Friday, February 27, 2015

Cart Yourself Away From ME


Published:  September 1st, 2012
Cart's Top 200 Adult Books For Young Adults: Two Decades In Reviews
By: Michael Cart
American Library Association
ISBN-13:  9780838911587

Put together with insight and obvious affection, Cart's guide spotlights hundreds of great books for a hard-to-satisfy audience.

Review

       So, let me just go ahead and admit it: I am a complete and total moron, who apparently can't read book titles. Ummm...yeah, I totally thought this was his list of the best YOUNG ADULT books from the last two decades!!! Totally missed the whole, ADULT BOOKS for Young Adults part of the title!



       I had read a book of Cart's before, a history of the Young Adult genre, and found it interesting enough. I thought to myself, hey, why the hell not read what basically amounts to a mini-textbook?



       That said, his list of books was all the boring, bestseller crap everyone tells you to read all the time. I didn't see anything on there that wasn't un-interesting to me personally, or straight off a high school's required reading list! Also, what a douchebag (I know he's older than dirt, as he states his first professional library gig was in 1967, but still! How out of touch can you be, especially when being the "authority" on young adult literature?!)! This is a direct quote from his introduction:

"I didn't regret saying goodbye to these early teen books, though I never dismissed them as being baby books, as some teenagers have over the years. On the other hand I certainly didn't regard them as having much literary merit or posing any particular challenge to high school-age readers. So where to turn to find the constituents of my new collection? The answer was simple: I turned to adult books." 

       FUCK YOU, MICHAEL CART. FUCK YOU FOR JUDGING ME (and my fellow readers) AND SAYING YOUNG ADULT BOOKS ARE FLUFF/WITHOUT ANY SUBSTANCE. JUST...URGH!!!!! Perpetuating stereotypes and generalizations FTW, people.




VERDICT:  0.5/5 Stars (Only because this might be useful to librarians looking for adult books to recommend to teens - if they haven't read them all in school already, as most of these are required reading titles I recognize, etc.)

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.*

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Screams All Sound the Same


Expected Publication:  May 26th, 2015
The Tenderness of Thieves
By: Donna Freitas
Philomel
ISBN-13:  9780399171369

Jane is ready for a fantastic summer.  In fact, she's pretty sure the universe owes her one.

This past winter, Jane was held at knifepoint during an armed robbery and the specter of that night still haunts her.  A summer romance with one of the town bad boys -- sexy Handel Davies, who takes her breath away and makes her feel like a bolder version of herself -- seems like the universe's way of paying her back.

But bad boys always have secrets, and Handel's secret just might shatter Jane completely.

Review

       I just seem to be striking out with books lately, and this one was no exception to that rule.  I requested this from the tour site that I belong to, because almost four years later I still remember her book The Survival Kit fondly.  I remembered comparing her to Sarah Dessen and really enjoying myself while reading her books, namely her characters.  I read the synopsis to this one and the comparison to Gone Girl (a book that, despite the hype, I still haven't read yet) did give me a moment's hesitation.  But I decided to request it anyways, even though the synopsis doesn't exactly cover up what the big "secret" Handel's keeping is regarding.  I have a soft spot for bad boys.  Well, me and this book did not get along.
       It started with a phrase the author, narrating as Jane in first person, uses in her thoughts - "me and my girls."  That phrase sounds like some sort of animal pack, or something out of a Brooklyn-ized Mean Girls revival.  This phrase happens at least four times within the first chapter.  I flipped through and it happens way more than just that, with "the girls and I" heading chapter thirteen, for example.  I am a freak and I know this, fully admitting it right now.  But something about that phrase SCREAMS ghetto trash, Maury-show contestant -- or rich, spoiled, partying Daddy's girl.  Either way, I cannot STAND that phrase.  I have come to the collective realization that I am now officially old in a way that I never was before.  Plus, the whole first chapter is a "meeting" between Handel and Jane, where he says her name twice, she says his once and he walks away.  Then she goes and rehashes the whole thing to her friends as an "interesting" story.  Overall, I think the current generations might like it, but I'm an old lady.  I kept thinking to myself, who talks like that?  And in what universe are this girl and her friends interesting?  Not for me.

VERDICT:  DNF, No Star Rating

**I reviewed this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie.  No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book's expected publication date is May 26th, 2015.**

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Spark Rising (Progenitor Saga #1) by Kate Corcino BLOG TOUR: Excerpt & Giveaway!!!



Spark Rising by Kate Corcino
Publication date: December 15th 2014
Genres: New Adult, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction

Synopsis:

All that’s required to ignite a revolution is a single spark rising.
Two hundred years after the cataclysm that annihilated fossil fuels, Sparks keep electricity flowing through their control of energy-giving Dust. The Council of Nine rebuilt civilization on the backs of Sparks, offering citizens a comfortable life in a relo-city in exchange for power, particularly over the children able to fuel the future. The strongest of the boys are taken as Wards and raised to become elite agents, the Council’s enforcers and spies. Strong girls—those who could advance the rapidly-evolving matrilineal power—don’t exist. Not according to the Council.
Lena Gracey died as a child, mourned publicly by parents desperate to keep her from the Council. She was raised in hiding until she fled the relo-city for solitary freedom in the desert. Lena lives off the grid, selling her power on the black market.
Agent Alex Reyes was honed into a calculating weapon at the Ward School to do the Council’s dirty work. But Alex lives a double life. He’s leading the next generation of agents in a secret revolution to destroy those in power from within.
The life Lena built to escape her past ends the day Alex arrives looking for a renegade Spark.


Purchase:




AUTHOR BIO:

Kate Corcino is a reformed shy girl who found her voice (and uses it…a lot). She believes in magic, coffee, Starburst candies, genre fiction, descriptive profanity, and cackling over wine with good friends. A recovering Dr. Pepper addict, she knows the only addiction worth feeding is the one that follows the “click-whooooosh” of a new story settling into her brain.

She also believes in the transformative power of screwing up and second chances. Cheers to works-in-progress of the literary and lifelong variety!

She is currently gearing up for publication of Ignition Point and Spark Rising , the first books in the Progenitor Saga, a near future dystopian adventure series with romantic elements, science, magic, and plenty of action.

Author links:



EXCERPT!!!

       Spark Rising’s Lena Gracey does things her way, with few apologies, even as Alex Reyes uses her need for vengeance to draw her into a revolution. Frustrated, angry, and tired, all she wants is a physical release, and she turns to the one man she thinks can give her that with no strings attached. But the strong chemistry born of hard-won friendship and the electrical power that seethes in both of them guarantees they both get more than they bargained for…

“I know you want me.”
Alex growled and narrowed his dark eyes. “We all want you, because you’re special.”
“Then give me fifteen minutes. You want to fix it. That will. Give me that.”
“Fifteen minutes of tension relief? That’s what you’re asking for?”
This isn’t about feelings, she told herself. No feelings.
Lena lifted her chin. She wouldn’t play by anyone else’s rules. “Yes.”
“Yes?” Alex nodded. “It’s not me, then. Not personal.” He looked past her, his eyes hooded. When he brought them back to her again, she could see the decision he’d made. “Sounds like something I can live with.”
She leaned in as he reached to slide his hand up her jaw.
His palm cupped her face, fingers tangling in her hair as it slid forward. His thumb moved across her lips. Lena slid her knees up onto the seat to either side of him, straddling him as he pulled her mouth to his.
Like the first time, the contact was more than lips meeting, the electric flare deeper and brighter than it had been with Jackson. But this time, the only thing soft about his kiss was his lips.
Energy surged between them. As his tongue traced the inside of her lips, a blazing trail of shocks flared in her skin and exploded like bright lights behind her eyelids. He sucked at her lips, first one and then the other, and energy welled up from her. As he pulled and coaxed, the rising flow felt like fingers stroking deep inside. Each time he drew her lip into his mouth to suckle at the energy, those fingers of power slid up inside of her, moving toward him, leaving a quivering, electrified trail behind. He drew her power into himself.
Lena pulled away, and the electricity crackled white energy between their wet mouths. It hurt, little sparks popping against nerve endings. Alex’s eyes were glazed. He wanted more. But it was her turn.
She lowered her mouth again, pulling the energy from him this time as she darted her tongue between his lips. She framed his face with her small hands and tapped the energy deep within him to draw it up into her through his nerves, his skin, his lips, and tongue.  exploded like bright lights behind her eyelids. He sucked at her lips, first one and then the other, and energy welled up from her. As he pulled and coaxed, the rising flow felt like fingers stroking deep inside. Each time he drew her lip into his mouth to suckle at the energy, those fingers of power slid up inside of her, moving toward him, leaving a quivering, electrified trail behind. He drew her power into himself.
Lena pulled away, and the electricity crackled white energy between their wet mouths. It hurt, little sparks popping against nerve endings. Alex’s eyes were glazed. He wanted more. But it was her turn.
She lowered her mouth again, pulling the energy from him this time as she darted her tongue between his lips. She framed his face with her small hands and tapped the energy deep within him to draw it up into her through his nerves, his skin, his lips, and tongue.
Alex groaned and wrapped his hands around the backs of her legs. He slid them up, cupping the curve of her bottom, fingers caressing the crease that led him to her inner thighs. He drew her to him.
She allowed it, pressing against his body. She wanted more of him. More pressure. More skin against skin. Her hands sank down from his face to slip between them, pulling on his shirt. She pulled it up and off, tearing her mouth from his for an instant to yank the shirt over his head.
He worked the buttons of her shirt, fumbling at them in his hurry. He freed the last of them, spreading her shirt open and back and pushing it off her shoulders. He sat back to look at her.
She followed his gaze to his hands. They spread wide across her ribcage, his sun-darkened brown 

skin stark against her pale freckles. Above his hands, her skin curved into the slight swell of paler 

skin and peaked nipples. He slid his hands up to palm her sensitive breasts, and she pressed into him, 

sliding her hands up to cover his.  His thumb circled her nipple then slid away as he pulled her up.

         He drew her into his mouth, the power slicking electric hot up her nerves.  She arched her back, 

melting into him, already shuddering with the force of the energy surging through her as he licked at 

her.  He slid his hands around her back, pulled her closer, holding tight.  Everywhere their skin met, 

the searing flux of energy wove between them.  Each time their skin parted, a white arc of heat 

spanned the distance and danced along their skin, joining them.

         Lena sank lower, pushing her hand between his waistband and his skin.  She slid her fingertips 

along his lower belly before dipping lower.  The soft, almost delicate skin she found was a contrast 

to the rigid flesh it covered.  She wrapped her hand around him and pulled energy along the length of 

him.
         
         Alex's hands and mouth stilled and his eyes closed.
         
         Like that, do you?

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Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Bite-Sized Review: K is For Knifeball, A Contact Sport You'd Do Well to Avoid...


Published:  September 26th, 2012
K is for Knifeball: An Alphabet of Terrible Advice
By: Avery Monsen & Jory John
Chronicle Books
ISBN-13:  9781452103310

Adorable illustrated characters lead readers down a path of poor decision-making, and alphabetical, rhyming couplets offer terrible life lessons in which O is for opening things with your teeth, F is for setting Daddy's wallet on fire, and R is for Racoon ( but definitely not for rabies).  With plenty of playfully disastrous choices lurking around every corner, this compendium of black humor may be terrible for actual children, but it's perfect for the common-senseless child in all adults.

Review

       What is with this trend of humorous books, that are "made" for children (but not really)?  The authors of this book also wrote one called "All My Friends Are Dead."  I kept having their other book recommended to me and was told constantly how funny it was - so, I figured I'd give this one a shot.  After all, any book titled "K is for Knifeball," must be read and enjoyed with all the funniness the aforesaid title entails.  Except for the fact that while, yes, this book made me smile a little bit, it actually wasn't something that I found hee-haw-larious like I expected.  My expectations were probably WAY too high to be met in any realistic way, especially after all the recommendations.  Really though, the best ones are already given away in the synopsis on the back of the book.  Which, with the whole alphabet covered (kind of, they cheated with a couple letters in my opinion) you'd think there'd be plenty of room for funny stuff.  But they seemed more intent on going for the cheap laughs.  It might be black humor, but it was by no means SMART humor.  And to me, that was it's biggest failing.  What I personally want is the "Adventures of Knifeball."  But you know what they say about not having everything in life.

VERDICT:  2/5 Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.*

Friday, February 13, 2015

Henge (Le Fay #1) by Realm Lovejoy BLOG TOUR -- REVIEW, GIVEAWAY!!!



Henge by Realm Lovejoy
(Le Fay #1)
Publication date: November 11th 2014
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Modern-day Camelot. Where knights no longer carry swords. Magic is dangerous. And those who seek control are not to be trusted.
Sixteen-year-old Morgan le Fay is a fire user. An ordinary girl with an extraordinary skill, she has the ability to create and command fire at will. Her dream is to become the Maven—the right hand of the future King Arthur. In the chance of a lifetime, Morgan is selected to join Arthur’s Round, an elite group of young magic users from which the new Maven will be chosen.
Along with the other fire, water, and wind users in Arthur’s Round, Morgan is rigorously trained and tested. The handsome Merlin, a brilliant water user, takes a particular interest in her. Is his friendship to be trusted, or is Merlin simply trying to win the position of Maven for himself? Among the many rivals Morgan faces is the current Maven, Mordred, who seems determined to see her fail.
But Morgan has a secret—years ago, her mother was executed for using fire magic, and Morgan’s desire for justice makes her more than ready to take on the challenge before her. Can she prevail in Camelot’s tests of survival and magic? Only time—and Morgan’s powerful fire—will tell.
_________

“Camelot meets Hogwarts meets Panem in this intriguing, well-written beginning to a planned YA series.”–Kirkus Reviews




Trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qoGAE2s8RE

Purchase:

AUTHOR BIO:
Realm Lovejoy is an American writer and an artist. She grew up in both Washington State and the Japanese Alps of Nagano, Japan. Currently, she lives in Seattle and works as an artist in the video game industry. CLAN is her first book. You can find out more about her and her book at realmlovejoy.com

Author links:



Review

       It's hard to find a good Arthurian retelling these days - even harder to find one that's a MODERN retelling of the well-known legends.  Realm Lovejoy's Henge, the first in a series about a teenaged Morgan Le Fay, is both of these things.  I started reading this book and was immediately drawn in by Morgan who seems like such a good girl, living in an isolated area with her overprotective father Gorlois, who has been told to hide her elemental ability with fire most of her life.  At least, she's been hiding her abilities ever since her mother was executed for the murder of her husband using her abilities.  But it's Morgan's dream to one day be Maven (basically main advisor) to Arthur once he's on the throne, like her Grandfather was to the Prince's grandfather.  So Morgan sneaks away to compete for a place in the trials for Arthur's Round, whom the Maven will ultimately be chosen from.  Even competing with a forged license and against her father's wishes, Morgan is chosen to participate in the competition.  But does she even have any chance of winning when the man who convicted her Mother, the current Maven, Mordred, seems to be blocking her at every turn?  And when some very fishy incidents involving the other candidates (including her friend Guinevere, and rival Merlin) and near death experiences seem to point towards illegal magic usage, Morgan may be fighting for more than just Maven - she might be fighting for her very life...
       Morgan was such an easily connectable main character.  She loves her father and still misses her mother, even after all these years.  She just wants a chance to prove that she's not going to make the same mistakes her mother, Morgause, did and to renew her family's legacy.  Morgan starts to really come into her own once she's competing in Arthur's Round, really learning to control the fire and do things with it she never imagined.  I liked that Lovejoy put Mordred in a position of power, and in opposition of Morgan, especially considering that in the legends he's her son!  It was an interesting dynamic, almost verging on complete role reversal.  Morgan's the one trying to take over Mordred's position of power, instead of helping him depose Arthur.  The take on elemental magic was interesting and the conspiracy involving some of the other candidates, along with the iffy-ness of Merlin's honesty/innoncence in the incidents makes things even more interesting.  But probably my favorite things about this book were: Morgan's friendship with Guinevere, who has a healing ability (I have NEVER seen them represented as friends before in ANY retelling!), the twist near the end about what really happened the night Morgan's mother murdered her husband (never saw it coming) and the prophecy/visions Morgan has for her future.  Not going to say anymore because I don't want to spoil it, but I really enjoyed this book!  Can't wait to read what happens next and I'm really excited for Morgan's further adventures.  I highly recommend it!

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

*An ebook copy of this book was provided via the author and Xpresso Book Tours, in exchange for an honest review.  No money or favors were exchanged.  This book was published November 11th, 2014.*

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Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Good Girls Aren't (Always) the Fun Ones


Published:  July 1st, 2014
The Actual & Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher
By: Jessica Lawson
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13:  9781481401500

In 1860, eleven-year-old Becky Thatcher is the new girl in town, determined to have adventures like she promised her brother Jon before he died.  With her Mama frozen in grief and her Daddy busy as town judge, Becky spends much of her time on her own, getting into mischief.  Before long, she joins the boys at school in a bet to steal from the Widow Douglas, and Becky convinces her new best friend, Amy Lawrence, to join her.

Becky decides that she and Amy need a bag of dirt from a bad man's grave as protection for entering the Widow's house, so they sneak out to the cemetery at midnight, where they witness the thieving Pritchard brothers digging up a coffin.  Determined to keep her family safe (and to avoid getting in trouble), Becky makes Amy promise not to tell anyone what they saw.

When their silence inadvertently results in the Widow Douglas being accused of the graverobbery, Becky concocts a plan to clear the Widow's name.  If she pulls it off, she just might get her Mama to notice her again and fulfill her promise to Jon in a most unexpected way...if that tattletale Tom Sawyer will quit following her around.

Review

       I have to admire Jessica Lawson's ingenuity.  As both a fanfic author and reader, I can more than respect a well thought-out "what-if" scenario.  So, the switch in the personalities of Sid and Tom, along with the inclusion of Sam Clemens would have been more than enough to draw me in as a potential reader.  Add in the fact that Becky Thatcher is actually the mischievous protagonist in this one, with Tom and Sid as side-characters, and you have me hooked like a large-mouth bass!  Even with all of that aside, I actually really enjoyed this book!  This is exactly the kind of book that I loved as a child, with a daring and adventurous heroine, well-drawn side characters (friends, family, etc.), and a rollicking plot full of fun.  Becky has just moved to a small Missouri town with her parents, almost a year after the death of her much-loved and admired older brother, Jon.  Becky's Daddy is busy being the town judge and has to deal with notorious thieves, the Pritchard brothers, on the loose and her Mama is sunk down into her grief, with no time for Becky.  So she has plenty of time for mischief!
     There are some sly allusions to the original stories by Mark Twain, especially with Sam Clemens as a stranded riverboat pilot, waiting on a part for his ship, and gathering material for stories he likes to write.  Becky becomes friends with Sid Sawyer, almost immediatly puts the tattling Tom (brother of Sid) on her revenge list and is mostly just happy to make some friends and have adventures.  But when attempting to get grave dirt for "protection spells" against the Widow Douglas (a known witch), so that the girls can win a five-dollar bet to take something from her house, they get into more trouble than they can handle!  They stumble upon a grave-robbing and barely escape with their lives!  Becky has to decide whether being grown up means telling the truth and accepting punishment, or having adventures - or if she can possibly do both.  I love the writing style of Lawson in this book!  Unlike Twain, the dialect isn't so heavy that you have a hard time reading it.  It's still there, but not as thick.  Also, there are some beautiful prose passages and Becky, is a loveable heroine who never once got on my nerves.  Overall, I would recommend this even to people who just like historical fiction with a sense of humor, even if they've never read Mark Twain.  You'll still like it, I promise.  Or as Becky and Amy would say I "vow" it! :D

Favorite Quotes:

--  'I found my way to the riverbank.
"Hello, Miss Issipi," I said.  "You're looking awful pretty this morning, with that fog coming off your water.  You're going your way and I'm going mine."  I tipped my hat, but the Miss ignored me.  I didn't mind a bit, though.  I liked the river real well.
...I stared at the Miss, watching the first bit of sunlight make flashes on the water.  I wondered if Jon up in Heaven could see those flashes, if he'd met Jesus at all, and if he'd put in a good word for me.'

--  "Kiss my grits," I swore.  "That brother of yours has done it again."  I hit Sid's shoulder.
Joe spit on the ground.  
"How'd he find out, that sneak!"  Though he sounded mad, I could tell Joe was as worried as the rest of us.
   "I thought I saw Tom when I was putting out your flames," I told Sid.  "Probably told Aunt Polly that I tried to set Mrs. Douglas's house on fire."
   "Who's Mrs. Douglas?" Joe asked.  His face wrinkled up like when Dobbins asked him a math question.
   "You can go to jail for doing something like that!" Amy cried.
   And the widow might go to jail for grave robbing, I thought.  Maybe we'll be stuck in the same cell.

VERDICT:  4/5 Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.*

Monday, February 9, 2015

Batman and Robin Vol. 1: Born to Kill -- Mini Review


Published:  July 4th, 2012
Batman and Robin, Vol. 1: Born to Kill (Batman and Robin Vol. II #1)
By: Peter J. Tomasi, Patrick Gleason (Illustrator), & Mick Gray (Illustrator)
DC Comics
ISBN-13:  9781401234874

Batman begins battling evil with his son, Damian, at his side and now realizes that the hardest part of the job may be trying to work together.  As Batman and Robin try to adjust to their new partnership, a figure emerges from Bruce Wayne's past: his name is NoBody, and he's not happy that Batman Incorporated is shining a light on his own shadowy war against evil...

Review

       For those of you unfamiliar with Damian Wayne's back story, here is the short version: Damian is the product of a drug-induced night of passion between Bruce Wayne (aka Batman) and Talia Al Ghul (daughter of the head of the League of Assassins).  When Talia decides it's time for Damian to learn the bat-legacy from his father (who doesn't know he exists), she drops him off in Gotham.  Unsure in his new relationship with his son, who is a miniature assassin and the exact opposite of Batman, they try to forge a connection despite their differences.  In turn, they clash at every possible crossroads between good and evil, black and white.
       Damian is still struggling with who he wants to be, his mother's son or his father's. As someone who has never read a Batman & Robin title before (including Batman and any of the other four Robins before Damian!), but being aware of Damian's origin story etc., I didn't have much confusion about the contention in his relationship with Bruce. I liked that this shows Bruce attempting to bond with Damian in a fatherly way as well, such as buying him a dog (a Great Dane that Damian eventually names Titus), and playing catch in the backyard. But when they're out in the field as B&R, I felt like I wasn't necessarily convinced that Bruce would even allow Damian to work as Robin. It's kind of like he didn't learn his lesson with Jason Todd. Yes, Damian's a trained assassin, but he's still an angry ten-year-old boy and often refuses to follow orders. In the fight scene in this book we get to see the consequences of Damian's borderline reckless behavior and the ways it brings him closer (and yet further in principle somewhat) from his father. The connection with Bruce's own past to the villain, NoBody, was interesting if somewhat contrived to display the dynamic of good vs. evil between father and son. Overall, a decent read. But definitely NOT my favorite of the New 52's so far.

VERDICT:  3/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.*

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

At The End of the World


Published:  September 13th, 2005 (first published 1983)
The Color of Magic (Discworld #1)
By: Terry Pratchett
Harper Perrenial
ISBN-13:  9780060855925

The Color of Magic is Terry Pratchett's maiden voyage through the now legendary land of Discworld.  This is where it all begins -- with the tourist Twoflower and his wizard guide, Rincewind.  On a world supported on the back of a giant turtle (sex unknown), a gleeful, explosive, wickedly eccentric expedition sets out.  There's an avaricious but inept wizard, a naive tourist whose luggage moves on hundreds of dear little legs, dragons who only exist if you believe in them, and of course THE EDGE of the planet...

Review

       I will admit that I've had this book on my shelf for at least a year, waiting for me to read it.  I was a little bit scared, actually, because of all the negative things people have said about it on Goodreads, Amazon, etc.  Apparently it's the weakest Discworld novel according to a lot of people.  I haven't read enough Discworld to agree or disagree yet (exactly four of them, counting this one) on that particular point.  But I can say that I enjoyed Going Postal and The Wee Free Men a lot more than this one (Making Money, not so much).  There weren't a lot of laugh out loud moments to be found in this one for me.  It elicited a lot of smiles, but no real laughs were emitted.  
       Probably my favorite thing in this book was the fact that it made fun of "fantasy" books so freely and openly.  I thought it was awesome that the Gods were playing a dice game (obviously a nod to the immortal nerd pasttime, Dungeons & Dragons!) that determined the circumstances of Rincewind and Twoflower.  I thought the whole Conan the Barbarian parody was a bit much, but the thing with Twoflower's camera was funny.  Rincewind was an okay character, a failure at being a wizard and a fraidy-cat of the highest order - but very realistic in that aspect.  Who (other than the oblivious Twoflower) would think that being a sacrifice was all part and parcel?  Or that a Soul-Eating God was something to take a picture of and gawk at?!  I loved the bits with the person-eating luggage and DEATH'S problems getting Rincewind to keep his appointment were some of the best moments in the book.  Overall though, too much parody and world-building, but not enough actual story to keep me completely involved.  I do want to know what's over the edge of the world, so I'll probably read the next one.  Damn curiosity!



VERDICT:  3/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.*