Review: Year of Yes By Shonda Rhimes

Title: Year of Yes
Author: Shonda Rhimes
Genre: Memoir
Source: Paperback
Rating: 3 out of 5 paws

Shonda Rhimes is the creator of hit shows like Grey's Anatomy and Scandal. In her memoir she discusses taking a year and saying Yes to anything that scares her and takes her outside of her comfort zone.  Throughout her book Shonda discusses the events that put her outside her comfort zone and how those moments helped her grow, and become a stronger woman.

I was super excited to read this book because I love Shonda's shows and from what I have read about her she is a strong powerful, and inspirational woman. I was excited to see what she learned about stepping outside your comfort zone because that is something I also do not do.  If it is something scary to me then I do not do it. That being said, I have to admit I feel a little let down with this book.  Don't get me wrong I love her writing style and at point I was laughing and I enjoyed the book for the most part, but it was not what I was expecting.

A good bit of what she talks about deals with her fame and as she continued to remind readers, how she's a big time Hollywood writer. Now I think it's amazing she found success, but what I wanted to learn along the way was how did she find that success?  What rejections did she have, what lead her to where she is, maybe that's a different book.  BUT what I was hoping for was what did she learn from giving a speech at Darmouth, not reading what the speech said.

The best sections where when she discussed her body image and saying yes to accepting who she is, but also saying yes to wanting to get healthy rather than fitting into a certain body image, and when she realized she didn't want to be married which ultimately ended a relationship.   Those points felt true and honest, that we got into a deep part of Shonda, but the rest of it felt more like a "look at me" type of story.  She talks about the importance of her family, but we don't get many story about her family and how they have helped her through the year of yes other than something her sister said which prompted the experiment.

I so wanted to like the book more than I did, and like I said it is not so much her writing style which is very fun and pleasant.  It was more of how she presented herself.  I wanted more depth to the book, much like what we see in her shows, but we don't get that.  Though it did prompt me to ponder doing a year of yes myself and see what happens.

Review: Crown of Feathers

   

Title: Crown of Feathers
Author: Nicki Pau Preto
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Kindle e-Book
Rating 5 out of 5 paws


Veronyka is an orphan who has dream of becoming a Phoenix Rider, like those from the stories she grew up on.  Veronyka has a fight with her sister who in turn betrays her in the worst way and Veronyka begins her journey to find the mysterious Riders.  This means disguising herself as a boy so she could join their ranks if she happens to find them. Everything is going fine until her sister suddenly shows up and reveals a web of lies that changes everything Veronyka thought she knew.  The empire has learned of the return of the Phoenix riders and intends to destroy them all.

This was a book that I didn't know I needed.  First off let me say how amazing it is that phoenixes are utilized in this book rather than the typical dragon we tend to see in fantasy novels. Now that is all I want!  I want more phoenixes in my life, so much so that I have the next books slated to be read within a few days.  I think this book has made me love phoenixes more than I love dragons.  Not many authors utilize them in their stories to the fullest potential and I am so happy that Nicki Pau Preto has done just that and made them into majestic creatures that they are.


While we read through this story of people recovering from a brutal war and a young woman trying to find her place in this world, we are introduced to unique world with it's own history.  I love that Pau Preto has included so much of the history in the novel, that you feel like you know the people, know who they are and where they've been.  It is very evident that she took the time to plan out her story and how she wanted things to unfold.


The plot was a little slow building but it was very character based which is so interesting and makes you connect with the characters and with this being the first book in the series, you want some background and depth to your characters.  It takes a little while to build up to the heart of the story, but when it does you become so sucked into the story that you don't want to do anything else (I didn't want to go to work, but I had too). 

While the book may not be for everyone because there is a lot of info dumping and takes time to build up, but I found it to be one of those books that you are excited to read, and need to take a minute once you have finished.  The next book Heart of Flames is a bit bigger coming in at 619 pages, but I am so ready to tackle it.

Notable Quotes

Sirens

Title: Sirens
Author: T.L. Zalecki
Genre: Science Fiction
Source: Kindle eBook
Rating: 2.5 out of 5


Not everything is as it seems.  The ocean levels are rising, cities are being lost to the tide.  The earth is becoming overpopulated and the human race depends on genetic research and tools to alter their appearances and abilities including the development of aquatic abilities as the threat rises.  Lorelei Phoenix takes on a job as a marine biologist, but finds herself research an unknown species of algea and its origins. Sirens exist and are hidden away from the human eye, but a young siren Mello believes the two can live in harmony and decides to test things by stricking a deal with the corporation DiviniGen, Inc.  But soon finds out the company is not everything he thinks it is.  It is far more dangerous, now Mello and Lorelei race against time to discover their truths as well as their pasts.

This book was not at all what I was expecting it to be.  I knew science fiction has a lot of science in it, but this had a lot of science and some politics in it as well.  There is so much potential in this story and I was excited to read it, but was slightly disappointed in it.  The ideas and concepts are rather interesting and I think a lot can still be done with them and hope they will be in later novels, but there are things that brought my interest in this novel down considerably.  The first being no clear timeline, the novel jumps around quite a bit, it takes place in the present but also have multiple flashbacks that take away from the story at hand.  I found myself confused at what was going on and when.  While the characters go through the motions nothing really happens until towards the end when you think something big is going to happen, but then it ends and you are left feeling a bit unsatisfied.

I would have loved to have seen the book focus more on either Lorel or Mello, but instead it jumped between the two and Mello's portions were more flashback than pushing his story along.  I wanted more from the Sirens rather than a brief history and idea that they have the algae the corporation wants.  Make me care about the characters, make me be on the edge of my seat, this book did not do that for me.  The characters didn't have much depth and were almost laughable the idea that the sirens have a black streak in their silver hair seemed odd to me, and Mello's last name as Seaward, come on there could have been a better idea for his last name.   The story itself comes to a halt it just ends not dwindle down, not satisfactory ending.  It just stops, I literally said out loud "that's it," just when it was starting to get some substance.



It feels more like an information dump than an actual story.  The reader gets so much information thrown at them that they cannot bond with the characters properly.  I would like to read the second novel in  hopes that the story is better and progresses more with development and depth of character and actually see where this story is supposed to be headed.  While I may not have enjoyed reading this book and struggled with it someone else might, so I would recommend it and would pick up the second book when I have the chance.




Was there ever a book you were so excited about because it seemed so different and out of the ordinary?  If so let me know in the comments and I will add it to my list!


Happy Reading!

Confluence

I have been MIA lately for various different reasons, but I am coming back with some awesome books, including several that i have gotten from Pittsburgh's science fiction and fantasy convention "Confluence".  What could be better for a bibliophile than a convention all about books!  So far I have met some really awesome authors and publsihers, helped celebrate the launch of several books from two dear friends, and found numerous books, even attempted a picture with JD Barker that didn't come out (sad panda). 

Each time i attend the convention i am reminded of why i love reading and why fantasy is one of my favorite genres.  There are so many novels and variations of the genre to get lost in.  Something that I absolutely love about Confluence is being able to find books and new authors that I may not have discovered otherwise.  I was like an unsupervised child in a candy store.  So, be prepared to take a journey with me and some TV Gods, Bad-Ass Faeries, Bounty Hunters, and Superhumans, as I conquer the world once again one book at a time. 

 

Heritage: S.M Boyce

Heritage is the third book in Boyce's Grimoire Saga.  It picks up with Kara in turning to learn how to control her Isen power enough to lead the other vagabonds.  Braeden is working to learn the inner workings of his kingdom to help the other Bloods plan an attack and finally defeat his father. Braeden has to learn how to gain the trust of the other bloods.  Kara has to learn how she can learn the vagabonds and how to sway the other bloods to her mission.  As part of her training, Kara visits the home of her grandfather, a notorious Isen who killed millions of people.  She had thought she'd known all about him until she took a trip through his memories and discovered the truth about him and herself.  This helps her accept her powers and learn to control them.  Now she sends her vagabonds back to their kingdoms and campaigns for the assistance of the other bloods to join her cause for peace.  Will Kara be successful?

After reading the previous two novels in the saga and loving them, I found this one to be lacking a certain..opf.  I love the idea of Kara being an Isen, it adds a deeper quality to her character and a twist in the story.  I have a feeling there is more to this surprise in the next novels.  There was a lot of re-cap from the other novels, and while having a recap can help remind readers of what happened previously, it started to take away from the story.  It started to feel like the momentum of the series started to slow down in the beginning of the novel, but once Kara revealed her powers the story picked back up. I was sucked back into the story, eager to know what will happen next. 

It almost felt like that story didn't progress much until about the last 75% of the novel.  There was a lot of build up to what will happen towards the end.  A lot was predictable, but then again Boyce tells the reader things will happen.  It does push the story along a little bit, but I think this book is intended to focus more on Kara learning her identity, who she truly is and her place within the world.    Throughout the other two books, Kara didn't feel connected to the people she was fighting to save, and now she does as well as change the viewpoint of Isens.  It is something that was needed to give Kara that connection to everyone and everything to really fight for unity.

I did enjoy this story, it was different from the previous ones in that it had a different air to it.  While it was slower and had a different feel to the story, it was one that is needed for the series.  It does deviate a little bit, but it is a necessary deviation.  I enjoyed reading it and look forward to reading the next one.  I do suggest not only thing book but also the series.  I give this novel a 3 out 5 rating.  S.M Boyce is doing a great job at developing a story and world.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintence

I have to admit when I first started to read this book I had a very difficult time getting past the first few chapters and when I did, I was beyond glad I stuck with it.  Robert Pirsig explores how we live, and meditates on how to make our lives better while pursuing our passions.  The novel is through the eyes of a father on a cross country motorcycle ride with his son.  The novel become a personal exploration and a journey through philosophical questions.    Pirsig delves into the question of what is Quality, and what gives our live Quality?

This novel is perfect for anyone to read because of Pirsig's use of something personal and fundamentally universal.   This novel won't  have you debating Kierkegaard or Nietzsche, but provides you with questions and something to reflect on and question yourself.  Never have I read a book more thought provoking and rises questions about my own life I have never thought to ask or investigate.  Pirsig address the idea that we live in a world of both Romantic and Classical, or simply put, form and function.  One of the problems with the world that Pirsig presents is that function is essential to life, but it is form that is emphasized.   When form and function work together equally then the desired Quality is obtained.

Pirsig does an excellent job presenting his thoughts and ideas to his readers.   He draws them in with a very personal story of a father and son trying to reconnect.  Through his story we see an imperfect father striving to be perfect, to discover Quality for both their lives.  It is beautifully written and a novel should be read.

Pros: Thought provoking and compelling insight
Cons::It can be difficult to begin the novel
Bottom Line: Incredibly thought provoking and interesting.

Rating:  4 out of 5 stars