Book Dump

See?  Gwyneth Paltrow lets her books pile up too.

Well I have a few confessions to make . . . exactly ten of them, actually.  That's right, I'm ten books behind in my reviews and it's totally stressing me out.  Lately I feel as if I only have time to read OR write about reading, and I seem to be choosing the former most often.  So, I've created this "Book Dump" for two reasons.  1. So you can see what I've been reading (I'm sure there are at least a few people out there who find my book selections utterly fascinating from a scientific standpoint).  2. To tell you that I'm considering quitting the blog and taking up Goodreads.  By switching to Goodreads I would be able to continue to rate, review, and sort the books I've been reading with far less effort than I'm currently expending.

So, choose among the following:
1. Get a blog review once a month or so.
2. Follow me on Goodreads and see ALL the books I'm reading.
3. I continue the blog, but in a Book Dump format where I basically throw up everything I've been reading in one post every few weeks or so.

In the meantime, here's what you've been missing out on!

The Goblin Wood (Goblin Books, Book 1) by Hilari Bell
The Selection (Selection, Book 1) by Kiera Cass
The Body Finder (The Body Finder, Book 1) by Kimberly Derting
The Pledge (Pledge, Book 1) by Kimberly Derting
Wicked Business (Lizzy and Diesel, Book 2) by Janet Evanovich
Firelight (Firelight, Book 1) by Sophie Jordan
Vanish (Firelight, Book 2) by Sophie Jordan
Heir to Sevenwaters (Sevenwaters, Book 4) by Juliet Marillier
Seer of Sevenwaters (Sevenwaters, Book 5) by Juliet Marillier
The Golden Lily (Bloodlines, Book 2) by Richelle Mead

I've written short reviews and rated these books on Goodreads if you'd like to check them out.  Find them here:  www.goodreads.com/hmclayton

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Book 1)
by Laini Taylor
September 2011
Little, Brown and Company

She had been innocent once, a little girl playing with feathers on the floor of a devil's lair.  She wasn't innocent now . . . 

I must sadly report that this book has been yet another example of what I like to call the "Graceling Effect."  Allow me to explain to you what exactly this phenomenon involves.  The "Graceling Effect" covers all instances in which I was supposed to absolutely love a book and for some reason I skimmed at least half and clawed my eyes out during the rest.  "You will love it!"  They said.  "It's exactly the kind of book you read!"  They said.  "The cover looks awesome!"  I said.  "The premise is perfect!"  I said.  Alas, the stars were not in alignment.  This has happened to me a number of times over the last few years.  Graceling by Kristin Cashore was the first.  To this day I still have people recommend that book to me (I usually reply with hysterical fits of giggles).  I had so many people tell me to read it, in fact, that I gave the series a second chance and read book two, Fire.  It was worse.  So this is what I want to tell you about this book.

I did not like it.  I don't know why I didn't like it.  Perhaps I have some sort of mental block against a romance with angels.  (Fallen suffered similarly at my hands.)  However!  That doesn't mean you won't like it.  In fact, I strongly encourage you to read this book.  Not only does it have stellar reviews, but the writing itself is fantastic and the witty dialogue had me laughing out loud in a few places.  Why this wasn't enough to save it for me, again I don't know.  I will say that the first few chapters (and the European setting!) had me completely hooked and it wasn't until the great reveal and unravel at the end that I got bored, bored, bored.  Maybe it was the romance that killed it for me.  I'm honestly very upset about not liking this book, which is why I keep trying to figure out what was wrong with it.  Especially since the alternative is that there's something wrong with me!  *gasp!*

With her bright blue hair and sketchbook full of monsters, Karou is a mystery not only to others, but to herself.  Raised by demons, Karou has no idea who or what she is.  Until the day she meets Akiva, a gloriously handsome angel, sent to destroy her family.  Now Karou must put all the pieces of the puzzle that is her life together, and accept that the truth will be stranger than anything she has ever imagined.

Daughter of Smoke & Bone Series
Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Days of Blood & Starlight (TBR November 2012)