Shelf Control #39: The Green Mile

Posted in Shelf Control by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Welcome to the newest weekly feature here at Bookshelf Fantasies… Shelf Control!

Shelf Control is all about the books we want to read — and already own! Consider this a variation of a Wishing & Waiting post… but looking at books already available, and in most cases, sitting right there on our shelves and e-readers.

Want to join in? See the guidelines and linky at the bottom of the post, and jump on board! Let’s take control of our shelves!

My Shelf Control pick this week is:

Title: The Green Mile
Author: Stephen King
Published: 1997
Length: 536 pages

What it’s about (synopsis via Goodreads):

Welcome to Cold Mountain Penitentiary, home to the Depression-worn men of E Block. Convicted killers all, each awaits his turn to walk the Green Mile, keeping a date with “Old Sparky,” Cold Mountain’s electric chair. Prison guard Paul Edgecombe has seen his share of oddities in his years working the Mile. But he’s never seen anyone like John Coffey, a man with the body of a giant and the mind of a child, condemned for a crime terrifying in its violence and shocking in its depravity. In this place of ultimate retribution, Edgecombe is about to discover the terrible, wondrous truth about Coffey, a truth that will challenge his most cherished beliefs… and yours.

How I got it:

I bought it!

When I got it:

I picked up a copy at one of the more recent library sales, definitely within the past year or two.

Why I want to read it:

It’s Stephen King! I feel like The Green Mile is one of those holes in my reading history, something that a true King fan would have read years ago. Confession: I’ve also never seen the movie. To be honest, prison stories do not appeal to me, but like I said, it’s Stephen King, and I feel like I’m missing out.

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Want to participate in Shelf Control? Here’s how:

Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
Add your link below!
And if you’d be so kind, I’d appreciate a link back from your own post.
Check out other posts, and have fun!

For more on why I’ve started Shelf Control, check out my introductory post here, or read all about my out-of-control book inventory, here.

And if you’d like to post a Shelf Control button on your own blog, here’s an image to download (with my gratitude, of course!):

6Jun2016

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Reasons I Love Commitment-Free Reading

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Ten Reasons I Love X — could be a certain book, character, author, your indie bookstore, a fandom, a tv show, reading, a hobby, a genre. Honestly anything you want to gush about.

A couple of months ago, I wrote a post (“DisembARCing”, here) about why I was quitting the ARC merry-go-round and sticking to reading what I want, when I want from here on out. So far, it’s been great! I’ve gotten through the remaining ARCs I’d already committed to, and meanwhile, I’m picking my books based on my whims and fancies.

Here are my ten reasons that I love my new approach to reading:

1) I’m excited about reading again! It’s totally fine to pick something random off my shelf, read a library book, or jump on a brand new release. I can do whatever I want!

2) I’m only reading books that I really want to read. I don’t feel pressured by the calendar or my ARC spreadsheet (yes, I have one) to read a certain book on a certain date.

3) I can change course mid-stream. Maybe I planned to read book X this week… but you know what? Not in the mood so much anymore. And not a problem — it’s on to book Y!

4) I’m enjoying a healthy mix of old and new and everything in between. Sure, I still read new releases, but I’m also much more open to reading books on my shelves.

5) Re-reading? Not a problem. I’m setting the pace here, and if I feel like taking time for an old favorite, I will.

6) I can dive into a series and read straight through, if that’s what I feel like doing. This year, I finally read the Miss Peregrine series (wrap-up post here) and all of Buffy season 9, and it was fun, fun, fun to go on a mad binge with no pressure or deadlines.

7) There’s a lot more spontaneity to my reading, and that’s a good thing. I like wandering by my book piles and picking up whatever catches my eye. And if it doesn’t suit my mood at that moment, I put it back and take something else.

8) Did I mention the lack of pressure? NO PRESSURE! It’s totally up to me and me alone if I want to read a given book during a given week, or if I want to set aside a book I’ve started because it’s just not the right time or I just don’t feel like it right in that moment.

9) I love the idea that I’m not beholden to anyone when it comes to my reading. It’s not like we sign in blood or promise our first-borns in exchange for ARCs, but accepting ARCs does come with an tacit understanding that a review or at least a mention will follow, preferably within a reasonable period of time around the publication date. I still like to read certain books and authors as close to the release date as possible… but no one can make me feel bad if I don’t!

10) Okay, coming up with 10 is actually hard… so I’ll just wrap it up by saying that my new, casual approach to deciding what to read when is putting a new spring in my step! It sounds crazy to even say, but it’s just so liberating to read without worrying about commitments!

Now, this doesn’t mean that I’ll never, ever request another ARC ever again in my entire life. But it does mean that I’m going to be selective, and sparing, and only get back on the ARC roller coaster for books that I know I absolutely want to read.

So that’s my top 10 for this open-ended TTT topic! What’s your list about this week? Share your links and let me know!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider following Bookshelf Fantasies! And don’t forget to check out our regular weekly features, Shelf Control and Thursday Quotables. Happy reading!

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Do you host a book blog meme? Do you participate in a meme that you really, really love? I’m building a Book Blog Meme Directory, and need your help! If you know of a great meme to include — or if you host one yourself — please drop me a note on my Contact page and I’ll be sure to add your info!

6Jun2016

The Monday Check-In ~ 6/6/2016

Posted in The Monday Check-In by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

What did I read last week?

All Stories Are Love Stories by Elizabeth Percer: Done! My review is here.

Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel: Done! My review is here.

You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan: Done! My review is here.

Currently in my hands:

A Taint in the Blood by Dana Stabenow: Because I have no will power when it comes to these books. Must… keep… reading.

Now playing via audiobook:

I was mid-way through a Harry Potter audiobook when my library hold request for The Magicians suddenly became available, and since library audiobooks are only available for three weeks, I needed to jump on it. I read The Magicians years ago, but never got around to finishing the series. I ended up really liking the Syfy TV version this year, so I thought it might be fun to listen to the audiobook for book #1 and then finally read books 2 & 3. So far, the audiobook narration is doing a great job of bringing Quentin and Brakebills to life.

Ongoing reads:

My book group is reading and discussing two chapter per week of both Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon and Emma by Jane Austen. This is an online group, and anyone is welcome to join us — so if you’re interested, just ask me how!

So many books, so little time…

5Jun2016

Insta-Reaction: Outlander, Season 2, Episode 9

Posted in Outlander by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

The 2nd season of Outlander is entering the home stretch. I’m writing an “Insta-Reaction” post for each episode right after viewing, to share some initial thoughts, questions, reactions — you name it.

Warning:

I may be talking about events from this episode, other episodes, and/or the book series… so if you’d rather not know, now’s your chance to walk away!

Outlander, episode 209: “Je Suis Prest”

The official synopsis (via Starz):

Claire and Jamie reunite with the Lallybroch and MacKenzie men as they train. Jamie’s power struggle and Claire’s personal battle weigh upon them, but new information comes when an Englishman pays a visit to their camp.

My take:

Outlander goes to war…

Major plot points:

Jamie and Claire bring their group of Lord Lovat’s men to meet up with the men of Lallybroch.
These men need some serious training before they’re ready for action.
Jamie and Claire are reunited with Dougal, Rupert, and Angus.
Claire suffers from PTSD, flashing back to the anguish of the WWII battlefield as she sees the Highland army training and hears the gunfire.
Dougal and Jamie have a power struggle.
We meet Lord John!

Insta-reaction:

It’s all quite rosy to start with. The Scottish scenery is beautiful, as always. There are smiles and hugs all around as Jamie and Claire arrive at the main camp and are reunited with the Lallybroch contingent, headed by Murtagh. Wee Fergus is adorable as always and has a lovely little greeting for “milord” and “milady”. It seems like quite a happy reunion at first with the MacKenzie men, as Claire delivers kisses on the cheek to Angus and Rupert. Dougal is there as well — turns out that it’s just the three of them from the MacKenzie clan, as Colum is sticking to his decision to stay out of things. Even young Willie seems to have committed gross betrayal by getting married and moving to Ireland.

Jamie and Murtagh quickly realize the sorry state of their “fighting” men, who are largely farmers armed with pitchforks and old swords. Dougal is all for pushing on towards Prince Charles’s camp — he wants to make sure they’re ahead of the game in terms of grabbing a seat at the prince’s table. Jamie isn’t having it. He insists that the men need to be turned into soldiers first. This isn’t a cattle raid; they’ll be marching into battle against highly trained British soldiers armed with muskets and cannon, and need to know how to fight together if they have any chance of success.

Dougal and Jamie’s power dynamic here is very interesting. Dougal tries to assert himself as more knowledgeable and better able to lead, but Jamie does not back down. He’s not on MacKenzie land anymore and doesn’t owe Dougal anything. Jamie basically tells Dougal to fall in line or leave, and Dougal seems to comply… although not without a slimy scene with Claire where he tries to strong-arm her into supporting what he wants. Claire tells him to f*ck off, so go Claire!

There’s also this:

Dougal manages to disrupt Jamie’s careful, disciplined training session by staging a Highland charge. It’s the old ways vs the new ways, and Jamie puts Dougal in his place pretty quickly… but Dougal sure does look good wearing just a kilt and plenty of mud.

Claire’s situation is intense, yet makes perfect sense. Although Jamie fought as a mercenary in France years earlier, Claire’s really the only one present who fully understands the horror of war. As she sees the men train, laugh, complain about the food, and deal with the mundane details of army life, she’s brought back again and again to her experiences as a battlefield nurse during World War II. She know only too well that the young men who share a light-hearted meal may very well end up as cannon fodder. When she finally has a complete breakdown, Jamie wants to send her back to Lallybroch where she’ll be safe and away from the battle, but she refuses. What Claire cannot abide is being helpless and alone. She’ll stick with Jamie no matter what and do what she can to keep trying to rewrite history.

Lord John!!! Well, he’s not really known as Lord John here, but book readers know and love this character. As in the book Dragonfly in Amber, a young British lad sneaks into the Highlanders’ camp and tries to attack Jamie. He’s just a teen, but shows a lot of courage, even if it’s pretty foolishly carried out. He refuses to talk, even under threat of torture, until Claire puts on an act, pretending to be a captured Englishwoman being held prisoner by these Scottish barbarians. In order to protect Claire’s honor from the ravishing of the Scottish captain (ha!), the boy gives his name, William Grey, and gives all sorts of helpful details about the nearby British camp.

Side note: There’s actually a small change from the book that I quite approve of. In the episode, it’s Claire’s own idea to pose as a captive in order to get the boy to talk, whereas in the book, Jamie initiates it, going so far as to rip open Claire’s dress and fondle her in front of everyone. She gives him a well-deserved slap afterward, as I recall, as she really does not appreciate being manhandled this way, even if it’s ultimately for a good cause. So kudos to the show for giving Claire her own power here!

What else? Well, there’s quite a bit of punishment by lashing in this episode. First, two men who fail at their sentry duties are given six lashes each, by Jamie’s command and delivered by Murtagh. Later, Dougal’s men are responsible for letting William Grey into camp, and they are to be lashed as well — but so is Jamie. Jamie declares that it’s his own failure, because the boy saw their unshielded fires which led him toward them in the first place, so Jamie insists that he take a punishment as well. Hey, any excuse for a shirtless Jamie, I guess.

Claire and Jamie are affectionate and close. I always end up taking the temperature of their relationship each episode, and they seem to be right where they should be. There are a lot of little touches and caresses, and Jamie is very in tune with the nuances of Claire’s behavior, noticing that something is wrong way before she’s ready to admit it and talk to him about her battlefield trauma. They’ve clearly resumed their hot and steamy sex life, and even though they didn’t have time for it what with all the battle prep, they seem to be back on track.

Insta-reaction wrap-up:

I couldn’t help feeling a sense of looming sorrow watching this episode. There’s an innocence to Jamie’s preparation of the men and the excitement that they feel. As we watch a training montage, which shows the progress they’re making, I was still overwhelmed by the fact that history isn’t going to change, and no matter how hard Jamie tries, he’s still marching a group of ill-prepared civilians into a war against a professional army, completely outmatched in terms of numbers, weaponry, and abilities. It’s horrible to look at all of the Highlanders here and know the destruction that they’ll be facing.

And furthermore…

Jamie is back in his dad’s coat! Jamie wore his father’s leather coat back in the first season when he was resuming the role of Laird of Lallybroch, and in this episode, it seems to denote his leadership role. It’s a great bit of continuity, as well as a symbol of Jamie taking on responsibility in a way that he associates with his own father.

4Jun2016

Take A Peek Book Review: You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

“Take a Peek” book reviews are short and (possibly) sweet, keeping the commentary brief and providing a little peek at what the book’s about and what I thought.

Synopsis:

(via Goodreads)

Who knows you well? Your best friend? Your boyfriend or girlfriend? A stranger you meet on a crazy night? No one, really?

Mark and Kate have sat next to each other for an entire year, but have never spoken. For whatever reason, their paths outside of class have never crossed.

That is until Kate spots Mark miles away from home, out in the city for a wild, unexpected night. Kate is lost, having just run away from a chance to finally meet the girl she has been in love with from afar. Mark, meanwhile, is in love with his best friend Ryan, who may or may not feel the same way.

When Kate and Mark meet up, little do they know how important they will become to each other — and how, in a very short time, they will know each other better than any of the people who are supposed to know them more.

Told in alternating points of view by Nina LaCour, the award-winning author of Hold Still and The Disenchantments, and David Levithan, the best-selling author of Every Day and co-author of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (with Rachel Cohn) and Will Grayson, Will Grayson (with John Green), You Know Me Well is a deeply honest story about navigating the joys and heartaches of first love, one truth at a time.

My Thoughts:

This YA novel about connection and identity has a sincerity to it that is so loud and clear that it threatens to overshadow the story itself. The intentions are great, but I felt as though the plot itself was a bit flimsy.

The characters in You Know Me Well are all searching for their own truths, each on the way to becoming a more authentic version of themselves. The storyline takes place during Pride Week in San Francisco. Mark has been out for years, and is secretly in love with his best friend, while Kate finally has a chance to meet the girl she’s dreamed about from a distance. And after years of going to school together but never actually interacting, Mark and Kate connect and form an instant and deep friendship, finding in each other a kindred spirit, someone with whom they can be honest and reveal their inner worries, fears, hopes, and insecurities.

The action takes place over the course of an eventful week, in which friendships are made and broken and love is both found and lost. The condensed timeline keeps the story moving along, but I had some little doubts in my mind about the suddenness of Kate and Mark’s friendship and the complete trust that they establish in seemingly no time at all.

You Know Me Well is written in alternating chapters, as the authors take turns presenting Kate’s and Mark’s points of view. It’s an effective technique, as we get to know the two characters both as they see themselves and as they see each other. Readers of David Levithan’s earlier works will be familiar with this approach, which he’s used with other co-writers in books such as Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares and Will Grayson, Will Grayson, among others.

David Levithan is an amazing writer, and once again we see his beautiful language at play in conveying the inner landscape of young adults on the verge of becoming who they’re meant to be. There’s a nice little homage to his recent novel Two Boys Kissing (review), which is one of the loveliest young adult books I’ve ever read.

You Know Me Well has a lot going for it, and it’s a quick and touching read, but ultimately I felt as though the messaging about positive identity and acceptance was more overt and heavy-handed than it needed to be. Then again, I’m an adult reading the book, and not truly the target audience. I imagine that reading You Know Me Well could be a profoundly important experience for a teen, gay or straight or anywhere along the rainbow, who’s trying to establish a strong self and figure out their place in the world.

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The details:

Title: You Know Me Well
Author: Nina LaCour and David Levithan
Publisher: St Martin’s Griffin
Publication date: June 7, 2016
Length: 256 pages
Genre: Young adult
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley

2Jun2016

Book Review: Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Synopsis:

(via Goodreads)

A girl named Rose is riding her new bike near her home in Deadwood, South Dakota, when she falls through the earth. She wakes up at the bottom of a square hole, its walls glowing with intricate carvings. But the firemen who come to save her peer down upon something even stranger: a little girl in the palm of a giant metal hand.

Seventeen years later, the mystery of the bizarre artifact remains unsolved—its origins, architects, and purpose unknown. Its carbon dating defies belief; military reports are redacted; theories are floated, then rejected.

But some can never stop searching for answers.

Rose Franklin is now a highly trained physicist leading a top secret team to crack the hand’s code. And along with her colleagues, she is being interviewed by a nameless interrogator whose power and purview are as enigmatic as the provenance of the relic. What’s clear is that Rose and her compatriots are on the edge of unraveling history’s most perplexing discovery—and figuring out what it portends for humanity. But once the pieces of the puzzle are in place, will the result prove to be an instrument of lasting peace or a weapon of mass destruction?

My thoughts:

Sleeping Giants is so weird… and I loved it.

The entire story is told through transcripts, a series of interviews and journal entries that, once pieced together, tell the story of a world-changing discovery and the lengths one man in particular will go to see the project through to completion.

While there are a handful of recurring central characters — Kara, the gutsy helicopter pilot, Vincent, a linguist, Dr. Franklin, the project leader — the main character is really the unnamed person conducting the interviews. He (I’m pretty sure it’s a he) sets the wheels in motion for the entire project, and has a cold, logical approach that seems brutal at first, although over time we can also see his brilliance and his absolute mastery of manipulation, even on a global scale.

The hand initially discovered is only one piece of an artifact that will, over the ensuing years, be pursued and retrieved all across the world — even if that involves entering foreign air space and initiating near-catastrophic political and military actions. The reasons for the seemingly blind pursuit of the objects become clearer over time, as the true implications of the discovery and what it means for humanity as a whole are revealed bit by bit. Meanwhile, there’s non-stop action as the tension builds and builds.

Sleeping Giants is really a geeky delight. For people into science stories, this is a good one. It involves decoding never-before-seen language and technology and recreating a device without knowing what its purpose is. For those who enjoy action and thrills, there are plenty, including military expeditions and mad escapes. For those into medical thrillers, there are biological experiments and humans being subjected to all sorts of studies, willing or not.

On top of all that, the characters are just plain fun. Kara is especially terrific — and maybe it’s the combination of her name and being a pilot, but I couldn’t help picturing her as a modern-day version of Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica.

Sleeping Giants is already being developed as a movie, and I can easily imagine it being great. Meanwhile, the second book in the series, Waking Gods, is scheduled for publication in 2017 (and believe me, I can’t wait to see what happens next.)

You know when you read a library book, finish it, and then realize you need your own personal copy? That.

Sleeping Giants is a terrific read. Check it out!

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The details:

Title: Sleeping Giants
Author: Sylvain Neuvel
Publisher: Del Rey
Publication date: April 26, 2016
Length: 320 pages
Genre: Science fiction
Source: Library

1Jun2016

Thursday Quotables: A Fine and Bitter Snow

Posted in Thursday Quotables by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Welcome back to Thursday Quotables! This weekly feature is the place to highlight a great quote, line, or passage discovered during your reading each week. Whether it’s something funny, startling, gut-wrenching, or just really beautifully written, Thursday Quotables is where my favorite lines of the week will be, and you’re invited to join in!

NEW! Thursday Quotables is now using a Linky tool! Be sure to add your link if you have a Thursday Quotables post to share.

A Fine and Bitter Snow by Dana Stabenow
(published 2002)

Yes, more Kate Shugak! I can’t get enough of this series. I read books 11 and 12 this past week, and thought I’d share a passage from #12 that appealed to the introvert in me:

The great thing about the moose and the grizzly and the wolf was that they had not been gifted by their creator with the power of speech. They couldn’t make conversation. The moose might kick your ass and the grizzly might rip it off and the wolf might eat it, but they wouldn’t talk you to death while they got on with the job.

What lines made you laugh, cry, or gasp this week? Do tell!

If you’d like to participate in Thursday Quotables, it’s really simple:

Write a Thursday Quotables post on your blog. Try to pick something from whatever you’re reading now. And please be sure to include a link back to Bookshelf Fantasies in your post (http://www.bookshelffantasies.com), if you’d be so kind!
Click on the linky button (look for the cute froggie face) below to add your link.
After you link up, I’d love it if you’d leave a comment about my quote for this week.
Be sure to visit other linked blogs to view their Thursday Quotables, and have fun!