Review: Rooms, by Lauren Oliver

Rooms, by Lauren Oliver

Harper Audio - 2014
General Fiction / Horror
Audiobook

Narrated by Orlagh Cassidy, Barbara   Caruso, Elizabeth Evans, Noah Galvin, Cynthia Darlow,   and      Courtney Shaw

9 Hours, 20 Minutes

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rooms by Lauren Oliver is a beautifully haunting ghost story. 

Richard Walker has breathed his last breath. Estranged from his family, he was all but alone when he died...or was he really?

Now his family is coming to settle his estate and collect their inheritance. It is going to take more than the reading of the will to settle the affairs of this house though. His scorned ex-wife Caroline drinks too much, his daughter Minna enjoys the company of men too much, and his son Trenton is depressed and on the verge of suicide. There are other inhabitants in the house. Ghosts. The spirits of people who lived there before, that are bound to to the house itself, wearing it like a shared body.

All of the inhabitants of the house - living and dead, are dealing with painful memories, secrets, and traumatic histories, and they take turns in telling their stories, little by little. When Trenton begins to communicate with a new ghost, the lives of the living and the dead meet. The results are powerful and dramatic.

What bothers me about this book is that it is - in my humble opinion, often misclassified on two fronts. Because Lauren Oliver previously wrote YA books (I LOVED Liesl and Po!), many have mistakenly assumed that this book too is a YA. More importantly, I feel that it is classified as "Horror" just because of the presence of ghosts in the story, but the depth and beauty of the story would suggest something else. Literary fiction or Paranormal Fiction perhaps would seem more accurate to me. It was deeply moving, one of the most touching ghost stories I have ever read. 

One of my favorite passages from this book:

The audiobook was narrated by Orlagh Cassidy, Barbara Caruso, Elizabeth Evans, Noah Galvin, Cynthia Darlow, and Courtney Shaw. The narrators all had clear, pleasant voices and they were all well suited to their characters.  It is always a treat to listen to an audiobook with a cast of performers.

Rooms easily drew me in to its haunting tale and moved me the way few ghost stories do.

Happy Reading,

Christine

On This Day: July 30, 1935. First Penguin Paperbacks

On This Day, July 30th 1935 Penguin's first Parperback books

On July 30th, 1935, Penguin Books Published the first (as we know them) Paperbacks!

Ahhh paperbacks.  The preferred format for many a reader.  Hardcover books are large and heavy, but a paperback slides easily into a purse, tote, or pocket. Lighter and more affordable than its hardcover brethren, it is the also the affordable option for many. 

There was a time that good literature was not easily obtained by the average person.  Books were large, intricately bound, expensive, and sold mostly in upscale bookstores. Affordable options were poor quality in both writing and physical composition.

Ironically, we have a publishing executive's inability to find a good book in  a train station bookstall to thank for the quality, ease and affordability we enjoy today. 

Sir Allen Lane, the chairman of the British publishing house Bodley Head, was returning from a weekend visiting Agatha Christie's country estate, when he searched the bookstall in the train station for something to read on the long trip ahead.  Frustrated by the lack of quality options, he spent his time considering a way to make good literature affordable and more widely available.  

When Bodley Head allowed him to proceed but declined to finance the project, Allen Lane financed the project himself, and called the new line Penguin. He acquired the rights to reprint ten literary titles (You can view the complete list Here).  His plan was to sell the much cheaper format, at low margin, but high volume. To break even, 17, 000 copies of each book needed to be sold.  He set off in search of retail buyers. Woolworth's ordered 63, 500 copes, telling Lane his business plan was solid.  Penguin books was born. 3 million copies were sold the first year. Penguin separated from Bodley Head, becoming its own entity in 1936.

The color coded block design and familiar, friendly looking penguin are still instantly recognizable today.   

On July 1, 2013 Penguin and Random House merged to become the global publishing powerhouse Penguin Random House.  

Happy Reading, 

Christine

Review: Magic For Liars, by Sarah Gailey

Magic For Liars, by Sarah Gailey

MacMillan Audio - 2019
Fantasy
Audiobook
Xe Sands

9 Hours, 07 Minutes

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sarah Gailey's book Magic For Liars is a wonderful, magical, mystery. 

Private investigator Ivy Gamble was not born with any magical abilities, but her twin sister Tabitha was. Ivy would tell you that she never wanted to be magic, but she would be lying. 

Ivy used to lie...a lot, but when she is hired to investigate a gruesome murder at the Osthorne Acadamy for Mages, where her now estranged sister teaches, she is pulled into the powerful world of magic and mages, and forced to face some truths about herself and her relationship with her sister.  

I enjoyed this book. Gailey puts her own spin on the "school for mages" concept, and there is a mystery to be solved, but what i really enjoyed was the way the complicated relationship between Ivy and Tabitha was portrayed.  For me it added a depth to the story that made the characters more relatable and the story more likable for it. 

The book was narrated by Xe Sands, which should pretty much say it all for those who are audiobook addicts, but for those not in the know, Xe Sands is one of the best in the business. A beautiful voice with an incredible range of emotion and able to give each character in the story a voice of their own. 

Magic For Liars is a fun, light read, but not without depth. 

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: The Favorite Daughter, by Kaira Rouda

The Favorite Daughter, by Kaira Rouda

Harlequin Audio - 2019

Thriller
Audiobook
Kathleen McInerney

9 Hours, 31 Minutes

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Favorite Daughter, by Kaira Rouda is a thriller filled with characters you will love to hate. 

After spending a year grieving the death of her daughter Mary, Jane is planning to reclaim her life. But her family has changed in that year, and Jane has not been keeping up with the changes, and as the date for Mary's memorial approaches, it seems that someone knows more about Mary's death than they previously revealed. 

Told in the style of the unreliable narrator (and often breaking the fourth wall) Jane isn't exactly a character you can sympathize with. She is narcissistic, manipulative, and controlling. In fact, none of the main characters are likable or easy to sympathize with. In most books, that would be a reason to dislike the book, but that is not the case with this book. Really, these are characters you love to hate! 

While there were no earth-shattering plot twists, the story was not without spins and misdirection. Most importantly, despicable characters and all, it was engaging.

Narration was provided by Kathleen McInerney and was performed well. Clear with a pleasant tone and cadence, and just a hint of deviousness that suited the character of Jane so  well. 

Loving to hate Jane and the other characters in this book was a bit of a guilty pleasure! I look forward to reading more of Kaira Rouda's work in the future. 

Happy Reading,

Christine

Sunday Summary: July 14 - 20, 2019

Welcome to my Sunday Summary.  A look back on my bookish adventures for the past week.

Well, Mother Nature has been making up for the cool June weather with some serious heat now. On the prairies, heat means THUNDERSTORMS!  I love a good thunderstorm. Unfortunately (for me), all the ones that have come lately have been while I was at work. I really feel the need to sit on the couch staring out of the window while the house rattles and shakes and the sky lights up.  Prairie thunderstorms can be epic!  Of course the drawback to all this is the humidity. Several of my son's daycare outdoor field-trips have been cancelled due to high humidex levels. Only a few more weeks before vacation and a few weeks outside the city at my husband's family cottage.  I am ready now 😊☀🏖🍹

Books Reviewed:

All Is Not Forgotten, by Wendy Walker. This thriller explores the dynamics of memory and trauma. You can read my review HERE.

The Toll, by Cherie Priest. My review of this creepy jaunt through the swamplands of the south is in THIS POST. 

Ramblings and Miscellany:

My ramblings on unfinished book series was posted this week. You can read the post HERE.

Advance Reading Copy (ARC) Books Previously Reviewed and Released this Week:

None this week. 

Currently Reading and Notable Titles on Deck:

I am currently reading Chances Are, by Pulitzer Prize winning author Richard Russo. I am currently listening to Rooms, by Lauren Oliver. 

I still have several reviews pending, including a review of Magic For Liars, by Sarah Gailey.

On deck is Canadian Author Robyn Harding's latest offering - The Arrangement.

Happy Reading, 

Christine

Review: The Toll, by Cherie Priest

The Toll, by Cherie Priest

MacMillan-Tor/Forge
Horror
E-book

336 Pages

* I received this digital ARC courtesy of MacMillan-Tor/Forge, via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review. This does not influence the following opinions which are my own.

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐1/2

The Toll is a creepy jaunt into the swamplands of the deep south. 

Titus and his new wife Melanie are heading into Okefenokee swamp for a canoe trip while on their honeymoon. Just before they enter, they come across an ancient, narrow, single lane bridge. The next thing Titus knows, he is waking up outside the car, in the middle of nowhere, and Melanie is missing.  He can't even see the bridge which was his last memory before waking up. When he calls the police to help find her, they tell him there is no such bridge on that route. 

The locals have grown used to people disappearing into the swamp - especially Clair and Daisy - it seems to happen regularly...almost like clockwork They do what they can to protect their godson Cameron, but when he goes into the swamp, they have to pull out all the stops to try and get him back out. 

Priest does an excellent job of creating the right mood for this book.  Dark, oppressive, and creepy, you can almost feel the mood the way a person will feel the atmosphere before a thunderstorm. 

One thing that didn't really work for me, was the concept of anybody choosing to honeymoon in a swamp - for any reason. This sort of got the story started on the wrong foot for me, and it took me a while to get past it. Once I was able to get over that initial hiccup,  and immerse myself in the tale, the rest of the story was really quite good. If Titus and Melanie had entered the swamplands for any other reason than a honeymoon this story would have easily been at least a 4-star read for me.

Overall, a good, solid horror story with an almost tangible mood to it.

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: All Is Not Forgotten, by Wendy walker

All Is Not Forgotten, by Wendy Walker

MacMillan Audio - 2016
Thriller
Audiobook
Narrated by Dylan Baker

11 Hourrs, 30 Minutes

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

While primarily a thriller, All Is Not Forgotten is written with strong emotional components woven through it. 

Trigger warning: Rape, sexual assault. 

Jenny Kramer lives in one of those affluent little town where the residents feel that their economic and social status will insulate them from the bad things that happen in other places. One night all that changes.

The book starts with the brutal rape of Jenny. It is the rape that results in her meeting the narrator of this  story - her psychiatrist. 

After surgery to repair the physical damage to Jenny's body a decision has to be made - to administer a developmental/experimental drug protocol that will remove Jenny's memory of that horrible night, basically sparing her the PTSD that she would have likely suffered from if she did remember the rape. Mental recall is just one part of memory though, and in some ways her body remembers what her mind forgets. In the end it is the conflict of knowing she was raped but not having any actual recall of it that proves to be too difficult for her. 

During all if this Jenny's parents struggle too. Both Jenny's mother and father have her best interests at heart, but that doesn't mean they agree with each other on how to protect those interests.  Jenny's father Tom has an unquenchable desire for justice, while Jenny's mother Charlotte has an equally strong need to pretend that the rape never happened and move on.  This difference of opinion opens a rift in the marriage as both feel strongly about what they think Jenny needs in order to heal. Their difference in approach strains their marriage.

While all this is going on, a rapist is still at large in community, and he might be closer than Jenny and her parents think. 

This psychological thriller treads some dangerous emotional waters. Though the subject matter is dark and uncomfortable,  Walker spins her tale with wisdom and compassion. Other than the story's narrator Dr. Forrester - who is a bit of an arrogant prick, the characters are mostly likable, if imperfect. While the rape of Jenny is brutal, I don't think it is gratuitous in nature. The only way for this story to work, is for the protagonist to experience to experience something truly horrible. I think Walker does a good job in trying to balance the need in the story for this event to be devastatingly horrific to the character, with trying not to be any more graphic than the story requires to make that point. 

This audiobook was narrated by Dylan Baker. His voice was clear and pleasant, sufficiently varied by character, and portrayed with appropriate range of emotion.

Happy Reading,

Christine

Ramblings: Bookish Pet Peeves Post #1 Unfinished Or Abandoned Series.

Bookish Pet Peeves #1 Unfinished or Abandoned Series

We all have pet peeves.  I have decided to keep track of my bookish ones here on The Last Page Turned. The number refers to the chronological order of the posts, not the degree of my peevedness...is that a word? If not, I just made it up and it is now 😉

Unfinished And Abandoned Series - The Itch You Can't Scratch

One of my pet peeves is starting to read a series of books, only to be let down when the conclusion is never written. 

I came across an audiobook that looked interesting - part of an older series. So I decide to give it a go...If I like it, I can follow through with the rest of the series. I listen, and I like it.

YAY! Right?

Not so fast there bucko!!...

While composing my review, I started to look into the other books in the series so I could mention them by name in the review I was working on. To my horror, I found a list of unhappy GoodReads members who had enjoyed the first two books, who had then been waiting patiently, then impatiently, and finally abandoning the series and all hope of conclusion - some even declaring they were unwilling to follow the author anymore for fear of being left hanging again. It has been 5 years since the second book was published, and there is still nary an announcement, an ARC, a cover reveal - Nothing to indicate that a conclusion is actually on its way. I wish I had realized that before I got into the story - I never would have bothered. Lesson learned - when choosing an older series to start, make sure the series is complete, or at least active.

With no hope of a satisfying ending, I have chosen to abandon the series after the first book. Reading the second will only add fuel to a fire that has no hope of being extinguished. How sad. Besides, I really don't feel like supporting the author in general, or the "series" in particular at this point. 

So this led me to thinking about series books, and more specifically unfinished series.  There is something to be said about a good stand alone because one can expect a satisfying ending most of the time. But like many avid readers, I do enjoy a good series sometimes, and some stories just need more time to tell. But when the author leaves you dangling off an emotional cliff, by your fingernails, do they owe it to you the reader to provide a prompt instalment or conclusion? 

I put out a few polls on twitter about the subject - more on that later. I do however have my own opinion and it only seems fair that I share that opinion.  I have some seriously conflicted feelings on the issue, but for me the short answer is...

No. 

The author does not "owe" me anything. Like many things in life though, the short answer doesn't really tell the whole story; does it? 

Unless the book was pirated or stolen, the obligations of both side have been met. The author wrote a book, and received payment for that copy of that book.  If there is a contract with the publisher, that is between the author and the publisher, not me.

But I like to support authors who entertain me, and make me feel like I matter as a reader. The author may not owe me another book, but providing a conclusion in a reasonably timely manner really would be the nice and polite thing to do. An author who abandons a series on a cliffhanger disappoints readers; and never once admitting that series has been abandoned, while within the author's rights, is adding insult to literary injury. To an avid reader, an unfinished story is like an itch you can't scratch. While it is true that the author does not owe it to me to write the next book in a timely fashion, I do not owe it to the writer to read their next book either. A series that is left for too long, becomes a dead series in my opinion.

My personal M.O. is that an author who leaves me hanging without darn good reason will only do so once.  I will not read nor recommend any of their other books. In the case of the book that sparked this post, I found out while writing my review of the first book in a "series" that the author's last instalment was 5 years ago, so it even affected my star rating, because to me, if there was any real desire to publish a conclusion/instalment, 5 years should be enough time to at least have an official announcement. There was no conclusion to the story, and no real indication there ever will be.

How long is too long between series books? 

In a perfect world, series books would be released soon enough after the last one, that the reader retains enough memory of the characters and events to re-submerse themselves into the story with little or no feelings of being lost. That is not always possible. Writers have lives beyond their computers. They have partners, kids, parents, and friends who are as important to them as ours are to us. They have hobbies, they get ill, they need to shop and eat and do all the things we do outside of our jobs. Life is not any more simple for them than it is for us as readers. There are a myriad of reasons why an instalment in a series could be delayed.

One of the best known unfinished series - G. R. R. Martin's Game Of Thrones was way-sided largely (but not completely) due to his work on the the television adaptation. In theory, the next instalment was available by a different media format (T.V.).  Not sure how I feel about that to be honest. I think guess I am inclined to give that a "soft" pass.  There has been much said about the forthcoming Winds Of Winter, but at this point I will believe it when I see it, and not sure how much I will still care if/when I do. I loved the books, I enjoyed the show (even if the last season seemed a little rushed and was plagued with continuity errors - *cough*Starbucks*cough*. A reader's memory can only last so long, and at least I was able to see a conclusion to the story albeit on television.

Let us not forget also, that Writing is an art. Good art does take time - sometimes less, and sometimes more. But certainly, once the first books are written, the characters are already developed, and the story is well into its story arc, within a few years the author can at least point to a rough date for completion, you know - "early next year", or "late 2020".  

There is a juxtaposition with this topic. I hate reading comments from readers acting like spoiled, entitled children all but demanding authors work on the project they want instead of what the author is feeling inspired to work on; But I would never want an unfinished painting on my wall, or listen to a music that ends on an abrupt note and unfinished lyrics,  or watch a play/movie that that ends right at the climax - and I don't want to read a story that never sees a conclusion.

Writer Sarah Kozloff responded to my Tweet, telling me that she often loses interest if she has to wait too long, and chose to complete writing her upcoming series first, and then release the books in monthly instalments. The Nine Realms will be available from Tor books starting in January. There will be no danger in forgetting characters, or story lines, or being left hanging without conclusion there! I LOVE this idea.  I know it is not always possible to do it this way, but what a treat for readers when it can be done!

Of course for every "rule" there are exceptions.  Many novels work well as stand alone books even though they are part of a bigger series. They have a beginning, a middle and a clear end. I can be far more accepting of this. 

Some books are actually written as stand alone novels, only to have a sequel that was not initially planned for, considered well after the fact. Neil Gaiman's novel Neverwhere was published as a stand alone, but he has been talking of writing a sequel for many years.  To me, this is totally acceptable.  It is not "unfinished business", but rather business that is in "expansion planning". I had been provided with an ending to the  original story that left me satisfied, and at the time that I first read it, I was not even expecting to be given the gift of a sequel.

So what do other readers think?

One of my book-twitter friends and fellow bookblogger @kellywellread responded to my questions with a few points. She has the same sentiment as I do about books that are unplanned sequels. She also  points out that epic fantasies may take more time to write than some other genres, but, like many, she finds frustrating if too much time passes and she forgets what happened in the earlier book(s). She does say however, that for the right series, she would be willing to wait as long as it takes for the author to write another book.

Another Instagram/Twitter friend @LisaBReads says that while she may need a refresher, she too is just happy that there is another book. 


My Twitter poll results are as such:

Do writers who create a series owe it to their readers to provide a "next book" and/or conclusion in a reasonable time frame?

• Heck Ya! Ending needed! - 38%
• Don't owe me anything - 63%

What is a reasonable time frame for the "next book" in a series to be available?

• 1 year - 56%
• 2 years - 44%
• 5 years - 0%   

Have you ever abandoned a series you were enjoying because of a long wait for the next book? 

• Yes - 36%
• No - 64% 

 

What can author's take away from all this?

Dear writers - You can write or not write as you see fit, that is your right - but leaving your fans hanging for years and years will cost you readers. Despite a majority readers feeling that they are not owed new books in a series from writers, support for the series seems to fall after just one year, and over a third of readers who feel they are waiting too long will abandon the series. Granted, this is a very tiny group of respondents, but even so, I think it paints a rough picture.

One of the most wonderful things about books, is their ability to evoke emotion. We attach the emotions the author's name too. The emotion associated with an unfinished story is one of disappointment. In the case of the book I referred to, the author has written much since, but I no longer have any desire to read their work, and I dare say that I am not alone in that.

What can other readers take away from this?

Start a series at your own risk, yes, but as most avid readers know, a little knowledge goes a long way.  Older series can and possibly should be researched to ensure the are either complete or active.  New series may be a bit more of a gamble, especially if the author hasn't been around long enough to evaluate by reputation. 

I personally will still give the benefit of the doubt to newer authors and first time series writers, but I will never again start an older series without looking into whether it is complete or active first. 

Happy Reading, 
Christine

Sunday Summary - Catch-up Edition - June 23 to July 13, 2019

Welcome to my Sunday Summary.  A look back on my bookish adventures for the past week - or so it is supposed to be. This is a catch-up edition. Sometimes life just gets in the way.

My mother fell I'll, and concerned for her overall appearance I took her to hospital. As it turns out she had had a heart attack. 4 days after I brought her in I was able to drive her home. Fortunately she will be fine, but she requires a little more help than usual as she recovers. 

Less than a week later, my son's daycare calls to say he hit is head quite hard and was tired. While both I and the daycare felt he was probably fine, out of an abundance of caution I spent the evening at the local children's hospital getting him checked. 

After all is said and done, everyone is doing fine now, and while a little stressed, I am extremely grateful. 

Books Reviewed:

The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge, by M. T. Anderson - My review of this quirky fun fantasy can be found in THIS POST. 

Tempests and Slaughter, by Tamora Pierce. You can read my review of this captivating tale of friendship and magic HERE.

The Need, by Helen Phillips. Creepy and dark! I really wanted to say more in MY REVIEW, but what I really liked about this book was difficult to discuss without spoilers.  

Unbreakable, by Kami Garcia. Read my post on this book HERE

Ramblings and Miscellany:

Canada Day fell during this period. I settled for a quick visual on social media. 

I had planned on doing proper Canada Day postings here and on social media,  but it was way sided by my mother's heart attack. I will say, that living somewhere where good medical care is readily available, and will not bankrupt you is something to celebrate! 

Advance Reading Copy (ARC) Books Previously Reviewed and Released this Week:

The need by Helen Phillips - link is above under "books Reviewed.

The Toll by Cherie Priest. A southern Gothic horror. My review is pending. 

Currently Reading and Notable Titles on Deck:

I have several reviews pending, and hope to slowly catch up. 

I am currently reading an ARC of Chances Are, by Pulitzer Prize winning author Richard Russo. This book will be available on the 27th of July. I am in-between Audiobooks at the moment. 

Next on deck is The Arrangement, by Robin Harding which will also go on sale July 27th.

Happy Reading, 

Christine