AllFirst Impression FridayMemes

First Impression Friday – The Warehouse by Rob Hart

Posted on by J.W. Martin

Welcome to another First Impression Friday. In case this is your first time, here’s the rundown:

• Based on this sampling of your current read, give a few impressions
and predict what you’ll think by the end.
• Did you think you’d love and ended up hating it? Or did you think
you’d hate it and wound up loving it? Or were you exactly right?
• Link back to Storeys of Stories so I can enjoy reading all the
First Impression Fridays out there!

Paxton never thought he’d be working for Cloud, the giant tech company that’s eaten much of the American economy. Much less that he’d be moving into one of the company’s sprawling live-work facilities.

But compared to what’s left outside, Cloud’s bland chainstore life of gleaming entertainment halls, open-plan offices, and vast warehouses…well, it doesn’t seem so bad. It’s more than anyone else is offering.

Zinnia never thought she’d be infiltrating Cloud. But now she’s undercover, inside the walls, risking it all to ferret out the company’s darkest secrets. And Paxton, with his ordinary little hopes and fears? He just might make the perfect pawn. If she can bear to sacrifice him.

As the truth about Cloud unfolds, Zinnia must gamble everything on a desperate scheme—one that risks both their lives, even as it forces Paxton to question everything about the world he’s so carefully assembled here.

Together, they’ll learn just how far the company will go…to make the world a better place.

Let’s talk about The Warehouse by Rob Hart.

I have a digital ARC through NetGalley, but I didn’t find it. It found me. I don’t search for a lot of NetGalley titles, because that got me buried in ARCs for most of 2018 and I didn’t enjoy it. But then I received an email from a Marketing Manager at Crown books. She mentioned since I enjoyed Foundryside (which I did, very much) I should check out the Warehouse. And I’m so glad she did.

I LOVE this book. So unique. So intriguing. Funny in all the right ways, yet still mysterious.

My Prediction: 4.5 stars

Fun fact about this post: The Warehouse is also a very possible future for the world we’re living in.
AllBooksReviews

Mini Book Review Bonanza, Part 2!!

Posted on by J.W. Martin

Since 2019 began, I’ve had lots of things popping up to create a week where little to no blogging happens. Work trips, my son’s break dancing competitions, performing in a play, and of course, Netflix and laziness.

I think the only thing that I didn’t slack on was reading. Which means I’ve read all kinds of books that I haven’t reviewed in the least. So here is the second of what might equal a few more MINI-REVIEW BONANZA posts!

Challenger Deep
by Neal Shusterman

While this isn’t a book that I would put at the top of my list, it seems like an important book that everyone should read. It’s a novel from the perspective of a boy with mental illness, and a glimpse into what it might be like.

I have no way of telling how accurate that look is, though considering it’s rooted in Shusterman’s own experience with his son, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen, there’s some undeniable truths between the covers.

 

The End of the World Running Club
by Adrian J. Walker

In the spirit of novels like Station Eleven, this one is all about the journey. A husband and father desires nothing more than to return to his wife and children after being separated in a post-apocalyptic world.

Oddly enough, the part I found most interesting was before the world ended. That little slice that shows you the life of the characters before the main plot goes down. I know that seems weird, but I just liked it.

Our main character, Edgar Hill, isn’t a bad father, but he struggles with fatherhood. Thinks about what life would be like if he hadn’t settled down to have a family. He gets annoyed by his kids. He struggles with his temper. It was all very genuine, and something that I think most of us can relate to on the really rough days.

 

Here and Now and Then
by Mike Chen

I’m a sucker for a time travel tale (and alliteration.) And this one handles the old “guy trying in live in 2 different timelines” really well without it feeling old and tired.

Time travel is one of those things that doesn’t have a lot of rules. Who can prove whether details are true or not? This makes it very easy, and tempting, for authors to say things like, “they can change the future here, but not there because… reasons.”

This book gives logical reasons that, not knowing anything about quantum physics (or whatever leg of science could lead to time travel) makes sense.  

 

Survivor
by Chuck Palahniuk

Palahniuk is a unique author, and one that I always seem to enjoy. His characters  are real and surreal at the same time, if that’s possible. I suppose what I mean by that is you’ve probably never met people like his characters, but it’s also not hard to believe that those characters actually exist somewhere in the world.

The plot of Palahniuk’s books almost doesn’t matter because the characters are so interesting you’d watch them go to the grocery store and the dentist before turning into bed early.

 

An Ember in the Ashes
by Sabaa Tahir

I read this one based strictly on the series covers. Especially Reaper at the Gates. And there are a lot of fans of these books, but I found myself left wanting, just a little. 

I still enjoyed the book, and will most likely continue the series, but there were things that I thought would happen—and wanted to happen—that just didn’t come about. That usually leaves me feeling like the book made promises in the beginning that it didn’t deliver on. Maybe they will be as the series continues?

 

A Confederacy of Dunces
by John Kennedy Toole

This one stuck with me for quite a while after I was done. The voice of Ignatius Reilly went with me everywhere.

This guy finds fault in everything that everyone does, and has no problem telling anyone how they should live their lives. Nothing much happens in the book, but to just watch this guy complain his way around New Orleans trying (and failing) at jobs that come his way is 110% entertaining. There’s nothing that doesn’t offend this guy. It’s like someone took all of the internet and stuffed it into a character, even though this book was written before the internet was a thing.

Fun fact about this post: Yup. I’ve been slacking enough to have more posts like this. At least one more.

AllMemesTop 5 Tuesday

Top 5 Tuesday – Books Starting with P – Q – R – S – T

Posted on by J.W. Martin

This week’s edition of Shanah’s Top 5 Tuesday is being brought to you by the number 5 and the letters K, L, M, N, and O. And I know what you’re thinking. Didn’t I use that joke a few times already? I sure did!

HEY LOOK OVER HERE! MORE BOOKS!!

 

P – The Power of Six

Slim pickings for P… The Power of Six isn’t a great book on its own, but the Lorien Legacies series as a whole is pretty worth while.

 

 

 

Q – ????

Speaking of slim pickings, I have nothing for Q. Not a book that I liked, not a book I hated, and not even a book on my TBR.. I guess I’ll just have to pick a few books for the next letter…

 

R – Ready Player One

R – Red Rising

No surprises here. The two books that I try to squeeze into as many Top 5 lists as humanly possible.

 S – Station Eleven

This was a tough one. Six of Crows and Steelheart were up near the top as well, but Station Eleven is not only a great read, but it has a meaning that feels truly important.

T – To Kill a Kingdom

This was one of those books that I wasn’t expecting a lot from and then it floored me. Such a fun read.

Fun fact about this post: I just received an ARC for Alexandra Christo’s new book, and I’m so excited to dig into it!
AllBooksReviews

Mini Book Review Bonanza!!

Posted on by J.W. Martin

Since 2019 began, I’ve had lots of things popping up to create a week where little to no blogging happens. Work trips, my son’s break dancing competitions, performing in a play, and of course, Netflix and laziness.

I think the only thing that I didn’t slack on was reading. Which means I’ve read all kinds of books that I haven’t reviewed in the least. So I hope you enjoy the first of a handful of MINI-REVIEW BONANZA posts!

Good Omens
by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman

Good Omens was always on my list of books to read, but then when I saw it was about to be a TV show, I pushed it way up on the priority list.

This book overflows with wit and satire. Either one of these co-authors is capable of laugh-out-loud prose, but this book is what happens when you put them together. I can just imagine the back and forth between Gaiman and Pratchett, everything getting funnier with each edit.

The whole time, I couldn’t help but be reminded of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Maybe that’s just because they’re both British satire, but I really felt like it wouldn’t be a stretch to write a crossover book so we can have angels and robots and demons and aliens all in one book that keeps you laughing from the first page to the last.

A Thousand Pieces of You
by Claudia Gray

This came highly recommended by a few people. The premise and blurb made it sound like it was right up my alley, and while it wasn’t a complete miss on me, I didn’t connect with it the way I hoped I would.

We’re talking about hopping between alternate universes and hunting down a killer and fantastical science and among all that, there was just a little too much love story. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with a love story, but sometimes it’s seems too centre stage, especially in a situation where a relationship doesn’t seem like it could happen. 

To be fair, I’ve never found myself running for my life against unknown assailants and time itself. Maybe I would feel like falling in love. I somehow doubt I’ll ever know for sure.

Altered Carbon
by Richard K. Morgan

This one REALLY seemed up my alley, especially since I was finishing up the editing on a novel that had a lot of similarities. I’m not sure if that coloured my impression of the book, or not, but I liked it. Just not as much as I hoped.

The premise and world-building pulled me in, but underneath all of that, this was basically a detective novel, which I’m rarely a fan of. There’s always too much interviewing potential witnesses, victims, suspects, etc, etc. Who’s lying? Who’s telling the truth? Who cares?

The best parts dealt with the science of being able to inhabit another body (and the gun fights, of course!) Had there been a lot more of this and less talking I think I would have enjoyed this one a lot more.

The Magicians
by Lev Grossman

A friend told me this series was Harry Potter for adults. Rest assured, that friend has been beaten to a pulp with a copy of Order of the Phoenix. 

While it had some redeeming points, I found this to be overall disappointing. Every time something great started to take shape, it would be cut off or go another direction completely and I was left wanting.

The characters could have used a little more development as well. Most of them felt two-dimensional and their decisions were to move the plot along instead of what they would actually decide to do.

I still may read on in this series, but it won’t be anytime soon. 

Salt Sugar Fat
by Michael Moss

This was great!

I love junk food, so I was concerned this was going to be 500 pages of harping about how terrible everything I put in my body is for me. (There was a little of that, but it felt more factual/informational and less ‘harpy’.)

Instead, it felt like an education in commercial business. Supply and demand, evolving with the times, market research, and advertising strategies.

It’s fascinating to read about how many times one company or another tried to make the responsible choice and develop a better, healthier option to some of the foods that was causing an obese nation only to have that product fail because WE WOULDN’T BUY IT!

This one is a must-read for any fans of non-fiction.

The Cruel Prince
by Holly Black

I remember the hype machine working on overdrive when this book came out. Unfortunately, I can’t say it lived up to the hype.

It was fine. I was entertained throughout. But it didn’t knock me off my feet. I didn’t even go down to a knee.

This is another one that I feel suffered from flat characters. Their decisions didn’t seem like their own as much as a means to the end of the book. Some interesting twists and turns in the plot itself, which may be enough to continue reading the series, but again, not a high priority.

Fun fact about this post: What the heck is a Bonanza??

AllMemesTop 5 Tuesday

Top 5 Tuesday – Books Starting with K-L-M-N-O

Posted on by J.W. Martin

This week’s edition of Shanah’s Top 5 Tuesday is being brought to you by the number 5 and the letters K, L, M, N, and O. And I know what you’re thinking. Didn’t I use that joke last week? I sure did!

HEY LOOK OVER HERE! BOOKS!!

 

K – Kingdom Come by Mark Waid
(Illustrations by the legendary Alex Ross)

What? WHAT?! Are you telling me a graphic novel doesn’t count? How dare you. How DARE you! In a world where none of our superheroes has aged in 70 years, this is one of the few stories out there that explores, what would an aging Superman do? What happens when the Justice League qualifies for the senior discount. Great stuff. 

L – The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

This one is a pretty fresh read, but I found it kicking me in the face with its unpredictability, brutality, and sentimentality with every chapter. It’s a MUST read. 

M – A Man Called Ove

Talk about fresh! This is only a few weeks old in my memory and I’m still smiling. 

 N – Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe

Nevernight

AND Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

This was a tough one. And for those of you screaming that comic books don’t count, picking 2 for N will bring the list back up to 5 books. 

 

O – On Writing by Stephen King

This probably doesn’t seem like a book for everyone at first, but it just might be. For people who are Stephen King fans, or those that just enjoy a good biography, the first half of the book is basically an auto-biography while the rest continues to sprinkle little bits of it here and there. 

Fun fact about this post: my brain is mostly dead. Give me a letter of the alphabet and I’ll tell you I haven’t read any books starting with that letter. Then I go on Goodreads and find I’ve read 25 books starting with that letter. Honestly. SMH
AllFirst Impression FridayMemes

First Impression Friday – Black Klansman by Ron Stallworth

Posted on by J.W. Martin

Welcome to another First Impression Friday. In case this is your first time, here’s the rundown:

• Based on this sampling of your current read, give a few impressions
and predict what you’ll think by the end.
• Did you think you’d love and ended up hating it? Or did you think
you’d hate it and wound up loving it? Or were you exactly right?
• Link back to Storeys of Stories so I can enjoy reading all the
First Impression Fridays out there!

 

The extraordinary true story of the black detective who goes undercover to investigate the KKK, the basis for the forthcoming major motion picture written and directed by Spike Lee and produced by Jordan Peele.

When detective Ron Stallworth, the first black detective in the history of the Colorado Springs Police Department, comes across a classified ad in the local paper asking for all those interested in joining the Ku Klux Klan to contact a PO box, Detective Stallworth does his job and responds with interest, using his real name while posing as a white man. He figures he’ll receive a few brochures in the mail, maybe even a magazine, and learn more about a growing terrorist threat in his community.
A few weeks later the office phone rings, and the caller asks Ron a question he thought he’d never have to answer: “Would you like to join our cause?” This is 1978, and the KKK is on the rise in the United States. Its Grand Wizard, David Duke, has made a name for himself, appearing on talk shows and in major magazine interviews preaching a “kinder” Klan that wants nothing more than to preserve a heritage and to restore a nation to its former glory.

Ron answers the caller’s question that night with a yes, launching what is surely one of the most audacious and incredible undercover investigations in history. Ron recruits his partner, Chuck, to play the “white” Ron Stallworth while Stallworth himself conducts all subsequent phone conversations. During the months-long investigation, Stallworth sabotages cross burnings, exposes white supremacists in the military, and even befriends David Duke himself.

Black Klansman is an amazing true story that unfolds like a crime thriller and a searing portrait of a divided America and the extraordinary heroes who dare to fight back.

Let’s talk about Black Klansman by Ron Stallworth.

These kinds of stories are fascinating to me. I think because I have trouble understanding that level of racism. Hate does not come easily to me, even when we’re talking about things that don’t matter: Reactions to movies, food, music, etc. So when we start talking about something extremely important, like racial equality, I just can’t believe there are people would devote their energy and passion toward being hateful.

Also, knowing that there really are those kinds of people out there, I like reading about times when they get what’s coming to them.

So far, in the very beginning of the book, I’ve learned about the very opening of this particular case, and a bit about Ron’s career, coming up through the ranks, and having to deal with racism even internally. It’s all been pretty interesting, though I’m looking forward to when he starts getting into the real meat and potatoes of it all.

My Prediction: 3.5 to 4 stars

Fun fact about this post: It’s been almost 3 months since I did FIF post. Insane!
AllContest of Covers

The Contest of Covers CHAMPION!!

Posted on by J.W. Martin

We have a winner! And it’s Sea of Rust by C. Robert Cargill.

At times it was awfully close, but in the end the win was decisive and without controversy.  And although this book will forever belong to C. Robert Cargill, this contest has been all about the cover. That being said, let’s put the spotlight on the artist behind this masterpiece.

Dominic Harman is an illustrator that has been putting in work for over 20 years, and he’s worked with just about everyone. From just about every sci-fi and fantasy based literary magazine you’ve ever heard of, to some of biggest publishing companies like Simon & Shuster, Macmillan, and Random House (just to name a few) to CD covers for bands including the Insane Clown Posse, this guy has done it all. And though I have no way to confirm or deny, I like to think Dominic owns a panel van with a kick ass mural of a warrior woman riding a half-dragon, half-unicorn into a rainbow made of rock and roll.

Check out some of the additional SEA OF RUST artwork I found on Dominic’s website. It’s awesome!

Fantastic stuff, right? Now check out some of the other stuff he’s done. I can’t place it all it from books and magazines, but I’m in love with all of it.

ALL ARTWORK IN THIS POST BELONGS TO DOMINIC HARMAN AND WAS FOUND AT: www.dominic-harman.com

I want to give an extra special thank you to those that kept coming to this blog each round to cast their votes. Without you, the contest would not have been possible.

Fun fact about this post: Prints are available of many of Dominic’s pieces. Just saying, in case anyone was looking to get me a gift or something…
BooksReviews

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Posted on by J.W. Martin

 

A MAN CALLED OVE
by Fredrik Backman

Atria Books
July 15, 2014

From Goodreads:

A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door.

Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon, the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him the bitter neighbor from hell, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?

Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents’ association to their very foundations.

Books like this are what keep me coming back to reading challenges. Lots of books are on my radar, but might not make it to my bookshelf. Then a reading challenge has me looking for a book set in Scandinavia and here we are. A book I didn’t really intend on reading and it ends up being a 5-star read with potential for my favourite book of the year!

Through and through, this is a character book. The plot is almost non-existent, which you might think is a criticism, but I assure you it’s not. Not when the characters shine so brightly that you can’t see anything else anyway. And shining brighter than any other, as I’m sure you’ve already guessed, is Ove.

Ove (pronounced Oova) will most likely remind you of someone in your own life. Set in his ways, opinions carved in stone, doesn’t understand anyone else’s way of thinking and doesn’t care to. Anyone who doesn’t do things his way is an idiot. He has what he likes and likes what he has. But that’s just the side of him he allows the world to see.

As you get to know Ove, you see deeper. The sadness. The kindness. And then you start wishing Ove was a real person so you could find him and give him a big hug. A hug that he would act like he very much hated.

‘Delighted’ is how I would describe my feelings through the majority of this book; a small smile plastered to my face the whole time, peppered with chuckles and full out laughs. And after the last page was read and the book at an end, I found myself speechless and happy. I can’t remember the last time a book left me feeling so completely and utterly satisfied. I couldn’t think of a single thing I didn’t like, or anything that could improve in any way. It is a genuine masterpiece.

I don’t think there’s such a thing as a perfect book, but this one just might be as close as I’ve ever read.

Fun fact about this post: Without the audiobook I don’t think I ever would have realized Ove is pronounced Oova 
AllMemesTop 5 Tuesday

Top 5 Tuesday – Books Starting with F-G-H-I-J

Posted on by J.W. Martin

This week’s edition of Shanah’s Top 5 Tuesday is being brought to you by the number 5 and the letters F, G, H, I, and J. And since I missed doing A through E last week, this post is actually going to cover A all the way through J! Enjoy!

A – The Art of Racing in the Rain

By the way, if you haven’t seen the trailer for the upcoming movie based on this novel, take the time and do it right. now.

 

B – Bag of Bones

Whenever I read something from a King (even if that King is a Hill) I don’t feel like I”m going to be that into it, but I end up falling head over heels into the story. This one was no exception.

C – Choke

This is the book that brought me out of a reading slump that lasted years and inspired me to write a book that had been marinating in my head for 5 years.

D – The Dream Thieves

Yup.

E – Ex-Heroes

This book is one of the best examples of pure fun I’ve ever read. If you like either zombies or superheroes, this has both.

F – Foundryside

I think the story was good, but it’s heavily overshadowed by the incredible characters, magic system, and world-building of Foundryside.

G – Godsgrave

Toughest letter so far. Gemina, The Graveyard Book, Game of Thrones, Golden Son… I could have picked one out of a hat and been okay with it.

H – Hex

This book haunted me the whole time I was reading it, and for weeks afterwards.

I – I Am Legend

If you’ve seen the movie, you HAVE to read the book. It’s not just better than the movie (what book isn’t?) It’s required. The book’s ending is so amazing and satisfying and the movie went a completely different and poopy direction.

 

J – Jennifer Government

Well, apparently this is the only book I’ve read that starts with J. It is a fun book, though. Super interesting—and terrifyingly possible—world building.

Fun fact about this post: Yes, for H I really wanted to choose a ‘Harry Potter and the [magical noun]’ but I couldn’t choose just one…
AllContest of CoversDiscussion

Contest of Covers – The Final Showdown

Posted on by J.W. Martin

THE FINAL ROUND

Okay. I’ve been putting this post off for a little while, but I had good reason.

Ink had a very decisive win over Salt to the Sea, but Pride and Sea of Rust were stuck at a stalemate. I held off on moving to the final round in hopes that another vote would come alone and break the tie. That did not happen.

I could have cast my own vote, but that seemed like the wrong way to handle things. Instead, here’s what we’re going to do for the final round:

TRIPLE THREAT! 3-WAY! 1 on 1 on 1! Whatever you want to call it, we have 3 covers and only one will be the Contest of Covers Champion!

 

 

Which will you choose? Leave your vote in a comment below. Share this post with bookish family and friends!

Note: Between education and career, I have over 15 years of experience in the field of graphic design. While I don’t pretend to know everything about design, and it will always be extremely subjective, I feel like I can speak about it with a modicum of authority (or at the very least, I don’t sound completely clueless.)