursuit, she knows only that he is heading to Manhattan - with the rest of the world for UN Week.

Ten days after the Mexican presidential election, 23 bodies were found beheaded on the US border, each carved by Chuparosa. Near New York, Rockaway has a mass murder. There is more to this threat than meets the eye — and justice is not always blind.

My Thoughts:

This is the second book in the Jeremy Fisk Series and like the first I enjoyed the read. This book had more blood and intense moments than the first so that is just a heads up, there are A LOT of really bloody scenes in this book.

I didn't have a problem with all the blood, it really did help set up what was happening and why. I liked the Garza character even though she was a bit clichéd. I think sometimes clichés exist for a reason and actually work for a story. She has to be the bitch to get respect from her peers in the Mexican Intelligence Agency. 

We do see snap shots of her softer side, just as we see the softer vulnerable side of Jeremy Fisk as he tries to heal from what happened to him in the first Fisk book. These characters are really human but have enough originality to them that they can and do surprise you at the end.

I would recommend this book to fans of Tom Clancy and similar writers. These books has a distinctive male voice, but not overly macho so they are not off putting to female readers. As I previously mentioned there is a lot of blood in this book while exploring the Chuparosa character so if you can't handle stories with cold blooded killers I would suggest skipping this one.

While writing this review I was listening to CBS This Morning, I totally have a crush on Charlie Rose.

Book Club? Totally going to give it a go. Stitch and bitch too? Possibly

For the last six months or more my amazing friend and fellow book blogger has been trying to get me to start a book club with her. Now that I am finally graduated from college and living a life that doesn't revolve around text books I am ready to read and be social about non text books with people that aren't fellow students! This is super exciting for me on several levels but mostly I get to keep intelligent conversation in my life but it doesn't always have to be about Political Science!

We are just putting feelers out there to see who would be into the idea? The when and where (though the where I am thinking is the Work Coffeebar in Midvale Utah as it has enough seating and isn't super packed with people in the evenings so we would all be able to hear one another and support a local business at the same time) haven't been decided yet. Let me know if you are in the Salt Lake City area and would be interested in joining a book club. I think for the most part we would be open to reading any genre. I am a big fan of variety so personally I am open to anything. Really the only thing I would say is a big deal is you actually read the book even if you don't love the selection.

We have also talked about starting a stitch and bitch so if knitting and or crochet is more your speed than reading books also let me know. I have been doing crochet for years and I know a few knitters so it would be fun to get together and share yarn info and project ideas while working on current projects.

I Remember Nothing: and other Reflections by Nora Ephron

Goodreads Summary:

Nora Ephron returns with her first book since the astounding success of I Feel Bad About My Neck, taking a cool, hard, hilarious look at the past, the present, and the future, bemoaning the vicissitudes of modern life, and recalling with her signature clarity and wisdom everything she hasn’t (yet) forgotten.

Ephron writes about falling hard for a way of life (“Journalism: A Love Story”) and about breaking up even harder with the men in her life (“The D Word”); lists “Twenty-five Things People Have a Shocking Capacity to Be Surprised by Over and Over Again” (“There is no explaining the stock market but people try”; “You can never know the truth of anyone’s marriage, including your own”; “Cary Grant was Jewish”; “Men cheat”); reveals the alarming evolution, a decade after she wrote and directedYou’ve Got Mail, of her relationship with her in-box (“The Six Stages of E-Mail”); and asks the age-old question, which came first, the chicken soup or the cold? All the while, she gives candid, edgy voice to everything women who have reached a certain age have been thinking . . . but rarely acknowledging.

Filled with insights and observations that instantly ring true—and could have come only from Nora Ephron—I Remember Nothing is pure joy.

My Thoughts:

I can't read Nora Ephron's writing all night but I love reading her work in small doses. That is mostly because her style is lot like my own thinking and one can only take so much of the same or similar voice.

I laughed a lot and thought a lot about the stories. It was interesting to get her account of what it was like to graduate college and end up as a mail girl because they weren't allowed to write like the men.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes an honest book with a bit of edge in tone.

While writing this review I was listening to Dust in the Wind by Kansas.

Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer by Maya Angelou

Goodreads Summary:

Grace, dignity, and eloquence have long been hallmarks of Maya Angelou’s poetry. Her measured verses have stirred our souls, energized our minds, and healed our hearts. Whether offering hope in the darkest of nights or expressing sincere joy at the extraordinariness of the everyday, Maya Angelou has served as our common voice.

Celebrations is a collection of timely and timeless poems that are an integral part of the global fabric. Several works have become nearly as iconic as Angelou herself: the inspiring “On the Pulse of Morning,” read at President William Jefferson Clinton’s 1993 inauguration; the heartening “Amazing Peace,” presented at the 2005 lighting of the National Christmas Tree at the White House; “A Brave and Startling Truth,” which marked the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations; and “Mother,” which beautifully honors the first woman in our lives. Angelou writes of celebrations public and private, a bar mitzvah wish to her nephew, a birthday greeting to Oprah Winfrey, and a memorial tribute to the late Luther Vandross and Barry White.

More than a writer, Angelou is a chronicler of history, an advocate for peace, and a champion for the planet, as well as a patriot, a mentor, and a friend. To be shared and cherished, the wisdom and poetry of Maya Angelou proves there is always cause for celebration.

My Thoughts:

As most people know Maya Angelou recently passed away. I read her work a lot when I first started writing poetry and I wanted to relive her words to say goodbye to her. The very poem that inspired me to start writing was in this collection. She read it at the inauguration of President Clinton. The greatest gift Maya Angelou gave to me was her voice. She was my first poetry role model and I will always love her work. She taught me that I could be honest about my life and my dreams. 

I would recommend reading Maya Angelou to anyone but in particular I would recommend her to women.

Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Goodreads Summary:

It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who’s just walked in to his band’s show. With a new guy. And then, with one kiss, Nick and Norah are off on an adventure set against the backdrop of New York City – and smack in the middle of all the joy, anxiety, confusion, and excitement of a first date.

This he said/she said romance told by YA stars Rachel Cohn and David Levithan is a sexy, funny roller coaster of a story about one date over one very long night, with two teenagers, both recovering from broken hearts, who are just trying to figure out who they want to be – and where the next great band is playing.

Told in alternating chapters, teeming with music references, humor, angst, and endearing side characters, this is a love story you’ll wish were your very own. Working together for the first time, Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have combined forces to create a book that is sure to grab readers of all ages and never let them go.

My Thoughts:

Well I hated the movie of Nick and Nora so I wasn't expecting to like the book. As it turns out movies sometimes ruin everything! I actually really enjoyed this fast read. The characters were accurate teen characters without being overly annoying or cliched. I liked the flare that the writers brought to a pretty basic story.

There weren't any shocking parts to this read and frankly that is what I liked about it. Everyone could tell a story like this as it feels like a story I lived. I enjoyed the music references but didn't notice them that much. I had heard so much about how the music references would blow my mind, but honestly, they weren't that big of a deal to me.  

I would recommend this book to David Levithan fans, you won't be disappointed. I would also recommend this as a summer read, it was fast and light.

While writing this review I was listening to an episode of Hung.

Panic by Lauren Oliver

Goodreads Summary:

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

My Thoughts:

Just when I think I have figured out Lauren Oliver's writing style she mixes it up on me, and I couldn't love it more. Panic is another excellently written story that draws you in from the first page and spits you out at the end feeling like you have just been on the most amazing magical carpet ride and it didn't want it to end.

As you can tell I really enjoyed Panic. It was a fast read but it made me think which sometimes those two things don't go very well together. A big theme of this book is motivation, meaning what motivates us to do the crazy things that we do. Revenge and love, which oddly are so closely entwined are huge motivators in this book. At no point did I feel annoyed with any of the characters, even when they did predictable things. Lauren Oliver writes this story in such a way that it comes off as human behavior rather than a cliched book idea.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an interesting good read. I think fans of Lauren Oliver will be pleased that she has created another snap shot world that will be looked at fondly over and over again.

While writing this review I was listening to the birds outside squabble over bits of bread in the grass.

Graze This Tastiness...

Recently I signed up for Graze.com snacks. The boxes are delivered right to my work. If I was more with it in the morning I would pack snacks and a lunch, but alas until I have been up for a couple of hours and have consumed at least two cups of coffee I barely remember how to blink.

So basically graze is perfect for someone like me. I forget to take food with me almost everyday and end up eating something crappy and fast or I skip eating all day until I get home. It only took two boxes for me to become a fan of graze. They are portion controlled for the perfect amount of snack. I have a tendency to not eat enough during the day and then eat too much at night. These snacks help a bit with that habit. They also use recycled material for their packaging and encourage further recycling. I am going to try a little planter box of herbs. I will let you all know how that works out for me.

When I signed up, I found a random coupon code to get a couple of boxes for free. In case you all want to to sign up feel free to use my friend code: MALIND43P

This is not an attempt to get money off of my own subscription. If anyone wants to use my friend code I will be donating the discount I get right back to Graze for their farming school in Uganda. You can read more about that here.

So far I am in love with the "hot cross yum" mix and the "wholegrain banana caramel dippers."

A Good Yarn by Debbie Macomber

Goodreads Summary:

Lydia Hoffman owns the shop on Blossom Street. In the year since it opened, A Good Yarn has thrived-and so has Lydia. A lot of that is due to Brad Goetz. But when Brad's ex-wife reappears, Lydia is suddenly afraid to trust her new found happiness.Three women join Lydia's newest class. Elise Beaumont, retired and bitterly divorced, learns that her onetime husband is reentering her life. Bethanne Hamlin is facing the fallout from a much more recent divorce. And Courtney Pulanski is a depressed and overweight teenager, whose grandmother's idea of helping her is to drag her to seniors' swim sessions-and to the knitting class at A Good Yarn.

My Thoughts:

I would say that I mostly enjoyed this book but it isn't anywhere near as good as The Friday Night Knitting Club which is in the same vein. The book was cheerful and sweet and a nice easy read that didn't demand anything from me.

But then, it didn't demand anything from me, including my full attention. I admit that I got distracted more than once while trying to get through this read. This isn't to say that the characters weren't likable but I just never got to the point of feeling fully invested in these people. 

I have not read the first book in this series so I think that has made a difference for me since I never grew an attachment to Lydia so I kind of didn't care what happened to her. Also, I am tired of cliched female characters and why does the fat one always loose weight in order to truly like herself? Can't fat girls love themselves? The answer is yes. I love myself and I am a fat girl. I just think it perpetuates this societal norm that fat is ugly and worthless. I just don't accept that idea.

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy chick lit. I would say there are better options out there but this is just fine for a rainy weekend.

While writing this review I was listening to my neighbor's pugs going wild running all over the place and barking at god knows what. How can such little dogs make so much noise? The husband and I call it the daily round of "Pug Wild." My bestie thinks I should call them Thunder Pugs are Go! Either way those little shits make a lot of weird noise.

Dog Gone, Back Soon by Nick Trout

***I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy, this in no way impacts the review I give this book***

Goodreads Summary:

When Dr. Cyrus Mills returned home after inheriting his estranged father's veterinary practice, The Bedside Manor for Sick Animals, the last thing he wanted was to stay in Eden Falls, Vermont, a moment longer than absolutely necessary. However, the previously reclusive veterinarian pathologist quickly found that he actually enjoyed treating animals and getting to know the eccentric residents of the tiny provincial town-especially an alluring waitress named Amy.

So Cyrus is now determined to make Bedside Manor thrive. Not an easy goal, given that Healthy Paws, the national veterinary chain across town, will stop at nothing to crush its mom-and-pop competitor. And the rival vet practice isn't Cyrus's only competition; a handsome stranger shows up out of nowhere who clearly has a mysterious past with Amy. To top it off, Cyrus finds himself both the guardian of a very unique orphaned dog and smack in the middle of serious small town drama.

This charming sequel to The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs is a wild and delightful ride through one jam- packed week, where Cyrus must figure out how to outsmart the evil veterinary conglomerate, win back Amy's heart, solve several tricky veterinary cases, find a home for an orphaned dog, and detangle himself from an absurd case of mistaken identity. DOG GONE, BACK SOON brims with Nick Trout's trademark humor, charm, and captivating animal stories, and is proof that all dogs, lost or not, on four feet or two, deserve a second chance.

My Thoughts:

I did not read the first book in this series. I will be looking for it from the library or amazon as soon as I finish this review. I did not feel at a disadvantage for not having read the first book about Dr. Cyrus Mills. I got enough background information throughout the read that I never felt left out of the story. Additionally, I wasn't hit over the head with it all at the beginning like normal series books.

I liked this read quite a bit. I loved the way the story naturally unfolded and I liked that it was told from the male perspective. Sometimes it seems like only female narratives can capture quirky and relate-able characters. I liked that this book referenced pop culture via movie quotes and each character had a distinct voice and personality within a cohesive story. Cyrus is likable even though he is a bit awkward and weird. From the first chapter you can relate with Cyrus and you want him to figure things out. Cyrus likes puzzles in his medical practice but it was nice that this book showed how hard it is for vets to figure out diagnoses and sometimes they are wrong.

Also, I love factoids about animals and when someone can accurately describe pets and their owners. I giggled more than once while reading this book, and as a bonus these giggles happened when Nick Trout intended with his writing. You can tell that Nick Trout is a vet, but we won't hold that against him in this case. He might be one of the rare vets that seems to like people and animals equally and therefore has figured out how to capture both on the page.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a light read that makes you feel good.

While writing this review I was listening to an episode of Castle and my husband making soup.

The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling

Goodreads Summary:

A BIG NOVEL ABOUT A SMALL TOWN ...

When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils ... Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

My Thoughts:

I wanted to love this book when I heard that it was JK Rowling releasing a non fantasy book. As it turns out, I only half liked it. It was a bit slow for my liking and the characters didn't give me a reason to like them. I found that this book was a perfect example of why I am always a little freaked out by small towns and I will never willingly live in one if I can help it. The back stabbing and constant calculations were exhausting to me. Not only is this a picture of local official politics but it is also a picture of social politics. JK points out how much people suck and how evil we are to one another, she does this quiet well. In that respect the book is excellent, I really hated most people by the end of this book. 

The character development was good, I just didn't like any of them. I did like that the first part of the book tied into the ending of the book but they were both really depressing. I have to wonder if anyone who lives in small towns is at all happy or normal. Do any of these people have anything to enjoy or look forward to?

The writing was what we have come to expect from JK Rowling but I just didn't love the story. 

I would recommend this book to the curious JK fan but beyond that I would only recommend this if you like unlikable characters and sad situations.

While writing this review I was listening to an episode of Lost Girl.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Goodreads Summary:

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

My Thoughts: *******SPOILER ALERT********

The trend of having a split narrative in YA is really starting to bother me. In order for this format to work the author has to be really good at creating two very distinct voices and two world that over lap but don't look or sound the same. This can be achieved but most authors fall flat, and this is sadly the case with Veronica Roth.

I loved Divergent. Insurgent was okay. Allegiant was hard to get through. Mostly I wanted to smack both Tris and Tobias and tell them to stop whining already. I don't think Veronica Roth took enough time with her second and third books in this series and the third was not great.

This particular vision of post apocalyptic America was annoying and unconvincing. Genetics are the cause of everything that went wrong and the purity war that came out if it destroyed most of the United States. This led to experimental cities like the one that Tris and Tobias we raised in/ and then left. These cities were supposed to produce those with pure genes which supposedly would lead to making the human genetic code pure and whole again. 

So, of course, Tris has pure genes while Tobais does not. Blah blah blah so bored with how predictable this book was. I even saw Tris sacrificing herself for the greater good and finally kicking the bucket (of course her Mother appeared to her in her death hallucinations). It was so obvious that when the main character of this series died, mostly I was relieved I wouldn't have to read her whining anymore.

I was so disappointed by this read. I had waited for it for months and was completely let down. I wanted so badly to like this book. Alas, we don't always get what we want.

I do not recommend this book to anyone, unless you want to finish out the series. Just don't get your hopes up.

While writing this review I was listing to bits of the TV show Star Crossed.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Goodreads Summary:

Charlie is a freshman.

And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.

Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But he can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.

My thoughts:

In my last review I had nothing more than blah to say about that book. This book was anything but blah. I was taken back to my own high school memories and the lives of my friends back then. I haven't looked back on those days with much fondness until reading this book. For better or worse our personal journeys make us who we are and sometimes it is good to relive it, even if it is through the eyes of someone else.

Stephen Chbosky captured the youth of a generation that hasn't realized they have grown up. We all make stupid choices and it is nice to look back at the common ones with humor and a smile rather than regret which so often comes with the inevitability of maturing. It seems like not so long ago that I met my friend Spencer at a night of Rocky Horror Picture show viewing and poetry (oh the bad poetry!) reading at a mutual friend's home.

I would recommend this book to anyone. It is heart breaking as much as it is heart warming but you come away from it in a good place.

While writing this review I was listening to Asleep by the Smiths.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Goodreads Summary:

In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Peter and Valentine were candidates for the soldier-training program but didn't make the cut—young Ender is the Wiggin drafted to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous military training.

Ender's skills make him a leader in school and respected in the Battle Room, where children play at mock battles in zero gravity. Yet growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers Ender suffers greatly from isolation, rivalry from his peers, pressure from the adult teachers, and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders. His psychological battles include loneliness, fear that he is becoming like the cruel brother he remembers, and fanning the flames of devotion to his beloved sister.

Is Ender the general Earth needs? But Ender is not the only result of the genetic experiments. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway for almost as long. Ender's two older siblings are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. Between the three of them lie the abilities to remake a world. If, that is, the world survives.

Ender's Game is the winner of the 1985 Nebula Award for Best Novel and the 1986 Hugo Award for Best Novel.

My Thoughts:

Can I just start by saying blah? There is nothing terrible about this book. There is equally nothing remarkable about this book. It was a fast read but much of the time I was bored, the rest of the time I was annoyed. I disliked the narrative switches. I disliked Ender as a character. I am not a fan of whiny children. I don't love when a book spends so much time talking about how amazing the lead character is but spends almost no time showing it.

I will not read the other books in this series. I will not bother seeing the movie either. I wasn't impressed with the obviousness of the different personalities of the Wiggin children. Of course Peter is cruel and of course Valentine is his opposite so of course Ender is somewhere in the middle. Blah.

I was told this book was awesome. I am telling you it isn't anything special. 

I would not recommend this book, unless you want something that is super predictable and boring.

While writing this review I was watching Sleepy Hallow the TV show.

Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith aka JK Rowling

Goodreads Summary:
A brilliant debut mystery in a classic vein: Detective Cormoran Strike investigates a supermodel's suicide.
After losing his leg to a land mine in Afghanistan, Cormoran Strike is barely scraping by as a private investigator. Strike is down to one client, and creditors are calling. He has also just broken up with his longtime girlfriend and is living in his office.
Then John Bristow walks through his door with an amazing story: His sister, the legendary supermodel Lula Landry, known to her friends as the Cuckoo, famously fell to her death a few months earlier. The police ruled it a suicide, but John refuses to believe that. The case plunges Strike into the world of multimillionaire beauties, rock-star boyfriends, and desperate designers, and it introduces him to every variety of pleasure, enticement, seduction, and delusion known to man.
You may think you know detectives, but you've never met one quite like Strike. You may think you know about the wealthy and famous, but you've never seen them under an investigation like this.
Introducing Cormoran Strike, this is the acclaimed first crime novel by J.K. Rowling, writing under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

My Thoughts:

I considered putting this book down more than once and never picking it up again. I continued reading only because I knew that JK Rowling had penned this book and I loved the Harry Potter series. In the end I am glad that I finished the book.

So why did I almost stop reading it? The first half of the book was dreadfully boring and slow. I didn't have a clear picture of the lead character in my mind and I couldn't care less about any of the characters in general. What was clear was that these characters were not at all original. Scene after scene in the book fell flat in setting a stage. I had to make up for the lack of description by filling in much of the stage myself just to have that dashed when the story finally filled those gaps for me. I am not a huge mystery reader, mostly I stick with the Richard Castle variety, so I don't know how an avid mystery reader would like this book but I will say it just felt like one big fat cliche after another.

All of this being sad the second half of the book picked things up for me and by the end I was actually interested in the characters and how the story would end. I was not shocked by the who done it, but I did actually enjoy getting there. I think now that these characters have a lot of potential if Rowling can find her own voice and stop playing into cliched stories.

I would not recommend this to Harry Potter fans. While JK Rowling has a magical way of creating an entire world of fantasy she lacks the ability to set a story it what could be reality. I do see this as a problem she is likely to fix.

I would recommend this to mystery readers, by the end it is a decent read and your lot may be more tolerant of the slow progression in the story. Over all I think this was a decent beginning to a series of mystery novels that I will continue to read.

While writing this review I was listening to Adele. 

So that happened....

So it could be that I am graduated from the University of Utah with a BS in Political Science. I say, it could be, only because the graduation office has not yet made it official. The process to make it official could take another month and then they will mail me my swanky paper. I have until March to decide if I will be participating in the actual graduation ceremonies through the University.

My college graduation has been a long time coming. I started college while I was still in high school back in 1999 and finally finished in 2013.

Holy crap you guys that is a really long time to get through college. Why on Earth did it take me that long?

The biggest reason is that I refused to take out student loans until I had a solid landing on a major. It took six tries to end up on Political Science but I don't regret even one minute in a class that didn't apply to that major. I learned so much about myself and what I am capable of in all those years of college. As it turns out, I am actually pretty awesome and fairly intelligent (toot toot of my horn!). I have a well rounded education that others don't have because they jumped into one major and stayed there. My path was rocky and more than once I wanted to give up. I was pretty lucky that I had a lot of people cheering me on or giving me the "don't be stupid" look when I talked about giving up and sewing drapes for the rest of my life. (Have I mentioned that here before? I sew stuffs, not for you, unless you pay a ridiculous amount of money for my time.)

I would say this last semester, was by far the hardest I have ever gotten through. I worked on papers in my sleep and that actually seemed to help my grade! I was super stressed and thank Joss (as in Joss Whedon creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, FireFly, Dollhouse, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D aka my God don't judge) my husband is a really patient dude and just handed me a cup of coffee whenever I got out of hand.

14 Years of going to college and working at the same time, talk about busy busy busy. So... Now what? I have already started the annoying process of looking for a job in my field. That basically means a job with the state, county, or Salt Lake City. I am also applying at the University of Utah.

I have yet to figure out how to fill my free time, which is still weird to me that I have some. I have become really reluctant to schedule my time with anyone. I don't think this has anything to do with the people in my life but more a selfish need on my part to gain some much needed Malinda refocusing time. I need to spend some time not doing anything that means anything. I imagine in the next month or two this will change and I will come out of my hole a little more but for now I just need to chill in my own space for a beat.

The one thing I am sure I will be doing is a lot of reading that has nothing to do with politics in any way. I am currently working my way through a few books, as I couldn't decide what to read. I will post reviews on all of them in the next couple of weeks as I finish them.

Since finishing the semester on the 18th some really awesome changes have happened in Utah. As of right now gay marriage is legal in Utah. I wasn't super surprised by the ruling because I knew the judge was a President Obama appointee, but it seems to have floored most people here as well as everywhere else. Two of my close friends made Christmas Eve pretty special by having a surprise wedding. I was so glad to have been included. I love all of my friends: gay, straight, or otherwise and they should all have the right to choose their path and the government should recognize them all equally.

I have been dealing with an evil head cold for the last week or so. I woke up feeling craptastic on Christmas but as it turns out I was lucky as my bestie woke up the same day with a case of the flu. She and I spent the morning getting her some medical attention and scripts which had the chance of causing hallucinations which could either have been good or bad.... like all hallucinations?

New Years was a really low key event at home with the hubby which is really the way I prefer to celebrate. Normally we get the scrabble board out but this year we just watched movies and chilled. Man, it was awesome sauce. I am finally starting to feel kind of normal again. Post finals burnout has seemed to have passed and my cold is on its last legs. This means it might actually sink in soon that I am done with school and I might freak a little. I am hoping the job search keeps me grounded and I don't freak too much.

I hope you are all excited to rock a new year and new experiences. I will be posting more in the new year and possibly about more than just the books I am reading though that is still the focus here.

While writing this post I was watching Fashion Police. I love pretty dresses.