Friday Coffee Chat (11) – When a series drags on for far too long…

Have you ever burned out on a book series?

Last week on Friday Coffee Chat we talked about books that you thought were so bad, you couldn’t pass it on to anyone else. It generated good discussion and people were, shall I say, VERY forthcoming about the books they abhorred.

_____________________________________________________________

This week, I want to talk about those books you love and are part of a series, but somehow seemed to drag on for so long that the story has become stale and you just can’t wait for it to end.

Jennifer from Girls Gone Reading is talking about a similar topic this week in her portion of Friday Coffee Chat. She wants to know if a book can still be interesting when there is very little action and the characters don’t seem to do anything. Head over to her blog to post your thoughts!

I’m going to admit it. I love a good series. I get so connected with the characters that they end up feeling like family to me. I love it when and author makes their story and characters so rich and full of life that I sit away and pine for more while they work on their next book. Anne McCaffrey did this with her Pern series. Masterharper Robinton became like a father to me and Menolly was my best friend for many years. I dreamed of having a fire lizard as a pet, a dragon as a companion, and life on a planet that while unfriendly at times (I mean, spores that ate anything organic did fall from the sky) was so wonderful that I just wanted to move there.

Not every series does this for me. There are some that I love but now just feel like I’m in it for the long haul or I’ve just decided that I’m tired of feeling like the author is trying to milk their series for every last penny. You know…there are the books that seemingly have an end, but then you find out there’s a prequel. Or a prequel to that prequel. Or better yet, a few hundred years have passed and now you’re reading about the characters’ great, great, great grandchildren.

Terry Brooks’ Shannara series is kind of like this for me. Oh make no mistake…I’m in it for the long haul. I didn’t even like the first book in the series, but it was a trilogy so I reluctantly read the second book, The Elfstones of Shannara and ended up really liking it. I devoured just about all the books in the series and thought I was through, but no, I found out there was a prequel. I read the prequel and liked it, but then I found out that there were books that took place in the future and…well, you get the point. I’m finally toward the “end” of the series, but I just found out that he just released a new Shanarra book, Bearers of the Black Staff, in an apparently new series called Legends of Shanarra. Sometime along the way, the books just stopped being super fun and now I feel like I’m watching an episode of ER. I’m so connected to the world that I HAVE to finish the series, but the story has kind of fizzled and the characters don’t have the draw that they used to. The cover of the book even features the series name larger than the title of the book. I just can’t help but feel like Terry Brooks is wringing that pile o’ cash out to see if a few more pennies will fall out. That being said, despite my lamenting that this series has gone on too long, I’ll most likely be at the bookstore picking up a copy of Bearers of the Black Staff at some point in the future!

I’ve also heard people say similar things about Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s series, and Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. I’ll even begrudgingly admit that I’ve felt that way about my beloved Pern. Anne McCaffrey passed the series on to her son after the books came to a good and satisfying conclusion (the last book I might add, sat on my shelf for 3 years before I read it because I was SO sad that the series was ending). Granted, there is history on Pern that Todd McCaffrey is now writing about, but the first book was kind of rough. They’ve since gotten better and of course I won’t give up my Pern but I would also be completely ok if they decided to let Pern only live on in the heads of its fans.

I have to give props to writers like J.K. Rowling who had a story in her head, wrote it all out on paper, and ended the series once her story was told (although don’t get me started on the Epilogue to Harry Potter). Why don’t some authors realize that all the compelling storytelling has passed when the conflict in the story has been resolved? Why do I keep buying books for series that should have ended long ago? A part of me feels like a sucker.

 My questions for you this week are:

• What series’ do you wish would just end so that life can go on as normal?
• Do you think authors still have stories to tell in their series, or do you think that publishers are trying to ride a wave of success and they push the author to write more?

Magic Strikes – Ilona Andrews

Book: Magic Strikes (Book 3: Kate Daniels)
Author: Ilona Andrews
Publisher: Ace Fantasy
310 pages
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars



In Magic Strikes, the third installment of the Kate Daniels series, Kate finds herself wrapped up in the fight of her life when she finds her friend Derek nearly dead from a fight that no one can explain. Her investigation leads her to an invitation-only Gladiator style competition, the Midnight Games, where the fighters are deadly and magical. In order to save Derek and the city of Atlanta, Kate must infiltrate the Midnight Games and defeat those responsible for nearly killing Derek.

Each book of the series thus far has featured mythical creatures from different areas of the world. Magic Strikes is no different—Hindu mythology takes the forefront in this book as Kate’s investigation unfolds. I am really liking how the mythology is different in each book. While it is just a taste of what the mythology is, it’s introducing me to so many new things that I can go and read about. I think the books are mainly meant to be a quick, fun read so I can’t complain much about them being short on explanation. It gives just enough explanation that I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything.

The mythical creatures are so menacing which is an aspect of this book that I love. Gone is the paranormal/urban fantasy with just romance and questionable female characters. Kate Daniels is awesome! She kicks so much booty in this book and her powers and back story keep developing. It just makes me like her more. The gladiator theme of this book is so appropriate because Kate Daniels reminds me a little bit of a Spartan from the movie 300. She is tough as nails and cares a great deal for her friends. There is more romance in this book, but there’s so much action that the romance doesn’t overwhelm the book. I’m not a huge fan of romance, but Curran and Kate’s interaction continues to leave me wanting more so Ilona Andrews must be writing the romance right!

The humor is also not lost in Magic Strikes. In addition to the action, this book is flat out funny at times. There are times when I caught myself laughing out loud and getting looks from my husband like I was a crazy woman. Kate’s internal commentary often bleeds snark and it often comes out in the dialogue to her own detriment. Her friends are also really likeable people, and I really root for all of them. They all argue like family but work together well as a team.

I’m a little sad that I’m getting toward the end of published books. Ilona Andrews has been contracted to write seven books but as of now, only four are published. I’m going to crack open the fourth book of the series, Magic Bleeds, right after I finish this review and then pine away with all my friends who are Kate Daniels fans until the fifth book is published. If you haven’t read the earlier books in the series, you really should start at the beginning of the series (Book 1 is Magic Bites and Book 2 is Magic Burns) because you’ll miss some of the character development if you read them out of order. They can be read as stand-alone books, but the relationships between characters in the books definitely have a continuity throughout the series that is best read from the beginning.

If you are looking for an ultra fun series that is quick and enjoyable, I highly recommend picking up this series.



*Notice of Disclosure: I received this book for review from Penguin Books.


**I am a Book Depository and IndieBound afilliate so If you purchase any of the books I have featured through the links I posted or from the banners in my left hand sidebar, I get a small commission from them. I am in no way compensated for the reviews I post of my books.



Links of Note

• I read this as a mini read-a-long with Bella from A Girl Reads a Book. Click HERE to read Bella's review of Magic Strikes.
• My Review of Magic Bites (Book 1: Kate Daniels)
• My Review of Magic Burns (Book 2: Kate Daniels)

In My Mailbox (97) – The Great Grocery Bag Exchange!

In My Mailbox

(hosted by The Story Siren)

(Don’t you just love this Autumn themed mailbox? I love Autumn and wish we actually had one here in Central Texas. I found this awesome mailbox on Flickr and it is courtesy of Graham here.)

So a few of us have become obsessed with reusable grocery bag swaps when we ship international packages to each other. They are simply awesome. They always have something on it that identifies where it’s from, sometimes has a cool foreign language, and always makes you look cool when you go shopping! They are also a good way to help keep plastic bags out of landfills and they’re something you can use all the time and don’t gather dust on your mantle (I hate dusting!).

The last few weeks I have gotten two VERY cool packages from two wonderful bloggers! The first package was from Judith from The Netherlands (@leeswammes on Twitter). She writes Leeswammes’ Blog. I sent her The Tricking of Freya by Christina Sunley after I finished reading it because she also has a great love of Scandinavian culture and countries (You can read Judith’s review of The Tricking of Freya, too). In return, she sent me a Doris Lessing book called Alfred and Emily which I’m very excited about reading. It also included a beautiful bookmark of Mariska Meijers called Red Blossom and Double Luck. She also sent me a VERY cool grocery bag from her local market that says Hamster Weken on it (it means Hamster Week). It’s such a cute and funny bag. I love it! She also included a nice handwritten note. I love European handwriting! It’s so pretty!

The second package came from Rachel from Australia. She was wanting a copy of Let the Right One in by John Ajvide Lundquist and my husband had just finished the book so I offered to mail it to her. In return, she sent me a very cool potato sack grocery bag with a picture of the world with Australia on it! So cool! Usually when I see the globe as decoration on something it’s always North and South America on it so it was a neat change to see a globe with another continent on it. She also sent me a book by an Australian author called Hell Island by Matthew Reilly. I’m really excited to read it because I haven’t read too many Australian authors yet! She also sent me two very cool bookmarks: Gamnut Babies by May Gibbs and Turtles Underwater Playground by Terry Johnstone. You can find Rachel on Twitter under @andplotthickens or on her blog, And the Plot Thickens.



Another thing I got was something completely unexpected. Sometime last month I requested a copy of The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi from Nightshade Books. It’s a pretty popular book, won the Nebula Award, and just won the Hugo Award so I didn’t have much hope of getting a copy to review, but while I was on vacation in New Mexico visiting family, I got a copy in the mail. It was a total “jump up and do a little jig” moment! I have been wanting to read this book for months! I’ll be reviewing it in October!



The last thing I got I actually have had for a few weeks as well. Penguin Books was nice enough to send me the rest of the Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels series because I liked Magic Bites so much. They even sent me a copy of On the Edge which is her new series! I am so excited about reading it because the Kate Daniels’ series is heaps fun! I have already reviewed Magic Burns as a mini read-a-long with Bella from A Girl Reads a Book. Her review can be found HERE.



So that’s it! That’s my mailbox full of awesome sauce for the last few weeks! I love my blogging friends and I love swapping bags and bookmarks from other countries. It’s silly, but it’s like a little burst of goodwill between countries and it’s amazing and makes me want to squeal with joy!

*I am a Book Depository and IndieBound afilliate so If you purchase any of the books I have featured through the links I posted or from the banner in my left hand sidebar, I get a small commission from them. I am in no way compensated for the reviews I post of my books.

Friday Coffee Chat (10) – Are some books a waste of paper?

Last week I took the week off for Friday Coffee Chat because BlogFest was starting and I was a participant. Jennifer at Girls Gone Reading did a fantastic post about authors that are overblown and overexposed. It created some good discussion and if you haven’t read it, I definitely recommend dropping by her blog to read and comment on it. Of course, I had a lot to say about it!

This week Jennifer is talking about women in literature and how they seem to always fall into certain stereotypes in her post, Just Half a Girl. I know almost everyone has an opinion about that so make sure you check out her post!

_____________________________________________________________

This week I want to talk about those books that you abhorred so much that you a) thought they were a waste of paper, b) thought they were too bad to even give away to a friend, and/or c) left you questioning how the book got published in the first place.

First up is Eragon. I have no worries about Christopher Paolini weeping about my dislike of this book because if he is, he’s certainly weeping into $100 bills. This book was WILDLY popular. Everyone read it and loved it. Oh all these people on Shelfari, Amazon, and other forums where people talk about books just fell all over themselves about this book. You know what?!! I thought it was terrible. Not only do I think he stole parts of his story from just about every fantasy writer and series that I liked, I think he did it blatantly. Some of the names were changed by one letter or not even changed at all. There are several blogs/websites that go into greater detail than I will here, but here are a few examples:

• Arya -- He has an elf character named Arya. So does George R.R. Martin in his Song of Ice and Fire series that was published seven years earlier.
• Lord of the Rings -- Oh there are so many names here that it’s just annoying. How about The Lonely Mountain, The Grey Folk, Elessari (Elessar in LotR) to name just a few.
• The similarities in storyline or unique elements in other books by other authors--Earthsea and Pern I thought were VERY similar in some ways and on another site someone said that David Eddings work was also plagiarized.

Here are two sites that have gone into greater detail: Pixie Dust and Matchstick. Check them out if you are interested.

A lot of people say that Paolini was so young when he published the book that it is a feat in and of itself for him to create such a work. Does that give him a pass? Hmmm...not in my book because last time I checked, you could be thrown out of college for plagiarism. Why does it not work the same in high school? Yeah, I don't buy it. Paolini gets a big thumbs down and a razzberry from me. Luckily, I borrowed this book so I didn’t have to throw it in the fireplace.


The next book I thought was not worth the paper it was printed on was Web of Debt by Ellen Hodgson Brown. This book was about the Fed and how corrupt and secretive it is. Sounds like an interesting topic and had the potential to be a very good book, but it just devolved into cheap conspiracy theorist fodder that I had trouble even finishing. I finished it only because it was for a book group, but any author that purports the Middle Ages to be a time of prosperity for most people gets a thumbs down in my book. I guess she’s overlooking the fairly short life expectancy during the Middle Ages for the obvious benefit of seeming to have endless amounts of leisure time to build cathedrals and other massive buildings without any fear of starvation for their families. I’m paraphrasing here, but she advocated the use of different forms of currency and bartering instead of a national monetary system and lauded the use of things like “Ron Paul dollars” while glossing over the South’s economic crisis during the Civil War when the Southern states had numerous currencies which eventually contributed to the collapse of the economy. There were so many contradictions in this book that it just became a jumbled mess. A lot of the things she argued for as a solution, she refuted as a problem in other parts of the book. I’m so embarrassed that I bought this book that I considered using it as kindling in my fireplace. Yup...I actually considered burning a book until I found this awesome wreath made by Julie on Book Hooked Blog. I don’t have to feel guilty about burning a book, but I don’t have to have massive guilt for contributing to someone else’s delinquency by passing it on to read.

These two books obviously have an audience. There are 149 reviews of Web of Debt on Amazon.com--128 of which gave the book 5 stars. Some people in my group even enjoyed the book as did my Dad who thought it was excellent. As far as Eragon goes, Christopher Paolini is bathing in a shower that shoots out $100 bills so plenty of people have obviously loved his book. Still, I was so upset after I read these two books (as you can see in my description of them) that I could never, ever in good conscience send these books on to someone else.


So my question for this week’s Friday Coffee Chat is:

Have you ever had such a negative visceral reaction to a book you threw it away or refused to pass it on to someone else (or made a pretty arts and crafts project out of it)?

If so, let us know why OR tell me why you think I am way off base for refusing to pass on certain books that other people might actually enjoy.

Magic Burns – Ilona Andrews

Book: Magic Burns (Book 2: Kate Daniels)
Author: Ilona Andrews
Publisher: Ace Fantasy
260 pages
My Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars



Kate Daniels is back in Magic Burns, the second installment of the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. This time around, the former Guild merc is now working for the Order and is confronted with magical beings from Welsh and Irish mythology. In this book, Kate Daniels sets out to retrieve some stolen maps for the Pack, a paramilitary clan of shapeshifters when a young girl named Julie is sought by sea demons and Kate must intervene to keep her from being harmed. The story that unfolds is action packed and threatens the city of Atlanta with destruction.

I admit it. I am not a fan of the covers of these books. I would never have moved these books to the top of my TBR List if it weren’t for Chachic from Chachic’s Book Nook. Even after Magic Bites, I was disappointed with the cover of this second installment. I was even a little embarrassed to pull it out on the plane a few days ago when I was flying home from vacation. However, the book was so engrossing that I ended up not caring at the few looks people gave and just thought that they were likely missing out on this fantastic series if they decided to judge the book by its cover.

Kate Daniels continues to be awesome. She is a little more vulnerable in this book, but still in a very kick ass way. There are little snippets of her back story in Magic Burns that will hopefully be expounded upon in the next few books in the series. I want to see how this part of the story will play out in further books. Her character grew and developed quite a bit in this book so I have high hopes for seeing how she continues to deal with her past and her present in the upcoming books.

I really enjoyed the Celtic mythology in this book. It’s just a small snippet of information since the book is only 260 pages, but a little trip to Wikipedia helped familiarize me with the characters in this book. I would actually like to read some more on Celtic mythology now that I’ve finished it. Morrigan and Morfran are interesting mythological characters and since they aren’t the super popular Greek and Roman gods/goddesses, it helped give the book a freshness that I wasn’t expecting.

Curran, the leader of the Pack also returns in this second installment and the witty banter between him and Kate is everything that the first book had and more. I’m usually not much one for romance, but the snarky dialogue between them creates a lot of sexual tension that I actually enjoy. I would compare their relationship to Castle and Beckett from the TV show Castle. The tension is there and you end up rooting for them to go the romantic route.

There are so many likeable characters that bring humor to the different situations that happen that I found myself laughing out loud a few times. The book really had everything that you could look for in a fun Urban Fantasy read. There is action, good character development, a strong female lead that isn’t whiny, and interesting antagonists. My only complaint is the same from the first book. I really wanted more world building, but that might be because I typically read longer books that have tons of detail in them. Magic Burns just left me wanting to immediately crack open the third book in the series, Magic Strikes which I will mostly likely do right after I finish writing this review. Yes folks, the series is that fun! I love it!


*Notice of disclosure: I received this book for review from Penguin Books.



Links of Note

• I also read this book as a mini read-a-long with Bella from A Girl Reads a Book. Click HERE to read her review of Magic Burns.
• Chachic’s Book Nook BBAW post on the Kate Daniels series
• My review of Magic Bites (Book 1: Kate Daniels) by Ilona Andrews

BlogFest Winners!

Well, BlogFest is over and even though I was out of town, lots of people dropped by my blog to enter my giveaways! How exciting! Thanks to everyone who dropped by and became a follower—it wasn’t required to enter, and I was overwhelmed by how many people subscribed to my feed and became followers! You are all awesome!



I also want to thank A Journey of Books for hosting BlogFest. It was a lot of fun to participate! So, with no further delay, here are the winners of the two giveaways that were specifically for BlogFest.
_____________________________________________________________

Winners of Giveaway #2 – Reclaiming My Shelf Space
 
Winner of Beat the Reaper – Josh Bazell





                Teri Hardy









Winner of The Bourne Identity – Robert Ludlum 




              Connie Black







Winner of The Art of Racing in the Rain – Garth Stein



                Michele Pineda








Winner of Empress Orchid – Anchee Min





                  Carrie Rundhaug











Winner of Giveaway #3 – Celebrating Becoming a Book Depository Affiliate








For my last giveaway, I am advertising becoming a Book Depository affiliate by giving away any book of your choice that is less than or equal to $15 USD. This giveaway was International.

The Winner is:

Stephany

Fool Moon – Jim Butcher

Book: Fool Moon (Book 2 - The Dresden Files)
Author: Jim Butcher
Publisher: New American Library/ROC Fantasy
342 pages
My Rating: 4/5 stars

Fool Moon is the continuing adventures of wizard Harry Dresden. In this second book of The Dresden Files, Harry finds himself idly waiting for the Special Investigations unit of the Chicago Police to call him as a consultant. He doesn’t have to wait long because a gruesome murder has been committed in Chicago that screams supernatural. Suspicious paw prints are found at the scene and Karrin Murphy calls on Harry to help her solve the crime. Little does Harry know that his reputation also makes him a person of interest in the case. While holding off Karrin Murphy’s Special Investigation unit Harry must stop what he suspects might be a bloodthirsty pack of werewolves from wreaking further havoc on the city.

Harry Dresden might be one of my favorite characters in urban fantasy. He’s snarky but good-hearted and has a great sense of humor to boot. Fool Moon picks up where Storm Front left off. Harry is hanging out at his favorite pub, McAnally’s when a woman asks him for help in deciphering some symbols from a circle she has seen. No sooner does Harry finish talking to the woman than Karrin Murphy appears and tells him about a case that needs the services of Chicago’s only practicing wizard. It only takes two pages in the book for the action to start. Murphy tells takes Harry to the scene of a brutal murder where the person has been torn to shreds and strange paw prints are all over. Harry learns that this strange murder is not the first and that the FBI has become involved. Harry goes home to Bob, one of the coolest spirits on the planet and asks for his help. What he learns is that the paw prints can belong to more than just werewolves which doesn’t bode well for Harry.

This book is no different from Storm Front. It’s fun and action packed and Harry Dresden is still spot on with his humor. I really enjoyed just about every moment of this book while reading it and can’t wait to move onto the next book. I loved the werewolf mythology (I have no idea if it’s accurate or just a creation of Jim Butcher’s mind) and the continuing banter between Murphy and Harry. There is also another familiar character that returns in this book. Marcone, the shady gangster is heavily involved in the plot. I was a little sad that Bob didn’t have more of a role in the book than he did. I kept waiting for Harry to have more interaction with him, but it never happened. Bob is hilarious and I hope that Butcher gives him more of a role in the later books.

I can’t wait to move on to the third book in the series, Grave Peril. These books read really fast and are great if you are needing a break from more serious reads or just from life in general. They are especially good reads with Halloween just around the corner so if you are looking for fast moving urban fantasy that is high on fun and thrills, definitely pick up Fool Moon. I will say that it is best to read the first book in the series (Storm Front) before you read this one, but if you decide to start here you won't be lost.

**Notice of Disclosure: I received this copy of Storm Front from Penguin Books.