The Readin Roos

This YA fantasy did not captivate me. I do like some fantasy books, but this one was very strange. The main character, Sojourner (or "Scotch"), was exceptionally compelling - a teenage bi-racial Jamaican immigrant to Canada - and the initial setting was completely realistic. However, fantastic elements start creeping in, and the entire story collapses into a mish-mash of figments of imagination from dreams or nightmares as a large volcano appears in the middle of Lake Ontario. The real problem is the randomness of the appearance of some of the fantastic creatures, and the lack of service of some of them in advancing the story.

This is the first in Stephen King's magnum opus, The Dark Tower series, in which Roland, a gunslinger in a world that has "moved on" undertakes an epic quest to find the Dark Tower, which sits at the nexus of time itself. In this volume Roland barely survives a trek across a desert wasteland in his search for the mysterious Man in Black. This book is an interesting fusion of epic fantasy, post-apocalyptic literature, and Sergio Leone westerns.

Reviewed by Buddy Pennington

The new Harry Dresden novel finally came out! Hooray! I got to pick up my copy at an author event. Double hooray!!

I love this series and this is an excellent installment. It answers almost all of the questions I had left over from Changes and opens up a number of new possibilities for the next book. This isn' t the kind of series that lends itself to readers picking up the books randomly (like I have done with the Discworld novels). It wouldn't make much sense being read out of order.

I had a really good time reading this book! It starts with a Probationary Constable in London watching over a crime scene in the wee hours, but his shift and his life get a lot more interesting when a ghost comes up to him and claims to have seen the murder happen. It turns out that there's a lot more out there than just ghosts and Peter Grant is going to be one of the few investigating the spooky side.

Although there is a riot at midnight in this book, it doesn't occur for quite a while, so the American title is kind of confusing for most of the book.

In this prequal to Redwall, we meet Redwall Abbey's legendary hero, Martin the Warrior. Mossflower Wood is under the tyrannical rule of Verdauga Greeneyes and his cruel daughter, Tsarmina. The wildcats rule with an army of rats, weasels and other vermin, who terrorize the peaceful woodland creatures who dwell there. When Martin the Warrior, who is travelling through the region, stands up to Verdauga and Tsarmina, he is imprisoned in the dungeon of Kotir Castle.

This book, the first in a trilogy, combines history, romance and mystery. While doing research in Oxford's Bodleian Library, Yale historian Diana Bishop comes upon an old, enchanted, alchemical manuscript titled Ashmole 782. She accidentally unlocks it. Diane prefers to use her intellect and is reluctant to use her magical powers since she is a descendent of one of the first women killed during the Salem Witch Trials.

Redwall Abbey is under siege. Cluny the Scourge and his evil horde have vowed to take the Abbey, and will show no mercy to its inhabitants. Redwall has become a haven for many residents of the surrounding countryside. An order of healers, the peaceful brothers of Redwall seem ill equipped to defend their beloved home.Young novice Matthias emerges as an early leader. Convinced that the lost sword of the Abbey's legendary hero Martin the Warrior is vital to their success, Matthias sets out on a quest that takes him to the far reaches of Mossflower Wood.

In Aimee Bender's The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake nine year old Rose Edelstein discovers that she can taste the emotions of whoever prepares the food she tastes. One day after returning home from school Rose's mother is preparing a lemon cake. However, when Rose tastes the cake she also tastes her mother's feelings of emptiness, sadness, and desperation.

Bender blends magical and surreal elements into mundane, everyday life.

I'm still waiting for the zombies that were in book 2 to show back up. I'm also still enjoying this series, but not quite as much as the Dresden Files. It's still a stop gap. I could definitely do a lot worse, though. There's a lot of plot that goes on in this book and the main character continues to come into his own. Despite all that goes on in the novel, it still feels like I'm waiting for something else to happen. Oh, right, I'm still waiting for those zombies to show up again. It's great to have this looming threat that you know is going to come back into the series, but a writer can only maintain that kind of tension for so long and I'm at that point where I don't want to wait any more. I'm starting to read other books in between the books in the Alera series and that's not a good sign.

Meet Monster. Monster is currently working in pest control with Chester, a gnome made out of paper. Monster's current girlfriend is a red-skinned demon - succubus, actually - that he called up from The Pits. Monster is also currently blue which, he discovers, renders him impervious to injury. Oh, and there's a Yeti in the freezer section of the grocery and it's eating all the ice cream. After that, it gets weird.