Radioactive Evolution | Richard Hummel

*Image and book provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

Jared is a wanderer in the wastelands and, while not desperate for survival, he ain't living as easily as the rich people in the Floating Cities, high above the fallout. This changes when he finds an honest-to-god dragon and bonds with its baby. In bonding with the dragon, Scarlet, he uncovers a long lost plot from the cities, furthering the divide between those in the clouds and those on the ground. Between Scarlet's growing size and abilities and Jared's newfound powers, they have the means to bring justice for the long-lost dragon races as well as the civilians on the ground.

Review:

This was certainly an entertaining read. There was a lot of adventure, a lot of quick-thinking as well as strategy fights. There is a nice blend of action, comedy and even horror, and I'm not talking about the number to times Jared had to find new clothes because his were covered in giant rat guts.

If you're a fan of gaming, you'd probably enjoy several aspects of this book. If you're a Fallout fan, you'll definitely get some fun with this, as well as some of the horror. It gives some actual mechanics to a character's level-up and not needing to eat. It was actually pretty clever how Hummel set that up.

Unfortunately the editing appears incomplete. The telepathic conversations between Scarlet and Jared are identified with her voice in bold and his voice in italics. Throughout the book, or at least my copy of it, there were a lot of mishaps with this. The pacing of the book felt a little disjointed, but that could be Jared's need to sleep through his "power ups". The video game references and comparisons, while occasionally fun, did end up making it feel less genuine.

So, if you're a gamer looking for a foray into books or know of a gamer who's interested in trying some science fiction, this wouldn't be a bad book to start them out with. As for me, it was a nice book but I probably won't be picking up the sequel. 3 hoots!

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Atomic Aardvark | Ryan Guy | Mini-Review

Review:

Sometimes you want a book that will take you through the full gamut of emotions. Other times you want a story about animals given hyper intelligence and abilities from the residue of a chemical company, the strike of a meteor and a flash of lightning, under the light of a full moon. Holy wah does this book deliver on that! I had so much fun reading this book that I was on the edge of my seat in the last few chapters and I am really hoping for a sequel someday. Aardy the Aardvark and Surly Skunk getting their understanding of humans from such different angles was delightful. The fact that Surly adopted his understanding of language from the classics made him all the more fun to read, and he truly made for a wonderful "villain". Marissa and Conley were actually pretty enjoyable to read despite being humans. They actually did a really good job of keeping the story going and glued together. If you're in the market for a relatively quick and definitely silly yet interesting read, I highly recommend Atomic Aardvark. I really hope we get a sequel! 5 hoots!

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Which Card Suit Are You?

As many of you know, I'm married to a Gamer. Fluxxdog enjoys sharing aspects of Gamer culture. One of the things he shared with me is how play styles are, generally, organized into four categories, Hearts, Spades, Clubs and Diamonds. Admittedly no one only fits into one single category; neither Fluxxdog nor I do. 

After thinking about it for a while, I figured out how to transfer these play styles into reader styles. I've listed and explained them below. They're written in the order of what most to least reflects my own reading style.

(Fluxxdog here. For the record, these are generalizations used to easily coordinate various aspects of game design. Context matters and mileage will vary.)

1. Diamonds

I am a true diamond, not just in gaming but reading as well. In gaming, diamonds are the achievement hunters, the trophy winners, the show-offs and the braggarts. It's all about trophies and stats. 

In reading, this translates to readers who are very count oriented. They know how many books they've read and how many pages (yes, I have a spreadsheet). These are also the people who collect paraphernalia from different book events. Readers who collect author autographs/selfies. Readers who buy the boxed set on top of the individual copies of the books they've already read. Trophies and stats.

2. Hearts

I am secondarily a heart, again both in gaming and reading. In gaming, hearts are the community oriented players. They prefer playing with and enjoy helping others while creating a good atmosphere for all players, experienced or newbie. 

In reading, these are the readers who attend every book related community event they can. Whether it's simply going to a book club, joining in on a Read-A-Thon, or even going to conventions, expos, readings and author signings. These are the readers who enjoy talking about books and encouraging other readers when they're in a slump or during an event and they love to recommend good books to people.

3. Spades

I'm not as much of a spade as I once was or could be (but it's Fluxxdog's strong suit). In gaming, spades are the people who dig into the mechanics and lore of a game. They're the ones who figure out which armor combinations (regardless of looks) is the best for which boss. They figure out that the main character was secretly dead the whole time.

In reading, these are the readers who look into the mechanics of the world they're reading and the writing of the book they're reading. They understand what makes a world work and what doesn't. These are also the readers who will research the world, character names, etc. looking for even more meaning and depth. 

4. Clubs

This is the category I identify with the least. In gaming, clubs are the competitors. They thrive in a player vs. player environment. Whether they're looking for a challenging fight or asserting their strength over noobs, they enjoy the battle.

In reading, these are the readers who partake in debates over which book series was better or which character was the better choice. Team Edward vs. Team Jacob? Clubs. Divergent vs. Hunger Games? Clubs. And a lot of the time it will be just a friendly talk or debate about why you preferred this to that. I'm just not a very competitive person, at least not against other people (see Diamonds above).

So, those are my comparisons between the categories in gaming and reading. I know there's plenty of room for improvement in the gamer-to-reader translations. Let me know what you think and what order you'd choose for you!

(Fluxxdog here with one last note. Games try to appeal to all four suits, generally to varying degrees. I would think a good book does the same. Call me old fashioned, but I certainly think The Hobbit is one of those. What books can you think of that appeal to all?)

*Silelda's Note: I never could finish The Hobbit. Didn't appeal to me. ^_^

The Uploaded | Ferret Steinmetz

*Book provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

In the future, death is not a problem. The human consciousness gets regularly copied onto servers so that, once you die, you can join Upterlife, literally a virtual utopia. Of course, there are rules. You cannot get in to Upterlife if you are a suicide, if you are a criminal or if the dead judge you to be unworthy. You prove your worth by serving the dead, who have the greatest political say since there are many more of them than there are living. The living have to suffer through soul crushing work and being under constant surveillance by the dead. Amichai, however, has other plans for his life.

Review:

For being based in a world where the dead are connected to everything and the living can connect with each other easier than ever, this book is all about disconnection. The dead no longer have to breathe, eat or sleep so in the many years they've been dead, they've lost touch with the needs of the living. The highly educated director of Amichai's orphanage has several degrees in adolescent psychology but has no clue how to deal with actual teenagers. The living care more about their Upterlife demo time than they do connecting with other living humans. The Neo-Christians are divided into more sects than contemporary Christianity and do not communicate openly as a precaution against involuntary brain scan interrogation. It's really hard not to see parallels to today's real world concerns. 

I'll admit, there were a few tropes in this book. It takes a rebellious teenager to really set things in motion. You have one guy who's the leader of dead and who is willing to sacrifice the living to meet his goals. You have a mentor who is actually more invested in the rebellion than the main character thought. You even have a love triangle. 

Where this book diverges, however, is much more important and poignant. I actually made a comment on Twitter about how where most books would have ended and set up for a sequel, this book just keeps on going (in a good way). The end of this book is a true ending and I'm not wanting this to have a sequel, for all the right reasons. I really feel that this story line is complete. There are no loose threads or questions that still need to be resolved. I thank the author for this; plot holes and loose threads are pain. 

Best of all, this was a very engaging book. I accidentally had a couple long lunch hours because I just needed to keep reading. The characters are well thought out in their personalities and philosophies. It was really easy to feel for them. The world of this book is easy to get into and understand. Heck, one of the villains from this book was so good he kept catching me off guard because I kept underestimating him.

I really enjoyed this book and, if you're a fan of dystopian books, a fan of books about society, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy this one. 4.5 hoots!

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United States of Japan | Peter Tieryas

Summary:

In an alternate history where Japan defeated the United States in WWII, we follow the story of Beniko Ishimura (his mother was certain he'd be born a girl). He's considered the laziest Captain in service to the Emperor who only got a cushy job because of his connections. When he receives a call from a missing General asking him to take care of his daughter's funeral, Ben quickly gets caught up in interrogations by the Tokko (secret police) and their investigations into the source of a subversive video game. 

Review:

This is not a book for the feint of heart. There's a lot of death, some simple, most pretty gruesome. The book begins in a Japanese internment camp in 1948 and does not let up on intensity until the very end. This entire book was such an emotional journey I ended up crying. That being said, if it weren't an amazing book, I wouldn't have been so emotionally invested that I cried.

United States of Japan is a real page turner. It almost hurt to put it down whenever I had to eat because I didn't want to miss anything. Tieryas does an excellent job of pacing the book and revealing facts and new information in such a way that you HAVE to read the book through to the end to figure it all out. Don't get me wrong, one or two things I saw coming, but it was such an intense, well paced read that I had to finish it. And that ending was completely worth it, heartbreak and all!

The world this takes place in is so interesting. I really believe Tieryas did a great job recreating the world from this alternate history. There were so many aspects of the international repercussions of the war that I never would have thought of. Admittedly, the more advanced technology may be wishful thinking, but this is alternate history with science fiction mixed in. Tieryas kinda keeps everything in California, but still creates so many layers to the world that it really sells how different this reality is. At no point did I feel like any detail of the world was out of place or odd because it all fit with this alternate history.

I truly love this book. Yes, it's emotional, but it's so engaging and immersive. I couldn't stop reading it (so glad I picked it up during the weekend and not when I had to work). If you can handle how much violence there is in it, it's a wonderful book that will keep your attention through the end. I happily give United States of Japan 5 hoots and am eagerly waiting for the next one!

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Kid Zero | Conor Daniel

*I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

Harriet is a student at a school where she is constantly made fun of by other students and punished for things she didn't do by the Headmistress. The only reason she's there is because her father got a job working on string theory. If it weren't for Bruno, the teddy bear her dad gave her, she'd have no one to talk to. In one of her escape attempts, she is accidentally brought with Bruno to his home dimension. Unfortunately, his home dimension isn't looking so good. The Hoohahs (elites) are so wrapped up in protocol that they either don't notice or don't care about the Orliks (a race of teddy bear like creatures) and their struggles to make ends meat. Nor do they notice that some among their ranks are very close to taking over everything in a quest for all the power.

Review:

Kid Zero really is a fun book to read. You've got flying pigs, a fat queen, a race of teddy bears and an intelligent main character. Seriously, for this being a middle-grade book and Harriet being so young, I was pleasantly surprised at how intelligently and maturely she handled so much of what came her way. Daniel does not allow her youth to be an excuse for lapses in judgement or plot holes. He's also created several types of characters. Admittedly they're kinda simple characters, but it fit with the whole story so it didn't bother me. 

This book was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. There were times it was a lot darker than I expected as well. I highly recommend that you not read this to anyone younger than middle school age. There is a war and some suggestive dialogue that had me raising an eyebrow and grew my concern for Harriet.

I'll be honest, I don't often read middle-grade books (I think this is the first one in at least 5 years or longer). I may have to start reading more because this was the kind of book that made me give my teddy bear of almost 30 years a great, big hug. This book was a great reminder of how important my favorite toys were to me when I was younger and, like Harriet, not in a good situation. 

Really the only thing I didn't like about this book was the cliff-hanger ending. I should've known given that it's "Part 1" but still. At the very least, this could be seen as a sign that I was so into the book that I was quite emotionally charged at the ending. So, I happy give Kid Zero 4 hoots and recommend it for anyone in middle school or anyone who wants to be reminded of why we hug our teddy bears so tightly. 

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Armada | Ernest Cline

*Book provided by Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

Zachary Lightman is a high school senior whose dad died when he was a baby and he spends most of his days either playing video games or working at a video game store. Imagine his surprise when a spaceship that looks exactly like his ship in the video game Armada shows up at his high school to take him away. Turns out, some of the most popular video games over the years are actually simulations for actual encounters with aliens who are threatening to take out the world. And the aliens have just stepped up their game.

Review:

I'll admit, I got more caught up in this story than I thought I would. A big part of this is probably the fast pace that begins in Chapter 7. The majority of this book takes place in the span of 8-10 hours. There's always something for Zack to be doing, so there's always something to be reading.

Probably another reason I got caught up iin this book is the characters. Yes, one or two tropes are in the book, but I loved that Cline showed that gaming can, and does, transcend things like race, gender, age, economics, etc. One character is kinda the stereotypical, lives-in-his-mom's-basement gamer, but then another of the top ten players is a Christian mother of three from Minnesota, 

Most importantly, I appreciate how much common sense and critical thinking Cline gave the characters, especially Zack. So many books don't live up to their potential because their teenage characters are the stereotypical act-now-think-later types. Yes, Zack has moments of this, but I appreciate that he picks up on the inconsistencies with the EDA's stories and the aliens' actions. I like that Cline has his characters discuss/argue about these as well. It made me feel like I didn't have to smack some common sense into any of them. 

Personally, I'm not sure this book is for me. I appreciated several of the references, but I'm just not that much of a Sci-Fi geek, especially 70's and 80's Sci-Fi. That being said, I told my mother about some of the references and it led to a nice discussion.* So I'm going to loan her, an original Sci-Fi fan, the book and see what she thinks. 

Still, I have no problems giving Armada by Ernest Cline 4 hoots. It was engaging, fun, and geek centric. 

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*Did you know Jaws 3D was a thing? Wasn't a good thing, apparently, but it was still a thing.

The Flux | Ferrett Steinmetz

*Image and book provided by NetGalley

Summary:

Paul Tsabo lives in a world where magic exists. He should know, he's a bureaucromancer. There are many 'mancers in the world who use magic. It manifests itself in ways that reflect the person's personality. His 8 year-old-daughter is a videogamemancer. Unfortunately, practice of magic is illegal and, if caught, Paul and his daughter Aliyah, will be brainwashed by the government and shoved into a hive mind used to hunt down even more 'mancers. 

Review:

I did not know when I got this book that The Flux is actually a sequel to Flex. Many fellow readers can attest that many times this leaves the reader feeling out-of-the-loop. That said, THIS WAS AN AMAZING BOOK! HOW DID I NOT HEAR ABOUT THIS BEFORE?!

The world this book takes place in is absolutely amazing! Yes, it's based on our own reality, but there is so much more to it! I was practically begging to become a bibliomancer! The interactions between magic and reality are so amazing and so consistent! You can't use magic without there being consequences and the stronger the magic you use, the greater the personal consequences are. 

Steinmetz does a wonderful job of making me empathize with his characters. Paul's concern for his daughter is entirely genuine. Aliyah's love for her father and her confusion over right-and-wrong are realistic for a 9 year old mentality. Valentine's need to interact with others and be challenged is invigorating. You love the good characters and eagerly await a literal boss fight between heroes and villains. There was even a point with the characters that, had I not been in a public place, I would have started bawling my eyes out!* And it's the dialogue that does so much of it. Yes, the narration itself is great for character building but the dialogue does so much more and I LOVE it!

I cannot express this enough, THIS BOOK MUST BE READ! I'm going to go get a copy of the first book because this world is just too fascinating to let it go at just one book. I'm SO glad Steinmetz is already working on a third book. 5 HOOTS!!!!

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*No spoilers. You MUST read the book!

Nintendo Book Tag

Once again, I'm going with a book tag inspired by BooksAndOtherNerdyThings. I haven't played anything Nintendo in so long, but it used to be my main platform. Though there were a few years when I was a Dreamcast fan. Anyways, if you want to participate in this book tag, feel free leave a link in the comments! Let me know if you agree or disagree with my choices.

1) NES - A classic book you want to read.

War and Peace. I have tried several times to read this book and failed all of them. I can't get past the first few pages but I do really want to. Chances are good, in order to get through this book, I'm gonna have to have NOTHING ELSE TO DO. And even then I'll probably choose boredom over reading at times.


2) SNES - A sequel you liked better than the first.

Tropic of Serpents. It kinda surprised me that I would like the second one so much since I thought the first book was only so-so. But the main character was so much more developed and interesting in the 2nd book.


3) Nintendo 64 - A book that revolutionized the way you look at the world.

Dragonsinger. I'll admit, there's nothing overly revolutionary about this McCaffrey book, but it was the first book I read that was fantasy/sci-fi. The Harper Hall Trilogy in general was a gateway to the realms of high fantasy and science fiction. This book took me from just being a bookworm to being a geek.


4) Gamecube - A popular book that didn't go over so well with you.

Twilight. This is the first book that I can remember that was incredibly popular but I didn't care for. A friend of mine loaned it to me saying that I was going to be done with it in one night and begging for the next book. About a week later I give it back to her and said "that's okay. I've read enough of this series now. Thanks."


5) Wii - A favorite new book.

The Fold. There is no question that I am a Peter Clines fan girl so it should come as no surprise that I pick his most recent book for this tag. I just can't get enough of his sci-fi horror books!


6) Nintendo Power - Favorite graphic novel series or series you want to start.

The Goon. Definitely not for everyone, but if you have an appreciation for dark humor and 1930's noir, you may want to give this series a go. It was the series that got me into comic books while I was in grad school and I haven't gone back. 


7) Super Mario - A character you'd love to squish like a Goomba.

Agent John Smith from the Ex-Heroes Series. His power is so frustrating and his use of it so evil, there is no one I'd rather squish like a Goomba. I scared my husband once because of the sound I made when he used his power and the victim couldn't do anything to fight it.


8) Zelda - A newer fantasy novel you consider a modern classic.

Harry Potter. I didn't enjoy this series as much as others, but I cannot deny the influence it has had on the literary world. 


9) Samas-Aran - Favorite Sci-Fi novel or one you want to read.

It's too difficult to pick a favorite, so I'm gonna go with one I want to read: Winter (Lunar Chronicles #4). I have enjoyed the entire series so much more than I thought I would, so I'm really, really, really, really, looking forward to the last book. 


10) Pokemon - Book editions you want to collect.

Ex-Heroes. I want every book in the series and I want them in every format. Except maybe audio books, but that's just me.


11) Donkey Kong - A book with original characters.

TwoKinds. Okay, so, technically this isn't a book, it's a webcomic, but it's great reading material so I'm counting it! Fischbach, the author, started this webcomic when he was still in  high school and I absolutely love how much world building he's done in the past 11 years. The characters have grown and matured, but they are still wonderfully true to their original selves. 


12) Nintendo Fandom - Favorite Nintendo game(s) you really want.

Regardless of the platform, I will always, ALWAYS, want a copy of Tetris. I am a Tetris girl for life!

October 18th Dewey Read-A-Thon Plan (Tentative)

One of my Bloggiesta goals is to come up with game plan for next month's Dewey's 24-Hour-Read-A-Thon. Everything in this plan is completely tentative because there will always be factors I could not account for before-hand. There is also the problem of "Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel" earlier in the week. I will be up late the night before playing video games with Fluxxdog and Veonoss. I'll even be taking Friday off so we can get maximum game time before I have to fall asleep to prep for Saturday's Read-A-Thon.

I will, of course, be checking twitter and Dewey's blog for hourly updates, but will remind myself to set the Kindle down for a bit every 3 hours. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to eat and read on my Kindle at the same time, I've done it before. I'm also allowing myself to get up and walk around as I need to. The late night shower is because I'm used to taking a shower when I need to wake up and really did help last year.

Tentative Schedule
7 AM - Wake up, Prep
8 AM - Starting Post on Blog
11 AM - 3 Hours Post, Challenges, Visiting other blogs (30 minutes)
2 PM - 6 Hours Post, Challenges, Exercising/Stretching (30 minutes)
5 PM - 9 Hours Post, Challenges, Visiting other blogs (30 minutes)
8 PM - Halfway There Post, Challenges, Exercising/Stretching (30 minutes)
11 PM  - 15 Hours Post, Shower (30 minutes)
2 AM - 18 Hours Post, Challenges, Visiting other blogs (30 minutes)
5 AM - 21 Hours Post, Challenges, Exercising/Stretching (30 minutes)
8 AM - Final Post, Shower, SLEEP




I'm planning on using the Read-A-Thon to at least try to make a dent in my eBook TBR list. I'll end up wearing my reading glasses all day, but it will be worth it. Last year I managed about 5 books (including 1 audiobook) but I read eBooks faster than hardcopy. With this in mind, I created a list of 10 books to read, but with the understanding that fewer than 10 is acceptable.

Tentative Reading List

1) Darkness Concealed by D. Emery Bunn
2) The Realmsic Conquest: The Hero of Legend by Demethius Jackson
3) Inherited Danger by Brian Rathbone
4) NPCs by Drew Hayes
5) Water Saga: Part 1 by Claretta Maynard
6) Thrall by Jennifer Quintenz
7) Neuromancer by William Gibson
8) The Book of Dragons by E. Nesbit
9) American Dark Age #1 by Jean Michel
10) Escape: Omega Book 1 by Keith Latch


Well, that's one Bloggiesta goal down and so many more to go. I'm happy to have a tentative plan for the Read-A-Thon. Hope to see you there!